Sorry Axe guys but I think the Pod kicked the Axe in the ass

[bigdaddyd]

Ola posted these quick and he didn't put a lot of time into dialing them to sound like each other. I'll say this; I think either would sound fantastic for live use if run into a tube power section. I plan on getting the Pod hd500 eventually. I have people ask me if my 10 year old pod clips were recorded with a tube amp, so I'm sure that either of these things if setup properly will kill.

I have heard the Axe in person, live at a show and on many clips.
Sorry to say, but it just has a such a thin processed sound that can not be dialed out.
I could care less how much post production goes into making certain clips sound good, in a real situation, it just doesn't cut it to me.
Ed D posted a bunch of clips las week, and I could barely make out the guitar in a band situation even in times of guitar dominance.

Direct, I've never been truly blown away by Axe FX clips but I played one into a VHT 2/50/2 yesterday, going through a Marshall 1936 with Alnico Golds. It sounded anything but thin, dude.

My personal view was that the high gain tones tended to sound like one another, the Dumble tones were great, the Marshalls were OK and the cleans again, OK. Great unit though.

I don't know if thin is accurate either. Processed, sterile is what I heard. The best tone I heard from one was a dead on Rockman tone...but really, all that money to duplicate a Rockman? The effects are great though. What I never got though was gigging with one, and bringing it, a power amp, pedalboard, cabinets..etc. If I had to bring all of that I would rather bring my amp and effects. If you are just plugging into the AxeFx and going direct, then I get it...and for that it rules...just for the convenience factor alone.

 

[Sandvich]

Processed, sterile

I honestly think people are projecting when they hear modelers. To me, I might describe the Axe tones as a little "sterile", but the Pod sounds more "processed", less raw, more sitting on top of it. People are just using it as a generic negative descriptor. Processed doesn't necessarily mean it sounds bad, it can make it sound smoother. People need to realise a tube amp is a lo-fi device.

 

[locoed]

I wanna hear Mark Day A/B these two,then I'll believe.
And with a guitar tuned to 440,not that muddy booty BS.

 

[glpg80]

a tube amp is a lo-fi device.

you are full of BS

tubes are used in high power applications for RF and LF amplifiers - up in the Mhz range.

when you get into the Ghz range then you are getting into digital territory for transmission.

tubes are alot more powerful and high-fi then you think. 5881's were military tubes used for opening bomb-bay hatches years before most of us were even born.

 

[rupe]

What I never got though was gigging with one, and bringing it, a power amp, pedalboard, cabinets..etc. If I had to bring all of that I would rather bring my amp and effects. If you are just plugging into the AxeFx and going direct, then I get it...and for that it rules...just for the convenience factor alone.

Agreed 100%. I use one live running to FOH along with a FRFR monitor for myself (although I could easily play the average club with that monitor alone). I went the Axe route for one main reason...portability. I've jacked up my back too many times and lugging amps and 4x12's was killing me. That said, I'm getting tones that I love and I've received just as many compliments as I did running old Marshalls, Boogies, Bogners, etc. I basically A/B my patches to my real amps until I have something that's nearly the same, then goose it a little bit more to overcome any potential digital thin-ness (I think this is more psychological with me than anything). The effects are as good as anything that I've ever used (Eventide, Lexicon, TC) as well.
I still dig my amps but the Axe has been a great performance tool for me...portable and consistent

 

[Ancient Alien]

Processed, sterile

I honestly think people are projecting when they hear modelers. To me, I might describe the Axe tones as a little "sterile", but the Pod sounds more "processed", less raw, more sitting on top of it. People are just using it as a generic negative descriptor. Processed doesn't necessarily mean it sounds bad, it can make it sound smoother. People need to realise a tube amp is a lo-fi device.

Ummmmm....No
I've got a McIntosh MC2000, MA6900 and a C2200 that says way different.
But what do I know since they are the best Stereo Hi Fi units in the world?
Must be them lo-fi tubes that make the system so crystal clear, warm, full, punchy and amazing sounding.
I'd love to hear what HiFi is

 

[glpg80]

I think if you mixed them both together it would be perfect! mix both samples the dual and the uber from both, and it would be perfect! hahaha


Or just play real amps!

Thanks for making these videos Ola!

this

 

[Sandvich]

a tube amp is a lo-fi device.

you are full of BS

tubes are used in high power applications for RF and LF amplifiers - up in the Mhz range.

when you get into the Ghz range then you are getting into digital territory for transmission.

tubes are alot more powerful and high-fi then you think. 5881's were military tubes used for opening bomb-bay hatches years before most of us were even born.

Uh, sorry but no.

A guitar tube amp is a low fidelity device by definition for a number of reasons, first you're essentially always adding some degree of "intentional" distortion, and there are many factors such as the limited range speakers, the saggy transformers in older tube amps etc. Just because it sounds pleasing doesn't mean it's somehow "higher quality", this is an important thing to understand as people make a lot of bemusing claims about transistor and digital technology.

Tube amps nearly always have higher THD than SS amps. I'm unsure what using tubes to bomb shit has to do with audio fidelity in guitar amplification systems, but it just goes to show how easily people muddle things.

You can create high fidelity tube amplification systems. However the kinds we're talking about here are anything but, and in general it's easier to create a Solid State system with lower THD, which is why the hardware you'll get for applications such as pro-tools is digital/transistor based rather than tube based despite being used by professional studios.

You can still get tube-based systems, but they're in the minority. Some of the "Warmth" of classic records probably came from the tube based systems, but if you listen to remastered versions of these albums they often loose that warmth(for example I found the "In the court of the Crimson King" remaster was not as pleasing as the original). As with recordings of guitar amps, it's a lot to do with production, and production is inherently "processing" the sound, yet people use that against the PODs.

People need to understand that when an SS or modeler isn't getting it right, it's often not because of detail not being added, but detail not being cut out as well. Much like the sounds of the Moog synths owed their warm quality to the 24db LPF.

 

[thiswaythatway]

I guess I'm out of it because i didn't even know Line 6 came out with those new POD's. And yes, in that demo the Line 6 stuff sounded a lot better to me.

 

[Ancient Alien]

Picking up an HD500 tomorrow at GC with my 20% off coupon+ friend who's the store manager.
So for about $380 out the door, I don't think I'll have any regrets.
I will try to post some other clips other than drop tuning heavy chugga stuff since it's not what I play.
I be doing some funky ass sheeit with the low gainer models

 

[bigdaddyd]

Processed, sterile

I honestly think people are projecting when they hear modelers. To me, I might describe the Axe tones as a little "sterile", but the Pod sounds more "processed", less raw, more sitting on top of it. People are just using it as a generic negative descriptor. Processed doesn't necessarily mean it sounds bad, it can make it sound smoother. People need to realise a tube amp is a lo-fi device.

I am not "people" I am one person. I am also not projecting anything. I find that some of them, especially the AxeFx to be sterile. What I mean by processed are the presets that processors and modelers come with. They are designed that way on purpose. I do find it funny, that you take can take what I say and put it in quotes and then turn around and say that a Pod sounds more "processed." There is nothing generic or negative about it. It is being used as an adjective. You are making it negative. As for tube amps, you call them low fi, and that they are. To me good tube amps sound organic....that is the term I use. The bad ones, sound...bad. That is the term I use for them I didn't say processed = bad. I merely said it sounds processed. As for sterile, some people complain that Steinbergers are sterile. I love Steinbergers. It is a type of tone. In the case of the AxeFx...not really my type of tone..at least not live.

 

[rupe]

In the case of the AxeFx...not really my type of tone..at least not live.

You need to come to one of my gigs

 

[RoyAnderson]

They both sounded good to me.

 

[FourT6and2]

Shit, can the new POD HD500 be used as a MIDI controller for my VH4? Can I run it in the loop as an FX unit only? It might make a cheaper alternative to a G System or something. Could also run it through my amp's power section...

Anybody know?

 

[Erock]

Shit, can the new POD HD500 be used as a MIDI controller for my VH4? Can I run it in the loop as an FX unit only? It might make a cheaper alternative to a G System or something. Could also run it through my amp's power section...

Anybody know?

I don't see why not, I used to use my old Podxt live to control the Framus Cobra that way. I think the 500 is the only one with full midi I/O however. And yes, you can turn the amp modeling off and use only fx, they are supposed to be the same quality as their M9 and M13 stompbox modelers.

 

[FourT6and2]

Shit, can the new POD HD500 be used as a MIDI controller for my VH4? Can I run it in the loop as an FX unit only? It might make a cheaper alternative to a G System or something. Could also run it through my amp's power section...

Anybody know?

I don't see why not, I used to use my old Podxt live to control the Framus Cobra that way. I think the 500 is the only one with full midi I/O however. And yes, you can turn the amp modeling off and use only fx, they are supposed to be the same quality as their M9 and M13 stompbox modelers.

Well, from what I read the M-Series have a delay when using them as a MIDI controller...

In any event, with GC's return policy and at $500 it's definitely tempting to give it a try.

 

[Erock]

Shit, can the new POD HD500 be used as a MIDI controller for my VH4? Can I run it in the loop as an FX unit only? It might make a cheaper alternative to a G System or something. Could also run it through my amp's power section...

Anybody know?

I don't see why not, I used to use my old Podxt live to control the Framus Cobra that way. I think the 500 is the only one with full midi I/O however. And yes, you can turn the amp modeling off and use only fx, they are supposed to be the same quality as their M9 and M13 stompbox modelers.

Well, from what I read the M-Series have a delay when using them as a MIDI controller...

In any event, with GC's return policy and at $500 it's definitely tempting to give it a try.

yuck, that wouldn't be good at all then for a midi controller. That's part of the reason I want one too. I don't remember my XTLive having that problem though, maybe it's something related to just those stomp modelers?

 

[FourT6and2]

Shit, can the new POD HD500 be used as a MIDI controller for my VH4? Can I run it in the loop as an FX unit only? It might make a cheaper alternative to a G System or something. Could also run it through my amp's power section...

Anybody know?

I don't see why not, I used to use my old Podxt live to control the Framus Cobra that way. I think the 500 is the only one with full midi I/O however. And yes, you can turn the amp modeling off and use only fx, they are supposed to be the same quality as their M9 and M13 stompbox modelers.

Well, from what I read the M-Series have a delay when using them as a MIDI controller...

In any event, with GC's return policy and at $500 it's definitely tempting to give it a try.

yuck, that wouldn't be good at all then for a midi controller. That's part of the reason I want one too. I don't remember my XTLive having that problem though, maybe it's something related to just those stomp modelers?

We will find out I guess. Hopefully the HD500 addressed that problem.

 

[bigdaddyd]

In the case of the AxeFx...not really my type of tone..at least not live.

You need to come to one of my gigs

I would love to hear one sound good. However, I heard it at the Fractal demo room and at a few live gigs of some guys who have great ears, and who know tone. I went specifically when they switched to the Axe to see how it would be live. I really wanted to dig it...I just didn't. Doesn't mean I won't at some point, I am just not holding my breath.

 

[Nico]

The line 6 sounded better but.... since they are modelling devices that are not set up the same its not possible asses if the result was due to one unit being "better" or because of different settings and user error / preferences whatever you want to call it.