POD x3 Live with Combo Fx loop setup - Looking for an education!

kneeelix

Hi guys and gals,
hoping to get abit of help with the best way to setup the pod x3 live with my marshall combo's fx loop.
my last amp (piece of junk) had no fx loop an so ive never had to use one.
upgraded to the pod the other day and so far i love it.

im hazy on this but from what i gather the amps preamp seems much better.would this be a safe assumption?

I would like to be able to use my amps preamp and the effects etc of the pod for the moment.
what I have found so far through my experimenting is that if i setup like this:
Guitar --> POD(guitar in)
POD send --> amp FX return
I tend to lose volume control on the amp.the volume is now being controlled by the fx mix knob.does that mean I am bypassing the amps preamp?

ive heard its bad to "stack preamps" so i am wary about connecting the pods output to the standard amp input?

I have also tried the 4 cable method but im not quite sure what the benefits of this method are and what exactly is going on when i do it.
the pod controls the volume when i do this. would it not be more beneficial to set the amps volume and not have to worry about the volume controls in the pod? slightly confused on this.
any help would be very much appreciated

NoQuarter

Does the amp not have a master volume that controls the overall volume?

Also, make sure you switch the Pod to "line" and the output settings to "studio direct".

As far as im aware theres no problem with running the pod into the amps input. The reason its not done is that the pod is an amp modeller itself so it defeats the purpose. But if your just wanting to use the effects, i assume you have a patch that has amps switched off? if so you could try run it straight to the amps input and then switch the pod to "amp" and mess around with the output settings. "studio drect" probably wouldnt work here.

kneeelix

thanks for the reply king -stew .
It does have a master volume but its seems to get bypassed and volume control switches to the fx mix knob. this makes abit of sense as im using the fx loop return the fx mix button should have some degree of control but i dont understand why the master volume stops working when i do this.

Yea that makes sense about it being an amp modeller so you want to be able use its internal models as opposed to the actual amp?
im really just experimenting and trying to find a good sound.
yea i can turn off the amp modeller in the pod. so what your suggesting is
Guitar --> POD guitar input
POD output --> amp input
I dont just want to use the effects long term but for the moment while im still on the learning curve with using this thing it might be the quickest way to start getting sounds.
ahh so is the point of it bypassing my amps preamp to stop my amp colouring the modelled sound coming from the POD?
have you used the 4 cable method? im abit of a noob here

NoQuarter

Yeah, basically you have 2 choices,

1. you can use your effects loop on the amp to bypass the sound or colour of your marshall in order to use the pod for what it is, an amp modeler. So using the effects loop provides simply a speaker for the pod. This is how i would use mine.

2. Or if you like the sound of the marshall, then you could run it like you said in your last post so it will basically sound like your using your amp (because the amp will be switched off on the pod) but you can still put effects on your patch in the pod and click them on and off when you need them!

It just depends on how much you like your marshall tone. There are great tones to be had from the pod with some experementing so you should use option one for a while first. (make sure the pod is set to "studio direct" and set to "line" on the back) makes a huge difference!

I havent used the 4 cable method so i cant help ya there! And the volume thing is weird!

kneeelix

cool. now i understand things abit more. i was doing abit of reading and i think it was being explained in an overly complicated way.thanks alot for simplifying it for me.I like knowing what i can do with my gear and not just randomly plugging in cables.
I haver heard of people using the pod straight into a PA with good results. have you ever tried it?
Yea the volume thing is quite strange. its gets even stranger when you try the four cable method as none of the knobs on my amp seem to work and the master volume is controlled from the pod, only it doesnt have half the volume of the amp.maybe this is another variation of using only the speakers and the pod to drive them.I dont really know.would be interesting to find out though. The amp has given me trouble a few times in the past so i wouldnt rule out something completely random and unexpected going on with it.

NoQuarter

Yeah its strange alright. When i go into my amps effects loop, obviously most of the knobs dont work as im bypassing the amp but the master volume on the amp still works!

As regards of a PA, thats exactly how i use mine. I have a little PA in the room i got from thomann so i run guitar > pod > mixer > PA

All volume is controlled by the mixer. Its perfect for the pod as the PA doesnt colour the sound at all. Also its handy when you go to play live as theres no need for an amp, just plug the pod straight into the mixer for the venues PA and your sorted!

The results you would get from a PA would be the best results you can get from a pod, so it might be worth investing in a cheap PA yourself, and it will always come in handy too. You can plug a mic into the mixer too for example.

ps, if you have a keyboard amp that will work the same too!

kneeelix

Thats pretty cool. does it sound better than an amp through the PA? I can see how it would be handy not having to lug a big amp around the place though. I may try it out next time im in the rehersal space and see how it works with the pa. Unfortunately i dont have the funds to pick one up right now but if it sounds good then i may start filling the piggy bank again!

NoQuarter

Yeah it sounds a lot better through a PA. it sounds how ts designed to sound! Yeah when you get to your next practice just stick the output of the pod into the line in of the mixer!

There are cheap PA's on thomann by the way, thats where i got mine!