Community: Message List - POD HD500 & L3T Combo

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:15:05 GMT

L6 Link works, and so do the HD500 analog outputs into the rear panel line inputs on the L3t. I have tried/used both. I found a significant volume difference; the L6 Link seemed much louder though I confess I did not spend any time playing with the L6 Link settings in the HD500.

In terms of acoustic versatility I found I got the best results by using the HD500 analog outputs for electric guitar, and plugging an acoustic guitar directly into the L3t mixer (Channel 1) and using the Acoustic feature on that channel. I find I can get a better acoustic guitar tone that way vs. using the HD500 for an acoustic preset. Again - this was my finding based on limited time invested. It was easier to balance the volumes between the acoustic guitar and the HD500 using the HD500 analog outputs in conjunction with the L3t mixer.

I believe that with more time I could probably find a good way to use L6 Link with the HD500 and maybe set up an acoustic guitar preset that uses my JTV-59 thru the HD500 to obtain a better tone than my acoustic direct to the L3t mixer. I think I could also use the HD500 L6 Link settings to customize my presets for electric vs. acoustic guitar output...... but I haven't done any of that (yet?).

Bottom line: there is probably no 'best' way to hook up the HD500, L3t, and an electric/acoustic guitar mix. There are several ways - what matters is what works best for you, and that will take time and experimenting.

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:20:39 GMT

So I've read many posts about the L3t HD500 combo and I may have missed an easy answer, so sorry if I'm asking someone to repeat. I have been using the HD500 for a while now. I only perform at Church where I go directly from the HD 500 via XLR (single) to the mixing board to PA (EV Live X speakers and subs). At home I have been going through my amp. I could never get the sounds to even come close which I totally understand. I tried headphones which work a little better but, still, not too good. So I just bought the an L3t in hopes of solving this problem. I went with the L3t as opposed to the DT25 because it seemed to be the solution that would most directly solve the problem and the versatility of it for acoustic stuff etc.... What is the best way to hookup/setup the HD and the L3t for my purposes? Does the Line 6 Link work or not? What input? If I don't use any stereo effects, does it matter if I am only using one XLR? Thanks, so much for any help.

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:59:07 GMT

Whether you'll get better sound these days out of tubes is debatable. I know it's the standard line, heck, I spouted that line myself for many years. But I've always been one to not drink the cool-aid and think and listen for myself, and I just don't think that's true anymore. I've played guitar for 40 years now and most of that time has been through tube amps. But the fact is devices like the HD500 and other high quality modellers sound good through FRFR systems. I thought the Bose L1 was the best sounding rig when I had my DH500 in front of it. In fact I preferred it to the sound of my Mesa Boogie Mark V. But I recently sold my Bose L1's and bought 2 L3t's one L3s and the M20d mixer. With or without the mixer the L3t gives an even better guitar tone than the Bose did. And to add to the fact that guitar modellers have gotten really good FINALLY!!!, you also have to consider that if you give the exact same guitar rigs to 10 different players you'll have 10 different guitar tones, so to tell someone they'll get better sound via tubes IMO is a maybe at best. The fact is, you can get awesome guitar tones out of an HD500 L3t setup. In fact I would bet comparable to going through an HD. If you have an acoustic or a Variax then hands down you will get a far better acoustic sound going through the L3t.

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:53:42 GMT

id still go dt, youll get a better sound via tubes

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:31:31 GMT

Thanks for the reply Icewind. I play both electric and acoustic but lean a little more on the electric side. I too, at least from what I've heard of the DT amp, am leaning towards that rather than an L3T. However, my wife sings and it would be nice to have the L3T for bothe electric and vocals. Oh my! Decisions, decisions....

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 16:37:49 GMT

Hey jmtaww,

I must stress that I'm purely a hobbyist (though I do play in church on Sundays) and that the L3t has never left my house, so keep that in mind.

I feel like, if I were primaily an electric player, I would opt for the DT amp. It may be all in my head, but I do sense a certain warmth there that the L3t might be lacking (how's that for scientific?).

However, since I'm primarily an acoustic player, the L3t is my preference by far. And as I believe I may have mentioned before, even with electric, there's certainly something to be said for accurate representation if you're doing recording. You can have some confidence that the HD500 sounds coming out of the L3t are going to be much closer to the recorded sound than the HD500 sounds out of the DT. Also, with all of the options when using an HD500 with the DT25 (Preamp vs. Full, cabinets, low volume mode, etc.) it's just more straightforward to set the HD500 like you want it and just go to the L3t.

I do wish they offered more control of the speaker modes from the HD500/HD Edit, though. It's a bit of a pain to have to look at the back of the L3t to verify you're on the mode you want to be on.

Hopefully that's of some help!

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 21:50:07 GMT

Icewind, so what I am after is the comparison of how an electric sounds through the L3T. Do you feel the tone is hindered any playing through the L3T rather than a DT amp? I really want to purchase either a DT or L3T and there has to be a reason line 6 hasn't done a video demo of an electric being played through an L3T. If you personally feel happy with the tone of the electric through the L3T, I would love to hear your honest opinion now that there has been some time since your last post.

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 02:07:49 GMT

Obviously, using my acoustic is better through the L3T than trying to go through the DT25, but it's also better (to my ears) than any acoustic amp I've ever plugged into. The built-in effects actually sound good, too.

I suppose it's debatable as to which works better with electrics, and I suppose I miss the idea of having a tube amp (hybrid; whatever ), but having the sound more closely match what I hear when I'm recording seems like a good trade to me.

And...oh my goodness...this thing is LOUD. I leave it at about 25% max at home; that's all I can stand.

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 01:48:58 GMT

Icewind, I completely agree with you. It's just that some clubs like to do things a certain way and they may wind up pushing a mic in front of your L3T to "mic it up" - which would probably have quite bad results unless they did it really well.

I can just see some sound person shoving an SM57 in front of either just the speaker or the horn on a FRFR loudspeaker and getting a very skewed frequency curve.

Maybe this

But I agree, in those cases they may as well plug the XLR straight in.

Have you acquired an L3T yet, and if so, how do you like using it instead of the DT25?

Re: POD HD500 & L3T Combo

support@line6.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:49:56 GMT

noblesurfer wrote:

Here's one angle that I hadn't thought about wirh regards to using an L3T or some other FRFR speaker system in order to amplify an HD500.

If you play a venue that has their own sound person running the board, they may want to mic up your amp. If you are using a L3T or some other FRFR speaker system, they will need to mike BOTH the 10" speaker and the horn or high frequency transducer.
Using only one mic may result in inadequate mic placement and result in a terrible sound in the venue. I suppose you could always offer to send a direct line out from the HD500....

Thoughts?

My initial thought would be that if you're using and HD500 and an L3T, why would you mic it at all instead of using either of the direct outs? It seems to me that one of the advantages of either device is its ability to run straight into the soundboard. Forgive my potential ignorance here, but if you've already got the mic right there, unplug it and plug the XLR into your POD or L3T instead.