Mark V -> Line6 PodXT Pro... is it possible?

[Yoho_Guitar]

Hi hows it going?

My name is Jereme and I was just searchin out the boards for some information and haven't found an exact answers to the questions I'm asking myself. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask - but RJM seemed like a great place to maybe get an answer to my questions.

I'm getting ready to purchase a Mark V head as right now my tone isn't cutting it - and lets face it... Mesa wins.

As of now I am using a Line 6 POD XT Pro rack mount into a QSC 1450 power amp into a marshall 4x12 cab controlled by the Line6 Long Floor Board pedal.

My direct question is this... once I purchase my Mark V I am worried about whether or not I will be able to use my POD as basically an effects processor for the Mesa - as I still have a lot of effects and "pedals" that I need to use for my band's songs. You can, in fact, run the POD in a passive-like mode into the Mesa to get just the desired / programmed effects... correct? If so - any suggestions on what the best way would be to set this up??

If the Pod is able to still be used with the Mesa - are there any noticeable changes to your tone running the pod in the chain? Essentially I am thinking that I would like to use the Mesa for my tone / amping sexiness - my podxt pro for my delays / chorus / effects etc... and have the line6 board to control those effects and the Mark V floor board foot switch to control the respective amp.. is this possible?

OR

this is where the Gizmo I felt like might come in? Can I use my PodXT Pro -> Longboard Floor Pedal to control the Mark V? AND on top of that.. is it possible to do that function as well as adding effects from the pod?

As it is now here is the setup of how the PodXT Pro rack mount works
Rack -> "ethernet cable" -> Floorboard
Rack -> Power Amp -> Cabinet

It would just be such a shame to have to buy a thousand effects pedals, a volume pedal, and a wah pedal and daisy chain it into the Mesa.

In addition, if this does work - should I still be using the power amp to run the PodXT or would the Mesa do the job of powering the rack unit sufficiently enough without sacrificing performance of either device? If I am still using the power amp... the series would run like: Guitar -> Mesa -> Rack -> Power Amp -> Cab?

Would the volume pedal even still work on the Pod to control the mesa?

I feel like perhaps I'm making this too complicated - but as of now I'm not sure whether or not any of these ideas would work. Would it be easier to just scrap the Pod and buy a M13 or something similar + volume + wah pedal + Gizmo? thats a huge addition chunk of change. Or maybe its just easier to scrap all of that together and use the stock Mark V footswitch + Vol pedal + Wah pedal + Delay pedal daisied into the Mesa... any thoughts or opinions?

I felt like maybe the plus side to using a Gizmo + M13 (or podxt pro) was being able to switch around different options on the Mark V between the 3 channels...
for example... selecting Channel 1 (clean) + sub-option 2 (tweed or whatever example you like). then go to Channel 1 + sub-option 3 without touching the head unit? Otherwise it seems like a daisy chain setup with the standard footswitch does the same thing.

I hope this long strand of rambling questions wasn't too confusing and got to what I was trying to get across... its hard to explain this information sometimes via computer.

Have a great day and thank you for your time!

 

[MartinCliffe]

Right, the way I see it (disclaimer: other viewpoints are available ), the best way to do this would be to continue using the Pod Xt Pro with the Mark V, but to use it in 4-cable method. To do this, you'd plug the guitar into the Pod, the Pod's Send would go into the Mark V, the Mark V's send would go into the Pod's Return, and the Pod's output goes into the Mark V's return. This puts the effects where you (probably) want them - overdrive, compressor, wah etc before the amp's input, and reverbs and delays etc in the effect loop of the amp. You'd need to turn off the amp models in the Pod.

You could still control it from the Floorboard, but you'll need something to control the settings on the Mark V. Voilá the RJM Music Mini Amp Gizmo and the Mesa Mark V cable. You'd connect a standard MIDI cable from the MIDI out of the Pod into the Amp Gizmo, then connect the Amp Gizmo to the Mark V. Then (assuming the Pod is set to send program changes, which I imagine it is by default, but otherwise it's just a case of having a peak in the manual), you can choose the functions (channel, boost, etc) you want to switch on the Mark V on a per-preset basis via the Amp Gizmo.

Only reason I could think of for still using the QSC power amp would be if you were going to take it to a whole other level of complexity and run W/D or W/D/W with multiple cabs...

Now I don't own a Mark V, or a Pod XT Pro, but I do have a Pod XT Live so I know a little bit about how they work, and I've used 4-cable method in a similar way with my Digitech GSP1101, RJM Music RG-16 and Peavey JSX head, so I know it should work... and work well Good luck!

 

[rjmmusic]

As always, Martin's got it right. You can definitely use the Mini Amp Gizmo to control channel switching (and solo boost, eq, etc. - everything the amp's footswitch does). Each preset on the POD can call up a different amp channel, automatically.

I just did a short video showing how to use a Mini Amp Gizmo with a POD X3 Live, which would work the same as your POD in this instance. The amp shown is a Fuchs ODS, but the process would be the same with the Mark V.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Oj7u0FSrk

The 4-cable method is the way to go if you don't mind some additional wiring complexity. The benefit is much greater flexibility - your effects will sound a lot better when they are run in the correct position (front of the amp vs. effects loop). You can get pretty crazy with it, too. If you use an RG-16 (which has audio loop switching in addition to amp control), you can even switch the POD's effects in and out of the signal path, or bypass your amp's preamp altogether and use the POD as a preamp (for example, to get a sound outside the range of what the Mark V can do). Diagram attached...

 

[Yoho_Guitar]

Hey guys thanks a ton, you rock.

Now let me see if I can spell this out for myself and you tell me if I am correct in my thinking here.
I imagine the X3 Live is going to work essentially the same way (great videos btw) - but obviously wired differently (4 cable for pod). Now when doing the four cable method - can I use XLRs to go from the pod to the mesa? from my experience it seems that XLRs tend to give a cleaner more direct tone versus the 1/4" jacks. In looking at the pod with the 4 cable process I imagine it goes:
Guitar -> Front Input jack on Pod
Pod Effects send (1/4" rear, mono) -> Mark V front input jack
Mark V effects send (1/4" rear) -> Pod effects return (1/4" rear)
Pod Unbalanced Output (1/4" rear, mono) -> Mark V Return (1/4" rear)

Will this have any effect on the tonal output of the Mesa? Shouldn't change any thing or dry the signal out.. right?

Then comes the mini Gizmo (which is flat out incredible by the way!)
If I am understanding the Gizmo correctly, which I think I am, essentially its main function is to replace the stock footswitch and allow another device (this being a midi device) to control the amp's circuitry into changing channels.. yes?
In addition to changing channels, since the pod is an effects processor (or the M13 or X3 live which ever) the gizmo is communicating with the pod to say "Place this effect(s) on this channel as well as switching between the three channels on the Mark V"

So essentially - to be specific - if I set up the following on the pod (same as x3)
Bank 1 Channel A -> Delay + Volume + Wah.. then on the Gizmo select lets say the Channel 2 (crunch) and click write on the Gizmo.. it will recall those settings when I go on my floorboard and click to Bank 1 Channel A... so on and so forth?
That's genius guys - you win for sure for coming up with this.

One more question... Does the Gizmo recall the sub-channels on the Mark V? (i.e. Channel 2 Mark 1 thick) so that you can preset and save an array of different setups? Also does it recall EQ settings / bass/mid/treb? - or is it pretty much hard set on the amp and it switches between just those sounds that are physically shown on the amp?

Really, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions for me. Now that I spell it out its really not that complicated - I was just over analyzing it all I'm thinking. Essentially I'm far better off with the Pod then buying a ton of new pedals to do the same thing. Lets me keep my flexibility + a pedal board i'm already used to using live. Now to figure out how to house the mark V + power conditioner + Pod rack in a rack unit haha.

Thanks again fellas, and cheers!

 

[rjmmusic]

Yes, that's exactly how you make the connections. Whether or not it alters tone... I'm not sure, you'd have to try it and see. If it's a problem, you can use the fancy RG-16 approach to bypass the POD when not using the effects.

I don't know if using XLRs will help. You'll need to convert the signal to/from unbalanced anyway, so you may well not see any improvement.

Yes, you've got the Mini Amp Gizmo right - that's exactly what it does. It can't switch anything that's not switchable through the amp's own footswitch, though - on the Mark V, you can switch channels, eq on/off, loop, solo, reverb and tuner mute.