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Zilthy

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Zilthy last won the day on July 12 2014

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  1. I just picked up a Boss Katana MKII head for this purpose this weekend, using its power amp in and bypassing all of the Katana pre-amp and effects stuff. Works pretty well and sounds fairly decent. I was considering a Duncan PowerStage 170, but the Katana is $50 less. I am wondering if the PowerStage sounds any better? Certainly there is a difference in form factor also, but it's just crazy how cheap the Katana line is. Okay, I really don't care for the Katana sound myself, but the head makes a reasonable power amp, and if ever needed, could use some of the other features. That being said, I'll probably end up with a Fryette Power Station someday, or other amp head.
  2. Zilthy

    PC 112 vs 212

    My question is, does the 2x12 give enough 'thump' that I won't miss a 4x12 so much?
  3. Not from Line 6 Market place, but I have some from Celestion that I have loaded. 48khz / 200ms versions. They loaded and sound fine.
  4. I was actually concerned about it being a 1x12 myself, I have used 4x12s for years, and for the most part I have not liked any 1x12 I played though. I do like this one though. Probably because it is closed back. I was thinking I would eventually move to the 2x12 but now.... I am quite happy with it. I have to admit though, if they ever did a crazy 4x12 version, I would be first in line to say "Take my money". :D
  5. I figured it out, and it is sounding great!
  6. Can the Pod HD500x be connected to the Powercab 112 Plus via Line 6 link? I know it cannot control it, but can the audio work? When I set it up that way, it sounds awful that way, very fizzy, like it is not using either the build in cab sim or IR at all. Oddly enough, it sounds pretty good from the direct out, just nasty from the cab itself. It seems like it is only applying the cab sim or ir to the direct out. And connecting via XLR output it does not sound quite right either, it's very quiet, and I have everything cranked up on the Pod HD500x and I still need to crank up the input gain on the Powercab. I feel like I am missing something here, any suggestions?
  7. What version of Line 6 Monkey? I just had it weird like that also. I ended up trashing my current version of Monkey, downloaded the latest 1.78, installed it, and then it managed to install the drivers fine on my Mac.
  8. That's exactly what it will do. If you install the drivers it looks just like another sound card to the PC. You can change to using that for your sound card in Sound/Volume control settings. You can even use is for a recording interface.
  9. I've been using Line 6 for years, from when I downsized from my rack to a Flextone II head and 4x12 (yes, that is downsizing from a filled 10U shock mount rack system and 4x12) to using Pod XT in the studio, etc. Over the last decade my mainstay has been a Pod HD500 X with a DT25 Head and a Mesa Boogie 2x12. But lately, I've been wanting to just go back to a good tube head and a few effects. So, I got a 50w 5150. I did want to have delay though, and a noise gate for the high gain stuff. I originally thought going with pedals, but I knew that would annoy me before long. I've been spoiled by MIDI and channels switching for so long, I don't want to do a dance when switching between what I want for clean vs lead, and even if I was okay with that dance, I'd need 3 delays, or have to change settings every preset. So, pedals were out. I thought about using my HD500X. That got me looking around at cables, snakes, etc. I really didn't want to run 4 TS Cables, Power Cable, MIDI Cable (for amp channel switching). That led me to my first requirements for my new, much slimmer than last decades rack system: One cable. I just want to run one cable on stage/home/wherever Small and light weight. 4U (or smaller) Look like it belongs with the amp. No roto case type stuff In addition to channel/preset switching also wanted MIDI CC for effect on/off That right there limited my choices. Anything I used would need power over MIDI (MIDI 7 pin cable). And MIDI pedal would need to use that phantom power also. Fortunately, there are some really good rackmount processors that do that, and being older, they can be gotten pretty cheaply. For around the cost of just a new delay pedal alone. So, I shopped around and got a couple of rack processors and effects (Rocktron Intellifex, Rocktron Xpression, ISP Decimator Pro Rack G, Lexicon MPX G2) and a MIDI controller (VoodooLab Ground Control Pro). While waiting for the deliveries (and I am sure my FedEx and UPS delivery peeps are wondering what I am doing by now) I remembered I had an HD Pro X sitting in my studio, unused for quite awhile. Hmmm.... that *could* fit the requirement, just 1 RJ45 out, but, could it stand up to the others? The others have one really, really good trick that the Pod does not. The Rocktron and Lexicon have a pure analog signal path. Which, is really cool, and sounds really great. But, it comes at a cost. Your signal paths are limited if you want to use the analog path fully. Hence, the ISP Decimator. After playing with all this gear for a couple of weeks, I've decided which I'm keeping (the Pod HD Pro X) and which I'm selling (the other stuff). I could have saved some time and effort, and probably a few $$, but I got a chance to play around a bit, and know that I have what I was looking for. So, here's the summary on each, and why I'm staying Line 6 on this: Rocktron Intellifex: I love Rocktron gear. It's solid, reliable, and sounds good. The Intellifex is no exception. It's chorus, delay and reverb are really standout. Not Lexicon PCM quality, but really, really good. It lost out because it's just that. Chorus, Delay, Reverb and you can really only run it in the FX loop. I'd say the Pitch Shifter it comes with is useless, but it really isn't. It's just not good for Pitch Shifting. It's *great* to use as another Chorus and sounds lush and full that way, without the typical chorus sweep, but the unit already has an awesome chorus on it. I guess, more flavor of chorus? The Hush on it isn't all that great. Even cheaper, standalone Hush units sound and work better, and are a lot easier to tweak as needed. Plus, using the hush kills the parallel analog and bypass. Rocktron Xpression: More effects than the Intellifex, but most of the same limitations. More effects come at a cost, the chorsu/delay/reverb are not as deep or as good as the Intellifex, but they are still more than good enough for live use. Lexicon MPX G2: This was actually the hardest choice. Unlike the Rocktron units, this one can setup blocks for pre and post. Like the Pod HD, you can actually get a foot controller made and setup for it. The effects sound great. Routing isn't limited. It has an analog path. Awesome! The G2 would have won for me but for 2 reasons (Well, there is a 3rd I figured after deciding). It's a pain to program. Even once you know what you are doing, you need to map out a lot of things. It was also too 'deep'. Not the effects, but the unit itself. I wanted something that would sit with my amp, and this one is just too deep physically. Pod HD Pro X: That lack of an analog path was a non issue. The amp sound is really good still once gain structures are setup. But setting those up is annoying compared to both Rocktron and Lexicon. Both of them have not only step by step guides in their manuals, but also input, output and clipping meters. And they also have signal chain paths in the manuals! Okay, okay. I've messed around enough so it sounds good. I should be happy with that. But I'm not. I'd feel better with meters. Sorry, just the way it is. That being said, it's pretty nice. I can feed my clean channel with a lower input for cleaner cleans, or feed my crunch or gain channels with a hotter signal with loop placement and gain structures there. Pretty nice, and not taking an FX slot. So, the Pod HD won out. As an added bonus, I realize that if I am ever playing out live again, and for some reason my head or cab blows out or stops working, I at least have a backup I can use direct. That's pretty awesome. Zilthy
  10. I use Sennheiser HD650s and they work fine without a headphone amp.
  11. That sounds really nice!! I won't even deny that. :) But, I did mention that 10% was the feel though. If I could get that same *feel* direct, I would never bother with a head and cab. :)
  12. As jegler does, I use the full amp HD500 in LVM. In normal mode, I use the pre- models.
  13. Various Guitars -> Pod HD500x -> DT25 -> Recto 2x12 I know, I know, no variax. :) But, what I get is, I can always get the sound I want at any volume I need, whether mic'd or direct. :)
  14. As mentioned, tubes sound better cranked up. I think they still hold up well under more moderate volumes and sound quite nice, but, you only get that cranked tube amp sound from them if you crank them. Also, you need enough volume to get the speakers moving a bit. Not necessarily cranked, but conversation volume will usually leave something to be desired. I have had a DT25 combo for awhile now, and that has never really done the trick for me, although it works very nice in the setting that I have used it most in. More recently I have purchased a DT25 Head, but instead of the 1x12 extension cabinet I got a Mesa Boogie 2x12 Recto Cab (Vertical) to go with it. Now, *there* is a sound that I enjoy. I guess that I am just a sucker for that 4x12 closed back sound, and this setup does the trick, as well as being a bit more portable, even though it is a rather large 2x12 (But, it is certainly not the size of a 4x12). It is not that the combo sounded bad, it just never felt right to me. I think I am far too used to that 'thump' that seems to only come from a closed back cab. The recto cab has different speakers in, also making a difference that I like a lot better. I very well might not have liked the DT25 Head and 1x12 Line 6 cab, but I cannot answer that one, since that is not the route I went. One thing to mention, usually closed back cabs (Whether 1x12, 2x12 or even 4x12) tend to be even more directional. That could be another thing that I am just plain used to myself. :) For both gigs and recording, I have gone both Pod direct at times, and Pod through amp at times. Both have worked out just fine (Well, except once, but not my fault the sound tech was too afraid to take the mic out of the HD and insisted that I go through their Fender Twin, which my patches were not setup for at all). You'll probably be happier just using the HD direct (and, it is a bit less hassle). For about 90% of the time, that works for me. The other 10%? Playing with a live rock band. It just does not feel right playing stuff from the Who to Metallica and beyond without having a cranked up stack. :D One tip though: If ever playing out, make sure to have your own monitoring system, whether it's an amp, headset or in ear monitor. Do *not* be at the mercy of the sound techs there. I have been burned one too many times on that one.
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