Recording Podxt Bean?

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dmbandtimmy

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Hey guys! I have a pod xt bean and a firepod. I tried plugging in the 1/4 inch inputs, but the sound isn't very good :/ Is there anything I'm missing ?

I have used the usb with good results prior to getting the firepod, but I don't think the usb is a viable option becuase of latency and I would also have to switch the drivers from the firepod to the the Pod in cubase.

What way do you guys go about recording with the Pod bean? I'm kind of thinking I should have gone with the pod pro. Thanks for your help! :)
 
I have the POD 2.0 and I set it to direct and take the left and right 1/4 " out directly to my sound card. This gives me really good sound!
 
Yeah, you generally should be okay with the 1/4" connections. Double check that your outputs on the POD XT are set to Direct, and if you are using preset sound settings then make sure you are pulling them from the correct bank. Some of the sounds are designed for direct recording, and others are designed to be played through an amp.
 
dmbandtimmy said:
Hey guys! I have a pod xt bean and a firepod. I tried plugging in the 1/4 inch inputs, but the sound isn't very good :/ Is there anything I'm missing ?
Click to expand...

Be sure not to use the first front 1/4" jacks on the FirePod for that, as those jacks are connected to instrument pres, and the output of the bean is presumably line level. If you're already using a different pair of 1/4" inputs... no idea.
 
Hey guys! Thanks for the replies. I actually was using the first input on the firepod :) I will try the 3rd or so on tonight. That is probably the problem. I'll have to make sure its set up to direct also. Ive recorded with the USB before with great results so I'm sure its just user error. I'll try those 2 suggestions tonight. Thanks again for your help!
 
dmbandtimmy said:
Hey guys! Thanks for the replies. I actually was using the first input on the firepod :) I will try the 3rd or so on tonight. That is probably the problem. I'll have to make sure its set up to direct also. Ive recorded with the USB before with great results so I'm sure its just user error. I'll try those 2 suggestions tonight. Thanks again for your help!
Click to expand...

Well, you can use the first two inputs, but you have to use the line ins on the back instead of the front panel jacks....
 
How to get good sound out of a Pod:

1. Connect the left (mono) line out to the 1/4" balanced line in of a high quality power amp.

2. Bridge the power amp to 8 ohms mono

3. Plug the power amp into a good 8 ohm cab with power handling specs appropriate for the power amp in question.

4. Put a good mic in front of the good cab in a good room. Put the cab on an amp stand so it can resonate properly.

5. Plug the mic into a good mic pre.

6. Plug the line out of the mic pre into the line in of a good recorder.

7. Put on headphones, and move the mic around and adjust the settings on the POD until it sounds good.

8. Push the record button

This program will cause the POD to make far better sound than any direct arrangement. And- no matter what else you do, leaving out the "good room" part will cause it to suck.-Richie
 
I was all excited to try these suggestion! I am at my brothers and I brought all of the recording equipment here. Plugged in the Firepod and nothing :/

I tried it on some of his friends macs with firewire and still nothing. I then went and bought a new firewire cable and that wasn't it either. I am thinking both of my firewire ports went out for some strange reason. I've read some people having a similar problem.

Unfortunatley I won't be home until next week and I was planning on getting a lot of recording done here too. Once I get it back up and running I'll fill you guys in on my results :)
 
Well, Golly. Unfortunately, the chicklets system doesn't include a reply button, but some of y'all might find it interesting that some gutless wonder replied to my post above with the required red chicklet and the following piece of inspired wisdom: "eat shit you know nothing gear snob". I think I'll respond to the three main thrusts of this stroke of genius right here.

1. "eat shit"- Your capacity for engaging in productive discussion is astounding, Unfortunately, you have arrived at a battle of wits-unarmed.

2. "you know nothing"- Well actually, I know something. I have been recording using POD Pro 2.0, Behringer Vamp II, VAMP Pro and Bass VAMP Pro for several years, including a full length gold pressed CD. I'm sorry you feel I am not entitled to my opinion, but it remains my opinion that recording guitars, electric or acoustic, direct, is *always* the wrong way to do it. Furthermore, I think that there are bizzillions of applications in a studio for amp modelers, but *none* of them is plugging them direct into a recorder. The biggest problem with amp modelers is that people only think of them as direct boxes. There is simply no emulated equivalent of air hitting a microphone in a good room. The other side of the coin is the people who hate modelers. Try plugging a POD into a power amp and a cab, and the sound improves dramatically, if the room is any good, and you tweak it right.

3. "gear snob"- That's a laugh. Did you notice the "B" word above? If I were a gear snob, I wouldn't use amp modelers. I'd own a cool selection of vintage tube amps, appropriately modded and upgraded with Mullards. (to go with my vintage guitars)

So the big question, genius, is who put the kerosene in your Wheaties this morning?- Richie
 
Hey, Richard -

Here's a question for you - I've been puzzling over this for a while.

I have a Pod XT Live that I use for DI recording into a TASCAM 2488. I eventually plan on setting up some kind of live rig with the POD. Although I have a vintage Matamp tube amp and 2 X 12 cab, I think that rig has a bit too much character to be able to easily incorporate a POD, if I want to take advantage of the amp modeling capabilities.

So my thinking is to run the POD XTL into a good, clean, full range power amp - like a PA amp - and use a full-range enclosure of some sort as a cabinet. Does this sound reasonable? Would a full-range PA cab be appropriate? If so, do you have any specific recommendations?

Thanks! :)
 
Yes, Zaphod, that's entirely reasonable. First, whatever power amp you use, make sure it's bridgeable to 8 ohms, because there aren't that many 4 ohm cabs out there. Second, consider that the same rig may be useful in the studio, but... the problem is that big power amps usually have fans, which make annoying noise in the studio. Amps with cooling fins are excellent, but usually have much lower output. You can use any guitar cab- after all, it's a guitar, right, and produces a certain spectrum of sound. You are right, of course, that guitar cabs tend to have a little more character. If you are plugging the power amp into a guitar cab, use "live" mode, which disables the cab model. If you are using more broad spectrum speakers, sich as PA speakers, use "studio" mode, which engages the cab model. For more broad spectrum applications, acoustic amps work very well.
As far as specific pieces of gear, I can only recommend the ones that have worked for me. In the studio, I use a Carver PM125 power amp (no hum, no fan) into a Marshall 1X12 with a Celestion vintage 30 (live mode) or a Fender 1X10 wedge monitor (studio mode). Occasionally I plug the POD straight into an M-Audio SBX subwoofer and 1 M-Audio SP5B and mic up the monitors (studio mode). Put the mic right in the near field, and use the best condenser you have. Listen through cans. It'll sound like shit everywhere in the room except right in the near field, where the mic should be.
Live, I've had my best luck with acoustic amps and small PA's. I usually use a Fender PD250 Passport. For really small solo gigs, where I switch back and forth between acoustic and electric, I use the Passport for vocals also. OK, a 250 watt PA is pretty weak for a band, but if you think of it as a 250 watt acoustic guitar amp with 2 cabs, it's got plenty of balls. My friend on the Left coast, Maureen Fleming, does the same thing with an SWR California Blonde, which I have used and it worked just fine. I usualy use a VAMP II live, because I don't own a floor POD, and I can't be bothered hauling the POD Pro around. On stage, the Carver power amp runs the Fender wedge monitor off of the tape out from the Passport, so I get to have a monitor (woo hoo). I'm not that rich, so a lot of this gear does double duty, on stage, and in the studio. Another option is to run one or two Eons or similar powered PA enclosures right off the POD. For REALLY big gigs, rather than going straight into the board, I will actually mic up the little Passport into a real PA, which will confuse the shit out of the FOH guy. Once he understands that your PA is really just a guitar amp, he'll get it. Hope that helps.-Richie
 
Richie -

Excellent stuff, great info.

And you're right - while 250W doesn't sound like much for a PA amp, it's a shitload for a single instrument. :eek:

Thanks! :)
 
I don't think the usb is a viable option becuase of latency and I would also have to switch the drivers from the firepod to the the Pod in cubase.
Click to expand...

Sorry to revive such an old thread and for the newbie questions....

I just got a PODXT and Firepod with the assumption that I could use the USB option on the PODXT to record into one of my existing programs on my iMAc: Cubase LE, Garageband or Logic Express.

Is this not the prefered method because of latency issues?

I am fine using the 1/4" inputs on the Firepod, but it seems like a waste to go that route if the USB is an option.

BTW: I have been using an MBox with ProTools on both PC's and an iMac for the last few years. The PODXT and Firepod are both very new to me.
 
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