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ppiluk

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Everything posted by ppiluk

  1. The Spark and the POD HD 500X are similar but very different. Both offer a variety of amps and pedals to craft your sound but this is really where the similarities end. The Spark really shines as a practice tool providing a wide variety of tools to help you learn how to play better. The POD HD shines as a professional effects unit that works well with your Variax. I have not had a Spark but I did have a Variax and a POD HD500 and it was cool how you could include your guitar settings in your POD patch. Personally, I really like combination of the Variax and the POD but this combination really works best with a FRFR speaker like a PA speaker to get the full benefit. TBH, if you really insist on a bedroom tube amp...or any amp for that matter, it won’t necessarily play nice with your POD HD. You would basically be best using only the POD HD for effects and not using the Amp and Cab sims. I hope this helps you a little at least.
  2. ppiluk

    Amp Control?

    This is beyond the scope of what a multi-effects pedal is designed to do. I have had a truck load of multi-effects and I cannot think of one that would control an amp in this way. The POD Go definitely can't do this.
  3. I hate to be that guy but have you switched out the cables you are using.
  4. Hello, You would be better off asking this question in the Helix area.
  5. I use mine on my Mac. What problems are you having?
  6. I have had my POD Go for about 2 weeks and I have decided to share my thoughts. I am a digital modeling junkie and currently have a Fender Rumble Studio, a Zoom B3n, a BOSS GT-10B and an IK Multimedia Stomp I/O (which I use with Amplitube, BIAS and Guitar Rig Pro). I am firmly in the digital world. I have owned several other products over the years including a bunch of Line 6 products. Firstly, withing minutes of playing the first patch I decided to move solely into the world of digital amps and effects. I have recently purchased a nice KRK Rokit 5 G4 studio monitor and will be picking up a PA speaker soon. This epiphany was mostly because even though I could setup my Fender Rumble Studio 40 to play flat enough for most situations, it still had its limits and I believe I had reached them. Let's get this out of the way first, the monitor speaker made an immediate improvement. It made all my modeling pedals sound so much better. *NOTE: I have crafted this thread over a few days and have just sold my Fender Studio Rumble 40 and picked up a used FRFR speaker. Made an enormous difference! * PROS of The POD Go Within 5 minutes of turning the thing on I had created my first usable patch right on the unit. It sounded rough and, in all honesty, it wasn't quite stage worthy, but it was extremely easy to create. I can see that as I continue to learn the ins and outs of this thing, I will soon be able to create usable patches right on the unit in 5 minutes. The POD Go Edit makes creating patches even easier than creating them on the unit. The app also has the added benefit of being able to see all the block's parameters and adjust them, accordingly, updating the unit in real time. The included "Cheat Sheet" is really all you need to know to start using the unit out of the box. Of course, investing the time in reading the "whopping" 40-page manual will fill in many vital operational details, reading the manual is especially important if you want to create your own usable patches. So, make sure you download it and read it. The amp choice is excellent. There are a wide variety of models to choose from, not as many as there are guitar amps but it does include most of the must haves. Line 6 has done a wonderful job emulating the tube amps. The amps react exactly like a tube should. This is one of my favorite things about the POD Go. It is especially well done in the Ampeg models (I am wondering if this is due to the recent acquisition of Ampeg by Line 6's parent company Yamaha or if it was simply due to their process, either way well done Line 6!) The ability to add your own IRs is awesome and I recommend you finding and purchasing a couple of good ones. Most Third-party IRs will be better than the included Cab Sims line 6 provides. The best place to get started is this incredible and free pack from Dr Bonkers. You can find it here: Dr Bonkers In This Together Cab Pack IR Collection. Surprisingly, this free pack included several amazing bass IRs. Thank you Dr Bonkers! There is an effect for every conceivable situation. I haven't gigged with this yet, but it is easily rugged enough for this and the size makes it easier to play in places that my venerable BOSS GT-10B couldn't, or the old POD HDs or a HELIX for that matter. The big screen is great! CONS of the POD Go The biggest and most glaring weakness of the POD Go for me was the almost total lack of patches for bass. There are 8 and they do not even come close to providing an overview of what the unit can do. Say what you want about the usability of factory patches, but there is no denying that they are often used by many people, myself included, as launching pads for their own ideas. The eight patches do not even cover all the amps. Yes, I could substitute amps easily but that is not really the point. Even the marketplace is a wasteland for the POD Go bass player containing a few patch offerings. I did purchase the Alex Guitars POD GO SVT Bass patch and it is well worth the money. It can be found here: Alex Guitars POD Go SVT Bass Patch. I think not including the Clawthorn Drive is a mistake. It should be included with the understanding it will limit your other pedal choices. According to the DPS chart here: Helix DPS Allocations, it seems to require only slightly more DPS power than the Ampeg Scrambler so there is really no reason for it not to be included. It would add more options for the average bass player. I love the screen. The problem is it really is underused. I would love to see some additional detail in the amps and effects rather than the generic pictures and colors of each category. Of course, there should be an option for people who prefer the current generic version. I hope the unit continues to get updates with new amps and pedals being added. For me, my number one requested Amp would be an Orange AD200 followed closely by a MarkBass amp Sim. These are my favorite bass amps and ones that would get a lot of use on my POD Go. I use the Orange AD200 sim all the time in Amplitube. The fact that Line 6 just released a new POD Go Wireless edition is encouraging as it means they will be adding at least a couple updates in the future. My observations are still rudimentary, and I still must test the Octave pedals and Wah effects but overall, the POD Go does a lot right. There are missing features for some bass players, most notably the POD Go only has a single chain and not the dual chain many bass players prefer, but I rarely use the dual chain so for me this was not an issue. Saying that, I can do that with my BOSS GT-10B anyway if I ever find myself needing that functionality. The bottom line is I would highly recommend the POD Go to most bass players but only if your needs require a single chain. If you require a dual chain, you will have to look at one of the Helix units.
  7. ppiluk

    Worst amp ever?

    I am going to let you in on a little secret. Opinions are like genitalia. Everyone has them and some people are always whipping them out in public and making exaggerated claims based on opinion and not on fact. This applies to both the people who say only positive things as well as those who say only negative. I have used multi-pedals and modeling amps from the following companies: Line 6 - Spider Valve Mark I, Spider IV, POD HD 300, POD HD500, Amplifi, and FireHawk. (Currently Looking at Spider V) VOX - VOX VT+ BOSS - ME-50 Zoom - G3, MS-50G, and MS-100BT (Currently waiting on the B3n) Peavey - VIP Fender - Mustang v2 I can tell you a couple things from my experiences. Firstly, a modeled amp will not sound exactly the same as the amp it was modeled on no matter what anyone will tell you. Many of the modeling products will come close enough to the original that the vast majority of people couldn't tell the difference. Secondly, and this is the most important thing. If you take the time to learn a product you will be able to get a good tone out of pretty much any modeling amp or multi-pedal. Ok, now that I got that out of the way, let's address the amp. I have played around with the Spider V and I really like it. It has a huge library of amps and effects built in and plenty of other useful features that will make learning the guitar easier and more enjoyable. As a beginner, this amp will benefit you greatly. It will give you an opportunity to learn about a wide variety of amp types and pedal types. It is easy to move pedals around to see how that changes the sound. You will learn about how the different types of amps sound, (not brands but types, Clean, American, High Gain and British). It is the easiest way to learn the difference between a Chorus and Delay without having to spend extra money. As if this wasn't enough, if for some reason, you end up hating the sound of this amp down the road, you can use it as a powered speaker for other multi-effect pedals or a traditional pedal chain. Many manufacturers are making quality analog pedals based on different types of amps and you can use one of these as the amp tone adding whatever physical pedals you desire...or can afford. As you have pointed out, Line 6 has been in business for 20 years. That in itself isn't proof they produce the best products but it is a very good indication that they make products people like. As a beginning guitar player, it is far more important you like the product than what some reviewer on YouTube says. I am quite confident you will like the Spider V. YouTube reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. It is far too easy for a reviewer to be biased against a company and not put any effort into the product to get the best out of a product. The flip side of this is you can't be sure a reviewer is not being paid for a good review either. The only review you should trust is yours. If at all possible try the amp out yourself. Download the Spider V app and play around. Watch some videos on YouTube but make sure that you watch as many positive and negatives as you can find. I am going to catch heck here but I would compare the reviews to the Line 6 videos about the Spider V. Why would you do this you ask. Well, YouTube is full of crappy sounding videos and it would be easy to distort your view of the amp. The Line 6 videos will show you the best the amp is capable of. Oh...one last thing, too many people talk about the built-in patches. It has been my experience that the vast majority of the patches a product builds into a product are to help show the different sounds the product is capable of.
  8. Using electronics with anything but the exact voltage is a risk and would void your warranty. I would think most people would just use an extension cord.
  9. ppiluk

    Worst amp ever?

    Thank you for this link. The article is excellent! I learned many of these things From a friend who is a pro musician after cursing nearly Amp I ever purchased. One day I was talking to My friend and cursing my a tube amp I bought. He invited himself over dialled in an amazing tone after a few seconds. Then he took a look at my POD HD300, which I had also given up on, and built a couple of great sounding patches for me. He told me he could get a decent tone out of any Amp within a few minutes. So I dusted off my emergency backup amp. A really old Peavey Rage practice amp. Much to my surprise, he made that puppy sound good as well. In fairness, this one took much more effort. That was the last time I ever blamed the equipment. Saying that, I have purchased amps since this experience that didn't suit me but that is different from blaming the Amp. The real irony of this is my friend bought a Spider V and raves about it every time I see him.
  10. I had a similar setup and foolishly traded my Spider Valve away. They just seem to sound so good together. I got what at the time was a great offer for the Spider Valve but in hindsight I never should have broken the pair up.
  11. I am looking for something to use with my POD HD500 Bass models. I have been using the house sound system however I am scheduled to play in a place without a house sound system. My question is can I use the POD HD500 bass patches to play through the SPIDER V Amp. I am considering the 60 watt as a model minimum. Thank you for the help.
  12. It's been a while since I had my Spider Valve but I believe if you plug the Output cable from the Firehawk into the Power Amp plug on the back this will have the desired effect. As a word of caution, make sure the volume is at 0 on BOTH the Firehawk AND the Spider Valve and slowly bring them up. I had the original Spider Valve but the same principle should apply. I traded it away and it is one of the pieces of gear I most regret parting with.
  13. The Firehawk won't work as a controller for the Spider Valve. You can turn off the Amp Sims and it would work well as a pedal board for your Orange amp.
  14. Hello All, I have a JTV-69S and a Firehawk and am wondering if anyone knew a way to build a Bass guitar patch? Thank you for the help!
  15. Depending on your budget the best amp for your Variax is either a POD HD500X (or HD500, you should be able to find one pretty cheap), a Firehawk or a Helix and a monitor speaker. I currently have a JTV-69S and a Firehawk and am running it through a powered monitor. Before my Firehawk I had a POD HD500 and both of these solutions work very well. I do also run my Variax through my VOX VC4-C1 and it sounds pretty good as well but the Firehawk releases the real power of the guitar.
  16. This forum section is for the Variax guitar. This is the forum for the Pocket Pod: http://line6.com/support/forum/20-pod-20-pod-xt-pocket-pod-floorpods/
  17. No need to bump...Line 6 is well aware of our desire to purchase the amps.
  18. I have never really used it. Most of my backing tracks come from the internet.
  19. I have been using it for about 6 months. I originally bought it for my POD HD500. It has settings for Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar and Keyboard. The best setting for a multi-effects unit is Keyboard 3. It outputs about 5 watts and is plenty loud to practice without bothering your family or neighbours. The built in amps are decent but I wouldn't buy the unit with the intent of replacing anything you already have. The Soundbox Mini is a stereo unit and effects such as ping pong delay sound really cool. There is also a 1/4" microphone plug which sounds good, it's better suited for talking rather than singing but it will do in a pinch. It's also battery powered there is an aux in so you can use the unit to play music at a beach or picnic. I really can't say enough about this unit. It's more expensive than many of the acoustic amps and monitors I looked at but the Soundbox is far more versatile.
  20. I would start your tone search here: http://line6.com/customtone/browse/podhd300/
  21. The best thing the Firehawk has over the POD HD500X is the ease at which you can create and edit patches. The POD HD500X patches have greater depth than those of the Firehawk but for most people the depth is unnecessary.
  22. I love mine. I have tried loads of multi-effect pedals and modelling amps and the Firehawk is by far the best of the lot. Only the POD's and the TC Electronic Nova System stacked up to the Firehawk. Here is a list of everything I have had in the past 2 years. Fender Mustang 1 v2 VOX VT120+ Line 6 Spider Valve MK1 Line 6 Spider IV 75 Watt Line 6 POD HD400 Line 6 POD HD500 Line 6 Amplifi FX100 Zoom G3 Zoom MS100BT * Zoom 50G DigiTech RP355 * DigiTech RP360XP TC Electronic Nova System * Indicates I still own these
  23. The POD series is designed for gigging professionals and as such contains only the best amps and effects Line 6 has programmed. This means that there will be a smaller number of amps and effects in the POD series. Firehawk is an interesting product in the Line 6 multi-effect line. It straddles the line between bedroom tool and stage tool. It contains amps and effects from Line 6's high end and low end pedals. Before I purchased my POD HD500, I had an Amplifi FX100. I wasn't overly impressed with the tones from the Amplifi so I upgraded to the POD series. I missed a couple of amps, especially the Line 6 designed ones after I made the switch so I understand your frustration. These are the amp packs you can purchase for the POD HD500X: http://store.line6.com/software/model-packs.html?cat=37 I wouldn't be too worried about what amps the Firehawk has that the POD is missing. The best sounding amps in the Firehawk are the HD ones shared by the POD series and you should be able to dial in just about any sound you need. I do share your concern about the lack of of a JC-120 As much as I love my Firehawk I am finding myself using the HD amps for the most part. I am not sure why you can't return the POD HD500X but I wouldn't say you made a bad decision at all. The POD HD500X is an excellent pedal with plenty of options and offers a much deeper editing of patches than the Firehawk. The people on the POD HD forum are very helpful and will have you up to speed quickly.
  24. You don't need to use an amp model on the Firehawk at all. If you are just using the Firehawk as an effects board it should work fine with an amp of your choice. I personally think picking up powered speakers are your best bet. There are plenty of options other than using Line 6's powered speakers. I am using the following product with my Firehawk: http://www.voxamps.com/soundboxmini It's plenty loud for home practice and it has a great flat sound setting that works perfectly. Before I purchased the Soundbox Mini I had a Fender Acoustic guitar amp. It worked well too and would be another viable option for you. More and more bands aren't using amps on stage and are using a variety of modeling technology. In fact, many times when you see a wall of Marshall cabs, they are just props and the real sound is being generated by an amp modeller that is being pumped through the PA system. If you are concerned about having an actual amp you can use any amp with an effects loop and run the Firehawk into the return jack of the effects loop. This bypasses the amp and basically allows the Firehawk to play through an amp without coloring the sound. I have used this method when I had my POD HD500 and it worked well. Many people are also using this product with great success: http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/powerengine/powerengine60.html
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