I. Simple method (no real amp)

This is the simplest connection method if you are not using a real amp as a possible pre-amp. Then you just hook an unbalanced 1/4" cable from your guitar to guitar in on the Pod.

If possible, use SPDIF or USB for a digital connection, which will produce the highest quality signal. But if this route produces sync or latency issues, use XLR outputs if your external device supports XLR. Otherwise use unbalanced 1/4" cable(s).

You can run all your external effects before the Pod or in its effects loop, depending on which effects you are using (see the effects order section). You can also run them from the unbalanced (or XLR if available on the effect) output(s). See the effects loop section for advantages/disadvantages to using the loop.

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II. Using a real amp as a pre-amp

You CAN run a real amp as a pre-amp and still output "direct"; but I do not recommend it, unless you are running an external IR. The problem is that in order to enable cab and mic simulation, you have to select and turn on an amp model. All the amp models in the Pod HD will color the tone. So you are essentially running two pre-amps.

That being said, if you really want to do so, run a cable from your guitar to Guitar In on the Pod, then the Pod Effects Loop Send to amp's Guitar In, then amp's Effects Loop Send to Pod's Effects Loop Return. You will have to put the FX Loop effect before your amp model on the Pod's signal chain.

Choose the cleanest amp model possible on the Pod (I would use the Blackface pre with drive set to 5% or less). You could use a "full" model to attempt to model a power amp, but you can't select JUST the power amp you want. You're going to get the pre-amp model too, and for most of the amp's, they will add distortion or dynamic coloration. This is especially true for the high gain amp models' pre-amps, although they generally have cleaner power amps. If you are using an external IR, I would set the amp to "no amp" (or turn the amp model off).

Any effects you want run before the pre-amp will have to be placed before the Pod or between the Pod's Effect Loop Send and the amp's Guitar In. Any effects after the pre-amp will have to be placed between the amp's Effect Loop Send and the Pod's Effects Loop Return.

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D. Running to an amp ("live")

This is for when you are running specifically into a amp and speakers designed for use with guitar. Really, guitar speakers are what really roll off the high frequencies produced by guitar amplifiers or amp models. Guitar power amps also color the tone and may make it warmer, but their coloration is generally much less noticeable than guitar speakers.

(If you are instead using a full-range amplifier and full-range speakers, even if they are placed in an enclosure designed to look like a guitar amp, or marketed specifically for guitar, I recommend you use the settings above; otherwise, the tone will likely be very harsh and trebly.)

I recommend setting your output mode to the appropriate non-"Studio/Direct" mode. If you want to use your Pod for both "direct" and "live" purposes, I recommend leaving the output mode as "Studio/Direct" and setting your "live" patches up with "no cab" as your cabinet selection. When you use "no cab", you get the same output in every output mode (more-or-less) - all cab/mic simulation is simply disabled.

Thus, whether your tone is "live" vs. "direct" is patch dependent, and you can switch between the two without having to dig into the system menu to change output modes. The downside to this is that you have to make two versions of all your patches; however, I rarely find that simply switching the output mode produces the same tone live vs. direct. This is especially true if you have a power amp or speakers that add a lot of color to your "live" tone. So I have two versions of all my patches anyway.

The other alternative is to make one version of all your patches and switch output modes for whatever method you are using at the moment. The downside is that for "direct", you have to specify a cab and mic. When you switch the output mode for "live" use, the cab simulation will still be selected and run (see output modes section). Thus, it will be difficult to impossible to dial in a consistent sound between "direct" and "live", and you'll have to make purpose-specific patches anyway. I don’t like using the cab simulation for "live" purposes. It seems to muffle the high end of the tone, which is important for a high gain sound.

As for the actual cable hook-ups, there are a number of ways to do this. I will go from the least optimal/versatile yet simplest to best yet most complex.

Here's a few guidelines to keep in mind for this connection type:

• The only thing you should ever run your amp's power section output (sometimes labeled "speaker" or "16/8/4 ohm") to is a speaker cabinet or dummy load. Running it to the Pod will fry your amp and your Pod. Running it into nothing will fry your amp.

• You can bypass your amp's pre-amp circuit completely by running a signal into its effects loop return, sometimes labeled "power amp in". This is useful when you never want to use your amp's pre-amp, instead using the Pod's amp simulations.

• By using both your amp's and your Pod's effects loops, you can set up your rig for some patches to use your amp's pre-amp and others to use the Pod's modeling, switching between the two without having to switch any cables. This also lets you place effects in the Pod before and/or after your amp's pre-amp. This is known as the 4 cable method.

• Some amps have only channel volume knobs, not a final master knob (Peavey ValveKing and 6505 for instance). When running the Pod's output into the effects loop return in these cases, your Pod's MASTER knob will act like a traditional master volume knob on an amp. When using the 4 cable method, for patches that use the amp pre-amp, you should use the channel volume knobs to level the volume equal to your patches where you bypass the amp's pre-amp completely, using the Pod's amp simulations instead.

• Even if you always use your amp's pre-amp for your amp tone, never using the Pod's amp models, you may still prefer to hook up the Pod via the 4 cable method, so that you can position effects before and after the pre-amp, rather than just after.

• The more pieces of gear you have in your signal chain, the more you have to be aware of gain staging. I find it's best to start with everything putting out a low output, and start turning up the outputs on each piece of gear until you are clipping the next one then back off a bit. Your tone will likely start out noisier this way, but I find it's easier to systematically dial in each piece of gear like this than to just turn everything on, find some fuzz or clipping or nastiness in the tone, then start guessing as to where it's coming from.

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