mrkphpps

Hi Lawless I think the master on the DT25 is just that - a good old honest hard wired volume control after the preamp that sets how hard the tube power amp is working. I also think the channel volume is doing much the same job, but before you get to the master volume. I've not done the experiment to prove this, but I'd expect master high and channel volume low to drive the power tubes pretty much in the same way as master low and channel volume high with the same overall output. The tubes are going to hit their limit and start to distort at the same overall level whether it's the channel volume or master volume that's setting the output level. It's going to be very loud when you get to power amp distortion with even a 25 watt amp, so there could be something in the way the preamp models are working. I'm with Lawless - give each combination a try and let your ears / taste decide. Good luck Mark

Hi Luke A video tutorial on output modes and how to check / change them can be found here. http://uk.line6.com/support/docs/DOC-2562 If you haven't looked already, it may be worth checking out the custom tone web site - lots of users have shared their POD patches and these can be a good start point to dialling in your own tones. Your "too trebly" problem does sound like a potential output mode issue. Studio direct is intended for full range systems like PAs / monitors; combo and stack modes are intended for guitar amps with no tweeter and boost the treble in the output to compensate for the natural roll off of the guitar amp's speaker. Just in case you're not aware of this, there could also be a volume / loudness issue. Ears are less sensitive to bass and treble at low volume, so tweaking your sound at bedroom levels then rolling up the volume at a gig can also result in an increased perception of both bass and treble and a boomy plus tinny sound. (If you like techie descriptions, check out the Fletcher Munson Curve.) When dialling in tones, I always try to be as close as possible to the kit I intend to use, and get the volume levels up to a reasonable level. Keep working on this - the sounds are in there somewhere! I've had great results using HD500 direct to PA in a covers band. Good luck Mark

Who's Steve Howe? (Jealous, Jealous, Jealous).

HI all Tried a DT25 a couple of months ago. Don't know whether it's better or worse than other amps out there, but the feel / responsiveness of HD500 plus DT25 had me sold. I still can't stop grinning each time I get to play through them - and I can feel the difference between the Twin and AC30 models. Give it a try, and let your ears make the decision. Mark

Hey Rob Just responded on another of your posts and think I may be understanding better... Power amp configuration for DT25 gives you class AB (high power) and class A (lower power) in pentode (high power) and triode (lower power) options - I've not checked the specs but I think class AB pentode gives you 25 watts, class A pentode gives you 10 watts and class A triode is down at around 5 watts. Watch the output mode choice for an HD into Blackstar and L2t - the mode that should sound good with Blackstar may not be good with L2t and vice versa. Mark

Hey Rob There are lots of variables here - sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but... POD has different output voicings that aim to compensate for the different connection options - studio direct that rolls off the treble for FRFR so that it mimics the response of a real guitar amp (the FRFR can go to 18 khz, but the POD only outputs to 5khz), and combo / stack output modes that match frequency response from the POD against open backed / closed backed cabs without the need to reduce the HF response in the same way. You've also got the option of using pre-amp only models, or full pre / power amp models on any given patch, so can use full models for FRFR, and pre models for playing through a guitar amp power section. All should sound good if you tailor output mode and patches to match the kit you intend to use, at something approaching the volume you're intending to use on stage. All are guaranteed to sould like fingernails on a blackboard if you run combo output mode into FRFR - the system will reproduce the high frequencies that a guitar amp would naturally roll off and you'll get a pretty nasty, harsh sound. Given that POD HD500 can only do one output mode at a time, if you want to feed signal to front of house directly from the POD, FRFR is your only option if you also want to add something on stage that you can control. (POD in one hand, guitar in the other and good PA / monitoring / sympathetic sound engineer has worked well for me on occasion, and my back finds this very attractive - but at one gig a rail crash felt uncomfortably close when monitors went out...) POD in combo mode into a guitar combo with a mic in front of it feeding the PA has also worked for me, with the downside that there's more kit to carry and one more mic to give potential feedback or other issues. With a bit of time spent tweaking patches, I'd expect that your audience would struggle to tell the difference between FRFR or guitar amp. On the other hand, playing FRFR using monitors and keeping stage volume low will feel totally different from the sensation of moving air from a guitar amp at volume. For me, POD plus DT25 has meant a quantum leap in responsiveness from my guitar compared to using POD FRFR - playing quiet is quieter, digging in is louder / more distorted depending on the model / patch. (The part of me that doesn't like spending money is currently saying that this is true, but this could be more about tweaking patches to have less gain than about using the DT25.) There's no substitute on this - give the options a try and let your ears make the decision on what sounds best to you. Good luck Mark

Hi Nic You could connect guitar to pod, 1/4" output from pod to fx return of your Tweaker. In this configuration, you would most likely want to use Pod pre models into the power amp / speaker of your Tweaker. If what you want is the full pre / power amp sound of the Tweaker with Pod effects, 4 cable is the way to go. I think, guitar goes into pod, effects send from pod goes to amp input, effetcs send from amp goes to effects return for pod, pot output goes to effects return for amp. You can switch your amps preamp into patches by enabling the Pod's effects loop, or use Pod pre-amp and disable effects loop to taste. Effects in the Pod chain can be pre / post loop and therefore pre / post your amp's preamp. Be prepared to tweak levels along the way... Good luck Mark

Hi Syn If you're looking for Hi Gain using Pod, Meambobbo's your man. It's not my style, but this guy has written an extrememly detailed guide... http://www.foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/ Good luck Mark

+1 to what Si said. Less distortion is a great idea when you move from bedroom to gig levels, what sounds great with guitar on its own won't necessarily cut through in a band situation, and what you hear on stage is nothing like what the audience (or your MP3 player) hears in front of the PA. We've all spent more time that we'd care to admit to developing patches, and starting from one or two patches that work and tweaking is a great idea - not many guitarists would carry a dozen different amps to a gig and switch between them. I've used my HD at a few gigs with FRFR speakers / PA and not had any complaints from audience, so if you keep plugging you'll get there... Keep plugging Mark

Hi Bob I recently added a DT25 to the HD500 rig I've been using for a while, either into a Peavey Valve King combo or FRFR monitors. For my cloth ears the DT25 is a huge step up from these - plenty of volume available for monitoring on stage, and a sound / feel that keeps a very big smile on my face when I play it. My only quibble would be that I had to revisit my patch library (rework with preamp models rather than full models) and balance the volumes all over again, and I suspect I'd have to keep another batch of patches if I intended to use the DT25 in low volume mode. Other amps are available at the price - give them a try and let your ears make the decision. Good luck Mark

Hi Morrowind Sorry you're having problems getting the Engl to work. Have you tried the 1/4" out set to line rather than amp? I think the amp setting is designed for going into the pre amp input of a guitar amp, and I have mine set to line when I play through the effects loop return of my peavy valve king, and it seems to work for me. Good luck Mark

Hey Djspleen. Agreed on the other posts - better to go into FX return, and volume makes a huge difference. But, and sorry if I've missed something here... You don't mention the output mode you've set. If I've read your posts correctly, you're creating sounds and monitoring with a 1*12 combo, and taking a feed from the Pod xlr to PA. I'm afraid that these are very different - the guitar amp naturally rolls off treble, and a PA most definitely does not. If you've set the output mode of the Pod to match combo pre and / or set the sound the way you want it through your combo, I'd expect it to sound pretty harsh and nasty through the PA. One feature I miss from my X3 Live was the ability to have output mode for PA on the xlr, and combo to monitor on stage through th 1/4 inch outs - HD can't do this. It might be worth trying Pod in combo power amp output mode into your Bandit, tweaking your patches at something approaching the volume you intend to use on stage, and then using a good old fasioned mic in front of it to feed the PA. Hope this helps Mark