Floor Pod Plus

[lpdeluxe]

Does anyone have any experience with these? I bought one for the wah and to have easy access to other effects (as well as amp modeling) but much of its operation baffles me.

Even with the manual, it seems like I can't save what I want to. One song in C, for example, ends with a Cmaj7. I want to be able to step on the effects pedal for that last note, and have a tremoloed B come out of the amp -- with no tremolo up to that point.

So far I have figured out that I can press both of the Up and Down pedals at the same time, watch the red light between them come on, then turn the effects knob to "tremolo." Since the intensity knob defaults to "no effects" I have to then simultaneously press "manual" and turn the intensity knob to where I want it.

That's not something I can do at a gig. Dammit, I bought it to avoid a lot of rigmarole!

The wah is easy, the amp modeling is good and it's versatile, but user friendly -- at least with this old guy -- it's not. Why do I have to reach down to turn the knobs all the time? Anyone have any insights into this infernal machine?

[RJB]

I'm not familiar with that particular modeler, but to accomplish that on the Vamp2 I use would require 2 user patch slots. One of the the amp model, etc... for the main part of the song, then a second in the NEXT slot, with the tremolo added. Play away in first patch, for last note step on the UP button to go to the next patch to add tremolo.

Most modelers suffer from a lag (dead spot) when switching patches, but the Vamp2 doesn't have that (or minimal anyway) as long as the amp model is the same.

HTH

[sumgai]

luxxie,

I want to be able to step on the effects pedal for that last note, and have a tremoloed B come out of the amp

You want just the B note to be tremolo'ed, and nothing else? The only two ways I can see for that to happen are either the note is synthetically generated within the unit, or else you're feeding a "hex pickup" (Roland GK3a, etc.) into an appropriate device...... at which point, any need for your Floor Pod would be null and void.

I think you're gonna find that the closest you're gonna get is that the whole chord will be tremolo'ed, not just that one note.

As noted by Ron, above, gizmos like this all have the ability to store patches (anywhere from 10 to 256), so the question becomes, how are you executing the "Save" procedure? This is straight out of the manual, as found on Line 6's website:

You can edit any of Floor POD’s preset Channel Memories or create one of your own and store it to whatever location you want. You’ll notice that when you adjust or change something in a preset the SAVE LED is lit solid. To save your sound, follow these steps:

• Press the SAVE button
•The SAVE light will now flash. Use the arrow up/down footswitches to select the preset location you want to store the new preset in.
•Press SAVE a second time and you’ll notice the preset number will blink off and on confirming you have saved.
•All user controls are saved in their current state.

Report back and let us know the results, please.

HTH




sumgai

[lpdeluxe]

No, I'm plucking a single note -- I'm the lead player, after all! But I have been working some more with the POD and here's what it is:

I can save the tremolo sound that I want, but to access it, I have to first be sure the device is in the correct mode (one operation), and then turn the Effects knob to tremolo (another operation); when I then step on the FX pedal at that point in the song, the tremolo will emerge as the B is plucked and dies out.

That seems like a lot of busy work, especially on stage, and especially since you have to reach down to the floor to accomplish the first two tasks -- and the first one takes two hands, because you press two buttons simultaneously.

I have been exploring the presets (arranged in banks) and it's getting a little easier...but how to go for an instantaneous change in tones/amps/effects in the middle of a song (or even between songs) without turning knobs and with a minimum amount of predictability?

Let's say I start a song in preset 2B, and, when I get to the solo, want to switch to preset 9D? -- or is it 9C, or maybe 19D? Whew.

[sumgai]

luxxie,

I can save the tremolo sound that I want, but to access it, I have to first be sure the device is in the correct mode (one operation), and then turn the Effects knob to tremolo (another operation); when I then step on the FX pedal..............

Ah, I see your problem.

What you've been doing is twisting the MODulation knob, making changes on the fly - that works, but it's not what you want.

Instead, do this: Press and Hold for one second the button immediately above the Byp/Dly pedal. That will change the function to FX On/Off. At that point, pushing the two other footswitches will cause the unit to move to other patches, not turn on or off the Distortion or Modulation.

Arrange your patches (using the Save method above) such that you need only one pedal press to go from a patch without Tremolo, to one with Tremolo.

Voila! Done is. ;D

If you still want to use the footswitches to turn on/off the Distortion and Modulation functions, you can do one of two things: either make patches with them in both states, and stored right next to each other, or sell this thing and buy a unit that doesn't assign such common functions to the same footswitch(es)! That's a user-hostile error, in my book.

HTH




sumgai

[lpdeluxe]

Thank you. I'll give it a try, tomorrow.

Happy dreams.