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Most effective way to run Pod HD pro direct for live shows


iAcrasia
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Alright so I'm kinda new at this. I am running a pod hd pro through a 5150 head (my poweramp source) to a 5150 slant cab. The way I have it hooked up is a 1/4 cable from the pods Left(mono) FX out to my heads FX in. The output level on the POD is set to Line and in the settings I have it set to studio direct. (IDK why but that sounds the best for me, probably because Im not using the 4 cable method and just using all the tone from the POD). My question is, what is the most efficient way of running this setup live but also going direct? I wanna still have sound from my amp on stage but skip the mic'ing process. My concerns are the tones/patches sounding different going direct to FOH as to what is coming through my cab. If someone can give me a list of what I need as far as achieving this, that would be amazing. (certain gear,direct box, cables, methods etc). The most simplest way please and thank you

 

I wish someone can make a video of this step by step

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Well, that's the thing. You can't have your cake and eat it too --- which I always thought was a stupid phrase. Who wants to 'have' a cake. But the sentiment is there. 

 

Your concern (as a performer) is the sound of the audience. You need to adjust your pod to sound good for them, and if it sounds different through your amp then you just need to suck it up. The audience isn't paying for you to pleasure yourself. 

 

 

So, now that I got that out of the way... 

 

Use the two XLR jacks to go to the pa. Adjust your tone accordingly. 

Your amp/cab, even when using a post-amp input, will color your tone. How much coloring is the unknown variable (some of them are very neutral when used after the amp section, while others are not). This is why people say to use an FRFR or a studio monitor instead of a guitar amp, so that there is no coloring. Or they, like me, skip an onstage amp and let the pa send the sound back to you through the monitors - they are there, otherwise you don't hear the singers and keyboard players, so why not use them for the guitar as well. 

 

Really, there is no other gear or method that is needed. 

Pod to PA via XLR, no DI needed. 

And 1/4 to AMP. Whether you use the FX Out or the balanced out, into the input or the FX In is up to you. 

 

 

I design my patches via headphones to give a clear, uncolored, and consistent sound. And then I make any needed tweaks once I get them hooked up to a PA. 

 

 

 

*a decent way to see how much your tone gets changed by your amp is to play an mp3. If it sounds like your home or car stereo, you are good to go. If it sounds like a tin can --- that is the tonal characteristic of the amp. 

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It s true that your own cab will "color" the direct sound (I do it this way). If you want to go direct to PA as well, it's going to sound different.

 

You could get a device that can load an IR of whatever speaker you use an place it between the pod and the pa for a more "colored" sound like you want

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FWIW, I have not used a guitar amp onstage for at least 5 to 6 years now! I have to say I have not missed it in the least. It does take some getting used to and your bandmates will think you have lost it but the luxury of getting studio tone without lugging around arig the size of a small fridge is well worth it. Plus, you can walk anywhere on the stage and hear youself to boot.

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I have not used a guitar amp onstage for at least 5 to 6 years now! I have to say I have not missed it in the least. It does take some getting used to 

 

 

I have NEVER used a keyboard amp. They have always gone direct and been sent back in the monitors. 

I tried various ways of doing the same thing for years with guitar, because, like you said, who wants to lug around an amp if you don't have to. 

But it never sounded right, causing me to eventually give up my quest to go ampless with guitar. 

Until I bought my HD500. 

 

Like George Lucas said while making the Star Wars Prequels, "The technology wasn't available to make the movies I wanted to make, so I needed to wait 20 years for technology to catch up before I could make them." 

That was me. I wanted something that the world wasn't capable of making. But is now. 

 

 

Sure, I admit, people say that the tech has been around for awhile. And I have been backlined numerous times with racks and racks of 'computerized' gear that didn't involve big huge rows of amps - which defeats the purpose of carrying less gear. 

But for me, personally, I developed my sounds and learned my gear like the back of my hand. I couldn't get what I wanted when ampless, and got what I wanted when amp'd, so I quit trying -- until I needed to make the change. And that is when I looked in to this ampless idea again. Ding-Ding-Ding we have a winner! 

 

I no longer use an amp, and I am not going back. 

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I have to admit I do tinker around on my tube amps and pedals at home and I will fire one up and mic it for a classic sounding track every once and a while. But, since the POD 2.0 days most all of my recording work and live playing has been pretty much covered by the PODs. Even the 2.0 fooled a lot of people in the early days. I am very happy with my HD500 and unless there has been a huge sound quality jump in Helix I will probably stay with it for a long time.

My main battles with going direct live was convincing the bandmates that this was not a BETTER way for me to get great tone, only a DIFFERENT way of doing it. After I played around the area a while it became a no-brainer to the rest of the guys and has been better accepted. Some of them have actually made the jump themselves.

I must tell this story! Back in the mid-80's, pre-POD days, my regular group had taken a few weeks off from the road and my keyboard player's brother, a drummer himself, called me and ask if I would like to play some weekend gigs with him. I told him yes it sounded like a lot of fun. PROBLEM? My amps were in the equipment truck 100 miles away! Thankfully, I had my guitars and pedal board. We set up that afternoon at the club when the bass player walked in and informed us his amp was down! After some discussion, he and I decided to run direct in the board. My pedal board was stereo so I ran just like we do now with our PODs. Imagine the looks we got when the crowd, including some of our devoted followers who were players, walked in and saw nothing on stage but the drum kit. Of course, we blew the walls out but the sound was so big and clean it was overwhelming. Not one person complained that the tone sucked or it wasn't ballsy enough! Everyone raved about how cool it was to see just musician's doing their thing without mountains of gear behind them blasting away. Everything could be heard mix-wise.

I remember thinking to myself on the way home that night, "Gee, What if someone made---------------!!". LOL!!!!

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... I am very happy with my HD500 and unless there has been a huge sound quality jump in Helix I will probably stay with it for a long time...

 

huge sound quality jump? :unsure:

 

well, wait 'n hear...

 

but if helix offers wireless VDI variax............ 

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