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Pod Pro HD x - Reverb level 'floats'?


kprivigyi
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Recently purchased this unit, and it is extremely promising.  While setting up user patches last night (via the software), I selected a clean blackface amp / mix, then set up the reverb.  Once I had it set (spring), and it sounded really good, I went to set up a OD/Dist stompbox.

 

Kick in the distortion, and the reverb jacks up, so I back it down.  At 16% decay and 9% into the mix, it's still almost too much, but it's okay for now and I can tweak after setting up modulation and other settings.  I did try, the 63 spring and plate, pretty much the same outcome for all.

 

So I wasn't happy with the first distortion, change it to another.. reverb gets all loud again.. check settings, it's still at the same levels, so I back it down to 6%.  Change distortion again, reverb level jacks up.  I notice this time that the reverb level seems to directly correlate with my attack on the strings.   wt..?

 

Is it set up out of the box for the reverb to be variable like that??

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Recently purchased this unit, and it is extremely promising.  While setting up user patches last night (via the software), I selected a clean blackface amp / mix, then set up the reverb.  Once I had it set (spring), and it sounded really good, I went to set up a OD/Dist stompbox.

 

Welcome.

 

How are you monitoring? Are you hooked up to a computer using Pod Farm & a DAW? All the details about your set-up and settings will yield you better answers.

 

If your monitoring from Pod Farm and your DAW at the same time your monitoring won't be accurate. If you record using Pod Farm and a DAW turn down the monitoring in Pod Farm as to mute it so it doesn't mix with your DAW.

Edited by Brazzy
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Setting up the patches, I'm plugging the USB into the PC, using the software to create / edit, and using the headphone out jack on the front of the unit to hear the patch (I assume that's the most pristine way to hear the raw patch without PC/AMP/CAB shaping the sound after the fact).

 

My effects chain is simply what I stated in the original post, Started with a blank patch, Set the amp, then the reverb.

 

To answer Triryche, Yes- I'm hearing a broadly changing reverb level based on two variables- which distortion I use and also on my pick-attack.

 

In all my years, I've never heard a reverb unit, digitial or analog, act like this, so it's unnerving.. I was hoping that there was some simple setting like a 'reactive' setting in the unit that was affecting it.  

 

I don't hear this issue on the predefined patches, even when editing.

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I put the reverb in the first slot on the effects chain (clicked on the leftmost blank box in the visual gui)

 

I will try moving it.  Keep in mind, I'm new to this- all my experience prior is digitech, which I finally got sick of (boxy sound and doesn't survive gigging).  It struck me really odd that the effects chain is built left to right in the GUI, whereas I always built pedalboards right to left.. 

 

So I may be making mistakes that are terribly noobish and not knowing it- don't assume I know even the basics.. I did read the manual, but it was confusing to say the least.

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So I may be making mistakes that are terribly noobish and not knowing it- don't assume I know even the basics.. I did read the manual, but it was confusing to say the least.

 

I know where your coming from when you say your new, we've all been there. Usually the reverb is put at the very end of the chain, but it can go anywhere as you've just experienced. When I started I read the manual anytime I could and sandbagged this forum at the same time, lol.

 

Oh yeah, did I mention That was years ago and I'm still learning something new?

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There are no rules when creating patches!! You can make very interesting effects buy not following the conventional "rules".

 

But I will suggest a few guidelines if you are new to creating patches.

 

Place distortions and/or drive pedals before the amp(s).

Place your modulations, delays, and reverbs after the amp(s).

If you are building hi-gain patches try a noise gate at the beginning of the effects chain.

Setting Input 2 to "same" will add to the signal being feed to the chain, many users select "Variax" to avoid this.

 

These are just guidelines to get you started, remember, no rules!!

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Word                                 Effect Group

 

Which                                Wah

Chain                                Compression

Of                                      Overdrive

Effects                               Equalizers

 

Pedals                               Pitch

Makes                               Modulation

Life                                    Level

Easier                                Echo

 

Very Cool Post!! Thanks "H" for sharing your experienced knowledge.

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Thanks Triryche and Hurghanico

 

I wanted to confirm.. the chain of effects does actually start leftmost?

 

Also, when I go to the MK11- how do I know what effect lines up to which switch?  I thought I had it right, but then when I set it, none controlled what I expected.

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Hey guys , thanks for the feedback- I realize I'm a noob, and I needed to get into the unit a bit more.  So after countless hours and blisters on me fingers, I've set up 4 major patches.

 

What I did was create on good effects chain with everything in the right place, wah and vol pedal.  Then I saved it to each slot in the bank, then began experimenting with changing amp models, mics, effects, etc.  Everything sounds MUCH better!

 

Here's some of the remaining questions / concerns / frustrations:

 

Using the tuner (Hold down tap delay), I can hear it.  Even if I kill the volume with the pedal first, the tuner still bleeds a low level clean signal while I'm tuning.  Is there any setting for enforce "silent" tuning??

 

Chorus:  There's only two, and one really isn't usable in a mono environment, and doesn't really sound very good in stereo either.  The chorus isn't bad, but my digitech had like 5.. and 3 of them were radically different and good.  Just wondering what I'm missing here.  Also, no matter what I set the chorus mix level (or any other level) at, it has a rather disturbing boost effect on the patch.. So if I'm playing distorted, and wish to use the chorus for a randy rhoads inspired chorus line, forget it, because I'm going into solo boost with this chorus.  Very frustrating.  The flangers do the same, but don't seem nearly as loud with the boost.  Why do the mods boost the Db??

 

Saving patches with the X-edit.  It's confusing.  Easy to save the patch as a file, but to the unit?  Seems like sometimes it saves, and sometimes it doesn't.  I now resort to closing the software first, then using the save button on the unit itself, then relaunching the software, and do a receive selected but that seems like a PITA.  Is there a de-facto method to edit a patch in the software and save it to the unit?  The manual says to just do a SEND SELECTION, but that doesn't seem to work too well, as I adjusted the volume several times only to have it jump back up because it wasn't saving to the unit.  My method fixed it finally, but I know that's not the *right* way to do it.

 

Thanks again guys

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Regarding Mods, have you tried the Dimension?

It is based on my favorite Boss Pedal, the DC-2 Dimension C, which is based on on the rack version of the Roland SDD-320 Dimension D.

There are 4 modes, on the DC-2 you can only select one at a time with one being the most subtle, the cool thing with the HD version is you can select any combo of them and also control the mix (the DC-2 had no mix control).

 

Also, for a Randy Rhoads tone, have you tried the Script Phase?

 

Good luck on the tweaking, IMHO, diving in is one of the best ways to learn.

Hopefully you'll find some killer tones that you weren't even looking for!!

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Last night was band practice night- first night with all new signal chain and patches.  It was a colossal fail.  I had carefully balanced all the volumes between clean and dirty patches via my headphones at home, yet, they were all drastically different through the amp and cab.  It made zero sense, but especially my clean (nrml blackface) was super low.  I had to jack it to 65% gain, 100% volume, and raise the mixer to +10, and even use the EQ in the chain to boost it to equal the jcm800 at 39% vol.  Had the master almost jacked to max, and my power amp on 9.  Just to hear the clean patch in the mix.  The 800 patch was destroying the foundation of the house.  I finally gave up and chose a different amp for clean, I think the JTM45 and backed off the gain, but what a crappy clean tone- I felt forced into it just to get past.  

 

So I did try out the dimension, it just didn't sound good to me, and there wasn't a lot of option to control the effect so much as the tones.  I'm working with the analog chorus.  The idea mentioned above to put it right in front of the amp on the chain worked reasonably well.

 

I kind of lack understanding why the amp is in the dead center of the chain ...  Who on earth puts a pedal board previous to the amp, and another after it?  I'm catching on, but the philosophies on this unit are really alien to me.

 

I wasn't looking for Randy Rhoades tones, I was mentioning that when I kicked in the chorus- that instead of getting a smoothing effect, it would jack up the decibels and seem to over-apply the effect, getting me a Randy Rhoades type of solo effect, loud and over-chorused, which was exactly the opposite of what I was trying to accomplish.

 

Could use some help with making sense of the amp models.. Most sound the same.. vaguely overdriven to the point that they aren't clean or dirty, and the tube distortion along with the sonic distortions seem to 'screetch' out the distortion, and whatever tone I had is gone in a mix of noise and gain.

 

I'm going to try re-arranging the signal paths again.  I might also download some of the user-patches from the site and see what sounds good and how it's assembled.  Do you have any recommendations on what patches are genuinely good and which ones are just noob settings?  One thing I learned on the digitech user patches is that there is a lot of riff-raff and finding good patches was like finding a diamond in the rough (many were made by amateurs who just don't have the ear for it, but don't realize it).

 

Good times.

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Last night was band practice night- first night with all new signal chain and patches.  It was a colossal fail.  I had carefully balanced all the volumes between clean and dirty patches via my headphones at home

 

From what I understand, this was a mistake. you need to tweak tones in the environment your going to play in or at the very least monitor from a set of PA  speakers.

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From what I understand, this was a mistake. you need to tweak tones in the environment your going to play in or at the very least monitor from a set of PA  speakers.

 

This always worked well for me in the past- I would build a patch in the headphones, then fine-tune it in the actual environment.  I'm okay with that and agree- tone absolutely needs to be tweaked in the environment, but volume??  Never had that issue with digitech, and I know- this is a whole new beast, so I assume I'm doing things wrong, so I'm just writing it all out here, and trying to hash out the details.

 

So maybe I do need to change how I'm doing things, but I've always had a good ear and a lot of success building on the headphones and find-tuning the details later on my amp.  What I'm focused on with that statement is the very unpredictable volume levels in the POD.  The other guitarist in my band uses a line 6 vetta and he's had a lot of volume issues as well.  It was the first thing he warned me about when I bought the pod.

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This always worked well for me in the past- I would build a patch in the headphones,

 

You'll likely figure out what you need to do if your persistent. I'm certainly no expert on the subject but I do have some experience with this stuff and I read alot, lol. As long as your asking questions and trying different things, your on your way to success. Best Wishes :)

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Fletcher–Munson curves may explain some of the volume differences you are hearing.

 

Regarding the amp in the middle of the chain, some effects work well before a real amp's preamp whereas others are geared more towards a real amp's effects loop which bypasses the preamp. It's not uncommon to have a stomp or pedalboard in front of your amp with the effects loop going to a multi-effects unit/rack-mount.

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