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Switch from the PodXt Live?

F

funkymonkflea

Dec 31, 2006
4
0
#1
I bought a PodXt Live almost a year ago and I'm strongly considering getting rid of it. You have to be a sniper to hit the desired pedal, the wah is awful, most of the stomp boxes are useless and none are very good, and it is way too complicated. And yet, it has so much potential. I am 16 and in an original band, so I kind of want to develop my own sound and buy a couple pedals that I'll really love, but I'm not sure I should switch. Any advice on whether I should switch and if so what pedals to consider, because I'm relatively new to this.
thanks.
 
#3
If you can stand tweaking a LOT, reading the manual a few times and then some, etc....it should be worth keeping. I've got it and a SansAmp RBI. To me, the SansAmp sound like the real thing(Ampeg SVT, Bassman, etc.) and more "lively". The POD allows me to get "required" sounds for cover tunes and go from an ALMOST-SVT sound to an ALMOST-Bassman sound to a VERY-CLOSE-Acoustic 360 with 1 18" sound to...etc.

I've read the manual 4 times. Everytime I read it, I learn something else.

NOTE: The presets did nothing for me. When the SVT preset was tweaked so the controls matched how I set a REAL SVT....WHOA!!...there was an extremely close imitation of my SVT in that box!! Same with Bassman and Acoustic. If you had those amps and set 'em how you liked 'em...they're inside the POD waiting to jump out.

Wacky: Use one flange sound(JET flanger) and two of the distortions. One comes close to a Mesa Boogie screaming and the other is just pure dirt....like playing a bass thru a small amp on 12.
 
#6
funkymonk i wish there was, its one of the biggest pains about using the POD. i too am thinking of getting rid of the pod, i got a zoom G9.2tt (guitar one) and its user friendly got stacks of crazy FX and an expression that lets you tweak 2 values at once (up and down, laft and right).

im also thinking of a few behringer pedals too like the 'vintage phaser' and 'vintage distortion' (think small stone and muff hehe)
 
#7
FWIW:

I just picked up a podxt and I’m not getting up about it. I really got it to check into the editing/recording aspect - which is something I‘ve never messed with. On the Roland V Bass I’m used to lots of tweaking with a bass in hand. That didn’t bother me cause it’s playing a lot and sort of tweaking on the side (once you‘re familiar with it that is). The sounds of the V Bass through the GK pup are rich and clear and a lot of the patches are nothing short of HUGE in tone, they sound full like an entire band. Very professional and polished sounding.

Using the same approach the xt is improved over the original pod but still is inclined to be dark, has considerable distortion on patches that use heavy bass, and has a thiness and dullness to tone. But your not going to get piano or hi-hat sounds, etc. from a V Bass. It’s my understanding the editor is where decent pod sounds come from. I could see where tweaking at a computer would be less appealing but I’m guessing it will have it’s pluses once there. If you’re not willing to go there, at this point, I don’t see where the pod offers something you can’t get elsewhere in a more user friendly form.

-------------------------
Hats off to Boisey State, my God what a football team, coach, and game that was - and I went to OU.
 
#8
standard issue:

tech21 BDDI, EH big muff, MXR phase 90, Boss DD3.

look into those as possible pedal purchases! it all depends on the kind of music you're playing. you could also look into a Digitech bass synth wah (for funky sounds and a great octaver at a bargain price).

good luck!

"step into the realm, you're bound to get caught
and from this worldly life you'll soon depart."

(where "realm" = single effects, getting "caught" = becoming addicted to The Stompbox, and "wordly life" is your current setup. :D [thanks to The Roots for such a great quote, and for letting me use it in this.... imaginative way. :D])
 
#9
darthplagis said:
funkymonk i wish there was, its one of the biggest pains about using the POD. i too am thinking of getting rid of the pod, i got a zoom G9.2tt (guitar one) and its user friendly got stacks of crazy FX and an expression that lets you tweak 2 values at once (up and down, laft and right).

im also thinking of a few behringer pedals too like the 'vintage phaser' and 'vintage distortion' (think small stone and muff hehe)
Click to expand...

Do you use a 5 string with your G9.2tt? I am curious as to how it handles the low end.
 
#10
i do actually use the 5 with the zoom:) :hyper:

the amp models being guitar are generally too high gain for me but the clean,jazz chorus and bassman patches are great, the effects work fine all wibbles and wobbles from phasers and chorus/flangers have PLENTY bottom in them. the wahs are a little thin being guitar models (cry and vox) but are sweepable tho.

the tracking does go astray on octave/pich/harmoniser effects when you use the B but who octaves a B? but they are still useable with due care (divebombing a low B is always fun:ninja: :bassist: )

as for the tubes they do add a nice chunk of 'tube' growl and the B sings nice, the 2nd tube adds a bit of power amp tube simulation so to simulate push pull compression, it does a good job at it too:)

i just ordered a behringer bass OD and vint phase along with a dano wasabi chorus :ninja:

i'll see if i can get cubase to work and record some clips of the 5 in action
 
#12
I have what is basically the "boss" version (boss gt6b) of the podxt. I will say that I too have thought about getting rid of it on more occasions that I can count, and everytime I get fed up with it I walk away for a while and then come back and erase an entire patch and start with a blank patch and create something. This is where it is cool becuase with these high-tech multi units you can save all your settings and name it etc, then you go up/down to drastically change your whole fx setup. Which to me is handy because you could have slight reverb one on part and then go to a lot of reverb with some distortion, then changeup the type of distortion. That is what I see its intended purpose to be. Thoguh I must say that after owning the boss gt6b for two years, I have finally branched out to buy items that replace some of its capabilities, such as a dedicated external preamp and a separate distortion pedal because the built in distortion sucked in my opinion. But I plan to keep the processor for its simplicity (i know it souds ironic), to me it is easier to take one big box like the processer instead of a whole pedal board setup.
 
#13
ok here is a link to a RAR i popped on rapid share of me messin about with my 5 (yamaha BBN5) and zoom straight into korg D4 no added FX or EQ on mastering, on my laptop the bottom drops out of the B but thats prob naff speakers as its fine on headphones.

Invalid Link Removed

hope this gives you an impression on the zoom audienceofone,


as for envelpoes i would say the mini Qtron would be great, thats my next stomp.

ibanezzer i totally agree that multi units get stale quicker than single stomps and a break from them brings back the love, thats why i NEVER get rid of my gear it just gets lent to pals who need more than me.
 
#16
Anscari said:
I would use it to get a close approximation of your ideal "sounds" (not tone). I mean, phasing, chorus... and try the effects on your playing style. Then, start buying pedals one for one, slowly, and then, get rid of the pod.

Digital ain't no good...:hiding:
Click to expand...

I would second this recommendation. But there are some instances (very few) where digital sometimes produces better results than digital. Like in the world of reverb which is something hard for a bass to cut through in a live mix with the analogue version. But generally, I completely agree that analogue is the way to go, unless one needs to reproduce bird calls. And still there, some of analogue my pedals "chirp". ;)
 
#17
Mess around with the settings before you do that... I had to mess with my delay and chorus and now I've got some pretty sweet settings. Also I had to make 2 patches for every one that I wanted because I had to have one with less volume for my P bass... thats one thing I found, you can do volume leveling between basses pretty easily with the different settings.
 
#18
Armueller2001 i have the same problem with volume levels between basses, i ended up having a separate bank (you could say an account for each hehe) per bass P, jag, 5 st, Thunderbird and semi what a pain it is, thats partly why i ordered the stomps so they go in my amps loop and get a stable level hehe
 

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