POD HD help - muddy amps

[dlotto]

I've been an avid POD guy for years from XT to X3,so figured I'd upgrade to the POD HD.

 

I spent hours dialing in the HD but every amp but the Dr. Z sounds muffled. Always used a J45 and even with bass off and treble / pres maxed, still muddy. Touching the cab low cut makes is sound like a tinie 1-12.  Tried adding an EQ but that just muddles the tone.  

 

Been on a lot of forums and nothing really of help.  I squeezed everythign I could out of a X3 and so far, the X3 is tons better tone.  I can't believe this should be the case.  

 

Any suggestions before this goes back on Ebay?  

 

Thanks!

[dlotto]

Thank you kindly for your response Hurghanico.  I did read a blog about the 2nd input source being different so already tried that.  I'm rather versed in effect and amp setup being an old timing dude so I'm looking for a setting or something not obvious.  

[357mag]

I too have used the X3 for years and years and was totally happy with the tone. In fact, the first HD Pro I tried seemed very unresponsive. I could not get a good tone out of it. I just received a new POD HD Pro X and it's working much better for me than the HD Pro did. Maybe I got a defective unit? Maybe I just had too many dials set wrong. Everything I've read about the HD Pro has said that it's not plug and play easy. The learning curve is much steeper but the sound of the amps are better than the models in the X3.

 

I wish I could offer you more specific help than this. Keep experimenting and reading. Trying downloading some ready-made patches and try tweaking them. Don't give up the ship yet. Which specific model POD do you have?

[dlotto]

I have the HD bean. It's pretty intuitive to use being a XT and X3 user with the HD edit. Of course I start with the amp with nothing else on and mud right out of the gate. Nothing like the X3 chrispness.

[Zombieslayer5P]

Hi there dlotto.

 

The muddiness of several of the models is a frustrating obstacle in the HD units, but it's not entirely impossible to overcome.  I've found that there are two approaches that work well for me. 

 

1)  Place a graphic EQ in front of the amp model.  First cut 80Hz by -3 to -6, then cut 220Hz by -1.5 to -3.  This should help remove some of the muck from the tone, and allow your articulation to be better pronounced (esp. through distortion). 

 

or 

 

2)  Use a screamer model before the amp model.  Turn the Drive all the way down, set the Level to about 70 (where I feel it's neutral in terms of output level compared to the Screamer being bypassed), and then toy with the tone knob to taste.  The Screamer model will shape the tone by filtering out the lows responsible for flubby atriculation, but will also shave off some of the high end, leaving a sound that's neither muddy nor very shrill/shimmering.

 

Bonus idea (since I just thought of it lol):

 

Use the Mid-Focus EQ before the amp model.  First, turn the Gain all the way down on it.  This will make it's output gain neutral, and keep it from acting as a boost.  Next, set HP Freq to 0, HP Q to 50, LP Freq to 100, and LP Q to 50.  Finally, play something that requires your tone to be more articulate (I find setting the looper to play before the amp to be helpful, as you can let the looper play for you while you tweak).  While playing, creep the HP Freq up until you notice that things sound more articulate.  This is once again hammering down the low frequencies from your guitar which the HD translates as mud. 

 

Well, that's all I got.  I hope that it proves helpful to you.  Good luck!  :)

[dlotto]

Thanks, good info! What I've always loved about the pods since the XT is the simplicity and how easy you can mimic your live gear. Doink around time is at a premium so if its this difficult to dial tone them I'm perfectly happy with the X3. Look for it on EBay! I appreciate all the ideas.

[GazzaBloom]

I find adjusting the Low Cut on the cab parameters cleans up many of the cabs nicely. It's quite well hidden in PODHD500X Edit so it was a while before I remembered these parameters were there to be tweaked.

[medievil1]

don't forget to play around with the cabs and mics... could be a different mic or cab will give the tone you want, or closer to it...