Roscoe/EA/Bass POD Pro?

Recently, I have purchased several new pieces of gear. I don't like to make more than one change at a time to my line up inorder to get a feeling for how each piece reacts with the others. Things just didn't work out that way, this time. Now, I'm trying to trace down my "weakest links" due to the fact that I have a new bass (Roscoe 5 string Myrtle body and top) a new cabinet (EA CXL210) and a new preamp (Line 6 Bass Pod Pro) powered with my trusty old Crown PB1. I won't go into the long story, but lets just say the Roscoe has been a year long process, the EA was almost two months behind schedule and the Pod Pro was a purchase hours before a gig when my Trace GP12x started acting up. All pieces arrived the same week and I haven't really had much time to tweak nor really hear the differences each piece has made in my system.

I guess my biggest question is about the POD PRO. It seems to be really flexible, but is it really a good match with Roscoe and EA for live gigs? I've only taken it out once and had a ground hum that wouldn't go away. The club's engineer said this was common in their place due to dirty power and my hum wasn't as bad as most systems that come on the stage. I guess seeing that it was a "must leave the store now with something that'll get me through the gig" purchase, I'm a little leary. Have any of you guys used a POD for live situations? What are your experiences? Does the POD do a good job in the studio or is that marketing hype? These are things I'd like to know seeing that I still have a few weeks trial time with the product.

Thanks guys

 

Thanks Guys,

I have to agree that the POD may not cut the mustard with the other pieces. It was one of those purchases that I felt weird about, but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place so to speak with my Trace going down. I needed something fast and Atlanta is not a very good town for bassists to get their hands on something "nice" quickly. Shops claim to sell something "non-mainstream", but don't stock it. I also thought too, that I might be a tad "elitist" by judging the POD too quickly seeing that I never really got the opportunity to hear it with my old stuff that had been since sold to someone else. Who would have thought that a Trace pre that has given me 12 years of faithful service would start to crap out the day I get delivery of an EA?

I've heard various reports that the Aguilar 680? pre might be a good match (best of both worlds) with a solid state amp like the Crown. It's a bit more than I'd like to spend right now seeing as I just shelled out the bucks for the Roscoe and the EA. Joe, I could use some advice from you on just where I could A/B some gear next time I'm in Atlanta that might just fit the bill better than an "under the gun" purchase.

I've also been thinking of adding an integrated amp to my rack in the event something goes down. That way I'd at least have a good back up. When it comes out, I may even consider the iAmp 750. I've been told from the inside that they finally have their transformer section worked out to where the amp will acually deliver the claimed wattage. I'm already a big fan of their design and that may end up being my main amp and I'd let the pre/Crown be a back up. But first things first, I need to find a solution with my current set up.

I thank you guys for your input (no pun intended)

 

Well, I've gone ahead and done it. I've decided to return the POD and I've ordered another pre. I really wanted to A/B a Demeter, Kern and Aguilar. I ruled out the Alembic due to its more "scooped-out" mid range. I came across such a good deal for an Aguilar 680 pre that I had to just go for it. I hope it wasn't too hasty a decision, but I just like what I've heard from Aguilar in the past. Their 10 year warranty and ease of their service department makes me feel better about going for it. I just wished that I could have heard the Demeter first before buying, but as I said it was just too good a deal that wouldn't have been around for long. Most people have told me that Aguilar and Demeter are similar but the Aguilar, especially the 680, has more flexibility in its EQ and is a little more agressive in the mids. I don't really need that for the Roscoe, but it'll help out with my Yamahas that are a tad weaker in that department.

So, what do you guys think? Any experience, set-up advice or things I should know about the 680?

 

I certainly wasn't trying to "down play" the POD as a piece of useful gear. I think it does have a place in a number of environments. There are a number of things it does well. I'd like to have one for certain sessions or perhaps as an effect processor. I also think the PRO has a little more noise than the kidney bean. My first desire in buying it was that it would be a great dedicated preamp that would work well with my existing pieces in my rig. The Roscoe has its sound, the EA has its own presence and my thinking was that seeing that the store I purchased it didn't have much else to choose from, I'd give it a shot. With the type of gear I already own, I've been designing my own sound. I wasn't having much success doing that with the POD PRO as a live, stand alone preamp. I'd did perform well as a DI, but as a pre in my rack (not that it wouldn't work well with some other components), it just didn't do it for me.