Is Sansamp the answer?

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m1n2h3

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Please help, I am seeking advice on recording guitar direct. I posted a previous message about direct boxes. I want to go direct, and use my effects pedals and alesisQ2 through the effects loop, so what I need is something like a sansamp or direct box like a countryman. The all in one systems like Jstation or POD are great, but the effects are a bit weak. What I am after is a strong direct signal with more warmth and tube like sustain. Please tell me what I could use, and give me advice on what I could do to improve the sound. Thanks in advance.
Matt
 
The Sansamp, indeed, may be the answer, but it would be bewt to go and try one out at the music store and see if YOU like it. Compare it with other such devices. I tried a sansamp years ago and I was rather impressed. I now use a POD. Take that for what it's worth. If I had the space and the lack of complaints I would use a mic and a nice tube amp. Take that for what it's worth. You could still route the guitar through effects onece it is recorded.


Peace, Jim
 
There are many Sansamps available but only one has an effects loop, the PSA-1. The effects loop on the PSA-1 is versatile and it can be used in serial or parallel modes. The parallel mode allows 50 percent of the signal to pass through uneffected.....great for many types of effects.

I'm glad I own the PSA-1 but it is expensive, around $450 new. The POD Pro has an effects loop too. I recommend playing anything before you buy it. Some of them are great and some belong in the trash....you've got to make that call yourself.
 
I had the PSA-1 and then I sold it and got the pod pro. The main reason I liked the pod over the sansamp was that I feel there are more options in terms of speaker emulation.

What I liked about the PSA-1 was for recording purposes it was setup for bass and guitar, where as the pod is just made for guitar. (I still use it for bass sometimes, but I think the sansamp was better for bass) The pod pro has some GREAT routing functions and digital outs if you're recording.

Between the two it all comes down to taste. I would describe most of the guitar tones in the sansamp to sound very 80's glam metal, whereas the pod is a bit more realistic and sounds more like newer recordings. I wanted both, so I got the psa1 bombfactory plugin :)

As for the effects on the pod...I'm not much of an effects guy. Clean/Dist is good for me. I can't tell the diff but everyone says that pod's effects are weak so thats cool.
 
Thanks for the input. I guess its off to guitar center or sam ash to test some toys. Hopefully they will also have the new boss gt6 in stock. I have heard some good things about the unit. I would love to get a Palmer speaker simulator, but I can't seem to find anyone who carries this line. It is supposed to be the end all be all of simulators. Once again thanks.
Matt
 
As always, my vote goes to SansAmp. If only because I like the way I can tweak it and I love the way it reacts to my playing. The GT2 is a good choice for price. The PSA-1 is an excellent choice for tweakability.

The POD isn't bad either. The tones are good and can get a little more in your face. However, I'm not a big fan of the tone in the upper registers. Also, the POD doesn't seem to react to the subtle nuances of my playing as well.

Go thou to Guitar Center and A/B them through a monitor system (NOT cans). Be sure you turn off the effects of the POD for a proper raw tone comparison.


matt
 
I must be missing something. To my ears, the SansAmp PSA-1 sounds like a solid-state high gain amp, which is to me the audio equivalent of crap on a stick (think Crate in the mid-80s). Don't get me wrong, I loved my SansAmp pedal when I was a kid with a Tascam 4-track, but I sold it in a heartbeat when I got a real (non-practice) amp, and a good boss distortion pedal. Almost any modeler will give you a more realistic tone than that, if realism is what you want.
 
How about both?

I split my guitar signal and go into both a SansAmp PSA-1 and a POD 2.0 then blend the signals. Each seems to fill in the tonal gaps of the other.

Still not as good as a great amp miked with a great condensor and good mic pre, but my wife and neighbors swear by it!

spwee
 
Well the way I keep hearing it. A guy I have spoken to on the net has a semi-commercial release out (www.haloinreverse.net) and he recorded using the POD but is changing to the PSA-1. That said though the new Digitech device has had some very good reviews in the music press recently.
 
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