Flashback 25 years ago and the original pocket simulator was called the Scholtz Rockman. Back then it seemed every guitarist had one and every track on records sounded like one.
I was busy modifing those as they were noisy and every session guitarist in LA used one.
Sometimes when I see that sort of stuff I feel like the tortise vs the hare. The hares all got with every fad, switched to rockmans from amps, got hot, then not. Then they got Amp Farm and other simulators. Meanwhile, that tortise just kept plugging along... using the same stuff for the last 40 years.
They wrote a song about it a few years back, it was called;
"There's nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby".
Play a power chord through a real amp. It produces a subharmonic 1 octave below the fundamental.
Play a power chord through a POD. It produces a rumble of random bass frequencies.
I don't know what it is they're simulating. My ass, maybe. That said, if you're used to modern amps with lots of mushy gain, outfitted with cheap Chinese tubes, you may find the POD acceptable.
Flashback 25 years ago and the original pocket simulator was called the Scholtz Rockman. Back then it seemed every guitarist had one and every track on records sounded like one.
I was busy modifing those as they were noisy and every session guitarist in LA used one.
Sometimes when I see that sort of stuff I feel like the tortise vs the hare. The hares all got with every fad, switched to rockmans from amps, got hot, then not. Then they got Amp Farm and other simulators. Meanwhile, that tortise just kept plugging along... using the same stuff for the last 40 years.
They wrote a song about it a few years back, it was called;
"There's nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby".
Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades
Haha you said pocket simulator.
I thought the original "pocket simulator" was known as La Mano.
direct to desk it sounds pretty bad, i think the speaker modelling algo must be pretty lame..
bypass the speaker models and plug directly into the input on a tube power amp, it sounds better, useable i'd say but not as good as a proper guitar pre and power amp.
my marshall jmp-1 tube preamp recently stopped working, in the interim while i get it repaired ive been using the pod as a preamp as its all ive got.
I have always said that I think the Line 6 Pod is the single biggest set back in recording quality in my life time and that the guitars just do not work in mixes. I have gone so far as to turn down some mix jobs where the guitars were cut with Pods or at least asked my manager to double my mix fee because of all the work that will go into trying to overcome how bad the Pod had screwed up the record. Lots of people think I am nuts, but it looks like I am not the only one:
Quote from Bob Clearmountain's web site <http://www.mixthis.com/bobframeset.html>
NO PODS IN THE RECORDING STUDIO!!!! Normally, I don't like to comment on how to record stuff, the general rule being "there are no rules". In this case, I'm making an exception as I've recently had to try to deal with guitar tracks recorded through The Pod (from Line 6). These are the most unmixable sounds I've ever encountered. I'd say they're probably fine for demos, but quite often demo tracks appear on final master recordings, then end up on my mixing table! Don't get me wrong, Line 6 makes some great products - I use Amp Farm all the time. I think the Pod is really for blasting your Strat, Les Paul or whatever through headphones so your mom/girlfriend/wife/bus driver doesn't get annoyed. PLEASE beg, borrow or steal a goddamn guitar amp!!
...and whatever you do, DON'T fall asleep next to one
I havent read any of the other posts in this thread, but i have to say i agree. I bought a POD Version 2 about a year ago because i read some people talking very highly about it... I used it for about an hour and decided it wasnt for me. Just didnt sound anywheree close ot a real amp.... and on top of that, it didnt even sound good in my opinion. Ive used DI guitar to get some crazy tones and effected guitar lines.. (I like Izotope Trash)....The POD, totally wasn't doing it for me.
I won a POD 6 back around 2003-4. Tracked with it several times and threw it out. I wasn`t even interested in selling it to someone, I think they are that bad. The thought that someone else would make a recording with it bothered me.
Now its landfill or something.
Nothing beats a mic in front of an amp capturing that air.