Has anyone here used a Pod for recording with good results?

[Mike R.]

I am considering buying a Boss BR 532 digital 4 track to mess around with. I am figuring, with the Pod and that, I can have a little fun and maybe record some stuff to post.

Has anyone here used the Pod to do any direct recording? If you have, does it sound good? I really havent started to mess with the Pod yet and kind of want to know it's potential.

As an effect box, it is cold and sterile. Definitely NOT it's strong point. Through headphones as a practice device, it is a bit better, but I am sure this is not it's forte either.

So - Good, bad, ugly? Lemme have it...

[Marcondo]

The POD gets good distorted sounds but its clean sounds arent that good. The POD also has a weird digital sound you can hear as the notes decay and trail off.

Before you spend a bunch of $$ on a 4 track digital recorder you might try some of the 4 track computer recording software.

I just tried out a new one called Acoustica it was so easy to use I made a 4 track multi part song in less than 5 minutes the software was so easy to use the learning curve was zero.

I've had a POD Yamaha DG Stomp Roland GP100 Boss GT3 and Johnson J-Station. Still have the GT3 and J-Station.

[Mike R.]

That's the same thing I noticed on the Pod's clean sound recorded. There is a coldness or what I would describe as a sterile nature to the sound as it decays. Almost a digital artifact. I was hoping that it would have been because I wasnt using it as intended.

I put it into the front end of my Rambler. Big mistake! Whew, it was not pretty. I use it for late night headphone playing, but havent tried it direct as a recording tool.

I was looking at the PC based recording software, but I would want the portability of a standalone unit.


Hmmmm....choices choices choices.....

[Marcondo]

Yep you heard it too hard to describe but its not a natural sound for sure.

The thing I like about the J-Station is updates are free you d/load them to your computer and update the chip with its software much easier upgrade than removing the POD chip and putting in a new one.

The most natural and real sounding of these amp processors for me was the Roland GP100 but I didnt have the midi footcontroller for it so changing settings on the fly was a pain thats why I got the GT3 which is good too.

[flamed93+]

I've never used a POD, but I've used a Digitech RP-100. I guess it's considered the lesser of the three, but I've managed to coax some decent stuff out of it. On top of amp modeling & effects processing, it has a decent noise gate built in. I like using it for PC recording, because you can do your thing & not bother the household. It makes a cool headphone amp too. I'm bound & determined to use amp & mic on my next project though.

Here's links to a couple of 'Mountain' tunes (my instrumental renditions)...made using the RP-100 for all guitar parts. They've been posted on the LPF before, but ehhhh....what the hell?

Mississippi Queen
Theme For An Imaginary Western

[Ace]

I used the POD on a track of my ex-bands last CD. I thought it sounded as good of better than the real thing on tape. The lead on this song was recorded with a POD on the Matchless setting:

http://gritoserpentino.com/brujeria.htm

[ShawnRT]

I prefer the Yamaha DG Stomp for the clean sounds it produces. I've also heard good things about the J Station but I've never tried it. The POD is great for distortion but the clean sounds are lacking in my opinion. Marcondo is right, if possible, I'd record with your computer. I use the DG right into Cakewalk Guitar Studio 2 and for the limited recording I do, it works well.

[Marcondo]

I had a DG stomp and it did get a great clean sound. Its also the most easy to use of any of these processors it works just like a real amp so is very simple to use. My only complaint with the DG stomp was it always had too much treble response like alot of japanese voiced products do. I always had to turn the treble all the way off on the DG and lower it on the guitars also. SO I sold it. Then a few weeks later saw a msg from somneone having the same complaint the DG was treble laden and someone replied saying if you change the speaker cabinet emulations it fixes the treble heavy problem. Wish I would have known that before I sold my DG stomp cause it was a fine unit.

[ShawnRT]

Marcondo,
What settings did they recommend? My problem is that all of the distortions sound a little over processed. Did you ever get a really smooth overdrive or distortion setting? I'm so thrilled with the clean that I can't complain, since I play mostly clean anyway. It's odd that they got the cleans so right and the preprogrammed distortions sounds are unusable. Why is it that every company's digital effects unit comes preprogrammed with the worst possible sounds the unit could ever make? It's like they have a row of chimps programming the presets. With a little tweaking you can always make settings of your own that sound so much better. Not even subjectively better, just better.

[Marcondo]

They recommended to try different speaker cabinet sizes to tame down the treble response. You might try a 12" or 15" spkr cab to thicken up the bottom end a little.

I can get some pretty smooth distortion from the J-station. The POD does do distorted stuff great. What someone needs to make is the clean sounds of the DG Stomp with the distorted sounds of the POD and the chip upgraded by software like the J-Station.

For the smoothest distortion I like to turn the treble down raise up the mids and bass a little from flat and adjust the tone control on my guitar to full bass then turn it up till the treble just starts to creep in usually about 1/4 of a turn. Also like to adjust the gain of the processor so its master is up really high then adjust the vol for however much grind I want.

I actually wish none of these units had presets. Just simple switches for different amps like twin or deluxe reverb or champ etc. The DG stomp is like this not too many amps to choose from all you really need is clean and distorted anyway.

[jakethemuso]

I've used a pod pro a lot for recording (i've only gigged with it once in the last year)
My experience of it has been really good. I've found that nearly all the sounds put me in a good starting point for what i'm trying to achieve.

I don't think it's as good as a really good amp mic'd up well. however thats the rub. Many times i've set up an amp (super champ, 59 bass man, marshall anniversary, '65 twin reissue) and hand a great sound. Walk into the control room, and it sounds like a bee farting!:wah

The clean sound is the main problem if your looking for really expensive sounds. For sounds that sit well in a mix i've found it really useful.

I really must try a J-station. Everyone says the clean sounds are good.

Jake

[lure555]

I always use a POD for basic tracks, and am always surprised how many of these tracks make it to the final mix.

[jokerjkny]

my friend's THD Univalve thru a Palmer PDI-09, and its unfreakin' believable!!!

i heard lots of nashville session cats just run their pedalboards merely into the Palmer, and directly into the board. something everyone's sideman from Garth to Reba to Trisha uses 'em.

the "mellow" setting is more for soft Fender tones. Normal's for well... normal people. "Bright" is for british high gain tones. very nice voicing, and it doesnt make your amp sound like crap direct.

oh wait...

you still have to hook up your amp speaker to it...

DOH!

[Nigel]

Hey joker, do you know if the Palmer would work if you had the amp running into a Hotplate set to 'load' instead of into a speaker?

[jokerjkny]

nigel,

yea, i believe that'd work. as long as there's something to soak up the load on the "thru" jack coming out of the palmer it should be acceptable. give Sam or Martin a call at Palmer, i'm sure they can help ya out.