AlexKenivel Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 (Sorry if the thread title isn't kosher) So I'm pretty new at this, about a month ago I got my first POD (hd500x). I wasnt sure how things we're going to go, I really wanted to get an axe fx but could not justify the price point. I had done a lot of reading, watched a lot of videos and heard a lot of stories and mixed reviews, but what seemed to be the most abundant were problematic situations and frustrated customers. this had me a little worried, but I knew that if I were to be patient I could probably get by quite well with this device. I've got to say, I've been having a great experience and I've run into no real problems besides a couple glitches here and there, and I'm getting a taste of the little shortcomings that are commonly talked about like the lack of Hz labeling in EQs, fizziness, awkward factory settings, dsp limits, I was even a little miffed after I found out the banking and presets didn't work quite like I had imagined or hoped they did. Maybe it's just me, but instead of worrying about things, I adapted and learned very quickly and after an hour of tweaking i had pretty good hi gain, crunch and clean presets. soon I was making ambient synths and making set lists for my bands songs. I used my Pod with my bass players old Behringer powered mixer and horrible Squire PA speakers at our band practice and was blown away about how things sound. Sure it wasn't perfect, but I had been 2 weeks into tweaking and had a great first sound. then it was time to refine that sound, and to make a long story short its been a small challenge and a whole lot of fun and things just seem to get better and better. .. and I see all these "not happy with my pod threads" and I just sit there and I shake my head. /rant -Satisfied Customer 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbieb61 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Heh-heh...when I saw the title of this thread I thought it was about some new POD "Head" (like a new amp head) Damn, wouldn't that have been cool if they had integrated the POD HD 500 right into the physical cabinet of the DT 50? So all you'd need would be a midi & expression pedal and your "amp" would be a self-contained monster. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKenivel Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 Heh-heh...when I saw the title of this thread I thought it was about some new POD "Head" (like a new amp head) I thought about that after I made the thread. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galaden Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 The "new POD Head" would really be a Vetta III . . I can only wish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjnette Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I know of mates who would tire of their rig and or guitar and change every few years. The problem one mate in particular had was he traded in and lost on every purchase in the quest for a inspiring tone whicxh seemed like every 6 months. Of course he should of never of sold any amp or guitar he ever bought and just added to the collection. Never trade in. But here is the thing, I have had my HD500 for near three years and have never tired of it. I will admit to their being a definite POD HD digital sound but this is mainly when too many FX are run The amps on their own with only a reverb and or delay still sound great to me. It is not like I haven''t got some okay amps or even tried plenty of software Amp Sims and in fact it was I grew tiresome of the soft amp sims that I decided to get the HD500 It is perfectly adequate! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoguyy Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Its a syndrome of what I like to call --- the internet shopping generation. And, of course, the iPhone Generation, where you must buy it now simply because it is available, and realize that you hate it but everything will be ok because the next one will be everything you thought this one would be and more. Obviously, you will never truly know a product until you have it in your home and have been using it for awhile. But I rarely make a purchase that I am upset with because I spend time investigating before hand. And I rarely shop online. If I can't see it in person, and have my hands on it in a store, and get to toy around on it for a long time --- it better be a rare and special item if you think I am buying it. That is so different than the people that read a few blurbs online and make a purchase from the cheapest website they can find. I ran into people like that. They would come to me and say Brand X has 1000 doodads and it costs X. You are trying to sell me something that has 700 doodads and cost 3X -- please justify that. Have you listened to those 1000? Boo-ya. Price; JUSTIFIED. I mean, think about it. How many of these people were thinking that a Global EQ would automatically fix all of their crappy tone -- you know, because its new. *This applies to new item. Used items are a completely different ballgame. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKenivel Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 all I've been doing with my pod is running direct either into a PA or just threw some computer speakers in the headphone jack input. I haven't even tried running it through my actual app or my cabinets, or with any of my petals in the pods loop. I've barely scratched the surface of what this baby can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spawn2031 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 all I've been doing with my pod is running direct either into a PA or just threw some computer speakers in the headphone jack input. I haven't even tried running it through my actual app or my cabinets, or with any of my petals in the pods loop. I've barely scratched the surface of what this baby can do If you like what you hear with the PA cabs then stick with it man. I tried running it through a transparent power amp into a 4x12 marshall and it just sounded like mud most of the time. Granted I am no incredible genius at tweaking these things but as soon as I plugged it into a set of PA cabs the unit all of a sudden turned into something I was ecstatic to have and I had no issues getting something awesome from there. If you do plan to try something different for amplification, be prepared that you will more than likely have to re-tweak all of your patches. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphodboy Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 There's a whole lotta love going on in this thread.....and a 100% agree with all of what's been written. I can't see myself changing my rig for a long time because I haven't found a tone that I can't get really close to yet with my Variax and HD500. And I use nowhere near the 100+ effects available to get them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NucleusX Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 all I've been doing with my pod is running direct either into a PA or just threw some computer speakers in the headphone jack input. I haven't even tried running it through my actual app or my cabinets, or with any of my petals in the pods loop. I've barely scratched the surface of what this baby can do Save yourself the tweaking nightmare and stick to FRFR PA's, the POD HD was natively designed to be used this way with little fuss. You want your amp and speakers to be as neutral as possible for the best tone results with modelled amps to sound as they should. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson69978 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 (Sorry if the thread title isn't kosher) So I'm pretty new at this, about a month ago I got my first POD (hd500x). I wasnt sure how things we're going to go, I really wanted to get an axe fx but could not justify the price point. I had done a lot of reading, watched a lot of videos and heard a lot of stories and mixed reviews, but what seemed to be the most abundant were problematic situations and frustrated customers. this had me a little worried, but I knew that if I were to be patient I could probably get by quite well with this device. I've got to say, I've been having a great experience and I've run into no real problems besides a couple glitches here and there, and I'm getting a taste of the little shortcomings that are commonly talked about like the lack of Hz labeling in EQs, fizziness, awkward factory settings, dsp limits, I was even a little miffed after I found out the banking and presets didn't work quite like I had imagined or hoped they did. Maybe it's just me, but instead of worrying about things, I adapted and learned very quickly and after an hour of tweaking i had pretty good hi gain, crunch and clean presets. soon I was making ambient synths and making set lists for my bands songs. I used my Pod with my bass players old Behringer powered mixer and horrible Squire PA speakers at our band practice and was blown away about how things sound. Sure it wasn't perfect, but I had been 2 weeks into tweaking and had a great first sound. then it was time to refine that sound, and to make a long story short its been a small challenge and a whole lot of fun and things just seem to get better and better. .. and I see all these "not happy with my pod threads" and I just sit there and I shake my head. /rant -Satisfied Customer Hi Alex. Like my granny always used to say ... when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. ( not to say the hd 500 is a lemon, of course) This is a lesson a lot of us can benefit from. Thanks for your story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKenivel Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 I have every intention of using a full FRFR setup with my pod, but im just curious and like to try different things just for fun like running through power sections of amps and using pre's and a few of my own cabs just for kicks. Another big reason for going digital is that I have nerve damage in my wrists and hauling around my half stack and suitcase full of pedals is a pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTSC777 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Welcome AlexKenivil! The POD is a great device and if you keep the right attitude which you already have you will get great results with it! Lots of really helpful folks here! I have learned a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphodboy Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Save yourself the tweaking nightmare and stick to FRFR PA's, the POD HD was natively designed to be used this way with little fuss. You want your amp and speakers to be as neutral as possible for the best tone results with modelled amps to sound as they should. +1 to that. I was pretty happy with my HD500 and JTV59, but when I added a Stagesource L3 the whole thing REALLY came alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I thought he meant PotHead. Being from Colorado..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultraworld Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 For $500 you get a whole lot. I think the amp models sound very good, and I have an Fractal. I work in the business (I'm a Luthier), we get amazing deals on gear. I got a customers used Axe FX II & controller for an insane price that I just could not pass up. I would never pay $3k for it new. I have a POD XT I use for direct recording. The HD500X was really a curiosity buy. I think it's is a huge leap forward and I've had just 5 hours with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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