Question:
A guy I know at my church recently informed me of an interesting fact that I didn't know. If you have a Line 6 Spider amp, you can actually turn off the preamp and use the amp as a monitor - perfect for use with the POD XTL. Also, when you do this and use the amp's direct out, the speaker doesn't cut out like it normally would. I haven't yet tried this out with my POD XTL, but I will be next weekend, so i'll find out how good it sounds and post about it. Could make for a nice cheap monitor.
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couldn't this also be done with any amp that has an effects loop?
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Which model Spider?
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That's cool. I need to get a PODxt sometime. Then I could do that perfectly, since I have a Spider III series.
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I know that it works with the Spider II, probably with the Spider III. I've never seen anything before that though, so I dunno. And no, this could not be done with anything with an effects loop, as the signal would still have to go through the preamp. This feature effectively cuts out the preamp, so that the POD is going straight into the speaker.
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Originally Posted by PianoMan I know that it works with the Spider II, probably with the Spider III. I've never seen anything before that though, so I dunno. And no, this could not be done with anything with an effects loop, as the signal would still have to go through the preamp. This feature effectively cuts out the preamp, so that the POD is going straight into the speaker. You mean power amp? This setup bypasses the amp's preamp:
Guitar -> XTL -> FX return
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When you just use the FX Return, you are bypassing the amp's preamp, as B429 said. But when you have something plugged in to the FX send it doesnt. Its done this on pretty much every amp for forever that has had a loop.
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I'd suppose that an amp like the Spider would have something a lot more hi-fi in the power amp and speaker than your average guitar amp, though.
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Originally Posted by Ranier I'd suppose that an amp like the Spider would have something a lot more hi-fi in the power amp and speaker than your average guitar amp, though.
This is probably true, but if you're just looking for a personal monitor to use with your POD, there are solid state amps with "sterile" power sections, or even just plain keyboard amps, available for less money than a guitar amp with a digital modelling preamp (like the Spider). If you're never going to use the preamp, why buy one unless you already have one?
Nate
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I dunno about cheaper. Now that the Spider III is out, you can get Spider II's for under $100.
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A Spider III 15 is $99. Mine, a Spider III 30 was $199. A steal. But with a POD, it'd sound even better. ^_^