In case anyone wanted to hear the Line6 Guitar Port...enjoy my sloppy, pointless noodling.

My Tunes

[This message was edited by Popmann on 02-11-04 at 12:11 AM.]

GuitarPortDemo.mp3 (3,666 KB, 56 downloads) Guitar Port Demo

Your noodling sounds fine - some nice, tasty licks going on there.

A friend brought his Line6 over a couple of weeks back and wanted to record a couple of tracks with it. The tone of the modeler/amp has the same kind of pinched feel that all modelers seem to have IMO. To me, they've always sounded like emulations, not the real thing. With creative EQ'ing, we were able to make it sound a bit more "real," but it was an awful lot of work.

In the same way many don't think V-drums are "there" yet (which I largely agree with), I feel the same about amp modelers/emulators. To me, there's just no substitute (yet) for tubes operating at their optimal voltage - even overdriven a bit - pushing real air out of real speakers past a mic.

Never ceases to amuse me how much time, effort and money go into trying to sound like analog or "just like the real thing." Be it guitars, drums, various mics, classic outboard, whatever, I wonder when (or even if) we'll finally realize that maybe we shoulda just stuck with the real "real thing."

______________________________
. . . cast adrift in a fractal sea . . .

quote:

---

The tone of the modeler/amp has the same kind of pinched feel that all modelers seem to have IMO. To me, they've always sounded like emulations, not the real thing.

---

I assume you meant the my clip and not the friend's...what I was so blown away by is how much better this (Guitar Port $169) sounded than their flagship PO XT Pro ($699)...

I'll tell you why I tried his little USB box...When I did the lead on the last tune I posted, I had to spread it out over several nights due to other people in the house sleeping. And spend quite a while after the fact tweaking to get it to sound the way it did. I plugged this in, and dialed in a tone, hit record-coulda been in headphones if need be.

Am I selling my Bassman? Well...no. But, I wouldn' hesitate to use this little guy (particularly for lead) when convenience was an issue.

And for a beginning player who deosn't have experience with different amps...doesn't know what they want...these little guys are a Godsend, IMO. You can go on line, pick a song you like and it configures the amp/pedal combo to sound like the record. Not to mention tabbing it out and allowing some half speed study of the fast parts.

It's a great time to be a newbie.

My Tunes

quote:

---

Originally posted by Popmann:

I assume you meant the my clip and not the friend's...what I was so blown away by is how much better this (Guitar Port $169) sounded than their flagship PO XT Pro ($699)...

---

Both, actually. They just sound (to me) as if they're being overly squashed through a comp or something. Sometimes honky in the mids, or even almost "nasal" - if that's even possible for an axe to sound nasal.

quote:

---

I'll tell you why I tried his little USB box...When I did the lead on the last tune I posted, I had to spread it out over several nights due to other people in the house sleeping. And spend quite a while after the fact tweaking to get it to sound the way it did. I plugged this in, and dialed in a tone, hit record-coulda been in headphones if need be.

---

Well, there is that of course. Hasn't been an issue for me for the past few years, but I can certainly see why that would be a big benefit for alot of folks.

quote:

---

Am I selling my Bassman? Well...no. But, I wouldn' hesitate to use this little guy (particularly for lead) when convenience was an issue.

---

Understood. BTW, if you ever do wanna sell that Bassman, ole' Skeetch would be happy to give it a fine home.

[QUOTE]And for a beginning player who deosn't have experience with different amps...doesn't know what they want...these little guys are a Godsend, IMO. You can go on line, pick a song you like and it configures the amp/pedal combo to sound like the record. Not to mention tabbing it out and allowing some half speed study of the fast parts.

It's a great time to be a newbie. [/QUOTE}

Sure. But,uh, yer not a newb. Anyway, I hear what you're saying. Probably would made all those hours practicing to records a helluva lot more productive.

______________________________
. . . cast adrift in a fractal sea . . .

quote:

---

Originally posted by Popmann:
I assume you meant the my clip and not the friend's...what I was so blown away by is how much better this (Guitar Port $169) sounded than their flagship PO XT Pro ($699)...

---

There's no difference in the XT and GP models. They are identical. There is nothing about GP that makes it sound better either. Its just your perception fooling you cause many people have done tests on the tones and they phase cancel to 0

quote:

---

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Popmann:
I assume you meant the my clip and not the friend's...what I was so blown away by is how much better this (Guitar Port $169) sounded than their flagship PO XT Pro ($699)...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



There's no difference in the XT and GP models. They are identical. There is nothing about GP that makes it sound better either. Its just your perception fooling you cause many people have done tests on the tones and they phase cancel to 0

---

$169 sounds better than $699 to me...

Rocky

Don't sweat the petty things - Pet the sweaty things - Richard Wawock

quote:

---

There's no difference in the XT and GP models. They are identical. There is nothing about GP that makes it sound better either. Its just your perception fooling you cause many people have done tests on the tones and they phase cancel to 0

---

Since there's latency induced by the use of a computer I'd be interested to see how they phase cancelled it to zero. I'm curious who's doing the tests...cause I can't even find real reviews of this thing. I would much rather pick up an XT for the extra models and, well, cause it's hardware...but, I'm skeptical.

My Tunes

How bad/noticeable is the GP latency Pop?

I didn't notice it any more than I do with all digital gear. All modelers, to me, have a "less connected" feeling as opposed to an analog amp/DI...but, at it's lowest setting (which ran fine) I didn't notice any real delay.

I'm curious, any real difference or advantage between the Guitar Port and either the Pod 2.0 or XT?

-Stixxs

The Guitarport is supposedly the XT engine.

There are HUGE advantages over 2.0...

That said, I honestly hated the XT when I played it...and really liked the sound of the guitarport. The advantage would also be that it can be digitally recorded (and is $160)...but, the XT can act like a GPort, too.

I wish I knew someone locally who would let me borrow an XT. I've only played it in a few different store situations...but, I never got close to an acceptable "slightly hairy clean" tone...the GPort did it fine.

How depressing. It's almost there - but like another guy said - every frickin digital modeller SOUNDS digital. I don't know what it is, but I have YET to get a recording that didn't sound digital.

And I'm not obsessed with getting the analog tubed sound - I'd just like something that didn't sound like sand through a strainer.

That said, this WILL be a useful tool for getting your ideas down, in the way you want to hear them, without waking the house.

And I honestly don't think it's the "air" issue. I've miked my guitar, and wasn't too thrilled with THOSE results either.

quote:

---

And I honestly don't think it's the "air" issue. I've miked my guitar, and wasn't too thrilled with THOSE results either.

---

So, then, you're saying that with all your trial and error of micing, cranking, pedal stomping...you weren't coming up with better tones?

I just listened to this for the first time in a while since it got bumped. Given time/distance now...I think it sounds pretty darn good. It's questionable how much better I could do micing up the Bassman. I know that when I did the last tune I played the solo again while I had the guitarport...I couldn't get the exact tone, but it was close-actually better in ways, not as good in others.

Almost there is right.

Problem is, I think my amp micing and ability to "open it up" while recording is farther being "there".

I did notice I didn't like it for chordal stuff as much as leads. Maybe that's the nasal quality Skeetch pointed out.

I just heard a killer sounding guitar track on a cover of Let's Go Crazy...when I inquired what it was? Fender CyberTwin-run from it's DIRECT OUTS!! I had one of those. Did a whole album with it...I mic'd it. Plugged in the direct outs once. You know what I can say about the guitar tones on that album? Inconsistent. Some good, some terrible...inconsistency brought to you by Popmann's wearing too many hats and thus not making enough notes as an engineer.

Tell you what...the XT is looking like a mighty nice tool to have around (assuming it's the same sound as the GuitarPort)...I'm still not convinced of that.

I bought the XT, fooled with it for 10 minutes (literally), unplugged it and took it right back. My Dual Recto sounded better to my ears.

I can see both sides here.

*True, it's cool to plug in and get ideas down quick. And sounds pretty dang cool for that (maybe it'd sound better in a mix?)

On the other hand...

*I don't hear the air, and it does sound too compressed. And a bit nasally vs body-ish.

My thoughts...

KID-

Too compressed...you know, I wonder what would happen if I didn't have each and every one of the models virtually dimed? Technically, a dimed tube amp is a VERY heavy handed compressor.

I guess my real question has always been, did you compare tracks you recorded with the Boogie versus the emulator, or did you plug the emulator into your mixer and play (effectively hearing it "pre recorded") then judge it against going across the room and plugging into a cranked amp?

I think maybe I'll spend a weekend futzing. Go get an XT somewhere with a liberal return policy, and crank the Bassman...mic it up and compare tracks.

Cause I don't hear a lot of stunning electric guitar sounds on ametuer recordings. I hear OK ones...but not great. When I hear something that catches my ear, it's usually a modeler.

I think that because in a big studio you've got the ability to throw the amp in another room...that way you can dial in the tone while listening to the mic's feed on the monitors.

I don't know if I'll have the time this weekend, but that would be a nice test, I think. Answer this question for myself once and for all.

Cause I don't hear a lot of stunning electric guitar sounds on ametuer recordings. I hear OK ones...but not great. When I hear something that catches my ear, it's usually a modeler.
_______________

Something a friend noticed was the modeler...a POD also, would seem to sound different sometimes...on the same patch. I've never heard anything like it with mine, but there are times when it'll work well with a particular song then other times it's too digital or the 'air' thing is over the top.

-Stixxs

Hey Pop, just listened to the clip, nice job.

Do you still have the Guitar Port? If so would you mind quickly running through a wider range of tones, forget the effects, just the basic amp sounds. I'd rather hear clips from you than the 'optimized' clips from the website. Thanks Dude!

I don't still have it...I think there are only something like 16 amp/cab models. Most of what I did here was usually Marshall Plexi or Fender Blackface deluxe amps with some kind of 2x12 cab..."Class A" for most, which I think is their code for Vox or Matchless. I think I may have used the "line6 2x12 combo" cab for some.

The dirty stuff probably had the RAT in front, but there was one part done with a Solando amp.

But, always 2x12 cabs, I think. The 4x12 "stack" things were just weird sounding to me...but, I like combos anyway, I guess.

I do want to give the XT a run through here, though. I'll post if I do. Along with clips of the Bassman cranked.

I did find the best thing to do was ignore what it was "supposed" to sound like...for example the 4x10 Bassman sounded NOTHING like mine. I go a closer tone with the bassman into the Matchless 2x12 !!??

quote:

---

I guess my real question has always been, did you compare tracks you recorded with the Boogie versus the emulator, or did you plug the emulator into your mixer and play (effectively hearing it "pre recorded") then
judge it against going across the room and plugging into a cranked amp?

---

Nope, just plugged it in a fooled with it (BTW- I wanted it for heavy/clean sounds). I just didn't like the sound in general. Sounded, idunno, just kinda fake to me. Maybe it'd sound better running it through a cab and micing it, seriously. Maybe I should have tried that. I think part of the problem is I can't hear the CAB, like, the cluckyness of it... you know what I mean by that? But then again, I was hoping for a quick solution.


That's a good point you make about the amp being in a different room in a bigger studio. I think I was able to better hear what the heck I was doing in that case. My cab is in my iso booth (amp outside) but still it's not enough separation to really isolate it. Makes me wonder how many here have an isolated (i mean really isolated) space for there amps... with minimal bleed.


*I'd be interested to hear your side by side comparisons.

BTW-- check your pm..


KID-

quote:

---

BTW-- check your pm..

---

Where? Here? I don't see anything...