Distorted clean sound on pod go

[foff1234]

Hi,

 

I just bought the pod go and have tried it with both my Yamaha mixer, and directly through the headphone-jack without the mixer and have the same problem: if I use my Charvel Pro-Mod Joe Duplantier Signature I get a distorted clean signal if I choose one of the clean presets, no matter which one (though the distortion level varies..). If I use my Texas Fender-copy, I dont. I get a clean sound as it should be. If I lower the volume on the Charvel to about middle, it becomes much better. 

It doesnt matter if I lower the volume knob on the pod go. The distorted sound is still there, just lower, of course. The Charvel has  much more bass in the tone then the Texas, but it doesnt help if I through default setting in the pod go change the values for low-signal, of change an EQ. BUT if I connect the Charvel straight to the mixer without the pod go, there is no distortion. Levels are ok both with the pod go and without it (straight to the mixer..). So the problem seems to be how the pod go handles the signal from the Charvel, as far as I can understand.

 

Cant the pod go "handle" the more "punchy, bassy" signal from my Charvel?

 

Have anyone an idea why I have this problem, or have anyone had similar issues?

Answers greatly appreciated...

 

Regards

Fredrik,

Sweden, please excuse my english..

[voxman55]

Have a watch of this vid...might be the key to cleaner tone that you're looking for:

 

 

[skryptus]

Also, to clarify another point - the volume knob on the POD Go only controls the final output volume. It's neither a pre-amp volume (aka gain) nor a power amp volume (aka master). So it won't ever affect distortion in the POD Go. 

 

The best way to describe it would be comparing it to the output volume knob on a DAW (ie. after the whole signal and recording chain). 

[foff1234]

Thanks voxman55. Yes my guitar has seymor duncan pickups and seems to be very high output. The video sort of explains the problem but doesnt really solve it, without me lowering the volumeknob on the guitar. The pad makes it more subdued but its still there unless I lower the volume on my guitar.

 

Now, the overdrive and gainblocks changes he also illustrated might also help, but then I would have to change that for every preset I want to use, which sounds like to much work..

 

Two remaining things. Is it possible through some guitar repair shop to ask them to replace some part after the pickups to lower the output? And/or is it possible to add some global setting in the pod go to lower the gain on all presets without changing the tone much. I have tried changing the global eq but that didnt help.

[grdGo33]

17 hours ago, foff1234 said:

if I use my Charvel Pro-Mod Joe Duplantier Signature I get a distorted clean signal if I choose one of the clean presets, no matter which one (though the distortion level varies..). If I use my Texas Fender-copy, I dont. I get a clean sound as it should be. If I lower the volume on the Charvel to about middle, it becomes much better. 

 

That just sounds like regular high output pickups.

 

Quote

Cant the pod go "handle" the more "punchy, bassy" signal from my Charvel?

 

I don't think that it's that it can't handle, it's just behaving as you would expect any amp or distortion pedal or whatever to behave.

 

This is sound:

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=sine+wave&iax=images&ia=images

 

This is clipped sound; distortion;

 

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=clipped+sine+wave&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

 

Distortion is basically removing the top and bottom parts from the sine waves.  But when it removes it, it removes it given a level; ex; + and - 5dB or whatever.  If your strat's max volume is +5.1, it'll clip the .1 and it will sound the same.  If your Charvel does +/- 10dB, then it'll cut a lot more, and it will sound a whole lot more distorted.

 

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=sine+wave+with+distortion&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

 

So yeah, your Charvel just sends more volume to the Go, and that results in more distortion.  People use boost pedals for the exact same reason; so that their guitar output signal is higher, so it hits the amp's gain/distortion harder and the end signal gets more distorted in the end.  Perfectly normal!

 

Oh yeah and 'obviously', even the clean tones will likely have some distortion on the amp part, if you set it to zero, or choose a really clean amp such as a pre-amp or whatnot with 0 drive/gain/distortion,  you should still be getting a 'fairly' clean signal.  If you don't, maybe you're just hearing the sound of your specific humbuckers, which will sound very different than the single coils PUs from a strat.  But yeah having some distortion on clean tones for electric guitar is kinda normal, and I believe the Go will have some amount of distortion even on the 'clean' tone presets.

[foff1234]

Thanks for the explanation! After having been to a guitarshop today, I had gotten to know it was normal. But I didnt know how it worked, as you described so well with the db example.

 

A little annoying though to have to set lower gain on most amps in the presets I will use or lower the volumeknob to a non distorted level everytime I will use the pod, but now at least I know how I shall tackle the problem and that there is nothing wrong with any part of my gear! Even distorted presets sounds unnatural,  "to distorted" so I will have to change the gain on them to. 

 

Just a thought, couldnt the product maker, for example Line 6, make a few different "input gain profiles" so for exampel the "Charvel preset" got a -5db cut and a "Fender preset" a +1 db for exampel? Wouldnt have to be modelspecific of course; a Gibson owner could use a "fender" preset or any other. In my case I would probably end up using a preset with for example -5db. Sure, it wouldnt be needed for all presets, but for the majority, and the remaining I would manually add gain.

 

Well just a thought, and maybe it isnt even possible to do. But sounds good in theory to me.

 

 

 

 

[voxman55]

In some amps you have a Hi & Lo impedance guitar input option for that very purpose - to reduce the signal for more powerful pups (typically humbuckers) and to boost it for weaker pups (typically single coils).  I have that option in my Vox Valvetronix AD120VTX and Laney VC30-210.  It's not a physical option in Pod Go so it could only be done as a software option which means menu's & buttons so it wouldn't be as convenient as plugging into a different input.  But I'm wondering if you need that anyway because you could simply set a footswitch (which could even be an external FS in FS7 or FS8) to toggle on/off between input pad settings.  You might even get similar results using the EQ which is a fixed block anyway.  Once you've found the right variation, you can simply copy/paste the EQ block or input pad block into any patch you want to use your Charvel with, and toggle it on/off as you need.  

 

I'm also wondering whether a physical extension jack plug insert might exist that you could simply plug into Pod Go that would increase impedance to weaken the guitar signal akin to the Lo input of an amp.  

[foff1234]

Thanks for the tip. Might try that with the eq-block actually, once I have had time to learn and see what works best. But do I have to place the eq block in the beginning of the chain in that case?

Can get the same result using the global eq, or wouldnt that work? Have tried but only real quick.

Edited October 18, 2021 by foff1234

[voxman55]

1 hour ago, foff1234 said:

Thanks for the tip. Might try that with the eq-block actually, once I have had time to learn and see what works best. But do I have to place the eq block in the beginning of the chain in that case?

Can get the same result using the global eq, or wouldnt that work? Have tried but only real quick.

 

Global EQ might be a possible solution but you might need to change it back when you switch guitars.  

[skryptus]

If you don't happen to use the Volume Pedal of the POD Go (as many seem not to), you can also set it to a specific volume level of your choice (un-assigning the default behavior of using the expression 2) and set its bypass to a footswitch. When you connect your Charvel you just click the switch on for the corresponding volume cut, and when you connect your Texas you switch it off, restoring full volume.

[voxman55]

2 hours ago, skryptus said:

If you don't happen to use the Volume Pedal of the POD Go (as many seem not to), you can also set it to a specific volume level of your choice (un-assigning the default behavior of using the expression 2) and set its bypass to a footswitch. When you connect your Charvel you just click the switch on for the corresponding volume cut, and when you connect your Texas you switch it off, restoring full volume.

 

It's not a volume issue, it's to do with signal level and gain. 

[foff1234]

8 hours ago, voxman55 said:

 

It's not a volume issue, it's to do with signal level and gain. 

 

No the volume pedal suggestion wouldnt work, its before that I have to change the signal so to say. 

I tried several presets yesterday and since they variate so much I dont think its possible to use a global -5db gain for exampel had it existed; som presets are ok with the Charvel, some are really bad.

 

I ended up changing gain in the amp-part of the presets that are to high that I want to use. I dont think I will use my Texas much. Because of that the problem is sort of solved, but otherwise I would have to have two exactly the same presets with different gain levels, one for the Texas and one for the Charvel. Or dont change the presets at all and turn the volumeknob down when I play the Charvel. Though I think changing the gain in the amp-part didnt change the balance of the sound as lowering the volumeknob did, though that might be subjective, might be me imagining things :)

 

Thanks for all replies!

[grdGo33]

16 hours ago, skryptus said:

If you don't happen to use the Volume Pedal of the POD Go (as many seem not to), you can also set it to a specific volume level of your choice (un-assigning the default behavior of using the expression 2) and set its bypass to a footswitch. When you connect your Charvel you just click the switch on for the corresponding volume cut, and when you connect your Texas you switch it off, restoring full volume.

 

This should work as long as the volume pedal block is at the start of your chain which it is in most (all?) presets.  It's the same thing as having a boost pedal boosting the signal, it would be an unboost pedal to lower the output of the guitar;  guitar high output -> volume pedal block decreases output -> normal guitar output

[foff1234]

45 minutes ago, grdGo33 said:

 

This should work as long as the volume pedal block is at the start of your chain which it is in most (all?) presets.  It's the same thing as having a boost pedal boosting the signal, it would be an unboost pedal to lower the output of the guitar;  guitar high output -> volume pedal block decreases output -> normal guitar output

 

Ok, I understand  what you mean. I also saw in the manual that the volumepedal can change, stereo width, gain and pan. Will try it when I get home. But I think it will be easier if I use one guitar to change the presets, but if I want to use different guitars either the volumepedal or lower the volume of the Charvel when I use that, and max volume on the fender-copy when I use that.

[grdGo33]

Yeah, the only thing that sucks with lowering the volume at the guitar level is that typically, lowering the volume doesn't just change the volume, it also affects the tone, and in my experience, I hate it lol  It just kills the tone IMHO.  There are fixes for it, ex;    https://humbuckersoup.com/treble-bleed-circuit-wiring/    but yeah typically, already humbucker pickups tend to sound kinda 'dead' when compared to single coils, so you want to retain what little clarity they have, but yeah, if you lower the volume, that typically also kills your tone, if you don't have a treble bleed mod of some kind.

 

Using multiple guitars at the same time is kind of a pain; especially with something like the PGO where most patches would benefit from some tweaking depending on which guitar you're using.  So for that reason, you might as well setup some patches for your individual guitars.  Maybe snapshots also; ex; snapshot1 = charvel, snapshot2 = fender where the drive gets boosted for single coils. 

 

Anyway, I think most people once having played through the presets don't use them anymore, they move on to their custom patches, so yeah, you can duplicate what presets you like to your user patches, either 1 per guitar, use snapshots, etc.  :)   But typically, you might not even have to modify each patch individually, they should kinda usable with both guitars, maybe volume works, you'll figure everything out eventually!  :D

[foff1234]

2 hours ago, grdGo33 said:

Yeah, the only thing that sucks with lowering the volume at the guitar level is that typically, lowering the volume doesn't just change the volume, it also affects the tone, and in my experience, I hate it lol  It just kills the tone IMHO.  There are fixes for it, ex;    https://humbuckersoup.com/treble-bleed-circuit-wiring/    but yeah typically, already humbucker pickups tend to sound kinda 'dead' when compared to single coils, so you want to retain what little clarity they have, but yeah, if you lower the volume, that typically also kills your tone, if you don't have a treble bleed mod of some kind.

 

Using multiple guitars at the same time is kind of a pain; especially with something like the PGO where most patches would benefit from some tweaking depending on which guitar you're using.  So for that reason, you might as well setup some patches for your individual guitars.  Maybe snapshots also; ex; snapshot1 = charvel, snapshot2 = fender where the drive gets boosted for single coils. 

 

Anyway, I think most people once having played through the presets don't use them anymore, they move on to their custom patches, so yeah, you can duplicate what presets you like to your user patches, either 1 per guitar, use snapshots, etc.  :)   But typically, you might not even have to modify each patch individually, they should kinda usable with both guitars, maybe volume works, you'll figure everything out eventually!  :D

 

Yes, even though I have just started using the pod, I have already understood that I will create my own presets, but maybe with a preset as base for an own; they are useful for that perhaps.

 

I guess I will end up with maybe 8 own presets, in two gain versions for the different guitars.

 

But a theoretical question that comes to mind after having started to understand a lot more after all the great replies in this thread: is there actually any way to lower the output signal from a "hot" guitar as my Charvel, or raise the signal from a to "weak" guitar without changing the preset as it was "intended" to sound by in this example Line 6? I understand that how it was intended to sound or what every preset "should sound like" is subjective, but there is probably a "base-guitar" maybe with 5db output that have been used as a baseline when they made the presets. Not my Charvel at least, is what I believe..:) I understand grdGo33 that there is no quick-fix for lowering the volume without changing the tone, and after only had time to fiddle with the controls for a short time, seems to me that changing the gain in a preset sounds least altering of the sound, and pretty simple to, to save in an own correct-gain preset, though that also changes the sound..

Edited October 19, 2021 by foff1234

[grdGo33]

59 minutes ago, foff1234 said:

I understand grdGo33 that there is no quick-fix for lowering the volume without changing the tone, and after only had time to fiddle with the controls for a short time, seems to me that changing the gain in a preset sounds least altering of the sound, and pretty simple to, to save in an own correct-gain preset, though that also changes the sound..

 

nonono!   I mean using the volume knob on your guitar will change the tone.  If you change the volume in any way from the pod go, it will not affect the tone.  It's just that when use the volume pot of your guitar to reduce the volume; it affects the tone of the guitar.  Less high end, the sound becomes muffled, a little bit like if you used the tone knob on your guitar; it reduces the high frequency.  

[foff1234]

Yes, I understood, sorry if I didnt get that through in my message. I ment that I had read the part of your post containing the "fixes" for altered sound when changing the volumeknob on the guitar, and that it seemed not to be an easy fix, and that the, to my ears, best fix for a guitar like my Charvel, is to lower the gain in the presets. Id rather do that than changing the volume on the guitar, was what i ment.

 

Didnt have time to try with the expression switch today, but maybe tomorrow.