Clean / Distortion Channels

[alienux]

So I've had my POD HD500X for about 8 days now, and the one thing I'm still a little fuzzy on is distortion (pun intended) that is built into an amp model.

 

I've read the Quick Start guide, and I'm starting to work through the Advanced guide, but my problem is probably due to the fact that I need to unlearn a little of what I'm used to.

 

My previous experience is with a Crate G120-C 2x12 combo and with a Peavey Vypyr VIP 2 (I still have and use both). With the Crate, there are two guitar inputs, and there is a "channel" button that affects both of those. The button switches from clean to distortion, and each channel has gain control, but obviously much less on the clean channel. With the Vypyr VIP, there is an amp selector knob that rotates to each of the 12 modeled amps. You rotate the knob to select the amp model you want to use, then press the knob to switch between the clean, medium gain, and high gain channels.

 

My way of approaching things, because of those 2 amps, is to load an amp, then select the clean or dirty channel, then tweak pre-gain/drive, EQ, etc. from there. If I understand the POD correctly, it's a little different.

 

From what I can tell so far, with the POD HDs, each amp channel is a different model.....is that correct? What I see when I load a model in the 500X is typically just a drive control for gain/distortion, but no way to switch that model between clean and gain channels. If I want a clean channel, I find an amp model that is modeling a clean amp or clean amp channel. Is this correct? I'm sure I'm off in my understanding, or just missing something simple.

[stumblinman]

Each model is based on a channel. That is why there are multiple models of the same amp. There are 3 Soldano models to cover this, as well as a few amps having a "normal" and "bright" model. If you want to use the same amp model with different gains, you will have to set them up separately and "switch channels" between them.

 

So I've had my POD HD500X for about 8 days now, and the one thing I'm still a little fuzzy on is distortion (pun intended) that is built into an amp model.

 

I've read the Quick Start guide, and I'm starting to work through the Advanced guide, but my problem is probably due to the fact that I need to unlearn a little of what I'm used to.

 

My previous experience is with a Crate G120-C 2x12 combo and with a Peavey Vypyr VIP 2 (I still have and use both). With the Crate, there are two guitar inputs, and there is a "channel" button that affects both of those. The button switches from clean to distortion, and each channel has gain control, but obviously much less on the clean channel. With the Vypyr VIP, there is an amp selector knob that rotates to each of the 12 modeled amps. You rotate the knob to select the amp model you want to use, then press the knob to switch between the clean, medium gain, and high gain channels.

 

My way of approaching things, because of those 2 amps, is to load an amp, then select the clean or dirty channel, then tweak pre-gain/drive, EQ, etc. from there. If I understand the POD correctly, it's a little different.

 

From what I can tell so far, with the POD HDs, each amp channel is a different model.....is that correct? What I see when I load a model in the 500X is typically just a drive control for gain/distortion, but no way to switch that model between clean and gain channels. If I want a clean channel, I find an amp model that is modeling a clean amp or clean amp channel. Is this correct? I'm sure I'm off in my understanding, or just missing something simple.

[Brazzy]

You can get cleans from a dirty amp you just have to turn things down and test out with the way you want to play, such as heavy attack or light attack. There are so many combinations you just need to be willing to spend the time and try them all out, What I've done (and am still doing, lol) is study every model and try to squeeze it for all the combinations of the settings in every model to know what they can do with the different styles of playing I'm capable of. When I do this I use only the AMP or PreAMP model, no effects 'till I get tired or bored. That's when I'll start adding effects like a reverb or a distortion pedal and so on. Knowing how you can work with just the amp itself will take you a long way down the road and while doing this I stumble on different styles of playing. Often I'll stumble on a song while just playing chords randomly, lol. A good thing to remember is learning things like this is best done in layers.

[alienux]

Thanks to both of you. That clears things up. It's just a little bit different way of doing things than the Peavey modeling stuff does it, and realizing that helps a lot.

 

The Vypyr was the same way when I first got it (best learned a little at a time), but it seems pretty simple now that I see all of the options and settings the POD has to offer. I mean that in a good way for the POD :P

[radatats]

You can also use the expression pedal to morph any amp model from clean to dirty by assigning multiple parameters to it.  The expression pedal can control up to 50 separate parameters at the same time.  You can assign Drive, tone stack, Channel Volume etc to the pedal so, for example, as you press it your Hi Gain Treadplate can clean up nicely without having to change patches...  Or your clean Blackface can get heavy with overdrive and delay...

 

Just another way of looking at things...  So much you can do with this rig if you want to get creative...