Question:
Hey guys, my first visit here! Looks like a good place. Anyways, im originally an acoustic lead worship player/ whatever you want to call it, but i recently bought a good electric guitar and the pod xt live. Man this thing is awesome, except for the fact you pretty much need a university degree to know how to run it lol! I noticed there are a few guys around here with them. What i kinda want to know is what kind of settings/tones/effects you guys use in church/what you think is appropiate? What i am really getting too, is it would be neat for different xt live users to load up there 1 or 2 good patches onto the forum and let other try them out! (/me, im having a really difficult time trying to make a sound that is good.) mostly for rythmn on a fast songs. Anyways. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks
Curtis
Answer:
First, welcome to the forum.
In order to get your best patches, you need an idea of what characteristics each amp model sounds like. For instance, it's good if you have an idea in your mind what a Vox AC30, or a Fender Twin or a Marshall JCM1000 sounds like so that you can go to the respective patch. However, I find that the stock patches on my Digitech are not all that good without tweaking. Here's where reading the manual is important. You should know how to adjust your settings on the fly. It's been my experience that what you hear on the headphones is very different than the settings you need when playing live with a group. Also, with my Digitech, the default noisegate is set so high, it makes it seem like the pedal is not working right. Once I turned down the noisegate, it sounded a lot better.
You also need to know what the various models of stompboxes do so you can color your sound to your liking. When you are adjusting a patch, make small adjustments. It will take time, but I can assure you, that nothing good comes easily without some effort on your part. If you take the easy way out by copying other patches, you will not know how to make adjustments in a live setting. So, if you make a mistake while playing and delete a favorite patch or mess up on the volume or stomboxes, etc., you're toast. In addition, you will not be using the pedal to its maximum potential. Since tone is subjective, one player's heaven is often someone else's hell.
I would guess that many critics of ME pedals and processors have their opinion because they have not spent the time or effort in seeing what the pedal can do. Of course, because it's so flexible and powerful, it requires time and effort tweaking it to your preference.
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Agree/understand. Man i am just so unknowledgeable about this kind of stuff. It is all over my head. I dont really understand how it all works. I appreciate all posts, thanks guys
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You know, another reason why i am having troubles to get anything to sound good. Im using a single speak Crate 65w gfx 6st. Im just starting to get so frustrated cause i just want to be able to make some sounds that i can use in church. In the lxt, there is an option for me to pick what i am plugging in too. what should i put? its not studio direct, but theen there is a bunch of other options . /pwr amp/stack. all kinds of stuff. but i dont know what my amp is classified as...would anybody else know what im looking for? thanks
sorry guys, so many questions...heh...
Answer:
Your amp is a combo amp. My suggestion would be to set the EQ on your amp up as neutral as possible. This may mean setting it at "5" on each dial. Giving your amp a neutral tone is important because it will allow the POD XTL to be the primary source of tonal coloring.
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Ok, i got that, sounds much better. Should i plug into my amp "input" or into the "insert". 2nd question, this is for any other pod xt live users out there. I install the drivers on my pc, install line 6 monkey edit. everything it good/it is recognizeing the pod, ok. NOW i come back 15 minutes later becuase i want to add some more patches from the pc to pod, so i plug it back in, and i have to reinstall ALL over again. It pops up and says that the computer has found new hardware etc! when just 15 mintues ago i already installed it and it said it was all good! GRRRR>......
Answer:
Originally Posted by Curtishart Ok, i got that, sounds much better. Should i plug into my amp "input" or into the "insert". 2nd question, this is for any other pod xt live users out there. I install the drivers on my pc, install line 6 monkey edit. everything it good/it is recognizeing the pod, ok. NOW i come back 15 minutes later becuase i want to add some more patches from the pc to pod, so i plug it back in, and i have to reinstall ALL over again. It pops up and says that the computer has found new hardware etc! when just 15 mintues ago i already installed it and it said it was all good! GRRRR>...... If you can use the insert, use it. It's the effects loop on the Crate GFX line, but I'm not entirely sure if it will allow you to input only. If you can run into the insert, then you'll bypass the GFX pre-amp and have the majority of the tonal variation coming from the XTL itself.
As far as the software issues go, when it tells you it finds new hardware, you should be able to just ignore it and run the software you already installed.
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Thats the thing Steve, when it pops up, i just cancel it/for that matter i tried just leaving it on the screen, and opening line 6 edit and it says it cant find anything connected...so...i dont have to reallly install the drivers everytime i plug in my pod do i....pls no...
Answer:
Originally Posted by Curtishart Thats the thing Steve, when it pops up, i just cancel it/for that matter i tried just leaving it on the screen, and opening line 6 edit and it says it cant find anything connected...so...i dont have to reallly install the drivers everytime i plug in my pod do i....pls no... that's sorta weird. I'm going to have to defer an answer to someone who actually owns a POD and possibly may have run into this problem. I was just applying general computer knowledge.
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Ya, its weird eh...?
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Does it say you need an update or something? When I hook my PodXTL up, I don't need to install anything. Just go into Guitar Monkey.
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I would say for now, forget hooking it up to the computer. Play with the pedal as much as possible, either with headphones or through the amp. That way, you will be working with the pedal and learning how to use it. You don't need the frustration of the computer program now. Play that thing!!!
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....ya i hear you man, but i like to save my tones etc. and no it doesnt ask for an update or anything. it just says "found new hardware" and promps me to install it. and if i dont install it, monkey says nothing is connected to computer.
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Ok, get this, i just tried it again. plugged it in. "found new hardware" i installed it. ran monkey edit, works fine, but monkey edit says i have to update my drivers, so click update and first thing it asks is unplug the pod for this part of installation. ok unplug, it finishes that part, then asks me to plug it back in for the rest of installation, plug and it and BINGO! "found new hardware"
Answer:
Oh yeah. I suggest you go direct into the PA system and EQ at the board to match the sounds you hear through headphones. I do this and only use my amp as a stage monitor. As Steve said, run your amp settings as flat as possible so that you hear what the pedal is putting out. That way, you get your signal fed into the PA without worrying what your amp sounds like.