Posted: 12/19/2004 2:05:37 PM EDT
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I haven't played in several years now but wanted to pick it back up. I still have my Strat but no amp or pedals. What I'm thinking about is one of the digital processors that you can plug headphones into, they simulate different amps and effects & even have drum tracks built in. Anyone have any experience with these? I remember the Pandora from way back but like I said, I've been out of the loop for several years. |
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I have a Line 6 pod xt. It flat kicks ass. I do 90% of my practice through it. It comes with software that allows you use drum machines, or metronomes on your computer, but all the sound comes through the headphones. It simulates several different classic amps and effects. You can play through a virtual Marshall JCM 400, Fuzz Face distortion pedal, and a Uni Vibe, if you want to play Hendrix. Or you can play through a Fender Bassman and a Tube Screamer, it you want to play SRV. www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/482197/ |
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The pod xt is nice. If you're on a real tight budget, you can look for a used j-station on ebay, or go to musiciansfriend.com and get a yamaha magic stomp. the yamaha kind of sucks, but for $120 bucks it will get you some sounds. I think out of all of the modelers I've tried, I'd go with the pod xt though. If you get tired of headphones through the modeling amp, look around on egay for a thing made by the company tech-21 called a power engine. It's just a speaker and a 60 wat power amp. They sold it as an extension cab to some of their modeling amplifiers, but they work GREAT for amplifying the pod and other modeling boxes. You use the pod as the preamp, and the power engine's power amp and speaker. here's a closed auction for what I'm talking about cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10171&item=3767292820&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW (closed auction to avoid setting of the no ebay goderater lock fest) Of course by the time you shell out a few hundred for a pod, and a couple hundred for something to amplify it with, you may as well just get yourself a decent amp. If you want to look at an amp for a decent price, you can't go wrong with a nice peavey classic 30 tube amp www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/481360/ |
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John Kasha 7 tube pre amp. The most distortion you can ever get. I have one of his first models. Gets a wonderful Fender Twin sound but without the verb or the most modded out Marshall distorted sound that would make Metallica drool over. 3 channels. 7ea 12ax7 pre tubes. It's the only thing I have left out of all my gear besides, Misty - my 1982 Fender Strat w/ a Floyd Rose orginal and DiMarzio Super Distortion Humbucker. When I worked in a music store back in the 80's, my guitar rig was surpassed only by Steve Vai's rig. I didn't have an Eventide H3000, but I did have the cheaper Digitech harmonizer. Used to piss off my other guitar player. Told me I should just get some Mexicans to play for me, instead. |
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With the modernization of them over the last few years, they all probably do an excellent heavy metal. My Pandora PX-4 lets you select harmonies upto 2 octave lowers, really beefing up heavy metal riffs. I'm sure most of the other ones mentioned do pitch shifting a number of octaves as well. |
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The Pandoras are great for clean/compressed reverbs and time delay effects. I really like the 3/4 gain settings ala Stevie Ray Vaughn. The metal sounds are OK, not something I would use to play out but good for practice. If I told you that I've used my old Pandora to play the Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden for 6000 people you would have to believe me.  The POD stuff has always sounded too synthetic for my ears. Good luck! |
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check out some of the pod clips a guy on harmony central made. decent example of pod only direct to computer distortion sounds. acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=788798&perpage=20&highlight=pod%20xt%20clips&pagenumber=1 |
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here's another thread with some pod clips acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=781961&perpage=20&highlight=pod%20xt%20clips&pagenumber=3 |
a video clip with pod used for guitar sounds www.metalagesmedia.com/marcel/video/newrace.wmv |
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another clip posted by some guy on the harmony central forums home.online.no/~drevva/clips/Clutch.mp3 he says that one is pod-xt for guitars and this program for drums www.toontrack.com/superior.shtml |
Guy looks like he's never been laid in his life but damn he can shred! |
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Digital? OOoooooh. Leads to the Darkside. Save the cash, get a quality tube amp. You want metal get a Mesa, VH grab a Blockhead or Mojave ampworks, Classic sounds a Marshall or Germino. Don't overlook Fenders the more I hear them the better I like them. Badcats are great sounding too. Don't be confused by their wattage labels, they are plenty loud. If you have to have digital line 6 stuff is supposed to be really good. Many rave about it and I've heard stellar recordings. Back in the day I played out of a 100W tube power amp stereo rack system (a dozen or so units), flanked by 2 Marshall stacks also run in stereo, and one "center" channel marshall combo that was my fave. 23 pedals and two foot controller boards. Excessive? Yup. Still not as bad to rig as the sound guys stuff. Those dudes had it rough. Now, I'm down to a single marshall 1/2 stack a tonebone preamp (really nice sound) and a Dan echo. Occassionally I use chorus. Way simpler to use and its the sound I was supposed to get with all the other crap. Of course I don't play out anymore either. One thing I will buy in the future is a Fulltone deja vibe and Trower-out for a few years... |