Community: Message List - I need your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:56:03 GMT

At the end I buy my HD500....

It's a nice instrument!

I also buy 2 Active Monitor SR Technology Club

The sound is awsome!

I continue use one of my two Marshall 6100LM Anniversary head in 4 cable method, but now I have "modelized" its sound and often I use only the HD500...

POD is pretty easy to model, but there are some lacks....

- there is not a real parametric eq inside!!!

- it's impossible to use only cabinet emulations

- Midi can send only 1 program change on 1 channel

- DSP is sometimes a limit, it's impossible to send differents signals for the mixer and the amp

- a "compare" button is missing

- when you change amp model, effect etc... or you come back to the previous one all controls: volume, eq, cab, mic etc... return to presetted value!!!

- edit software on PC is so poor.... compared to other software...

but I like it so much and allows me to experiment with new sounds...

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions!

Bye

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:40:21 GMT

For Rowbi:

Thanks again!

Probably on Saturday I will have the chance to try a HD 500. In the store they also have a Spider Valve MKII ...

In the meantime I am reading the manual.

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:33:21 GMT

martirap wrote:

For Spaceati:

Really the effects quality is so different in HD series?
You put your HD400 in a PA or an amp?
If in an amp you use input, S/R or only the power amp?

Thanks

I've run my HD400 into a PA before. sounded great. I may get chance to do it again tonight, so if I remember I will, and I can try it against the HD through a DT50.

the FX quality on the M series pedals, and the POD HD are the same. very high quality. the X3 and SV MKII series share the same platform. I know in the X3, the main DSP ran the amp simulations, whereas a sub processor of sorts ran the FX (apparently). whereas in the M series and the POD HD, the main DSP is used for the FX (as well as amp models in the POD HD). so that's not to say the fx in the SV MKII or X3 are bad (they're really good) but they're just better in the POD HD and M series... kind of like saying one marshall amp is better than another... but it doesn't make either a bad amp... as it's all subjective, and not objective... but the objective part is that there's more horse power beding the M series and POD HD, so in my opinion the FX do sound a little better.

EDIT: the only way to know for sure, is for you to try them yourself. then you can hear it all and decide

Message was edited by: Rowbi

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:00:01 GMT

For Shockwave199:

I do not think of replacing my rig with a live combo 50w ... We talked about playing without amp and I said that this is the minimum of security that I would bring with me on stage (50w valve amp or 150 monitor "studio quality" like SR do) then of course there are the monitor of the service (normally each 100-180w ), but from the monitors already pass kick, snare, bass, vocals, etc ... But you gave me an idea: I could replace everything with 2 micro stack!

The effects are not a big problem of space / weight for me: I have everything I need in 2 rack units + Ground Control with 2 midi expression pedals + cry baby 535q. The biggest problem are the 2 heads and 4x12!
My goal is to replace that sound without using them.
I saw that the HD500 POD has limitations in DSP whan using 2 preamp (stereo) + effects .... For my sound (remember that I sound metal-crossover, not blues, jazz or pop covers) and to improve, I would like to learn to use the models that I believe are the future, but maybe they haven't yet reached a sufficient quality to use them without pass in a tube amp or cabinets with speakers...

On your advice, today I tried to use Guitar Rig 3 in my Marshall 6100 LM.

I had the best results using it like a stomp box: removing the cabinets, and plug in the front input, on the clean channel flat eq.

The sound is more "fake" using only the power amp (as I had experienced in the past).

By using the send/return is even worse because of more noise and hum.

Using my home PA or my headphones (with cabinets actives) I doesn't like too much, perhaps because there aren't 4x12 speakers that push 100w...

Thanks

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:43:18 GMT

For Spaceati:

Really the effects quality is so different in HD series?
You put your HD400 in a PA or an amp?
If in an amp you use input, S/R or only the power amp?

Thanks

I need your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:50:18 GMT

Hi! I have a question for you Line 6 Community!

I would like to change my gear and approach the word of modeling. I play crossover, funky metal and rap metal in live situations, professional studio, and produce music at home. Actually my basic sound is made by 2 Marshall Heads 6100 LM Anniversary + param eq + bbe + 4x12 1960B stereo + effects (Digitech, TC Electonics, Cry Baby etc... ). Transport all this quipement in rehearsal, clubs, etc... begins to get tiring! I need something that replace all of that without loose in quality. I need to have my sound in any situation, and also in home recording.
I have looking for 2 solutions:

* Line 6 Spider Valve MKII (more "traditional" and I tried it in a shop )

or

* POD HD 500 / POD X3 Live + SR Jam 150 Plus box

(I've never tried POD in live situations or directly in PA and I don't know which one is better...)

(I tried put Guitar RIG 3 in my power amp+cabinet without satisfaction...)

(I'm a fairly good sound engineer and able with effect programming)

Your comments?

ThanKs

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 07:06:24 GMT

You dragged around that whole rig and now 50 watts will suffice for stage? I think you're in for a shock- a pod and a 50 watt amp will be no match for your stereo power rig you have there at the moment. I don't care what amp you're talking, or which pod you're choosing. You're gonna feel anemic, to say the least.

You have two areas to try and duplicate and be happy, both for your ears and your back. One is the amplification. Second is the effects. Take the effects first because that's the easiest to say- you'll have no problem with that in either the X3L or an HD. Effects are quality and plentiful. Either pod- I'd be very surprised if you can't duplicate your gig sounds with the plethora of effects in these pods. Easy schmesy in that department.

Your amplification is a different story. There's a lot of options. But the first thing to consider is exactly what you want out of a pod. You don't have to use the amp/cab modeling in a pod, on stage. You can have a fantastic combo amp and just use the effects in the pod. There's plenty of stomps, modulation, delays, and comps to compliment an already great sounding combo amp. I use my X3L just this way for gigs. I plug it right into the front of my fender twin which already sounds excellent, bypass amps/cabs, and program in all the effects I need to do all the covers I do on clubdates. It can be that simple. And it sounds freakin great- mainly because of a great amp and great effects. And interestingly enough, I get a fantastic sound with this rig when I do use amp models- hooked up the very same way right into the front of the darn amp. Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done and sound great. It can. It takes the right output setting in the pod [not always the logical one], and final eq'ing on the amp [usually close to flat] to make the models shine. For instance, I dial in an AC30 with this setup and bam, the AC30 sounds authentic and great to my ears. If it's slightly thin, I can thicken it up to taste any number of ways. But it's an AC30 and a damn good sounding one. All right into the front of a fender, for cryin out loud! I'm never quite sure why so many people say it can't be done well, or insist that you need a 4-cable method or effects loop to make it work. That has not been my experience with an amp- at least not my fender. It sounded great this way with an XTL, and now an X3L. But there's a lot of choices for amplification, such as two powered PA speakers for what I'm sure is an amazing stereo rig. Or heck, even one of your Marshal heads and perhaps a smaller 2x12 cab. Lots to consider there.

You want to recreate your sound and park most of the weight of that gear. I get that big time. I'm pushing 50 and even my fender is getting heavier now. Think about what you want out of a pod though- all the modeling plus effects, or just effects coupled with a quality amp. It doesn't have to be the whole shebang in the pod for stage. I would suggest you audition an HD just to get a taste of all the effects it has. That's about all you can do. Exactly how the modeling side will translate and make you happy depends greatly on your choice of amplification, for stage work. That's a tough one to just blindly throw bucks at and hope it's the right choice. And for the duty of recording, I think the X3L is more geared towards that purpose. Don't count out an X3L man! But I think the pod offers the best of both worlds really- a killer great effects unit to compliment an amp on stage, and some fantastic modeling in a recording situation. But like I said, modeling can be great too on stage right into a quality amp. You say you can engineer sound well. You should have no problem taming either beast. That really is most of the answer- knowing how to coax good tone out the pod. It's not all that difficult if you know how- and any background in audio engineering goes a long way.

Good luck!

Dan

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:45:18 GMT

hmmm....My HD400 sounds way better then my SV MK2...Pitch FX quality is very noticiable...The MK2 is good...but not the same level in the FX department as the HD...The SV is a great amp for the HD PODs I think...Of course, I think the DT-50 is the best choice...

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:15:47 GMT

Hi again

Just to clarify.

The POD HD500 for me sounds equally as good through a PA or into a valve amp's power amp section but especially good through a DT50 - my opinion. The older X3 Live for me was not good through any guitar amp but was excellent through a PA system - again my opinion.

Note: at present the HD500 cannot supply a separately voiced output to the XLR outputs and the 1/4" outputs. i.e. you can't send a Studio/Direct signal to the PA whilst sending a Combo Pwr Amp signal to your on-stage amp. Both sets of outputs currently send the same signal.

The Spider Valve MkII does sound good to me and is a self contained all-in-one solution if used with a suitable controller like the FBV MkII Shortboard.

The Spider Valve MkII has a DI output which has two modes: Studio or Performance and in Performance mode, the DI signal is derived from the output transformer and so has valve 'goodness'

Nick

Re: I need for your help in choosing Line 6 gear!!!!!

support@line6.com — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:03:23 GMT

Thank you very much Rowbi and Nick for your reply.
I will try to test the HD500 before deciding....

Certainly I could never stand on stage without an amplifier or a monitor behind my back: often in clubs there are problems with PA or monitors or engineers! I need to secure at least a 50w to get my sound source and feel even in an emergency situation or when the drummer beats too much!

From what Nick says , it seems that put the HD500 in the return of a tube amp gives better results than the direct input into PA ... sure with old POD's was not.

I don't care how system accurately models the original amp, I'm interested in how "real" and how many "quality" you can obtain.

So, if the Spider Valve with older modeling but with specific pre and power tube amp sounds "better" then the HD500, I will buy the Spider, which also has multiple effects including pitch...

If the HD500 sounds better than a Spider Valve in PA and you say that in any tube amp gets better, then I will buy the HD first, I'll do a little test with my Marshall head, and then replace it with a combo or a power amp with a 2x12 cabinet for a less single weight.

Regards.