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942 Views 17 Replies Latest reply: Dec 24, 2012 2:52 AM by hurghanico RSS
pforsell Just Startin'
pforsell
16 posts since
Nov 19, 2006
Currently Being Moderated

Dec 9, 2012 9:57 PM

pod hd 500 headphone settings?

Hi All,

 

I have an HD 500 and I'm having a hard time dialing in any heavy distortion tones with headphones that don't sound artificial. Something has to be wrong because I'm getting more realistic (sounding and feeling) tones on my POD 2.0! This is at low volumes also. I play a lot at night when kids are sleeping. My headphones are very good but they don't exactly fit the specs I have read about in the past. They are Eartools RP-21s. I have used a lot of downloaded patches on the site, and I just can't get a nice tone. Everything sounds harsh with a very unnatural pick attack. I'm getting worried about my purchase and I have read so many great things about the HD500. Thanks in advance for any advice. The specs on the phones are:

Sensitivity: 100dB ±3dB

(1mw @ 1kHz)

Frequency Response: 10Hz – 22kHz ±3dB

Fantasy Response: .001Hurts – 12GHurts

A Good Caning

Transducer: 50mm Dynamic

(Neodymium)

Impedance: 32 Ohms ( 15%)

Tags: headphones, hd500
  • lforward00 Just Startin'
    lforward00
    34 posts since
    Jun 18, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 10, 2012 11:03 AM (in response to pforsell)
    Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

    I have the Pod HD300 and after a full year of playing (at home), I still cannot get good tones on either of my two sets of headphones: Sennheiser 280 Pros (impedance 64 Ohms) and Audio Technica AD500 (impedance 64 Ohms I think)

     

    I can't seem to rid myself of fizziness or boominess or mid-range harshness. I live in a world of tone mediocrity with this unit.

     

    Sorry, I can't help you but I will tell you that my solution is a Zoom G5 which I will be getting as a Christmas present. I can't wait.

  • hurghanico Just Startin'
    hurghanico
    399 posts since
    Jan 28, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 10, 2012 1:14 PM (in response to pforsell)
    Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

    best phones for audio production (not just for listening) are all hi-impedance: in the 150 - 600 ohm range

    they can handle much better high audio peaks without going into distortion

  • silverhead Expert Line 6 User
    silverhead
    9,592 posts since
    Apr 1, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 10, 2012 11:38 AM (in response to pforsell)
    Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

    When using headphones, make sure your HD500 Output is set to Studio.

    • pforsell Just Startin'
      pforsell
      16 posts since
      Nov 19, 2006
      Currently Being Moderated
      Dec 10, 2012 1:55 PM (in response to silverhead)
      Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

      Thanks for the reponses. Please keep 'em coming if you have any suggestions of experiences. I'm really close to pulling the trigger on high impedence cans but I will lose it if they don't fix the sterile, fix, and bad pick attack I'm feeling/hearing.

      • hurghanico Just Startin'
        hurghanico
        399 posts since
        Jan 28, 2007
        Currently Being Moderated
        Dec 10, 2012 2:17 PM (in response to pforsell)
        Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

        I don't know if you did it already or not, but just in case, you should also try to connect your HD to a PA or some external FRFR amp to hear the real sound of this machine, then with the right cans that sound should be almost identical in your ears (except for the obviously missing part due to the surrounding ambient influence)..

  • mojah63 Just Startin'
    mojah63
    6 posts since
    Apr 21, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Dec 10, 2012 4:21 PM (in response to pforsell)
    Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

    Don't use the headphone out on the HD. It sucks, line 6 dropped the ball on this one. The old Pod 2.0 sounded much better. Just use the line outs into a headphone amp or good stereo amp and plug your cans in to that. It's like night and day. I've tried quite a few cans through the HD headphone out, it's almost useless...

     

    Also there is a popular noise reduction technique that says to select input 2 to Variax to lower your noise floor. It works BUT I've found it can mess with your

    distortion sound. It almost sounds like the difference between 16bit and 24 bit sampling. The treble gets harsh and hard on some amp models. Set input 2 to same and live with the little bit of extra noise. It sounds so much better esp through cans. The SM57 can be harsh too, try a ribbon mic and turn up your treble on the amp.

    • pforsell Just Startin'
      pforsell
      16 posts since
      Nov 19, 2006
      Currently Being Moderated
      Dec 10, 2012 9:50 PM (in response to mojah63)
      Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

      This is great info. Do you have any recommendations for a headphone amp? That may be the way to go. I bought this unit for quiet practice so you're really saving me with this. Thanks again and any info on headphone amps would be greatly appreciated.

      • pforsell Just Startin'
        pforsell
        16 posts since
        Nov 19, 2006
        Currently Being Moderated
        Dec 22, 2012 11:18 AM (in response to pforsell)
        Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

        Hi all. Thanks again for your responses. So, I bit the bullet and bought a headphone amp. It has 1/4" balanced left and right inputs, and a stereo input. I plugged the pod hd500's unbalanced outputs into the headphone amp and there was little to no sound with the headphone amp cranked, and it sounded horrible. So I figured it was the unbalanced to balanced issue. I saw that the xlr outs were balanced and thought it would be genius to buy a female xlr to female 1/4" adapter. I used guitar cables to contect the pod to the amp. That gave me no sound. I don't know if there is a special xlr out setting on the pod or it I'm just making way too many assumptions thinking the xlr to 1/4 in on my headphone amp would work. Any help would be appreciated since I would need to return those adapters if they aren't going to work. I'm worried that my headphone amp won't work with the line outs of the pod and that would be a big hit on my wallet. thanks, Pete

        • hurghanico Just Startin'
          hurghanico
          399 posts since
          Jan 28, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          Dec 22, 2012 11:55 AM (in response to pforsell)
          Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

          pforsell ha scritto:

           

          ...I plugged the pod hd500's unbalanced outputs into the headphone amp and there was little to no sound with the headphone amp cranked, and it sounded horrible...

          when you connected the HD500 1/4 unbalanced outputs to the headphone amp, did you set also the switch "1/4 OUT" to "LINE" (it is near the volume pedal)??

          • pforsell Just Startin'
            pforsell
            16 posts since
            Nov 19, 2006
            Currently Being Moderated
            Dec 22, 2012 1:00 PM (in response to hurghanico)
            Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

            Yeah. I have that on line. The amp is a headpod 454. I figured that should work.

            http://www.aphex.com/aphex-products/454-headpod-2/

             

            Hope it will work. The 1/4 to 1/4 unbalaned/balanced didn't work. It was super faint, when blasting the pod and the headphone amp.

            • hurghanico Just Startin'
              hurghanico
              399 posts since
              Jan 28, 2007
              Currently Being Moderated
              Dec 22, 2012 2:39 PM (in response to pforsell)
              Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

              pforsell ha scritto:

               

              ...The amp is a headpod 454. I figured that should work.

              http://www.aphex.com/aphex-products/454-headpod-2/...

              since your headpod 454 has only balanced inputs you need 2 balanced cables which are TRS to one end and XLR to the other end, the guitar 1/4 standard jack cables don't work

               

              give a look here as an example: http://www.sweetwater.com/c813--Balanced_Cables_XLR_to_TRS

              • pforsell Just Startin'
                pforsell
                16 posts since
                Nov 19, 2006
                Currently Being Moderated
                Dec 22, 2012 7:18 PM (in response to hurghanico)
                Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

                Thanks man. You're giving me hope here. Will have a look

                • pforsell Just Startin'
                  pforsell
                  16 posts since
                  Nov 19, 2006
                  Currently Being Moderated
                  Dec 23, 2012 2:50 PM (in response to pforsell)
                  Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

                  I think I have a defective headphone amp. I'm wondering if anyone can give me a suggestion on a good heaphone amp with a pod hd500? Or should I just get high impedence phones? Any help would be appreciated. Have a couple hourse to make a return. Thanks again,

                  Pete

                  • hurghanico Just Startin'
                    hurghanico
                    399 posts since
                    Jan 28, 2007
                    Currently Being Moderated
                    Dec 23, 2012 4:55 PM (in response to pforsell)
                    Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

                    to be honest I am fine just by connecting my old AKG K141 (600 ohms) headphones directly to the pod phones output ..
                    I never felt the need for an external                     headphones amp .. I think I would find it cumbersome ..

                    one of the nice things of the pod is that it is easily transportable, a complete guitar rig in a single box, just plug and play..

                     

                    I add a tip for you:
                    never use the patches you download as they are ..


                    at least 3-4 things that you must always adapt                     to your guitar (which is different from that of the person who made the patch) in every patch are:


                    - the noise gate threshold (this setting if not suitable, can affect badly your pick attack and notes decay)..

                    - the drive (distortion level)..

                    - probably you'll have also to tweak a little the amp eq settings.. 

                    - give a look also to the compressor (if any) settings.. it influences very much the pick attack too, but also the notes sustain..

                     

                    the above tip also applies to the factory presets

                    • pforsell Just Startin'
                      pforsell
                      16 posts since
                      Nov 19, 2006
                      Currently Being Moderated
                      Dec 23, 2012 9:25 PM (in response to hurghanico)
                      Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

                      Thanks for your response. I have lower impedence headphones. So I was thinking I could use a desktop headphone amp for that purpose and then use it for other things as well. Thanks for the preset advice also. If anyone knows of a good headphone amp or has any ideas, please let me know. I have to return the defective unit and they may not give money back, but credit. Are Rolls amps any good?

                    • davidgedda Just Startin'
                      davidgedda
                      4 posts since
                      Jan 7, 2011
                      Currently Being Moderated
                      Dec 24, 2012 1:57 AM (in response to hurghanico)
                      Re: pod hd 500 headphone settings?

                      Akg k141= 55 ohms impedance not 600 ohms

                       

                      Typesemi-open, dynamic headphones
                      Sensitivity101 dB/mW, 114 dB/V
                      Frequency range18 to 24,000 Hz
                      Rated impedance55 ohms
                      Max. input power200 mW
                      Earpadsleatherette and velvet
                      Cable3 m single-sided and 5 m coiled cable (99,9% oxygen-free); plug-in cable on headphones (mini-XLR connector)
                      Connectorgold plated stereo mini jack
                      Adaptergold plated 1/8" to 1/4" screw-on adapter
                      Net weight (without cable)225 g (7.9 oz.)
                      Shipping weight550 g (19.4 oz.)
                      Patent(s)Varimotion – multiple-thickness diaphragm for dynamic transducer (Patent no. AT 403.751, US 6,185,809, EP 814.637 (DE, DK, FI, FR, GB, IT, NL), JP 3.927.651); Acoustics slot resistor for dynamic transducer (Patent no. AT 408.706, US 6,639,991, ZL 01116806)

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