WinterMute

I have the Pod XT pro, and it's a remarkable bit of kit but it not the easiest thing in the world to use, the factory presets are pretty useless and the sheer complexity of the unit will baffle anyone use to basic tone and gain controls on bass amps. If you spend a bit of time getting to grips with how the various modelling components work and how the EQ and effects sections are used then it becomes a bit of a monster... If you're looking for a pre-amp to dial one sound into and leave it, then it's probably not worth the effort...! That said I've been using the XT in studios for a long time (am a pro engineer) and its a very very good unit for getting great bass tones from a single box. I have mine running into a Crown XLS1500 and a Barefaced Big Twin, and this rig is capable of amplifying anything I throw at it from the pod, I use 5 string fretted and fretless and quite a lot of tonal variation so it's useful to have a cab that runs full range. Usual power/impedance rules apply when choosing amp and cab however, and the XT has both balanced and unbalanced outputs so a wide range of amps are fine. Some people report that the output from the XT is a little on the low side, but it's never given me a moments problem into the XLS (and an XTi1000 before that). You have the option of modelling amps and cabs, so a cab capable of being neutral is useful if you intend to get the best out of the modelling system.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1372503249' post='2126494'] It's true. So are BFM cabs. Is that MC Escher's eye in your avatar..? It reminds us of our mortality... [/quote] Yes it is, most people miss the skull... Never heard a BFM cab up close, but I hear very good reports....

Barefaced Big Twin T, Crown XLS1500, Pod XT pro... It's a PA for the bass essentially. Lots of Barefaced love for the non PA set, bloody loud cabs.

[quote name='intime-nick' timestamp='1369957612' post='2095065'] Little practice rig from band rehearsal last night. The rack is mine but the Ampeg isn't - still prefer my two Barefaced Compacts though (as does my back !) [/quote] You've gone the same way I did, Pod XT Pro, XLS1500 and BF cabs, I have the Big Twin T though.... Great combination for changing tones and basses on the fly, very versatile and very powerful, it's the BF cabs that really make the Pod work as a live pre-amp I think. ...and I've just realised thats a shot from Quad in Leicester too, I've played through that 8x10 before the BF turned up!

I've got the Line 6 Bass Pod XT pro, coupled to a Crown XLS1500 and a Barefaced Big Twin T. It's effectively a bass orientated PA system it's loud enough for anywhere and competes with silly guitarist volume and big hitting drummers with ease. A good power amp will always work, but the key is the quality of the Barefaced cab. Any tone I care to dial into the Pod is faithfully reproduced at any volume. Can't recommend them enough.

[quote name='intime-nick' timestamp='1364386172' post='2025669'] shots of my new 'large' rig i've just put together.... Sansamp RBI (hopefully will have an RPM to add to the rack soon) Crown Drivecore 1500 Barefaced Compact x 2 pedalboard with : Line6 wireless TC Polytune Sansamp BDDI (not used with this setup - it's for my smaller rigs without the RBI) Used with either my Vigier Passion IV or Shuker Jazz It doesn't suffer from a lack of headroom...... [/quote] I've just added the XLS1500 to my Big Twin, replacing an XTi1000, can't believe how capable such a light amp is...! Headroom FTW...

OLP 5 string, dirt cheap, if you can find the Tony Levin model it's a brilliant bass for the money, mine cost £200...

[attachment=131617:SR5 1.jpg] This is my hybrid SR5 pretender, essentially its a OLP body with an SR5 neck thats been defretted, it's got Bartolini pups and pre's and a very tidy anonymous MM bridge... Had a new scratchplate made and the whole thing tidied up and it's a beast, plays like a charm with a range of very usable tones.

I use a Line 6 Pod XT Pro as a pre-amp to a crown power amp and a Barefaced Big Twin T, it's a tool I use in the studio all the time and it's an excellent recording tool. It's a bit of a bugger to use, but I always get great results out of it and the Barefaced makes it possible to deliver all the tonal variations that I use at massive volume. Programming it via the laptop is a lot easier, but you still need to be versed in EQ, compression and gain structures, and understand that the controls for each change as you change the model for the amp, cab or FX... I see nothing wrong with modelling in a live situation these days, if the PA is good enough I'll go direct from the pod, if not, 1500 watts of Big Twin muscle will sort it out. The ability to switch tones at the stomp of a footswitch is invaluable, song by song I can tailor my sound to suit the need. I'll never go back to one or two tones again.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1363770622' post='2017165'] Here's mine, hard working little rig, at rehearsal and at a rainy festival last year. That's not me, it's the keyboard player of course, but was the only pic which included my little rig! I gambled on such a tiny set up for a large open air stage but it took it in its stride with ease. Plenty loud and fat enough. Could have cropped the picture but wanted to show it's size in context. (Red flight case is not mine) [/quote] Thats such a cute capable little rig, if I wasn't swapping tones so often I'd look at the GB amps, but BF cabs are just the business.

More power = headroom in my book, currently running 1400 watts into a BF Big Twin T, competing with a drummer who hits like Chuck Connors and a guitarist who is contributing to continental drift... Effortless bass in a distortion crazed world... OP, try turning the amp up a touch and the bass output down, you'll not affect your signal to noise ratio much as you're playing at such low volumes anyway. At least you can then control your onstage volume from the bass and not have to go to the amp every time.

The Squire VMJ is a decent and cheap bass to try your hand on, fretless takes time to get comfortable with, a coupe of hours on a friends bass won't give you the feel for it really. The Jaco styled model is lovely too.

Mine has the bridge with the Allen keyed bolts into sleeves set in the body, just like real MM bridges, OLP standard bridges were simply screwed, I don't know if early TL models had the standard OLP Bridge.

I've had mine a year, I changed the pup and preamp for barts, but it's still a cracking bass. There wasn't a 4 string version, and the early ones were a bit suspect as i understand it. If you can find one the are worth the money. The neck is a little narrower, but is deeper tan the standard SR5 profile, more a D.

[quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1359990665' post='1963060'] Ha. No - I only used it on the E... but I run a Parallel Sub Octave to my signal that is low-passed so there is HUGE low end under neath everything. [/quote] That's what the Big Twin is for, I can't say I've noticed any lack of bass with the 5 strings, in fact I've had to modify the patches a lot in the Pod to back the bass off. Different strokes, but the bass is good...!

[quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1359832402' post='1960988'] I used an XTi1000 for a while but actually found it to be fairly inefficient in the lows. Use an Octave pedal and watch that clip light go!! Even in Bridge mode. It was fairly unimpressive for my application due to using lots of subs octave. I had read on the Crown forum that the XLS was less efficient as a dedicated bass power amplifier that the XTi, though I've never known anyone thats tried one so can't confirm deny it. John (emporermingus) uses an XTi series live, but I think he went with the 2000 as headroom can be an issue if you are in a LOUD gig situation. [/quote] You used an octaver for a B string? Have you no respect for human life?

If you want to spend a little cash, grab a Bass Pod off eBay, it connects to the Mac via USB, and will turn up as an interface in Logic and the like. Means you get a chance to make a good tone without having to connect audio outputs from amps etc. Modelled amps and cabs plus effects... Bit more money I appreciate, but it's a really easy way to get good bass recordings.

I use the GK bass amp emulator, PocketGK. It lets you play along with any track in your iTunes library on the pad. http://pocketlabworks.com/pocketGK.html It's designed to work with the iRiffPort http://pocketlabworks.com/iRiffPort.html

I have the XTi1000 bridged into 4 ohms, it's a tad more powerful at 1400w but I rarely run it past 50% and it's monstrously loud. It is a little picky as to its input level, my pods balanced output can push the input into clipping quite easily, but as long as I watch the master output its fine. Crown amps are pretty similar in this regard. I don't know the pedal you're planning on using, but I think you'd be fine.

Barefaced Big Twin T 2x12, 1x6 and a tweeter...

Barefaced Big Twin T by a country mile, beats out Ampeg 8x10, 2x10s by GK and Line 6, 4x10's by TE, 1x15 + 2x10 by Marshall in my personal experience, and 25 years as a studio engineer recording almost everything on the market. I'll not be changing this cab anytime soon, although I may have to buy another one....!

You won't be disappointed, excellent units.

Another vote for Etymotic ER4s, bloody marvellous for single armature units, I have the P variant for the iPod and I had to buy a 160gb classic so I could rip everything to Lossless as MP3 and AAC sound so grotty....! Not bad isolation for in-ear monitors either...

Ive had mine for a couple of months now, I'm involved in a writing project currently, so I haven't had a chance to gig with it, but it's in rehearsals with a very big hitting drummer and it is, without doubt, the most capable cab I've ever owned, the LF is very, very scary with the B on both fretted and fretless basses absolutely thunderous and clear. I'm running with a Crown XTi1000 in bridged, and the pod, and I'm seriously impressed with the levels and sound of the cab. Money well spent, no question.