NV112 & POD XT for Lead Guitar

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I did a job last night that I doubled on both steel and lead. I took my NV112 and POD XT. The Tele sounded terrible and I could never get what I consider a decent sound. I have the NV112 setup for steel and use the POD XT between the guitar and amp input (not the power amp input). I tried several different programs that I had loaded including a "Brad Paisley" tone that I removed the compressor and slightly modified the EQ and that was the best I could come up with and even that was terrible.

I know the POD XT is primarily for lead guitar but with the setup I have I couldn't find anything I really liked.

I have a rack system with a Rocktron "Sidewinder" preamp that is great for both steel and lead and it blows away the POD XT for the Preamp.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Jack. Im sure you're a better guitar player, but what I'm finding is that the guitar needs a different volume level to sound good. Of course the Compressor is not in the right place chainwise for use with a standard VP, and it's a real PITA to use it in a live situation without figuring out what the level will be. I can't seem to get a good handle on it in the basement. What I've done is finally dialing in a good volume matched tone at a gig, and saving it to a closeby channel on the 16 bank. What I get is that unless the volume pedal is nailed, the compressor and the other "drive" levels are pure crap because perhaps of the chain placement of the VP. I try and "get ready" by noodling on the break, and I find that it really does change a hundred percent when it's at "band level".

I'm gonna fool with it some more, as I've found that like my PSG, after it's dialed in, I don't think I'll find a better modelling system given my setup.

Also, at gig levels, I'd think that the DDT compressio would kick in.

I was at a large venue a while ago and the guitar player blew his tubes in his Fender. He used the 112 I lent him, and got through the night liking it a lot more than he thought he would. He uses an Xt Live board, and it matched pretty good.

Just my .020.

EJL

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Eric, I'm not a "lead" player anymore, basicallyh one step above no lead picker. In the 60's I played lead but when I went to steel in late 69 that was the end of full time lead guitar.

Probably, if I went directly to the Power Amp in on the Nashville 112 it would sound better but when I'm doubling on steel and lead it's too much of a hassle to switch from the front panel input to the Power amp input. I just have an A/B switch for the input to the POD XT - either the steel's Hilton volume pedal output or the Tele.

I just do an occasional gig with both so I'll just keep messing with it and maybe I'll find something that will work. Or just go buy a lead amp (I came close to buying a Marshall today - a MG100 DFX).

Jonathan Shacklock · From: London, UK

Jack, I'd be interested to hear if you come up with some settings for this - I'm thinking of getting a NV112 and was hoping my PODxt might also re-voice that amp for guitar.

Not actually owning this amp (yet), is there a reason why you're not using the POD in the post-EQ patch. And the VP in the pre-EQ patch?

What was your setting in the POD's "what are you connecting to" screen?

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Jonathan, I use a Hilton Volume pedal so there is no need to use the "3 cord" volume pedal setup for steel. I don't remember what the POD XT is set to but it's the one that gives the best tone for steel. For steel, I dont' use any amp modeling or speaker modeling - just use the POD XT for effectd.

I was using the "Brad Paisley" patch that can be downloaded from Line 6. I turned off the compression and slightly modified the EQ but that was all. I've got a couple of other clean programs but I didn't like them either.

I don't do much Lead Guitar, 99% pedal steel and this was the first gig that I did some lead with my Nashville Tele.

I'm leaning toward just not using the NV112 and POD XT if I get another gig that I have to double. The 112's speaker is really not "voiced" for lead guitar. Instead I'm going to use my rack system that has a Rocktron "Sidewinder" preamp, T. C. Electronic G-Major effects porcessor, MosValve 500 power amp and two 1203-8 Black Wideo Speakers. it is great for both steel and lead.

Nick Reed · From: Russellville, KY USA

Eric,
Don't let Jack kidd you about his Lead Guitar Playing. He's DARN GOOD! I'd be honored to have him playing behind me anytime.
Nick

Jim Peters · From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.

I've tried the 112 with Tele also, it will sound decent, but you really have to yank that midrange control, and severely change the EQ, then it is passable. JP

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

Jack, I've done the PODxt + NV112 A LOT. In fact, my preferred setup for doubling on tele and steel is PODxt into NV112 or NV400. The real key (and I think the reason why you were dissapointed) is to set the EQ of the amp flat OR run into the "power amp in" as you said.

What I do is set up one bank of channels for steel and one for guitar (with various amounts of distortion, chorus, etc). I tweak the EQs with the amp set (to ZERO) as I would at the gig. I achieve, what I believe, are good tones. I was a tele player way before steel (and a big Paisley fan).

I have found the problem to be that if I set the amp for good steel tone, I've subtracted too much from the mid range (800) to get an effective guitar tone.

Also of note, I find that I need slightly different EQ settings for the NV112 vs the NV400 vs Fender Twin. I don't use the Twin for double duty, I can't get a steel tone I'm satisfied with with the Twin.

I believe the NV series of amps have the widest range of frequency responce because the steel guitar has the one of the widest frequency ranges of any instrument on the planet. Thus, the NV series is perfectly capable of reproducing the necissary frequencies to faithfully sound like a tele, strat, fiddle, b@anj0, keyboard, etc... In other words, the NV series of amplifier, set to a flat EQ or into the "power amp in", most resembles a straight PA system, with the least amount of "color".

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I agree that any decent steel amp (i.e., PEAVEY) should give you a broad enough frequency range from which you can choose a good lead guitar tone. I have a Digitech Genesis 3 that is like a poor-man's POD, and I haven't used any of their presets since about day 2. You really have to spend the time and get in there and dick with it, changing the center frequencies of the tone controls and all. The Genesis won't let me rearrange the order of the signal chain, but I can still get enough decent presets for guitar and steel loaded that I can leave my rack at home. I view good tone as being largely subtractive anyway, rolling off and cutting out the offensive frequencies - start loud and boosted, then subtract. As the world's greatest steeler once said about guitar tone, "First of all, it's important to have a concept of good tone - no matter what it is."

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I guess just using the steel guitar EQ on the NV 112 even with a POD XT modeling program just won't cut it. It takes too much time to reset all the EQ's, etc when switching to lead. I have some modeling preamp programs for steel and I'll try going into the power amp in on the NV 112 and bypassing the amp's EQ and see how that works - should be better. That's probably what I should have done to start with.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I tried it this morning going directly from the POD XT to the NV 112 Power Amp in an d a major difference. Probably owrkable for a little lead with mostly steel.

But, my rack system with the Rocktron "Sidewinder" preamp with a T.C. Electronic G-Major Effects Processor, MosValve 500 power amp and two Peavey 1203-8 Black Widow speakers in partially open back enclosures blows the POD XT/NV112 away. I tried out a Marshall MG100DFX amp in a music store Saturday - using the clean channel and the Rocktron preamp and rack system equals the Marshall.

[This message was edited by Jack Stoner on 06 March 2006 at 10:30 AM.]

Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I used my POD XT for the first time live on stage this last weekend. I use a Stewart PA100B power amp with 2 monitor style cabinets with 15" Black Widows. The steel tone is absolutely gorgeous. I also play standup guitar on some blues and rock tunes. I play a Gibson ES345 (Lucille) and the settings were a little hard to obtain. I played with the distortion and had some problems. It was either way too distorted or not distorted enough. So I am trying to get it right now. I will continue to work with it. A little bit of compression seems to help. I really won't know til my next gig a week from now. It seems to sound good when I am tweaking but when I am playing with the band I don't reeally like it.The XT seems to have a lot of sounds for hard rock that are very distorted. But trying to get a light distortion sound for blues in a country band is touchy. I am sure I will get it with a little tweaking. The portability of the rig and the sound I am getting for steel it is well worth the extra time it will take to get the right sound for guitar. I'll post more after i get it figured out....

[This message was edited by Ron Sodos on 06 March 2006 at 10:10 AM.]

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