Loomis and Pod

[kaomao]

Men that's true Loomis used to play with a Pod!
on emule you can find a file (Nevermore - The Sound Of Silence live clip GQ)
where Loomis plays with a pod pro.
A lot of people told me it wasn't true, finally I found this clip that can prove he used to play with pod
That's too bad that there's a lot of clippings.

Maurizio

 

[DracWell]

He _used_ to play with the POD live, but now (in his own words) he just has it for home recording.

http://www.stevesmyth.com/Invision/index.php?showtopic=371&st=0&#entry4888

 

[Kazrog]

I saw Nevermore live at the Key Club in 2001 and Jeff Loomis had a Line 6 floorboard in front of him, so I assumed he was either using a Pod Pro or Flextone II, which made me happy at the time because I owned and used both exclusively.

 

[mxlinus]

I played with POD pro at gigs for about 2 years, and eventhought it only had 1 good overdrive and clean tone, I liked it. XLR to FOH wihtout any hassle with the microphone setting or the sound. Easy. After every show, people came up to me to say I had a good sound. But well, maybe now it's not the time for digital stuff anymore. At least for me. At one time many people got into that POD pro sound. Now everybody is going back to tubeheads again, witch is a very good thing.

Meshuggah still uses? (year ago) POD pro for live shows (and the "nothing" album), but each guitarist actually have 2 of them. I saw a show about a year ago, and they probably had the best live guitar sound I've ever heard.

 

[Kazrog]

I played with POD pro at gigs for about 2 years, and eventhought it only had 1 good overdrive and clean tone, I liked it. XLR to FOH wihtout any hassle with the microphone setting or the sound. Easy. After every show, people came up to me to say I had a good sound. But well, maybe now it's not the time for digital stuff anymore. At least for me. At one time many people got into that POD pro sound. Now everybody is going back to tubeheads again, witch is a very good thing.

Meshuggah still uses? (year ago) POD pro for live shows (and the "nothing" album), but each guitarist actually have 2 of them. I saw a show about a year ago, and they probably had the best live guitar sound I've ever heard.

I've gone through an almost identical quest. I used a Flextone II live for 4 years, just sold it yesterday. Now I'm getting a 6505 (5150) head instead (yeah I said in a previous post I would get the Triple XXX, but I've decided I like the 5150 sound better.)

Tubes really do sound better. Even the POD XT, as much as I love it, does not compare to the real thing.

 

[Ermz]

Going on a little tangent, I personally think Meshuggah's tone went down a few notches when they moved to Line6 gear. I just can't stand that plastic-sounding rhythm tone they use on their newer albums (Nothing, Catch 33).

 

[Kazrog]

Going on a little tangent, I personally think Meshuggah's tone went down a few notches when they moved to Line6 gear. I just can't stand that plastic-sounding rhythm tone they use on their newer albums (Nothing, Catch 33).

I agree 100%. I'm also not crazy about their 8 string guitars... but don't get me started... it's all about "Destroy Erase Improve."

 

[commandante]

I think Catch 33 is a pretty strong effort, it is really diverse and just very cool overall. I am not crazy about the tone, but I think it fits their sound.

 

[Ermz]

I agree 100%. I'm also not crazy about their 8 string guitars... but don't get me started... it's all about "Destroy Erase Improve."

Hell yes, both musically and tone-wise. They used rectifiers amongst assorted other gain-boosting crap on that record, didn't they?

About Catch 33... I really like it. I think after 'Nothing' the difference is like heaven and earth. They're starting to reclaim some of that glory from the DEI days. It's just that tone that slightly puts it down for me.

 

[kaomao]

Hell yes, both musically and tone-wise. They used rectifiers amongst assorted other gain-boosting crap on that record, didn't they?

I know their old sound was a marshall valvesate and a lot of gain-boosting crap as you say. On their site there was a pic of the old days in their rehearsal room, they had that valvestate head and a rack with about 10 effects

Maurizio

 

[Obscura]

Hey Guys, I spend a lot of time on the Meshuggah forum and I thought I'd share this with you about their recording gear:

Let there be no more speculation, conjecture or dispute. Fredrik, the man himself, has answered the question "what did Meshuggah use to record X album?"
----------------

Rhythm sound:

Ibanez Universe - TC Electronic Integrated Preamplifier -

Contradictions Collapse - Marshall 2003 (I think it's called...)
None - Mesa/Boogie 50 Caliber+
Destroy Erase Improve - Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
Chaosphere - Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

(We used a Marshall Bi-Chorus 200 on Chaosphere when we recorded the drums me and Tomas just so we could jam together but then when we recorded the "real guitars" we used the Rectifier and miced my Marshall Lead 800 1960A cabinet with a Neumann TLM193. A REALLY good mic...)

Nevborn Custom (7-string) - TC Electronic Integrated Preamplifier -

Nothing - Line6 POD Pro


Solo Sound:

On CC I used a homemade head called Les Amp through a home made cabinet with a 12" Celestion miced with a Shure SM57 direct into a TC Electronic Chorus + Flanger...

On all the other records (except from Nothing) I used a Mesa/Boogie 50 Caliber+ (with a TC Electronic Parametric Equalizer/Preamp in the loop) through a Rocktron Juice Extractor into the poweramp of a Marshall Bi-Chorus 200 into a Marshall Lead 800 1960A cabinet. phu... I used all kinds of mics... on the earlier stuff - Shure SM57, on DEI Neumann KM84 and on Chaosphere Neumann TLM193...

Then in the controlroom I alwas add my ADA Stereo Tapped Delay and any kind of Delay...

 

[mxlinus]

I think there's nothing wrong on the "nothing" sounds, they kick ass, but musically it's not the best meshuggah. I like chaosphere the best. The 8-string baritones are awesome.

 

[Lopes]

DEI was a killer album with a killer sound, everything is separated and clear, which is something that has become less true with each subsequent release. Especially on "Nothing," it just feels like there is a big hole in the mid-range and the low end is a little cluttered. I don't like the 8-strings, if you want to go that low just start using bass guitars, then you can be really metal ala Spinal Tap!

 

[commandante]

Actually I heard that they pondered that idea after kicking out their first bass player.

 

[Jerich]

how did we go from Jeff Loomis to meshuggah? hehehe!!! Line 6 just are not enuff to cut through a Live mix they need real tubes I agree ..the line 6 where you run direct to the board make a descent amount of crunch... but it is all debateable tube guys will always swear by tubes there is no getting around it...but i prefer the consistancy of Line 6 in the studio...

 

[Kazrog]

how did we go from Jeff Loomis to meshuggah? hehehe!!! Line 6 just are not enuff to cut through a Live mix they need real tubes I agree ..the line 6 where you run direct to the board make a descent amount of crunch... but it is all debateable tube guys will always swear by tubes there is no getting around it...but i prefer the consistancy of Line 6 in the studio...

I am still a die-hard Line 6 user, and I love my POD XT Live floor unit, but I have come to the sobering realization that tubes cut through the mix better both live AND in studio. That being said, the POD XT will always be a part of my rig, not just for effects, but it's great for clean tones, and less distorted tones than what most of us here are going for. It's also damn near sounding as good as the real thing even for hi gain stuff, it's just not where I wish it was.

Maybe someday they will emulate tubes at the COMPONENT level rather than just taking a sonic picture of the whole preamp... emulating each tube individually, different brands of tubes, etc., and emulating each piece of electronics with software.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

I read in either this forum or neil kernon's that Loomis used a rectofier with a TS on Enemies of Reality. Is it me, or does the tone on the guitar on that album sound a little PODish?

 

[Kazrog]

I read in either this forum or neil kernon's that Loomis used a rectofier with a TS on Enemies of Reality. Is it me, or does the tone on the guitar on that album sound a little PODish?

Well if we're talking about the Kelly Gray mix, it sounds like the whole album was MASTERED on a POD... actually that's giving it too much credit...

Even on the Kelly Gray mix it's apparent that Jeff's tone is amazing. Listen to the beginning of "Seed Awakening" where the guitar is by itself and you can tell it's beyond any POD sound I've heard. With Andy's mix, it's even better obviously...

Ironic that you mention it - part of my relization about the POD comes from using the "Seed Awakening" intro (Andy's mix of course) as a tone reference. If you can get that tone out of any POD ever made, I seriously will worship you as a god.

 

[mxlinus]

it's not only the gear that make the sound, good hands are the most important piece of good gear that you can own.

 

[Ermz]

The start of 'Seed Awakening' sounds like it was engineered... like they looped 2 strokes on the guitar as a sample. If I'm wrong, then that is by far the most kick-ass thing I've ever heard on guitar. Because I've seriously never heard such a tight sound come out of natural playing, and it's hard for me to believe that it is.