Pod xt patches, mounting bracket, etc.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I just picked up aPODxt, and am struggling through the 150-page manual (I'm an analog stompbox/tube amp guy, so this is uncharted waters for me).

I'm looking for 3 main things:

1. Some kind of gadget that can attach the kidney-bean to a steel guitar leg. I've seen the mic-stand things and that's not what I want.

2. Any kind of *brief* "Idiot's guide", cheat sheet...anything other than the manual, which has far too many cutsey phrases, stuff relating to some unit I don't own, and MIDI information that for me might as well be in heiroglyphics.

3. Anybody's sources for presets that work with steel...except my concept of steel tone is a little different; 'm looking for a clean tone that's fat with a little "edge" to it; a dirtier sound that cleans up witha volume control; a "swirly" Leslie 16 slow-speed tone; and a smooth distortion tone ala David Lindley.

Any sources would really be appreciated. I'm trying to figure out how to use this for home recording...I'm using a Mac, probably with Garageband because it's supposed to be easy. Any alternate advice (other than expensive software I'll never buy) would be appreciated. After I get THIS mess figured out, I'll try to figure out how to put songs on my unused website (phase II of my "I have no clue" project).

Thanks -

Jim
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Billy Easton · From: Nashville, TN USA

Get in touch with Tommy Dodd in Atlanta. He has patented a gadget that attaches the Pod to the leg of your steel. And he has great pre-sets to make your steel sound terrific!

Billy Easton
Casa Grande, AZ

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I think most steel players will start with the Fender amp models like the "Tweed B-Man" or the "Blackface Lux" (the amp models are listed, cutesily, in chapter 5 BTW). For what you're talking about, I use something like the early Marshall models "Plexi 45" or "Brit Gain 18" with the Gain knob turned down really, really low - just off the peg. NOT the later JCM 2000 and JCM 800 models. Also try the early Mesa Boogie Mark II model, the "Cali Crunch", with the gain really low. (NOT the "Treadplate Dual.") There are some good Vox models too, the "Class A-15" and "A-30" and some variants like the "Match-30" and the Orange model - the Vox amp models have a hair-trigger overdrive point. (Try the "Zen Master" model too.) A moderate amount of compression will affect the kick-in point of the overdrive, and the smoothness of it's change.

To set the controls, read parts 4-3 and 4-4, also part 3-9, "What are you connecting to?" is important. For what it's worth, Lindley was famous for using a Dumble and the Pod's Dumble model is the "Line 6 Boutique #1", but I gather that the Dumbles are mostly different from each other anyway? As a general rule, it seems as though ALL of these modelers have a design philosophy of wretched excess - if some of an effect or distortion is good, more must be better - so most of the stuff that is musically useful to me comes in the first third or so of the effect or gain levels.

If I want to use a model or volume-sensitive effect I found on a six-string with my steel, I usually just attenuate the steel signal with another box rather than re-fiddle all my Pod settings. I have a high-powered George L pickup in my steel - I'm not sure what output you're putting in there, I guess (hope) the Fenders aren't pushing 18K? I have four pairs of good headphones and three kinds of dinky computer speakers and they ALL sound different, so I don't have "preset" tone settings - gosh, look at all these knobs.... Shocked

The first modeler I got was a Digitech Genesis 3 and it took me a few months to figure it out, this one was quicker - part of the fun to me is setting up something I'm not used to, and then finding out how to make it musical.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

It's good to know it reacts like tube amps do to output signal - I've already noticed I can run the Fenders straight into it but the GFI needs the Steeldriver to cap the signal from the GFI II's 'bucker, and it's not all that high in DC resistance(about 14k).

So far the "select" knob is as far as I've gotten, then adjusting gain - or channel volume, or output...all that seems weirdly redundant on the POD ("channel volume" makes no sense).I'm stumbling through the manual trying to find a way to change the over-effected (like they are on the Fender Cyber amps, Digitech's RP line, etc) presets and save "normal" sounds, but I'm not finding the right things yet - seems like turning one knob can change something unexpected, and the buttons don't appear to follow a logical sequence of events, at least to me.

So any more assitance is welcomed!

When I get the FBV4 I bought I'll really be stuck unless it programs itself - the footswitch manual covers everythig *except* that and the FBV2, and the POD manual doesn't ex[plain it at all except to mention it can choose *a* preset and work the "tap" thing (which still isn't clear - what IS "tap"?).

I know this will actually simplify recording and probably stage use if I can get those 4 presets I'm looking for (if nothing else, those would be worth the expense), but it has a huge learning curve for someone not experienced in digital music.

Sidebar - when updating the firmware...THAT I know how to do, thankfully - I ended up also "updating" sorething called Gearbox, and another called Riffworks, or Riff-something. What ARE those? The "Riff" thing appeared to be part of the computer-based part of the POD, but now it looks like something you have to buy in pieces...not part of the unit, but something else with "packages" for $$. ?????? Does it add features to the POD, is it some version of recording software (and if so any advantages over Garageband with an older G4 running 500Mz...or should I switch from MAc/Garageband to this and my laptop at 1.8Mz?), or what?

Thanks -

Jim
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Larry Weaver · From: Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Jim,
I couldn't even think of using the Pod out on a gig without a SteelDriver. As David mentioned, most of the high gain patches will try to feed back like crazy. One definitely needs to tweek the gain way down on those in addition to having the SteelDriver. I also ran a 10 band MXR EX in a loop to even further reduce gain and shape the sound. One area to really play around with would be the output settings. For me they were very different from amp to amp. I used very different output settings for my N'vlle 112, my Dual Showman, and Peavy Valveking 100 Head. There is definitely a huge swing in how the ouput is eq'd. Through my Bivalve, I found the Pod to be virtually unusable on any of the output settings (not that one would want to use a Pod with one of these Smile

. Of course if you're only using the Pod for recording direcly into a computer, then all the output issues, feedback issues etc are moot. I hardly ever use the Pod out live anymore.

+1 on contacting Tommy Dodd for the bracket. It's a well made piece of gear that is perfectly thought out for steel players. I love mine.

For a good clean sound, try playing around a bit with compression on one of the Fender models. If you like, I'll send you on over a couple of presets that I use.

As for the extras, you don't need a thing other than the driver and editing software that comes with the pod. No need to buy any of the add-ons. I run the Pod into my G4 powerbook and it works great. Actually, I use the pod for almost all my recording these days.

best,
Larry

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I'm thinking it is pretty common for most processors to NOT BE GIG friendly when you get em' at the store and drag em' to the gig.

I don't think it's got anything to do with the brand. Most units have such HI gain muti patches for extreme volume and crunch that it will kill you and the first 5 rows if you don't edit them down to a uesable signal level. Remember, these things were made so kids with $299 Guitars could sound like Eddie Van Halen, and come close to the same volume level with a 15 watt amp and a 10" speaker Sad

For my money a good effects unit is one that is simple to edit and store without having to go back to College for the weekend. I think most are pretty simple, it's just the first time for us NON MANUAL readers that is awkward.

Now, why someone would make an efects rack look like a Kidney Bean is beyond me...and then it took someone (T Dodd) to invent a Kidney Bean shaped effects holder so we could actually use it !

Jonathan Shacklock · From: London, UK

Jim, I find it easier to build patches almost from scratch on the PODxt, rather than edit existing ones.

1. Spin the Select knob anti-clockwise until Manual Mode appears. Don't touch the Select knob again until it comes to saving or scrolling through the Edit menu.

2. Choose an amp with the Amp knob. Unlike the preset patches, in Manual Mode the amp controls will be set on the physical positions of the knobs, so it's easier to see what's going on. Set the controls for the heart of the sun etc.

3. Hit Cab/A.I.R. The Edit light should come on and you are straight into the cab menu. Dial Effect Tweak to change cabs. Hit Edit again when you're happy.

4 Double hit Mod. The Edit light should come on and you're straight into the Modulation effect menu. Dial Effect Tweak until you get to Rotary Drum +Horn (or maybe U-Vibe) and then use the four buttons under the screen to pick a value to tweak (speed etc). Hit Edit again.

5. Repeat point 4 for Delay. BTW The tap button allows you to tap out a rhythm which the delay time will sync to (when out of edit mode).

6. Repeat point 4 for Stomp effects.

Save your new patch to a user preset.

Garageband is a RAM hog but should run on your G4. MIDI tracks slow it to a crawl though. Tracktion is smoother for multi-tracking and very easy to use. No built in sounds or loops though.

Lynn Oliver · From: Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.

Noone has responded to your question about Gearbox. It allows to to create or modify models using a graphical representation of the components on the computer screen. It also allows you to load and save patches and backup and restore bundles--the entire set of patches on the POD.

Gearbox is easy to use and well worth playing with, especially if you aren't into reading manuals.
_________________
Lynn Oliver

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Line6 Monkey, and Gearbox have to be loaded on your system,super neat devices, Jack Stoner has some super programs on his website. Do a search by typing podxt, you'll get a lot of info.

http://www.gulfcoaststeelguitar.com/
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Thanks guys - Eric West posted some presets he uses, and I started with those as a "launching pad". The advice to start from scratch (not trying to adjust presets) is good - the presets are all "over the top" anyway.

I di figure out that Gearbox is the key - you can build a whole patch in a couple minutes, and it dumps to the PODxt via USB cable in seconds. I loaded 4 patshes - a clean one, a thick overdrive one, a "swirly" one and a crazed slapback delay patch at the first bank of open user slots - 17A,B,C &D The FBV4 showed up, I hooked it up and when I set the POD on the 17A (clean) patch the footswitch buttons call up each of the others - no programming necessary. So that gives me 4 basic sounds ready to go. The only hassle is balancing the volume of the patches - that just seems to take a lot of trial and error.

What I CAN'T figure out is if there is a way to change number banks, like to 18 A, B, C & D. All I can access with the switch is the 4 banks for the "number" I start with - can't find any way except manually twisting a knob to change to the next set.

Also downloaded Jack's presets - but the Line 6 Edit program does not recognize them and I can't load them. Any ideas? They are just text files, and I can't find any reference to such files.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Jim,
You need "monkey" to recognise dl files.Also I think the knob is the only way to go from 18a,b,c,d to 19a,b etc. to change a program position is to backload to computer, and reload where you want it[I thimk].to equalize volume,pick a setting that has the vol you need, go to the next file, move the vol knob[to light the settings], make sure all the knobs are on the dots,put the vol where you want it, and save.
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I have Monkey - you have to have that to set up Gearbox.

But there's nothing in Monkey that opens (or searches for) files of any kind.

The website where the files are located says to use the editor - but it doesn't recognize them. Do they need to be downloaded in some other format or something?
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Jim,
In gearbox, file/tone/open/find where files are,choose file/open,I get an error,but click ok, it will put it in gearbox.It shows in tone window, there you can modify, and/or save, or send to pod.When you download the file should show as an amp with 2 stompboxes as the icon, if not,I'm stumped. Maybe Jack S. can shed more light on this.

This is the way it works for me.BF
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I haven't really done anything in Gearbox so I can't say how it's supposed to work.

I have downloaded programs to the Line 6 Edit program and then loaded them into my POD XT.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

OK, here's a synopsis of what happens:

1. When I down load the files, they download as text files. Is this correct, or is the downloading somehow getting fouled - can I change the filename type so they will be recognized?

2. I have Monkey, Gearbox and Editor. None of them can "see" the files. In Editor, they show up, but as "ghost" characters with filenames that can't be selected.

3. When I open editor, it asks me for a MIDI device. I don't have any MIDI stuff, so I select the PODxt and "offline mode" (with Gearbox and Monkey everything is done and works fine with a USB cable). Otherwise, the Editor will not even open. Once it is open I have to backtrack a bit to get to my desktop and the location where I download files - and the files show up, but as mentioned they cannot be selected.

It seems like the whole problem boils down to the Editor. 1) It wants MIDI, and 2) it wants a different type of file.

FWIW I have no problems at all running Monkey (the POD is updated to the latest firmware) or Gearbox (I was able to easily build tones and download them to the PODxt, put them in bank (or whatever you call it) 17 in locations A, B, C and D where they are instantly called up by the FBV4 footswitch.

What I'm trying to do is set up groupings of four tones - a "stock" sound and 3 alternates I may use during a song. That way when I use it live I can turn one knob to change banks and everything else is via footswitch.

I just can't get Jack's tones loaded...or even found, really.

Anyone have ideas?

FWIW the basic 4 tones I set up sound really good through my ProReverb, Vibroverb and Deluxe Reverb( I set them all with the tone controls at fairly neutral levels, kill the reverb...which I use sparingly even on the POD, opting for delay instead - a different sound and not as muddy - and run the volume at a level where the amp is just starting to "bloom" - that's where the amp models are the most distinctive. At low volume they all sound pretty cheesy).
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Here's the link to the POD XT programs on my web site. http://www.gulfcoaststeelguitar.com/podxt.htm

Right click on a program to download it. They are in the proper format for the Line 6 Editor.

David Doggett · Posted 28 Mar 2007 10:51 am

Jim, sounds like you may already be past these simple suggestions, but I'll throw them out anyway.

The problem with manuals for these things is that they tell you all the different things the unit can do, most of which you don't need at the moment; whereas, you just want to know one specific thing at a time. As I skim through the manual, I take notes on how to do the few specific things I know I want to be able to do. Then I write up my own idiot's guide for doing the basic stuff I know I will be wanting to do. So I will end up with my own instructions on basic stuff, like how to choose an amp model and set the EQ, how to choose an effect, how to edit an effect, how to name and save a preset, etc. Then, the next time I want to do one of those things, and can't remember exactly how, I can look down my list of things to do and find my idiot's instructions on how to do it. Eventually, the common things you do will stick in your memory. But later, when you haven't done it for awhile, you can look on your list again.

I thought there was some way to adjust the signal going into the POD. Maybe the channel volume? Surely there is some way to adjust that.

I don't generally use the amp models to play through an amp. I have presets set up that use "no amp" and "no speaker", and I just have effects on those presets. Each one of these presets is like having a different pedal board with different effects boxes, or different effects settings. If you run amp and speaker models into an amp and speaker, you are in uncharted territory. That's fine if you just want to experiment to see what you can get by mixing amp/speaker models with an existing amp/speaker. But it is not necessary, and just adds a layer of complexity and mud that might have wierd results.

The amp and speaker models sound their most authentic live when run through a clean, powerful, hifi system like a PA or an acoustic guitar amp. For computer recording, you can run directly into the computer. If you try to run amp and speaker models through a guitar amp and speaker, you are limiting some frequencies of the model and boosting others according to the natural limitations and boosts of the guitar amp and speaker. Experimentally you might get something usable and interesting that way, but it wont be a hifi rendition of the POD's modelling.

I use the POD in three different ways:
1. For playing live through an amp. I use "no amp' and "no speaker" and just use a few easily controlled effects. The POD reverb is very convenient to use with amps that have no reverb. There are something like 15 different reverbs to choose from (I have that preset, I don't try to sort through all the reverb models on a gig), and you contol it with just the reverb knob on the POD, just like you would on an amp. The tuner is decent for tuning silently, and you can also plug in headphones and tune silently by ear.

2. For going DI into a PA live, or into a computer for recording. For clean I use the Twin amp model and the 15" speaker model. It is passable, but I much prefer the real thing. For distortion, I would use a Tweed or small blackface model, or something more extreme, depending on what I wanted. Another option is to add the tube screamer model (or other stomp model) to the Twin model. I don't do this usually, because I have a separate Seymour Duncan Twin Tube stomp that is way better than anything I can get with the POD.

3. At home I use the Twin + 15 model to run into a small Behringer mixer and headphones, so I can have realistic steel tone to play along with a CD player or radio going into the mixer. For a more vintage sound, the Tweed model is nice.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

David Mullis · From: Rock Hill, SC

unless you get a pedal board, but who amongst us needs MORE pedals to deal with????

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Jack, you didn't post the link - but I found it before, downlowded them...and they do not open in Editor, which first wants a MIDI connection of some sort, then if you choose "offline editing" will not recognize the files - it can "see" them, but refuses to see them as editor files and won't open them.

b0b - yeah, I figured that out - there's no way to scroll through banks without one of the more expensive pedals, which aren't really practical with steel.

And David, it's not a matter of more pedal sounds - it's more tonal variety. It's not the same as having 25 stompboxes lined up, it's more subtle changes in sound. If you play straight country steel you might need one tone - I don't and need quite a bit more than that to do what I do. For guitar I had two Pedaltrain boards plus some rack gear and a minimum of two amps - ALL of them used.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

David Doggett · Posted 28 Mar 2007 9:18 pm

Right, for that you will be working with the amp models. Just understand that if you run a POD Marshall model into your Pro Reverb amp, it is not going to sound like a Marshall. It will sound like some mix of a Marshall and a Pro Reverb; in other words, something not found in nature (which may suit your purpose in some way). The closest you will get to a real Marshall will be running the POD Marshall model into a good PA system with full range PA speaker systems (or straight from the POD into your computer with no intervening guitar DI box). In some of the Line 6 amps that run the POD software, they let you blend two POD amp models together. The Line 6 amps are very clean, full spectrum solid state amps that are meant to color the amp models as little as possible.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The Edit program must first set up what interface you are using. If you are using USB you do not want the MIDI interface enabled (the editor looking for your POD XT on the MIDI interface). Once the interface is set then you can use the Editor.

The files I have are good as many others have downloaded and are using them.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I'll have to look at it again tonight, but I don't recall finding any way to change the interface. It was "MIDI" or "offline".
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Finally did find the problem - the files all download with "txt" at the end. making them unreadable. There's no information about that anywhere - I just decided to remove it and they worked.

I did find, though, that the phase and chorus patches did not work. No modulation at all. I had to edit them to get them to "swirl". There were also some pretty large volume changes between them - was that a glitch, or were they programmed that way?
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

All the programs on my web site have a ".16t" extension, not txt. If you have txt something you are doing is causing that.

All the programs on my site work, they are loaded and used by me in my POD XT and others have reported liking and using them. Again if they don't work, it's something you are doing.

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