PDI-09 Palmer speaker emulator users?

[Kapo_Polenton]

http://www.palmergear.com/pdi09.shtml

Guys, I have heard some people using the load from hotplate out into a speaker sim in their line 6 guitar port or other but to me it sounded a bit scratchy and fizzy..kind of like when you use the lowest attenuation. I am interested in mic'ing but also using DI through a cab sim so i can blen the tones like they used to (supposedly) in studios with things like the red box. I plan to still play loud enough but am not sure if "volume" or level of attentuation really affects that line out so maybe it will still be fizzy. So this is where you folks come in. Two questions:

1. How does this unit sound or other similar ones to your ear?

2. Does level attentuation affect the fizziness or does it have nothing to do with it?

Thanks

[Kapo_Polenton]

o yeah, most importantly, does anyone have any clips?!

[drmathprog]

I've been using one for several years, but I go from the amp to the PDI-09 and then to a Weber MASS. That way, I can adjust stage volume without changing the PA volume. To my ear, it sounds very much like micing the amp with a SM57. I don't have any clips, however.

[rhythmrocker]

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/merce...lmer-PDI09.pdf

[Shredcow]

I haven't got the chance to use it with my tube amp yet... but i've been using it for about a year as a direct recording tool, pedalboard to laptop.

Its so much more natural than using a Sansamp TRI OD's speaker sim.

Between running my board into my Reverend Goblin (on clean) and using a Palmer into laptop - there are differences, sure but the major differences to my ears would be:

1) Less gain when using palmer since no tubes to interact with
2) Sound is a little less 3-D sounding

You do NOT get a flat, compressed tone and its just... cool. Nifty device, plug n play applies here.

[Kapo_Polenton]

Shredcow.. you wouldn't happen to have any clips of this thing woulda ya? short snippets? I mean would be helpful if the site did an A/B comparison of a marshall with the palmer nd then mic'ed with a 57'.. that is what these guys really need to do. How hard would that be?!

[shikawkee]

I love mine and use it all the time.
I send from my amps head via speaker cable
to PDI-09 then out to a load box my assistant built
off plans on the web then via XLR to tape from the PDI.
Sounds amazing and never wakes the neighbors!!!

[Ed Reed]

I used one for a while in a wet dry rig. I got lazy and started plying mono. They work pretty good for what they are. I have also sent a signal to the FOH with one on several occasions. I will say this I got the best guitar tone coming back in the monitors I've ever had using one. (once) A lot depends on so many other things.

[ned911]

I have one permanently attached to my Eggie Mod50 for easy setup - just plug the mic cable into the back of my amp. Pics and a link to our demo which was recorded using the PDI-09 available here:
http://www.grailtone.com/guitar-tone...liminator.html

[Tweeker]

Originally Posted by drmathprog

I've been using one for several years, but I go from the amp to the PDI-09 and then to a Weber MASS. That way, I can adjust stage volume without changing the PA volume. To my ear, it sounds very much like micing the amp with a SM57...

This is also how use the Palmer. It really does a fine job. The above configuration keeps the attenuator strickly for stage volume, allowing the Palmer to send the wide open amp to the PA.
Here's a quick demo where I skipped the amp altogether. Sound is pedalboard to preamp (to bring up to line level) to Palmer PDI-09 to crappo recorder. I believe it maintains the sound of the pedalboard very well.

http://www.mediafire.com/?3hghncbgvcm

[pala]

Mark Cae 3+SE and PDI-09

http://www.thesamhillband.com/dontstop.mp3

[derek2615]

I use this for our church praise band:
Strat - pedalboard - Pro Junior

Pro Junior has a Palmer and Weber MicroMass between the amp and the speaker. XLR out of the Palmer back to the mixing board. I use the mass to take the speaker down to nearly nothing and run the volume on the amp at about 4. We use in-ear wireless with the Aviom personal mixers so I don't really need/want any stage volume (neither does the sound guy). The Palmer is set to 15 watt attenuation and the normal tone setting. This setup consistently produces incredible tone. The tubes are just below breakup so when I hit them with the OCD, Tim or '69 it really sounds like a much bigger system than it is. I have a Klon at the end of the line just as a clean boost that's on all the time (as a volume/tone adjustment). I tried a PodXT live the other day and went right back to this, no comparison live. Pod was fun with headphones but I never got it to work going into the main mixing board.
Sorry I got long winded but it's been a long road to get to this setup.
Derek

[Kapo_Polenton]

Hey Pala, I had a great time listening to that song! lol, thanks for posting.. being from Ottawa its nice to look back and have a good laugh about how bad we got our @sses kicked! :-)

As for sound, for some reason i kind of feel the palmers are a bit fuzzy. Would be good to hear them through a plexi. However, I do hear the bennefit for lead playing and solos.. sound good there and give it some compression it seems. Maybe a good solution would be to live mic' and DI.I always think my recorded solos don't sound "polished" enough

[hamfist]

Don't dismiss the Behringer GI-100. It's one of the few bits of Behringer kit I would trust with it's reliability. And its soooooo cheap !! There's some comparative clips of a Zinky BV25 I used to own at http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=615870 . Just scroll down and look for "Zinky - DI" and "Zinky - miked". THe miked sample is from the Zinky's 1 x 12 open backed cab with an Eminence-made driver, specially made for Zinky. The Di is from the GI-100, placed inbetween the power amp and the Speaker.

Alan

[Axe_78th]

+1 for hamfist. I come out of my hotplate into a Behringer GI-100 and then to the PA. Sounds great, and I was a die hard "mike it with a SM57 please" guy.