Line 6 in a live rig??

[Mackovyak]

I recently bought a line 6 Pod for my studio. Mainly flexibility issues, however, I'm thinking about throwing it in my live bass rig.

I don't run any effects with my bass, just a dbx compressor through the effects loop in my head.

I'm wondering anyone's thoughts on hooking this thing up.

Am I better off putting this thing in line from bass, to compressor, to amp.

Or should I still leave the compressor through the effects loop?

Or should I send everything through the effects loop using the pre-Signal processing insert send on the Line 6?

OR! Should I run the compressor through the post-DSP insert on the line 6 and put it directly between the bass and amp and forget about the effects loop on from my head?

hmmm?

Thoughts?

[bassist_25]

I think that you may want to just try out a few different setups and pick which one you like the best. Personally, I like to run effects straight into the input. I've never really liked the sound of effects through effects loops. I've only ever used mine to run a preamp into a combo amp.

The most important thing is making sure that your effects are running pre-EQ in case you are DIing to a board through a balanced output.

[lonewolf]

Generally, you want to place a compressor before the preamp, not in the FX loop after the preamp (thats where you want to put a noise gate, flanger, reverb, etc). The Pod should already have a good instrument compressor, so I'd eliminate the dbx altogether. If the POD has a pre-dsp send and return (kinda like its own FX loop), you should:

1. Plug the bass into the Pod
2. Run a cable from the Pod's pre-dsp send to the amp input
3. Run a cable from the amp's FX loop send to the Pod's pre-dsp return
4. Run a cable from the Pod's output to the amp's FX loop return

That should put all the effects where they need to be in the signal chain.

You will have to experiment with it to get all the levels straightened out.

[redawg]

I've read that it is useless to put effects like a compressor, eq, distortion, wah pedal or whammy pedal in an fx loop if it is not the right kind. Those kinds of effects need to alter your whole signal. Effects meant more for an fx loop include reverb, chorus and flanger. Delay in an fx loop is a matter of taste. I know there is more than one kind of fx loop (series and parallel?). Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. One fx loop (I think the most common) runs your dry signal ALONG with the effected signal. How can your compressor work to keep peaks out of your sound if the dry, uneffected signal is running along with it? Hey Hurricane, my conga hands are gettin' itchy. Hope to make a Sunday when I get back from vacation. Money's been too tight to come out on Sunday.

[Mackovyak]

Thanks guys,
I knew there would be more to it than just plugging it in. I probably won't even use it much. I just bought the thing for amp sims directly into my studio board for another option for guitar players.


Justin

[lonewolf]

Thanks guys,
I knew there would be more to it than just plugging it in. I probably won't even use it much. I just bought the thing for amp sims directly into my studio board for another option for guitar players.


Justin

There is another option where you use the POD for all of your tone shaping and use the bass amp as a power amp. Plug your guitar into the POD and plug the POD into the bass amp input, like a stompbox. Turn the bass amp's EQ's to neutral, the Master Volume to maximum and use the Channel Volume or Gain to set the volume.

If you decide not to use the POD live, I would still recommend putting the dbx before the amp, like a stompbox, not in the FX loop...especially, like Redawg said, if it is a parallel FX loop. You might find that a little harder to tweak, but it will yield some nice results.

[Mackovyak]

I am going to place the dbx in line just to see. My effects loop is actually just an insert break right after the EQ and my balanced out in my amp. I always placed the compressor there simply b/c I was always told to eq before compression.

[lonewolf]

I am going to place the dbx in line just to see. My effects loop is actually just an insert break right after the EQ and my balanced out in my amp. I always placed the compressor there simply b/c I was always told to eq before compression.

In every multiFX processor for instruments that I have ever seen, the compressor is the 1st effect in the signal chain and comes well before the EQ. I don't know where you heard eq before compression, but this is the typical industry standard:

compressor, dynamic effect (i.e. slowgear), wah, preamp/simulator, eq, noise gate....then the dsp: chorus, flanger, phaser, reverb, etc.

delay is something you can use anywhere, depending on the effect you want.

The preamp/simulator and eq is equivalent to your bass amp, up to the FX loop

[Mackovyak]

Makes sense, you'd want your dynamics to be under control before you'd try altering the sound.

During my Pro-tools stuff, all of the professors were very direct about applying the eq plug-in's before for the compressors in the signal chain, though. I guess there could be differences between live and software, I don't know.

I'm going to try your original chain through my live rig and see what sounds I get get going.

[lonewolf]

Makes sense, you'd want your dynamics to be under control before you'd try altering the sound.

During my Pro-tools stuff, all of the professors were very direct about applying the eq plug-in's before for the compressors in the signal chain, though. I guess there could be differences between live and software, I don't know.

I'm going to try your original chain through my live rig and see what sounds I get get going.

Oh, OK, for recording, that's a whole different story. The object of the compressor on each channel is to smooth the signal level and prevent clipping before getting recorded to its track. EQ can radically change the signal level, so you need the compressor after the eq to compensate for any gain caused by the eq.

[Mackovyak]

Yeah, that's basically what I've been taught. Cool man, I'll let you know how this all works out in my show tomorrow. Chances are I'll just find 1 amp/speaker combo that I like and stick with it through the whole show.

I'm not a big bass effects person. I basically use the tone and pickup knobs on my basses to get my sounds. Just figured I'd use this thing a few times before I need to pull it out in sesson.

Justin