Stag Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 ...whats all the fuss about? Ive never used one - to be fair, ive only ever used fuzz as an effect before. Tell me your stories.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I got one in a trade for a Mesa rig a while ago and expected to sell it on - I am not very big on effects. I used it and right away it became clear what a useful piece of kit it was. I can get the best from my basses (wiped the factory settings, horrible) by using a bit of the amazing (imho) compressor and a bit of the eq which is very comprehensive - it is the best quality pre-amp I have heard. It brings the best out in all of my instruments and you can do so much with it. For recording it is a dream, just USB it into the computer and it takes care of everything. For playing live I use it as an IEM (In Ear Monitoring) rig which does away with the need for my own backline more often than not, For practice I can play along with mp3/the computer For recording in the studio I can DI it to the desk and all my sounds are right there (I only reallu use about three presets but like I said I am not big on effects) I think it is a great piece of kit. There are many ways to approach it, but i use mine like I said as a very HIFI pre-amp. I discovered whilst using it that I love a touch of reverb and would really miss it if I had it nicked! Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 What's the difference between the models (XT and non-XT)? Would I be right in assuming these are better than the Behringer copies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 The models go like this, in terms of age: -Bass pod -Bass pod XT -pod X3 (current) And within each group there are: -The 'bean' - standard kidney shaped blob -The 'Live' - a pedalboard version of the bean -The 'Pro' - a rackmount version. In terms of how the bean/live/pro differ it is down to outputs and such - for example there is no XLR on the bean. To be honest you can get around most of these factors so probably worth getting whichever suits your needs best... Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 The Bass Pod isn't really an "effect" as such. It's primarily an "amp simulator". Used correctly it can give some pretty realistic simulations of different amp models and speaker cabinet combinations. It has an effects section as well as that, but the best sounds come from the amp simulations in their own right. I think it's fair to say there are better multi-effects boxes on the market but the Pod wasn't designed with just effects in mind. It works really well for recording purposes (good range of sounds, no mics required) and for silent practicing into headphones. For live use it probably works best when plugged directly into a PA (i.e. not through an amp) although if you're careful with the EQ it will work through a normal bass amp (it's a bit like playing through one amp then plugging that in to another amp). The user interface of the current models isn't too bad (uses reak knobs where possible) but if you really don't work well with these hi-tech gadgets then it might not be for you. It takes a bit of work to get the sounds you want, but once you have then you can store them - as many as you would ever use - and tweak them later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I find it best not to think of the Pod as an effects box or even an amp/speaker modeller, but as a device for getting pretty much any bass sound you want. For the purist, it will ever sound exactly the same as a given amp and speaker combination, but it's far more effective to use it as a tool to get the most appropriate bass sound for a given musical situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithless Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Umm, Ped, you were talking about Pod XT Live version, didn't ya?.. Gotta few questies for you then.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I have the XT Pro actually... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithless Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) Ah... How do ya force Pod and computer work altogether during practices? I mean, running mp3s through it and stuff.. XT Pro doesn't work with Gearbox, does it?.. Edited May 26, 2008 by Faithless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I just plug a cable from the headphone output of the computer to the effects return jack. I believe the 'Live' has a dedicated input for mp3s etc. Another option is to rock out a little mixer and use that instead. The FX return is not a stereo jack but it works well for practice because I think you can hear yourself better against the track that way. Cheers ped P.s you can also do it through USB in stereo, just choose the output sound card as the bass pod. I don't tend to do this though because I tend to try and keep computers as far away from my bass setup as possible!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 The original Bass Pod seems to be selling for quite an affordable price now on eBay. I want one mainly for the compressor and the eq, and perhaps for some of the amp models (I'm not interested in the effects). Would I be better off spending more and getting the XT version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 I am not 100% but having seen the original guitar version I am not sure if the EQ is anything like as flexible on the first model. On the XT you can select six bands and choose the frequency and gain of each, and fine tune it on the computer etc. As the original model only has an 8 segment display I don't think it does this. Does anyone know if the compressor is the same? ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 The XT is an amazing bit of kit. I sold my XT Pro when I got my Mark Bass rig and I miss it hugely. I shall replace it with an X3 Pro as soon as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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