I HAVE done this, but only using mono (the left/mono output of my GR-55 into the Guitar In jack on the HD500).  It works fine that way, but now I wonder if I'm missing out on anything by not using the stereo outs.  I think I have a splitter cable to test this but unfortunately my GR-55 is 35 miles away at the practice studio, and I won't be able to get there until Saturday.  If no one else chimes in by then, I can let you know what I find out on Sunday (3/27).

BTW, you might be able to find out if the Aux input on the HD500 is stereo by reading the manual, available elsewhere on this site in PDF format.  I'll try that tonight.

Like you, I would like to combine my Line 6 (JTV 59/HD500/Vetta II) gear with my Roland (GR-55/VG-99/FC300 controller) gear, but it's too damn much to haul around and way too much to put on any of the stages I'll be playing on!  But I love every piece of this and don't want to give any of it up . . .    it's a quandary wrapped in a dilemma . . .  or something like that.  I'm in two cover bands now and I'm leaning towards using all Line 6 stuff in the "softer" band (Classic Rock like Styx, Kansas and Journey, plus Kings of Leon, etc.) because I can get the great JTV acoustic sounds that way, but using the Roland gear for my heavier band (Zeppelin, Whitesnake, Nickelback, etc.) where I use mostly LP/Marshall/MESA tones and can use the VF-99's D-Beam to dive bomb.  But I need the GR-55 in BOTH bands, so I still have to figure this out . . .  does anybody make a 3-level pedalboard? 

Glad to help!!

That setup is indeed quite cool, I found also effects like pitch shifting, univide, ... to be better on the GR-55, so blending those with the pod original sound is nice too..

Well, regarding midi, the pod is quite retarded in what it can do when changing patches, what I mean is that it can only send the same patch number changes out to the next device, so for what you want you will need to actually match the GR-55 patch number to the corresponding patch number in the pod. I found that to be insane to maintain. However, where the pod is quite powerful is assigning program changes, CC or Note On to any Footswitch after the patch is loaded up, it is a 2 steps process, but it also means that for a giving pod patch you could assign up to 8 GR-55 patch changes or do other crazy things... This is why I said that I assigned the GR-55 to midi channel 2, so I don't want the pod to mess around with my GR-55 patches when I do patch changes on the pod, but then assign by pod patch what I want my footswitch to control on the GR-55.

Maybe at some point Line 6 will implement the same midi controls by footswitch up to the main patch and then we will have full flexibility...   

Yes, that is correct. The GK-3 pickup as a 1/4 inch input connection and if you connect your guitar output to it you can then use it on the GR-55 through the 13 pin cable with it's amp sim and effect chain. That also means that if you aren't scared of cable running in all direction you could even send back the send ouput of the pod and add GR-55 effect on top of pod amp sim sound by example

The beauty of the Variax is that you also have the VDI connection that you can feed the pod with and with the JTV that means, I believe, that you could use variax sound on one and magnetic on the other or both the same. I only have a 600, so it is the same variax sound on both.

About patch example, well that could be everything you can imagine really....

- One patch I'm using a lot these days is with my Carvin 7 strings, on the pod I have a Sreamer feeding a Fireball with Tube Comp and Flat Analog chorus and on the GR-55 I have a 5150 and I then mix both right at the end of the pod effect chain with the FX Loop. On that setup I'm using no Synth or modelled guitar on the GR-55.

- Another one I'm using a lot that is quite lush is the following: Carvin 7 strings Piezo sound or Variax acoustic, on pod, various EQ, Comp fed into Analog Chorus and Verb and on the GR-55, on Synth, Rhodes and a Pad(just to give a bed), Guitar modeling Acoustic 12 strings and Analog pickup(so piezo) into a JC-120, for FX I add Chorus and Verb to it. In this patch I put the FX Loop before the pod Reverb, so everything is fudging into it. This obvioulsy do not works for chords strumming, but you could spend hours just playing any 2 notes sequences... and they all sound stunning... I tried them all

The possibilites are just freaking endless....

pappywatts wrote:

 

Hmmmm...Hi everyone on this thread, yes the GK setup on a variax is pretty cool, I have done similiar with a Vax 700 hardtail, and also have incorporated

a GR55 into my setup....I'm not using a HD500,or the VDI cable however.

 

Mine is connected via the two cable method, ie 1/4 trs cable from variax to L6 A/B power, then out to pedal board, a TC Nova system , with various A/B bypass pedals through a stereo volume pedal,out to single ended valve amp, a 13 pin to the GR55 from GK ,then guitar out from that into spare channel on acoustic amp, I use two acoustic amps for the GR55 tones left and right.

This setup gives me  a pretty good mix and spatial spread  from effects.

 

I have a JTV69, received just over a week ago,and it's OK, just as promised, the acoustic tones are improved, and the fender electric models sound as good as if not better than original.

 

However.........

If you're thinking of putting a GK3 on your new acquisition when it arrives, you may have a problem with crosstalk and latency, and buzz generated from the tyler bridge through the GK driver and into/ and out of the GR55, that's if you decide to use the  single 13 pin cable only setup.ie 1/4 cable out from tyler into gk pup input.

 

In addition the distance from the tyler saddles to your GK pup will range from 23mm-28mm which is beyond the limit of that pup's setup.( 20mm max from guitar bridge)

 

This is my experience ,tried with a demountable GK3 which came with the GR55, I have the older?( better IMHO) GK2a pup on the Vax 700, no noise problems there.

 

So I'm leaving the JTV as it is, until a better midi driver comes along, apparently Fishman are developing a wireless version with the original inventor of the Axon unit. It would be good to get rid of those pesky 13 pin leads...

 

You might be luckier with the JTV hardtail versions.....

I have no crosstalk problems using a gk3 pickup on a JTV69. Ive used both the VDI directly to an hd500 and used just the JTV's 1/4inch signal through a 13 pin cable to the gr55 via the GK guitar input jack and had no issues with either configuration.

Also im not sure how you are placing the gk3 but all my saddles are all less than 20mm from the middle of each gk humbucker. The farthest is my low "e" string which is 18mm from piezo element to middle of gk element. All the cosm modelling functions extremely well as well as the PCM triggering.

If you are getting noise I recommend using some Deoxit on the 13 pin cable, as some users have reported that getting rid of noise on the 13 pin cable that came with the 55 (mine was fine however).