POD Patches – Guitar World (March 2008)

Every month I try to write some cool POD patches to go along with my subscription to Guitar World. I authored these patches on my POD X3 Live but you can use them on any Line 6 device or any other modeler that has appropriate amp models. Boss GT-8, V-Amp, Digitech modelers, you name it, you can probably type these and and make them sound pretty cool.I have also uploaded a bundle you can use to load the tones into your X3 using version 1.21 of Line 6 Monkey. I did some sound samples so you can hear the patches in action.

Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock

Sound clips: album version – X3 with track – X3 without track

• Output: Match/studio direct, both tones panned center
• Amp 1 Gate: Threshold -50dB, Decay 0%
• Amp 1: 1990 Brit J-800 (Marshall JCM800), Room 0%, Cab 1978 Brit Celestion T-75’s, Mic SM57 off axis
• Amp 1 Controls: Bass 90%, Mid 56%, Treble 80%, Presence 44%, Drive 81%, Volume 80%
• Amp 1 Stomp: Blue Comp (Boss CS-1 Compression Sustainer), Sustain 86%, Level 80%
• Amp 2 Gate: Threshold -30dB, Decay 0%
• Amp 2: 1990 Brit J-800 (Marshall JCM800), Room 0%, Cab 1978 Brit Celestion T-75’s, Mic MD-421
• Amp 2 Controls: Bass 90%, Mid 56%, Treble 58%, Presence 21%, Drive 81%, Volume 40%
• Amp 2 Stomp: Facial Fuzz (Arbiter Fuzz Face), Drive 80%, Gain 74%, Tone 32%
• Amp 2 Compressor: Threshold -36dB, Gain 0dB
• Amp 2 EQ: Lo shelf +1.2dB at 570Hz, Hi shelf -2.2dB at 2.30kHz, two mid bands are flat
• Amp 2 Reverb: Lux Spring (Fender Deluxe Reverb spring unit) Dwell 0%, Tone 50%, Mix 32%, Config Post

This song has a very rich and thick distortion. A lot of the recorded tone comes from the layering of guitar tracks and different voicings played on each guitar. I used a dual tone blend to try to capture a bit of this tonal complexity. You don’t get as much benefit as if you had a second guitar player doing the other chord voicings but I think it is a cool sound anyway. Listen to the sound clips and decide for yourself!

The Charlie Daniels Band – The Devil Went Down To Georgia

Sound clips: album version – X3 with track – X3 without track

• Amp 1: Class A-30 Fawn (Vox AC-30), Room 6%, Cab 1967 Class A-30, Mic Neuman U67
• Amp 1 Controls: Bass 72%, Mid 93%, Treble 59%, Presence 13%, Drive 70%, Volume100%
• Amp 1 Reverb: Large Plate, Predelay 0%, Decay 25%, Tone 30%, Mix 35%, Config post

I spent more time tweaking this sound than any other this month. For a tone that sounds like a guitar straight into an amp with no effects it sure was hard to nail down. I’m still not sure I really nailed it. What do you think?

Ibanez S7320 I actually have the older S7420 model. It is a beautiful guitar with blue flamed maple top and wave inlays. As my two main Universes had broken strings I had to press this bad boy into service recording the Cherub Rock and Devil Went Down To Georgia sound clips. They sell the modern version of this guitar in six and seven string variants.

price check 7-string Musician’s Friend Instrument Pro (cheapest?) Guitar Center zZounds

price check 6-string Musician’s Friend Instrument Pro (cheapest?) Guitar Center

Pantera – Floods (clean)

Sound clips: album version – X3 with track – X3 without track

• Amp 1 Gate: Threshold -64dB, Decay 0%
• Amp 1: Line 6 Sparkle Clean, Room 50%, Cab NO CABINET
• Amp 1 Controls: Bass 44%, Mid 38%, Treble 76%, Presence 65%, Drive 0%, Volume 100%
• Amp 1 Compressor: Threshold 0dB, Gain 16dB
• Amp 1 Modulation: Stereo square chorus, Tempo 109.1 bpm, Tap dotted half note, Mix 44%, Depth 68%, Predelay 87%, Feedback 33%, Config post

I do so many distortion tones all the time that I only focused on the clean tone for this song. The part has such an off kilter sound to it, like it is about to fall over at any minute. I tried to capture that detuned sound by using the square chorus.

Seether – Fake It

Sound clips: album version – X3 with track – X3 without track

• Amp 1 Gate: Threshold -50dB, Decay 0%
• Amp 1: 2002 Criminal (Peavey 5150 mkII), Room 0%, Cab 1968 Greenback 25’s, Mic SM57 on axis
• Amp 1 Controls: Bass 100%, Mid 72%, Treble 75%, Presence 60%, Drive 42%, Volume 62%

price check: Amazon.com Musician’s Friend Guitar Center zZounds

Dean ML I used my 7-string Dean ML for Floods and Fake It. The guitar is down a whole step and then in drop “C” tuning for Fake It. The Floods clip is in standard tuning down one and a half steps. If you check the prices, you’ll notice this is not a very expensive instrument. Even though I have the 7-string version it is still a “budget” guitar. I think this is proof you don’t need to spend a lot of bucks to get great recording sounds.

price check: Amazon.com Musician’s Friend Guitar Center zZounds

Dimarzio Tone Zone My Dean ML has a Tone Zone 7 in the bridge position. This pickup is wired directly to the output jack. The neck pickup and volume/tone knobs are not hooked up at all. This guitar has a very raw and in your face sound. Cheap guitar + awesome pickup = great tone!

Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World

Sound clips: album version – X3 without track

• Variax: Gibson J-200
• Amp 1: 1965 Double Verb (Fender Twin Reverb), Room 17%, Cab 1965 2×12 Blackface, Mic Neuman U67
• Amp 1 Controls: Bass 45%, Mid 75%, Treble 49%, Presence 23%, Drive 28%, Volume 100%
• Amp 1 Stomp: Facial Fuzz (Arbiter Fuzz Face), Drive 75%, Gain 59%, Tone 30%
• Amp 2 Reverb: Lux Spring (Fender Deluxe Reverb spring unit) Dwell 37%, Tone 38%, Mix 50%, Config Post

My Variax 500 got to see some action on this one. This POD patch is set up to allow you to play the lead and rhythm parts with your acoustic guitar plugged in. Just switch the stomp on for the dirty parts and off for the straight acoustic parts. The track I recorded in my home studio to show off the patch features the dirty setting alone and then has the straight acoustic sound layered underneath the second half.

Line 6 Variax 600 I have the slightly older 500 in sunburst. The Man Who Sold The World was recorded direct using this guitar set to the Gibson J-200 setting. Use it for the dirty and straight acoustic parts.price check: Amazon.com Musician’s Friend Guitar Center Gear Tree Instrument Pro

Line 6 Variax Digital Cable This cable from Line 6 is a must if you have a Variax and supporting amp (like POD X3 Live). Not only does it send the guitar signal digitally (no noise, no signal loss) to your amp, but it also provides power back to the Variax. You can say goodbye to the extra power supply and stop wasting money on batteries!price check: Musician’s Friend Guitar Center Amazon.com (cheapest?) Gear Tree Instrument Pro

Line 6 Monkey bundle for POD X3

X3 Bundle
The patches are:

• 24C Fake It
• 24D Devil Went Down To Georgia
• 25A Man Who Sold The World
• 25B Floods
• 25C Cherub Rock

The sound clips on this page were all recorded direct using my POD X3 Live with no post processing. What you hear is what you get direct out of POD X3.

Line 6 POD X3 price check	Line 6 POD X3 LIVE price check
Line 6 POD X3 Pro price check