Real Amps vs J-station, POD etc...

[TamirE]

guitar players usually don't like changes. I once had a producer in a band that totally hated the POD and actually preferred my sound using cheap boss pedals through an old (probably not maintained right) peavey 212 from the 80s (with the green and silver colors, a solid-state amp i REALLY dislike). I really sounded bad through that amp. but one time i tried playing through a Marshall halfstack in the same room (jcm900 i think, not my favourite exactly) and it sounded totally amazing there.
I really like using the POD live, but it sometimes can be quite annoying to tweak the amp right so you'll get the right tone from it (that producer didn't know much about the POD either, and didn't understand why i wanted to try using it through the power-in of the peavey... baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah). even when i use the POD live i need a real amp... there's something about how a good amp just distributes the sound in the space that P.A. monitors usually can't imitate - not even with an amp modeller.
too bad i didn't try using the P.A. there instead of that old peavey... but again , some producers really don't want to try anything new. they have their "winning" formula that you must work with...

 

[64Firebird]

I have noticed one weekness in my J-Station. When I'm playing thru my amp and I've got a good distortion lead sound that I like, when I want to play chords, all I have to do is roll off a little volume at the guitar and I've got a nice clean sound. That doesn't work as well with my J-Station.

 

[TamirE]

this means that you're setting the gain settings way too high. it's a problem well known to metal players trying to cross to blues-rock and more relaxed music... using the POD you have this problem if you're using the "extremely high gain" modeleres like the "rectified" or the "line6 insane". if you work with the "normal" models you can still roll off the volume of a crunchy/lead sound and get a clean tone. changing presets can be easier. my favourite amp modeler for lead guitar in the POD is the "modern high-gain" (based on a soldano, i think).

btw, it's not just an amp-modeler problem, try using a pedal like the boss metal zone or the rocktron rampage (or other heavy/death/thrash metal pedals) set to extremely high gain - and you'll have the same problem.

 

[64Firebird]

Way too High? I've got the gain set at 2.3! I've been playing Blues for about 20 years now, I'm not using too much gain.

I don't have that problem with the pedels that I use (a Daddy-O and a TS-9) I can roll the crunch right off from the guitar with both of them. But, I use very little distortion most of the time.

 

[TamirE]

well, i'll have to check it on the j-station to see. on the POD there's the "drive" setting that makes the difference. sometimes a "clean" modeled amp with 100% drive will have a better "crunch" than a modeled overdriven amp on the POD (depends on what you're looking for)... a friend of mine has the j-station, i'll ask him too... try to see if there isn't a 2 or 3 gain setting there... (drive-channel volume-output level : each step can make a difference in sound).

the TS-9 and daddy-O are not "metalheadz" pedals
some kids these days hate tube amps and nice rock pedals. they only want that lousy mid-scooped transistor sound... i know someone who played with a POD and said he could only use the rectified modelling because all the rest are not "real distortion", and he needed to do a mid scoop anyway to get the sound he wanted (through his fender frontman 25w amp LOL) and he didn't even know what i meant when i told him his sound is awfully mid-scooped...

 

[64Firebird]

I've also noticed that using too compression gain on the J-Station will will take the distortion over the top. Effects are like makeup, a little can be good, but too much and you're a clown.