Recording pros : Home studio setup (routing PODX3 to Scarlett 2i4 mk2)

T

ThePapi

Well-known member
I record guitars using both a mic'd amp (sm57) and my POD X3 Pro which I love for the neverending psychedelic effects.

All of it through USB via the POD, which means I used the POD X3 as an audio interface.

- When I mic'd an amp, I would plug it in the XLR input of the POD (X3 Pros have them for vocals) and send it out to Reaper that way.

- If I'm using POD X3 tones, I just plug the guitar in the pod and record through USB.

Worked fine.




But now I have acquired new gear and I'm confused.

The hardware functionalities of the pod regarding gain are weak for mics, so I bought a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 mk2 for the pristine preamps, and a set of JBL LSR305s to bring out the shit in my music and attempt to correct it.

So obviously I'm not going to use the POD through USB anymore, it's gonna be going to the Scarlett soundcard instead, and from there to the PC via USB.


Now.

I want to keep using the POD as well as the mics on the amp.

Mics, not a problem, XLR directly to Scarlett and voila.

For the POD, there are more output options and I think I'm in a little over my head.


There are two balanced 1/4 inch outs on the pod (and S/PDIF, but fuck that). Those balanced L/R analog outs on the back of the POD X3 usually go to your guitar amp, but obviously I'd like them directly to my sound card instead.

Do people use both of these outs at once? My guess is guitar amps usually only have one 1/4 input so you only plug in the left one to your amp since you're going mono anyway?

I imagine it would be the same with the Scarlett? Set the pod to mono and only plug the left POD output to one of my Scarlett input?

I record my guitar tracks in mono and don't really use stereo effects from the POD that often.

Why do PODs have left AND right output? For stereo effects only?

Why am I putting myself through this confusing mess?
 
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ThePapi said:
Why do PODs have left AND right output? For stereo effects only?

Why am I putting myself through this confusing mess?
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are a bunch of special effect that involve shifting the sound left/right. Especially 70's type of reverbs.
 
Makes sense.

Guess I should find a way to route both POD outputs to the interface and set it up to only use the left one except in the rare instances when I want stereo effects from the POD.
 
ThePapi said:
Makes sense.

Guess I should find a way to route both POD outputs to the interface and set it up to only use the left one except in the rare instances when I want stereo effects from the POD.
Click to expand...

yeah... in my limited experience ( I just dust off my electric guitar for the first time in 10years...), most things are mono. I'd check in the user manual, I would not be surprised if, when you use lets say the left output of the POD only, it automaticaly switch to mono.

edit for quick Google:
On the POD units some effects can be stereo effects. So they might should a bit bigger ran in stereo. On the back of the POD you can output you have left and right output. If you use just the Left output then the POD will sum all the effects to Mono channel.
Click to expand...
 
I've been using stereo out on my POD 2.0 since day 1. The only catch is that some VST plug-ins have a mono->stereo variant so you have to make sure you use the stereo only variant. For example CLA Guitars will be Stereo only but C4 can be mono->stereo OR you could have stereo.

Mono->stereo in those cases is used for vocals.
 
Probably mainly for stereo effects.

The only instrument in a typical rock band that is naturally "stereo" is a drum kit. Guitars, bass and vocals all come out from a mono source.

It's much easier to play around with stereo field when you double track everything and pan to taste or duplicate a track and pan to taste than try to stretch a single track across a good range over the stereo field.
 
ThePapi said:
Probably mainly for stereo effects.

The only instrument in a typical rock band that is naturally "stereo" is a drum kit. Guitars, bass and vocals all come out from a mono source.

It's much easier to play around with stereo field when you double track everything and pan to taste or duplicate a track and pan to taste than try to stretch a single track across a good range over the stereo field.
Click to expand...

Double tracking is the holy grail for musicians, but there are doubler VSTs: Embrace technology.
 
Fake double tracking.

Really now?

EDIT : Actually if band shows up in the studio unprepared and can't play their own shit properly a couple times in a row (which happens quite a lot), you'll save them money and some dignity by doing that so it has it's use. For my own use I'd say unless a riff was driving me insane for multiple days I don't think I'd use it and would probable keep hammering at it until I got it right.
 
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