Yet another reamp thread (that $350 Radial kit)

Ben Johnson

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Jan 17, 2006
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Please help me understand why the J48 is necessary. Since I have a pod xt pro, would it be necessary at all? I was considering building my own passive reamp, but I'd rather have an active if I have to make a longer cable run, and of course the active circuit would be much more complicated for my tiny brain so I won't be diy'ing that!
 
if you have a pod, you dont necessarily need a DI... i believe the pod acts as one with the unprocessed out...

maybe someone can confirm that...

I would use the DI to go into an amp and get the clean to my daw since most the players i know would laugh at me if i asked them to track with a pod...
 
by going digitally from pod to daw you are preserving that what would be lost/noised in an analog cable.

Going through a POD will KILL YOUR TONE, guaranteed. When you plug into a POD, any POD, it converts your guitar to digital. The PODs converters/clock are complete shit and are largely responsible for the harsh digital sound of PODs. That's why going S/PDIF sounds better than going analog out: You are avoiding one extra step of D/A conversion.

A dedicated DI will keep your signal analog & intact until it hits your interface/DAW. Let your interface do the conversion. Almost any prosumer interface will perform much better conversion than a POD.

A POD DI track does not sound as good, or reamp as well, as a good quality DI, and a good DI is something you'll never need to resell.
 
That is the advantage. You can go back and reamp if you need to. Useless, until you really need it, then you are praising the DI/REAMP and patting yourself on the back for buying them and using them.

You can track with a DI and then use the DI track to audition different amps, settings, etc. When you're learning how to dial in guitar tones for tracking, it can be an invaluable learning experience. You can have playback through your amp from the DAW while you change settings on your amp & experiment with mic placement. You can't do that while you're playing.

DI's are just invaluable. Some people don't believe in them, preferring to commit to a tone during tracking. That kind of decision making should come from years and years of experience and knowing exactly what you want out of each track and why, and also how it will all fit into the mix in the big picture. Until you know your rooms, your amps, your guitars, you pickups, etc., having a DI, just in case, is never a bad idea, IMO.
 
I listened to TGM, and it does sound cool. But, it does sound digital, it does sound fizzy, and it does sound like a POD. It doesn't sound like an amp to me at all. There is no depth, no image.

But, what we are talking about here is using a POD as a DI for reamping. The conversion in the POD sucks the life out of the guitar signal.

Unless you have a POD, some quality DIs and some quality converters and can run your own tests, it is all conjecture, and just seems like POD self-defense. I have a POD, and I have good DIs, and I have reamps, and I have tested everything and I can tell you it didn't take any critical listening to be able to hear the differences with these things. It's really very prominent and obvious.

Here's the thing: If all you have is a POD, then by all means use it! It's better to use it than not. Don't think "I'm not using that, because it's a POD, and I am going to wait until I get a real DI". That is a waste of time and resources! Use the POD and while you're using it, save for a dedicated active DI. It is folly to spend $$$ on your pickups, amp, recording chain, etc if your DI/converters are taking the life out of the signal. Upgrade one thing at a time, but don't convince yourself that the POD is "good enough". There is a reason why people use quality gear, and it isn't to show off.
 
2012 the difference between you and me is that i'm not a fan of overstatements and i'm not a "tube snob" - if something sounds as good as TGM - i like it no matter if it is line6, behringer or mesa.
 
2012 the difference between you and me is that i'm not a fan of overstatements and i'm not a "tube snob" - if something sounds as good as TGM - i like it no matter if it is line6, behringer or mesa.

Mutant, are you calling me a "tube snob" ?

You have something against me because I prefer the way an amp sounds to a POD? I don't get it. I have nothing against you, or people who use PODs. I use one for fuck's sake. I just don't see the point in telling people that DIs are unnecessary and that PODs are good enough, and they make great DI's and the amp models sound great and they are just so great, etc etc. If they really were that amazing, Line 6 would be charging a lot more for them.

Just because I like what I heard doesn't mean that I have to love it and blindly believe or accept that it couldn't be improved. To me, that's just silly. I've heard better guitar tones. I'm sorry if that upsets you. I'm not being a snob. If that band wanted Andy to mix their record, do you think he would use those POD tracks or do you think he would reamp? Why wouldn't you want your music to be the absolute best it can be? Why settle?
 
Mutant, are you calling me a "tube snob" ?

Yes :heh:
And this is why:
it does sound digital, it does sound fizzy, and it does sound like a POD. It doesn't sound like an amp to me at all. There is no depth, no image.

I just don't see the point in telling people that DIs are unnecessary and that PODs are good enough

Maybe i'm blind but i can't see anything like that in this thread.

and the amp models sound great and they are just so great, etc etc.

For the price yes they are great and if you know what you are doing you can get a much better sound out of a pod than some noob who knows nothing about micing a real cab out of his 5150.

Line 6 would be charging a lot more for them.

Hehehe

Just because I like what I heard doesn't mean that I have to love it and blindly believe or accept that it couldn't be improved.

I heard a lot of real tube amp pro records of very famous bands that sounded so bad that they could be improved by reamping with pod or even v-amp (all by Burzum for example).
But the music on these records is so good that it doesn't matter that the sound is not perfect.

I've heard better guitar tones.

Yeah sure - me too !

I'm sorry if that upsets you.

Amuses.

I'm not being a snob.

:lol:

If that band wanted Andy to mix their record, do you think he would use those POD tracks or do you think he would reamp?

Again who here said that pod is better than krank, mesa or peavey ?

Why wouldn't you want your music to be the absolute best it can be? Why settle?

Money.
 
Hey Ben, chech this out. I just went through this quandary a month ago. Check out the reamp guide thread by Ozhttp://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...cks-reamping-guide.html?highlight=Reamp+guide. I use passive pups, and the J48 is not the best DI for passive pups. The countryman DI is perfect for passive pups. I bought mine for $130.http://northernsound.net/Sales/displitters/countryman/countrymandi.html I was going to buy the radial reamp kit, but read this thread before. So I bought the Countryman DI, and the Radial X-amp. I've had PERFECT fucking results! The countryman DI is so fucking clean. I believe the new Chimaira album was tracked with this DI, too!
 
Yes
And this is why:

Originally Posted by 2012
it does sound digital, it does sound fizzy, and it does sound like a POD. It doesn't sound like an amp to me at all. There is no depth, no image.

That makes me someone who understands what he is hearing based upon experience with them. There is a difference.

The reason the POD sounds better through S/PDIF is because you are avoiding the PODs D/A conversion. If you can record a guitar track through a DI, and then send it to your POD via S/PDIF and back into your DAW via S/PDIF (all digital, no conversion) and compare it with the same DI going through the PODs A/D D/A you can hear it for yourself.

For the price yes they are great and if you know what you are doing you can get a much better sound out of a pod than some noob who knows nothing about micing a real cab out of his 5150.

Do you want great tones, or do you want "the best I can get with this POD"? Give the noob enough time with the amp & mic and he will find what he is looking for. We all do. It just takes work. It isn't always instant gratification.

Again who here said that pod is better than krank, mesa or peavey ?

You.

"they (PODs) are great and if you know what you are doing you can get a much better sound out of a pod than some noob who knows nothing about micing a real cab out of his 5150."

I'm not interested in a pissing match about PODs. I've done enough research and testing to know what I like, and why I like it.

:headbang:
 
Hey Ben, chech this out. I just went through this quandary a month ago. Check out the reamp guide thread by Ozhttp://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...cks-reamping-guide.html?highlight=Reamp+guide. I use passive pups, and the J48 is not the best DI for passive pups. The countryman DI is perfect for passive pups. I bought mine for $130.http://northernsound.net/Sales/displitters/countryman/countrymandi.html I was going to buy the radial reamp kit, but read this thread before. So I bought the Countryman DI, and the Radial X-amp. I've had PERFECT fucking results! The countryman DI is so fucking clean. I believe the new Chimaira album was tracked with this DI, too!

What if I'm using a passive pickup with an internal preamp? Or a boost pedal, such as an SD1 or Maxon 808?
 
You wouldn't use the boost pedal until after the reamp, on the front end of the amp.

Gtr > DI > Preamp > DAW

DAW > Reamp > Gtr Pedals > Amp

Between the DAW and the Reamp, use a balanced cable. Everything after the reamp would be instrument cable.
 
You wouldn't use the boost pedal until after the reamp, on the front end of the amp.

Gtr > DI > Preamp > DAW

DAW > Reamp > Gtr Pedals > Amp

Between the DAW and the Reamp, use a balanced cable. Everything after the reamp would be instrument cable.

I agree, this is the most simple and effective way to re-amp.