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What is the best way to get a realistic acoustic sound from a JTV?


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I just got a JTV69 and probably for the same reasons as man others - so I can go to a gig with only 1 guitar.  No more capo, no more 2nd guitar, no more separate rig for acoustic guitar... sounds like Nirvana (not the band :-)).

 

Anyway I was checking out the acoustic sounds today and I was not really impressed.  I was playing through a pretty high quality "Tech21 Paradriver DI" preamp into my powermixer (as I would with a real acoustic) but the sounds were not realistic.  Sometimes sounded more like listening to a synthesizer than a guitar.

 

Any advice?   Please don't say I need to get a Pod HD and DT25 just for good acoustic sounds, I have a wonderful tube amp that I love already for my electric sounds.  I have been compromising on the songs where I wanted to play acoustic, by playing very clean electric with some chorus etc. but I was hoping to get a realistic acoustic sound out of the JTV... one big reason for buying it.

 

Next gig in 11 days!

 

Thanks

Pat

 

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Any advice? Please don't say I need to get a Pod HD and DT25 just for good acoustic sounds, I have a wonderful tube amp that I love already for my electric sounds. I have been compromising on the songs where I wanted to play acoustic, by playing very clean electric with some chorus etc. but I was hoping to get a realistic acoustic sound out of the JTV... one big reason for buying it.

 

Next gig in 11 days!

 

Thanks

Pat

The DT25 isn't gonna help you get realistic acoustic sounds...it's an electric guitar amp, and like every other one on earth, has a limited frequency response that's not suited to acoustic guitars, be it a "real" or virtual one.

 

FRFR speaker(s) will always be the best and least complicated/frustrating choice for this. Running straight to the PA with perhaps just a little reverb, and some EQ if needed, same as you would if you were playing an actual acoustic usually yield some pretty good results. I've been doing exactly that for couple of years now. I'm kinda surprised that you didn't like what you heard with the set up you described.

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The DT25 isn't gonna help you get realistic acoustic sounds...it's an electric guitar amp, and like every other one on earth, has a limited frequency response that's not conducive to acoustic guitars, be it a "real" or virtual one.

 

FRFR speaker(s) will always be the best and least complicated/frustrating choice for this. Running straight to the PA with a patch that's NOT using an amp model is generally the best way to get convincing acoustic tones...perhaps just a little reverb, and some EQ if needed, same as you would if you were playing an actual acoustic.

Thanks, I will try going through pure DI pedal into the mixer and see how that works out.  I think the ParaDriver may add cab emulation so I will turn it off.  So you raise another question in my mind, as you say the DT 25 is not an acoustic amp and you should have FRFR or a mixer/PA ... so if you are playing a Variax through a Pod HD, and you are using a DT25 for your electric guitar sound, how do you bypass the DT25 and get to the mixer for the acoustic sounds?  I had been seriously looking at that Firehawk 1500 but that thing is just too big and heavy for me.

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Thanks, I will try going through pure DI pedal into the mixer and see how that works out. I think the ParaDriver may add cab emulation so I will turn it off. So you raise another question in my mind, as you say the DT 25 is not an acoustic amp and you should have FRFR or a mixer/PA ... so if you are playing a Variax through a Pod HD, and you are using a DT25 for your electric guitar sound, how do you bypass the DT25 and get to the mixer for the acoustic sounds? I had been seriously looking at that Firehawk 1500 but that thing is just too big and heavy for me.

No DT25 for me...I use an L2T as a floor monitor, and go straight to the PA.

 

Once you really get into the modeling world, it almost demands running an entirely FRFR rig, imho. Now there are plenty of guys with the POD and a Variax, who run into some kind of tube amp, or head/cab combination...and that certainly can work if you don't care about acoustic tones, or for those who can't bear the idea of not having tube watts and a 4x12 blowing their hair back. But if you want convincing acoustic tones, FRFR is really a necessity...electric guitar amps and cabs just can't do it. Also allows you to scale down how much crap you're lugging around as well. No more dragging around tube amps and Marshall cabinets...my back can't do that anymore.

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No DT25 for me...I'm use an L2T as a floor monitor, and go straight to the PA.

 

Once you really get into the modeling world, it almost demands running an entirely FRFR rig, imho. Now there are plenty of guys with the POD and a Variax, who run into some kind of tube amp, or head/cab combination...and that certainly can work. But if you're after acoustic tones, FRFR is really a necessity. Also allows you to scale down how much crap you're lugging around as well. No more lugging around tube amps and 4x12 cabinets...my back can't do that anymore.

I hear you.  My back does too.  A modelling preamp pretty much demands an FRFR, anything else does not really make logical sense.  I just still wonder if the POD/FRFR combination is a convincing replacement for a tube amp.   I am not religious about this.  I had Spider Valve MKII's, then I had Digitech RP1000 running into an Engl Screamer, and I tried the RP1000 straight into the PA as well.  I used a Tech21 FlyRig 5 into the PA.  But today I have a  Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 head that I can carry with one hand.  It has 128 presets and 4 built in channels.  A basic set of effects.  Nothing as grand as a Pod or Helix.  But it sounds like a tube amp cause it is.  But still, ff there was a Firehawk 750 weighing half as much, I would give it a try with a Pod HD!

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I hear you. My back does too. A modelling preamp pretty much demands an FRFR, anything else does not really make logical sense. I just still wonder if the POD/FRFR combination is a convincing replacement for a tube amp. I am not religious about this. I had Spider Valve MKII's, then I had Digitech RP1000 running into an Engl Screamer, and I tried the RP1000 straight into the PA as well. I used a Tech21 FlyRig 5 into the PA. But today I have a Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 head that I can carry with one hand. It has 128 presets and 4 built in channels. A basic set of effects. Nothing as grand as a Pod or Helix. But it sounds like a tube amp cause it is. But still, ff there was a Firehawk 750 weighing half as much, I would give it a try with a Pod HD!

Well the L2T weighs about 40 lbs, I think? Whatever it is, it's the smallest and lightest rig I've ever had. I could show up with just that, the POD and the JTV, and play the whole night (though there are usually 2 other guitars in tow)...but it all fits nicely in the back seat of the car, and set-up requires 3 cables and 5 minutes.

 

As for replacing tubes...it has for me, and don't ever see myself going back. There is a learning curve though, and you kinda have to throw out the "rule book", if you will. Learning to create the sounds you want doesn't happen over night for most of us. As long as you're willing to put the time in, you can generally get excellent results.

 

And modeling will only get better... Looking to splurge on a Helix as soon as the wife isn't looking ;).

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But still, ff there was a Firehawk 750 weighing half as much, I would give it a try with a Pod HD!

 

Amen.  The 1500 is just too bulky and heavy.  Complete overkill for club gigs.  Would consider a mono version with half the number of drivers and power, but same basic modeling features.

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Amen.  The 1500 is just too bulky and heavy.  Complete overkill for club gigs.  Would consider a mono version with half the number of drivers and power, but same basic modeling features.

OK guys I bit the bullet.  I ordered the HD500X and will test it out for 30 days.  With the Variax it seems to make a lot of sense.  Of course this throws my current rig into question, but so be it.

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OK guys I bit the bullet. I ordered the HD500X and will test it out for 30 days. With the Variax it seems to make a lot of sense. Of course this throws my current rig into question, but so be it.

Best things about pairing the two are that you can:

 

1) Ditch the battery. That alone is worth the price of admission as far as I'm concerned. I loathe depending on batteries....

 

2) Control the Variax from the POD. You can save a particular guitar model and/or alt tuning to a patch on the POD, so no need to fiddle with knobs on stage.

 

And my personal favorite

 

3) A dual amp patch with your acoustic model through one, and the guitar's mag pickups through the other. Assign them both to the expression pedal, and seamlessly morph from acoustic to a crunch tone without changing patches...no lag, no latency. It's priceless for playing live.

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Best things about pairing the two are that you can:

 

1) Ditch the battery. That alone is worth the price of admission as far as I'm concerned. I loathe depending on batteries....

 

2) Control the Variax from the POD. You can save a particular guitar model and/or alt tuning to a patch on the POD, so no need to fiddle with knobs on stage.

 

And my personal favorite

 

3) A dual amp patch with your acoustic model through one, and the guitar's mag pickups through the other. Assign them both to the expression pedal, and seamlessly morph from acoustic to a crunch tone without changing patches...no lag, no latency. It's priceless for playing live.

Thanks, that #3 sounds fantastic.  I never would have thought of that.  Also possible just with the Variax cable?

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Thanks, that #3 sounds fantastic.  I never would have thought of that.  Also possible just with the Variax cable?

The only thing I may be giving up is my (beloved) wireless capability.  But that also has a benefit- another set of batteries to forget about :-)

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Yup.

I may need to come back and ask you exactly how to do that.  I just decided NOT to buy a slightly used DT25 for a really good price, because it does not help me with my desire for a complete solution for acoustic and electric with the Variax/Pod combination.  So getting a good acoustic sound with the Variax and the Pod is a priority for me.  I already have a good electric sound from my H&K tube amp, which, if I move to Pod/L2T, I will not be using any more.  The upside has got to be in getting an acoustic sound on stage with me.

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