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mooseherman « Effective, but Dated amp modeler »
Published on 11/29/10 at 10:14This is an amp modeler. It is primarily designed for studio use, as it's interface is definitely designed for maximum tweaking and not ease of use. It can be used live, though, with MIDI. It's also a direct-in, which means that running it through an amp is actually a bad idea. There are two 1/4" stereo outputs, as well as a headphones output. There is a switch which will allow you to use an amp if you so desire, as well. There is also a MIDI in and out, for programming automation. This is entirely a digital technology. There are no computer connection capabilities as far as I know with the POD 2, though later models do introduce such things.
UTILIZATION
Utilizing this piece of gear is definitely pretty easy at least to get a tone. Eventually though, it gets more complicated. The only issue comes if you want to change tones mid-song. If using this in the studio, you could just change tones. But if you wanted to use it live, it would require MIDI programming. For some this won't be an issue, as they are familiar and used to MIDI programming. Many of us, though, would rather be able to have more flexibility.
SOUND QUALITY
I have tried this amp modeler out with a Tele, a Strat, and a Les Paul. I have found that, overall, the tone between guitars doesn't change. This is digital, and digital doesn't exactly leave a lot of wiggle room in terms of tone. This piece of gear is great if you have nothing in the way of good amps. Basically, it doesn't hold a candle to a great amp. You can get far better tones in any decent tube amp (or solid-state if that's what you prefer). The effects get pretty whacky, and there are a ton of possibilities there, but I don't know if they can compare to a great pedal in any respect. The distortions are great digital distortions, so fans of Industrial music or techno-rock or whatever will dig it, but don't expect to play classic rock, or even alternative stuff. This is another case of quantity over quality.
OVERALL OPINION
I definitely would recommend the POD to a studio owner, simply because there are going to be people who want these types of tones. However, I don't recommend that most people use them as they don't respond very well to individual taste, players' touch, guitars, etc. They also tend to get pretty generic. It's decently priced, but this is mainly because it's been updated a lot. I've played a few of these and I like the newer models better, they've at least come closer to getting real tones. I would not make the same choice again, I'd go for the update. I believe the newer ones can even be updated online, which makes them far superior.
UTILIZATION
Utilizing this piece of gear is definitely pretty easy at least to get a tone. Eventually though, it gets more complicated. The only issue comes if you want to change tones mid-song. If using this in the studio, you could just change tones. But if you wanted to use it live, it would require MIDI programming. For some this won't be an issue, as they are familiar and used to MIDI programming. Many of us, though, would rather be able to have more flexibility.
SOUND QUALITY
I have tried this amp modeler out with a Tele, a Strat, and a Les Paul. I have found that, overall, the tone between guitars doesn't change. This is digital, and digital doesn't exactly leave a lot of wiggle room in terms of tone. This piece of gear is great if you have nothing in the way of good amps. Basically, it doesn't hold a candle to a great amp. You can get far better tones in any decent tube amp (or solid-state if that's what you prefer). The effects get pretty whacky, and there are a ton of possibilities there, but I don't know if they can compare to a great pedal in any respect. The distortions are great digital distortions, so fans of Industrial music or techno-rock or whatever will dig it, but don't expect to play classic rock, or even alternative stuff. This is another case of quantity over quality.
OVERALL OPINION
I definitely would recommend the POD to a studio owner, simply because there are going to be people who want these types of tones. However, I don't recommend that most people use them as they don't respond very well to individual taste, players' touch, guitars, etc. They also tend to get pretty generic. It's decently priced, but this is mainly because it's been updated a lot. I've played a few of these and I like the newer models better, they've at least come closer to getting real tones. I would not make the same choice again, I'd go for the update. I believe the newer ones can even be updated online, which makes them far superior.