pod vs. v-amp

S

seanr

New member
The title pretty much says it all. Is the extra price of the Pod worth it? A lot of reviews I've read indicate that you're just paying a lot more for a product that's only marginally better, if that.
 
I have owned both in our studios. We started out with the v amps, based on cost, however I ran a Pod Pro.

After about 3 months, I drew some conclusions. The v amp is good value for money, however the replication of the harmonic breakup attributed to high gain amps did not cut it near as well as the Line 6 does. This was what marked the Behringer down in comparison. If you were strictly a clean player, then the v amp is pretty good. The v amp clean sounds are good, maybe they lack a slight bit of body, but overall they are good.

Funny to note that out studios run Dual Pod Xt's and Pod Pro XT's currently, however we have just bought a batch of original Pod Pro's. This was mainly based on the overall body sound created in the Soldano and Mesa Boogie models. They are great on the Pod Pro XT, however the Mesa TreadPlate and solo 100 sound don't sound as full as the original Pod Pro presets of the SLO 100 and the Rectifier. Obviously there are more paramters to play with on the XT's not to mention the USB feature, however if the 'tone' is primarily what you are after....

Some ppl may disagree and thats fair, we spend upwards of 30 hours a week with the gear and a good chunk of time is using the distorted presets/models on the gear, so this is what we believe our ears are teling us.

Thats my thoughts on it for you....
 
Both are toys...

But the better toy is really the POD. I use a POD 2.0 (at night, when I can't hook up my MesaBoogie) and I get nice results from it.

The tone from the POD seems to require quite a huge boost in the presence region to compete with a real miked amp.

As always, I quadruple tracks (at least) on every side with different patches.

The V-AMP is Behringer, that should be enough for you to let it go and get the POD. Behringer is the most awful company I've seen since KIA cars.
 
aaroncomp said:
Which Pod? Original, original with 2.0, or XT? I have the XT - it's awesome imo.
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I agree with you on the XT. I have owned both the V-amp, and a couple different Pod's. Needless to say, I sold the V-amp, and I currently use the Pod XT, and the BassPod XT in my studio....
 
Sean, just to throw another option into the mix... I've never used the Pod XT, but I much prefer the sound of the Johnson J-Station to the original Pod, especially for its cleaner tube-like tones. I only use it for recording, with great results. The J has been discontinued, but it's still available online with some searching ($100-200 range).

Here's a pretty thorough review in SOS mag, including some direct comparisons to the Pod in the final paragraphs of the review:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug00/articles/jstation.htm

Best,

J.
 
Also, are we comparing the Pod models to the orginal V-Amp or the V-Amp 2? Or is there even a significant difference?

Thanks,
jawgee
 
I've gotten some decent sounds out of my POD XTL. My amp blows, and sounds like real crap when I mic it, so I almost always go direct.
 
And, the XT is a lot easier to tweak. I have a Bass V-Amp, and that is a pain in the ass to A) understand the manual, and B) tweak to taste.
 
I own the V-Amp 2, and it seriously was one of the best purchases i have made in a while. It was only $100, and it took my distorted guitars from crappy mic'ed Peavey Bandit and Zoom 505 to sounding alot better.

BUT! I don't do this for a living, only a hobby. As I was hella impressed with the V-amp's sound, it might not be that great. I haven't listened to the POD, or hell, even any of the real amps they are supposed to be modeling (blasphemy, I know...the true nature of a hobbyist). My advice is to go try them out. If you are going to be doing some professional recording for money (at some point), I think the smart thing to do is going with better gear. "You get what you pay for"

Scogs
 
It depends on what kind of music you play. If the music you are into uses more medium gain or low gain distortion then the POD might have the edge. when it comes to high gain, and really heavy guitar tones, then the V-AMP comes out on top. I have still to this day not heard a recording make with a POD that can is as heavy as what you can get with a V-AMP. If anyone has a POD recording they think is super heavy, then post it!
 
In a nutshell, if you got $300, go for the XT. But if your short on the $$$, $100 for a brand new Vamp-2 aint bad. Personally I would look into some of the boss processors too.
 
amra said:
It depends on what kind of music you play. If the music you are into uses more medium gain or low gain distortion then the POD might have the edge. when it comes to high gain, and really heavy guitar tones, then the V-AMP comes out on top. I have still to this day not heard a recording make with a POD that can is as heavy as what you can get with a V-AMP. If anyone has a POD recording they think is super heavy, then post it!
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Bah. The XT blows the V-amp away in heavy tones; old POD? perhaps not. I'll find some links for you on the PodXT for "super heavy".
 
Not sure what you consider to be heavy, but this is just 2 guitar tracks, from a POD, and not processed at all....Weed
The tune is basicly a joke, just for fun....but the guitars fit it, and don't sound too bad, in my opinion.
 
amra said:
It depends on what kind of music you play. If the music you are into uses more medium gain or low gain distortion then the POD might have the edge. when it comes to high gain, and really heavy guitar tones, then the V-AMP comes out on top. I have still to this day not heard a recording make with a POD that can is as heavy as what you can get with a V-AMP. If anyone has a POD recording they think is super heavy, then post it!
Click to expand...

What about overall? I'd like to play a bit of both, if possible.
 
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I guess it depends on your taste and expectations

I have both the POD 2.0 (not XT or Pro) and a Vamp-2. I like the POD's tweed and blackface a little better, but other than that I think the Vamp is quieter and more user-friendly. I have NOT messed with tweeking the sounds via the software on the pc for either one, though. It's a tough call. My opinion of Behringer is that I hate to patronize someone who rips off people's designs, on the other hand, my experience with the POD quality control and their support (or lack thereof, I should say) has left me not wanting to patronize Line6 either, although I admit I do still want an MM-4, since I don't know of any real alternative to it.

You really just have to try them both.
 
Vox Tonelab

The Vox ToneLab is miles ahead of both the POD (any model) and the Behringer V-Amps (any model). I tried them all before purchasing the ToneLab. The PODS and the V-Amps don't even have a decent clean sound, but they sure can make a good guitar distort like the worst pedal you have ever heard.
 
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