Community: Message List - HD500 - Input impedance - Sound and sustain drop

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:18:28 GMT

I will try that Thanks very much!

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:15:38 GMT

i had very similar observation. there were two guitars, that I compared, a MM JP and Ibanez RGA121. I played them both for quite a long time (POD HD 500 > headphones) and couldn't help but notice that MM had better sustain, while RGA was dying pretty quickly and in a rather abrupt manner.

MM does seem to sustain better, still, but however, when I played both guitars through a "real" rig (Mesa) Ibanez sustained much, much better and difference between two guiatrs was negligible sustain-wise.

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:43:04 GMT

Hey Slooky,

Yes we did achieved lots of good results.

First of all: what kind of style do you play? A key to get a good sustain with distortion is using the Screamer and using it's distortion. The more "gain" you set, more sustain you get. This was very interesting...

Another thing is about the compressor. Forget the "Blue Comp" and "Red Comp". The best results were achieved with the Tube Comp using 26% and 27% respectively at the settings.

These 2 tips won't solve the problem 100%. But it's a way to go.

Try these and let me know the amps and style you like playing... and also let us know what effects you're using and then there are some other settings to do that can improve the sustain. But the first steps are the two above. Then, is adjusting at the amp, the 4 new parameters (Sag, Master... etc).

Give a try. It didn't solve because I understood it's not a problem, but it's a consequence of getting the HD sounds. Once you prefere losing a little "quality" on behalf of getting more sustain, there are parameters that you can use to get the sustain we used to get with the X3 and XT series, but with their sound (not HD sound).

Cya!

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 13:08:39 GMT

Any progress? I find I am having the same problems!

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:11:27 GMT

I'd like to thank you Hugo for the ticket, and also all the others who posted on this discussion, specially spaceatl, BigChas52 and jimsreynolds.

I'll mark some as "Helpful" but none as "Correct" so far.

Thank you all and I hope to get back on this discussion with great news and the problem solved!

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:07:32 GMT

Can't you just put a buffered pedal in front of it and be done with the whole mess?

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:12:15 GMT

Birro,

All of your recordings have been listened to and it is tough to tell if there is anything wrong with how the unit behaves. I have opened a support ticket to continue this support through. Please use the following link to view your support ticket:

http://line6.com/account/tickets/

Regards,

Line6Hugo

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:06:12 GMT

Hi Line6Hugo,

I'm not complaining performances or comparing the units.

As soon as I took the HD500 from the box and plugged my guitar into it, everything seemed fine, except sustaining notes. Have you checked the mp3 files from the first page of this discussion?

As you said: "HD and X3 both performed very similar without either one really having more sustain that the other". So you got my point.

Yes I do want further sustain but that's not this point for now. The thing is that my HD500 isn't delivering the guitar's natural sustain on single notes. It's cutting the sound of my single notes as I posted on the 6 mp3 files. Looks like a signal cut. A fast drop on the sound that's not natural.

Using the old X3 Live or even playing at regular amps, you play a single note, vibrates it and you have the sustain, that's is based on your pickups, guitar construction, playing technique and also the effects you're using.

Into a regular amp, using distortion or not, you play a regular note, vibrates it and then the sound starts to fade. It's completely normal.

But on my HD500 the sound isn't fading as it should. I have a "cut"/drop on the sound working like a "noise gate", cutting the volume. Please listen to the mp3s at the first page. Pay attention to the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th mp3 and hear the sound cut. Using any guitars I have I get that. It only happens on this HD500 of mine. If I plug the guitars into the amp, the sustain looks natural. Using my old X3 Live with my effects tweaked, I used to get an "infinite sustain". And now there's no sustain at all. I just can't play my solos sustaining notes for more than 1-2 seconds. If I bend a note, after a very little space of time I just lose the sound.

Please let's start over from the beginning of this discussion, at the 11th post on which I posted the sounds and written what I'm getting. What's happening isn't natural, isn't a performance comparison on units nor a tweaking patch difficulty. Those samples were recorded with what I wrote, no noise gate and only the last ones with compressor... and it's clear that something's not right. This is our start point.

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:23:51 GMT

I feel like I am missing something here. I listened to the audio recordings and did my own A/B testing between the POD HD and the POD X3 series using these same models and I wasn't hearing anything that sounded like there is a problem with the sustain you get. The HD and X3 both performed very similar without either one really having more sustain that the other. Also, they sounded very similar to your recordings.

Are you comparing the performance of the HD500 to the X3, or are you saying that the sustain you get with the POD HD500 isn't to your liking?

It is difficult to get further sustain using the POD's than what you get through these recordings unless you are playing loud enough for the sound to sustain with the audio from the amp or speakers you are playing through.

If I am missing something, please let me know.

Regards,

Line6Hugo

Re: HD500 - Input impedance

support@line6.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:13:44 GMT

Update: NEW INFO!

Alright... I took 2 hours with my HD500 trying things. First, spaceatl's shot:

- Turning on with the USB unplugged -> the problem still remains

On his 2nd paragraph he said the firmware is not cumulative. However I'm determined to fix this. So I rolled it back to version 1.10. Tested with patch 1A... the problem still remains.

Runned HD500 edit, changed the inputs (at 1.10 the inputs are Input1: everything; Input 2: Same), put just Guitar on 1 and Aux on 2... the problem keeps persisting there...

Well... I got so frustrated and I was taking of the guitar strap from my back and I then I just touched the strings. WOW! The sound sustained!!!!!!!!!!! HOW???? Another shot: Played a chord... SUSTAINED! Seriously... tears were coming to my eyes!!! Finally tried to play a single note... "the problem still remains". WHAT THE...???? Chords: sustained! Single note: sound drop.

Installed firmware 1.40 again... do I need to mention that the problem persists? Well... runned HD500 edit, the guitar in are correct (as for 1.40 we have Input 1: Guitar, Input 2: Aux), no need to change anything... started CoolEdit Pro and recorded the sample below:

https://rapidshare.com/files/2362610149/New_test.mp3

Gear: Gibson LP, using bridge pickup

The last notes where on the 22nd fret... I just can't bend and sustain a note during a solo of my own band that I've created myself. I just can't play something I recorded!

So guys... now I'm stuck. I thought about grounding. Changed the power supply into another place... changed positions (horizontally) and nothing.

OH! I tested guitar in on Guitar and also using PAD. Same results.

I think that this may give Line6 and you all something to figure out better: why do I have sustain with chords and why can't I sustain a single note??

These were my last trials on me. I'm out of ideas. Please... give me a hand guys... I'm really frustrated, disappointed...

PS: do you think Line6's brazilian representative returned my e-mails or called me back? No. Not even a message: "we'll return within 3 business days". I have NO support on Brazil... only me, my computer and this forum with your precious help

Thanks for reading so far and subscribing to this discussion