Help with my gear setup, please.

[Robert Rhea]

Since I have switched over from guitar and bass to pedal steel, I'm using what I got for an amp and effects. I'm playing my SD-10 Carter Pro thru a T.C. Electronics BG-250 bass amp and a Line-6 Pod XT Live pedal. I've downloaded a pedal steel setting for the Pod. It sounds pretty good, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as far as settings that might help. Like Presence...seems that a little is better than a lot. I've also turned down the tone on the reverb in the steel guitar setting on the Pod XT, which seems to help as well. If I can get a good sound thru the amp and just a reverb unit and tuner, I wouldn't mind switching to that. But I really love the tuner on the Pod XT Live. I also have a rack mount Behringer tuner, so maybe add an inexpensive rack-mount effects unit that has a good reverb? If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks, Bob

[Larry Dering]

You haven't told us if you are using an amp sim form the pod or just the effects. I have used the pod xt pro with good results using a blackface amp setting and then dialing in tone from there. Every speaker, cabinet, and Steel guitar react different, and sound is subjective to the listener.

[Scott Duckworth]

You also didn't mention the amp speaker size. I would suggest at least the 12" for E9, 15" for C6. Other than that, you should be able to get "that sound".

[Robert Rhea]

The BG-250 amp is a 250 watt amp with a 15" woofer and Piezo tweeter. This amp has the TonePrint feature which allows you to download a single effect. I downloaded the SpectraComp (compression) TonePrint because there isn't a reverb TonePrint for the BG series amps. Boy I wish there was...

The "Steel Guitar" download I used on the Pod XL comes with the Clean Jazz setting, so that would be the Roland Jazz Chorus amp and cab. I stuck with the amp and tweaked it a little. I changed the cabinet setting to a single 15" cabinet. I thought that might match the real combo amp and cabinet I'm using. Larry, I will try the Blackface Lux amp and see how that sounds as well.

Hope that explains a little more about my setup. Thanks guys...

[Lane Gray]

One suggestion in a completely different angle: ditch the pod, use a Black Box and a decent reverb in front of your amp.
But, I come from a nearly pathological dislike of multieffects units. I find them hugely frustrating.

[Robert Rhea]

Yes Lane, I would like to not use the XT Live pedal just because it takes up so much room, and has a volume pedal on it, which could clog up the true sound. Can't afford to add a Black Box, but adding a reverb pedal and using my rack tuner might be the way to go if I can get a good sound with just the low, mid, and high setting on my amp. My amp also does have a Tube simulation. But too much gets a grungy overdrive sound. I am using a Hilton volume pedal, and by the way, guitar to VP, then reverb, then amp? Or guitar to reverb, then to VP, then amp? I would assume the first path I mentioned.

[Lane Gray]

If your amp knobs can get a pleasing tone, then use it (it wouldn't surprise me: bass amps work well as steel amps). There are also stomp box EQ units, some of them quite affordable.
I run reverb AFTER the volume pedal: reverb creates the simulation of a big room. If you squash the tail with the pedal, it feels weird.

[Scott Duckworth]

You want the amp set as "clean" as possible. And the chain should be guitar - VP - Reverb - Amp.

If it sounds like the guitar is suffering tone suck, you might look at investing in a Li'l Izzy to go between the guitar and VP.

[Daryl Thisdelle]

Robert ya want to get the cleanest sound you can get. Start of with just reverb as an effect and the compression tone print, (why would ya want to use that). I know some guys use it but for me I do not. I did use compression in my signal chain at first but got rid of it as I gained more control over my strings and sound. Less is more in the beginning. As time goes on, experiment. I am not a simulator fan but do use plug ins in my recording studio. Nothing but nothing beats the real thing. So my two cents is less in the signal chain, tweak less, play more..

Daryl

[Robert Rhea]

I agree with you Daryl. I probably won't use the compression, just playing around with it right now. Ultimately, I'd like to just use my amp, a reverb unit, and a tuner. Thanks for the input.

[Rick Schacter]

Can't afford to add a Black Box,

If you can't afford the Black Box, maybe you should try the Freeloader.
I really like mine.

http://www.sarnomusicsolutions.com/products/fl.html

Set up would be:

Guitar--->Freeloader----->volume pedal----->reverb unit---->amp

[David Nugent]

If your amp has the capability of disabling the Piezo, you may want to experiment with that. They have a tendency to add a harshness to the tone of a steel guitar in my experience.

[Teddy Lloyd]

Hplton is a good VP dont ruine it using a compressor BWT We played at the Golden Nuggett Is it still open?

[Robert Rhea]

What Teddy? You played at the strip club? Curious as to what you played...lol

[Larry Dering]

Robert, If you are familiar with the pod then try the different speaker combinations and even the no speaker cab setting. Also be sure you set it up for amp in or power amp in, as that makes a difference. I do use the blackface lux as a starting point and adjust from there. The Line 6 site had some sound downloads related to the steel and I tried some of those as well. I have to tweak any setting I have tried to get the sound I was after. The reverb setting can make it tinny so use sparingly. Hope this helps.

[Robert Rhea]

Thanks for the tips Larry.

So Teddy, I guess The Nugget was a country bar back in the '80, so you're off the hook!

[Teddy Lloyd]

Yes we played in the early 80s t wice a year for two weeks.TH AT WAS A GREAT PLACE AT THAT TIMEIfyou want any more e- mAIL ME AT tede9c6th@aol.com

[Kevin Raymer]

Turn the cabinet simulation off.

You are playing through a cabinet, you don't want to simulate a cabinet into another cabinet.