gbr13697

Hi Atomant - it is reassuring to find someone else experiencing similar issues. I just bought a PODHD500X, and I was initially quite pleased with what I perceived as a vast increase in the clean headroom on my Bassbreaker 007. On comparing results on other amps, including my Blackstar HT5R, I now realise that there is a significant signal loss through the POD. Like you, I got significantly more volume, gain, and frequency response, with the guitar straight into any of the amps. With no effects or amps on the POD chain, I have to increase the Mixer volumes by 6-8db to achieve the same volume and gain and, even then, there is noticeable tone suck. You can obviously get acceptable volume, gain, and tone, by inserting boost, EQ, and amps into the POD signal chain, but I think the natural characteristics of different guitars will inevitably get lost. I also have a GT100 and ME-80 and I agree that they appear much more transparent. In fact they have a tendency to boost rather than loss, even when you don't intend it. You will know that the clean channel on the Blackstar HT5 is very clean, and the Dirt channel is very dirty (unless you are a metal head!). The GT100 will normally make the Dirt channel unusable for anyone that just wants a modicum of dirt. I found that the solution was to reduce the GT100 guitar input level by 10db in Global settings, and then adjust the volume on the Clean channel and Gain/Volume on the Dirt channel to taste. Messing around with these 3 parameters can achieve pretty much anything when using the GT100 on the HT5. Unfortunately it doesn't work so well on the Bassbreaker as there is only 1 channel - to get clean headroom you have to turn the levels on the GT100 and the Gain on the amp right down, which results in very little volume even with the volume on the amp right up. As various contributors to your thread have commented, nothing is perfect and it's all a matter of getting the best compromises possible for the result you want with the gear you have.

It does seem to be a little less than parity, even with everything turned up (but with no amp or effects in the POD signal chain). It is possible that I haven't worked out the mixer yet. It is a little difficult to tell, as the guitar straight in is quite sufficient to push the amp into distortion with gain at only 2-3. Putting the POD in the chain seems to clean up the sound through the amp, at the same or even much higher gain settings. This isn't a problem, as I am pleased to get the extra clean headroom. I just can't work out how the POD is preventing the Bassbreaker amp from distorting at high gain settings. I am used to the GT100 which tends to boost the signal, even when not intended. I had to turn down the guitar input to the GT100 by 10db (i.e. quite a bit less than parity), and keep the amp gain under 2-3 to prevent the sound breaking up with valve distortion. Any boost to the signal was instant dirt. I don't understand how I can put a (nearly) parity signal in from the POD, and turn the amp gain up to 8-9 without getting the amp's natural valve distortion. As I said, it's not a problem. I just can't work out how it's happening!

I have just bought a POD HD500X, and I'm using it into a Fender Bassbreaker 007 and 1x12 speaker cab. One of my problems with this amp was the very low clean headroom. I was getting valve breakup distortion with gain on 2 with any reasonable pickup output. With the gain this low, cleans were pretty quiet even with the volume full up. I previously used a Boss GT100, and had to reduce the input level in settings to avoid getting dirt straight in. The POD HD500X seems to over-ride the amp in some way. The output from the POD seems a little less than parity, in that the guitar straight in apparently gives a bit more gain and volume than the via the POD. However, when going through the POD I can turn the gain and volume on the amp up to 10 without any appreciable valve breakup. This does mean that I have to create the dirt in the POD, but it does give me a huge increase in the volume of clean sound. I can't see how the POD is cleaning up the sound and apparently stopping the amp from going distorted even at very high gain and volume settings. If I put the guitar straight in on these settings, it is just wall to wall distortion. Can anyone explain how this is happening?