I don't really intend this to be a Pod vs axe fx vs real amp thread, as I know the axe fx slays the pod, and I would prefer a real amp over a modeler in most cases. I'm also not intending to use a Pod or Axe fx for any serious recording. I'll always go to a real amp for that.
A bunch of my gear was stolen recently and I basically own nothing as far as a guitar rig goes at this point. I'm trying to decide If I should just ditch the whole idea of using a real amp and sort of "give in" and go the modeler route for touring.
The thing is a lot of the stuff I've been writing for my bands new album has a lot of different effects. Lots of delays, reverbs, and just different tones for different parts. In the past I had always been a set it and forget it kind of guy so I was always happy with a good tube amp with a boost, tuner, and gate. I don't think I'll be able to do that with the new material, so rather than getting a big pedal board and trying to replicate the sounds I need with a bunch of pedals that I don't yet own I'm thinking of going for a super simple all in one modeler type thing.
If I could afford an Axe Fx I would go that route without hesitation, but it's fucking light years beyond my budget for the foreseeable future, and based on the clips I've heard, it doesn't sound $2000 better than the Pod HD. I'm sure the Axe FX is worth every penny, but that's a lot of pennies. Plus having had gear stolen recently has me a bit wary of touring with an uber expensive unit that can easily walk away.
Does anyone here have any experience with the rackmount Pod HD live? Would I be greatly disappointed going that route? I'd like to have maybe a powered monitor for my personal use, but the idea would be to run straight into the board from the unit. While I would love to have a great tube amp with a bunch of sweet effects pedals, I'm not too into carrying that shit around and scrambling to set it up quickly each night, only to have a house sound guy running sound who doesn't really care if the mic on my cab is even pointed in the general direction of the cab itself (based on a true story). Kind of negates the difference in tone quality at that point, haha.
Another factor for me is that I live in a separate state from the rest of my band, so if I were to buy a "real" amp, it would live with them, and I'd only get to play it on tour, whereas I could theoretically stuff a 2 space rack case in an overhead bin on an airplane and take it home with me.
A bunch of my gear was stolen recently and I basically own nothing as far as a guitar rig goes at this point. I'm trying to decide If I should just ditch the whole idea of using a real amp and sort of "give in" and go the modeler route for touring.
The thing is a lot of the stuff I've been writing for my bands new album has a lot of different effects. Lots of delays, reverbs, and just different tones for different parts. In the past I had always been a set it and forget it kind of guy so I was always happy with a good tube amp with a boost, tuner, and gate. I don't think I'll be able to do that with the new material, so rather than getting a big pedal board and trying to replicate the sounds I need with a bunch of pedals that I don't yet own I'm thinking of going for a super simple all in one modeler type thing.
If I could afford an Axe Fx I would go that route without hesitation, but it's fucking light years beyond my budget for the foreseeable future, and based on the clips I've heard, it doesn't sound $2000 better than the Pod HD. I'm sure the Axe FX is worth every penny, but that's a lot of pennies. Plus having had gear stolen recently has me a bit wary of touring with an uber expensive unit that can easily walk away.
Does anyone here have any experience with the rackmount Pod HD live? Would I be greatly disappointed going that route? I'd like to have maybe a powered monitor for my personal use, but the idea would be to run straight into the board from the unit. While I would love to have a great tube amp with a bunch of sweet effects pedals, I'm not too into carrying that shit around and scrambling to set it up quickly each night, only to have a house sound guy running sound who doesn't really care if the mic on my cab is even pointed in the general direction of the cab itself (based on a true story). Kind of negates the difference in tone quality at that point, haha.
Another factor for me is that I live in a separate state from the rest of my band, so if I were to buy a "real" amp, it would live with them, and I'd only get to play it on tour, whereas I could theoretically stuff a 2 space rack case in an overhead bin on an airplane and take it home with me.
the Digitech 1101 is really cool imho, the Axe-Fx would be 
