Thanks for reply - radatats - I love my pre's can't bypass these. I will try your settings suggestions. Also got a reply from Awesome PODHD GUIDE site (don't know if they would care if I named em so better not) - had insight that if u want to preserve each amp as panned hard left and right, u need to do that by hard panning each channel at the mixer AND make sure you only use true stereo effects beyond the mixer. Any stereo effects in channel a or b will be mixed down to mono. ANY MONO EFFECTS BEYOND THE MIXER WILL MIXDOWN THE STEREO SIGNAL FIRST.
I'm not using wires to split the signals. It seems like each amp should get the respective L/R channel output from the POD, I think this way you can use stereo fx in pre & those fields will get sent to the R/L loop, to accommodate this I have set {POD setup -input1 source=guitar, input2 source=same, mode=stack front} (maybe this is my error) however I read in Advanced Guide(3-7):
The FX Loop is capable of stereo, just like any stereo-output FX Model, provided that you utilize both stereo pairs of the SEND & RETURN jacks. If you use only the Left SEND or RETURN jack, the FX Loop signal is summed to mono.
The above rules also apply within each of the parallel Paths A and B, since these are each stereo signal paths as well. The Mixer Block offers Pan controls to independently adjust the stereo balance of each of these Paths before they are fed into the first “Post†FX (or Amp Block, if the Amp is placed here), immediately following the Mixer.
Could you please explain why you use a Y cable? I am attempting to apply 4 cable method to stereo application, becomes 7 Cable method - as follows: {POD rear settings -Unbl output=Amp, using shielded gtr wires}, {FX Loop lvl=line, using speaker wires}
POD Unbl Out L/Mono --> L Amp (crate v32) FX Rtn
POD Unbl Out R/Mono --> R Amp (VM 2466) FX Rtn
POD FX Send L/Mono --> Input pre L Amp (crate v32)
POD FX Send Right --> Input pre R Amp (VM 2466)
L Amp (crate v32) FX Snd --> POD FX Rtn L/Mono
R Amp (VM 2466) FX Snd --> POD FX Rtn Right
I AM getting sounds that are AMAZING, after 2weeks of study & settings. Used patches frm; factory, community, & frm scratch patches -copied my fav setups from my lexiconG2 which my pod hd is replacing - I have a patch straight through POD for just my amps. Had to disable all ground pins, to rid ground fault hum! custom tubes biased on hot end by ear, amaze, hand selected 12ax7's