Community: Message List

Re: The Official Pod HD 500 Gear Box Bandwagon

support@line6.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:05:26 GMT

With my amps at least, almost all of the tones in GearBox rocked in combo front mode with no tweaking. Zero. Connect the USB to the Pod XT, connect front of amp, dial up a band, pick a tone, hit download, and rock.

This versus...

Dial up a tone on the HD500. Tweak. Tweak some more. Tweak a little bit more. Go to bed and dream about tweaking.

Not really, and I do enjoy the HD500, but the patches in GearBox for me with my Pod XT were very very useful, saved me a whack of time and led to 1000x more playing than is the case with my HD500 at this time.

HD500 through effects loop...what is working for you?

support@line6.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:55:55 GMT

Just wondering if anyone is willing to post any tips, tricks or random thoughts about their experience so far using the HD500 through the effects loop of an amp. For example:

What kind of amp?
Tube or SS?
Are you using the 4CM?
Anything different from a "typical" 4CM setup?
What input mode?
What output mode?
If combo or stack front, what are your settings?
What AC frequency setting?
PAD on or off?
Have you had success with effects?
Are some better than others?
Any effects particularly sexy?
Any particularly bad?
What distortion pedals are working for you?
What aren't working?
Have you had any success with full amp sims?
Preamp sims?
Which ones?
Any rules of thumb for settings?
Cabs on or off?
Any success with dual amps? [I have been screwing around with these lots lately - wow - some very interesting combinations sonically are possible]
Any placement tips/tricks?

I am not suuggesting that all these things be answered, or even any of them. Random thoughts would be great. Tidbits. And I appreciate that tweaking will be required from amp to amp, but it might be interesting/helpful to see if any tips of general application emerge.

Even though I am having a bit of a rough go mating the HD500 with my Traynor YCV40 (a Canadian made 1-12" speaker 2 channel 40 watt tube amp), I did not return my HD500 within the 30 day period. It's been too interesting so far and has turned into a really fun challenge. Thankfully, I do not get frustrated over my lack of success.

I am toying with the idea of buying a Mackie powered speaker if I can't get the results I want with my amp. I thought I'd post this first to see if I can get a little schooled before dropping yet more cash on yet more gear.

TIA for any responses.

Mike

Re: VG-99 + HD500

support@line6.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:09:04 GMT

Oh how I wish the HD500 could somehow accomplish the alternate tuning thing.

Re: VG-99 + HD500

support@line6.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:55:20 GMT

How is it at alternate tunings?

Re: Just want to say..

support@line6.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:38:09 GMT

X1000. I want to thank everyone too. I'm struggling with my HD500 with my amp but it's all due to user error/inexperience. It's getting better :-) For me, this forum is one of the best things about Line 6. The people here are polite, knowledgeable, helpful and not quick to jump all over anyone (i.e. me LOL) for asking painfully dumb questions or making unintentionally stoooopid comments. I was gong to return my HD but I've decided to keep it so I can slowly figure this bad boy out. If nothing else, it's an incredibly interesting product. Steep learning curve for me, but lots of fun learning.

Re: Is the HD series too bright?

support@line6.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:42:20 GMT

Much brighter and thinner than my Pod XT. That said, I'd say it's likely user error as I am still trying to figure it out.

Re: Through amp = crap. What am I doing wrong?

support@line6.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:15:01 GMT

Thanks tons for the response. Much appreciated.

Mike

Re: Through amp = crap. What am I doing wrong?

support@line6.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:16:42 GMT

I'm using the combo power amp output. I had understood from numerous threads that the 4CM was fine for amp modeling if you configured everything as suggested by jimsreynolds and turned the effects loop off to bypass the preamp. As for CustomTone being for direct recording, I understood that as well but didn't appreciate there would be significant tweaking required to use those patches through an amp. If you are correct, then the GearBox patches for the XT are obviously designed to be used through an amp because they sound awesome with absolutely zero tweaking.

It's pretty screwed up that my XT is a lot better (using the GearBox patches with no tweaking) than anything I can dial up on the HD.

Where are some HD patches that can be used through my amp like the GearBox ones? Does nobody create/share patches to be run throughan amp?

Through amp = crap. What am I doing wrong?

support@line6.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:21:43 GMT

I have the HD500 plugged into the effects loop of my Traynor YCV40 using the 4CM. I disconnected the HD from the amp (to avoid deafness/eviction/arrest) and plugged the USB in. I downloaded a whack of patches from CustomTone and reconnected to my amp. I would say that with the exception of a small few, which were only okay, the patches sucked. No bass, thin and literally hard to tolerate for more than a couple of seconds. I mean, these weren't bad, they were WRONG. Seriously wrong.

The pattches I have dialled up suck, but they were a lot better than the ones at CustomTone. I tried to get ones from people who I recognized from this site. A lot of them were posted here with sound clips that sounded awesome.

Why do they sound like crap through my amp?

Re: Are the Patches any good at CustomTone?

support@line6.com — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:43:24 GMT

Thanks for the response and yeah - I am trying to examine and disect the patches. Tomorrow I have 4 hours set aside to go online into HD Edit, dial up a few patches, and re-create them on my HD manually.

And yeah - I hear you about the one size not fitting all. Through the effects loop of my amp, I find that the JCM800 has no low end. None. And when I put the beloved TS in front of anything, it sucks the low end completely out. I suspect that that is contrary to everyone else's experience. For whatever reason too, my Metal Core pedal blows the doors off the Metal Zone Heavy Distortion modelled pedal, or whatever it's called. Slightly different pedals, but close enough. That said, the heavy distortion is by FAR the best sounding distortion option (for me at least).

I am not having the greatest of luck with my HD but there is something about it that keeps drawing me back in. It's like a riddle that has seized my soul.

I don't think I have the right personality for the HD. I'm fine with pedals and the very finite adjustments that come with them. Dial em up and accept them for what they are. With that frickin HD though I always think there's a tone to beat alll tones just 2 or 3 tweaks away. My playing has gone for a crap since I got the HD. I've spent 75% of my time playing the same riff over and over with endless tweaking. I am literally driving my daughter insane.