Using Pod Hd Pro X Live

[bravo929]

Id like to start off to saying thank you too.. 

GTLazer, silverhead, and TheRealZap

for recommending me in send back my faulty device for a working one.

 

To start off, i love the pod's ease of access, easy recording via USB, and some tones.

I recently hooked up my pod to my half stack "http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/randall-rx120rh-and-rx412-half-stack" through the amp head as a power amp to give its boost that it needs. I'm pleased with the sound over all compared to the built in overdrive on the Rx120RH which sound fuzzy, and same with my peddle.

 

My question is, is there any way to make the pod sound better? I read online about people running there pod through a tube amp or a tube power amp. If this is the case, could anyone recommend any device to me?

 

Thank you~

[bvaladez74]

I come from a tube background.  Everything I've ever used has tubes somewhere in the rig.  Whether it's straight tube head, pedals.  Or a pod and a tube head or a pod and a tube power amp.  I just bought a Matrix GT1000fx power amp.  It's a solid state, modern technology, power amp....made for modeling.  It replicates all the nuances of a tube amp perfectly to my ears...and apparently many other well known rock star types share the same opinion.  I'm using it with my HD500x.  I still have my egnater armageddon as a back up, but I'm telling you....this power amp is amazing.  A lot of pro touring musicians are using the AxeFx and Matrix as their main rigs now...but with a POD, it performs just as good.  I paid $750 for it from the UK and it showed up in a few days.  The thing weighs only 8lbs.  It's amazing.  1 space so it's perfect for very busy gigging musician in smaller venues, in terms of weight and size.  It also cranks way loud through my Mesa 4x12.  

 

I normally can't stand solid state/cold sounding amps, but this sounds nothing like those.  Even the Vetta to me sounded colder the louder you cranked it.  But that's just me.  This power amp has the dynamics, feel, response, warmth, power and tone of a tube amp.  When you crank it....the response is better, hotter, more gain and feel....just like tubes.  It was designed for modeling preamps.

 

Right now my 50lb tube heads and my 100lb Mesa 4x12's are not being used.  I'm running 2 Orange 1x12 cabs, a 2 space rack with the Matrix and a Furman and a pedal train pro board (the bigger one) with my HD500x and analog pedals mixed in.  It sounds just as massive as my tube head rig, with even more dynamics.   

 

If you're looking for an alternative to lugging around your heavy head as power to your POD, look at these.  http://uk.matrixamplification.com/rack-amplifers/gt-1000-fx-1u.html 

[NinoScholz]

I use my Pod HD pro into a Mesa 50/50 power amp and then a Splawn 4x12 with great success. I've found the speakers in the cabinet made a big difference with dirt tones. V30s go great with the pod. Once i switched to them and G12T75 (x-pattern) they really added to the realism for my dirt patches vs the emi big blocks i was using stock in the cab. I love the mesa power amp. At band volumes, it sounds great. At home volumes, you'd be hard pressed to tell it apart from a SS power amp.