Don't buy a POD!

[Lopp]

At least not until late summer.

I almost bought one for the hell of it during the big rebate last year. However, I figured the rebate was a precursor to a price reduction or to a new model. Nope. Now they've been overpriced (IMHO) for too long. Fortunately, I was at my local shop and they mentioned that rebates and sales usually occur later in summer after the NAMM show as a result of new products and inventory clearances.

Thus, wait until late summer to buy a POD. Either that or get a SansAmp with external effects so you actually sound good. j/k

[BrettB]

When you have to follow that philosophy, you can wait forever. Almost every peice of music equipment get cheaper over the years when there are some new models invented. But I just can't wait forever and sometimes you have to take a desicion.

So ppl, just buy that POD. I'm proud of mine :d.

[Lopp]

Yeah Brett, I generally also follow that philosophy. There will always be better, faster, cheaper devices in the future. You can get lucky sometimes in that a better one doesn't come out for a while, or you can get unlucky in that a better one comes out shortly after your purchase. If you need something now, get it now based on your needs.

In this case I can't rationalize buying one now as opposed to when they were $100 off. Especially because I already have a SansAmp which gives me better tone. The POD would become another tool in my arsenal, but only if it is cheap enough to satisfy my tension of cash vs. G.A.S.

[UberGawkman]

I'm gonna wait for the Gigahertz processor to get cheaper.

Of course, by the time a gigahertz processor is around 60 bucks, they will have out a 3 gigahertz! That's okay, just wait till that one gets cheaper. Oh well!!! Now they have a 4 gigahertz! Just wait a year, and.........

[charger]

On a related topic, can anyone tell me why the Line6 Vetta head is the same price as the Line6 Vetta combo? I was hoping that the head would be a few hundred bucks cheaper, and thus there was a chance in hell I could buy it. Since the features are exactly the same, but the combo has two Celestions, wouldn't it make sense for the head to be cheaper? I know the head has 200 watts of power and the combo only 100, but that hardly seems to justify a 1500$ price tag.

[getthis]

Originally posted by UberGawkman
I'm gonna wait for the Gigahertz processor to get cheaper.

Of course, by the time a gigahertz processor is around 60 bucks, they will have out a 3 gigahertz! That's okay, just wait till that one gets cheaper. Oh well!!! Now they have a 4 gigahertz! Just wait a year, and.........

AMD 1GHz Duron for $38 plus shipping, check price watch........

[Fangar]

Originally posted by Lopp
...Especially because I already have a SansAmp which gives me better tone...

So why buy a POD then?

Fangar

[Lopp]

Originally posted by Fangar


So why buy a POD then?

Fangar

Heh. Good question. I often wrestle with it myself.

Like I mentioned, "The POD would become another tool in my arsenal, but only if it is cheap enough to satisfy my tension of cash vs. G.A.S."

Emphasis on the G.A.S.

[darrin_h2000]

Buy the DGstomp or the Genisis 3. they are both better than the pod.

[Fangar]

Originally posted by darrin_h2000
Buy the DGstomp or the Genisis 3. they are both better than the pod.

Yamafrrrrrrt...

Epilileptitech........


Fangar

[Emmett]

I've been thinkin of buying a Pod soon myself, since the new Guitar Port doesn't support windows xp yet and I'm getting a little impatient waiting for something thats gonna get me a decent heavy guitar tone. Can't seem to find one under $299 though, sux.

[Joe E]

Ocasionaly I see POD V2 used for under 200 bucks.

A guy just sent me e-mail for a "as New" POD with stand adapter for 175 including shipping. (I may still have his e-mail if anyone is interested)

These are truely a great tool for the recording player.

[Speeddemon]

Despite everyone's different opinion on the POD vs. J-Station vs. V-Amp vs. Genesis 3 vs. Digistomp, people seem to forget the Boss GT-3 and GT-6 (newest).
Although the GT-3 is more expensive than the POD, you'll get far more editability, better and more effects and everything comes in a floorboard. When one had to buy the seperate Line6 floorboard to go with the POD, you ARE being ripped off while you look at it!!! I mean, come ON people, $300 fucking bucks for a stupid piece of control shit! Bad Line6, bad bad bad!!!!

Anyway, after 4,5 years of extensive use of my GT-3, I have some really decent guitar tones, usable live AND for direct recording!
There is a little strange FM-modulationlike sound when you play high solo's (bend ups) around the 15-19th fret when using the PRE-AMP, but this is solved with the GT-6.
Besides, with the GT-6 you'll get distortion AND wah-modeling!

Anyway, one step up from the GT-6 could be the Tech 21 Sansamp PSA-1....

[Wide Awake]

The PSA-1 is capable of great clean sounds......the distorted sounds are a tad bit artificial but for rythym guitar and slighty distorted sounds it's great. Plus it has an effects loop.....but it is really expensive compared to everything else without speakers. Don't buy into the Behringer V-Amp hype. Sure it's only $100 but it's a piece of crap....I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I tried it.....sorry if I offended V-Amp lovers. Try the Digitech or HVT units.

I'm writing from a cyber cafe in York, England. I've been to Bath, Somerset, York, and then London is next. Beautiful country, unbelievable sights and history. The food is pretty bad compared to the States but everything else is great. I went to a worldwide fan convention-3 days of concerts by Marillion....80's band from Aylesbury, England. Saturday night may have been the best concert I've ever seen.....but I'm a biased fan.

[BigKahuna]

"3 days of concerts by Marillion"
I'm so jealous! That is one fantastic band ... totally underrated (in the states, anyway).

as for POD ... all I can say is it's one noisy box! it's all I got, though ... you can get some pretty decent sounds from it, but it is pretty noisy even on the clean settings. My experience, anyway,

[Fangar]

Originally posted by BigKahuna
"3 days of concerts by Marillion"
I'm so jealous! That is one fantastic band ... totally underrated (in the states, anyway).

as for POD ... all I can say is it's one noisy box! it's all I got, though ... you can get some pretty decent sounds from it, but it is pretty noisy even on the clean settings. My experience, anyway,

I have found it to be pretty quiet. May I ask if you are using single coils? Thanks,

Fangar

[Mix_Trix]

I guess I must be missing something here.. but all the other ones I've tried don't come close to sounding as good as the P.O.D. does... Not even the Boss or Digitech..and I like all those companys.. I own tons of Boss pedals.. and Digitech.. I especially like the Whammy one they make.. but the multi effect stuff just don't cut it in my book... sorry.. just my opinion.. I don't own a P.O.D. but I do own the original AxSys Combo amp.. and have been very well pleased.. and have heard some killer recording done with the P.O.D. Also.. just take a look at all the ppl who use them now.. we'll mostly the P.O.D Pro.. rack mount.. But you do have to know how to tweak them to get the most out of them.. .. The only other amp that I've heard lately that I would recommend is the new line of Fender CyberTwin.. etc.. they really do a great job... Just my 2 cents thrown in there...

[bubinski]

I bought a POD as soon as they came out just for home recording. It seemed to work ok for me, as I'm a bass player with a tele also, but it really sucked when you run it through a P.A.
Then when I registered it online, they asked " what products would you like to see in the future ? ".
Of course beeing a bass player, I told them a bass POD with SVT, 8X10, Mesa Boogie, Acoustic 360, Acoustic 301 ( 1X18 ), ect...ect....and what do they do a year or so later ?????????
Bass POD.....where's mine for givin them the idea.....bastards....
I now go with the Diditech BP 200 bass pedal and use it for my tele also as it has far more amps and cabs than the guitar one.
Has bassman and bandmaster. plus the expresion pedal ( which I only use for volume ) but I use it for recording my bass and tele.
shits and grins.....bubinski

[monty]

I think everyone has different results with a POD because everyone has different pickups. I have 2 crappy guitars and I can hear the difference caused by the different pickups. For a whole lot of applications I actually get better results from an old Rockman Sustainer I found in a pile of junk at the swap meet for $5. If I had found that old Rockman before I paid $300 for a POD, I probably wouldn’t have bought the POD. If I get a decent guitar I expect the POD to sound better. The POD can also be used as a direct box for pedals.

[The Garage]

this is directed at speeddemon and other gt3 users. i have the gt3 stored away somewhere, but never tried to use it for direct recording or anything. what are your experiences with this? does its preamp/speaker simulation sound any good? how does it sound direct with these effects enabled? and if you have had success, are there any specific patchs you could suggest? thanks.
-teddy

[Speeddemon]

YEs, I record directly with my GT-3 ALL the time. I've done multiple tests with micing amps (that are fed by the GT-3's left out) and taking the R-out directly to the recorder.

Rule #1: Put the global setting on : "Line/Headphones" !!!!
Rule #2: Put the overall reverb setting to 40% or lower, so that you'll have a little bit of reverb to anticipate your playing on, but that it's so minimal, that it won't stand in the way of your mix.

My favourite FACTORY presets:
Bank - Patch - Name
-15 ----- 1 --- Metal Pop
-20 ----- 1 --- 1959 Lead
-22 ----- 2 --- Vintage OD
-24 ----- 2 --- Texas Blues

And be sure to check this GT-3 patch site:
http://go.to/bossgt3
Some of the Mesa Boogie-patches there are EXCELLENT.
In fact, because I record in my bedroom, and I only have (there at least) a 40W Roland 405 practice amp, I get better results with recording the GT-3 directly, than micing the amp. (And I DO have decent amp-mics: Shure SM57, Sennheiser e609...)
Besides, I can record at 1am without getting the neigjhbours upset.

[j]

don't buy a pod , buy the guitar port....it will work with XP, though it isn't fully supported as of yet.....for bass, I like the tech 21 bass driver...as far as recording direct to pc goes. i traded in my POD for the GP.

[enemyofthesun]

1) pods are a pain in the ass

2) pods sound like pods

3) if I wanted a pod I wouldn't wait three months to save $100.

[Fangar]

Originally posted by enemyofthesun
1) pods are a pain in the ass

2) pods sound like pods

3) if I wanted a pod I wouldn't wait three months to save $100.

1)Why?
2)Can you elaborate?
3)Me either.

Fangar

[enemyofthesun]

Every band I have recorded with a pod gets bland guitar sounds. DI or miked. A mesa or a marshall, even a 5150 gets a rawer, ballsier sound

Also to get a failly decent sound you have to do alot of jacking around

maybe for somebody playing basic rock and roll this works but for metal or other types of extreme genres its not a good decision. Folks I know that have one wish they had a real amp.