what all do I need to power a pod?

[Thor Von Clemson]

I sold my amp, and I am going to buy a POD. I am wondering what I need to run it successfully. I have a 2X12 speaker cab. To my understanding, I can not run the POD straight into the cab... I need a separate power source or something like that. What would I need to complete it?

Thanks,

GMS

[jgcable]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

SS Crate Powerblock
SS Rocktron Velocity 100
Tube Mesa 20/20
Tube Carvin T100

[toejam]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

A Carvin DCM150 is a good inexpensive SS start. I use my Boss GT-8 into one of these into either a 1x12, 2x12 or 4x12 cab. I feel SS power amps are better with modelers in that they bring out the basic tone more and don't color it as much as a tube does.

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

I've got a Powerblock and it works fine. I personally think it may sound better to my ears with a tube poweramp, but I have yet to try it out (I did awhile ago, but haven't A/Bed it with this powerblock to know for sure

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

any carvin, marshall, boogie, or VHT tube poweramp will do.

any solid state power amp will work but a tube power amp will sound better. IMO

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

so a poweramp eh? I know little about amps, so I will have to look into it. Will I be able to run it at high volumes like I did with my old flextone head for practices and shows and stuff? Also if I went out and bought the most expensive power amp I could find compared to the least expensive, what would be the pros and cons of that? I used to run a flextone II HD but I had to sell it. I am trying to re-create that setup as much as possible.

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

One more thing. Well actually maybe a few more things. In the future, if I wanted to run the POD through a PA would I need to run it to the poweramp, then to a mixer or something that has the monitors hooked up to it? Does that sound like it would work well if I invested some money into it? I play jazz and progish stuff so I need clear, pure tones. I think Loomis and the dudes from Meshuggah used this setup, but I can not find what they ran or how they did it.


Thanks,

GMS

[atilla]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

GMS, you should check out Atomic Amps. They make this neat little speaker/tube power amp combo that is made specifically to work with a POD. It's pretty reasonably priced, too.

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

Hmm. That atomic amp looks pretty cool. It looks like it would have everything I need. I like the idea of the modeler doing the work and just having something to plug into for the sake of adding more volume.

Of course I have to consider the fact that I am broke. It looks like I could go buy a cheap poweramp and run it all into my cab.

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

Well, with the Powerblock I can't adjust the volume from the head since there's no volume for the FX loop, but it gets plenty loud using the volumes from the unit. Different poweramps will give you a slightly different tone from my experience, but it all depends on what you want your tone to be like. I plan on upgrading to a VHT 2.90.2 for this one. I tried it with the powerblock (which I have only because it's cheap, like $200), the Mesa 2.90 and the VHTY and I loved the way the VHT responded compared to the other 2.

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

basically I need something to power the pod and not hinder or change the tone I have dialed up on the pod. It does not have to be expensive, just something that will power it and relay the tone to the amp... Any ideas?

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

Well, I don't use the same patches when I play live and record, it's very different tones. I think if anything that Crate Powerblock dosen't color the tone because your running it through the FX loop of a SS head (if you want to run it that way), so no different tubes to add character to your tone. It's cheap and does the job

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

Ifraan- The powerblock looks like it will do everything I need. My question is how would I set it up? I am not familiar with fx loops. I usually just plug into the amp which is plugged into the cab. Amp modeling is something new to me.

I did notice the powerblock has low, mid, and high knobs. If I wanted to strictly use the powerblock to power it, would I leave those three knobs at zero in order for it not to color my tone?

Thanks,

GMS

[Inazone]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

The Powerblock is probably your most affordable choice. You could run into a PA without a power amp, or you could pick up a generic PA-style power amp like a Crown, Alesis or whatever other brands there are - I've seen a few people on various boards post rigs running a modeler into such a unit and then into a cab.

Don't let the idea of effects loops and power amps intimidate you. Any head or combo is still just a preamp and power amp, so with the POD as your preamp, you're halfway there. My live rig is a pedalboard with an ART Xtreme preamp pedal into the clean channel of an old Peavey tube combo which has no effects loop. Some heads and combos have an input for connecting an external preamp.

You have options!

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: what all do I need to power a pod?

Yup, there are many many options. As for your questions on the Powerblock (I was new to it also, all my other amps I just plugged in and also had no FX loop) here goes. There are a cple of different ways you can run it. You can run it in front of the amp, through the input of the powerblock, then you the controls (High, Mid Low) will be usable to shape your tone. I go through the FX loop. First, since I'm running it in stereo, you plug the stero outputs in the back to the cab, matching left n right (not sure if it makes a difference, but I do for the hell of it). If running your rig in stero, make sure the BRIDGE MONO button is UP, if running your rig in mono make sure the button is down. Then go to the Line In at the back and hook up the cables to the Line Out on your Line 6 unit (again matching left n right respectivly). If you connect that way, those High Mid and Low knobs don't do anything, so it won't effect your tone at all. Your volume will comes from the Line 6 volumes (which lemme tell ya is a pain in the ass to tweak), but there's also a LEVEL knob next to the Line Out and the back of the powerblock. Make sure that's up so you can sound. That's bout it. Think I got that right. My rig isn't set up in front of me, so that's from my crappy memory, but it looks right. Good luck, let us know how it works out [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

- Irfaan -