Hi again gang,
I am continuuing on my exploration of how to get a great guitar sound for my home recording at very low volumes.

People keep recommending the POD, even people who I would not expect to recommend it. So I keep going back to listen to it and try really hard to like it, but I always find it harsh, brittle and processed sounding.

I can see how some of the really massive guitar distortion sounds would be useful because so far I haven't figured out how to get a sound like that in real life...

So then I thought maybe running a POD into a tube amp might make the tone of it a bit more pleasing. Since I don't own a POD to try this, I wondered if anyone else has.

I have heard from a few people that the Johnson J-Station actually sounds better than the POD. I have also heard that it sounds much worse!!!


So anyway just thought I'd toss this out there and see if anyone has something to add to the debate.

Thanks,
-V

I have a home studio and I own a POD but actually havent used it alot, I share some of your observations although it seems to sound good on the few recordings I have used it on. Generally, I like my VG8 for modelling stuff.

I'd recommend you look and see if you can find the Lexicon Signature 284 recording amp, its 3 watts Class A all tube etc. It set up for recording. I'm not sure if they officially discontinued but it was $1000 down to $399 or something like that. You should look at musicians friend, if they still carry it and its not on sale, wait for it to go on sale again or look elsewhere.

The advantage of this is that you can then use your pedals etc and its real deal.

Love the POD, but I hate that I love it!!!........a Blue Tube in front of it or even a good Tube Screamer really helps to give a livlier response. And it sits in a mix real well......and if you can run the pod out thru a speaker and mike it- better yet.......it is difficult to mike big cabs and get a useful sound........I have a line 6 AX2 that Ive grown to love- but I replaced the speakers with an EV 12L on one side and an OLD EV SRO on the other..BBBBig difference.........

The limited experience I've had with the POD has been possitive, although I have my reservations about buying digital equipment.

1. It seems as though digital equipment continues to improve, rendering whatever came before obsolete. I'd be afraid that if I bought the Pod, a new one would come out a year later and look like the one I bought look like a Fisher Price Fart Machine.

2. If it breaks down, it's a lot more difficult to repair than analog equipment.

3. Last, the sounds are simulations of what is still available, so why not get the original if you can?

Regardless of my complaints, I do like the POD and would use it if it were to fall into my lap.

I have a pod 2.0 that I use in front of a tube amp. It sounds great as an enhancement. I bought it to emulate the Matchless and it sounded so good I went out and bought a matchless and now I am selling the pod. I have serious G.A.S.

Have you tried a Sansamp? I have an old one, I guess they call it the 'Classic' now and it gets some really good thick distortion tones in recording situations. It's all analog so you don't have that digital graininess and it's pretty flexible, the clean tones aren't great but the drive/gain tones are really good. Just a thought.

BTW, I read a Lenny Kravitz interview where he said he got one of the best clean tones he's ever heard out of a POD. Go figure, he used to be an analog snob!

Man...How could I have forgotten?? I used a SanAmp PSA-1 on my last bands cd and it was freekin unbelievable. We went to Ardent Studios in Memphis last year and that's what I used. The engineer didn't like my Boogie so he made me use a PSA-1 instead. Of course, I was pissed at first, but it turned out so good I couldn't believe it. I would HIGHLY recommend the PSA-1. It'll cost a little more, but it's definitely worth it. They usualy go for $325-$375 on ebay, if you can find one.

I like the POD, but it wouldn't, couldn't ever replace my rig. I would just use it (if I owned one, which I don't, and I don't have the money just sitting around that would make me want to buy one) as a headphone amp and for recording demos direct to disk.

Lots of pros actually use it in the recording studio and get great results from it.

I've found the Johnson J-Station to be a wannabe in all respects to the POD.

quote:

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Originally posted by Klatu Verata Necktie:
I'd be afraid that if I bought the Pod, a new one would come out a year later and look like the one I bought look like a Fisher Price Fart Machine.

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LOL!!!!

I've been using a POD for almost 2 years now ( 2.0 ) and I find that it works best if you can mix it with a recorded " amp tone " . Also , before you hit tape ( or disk ) go through a good compressor and or pre - amp . The secret to making a POD sound " good / realistic " has a lot to do with how you play each " model " . This may seem obvious but a good " live " sounding guitar does wonders for the thing .