Just bought a Bass Pod XT
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
It's going to get to the point where someone with two weeks playing time can sound like a pro the way these digital artificial sound boxes are going. I worked hard to get my sound and don't need nor want anything artificial to rely upon, but each to his own. I bring my Ric or URB depending on the gig and my SVT and I know that I can get a good sound in virtually any room, and it's my sound not something I dial up from a box. A pod in not a necessary piece of equipment for a Ric, they sound great right out of the box if you know how to play and set tones to the acoustics of the rooms you play in (which is a talent in and of itself). Geddy Lee uses all that krap and people here debate all the time what brand bass he is using in what song, what good is that, when your bass sound is so masked you can't even tell what kind it is? What are we hearing him or all his gadgets? I don't believe Chris Squire used a pod (har!) back in the 70's when he was an up and coming trend setter, he can afford to use them now, it's easy and he's already made his mark. But I know I'll never use that stuff, me and my bass and my SVT is all I need to sound good, it's ultimately in your hands and brain. Some people eventually settle and take the easy way and some don't (legends IMOM like me, haha!)
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ken_swearingen
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jwr2
"It's going to get to the point where someone with two weeks playing time can sound like a pro the way these digital artificial sound boxes are going."
What is wrong with that ... that would be freakin wonderful ... a begininng bass player would not have to track down a 60's bass amp to sound good ...
What if you go somewhere and you have to play through a peavey amp or you go into a studio and you can't bring your rig? Or what if you get a smaller car and the SVT won't fit in it? Chris Squire has been using a lot of effects since the 60's ...
Plus it is an electric bass ... it is played into an electric amplifier ... that is already artificial ... your svt amp has circuits to artifically increase or decrease volume and tone ... so why would a bass pod be so bad?
there is no right or wrong ... it is a matter of taste ...
What is wrong with that ... that would be freakin wonderful ... a begininng bass player would not have to track down a 60's bass amp to sound good ...
What if you go somewhere and you have to play through a peavey amp or you go into a studio and you can't bring your rig? Or what if you get a smaller car and the SVT won't fit in it? Chris Squire has been using a lot of effects since the 60's ...
Plus it is an electric bass ... it is played into an electric amplifier ... that is already artificial ... your svt amp has circuits to artifically increase or decrease volume and tone ... so why would a bass pod be so bad?
there is no right or wrong ... it is a matter of taste ...
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ken_swearingen
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ken_swearingen
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- Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2004 6:00 pm
I think the bass pod is just another tool of the trade,Bob from that point of view i was always told if you didn't play with your fingers you were not a real bassist using a pick was a just a guitarist playing bass ,now i guess that would exclude alot of bassist.I never learned to play with a pick because of this.
My SVT goes everywhere, studio, cars etc. No Peaveys for me. I played live over a radio station a few months ago in a 15' x 15' room, I brought it in and they mic'ed it. Fitting my SVT's is one of my prime considerations when I buy a car believe it or not. In fact I do a live internet thing here and there and always bring my amp in and they mic it.
One thing that's wrong with digital sound boxes I can see is that individual players unique instrument's sounds are going to become a distant memory sooner or later.
A beginning bass player needs to play, play, and play to get his own voice, a pod short circuits that process, why would they bust their a** trying to get a great sound when they can get a decent canned sound out of a box?
A player like Squire got his unique sound from a Ric, Rotos and amps. When you listen to his early stuff where he made his name and impacted the bass world so much, you can clearly hear that he's playing a Ric with a pick and can clearly hear the Rotosound bass strings. He's used a lot of effects yes, but not digital effects that totally change the charactor of his sound at least not early in his career when he made his name. In fact I admire him because he has stuck to his guns, plays his same basses and plays pretty much with the same sound and you can always hear HIS soul in his playing, can't say the same for a certain other bass hero here that everybody worships and who hasn't even touched a Ric in 20 years.
An SVT or any amp can change the tone and volume but does not alter the signal to give a ric a Fender-like tone like digital boxes can, or give a 'british mid 60's tone" etc. Get a Marshall or Vox for that. I belive that if you get a good bass, use good strings, use a good amp that you like you don't need that extra stuff unless you want a certain sound for an effect, but to rely on them I think is bad for creativity. I'm not against boxes although I don't use them just the reliance on them for your sound. But hey I didn't even buy my first tuner until probably 5 years ago.
One thing that's wrong with digital sound boxes I can see is that individual players unique instrument's sounds are going to become a distant memory sooner or later.
A beginning bass player needs to play, play, and play to get his own voice, a pod short circuits that process, why would they bust their a** trying to get a great sound when they can get a decent canned sound out of a box?
A player like Squire got his unique sound from a Ric, Rotos and amps. When you listen to his early stuff where he made his name and impacted the bass world so much, you can clearly hear that he's playing a Ric with a pick and can clearly hear the Rotosound bass strings. He's used a lot of effects yes, but not digital effects that totally change the charactor of his sound at least not early in his career when he made his name. In fact I admire him because he has stuck to his guns, plays his same basses and plays pretty much with the same sound and you can always hear HIS soul in his playing, can't say the same for a certain other bass hero here that everybody worships and who hasn't even touched a Ric in 20 years.
An SVT or any amp can change the tone and volume but does not alter the signal to give a ric a Fender-like tone like digital boxes can, or give a 'british mid 60's tone" etc. Get a Marshall or Vox for that. I belive that if you get a good bass, use good strings, use a good amp that you like you don't need that extra stuff unless you want a certain sound for an effect, but to rely on them I think is bad for creativity. I'm not against boxes although I don't use them just the reliance on them for your sound. But hey I didn't even buy my first tuner until probably 5 years ago.
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jwr2
Well, I started a big debate here I guess...
I bought the damn thing just because I was curious to try it out, I would have never bought it new !!!! To me experimenting with new tools can actually expand my Tonal possibilities and if the POD helps then, fine, if not, then it will be in the for sale section !!!
I bought the damn thing just because I was curious to try it out, I would have never bought it new !!!! To me experimenting with new tools can actually expand my Tonal possibilities and if the POD helps then, fine, if not, then it will be in the for sale section !!!
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jwr2
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hieronymous
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Something about the whole modeling thing just doesn't sit quite right with me. What am I hearing? Am I hearing my bass, or a clever imitation?
But then again, if you think about it, that's what listening to a CD is.
And having said that, I have a guitar POD that I've been using lately, and I have to admit it sounds incredible. I live in an apartment, so even if I could afford a great amp I would never be able to play it. And the POD gives so many options in terms of amp models, speaker cabs, etc. So I haven't been won over to the Bass POD yet, but who knows, a few years down the line...
But then again, if you think about it, that's what listening to a CD is.
And having said that, I have a guitar POD that I've been using lately, and I have to admit it sounds incredible. I live in an apartment, so even if I could afford a great amp I would never be able to play it. And the POD gives so many options in terms of amp models, speaker cabs, etc. So I haven't been won over to the Bass POD yet, but who knows, a few years down the line...
Wow, good timing on the thread, Stephane; I just bought a Bass PODxt tonight, myself.
I am actually on Bob's side when it comes to live sound... I play my 4003 live through a 100-watt Ampeg V4BH reissue amp with four beautiful glowing 6L6 tubes into 4x10 and 1x15 speakers and no effects between me and the amp, and I love that sound live.
I bought the Bass PODxt because my band is seriously gearing up for our studio time next fall for our second CD, and having been through that experience once, using simply a SansAmp direct line for the session and not getting an ideal tone, and our band still cutting it razor close on our budgeted studio time, I need to get my tones wrangled up way in advance, and I want different tones for different songs. In addition, we have one original tune that is screaming for distortion on the bass, and nothing I have - amp or stompbox wise - has come close to filling the bill, either live or on 4-track demos. And... I really want to check out the tones available with compression, and I like the POD's layout with dual Model and DI outputs. I am still considering miking the Ampeg setup, but I don't know, given the studio layout and our time limitations.
I am hopeful that the Bass PODxt will be a useful tool for that, and I intend to give it a full and fair chance. Time will tell if it fills the bill for me, but I know that I want more and better tones in the studio this time than last, and at the rate studio time charges rack up, I figured it was worth the effort and expense to check out the POD ahead of time. The songwriting, note selection, feel, duration, etc., will still be mine, but I need to dial in good sounds before we go broke in the studio.
I may or may not ever use it live in a club, but if anything (including the POD) sounds cool in the studio, and it's ready to go beforehand, then I am definitely going to use it. If we had Fleetwood Mac's recording budget, it might be different, but we are going to be pressed for time Big Time, so I'm hoping this will work. If not, I will be the first one to post here and share my experience with y'all!
I am actually on Bob's side when it comes to live sound... I play my 4003 live through a 100-watt Ampeg V4BH reissue amp with four beautiful glowing 6L6 tubes into 4x10 and 1x15 speakers and no effects between me and the amp, and I love that sound live.
I bought the Bass PODxt because my band is seriously gearing up for our studio time next fall for our second CD, and having been through that experience once, using simply a SansAmp direct line for the session and not getting an ideal tone, and our band still cutting it razor close on our budgeted studio time, I need to get my tones wrangled up way in advance, and I want different tones for different songs. In addition, we have one original tune that is screaming for distortion on the bass, and nothing I have - amp or stompbox wise - has come close to filling the bill, either live or on 4-track demos. And... I really want to check out the tones available with compression, and I like the POD's layout with dual Model and DI outputs. I am still considering miking the Ampeg setup, but I don't know, given the studio layout and our time limitations.
I am hopeful that the Bass PODxt will be a useful tool for that, and I intend to give it a full and fair chance. Time will tell if it fills the bill for me, but I know that I want more and better tones in the studio this time than last, and at the rate studio time charges rack up, I figured it was worth the effort and expense to check out the POD ahead of time. The songwriting, note selection, feel, duration, etc., will still be mine, but I need to dial in good sounds before we go broke in the studio.
I may or may not ever use it live in a club, but if anything (including the POD) sounds cool in the studio, and it's ready to go beforehand, then I am definitely going to use it. If we had Fleetwood Mac's recording budget, it might be different, but we are going to be pressed for time Big Time, so I'm hoping this will work. If not, I will be the first one to post here and share my experience with y'all!
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jwr2
I'd love to have an SVT, but for less than the price of the head alone I have a complete rig including an Ampeg B2R, 2X10 cab, 1X15 cab and bass pod.
I don't use the pod to try to make my Rick sound like a Dano. I use it to get the sound that I have in my head. It just adds flexibility. Mine was used on ebay, and only cost about as much as I would have spent on a tuner and compressor anyway.
Now with a baby on the way, it will come in handy for practice without causing a major disturbance at home.
I don't use the pod to try to make my Rick sound like a Dano. I use it to get the sound that I have in my head. It just adds flexibility. Mine was used on ebay, and only cost about as much as I would have spent on a tuner and compressor anyway.
Now with a baby on the way, it will come in handy for practice without causing a major disturbance at home.
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