Pod X3 bean. What do you think I should play it through

[meandot]

Anyone with any thoughts please. I want to play it live. It seems to lose something when I play it through my amp which is a 100w solid state Marshall. Basically it takes on too many characteristic of the amp. Should I go straight through a PA/active speaker or find another amp. I'd like it to buzz as little as possible. I know it will be personal preference to an extent but just wondered if anyone here has any advice on the best usable set up to assist me. Cheers

[Palico]

Most of the POD units IMO sound best straight into the PA. But that is not very convient a lot of the time and then there is the monitoring situation which may or may not be a problem for you.

 

If the Amp has a effect return in then use that. It will elemiate the preamp section of the amp which is where a lot for the coloring occurs. Second make sure you set the POD to tell it what you pluggin into to. If you going to PA then use Studio/Direct. For input to Amp use Combo front, for effects loop (or power amp in) use Combo PowerAmp, or if you using stack use the approriate setting. These help, not fully correct it but help.

[BillBee]

I have to concur with Palico - I love hearing the stereo effects through a PA, but 9/10 I run the PODs into a power amp/cab or the line in of a head/combo (or 2 if I feel like lugging extra stuff that day) :)  If its not my amp and there is no "line in" I'll just set the eq flat and hope for the best - sometimes switching the ouput setting to what "feels right".

 

-B

[meandot]

Thanks for the responses. That has helped a lot from both of you

[Charlie_Watt]

If you think about it, it makes the most sense to play an Amp modeler through a full range flat response PA.  When you play it through an amp, it colors the tone.  Not to say you can't get good tone through an amp though.

[BillBee]

If you think about it, it makes the most sense to play an Amp modeler through a full range flat response PA.  When you play it through an amp, it colors the tone.  Not to say you can't get good tone through an amp though.

 

Hey Charlie,

 

FRFRs are IMO more true to the device, but a nice tube power amp seems to add something to it, vibe(?). That said even PAs vary - speakers, type of cab - but in the end its all good ;)

[Charlie_Watt]

I agree that every setup is different.  I run  my Pod through my Tube amp too but the Acoustic models in the JTV sound much better through my PA speaker.  I think with a little work, you can get good tone through any decent amp or PA.

[Palico]

Hey Charlie,

 

FRFRs are IMO more true to the device, but a nice tube power amp seems to add something to it, vibe(?). That said even PAs vary - speakers, type of cab - but in the end its all good ;)

 

I agree here. For a number of years I used an Atomic 2x12 with and X3 just for this reason. Before I had Atomic I tried using an active monitor but just didn't dig it as much. As good as the POD is there is just something about real tube, maybe it's in my head but I can hear it. The Atomic gave out and I changed my setup to a HD500x and DT25 so I could keep the tubes in the mix. Still use my X3 for recording and workbench capability for my old Variax.