Pod X3 settings/patches?

[Rumble]

Is there a master thread around here for sharing pod x3 settings? I looked around and can't find one. I just upgraded from my v-vamp and I've been playing around with tones for a few days. Nothing is blowing me away, so I'd like to see where you guys are at with your tones.

 

[Sean in Silence]

honestly
There aren't really any rules.
Start with everything at 50% on the amp model and work from there until it sound good
here are two songs I've recorded
both used a Pod X3 Live

clip 1
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/767557/Sleight Of Hand.mp3

clip 2
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/767557/Flagburner Master.mp3

If you like them I can explain how I got those patches

 

[veronicafalls]

i swear getting a good tone is hard....trust me...I'm still testing (literally)

 

[veronicafalls]

clip 1
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/767557/Sleight Of Hand.mp3

you need to deesser the sleight of hand track a little, my monitors at the beginning of the song made my ears ring after the first part of the vocals. but other wise the song is awesome!!! And btw I have a few of friends excited to see your band Sanctity in Silence at the Viaduct with Suicide Silence on the 22nd.

 

[musickey]

I just got my X3 Pro the other day, give me a few days and i will throw some stuff up.

 

[Sean in Silence]

you need to deesser the sleight of hand track a little, my monitors at the beginning of the song made my ears ring after the first part of the vocals. but other wise the song is awesome!!! And btw I have a few of friends excited to see your band Sanctity in Silence at the Viaduct with Suicide Silence on the 22nd.

yea
I still haven't quite figured out what frequencies I like to deess
I just need to mess around with it a little bit more.
Thanks for the tip though dude.

I'm pretty stoked for that 22nd show.
There should be quite a few people there!
lol

 

[Rumble]

honestly
There aren't really any rules.
Start with everything at 50% on the amp model and work from there until it sound good
here are two songs I've recorded
both used a Pod X3 Live

clip 1
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/767557/Sleight Of Hand.mp3

clip 2
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/767557/Flagburner Master.mp3

If you like them I can explain how I got those patches

Yeah I'm totally interested in your settings for these. I don't know where my ears are at lately. Here's where I'm at after a bit of tweaking, opinions are welcome:

Modern Hi Gain
4x12 01 line 6 cab
421 dynamic
Bass - 100
Mid - 92
Treble - 80
Presence - 65
Drive - 70
Vol - 100

Screamer
Drive - 19
Gain - 19
Tone - 24

 

[Sean in Silence]

I can't turn on my Pod at the moment and see what your settings sound like
But I will tomorrow and get back to you

Basically for those two clips
I used the diamond plate model with the 4x12 treadplate cab and the condenser mic
cut 4khz by 6db and a bandwidth of .5 on an external eq
cut 4khz by 4db in your pod's eq
also cut 800hz in the external eq 3db with a bandwidth of .5
treble pretty high.
between 60 and 90
presence higher than the treble
between 70 and 100
the mids wherever it sounds good, but always pretty low
between 10 and 35 at the max
bass wherever it sounds good without muddying up the tone
make sure to highpass at 60hz and lowpass at 12khz
for the screamer I just put the gain at 0
the drive either around 20 or around 80 (depending on the amp's gain)
and then for the amp's gain, I run it at 100 if the screamer's gain is low
and run it at about 50 if the screamer's gain is high
It all depends on what kind of distortion feel you're going for.
That's about it
if you're tone is too dark and your maxing out your presence (don't run the treble at 100% ever), bring it up with a band at 6khz or 8khz

 

[Harry Hughes]

I find getting the brightness is the hardest part of getting a good POD tone. I'm really happy with the mid range of my tone, whereas getting a good brightness without it becoming too bright is where I'm struggling. However that might be because I need better pickups, I only use the stock Ibanez pickups right now.
Also, Sean in Silence, interesting you high pass at only 60Hz, I would have figured 100 Hz would be much safer and would leave more room for the bass.
Another point, is that I avoid using the Screamer and prefer the Line 6 Boost+EQ, because it gives you more tone shaping options, plus it just sounds better IMO.

 

[Rumble]

I can't turn on my Pod at the moment and see what your settings sound like
But I will tomorrow and get back to you

Basically for those two clips
I used the diamond plate model with the 4x12 treadplate cab and the condenser mic
cut 4khz by 6db and a bandwidth of .5 on an external eq
cut 4khz by 4db in your pod's eq
also cut 800hz in the external eq 3db with a bandwidth of .5
treble pretty high.
between 60 and 90
presence higher than the treble
between 70 and 100
the mids wherever it sounds good, but always pretty low
between 10 and 35 at the max
bass wherever it sounds good without muddying up the tone
make sure to highpass at 60hz and lowpass at 12khz
for the screamer I just put the gain at 0
the drive either around 20 or around 80 (depending on the amp's gain)
and then for the amp's gain, I run it at 100 if the screamer's gain is low
and run it at about 50 if the screamer's gain is high
It all depends on what kind of distortion feel you're going for.
That's about it
if you're tone is too dark and your maxing out your presence (don't run the treble at 100% ever), bring it up with a band at 6khz or 8khz

Cool, I'll try this out tomorrow. Why is external eq necessary? Is it key to the sound? I would like to be able to get a great tone right coming out of the pod before I use external processing.

 

[Cacoph0ny]

Before I got my AxeFx I had been recording with my PODxt for 2 years. Basically I found that it's easiest just to try to make your own patches that work with your mix. Although Chimp Spanner has some really good patches on his site now that are a great starting point.. Also, EQ helps a ton.. just raise shit up and down until it sounds good lol.

www.chimpspanner.com

 

[Sean in Silence]

Cool, I'll try this out tomorrow. Why is external eq necessary? Is it key to the sound? I would like to be able to get a great tone right coming out of the pod before I use external processing.

Just tweak with it without the external processing to begin with.
Try and use the internal eq to cut those frequencies.
I have just found that in my experience (and with some helpful hints from a Pod guru) , with that cab and mic those specific frequencies make the tone sound more realistic and smooth when cut.
But
The only way to really get to know how your pod works is to mess with it.
The more you mess with it, the better it'll start sounding and the easier it'll be for you to get massive tones out of it.
Be sure to post clips of what you're coming up with

 

[Sean in Silence]

I find getting the brightness is the hardest part of getting a good POD tone. I'm really happy with the mid range of my tone, whereas getting a good brightness without it becoming too bright is where I'm struggling. However that might be because I need better pickups, I only use the stock Ibanez pickups right now.
Also, Sean in Silence, interesting you high pass at only 60Hz, I would have figured 100 Hz would be much safer and would leave more room for the bass.
Another point, is that I avoid using the Screamer and prefer the Line 6 Boost+EQ, because it gives you more tone shaping options, plus it just sounds better IMO.

I have never had an issue with my guitars and bass fighting for space, so I've never felt the need to highpass that high.
Although I've been messing around with something I read in a thread the other day, and highpassing the guitars at 150hz or something and letting the bass handle literally all of the low end.
Gotten some interesting outcomes with that technique.
I also haven't really messed around with the boost+eq.
Again, I've ever really had an issue with the sound of the screamer.
I should definitely try some tones with the boost+eq though and see what I can come up with.