Pod hd and torpedo cab. Power amp or not?

B

Bigshredder

New member
Hi there folks :) snuck away after work yesterday and bought myself a torpedo cab. Have just fiddled with it for 2-3 hours but I love the little bastard :D felt that there was much more transients and air in the sound when using the power amps inte cab as supposed to the ones in the pod hd. I Now have a thousand presets in the pod that are completely useless, lol. But what bugged me a little was that it was perhaps a little to much air in the sound. I Mainly use the treadplate amp in the pod hd and with the full amp and some good IR's in the computer I got a very tight and "scratchy" "djenty" sort of sound when pushing the amp. I like that sound but feel that the pod hd can be somewhat harsh and cramped in the tone so I bought the cab to use as a ir loader. But now when I tried the power amps in the cab I feel that they will probably replace the ones I use now in the pod. But as I tried to "drive" or push the amp more, using compressors and tube screamers As I always do, the sound got more of a break up feel with a bit mud and distortion rather than a pushed in your face mesa amp feel. Any tips on what power amp and what settings to use to achieve this? Normally I tend to put a compressor after the poweramp and before the cab to puch the sound a bit and to tighten it up some more but in the torpedo that is not really possible:(
Cheers :)
 
Interesting you mention this as I've been having similar discussions on another board. I like to use the 6l6 power amp on the torpedo. I don't remember any of the power amp settings but I will check on that and report back later. I really like the sound of stacking the power amp on the torpedo and the HD300 but it gets kind of overwhelming and is hard for me to mix. That being the case, I've been using the preamp only on the pod and the power amp on the torpedo and guitar hack irs. It doesn't quite have the instant gratification but it sits better in the mix and gives a more satisfying end result. Here is an example: https://soundcloud.com/scrub-tillman/nawty-nawtywav. As far as tubescreamers and compressors I never use them so can't help you there.

I have other clips on my soundcloud page with the stacked power amp configuration too. I usually state in the description what my signal chain is.
 
Hung Huy Tran":2mll4to9 said:
Interesting you mention this as I've been having similar discussions on another board. I like to use the 6l6 power amp on the torpedo. I don't remember any of the power amp settings but I will check on that and report back later. I really like the sound of stacking the power amp on the torpedo and the HD300 but it gets kind of overwhelming and is hard for me to mix. That being the case, I've been using the preamp only on the pod and the power amp on the torpedo and guitar hack irs. It doesn't quite have the instant gratification but it sits better in the mix and gives a more satisfying end result. Here is an example: https://soundcloud.com/scrub-tillman/nawty-nawtywav. As far as tubescreamers and compressors I never use them so can't help you there.

I have other clips on my soundcloud page with the stacked power amp configuration too. I usually state in the description what my signal chain is.
Click to expand...

Sweet tone :) fat and nice!
I'll use to fiddle with the stack mode a while back but as you say, it's quite overwhelming and "hot". I Use compressors and tubescreamer to get that tight chugg. And I use bare knuckle aftermath on a baritone guitar so the signal going from the guitar to the amp is quite low and there is hard for me to get a break up of the amp without compression and gain. Like the clarity of the aftermath but I wish the signal was a bit hotter.
 
I would try other tubes than 6L6 (lots of bass in that ones) and keep the Depth parameter away from 100%.

Pentode mode instead of triode will help (less distortion).

And the more you push the volume of the pow amp the more you'll get natural compression and distortion. ;)
 
guillaume_pille":2nbii3av said:
I would try other tubes than 6L6 (lots of bass in that ones) and keep the Depth parameter away from 100%.

Pentode mode instead of triode will help (less distortion).

And the more you push the volume of the pow amp the more you'll get natural compression and distortion. ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks Guillaume :) you got an awesome product and it's really cool that you are taking time to answer forum threads :)
I will try some different settings and play around with the different modes :)
 
Bigshredder":1d3gaofq said:
But as I tried to "drive" or push the amp more, using compressors and tube screamers As I always do, the sound got more of a break up feel with a bit mud and distortion rather than a pushed in your face mesa amp feel. Any tips on what power amp and what settings to use to achieve this?
Click to expand...

I finally got around to checking the Torpedo settings I used on my POD HD 300 soundcloud clips. Poweramp: 6L6 & pentode, power amp volume 16db, presence and depth both at 50%.

The next time I do a recording I am going to try what guillaume suggested and go with the EL34 poweramp. I also updated my firmware today and while I was at it, loaded up all of the third party irs that have taken over my desktop. Sneap, more guitar hacks, mystery Soldano 4x12 irs from who knows where and so much more.

:)

Keep us posted on how things are going with you. I would appreciate it.

:yes:
 
Hung Huy Tran":2qxmdr54 said:
Bigshredder":2qxmdr54 said:
But as I tried to "drive" or push the amp more, using compressors and tube screamers As I always do, the sound got more of a break up feel with a bit mud and distortion rather than a pushed in your face mesa amp feel. Any tips on what power amp and what settings to use to achieve this?
Click to expand...

I finally got around to checking the Torpedo settings I used on my POD HD 300 soundcloud clips. Poweramp: 6L6 & pentode, power amp volume 16db, presence and depth both at 50%.

The next time I do a recording I am going to try what guillaume suggested and go with the EL34 poweramp. I also updated my firmware today and while I was at it, loaded up all of the third party irs that have taken over my desktop. Sneap, more guitar hacks, mystery Soldano 4x12 irs from who knows where and so much more.

:)

Keep us posted on how things are going with you. I would appreciate it.

:yes:
Click to expand...

Hi again. Major breakthrough on the pod+torpedo cab sound:)!! I Tweaked and tweaked and didn't seem to get a punchy tone and didn't get rid ot that fizzy tone until I tried the stacked front setting! Boom! Using the mesa pre amp on the pod and the power amp on the torp.cab really came out like a pro! No more thin fizzy tone! No more strange phasey goo! I did try this setting before using the full treadplade amp on the pod with vst ir but didn't care to much of it. But using the pre amp only in the pod and the power amp in the cab was a game changer! Now almost every cab is usable, haha. No more fizz to dial out.
Set the pod to "stacked front" instead of studio direct in the pod when using the torpedos power amp.
Was able to get blendir to work as well : don't know what was wrong with its the first time but now I was able to mix some ir together and create some fat heavy cabs! Sound so heavy. Though I don't really get the pentode mode. To hars and easy to break up. And some tube settings gets a heavy volume drop when using the pentode mode. But the triode mode is smooth and spongy and has less "precent" and harch.
I set the power amp this way on all my patches: 0 volume (more headroom and less distortion) depth 60 (to get that "umph" and even out som harshness in the cab) and presence to 90-95% (the higher value here makes the cab more punchy yet smooth and engaged). 6l6 pp for that fat chunky mesa tone and some blended IRs. It's bassy but that's the way I like it :)
 
Bigshredder":hxewbqs2 said:
Hung Huy Tran":hxewbqs2 said:
Bigshredder":hxewbqs2 said:
But as I tried to "drive" or push the amp more, using compressors and tube screamers As I always do, the sound got more of a break up feel with a bit mud and distortion rather than a pushed in your face mesa amp feel. Any tips on what power amp and what settings to use to achieve this?
Click to expand...

I finally got around to checking the Torpedo settings I used on my POD HD 300 soundcloud clips. Poweramp: 6L6 & pentode, power amp volume 16db, presence and depth both at 50%.

The next time I do a recording I am going to try what guillaume suggested and go with the EL34 poweramp. I also updated my firmware today and while I was at it, loaded up all of the third party irs that have taken over my desktop. Sneap, more guitar hacks, mystery Soldano 4x12 irs from who knows where and so much more.

:)

Keep us posted on how things are going with you. I would appreciate it.

:yes:
Click to expand...

Hi again. Major breakthrough on the pod+torpedo cab sound:)!! I Tweaked and tweaked and didn't seem to get a punchy tone and didn't get rid ot that fizzy tone until I tried the stacked front setting! Boom! Using the mesa pre amp on the pod and the power amp on the torp.cab really came out like a pro! No more thin fizzy tone! No more strange phasey goo! I did try this setting before using the full treadplade amp on the pod with vst ir but didn't care to much of it. But using the pre amp only in the pod and the power amp in the cab was a game changer! Now almost every cab is usable, haha. No more fizz to dial out.
Set the pod to "stacked front" instead of studio direct in the pod when using the torpedos power amp.
Was able to get blendir to work as well : don't know what was wrong with its the first time but now I was able to mix some ir together and create some fat heavy cabs! Sound so heavy. Though I don't really get the pentode mode. To hars and easy to break up. And some tube settings gets a heavy volume drop when using the pentode mode. But the triode mode is smooth and spongy and has less "precent" and harch.
I set the power amp this way on all my patches: 0 volume (more headroom and less distortion) depth 60 (to get that "umph" and even out som harshness in the cab) and presence to 90-95% (the higher value here makes the cab more punchy yet smooth and engaged). 6l6 pp for that fat chunky mesa tone and some blended IRs. It's bassy but that's the way I like it :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the post. I'll have to try out your Torpedo settings as well.

:thumbsup:
 
Hung Huy Tran":26eogqby said:
Bigshredder":26eogqby said:
Hung Huy Tran":26eogqby said:
Bigshredder":26eogqby said:
But as I tried to "drive" or push the amp more, using compressors and tube screamers As I always do, the sound got more of a break up feel with a bit mud and distortion rather than a pushed in your face mesa amp feel. Any tips on what power amp and what settings to use to achieve this?
Click to expand...

I finally got around to checking the Torpedo settings I used on my POD HD 300 soundcloud clips. Poweramp: 6L6 & pentode, power amp volume 16db, presence and depth both at 50%.

The next time I do a recording I am going to try what guillaume suggested and go with the EL34 poweramp. I also updated my firmware today and while I was at it, loaded up all of the third party irs that have taken over my desktop. Sneap, more guitar hacks, mystery Soldano 4x12 irs from who knows where and so much more.

:)

Keep us posted on how things are going with you. I would appreciate it.

:yes:
Click to expand...

Hi again. Major breakthrough on the pod+torpedo cab sound:)!! I Tweaked and tweaked and didn't seem to get a punchy tone and didn't get rid ot that fizzy tone until I tried the stacked front setting! Boom! Using the mesa pre amp on the pod and the power amp on the torp.cab really came out like a pro! No more thin fizzy tone! No more strange phasey goo! I did try this setting before using the full treadplade amp on the pod with vst ir but didn't care to much of it. But using the pre amp only in the pod and the power amp in the cab was a game changer! Now almost every cab is usable, haha. No more fizz to dial out.
Set the pod to "stacked front" instead of studio direct in the pod when using the torpedos power amp.
Was able to get blendir to work as well : don't know what was wrong with its the first time but now I was able to mix some ir together and create some fat heavy cabs! Sound so heavy. Though I don't really get the pentode mode. To hars and easy to break up. And some tube settings gets a heavy volume drop when using the pentode mode. But the triode mode is smooth and spongy and has less "precent" and harch.
I set the power amp this way on all my patches: 0 volume (more headroom and less distortion) depth 60 (to get that "umph" and even out som harshness in the cab) and presence to 90-95% (the higher value here makes the cab more punchy yet smooth and engaged). 6l6 pp for that fat chunky mesa tone and some blended IRs. It's bassy but that's the way I like it :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the post. I'll have to try out your Torpedo settings as well.

:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that I use passive pups that are medium output. So my settings might not please all, lol.
 
Bigshredder":14ks916w said:
Keep in mind that I use passive pups that are medium output. So my settings might not please all, lol.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Gonna try a new adventure today. I dusted off my old Behringer Vamp 2 and I'm going to try that (cab off of course) into the Torpedo. The power amp sim cannot be turned off on the Vamp so I am stuck with that but it should be a fun experiment, especially with all of the new IRs I recently loaded to the Torpedo.
 
Hung Huy Tran":1xyuvs0j said:
Bigshredder":1xyuvs0j said:
Keep in mind that I use passive pups that are medium output. So my settings might not please all, lol.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Gonna try a new adventure today. I dusted off my old Behringer Vamp 2 and I'm going to try that (cab off of course) into the Torpedo. The power amp sim cannot be turned off on the Vamp so I am stuck with that but it should be a fun experiment, especially with all of the new IRs I recently loaded to the Torpedo.
Click to expand...

V-amp into torpedo :)?
It's like hooking up a banjo to a mesa boogie rectifier, haha.
But it's always cool to test all sorts of gear and tricks. Sometimes the most unexpected things are the best :)
Hope it works well :)
 
Bigshredder":2xcyihj0 said:
Hung Huy Tran":2xcyihj0 said:
Bigshredder":2xcyihj0 said:
V-amp into torpedo :)?
It's like hooking up a banjo to a mesa boogie rectifier, haha.
But it's always cool to test all sorts of gear and tricks. Sometimes the most unexpected things are the best :)
Hope it works well :)
Click to expand...

Here it is!

:D

https://soundcloud.com/scrub-tillman/turbo-pablowav
Click to expand...
Awesome done man :) nice tone and arrangement. Are you only using the v-amp?
Click to expand...

I'm also using the Torpedo Live as an IR loader and using a sneap IR. Cab is off on the Vamp. Thanks for the comment!
 
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