The Best Podfarm Presets For Modern Metal

Line 6 Pod Farm might feel like a legacy plugin these days, but if you think it's just a relic from a bygone era of digital amp sims, you're sleeping on a secret weapon. Plenty of pro mixers—including Nail The Mix instructors like Buster Odeholm and Tyler Smyth (check his Falling In Reverse session)—still reach for it to craft album-ready guitar tones.

The notion that modern digital tools are inherently "sterile" is an outdated take. The technology has evolved, and so have the techniques for using it. Pod Farm’s amp models have a raw character that can sound incredible, but the key is knowing how to unlock it.

The biggest knock against Pod Farm has always been its stock cabinet simulations. They can sound boxy and dated. But what happens when you bypass them entirely? You reveal how good the underlying amp models still are. The secret is pairing Pod Farm with a third-party impulse response (IR). That single move can transform this "old" plugin into a modern metal monster.

Why Pod Farm Still Rips for Metal

It's easy to get caught up in the hype of the newest modeler, but many of the foundational high-gain amp tones are captured perfectly inside Pod Farm. The models of the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, Peavey 5150, and Marshall JCM800 are still totally viable.

The real magic is that Pod Farm is CPU-friendly and incredibly straightforward. No option paralysis. You get a simple, effective signal chain that you can dial in fast, helping you move beyond generic presets. When you feed that raw amp tone into a modern IR, you get the best of both worlds: a classic, well-modeled amp head and a detailed, professionally captured speaker/mic setup.

The Game Changer: Bypassing Cabs with Impulse Responses (IRs)

If you’re serious about getting a modern sound out of any amp sim, you need to get familiar with Impulse Responses.

What's an IR?

Think of an IR as a high-resolution sonic snapshot of a speaker cabinet, a microphone, and the room it was recorded in. Loading an IR file effectively replaces the amp sim's built-in cabinet section with this pro-quality capture. It’s the single most impactful change you can make to a digital guitar tone.

How to Use IRs with Pod Farm

The process is simple and works in any DAW:

1. Load Pod Farm onto your DI guitar track.
2. Build your tone (amp, pedals, etc.), but make sure to disable the Cab/Mic block in the signal chain. You want to send the raw "amp head" signal out of the plugin.
3. Load a separate IR loader plugin after Pod Farm on the same track. Free options like NadIR, Pulse, or most DAWs' stock convolution reverbs work great.
4. Load your favorite third-party IR into the loader plugin.

Where to Get Killer Metal IRs

The market is full of incredible IR packs from creators who have meticulously captured the best cabs for metal. A few staples to check out are:

• OwnHammer
• York Audio
• Celestion Digital
• Bogren Digital

For a deeper look, check out our guide to the best impulse responses for metal guitars.

5 Pod Farm Chains for Crushing Metal Tone

These aren't exact presets but starting points. The amp settings are a guide; your guitar, pickups, and playing style will require you to tweak. Remember to pair all of these with your own IR loader!

1. The Modern Tight Rhythm Tone

This is your go-to for precise, articulate, djent-style rhythms. It’s all about a fast attack and controlled low-end.

• The Amp: Criminal. This is modeled after the Peavey 5150/6505, the undisputed king of modern metal tone.
• Key Settings: Gain: 6-7, Bass: 4, Mid: 5, Treble: 6, Presence: 7. Don't crank the gain; the tightness comes from the boost and your playing.
• The Pre-FX Chain: Place a Screamer (Tube Screamer model) before the amp. Set Drive to 0, Tone to 6, and Level to 10. This classic trick tightens the low-end and pushes the mids for more aggression.
• Post-Processing: Use a gate at the beginning of the chain to kill any noise. In your DAW, you’ll want to do some surgical EQing to carve out space and tame the low end on your metal guitars.

2. High-Gain Mayhem

For when you need that saturated, huge, wall-of-sound rhythm tone that defined the late 90s and 2000s metalcore scene.

• The Amp: Treadplate. This is Pod Farm’s take on the legendary Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier.
• Key Settings: Gain: 8, Bass: 6, Mid: 4 (start with the classic scoop!), Treble: 7, Presence: 6.
• The Pre-FX Chain: Again, a Screamer pedal upfront is almost mandatory to keep the Recto's notoriously loose low-end in check.
• Post-Processing: This tone can have a lot of low-mid build-up. After the IR, use an EQ to high-pass around 80-100Hz and find any "mud" frequencies around 200-400Hz to dip out.

3. Classic Thrash & Death Metal Bite

Think early Metallica, Slayer, or Death. This tone is less saturated and more about raw, mid-range aggression and pick attack.

• The Amp: Brit J-800. Modeled on the Marshall JCM800, this amp has the perfect mid-range bark.
• Key Settings: Gain: 8-9, Bass: 5, Mid: 8, Treble: 7, Presence: 7. Don't be afraid of the mids here; they are the entire point of this tone!
• The Pre-FX Chain: The Screamer boost is still a great move, but try running the amp without it first to see if you like the rawer, more open character.
• Post-Processing: This tone can sometimes be a bit harsh. Look for fizzy frequencies in the 3-5kHz range to tame with a narrow EQ cut.

4. Ambient Cleans & Leads

Modern metal isn't all chugging. You need pristine, atmospheric cleans and soaring leads. Pod Farm has you covered.

• The Amp: For cleans, try the Blackface 'Lux NRM (Fender Deluxe Reverb). For leads, the Brit J-800 or Criminal work great, just with more gain.
• Key Settings (Cleans): Keep the gain low enough that it doesn't break up when you dig in. Use the onboard EQs to taste.
• The FX Chain: This is where Pod Farm's effects shine. Add a Digital Delay (set to a dotted 8th or quarter note) and a Cave Reverb or Hall Reverb after the amp but before the cab block (which you’ll have disabled).
• Post-Processing: A touch of compression can even out cleans and add sustain to leads.

5. Bonus: The Grindy Bass Tone

Pod Farm is also excellent for bass. You can easily create a track-ready bass tone perfect for sitting under heavy guitars.

• The Amp: Rock Classic. This is modeled after the Ampeg SVT, the bass amp you've heard on a million records.
• Key Settings: Drive to taste—just enough to get some hair and grit. Use the EQ to make it sit nicely with your kick drum.
• The Pre-FX Chain: Run a DI signal on a separate track. Use Pod Farm to create a distorted "grit" track using the Bronze Master (Marshall Super Bass) or even a guitar amp sim for bass.
• Post-Processing: Blend your clean DI track with your Pod Farm grit track. This gives you a powerful low-end from the DI and all the character and aggression from the amp sim.

Beyond the Preset: The Tone is in Your Hands

A great preset is just a starting point. The real essence of a crushing modern metal guitar sound doesn't come from a plugin; it comes from the performance. Modern metal is defined by rhythmic precision. Your picking hand is the single most important tool in your arsenal, and proper recording technique is what makes it shine.

A tight, consistent performance is what makes a high-gain digital tone sound clear and powerful instead of messy and fake. Record yourself constantly. Listen back critically. Are your palm mutes tight? Are your down-picks consistent? Is every note landing perfectly on the grid? An amazing preset will only highlight sloppy playing, which is why having a tight metal guitar editing workflow is just as important as the tone itself.

These tools allow you to analyze your playing in detail and get better, faster. That commitment to craft—using the technology to push your abilities—is what truly defines the modern approach to metal.

If you want to see exactly how the pros take raw tones like these and sculpt them into a professional, finished mix, Nail The Mix is where it happens. You get to download the actual multi-tracks from massive songs and watch the original producers mix them from scratch, explaining every single move they make.

Check out the full catalog of Nail The Mix sessions and see for yourself.