How to get a fat, vintage distortion/overdrive from a modeler (PodXT, Amplitube etc.)

  • Thread starter Thread starter GuitarGoblin
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IMO, slight crunch is the absolute weakest area for modelling technology. You can get a convincing clean tone from a modeller, you can get a convincing heavy distorted tone from a modeller, but I have yet to hear a totally convincing crunch from a modeller.

That being said, the Boss GT series has been the most convincing crunch by far, even briefly fooling me a time or two into believing it was a mic'd amp.
 
Tadpui said:
IMO, slight crunch is the absolute weakest area for modelling technology. You can get a convincing clean tone from a modeller, you can get a convincing heavy distorted tone from a modeller, but I have yet to hear a totally convincing crunch from a modeller.
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Funny you say that, because I think the Pod XTL does a pretty decent slight crunch with its Fender models, particularly the Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb.

The biggest problem I have with the Pod is that having too much signal processing going on (enabling every damn controllable parameter that there is) results in absolutely horrible signal decay. Bad enough that I was checking my interconnect cables before I understood the problem.
 
I hear ya...those modellers seem to trigger something in the brain that encourages the use of every available effect slot. And why is it that everybody always wants to put that room reverb effect on modelled tones? Its almost always a dead giveaway as to who's using a modeller and who isn't.

But I've heard some good heavy distorted tones out of a modeller, and some good clean tones. But the old-fashioned rock n' roll tones seem to lose some life when the gain is dialed back. But that could be more a factor of the user than the modeller. Still, that Boss unit puts out some impressive "in-between" distorted tones.
 
Another weak spot is how the modelers react to rolled-off volume on your guitar. They react nothing like an amp. It's not so much that they don't react linearly with regard to volume, as the tone goes off and the signal seems to degrade. (There's that thing again about signal decay sucking.) So when I use my Pod XTL, I'm always at or near full volume on the guitar.
 
For those of you that have a POD try putting an EQ pedal inbetween the guitar and POD roll of the lows on it. It really cleans up the tone. The problem with most modellers is that they have a wider dynamic range then the amps they are modelling. Doing this gets you a tighter sound.;)
 
This weekend I'm going to try and set up a "shootout" of sorts. I'm going to use a pod, '65 bassman, plexi marshall, peavy butcher, zvex nano, blues junior, and maybe a jc-120 all into a 4x12 marshall. I'd like to see if you guys can really tell the difference.
 
rory said:
This weekend I'm going to try and set up a "shootout" of sorts. I'm going to use a pod, '65 bassman, plexi marshall, peavy butcher, zvex nano, blues junior, and maybe a jc-120 all into a 4x12 marshall. I'd like to see if you guys can really tell the difference.
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Doesn't matter ........ there's no way to know for sure about what we can hear thru your recording set up and processes. I can tell the difference live and for me there's a large difference and that's all that matters.
I've always said that modelers are ok for recording 'cause you can tweak and tweak that particular sound for that particular part. But live, they don't respond like an amp.
And I have no prejudices about this ....... I've spent a lot of money and a lot of time on a bunch of modelers wanting them to do the job. If they worked I'd quit hauling around any of my amps 5 nights a week in a second. And, in fact, I have started using the Rocktron Utopia on about half my gigs because to my ears it comes very, very close though it doesn't do slight crunch too well.
But still, on gigs where I really want my sound to be great, I bring an amp.
 
Lt. Bob said:
Doesn't matter ........ there's no way to know for sure about what we can hear thru your recording set up and processes. I can tell the difference live and for me there's a large difference and that's all that matters.
I've always said that modelers are ok for recording 'cause you can tweak and tweak that particular sound for that particular part. But live, they don't respond like an amp.
And I have no prejudices about this ....... I've spent a lot of money and a lot of time on a bunch of modelers wanting them to do the job. If they worked I'd quit hauling around any of my amps 5 nights a week in a second. And, in fact, I have started using the Rocktron Utopia on about half my gigs because to my ears it comes very, very close though it doesn't do slight crunch too well.
But still, on gigs where I really want my sound to be great, I bring an amp.
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But we are talking about a rough mix here. Nothing live.
 
GuitarGoblin said:
But we are talking about a rough mix here. Nothing live.
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Which I addressed when I said that modelers are fine for recording.
That's why it's not likely that we could tell which was which in a test of recorded sounds.
I've always said and thought that you can dial in a modeler for a specific part on a recording and get it to sound right.
In fact, several years ago when I had time for recording :( I posted a blues tune in the MP3 clinic and had several people comment on how nice it was to hear a good blues amp recorded and that you couldn't get that sound out of a modeler. It was, in fact, a Behringer V-Amp2.
 
Lt. Bob said:
Which I addressed when I said that modelers are fine for recording.
That's why it's not likely that we could tell which was which in a test of recorded sounds.
I've always said and thought that you can dial in a modeler for a specific part on a recording and get it to sound right.
In fact, several years ago when I had time for recording :( I posted a blues tune in the MP3 clinic and had several people comment on how nice it was to hear a good blues amp recorded and that you couldn't get that sound out of a modeler. It was, in fact, a Behringer V-Amp2.
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I feel what you are saying. Personally, direct recordings are getting much better. The use of a good pre-amp and some impulses with a few tricks can almost trick any ear into believing air was pushed into a mic.

But then again, the best tones are from air being pushed into a mic.

So far I'm having great success with guitar rig 2. I was told Mer De noms by A perfect circle was actually recorded with Amplitube from another great guitarist who heard it from APC's guitarist himself.

But case in point, modelers on a recording can sound pretty damn close and can get the job done.
 
I pulled out my distortion pedals for the first time in years yesterday. Put my Artcore As103 NT through a BOSS Metal 2, into a PODxt, and got some very nice overdriven tones.

So, my advice would be to put a decent distortion pedal in front of the POD, and not bother with its internal distortions, which sound like buzzsaws to me.
 
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