Pod or not to pod - this is the question

[fretdancer]

Hi
what do you think of the Pod - everywhere I read about someone having a pod, or the pod settings for a song to achieve the right tone. Its getting to the stage where I feel I have to have one.
I currently have a vox valvetronix AD30VT which is a modelling amp in itself, from everything I have read, thats pretty much what a pod does.
I cant see how I could use a pod with my amp, perhaps the way to use it would be by plugging it into the computer and playing it that way?

I feel I am the only person on the planet without a pod - would buying one be a smart move?

Pete

[Danny Poole]

A few years ago I bought a VG-88 and havn't looked back, you can read the review here http://www.guitartutoronline.com/for...ighlight=vg-88

I have heard nothing but good comments about the Pod but have not tried one!

[JustinThyme]

I got the Pod XT a few months back. Still trying to learn how best to use it, but I have to say it seems an amazing tool. Given the number of different settings - combinations of amps, speakers, effects, even microphone placements, however - it would take years to try everything out.

Downloaded all the software for it (inc riffworks or rifftracker) but for recording I use Audacity, which is simple enough for a beginner like myself, and free. There's a mulitude of downloadable extra patches for it from the Line6 site, of varying usefulness. I found the line6 software a little quirky when hooked up to my putr via USB and still find the interfaces a little confusing - I probably don't use it often enough for it to have become 2nd nature - and I've no hardware to compare it to (stacks, footswitches, stompboxes, mikes etc).

Also - so far I've not been able to achieve a sound like Santana or Dave Gilmour (through headphones) but for many many obvious reasons, that's to be expected.

Just my 'short and sweet' 2 cents.

JT