Jakerlund Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 Hello, I'm absolutely new to the POD HD500X and Variax JTV69s. No matter if i plug the guitar in with the Variax Digital Input (VDI) or the 1/4" guitar Input and listen in headphones from the POD it sounds really bad. All dist sounds are razor sharp digitally and unpleasant and not very much difference when switching sounds either, only more or less dist and bass/treble. I'm not 100% sure if my output is Studio/Direct (have to check that tonight) but everything is default as i i just bought the POD. Maybe i should change the JTV69s to a regular JTV69 or 89 instead? I tried connecting it to computer with USB and it sounded just as bad and i also got 1/2 sec delay on everything (headphones in the POD). Would it be better to connect the POD analogue out to an external soundcard like the PreSonus Audiobox iTwo or Scarlett 2i2 and use external monitors for listening? I'm living in an apartment so i can't use a real amp/speaker. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 How you choose to connect to the computer doesn't matter, as it's not the source of the problem... Getting a modeler to sound good is not very intuitive, and frustrates most users initially, even if you've been playing for a lifetime. If you've been used to a "real" amps forever, dialing in tones with settings similar to what you'd use on an amp are likely to be disappointing, if not wretchedly awful...and it's the final output device(s) that are to blame. Headphones or small studio monitors have a much wider frequency range and flatter response than a guitar amp's (which are actually VERY narrow, and not terribly flat). That's why you're getting all the fizzy high-end, and boomy bass...those frequencies are just not produced by traditional guitar cabinets. Using the POD's various EQ options to dial them out is the way to go, but there are no magic settings. You'll have to experiment with what to cut, and how much. The Mid-focus EQ is an easy way to apply high and low cuts at the same time. The low-cut under the cab parameters is also useful. The choice of cab and mic models also makes a HUGE difference. You could use the global EQ, but as the amp models can vary quite a bit in terms of what they need, using the global EQ might fix one patch while ruining 3 others. Bottom line is, there are MANY more options to tweak on a modeler, as compared to just plugging into an amp with a few pedals...expect to spend a considerable amount of time before you're comfortable with it. And that goes for any modeler out there, don't care who's making it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakerlund Posted December 13, 2016 Author Share Posted December 13, 2016 Thanks for the replies guys! Last time i owned guitar gear was back in 1994 and i then used a Marshall JMP-1 which was connected right into the mixer and porta studio. It sounded very good, had a very natural sound from clean to full dist. I really had expected things to have come much further by now in that area. OK i know i'm a total newbie at the POD but i really thought it should sound at least OK, and not require massive tweaking to sound ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 I really had expected things to have come much further by now in that area. And they have...overwhelmingly so. I had a JMP-1 back in the day too. You can't make that thing sound like a Fender twin, a Plexi, or a Boogie just by clicking a footswitch. By comparison, it was a Model-T Ford. Cutting edge for it's day, but nobody will mistake one for a Tesla. More options and complexity hardly ever translates into instant gratification...but the more you use the POD, the easier it will get to dial in tones that you like. Eventually it'll be second nature, like anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakerlund Posted December 13, 2016 Author Share Posted December 13, 2016 @cruisinon2 Lol... best comparison :P You're right the JMP-1 had one sound (kind of) and couldn't be more than that. But i remembered it to at least sound good right into the mixer/porta. I had expected the POD to sound better right out of the box even without an external amp/speaker. Maybe i just have to deal with it and dig into settings and try learn it. I thinking i should get a Line 6 DT25 112 Combo, it suppose to have some silent mode for late apartment playing. I guess the sound will get more real then. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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