first post here and want some help

[BognerEventide]

Hello guys,
my name is Nikos and it's my first time posting here.

i am a guitar instructor and a session player.

 

the upcoming week i am starting with a cover band giving live shows at my area and i bought the POD HD500X to cover my tone needs.

with this band i will play direct to console without amp neither other guitar gear.
only gtr->POD HD500X->console.

i will hear myself by stage monitors.

 

my problem is that i have to learn about 40 songs and i have no time to invest into learning the Pod.
so,no time to read manuals and do dive into the pod's UI...and that's why i want your help!

 

can you please write to me how to make the tone presets that i want for the upcoming shows until finding the time to learn this pedalboard?

 

since i have no time on learning on how to make my own tones,the most wise move is to use the factory presets...but i don't know on how to assign each one at a specific FS(footswitch).

 

this is how i want to have the presets:

 

FS1:for this footwitch i want to have an acoustic-guitar like tone for melody lines.

 

FS5:here i want to have a preset with an acoustic-guitar like tone for rhythm playing and arpeggios for acompaniament the singer.

 

FS2:here i want to have a preset for clean electric guitar tone with a fat character like a hollow body guitar for single line melodies.

 

FS6:clean electric guitar rhythm tone here.

 

FS3:Crunch lead tone

 

FS7:Crunch rhythm tone

 

FS4:Saturated Lead tone ala Steve Vai

 

FS8:Metal rhythm tone ala John Petrucci rhythm tone

 

for all those presets i want to have effects that sweeten the overall tone but without overdoing it.

plus,for all those presets i want to have the EXP1 dedicated to volume pedal and the EXP2 dedicated to wah.

 

Guys,your help will be very important!

 

Best,

Nikos

 

 

[radatats]

G'Day Nicos!

 

you're funny!  seriously most of us spent months getting to understand how this gear works and building tones that work for us.  Not that simple to just send you what you want.  You can't assign patches to FS1-4 for a start...  good luck with this... start searching CustomTone for patches that meet your needs.

[silverhead]

Sorry, Nicos. I don't think you can appreciate why your request is quite unreasonable. As outlined above each of the 8 presets you would like are not only a fair bit of work to prepare, but are also highly subjective. What exactly is 'an acoustic guitar like tone for melody lines'? Some nice person might spend a fair bit of time creating something that they consider to fit the bill, but you might think it's way off the mark. And until you spend the time learning how to use your new gear (and, yes, reading the manual) you won't even know the basics about how to tweak that sound until it fits your idea of the desired sound.

 

As suggested, start with Customtone and learn how to edit presets. Expect to spend some time learning; there's no shortcut and no one can know what's in your head re: the sound of your desired tones.

 

For starters, search Customtone for Steve Vai (your FS4). You will find (as of a few seconds ago) 26 different presets. You will need to download each individually, load them all individually into HD500X Edit program to audition them. Then you can decide which, if any, come close to your desired sound and tweak them to get exactly what you want. Then you will have to load (SEND) them to your HD500X device and assign them to the desired bank/preset slot in the device.

 

Nobody can help you do that any more easily than you can teach yourself by reading and experimenting.

[Brazzy]

I've spent years and am still learning something new every time I use these things, granted I was never a sound engineer/expert, LOL.

[BillBee]

<snip> ......I was never a sound engineer/expert, LOL.

 

I thought you played one on TV :)

 

With time so short I would suggest you stick to your studio/session rig to give you some time to learn the HD. Even the different output modes can cause tonal differences.

 

This link is priceless too:

 

http://foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/

 

-B

[Brazzy]

G'Day Nicos!

 

you're funny!  seriously most of us spent months getting to understand how this gear works and building tones that work for us.  Not that simple to just send you what you want.  You can't assign patches to FS1-4 for a start...  good luck with this... start searching CustomTone for patches that meet your needs.

 

I just watched that clip, Hahaaa. Brings back memories man, :) radatats you make me laugh all the time with these clips and images, lol. Thanks

 

And on the positive side for the OP, to get where you want to be, just be persistent at learning it and know when to back off and come back. If you can find someone in your area that you can learn with "one on one" so to speak would maybe be the quickest way to learn all those things you need for your concert although there's nothing like experience and time spent with a device to make a solid show. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask more questions as you work with it. RockOn!!!

[Brazzy]

AMPLIFi.. it gives all the tones you need ready made, and with no efforts

 

You know I didn't even think about the AMPLIFI, sounds like that would've been the way to go. Good Eye!!

[ColonelForbin]

Hey first time poster, welcome!

 

Couple of things to keep in mind:

 

- the FS assignments for patch changes can only be saved to FS 5-8 (bottom row), IE, A-B-C-D.

- there is an alternate option where you can assign specific FX to FS 1-8, and trigger patch changes using a two-step combination of bank up or down, and then selecting one of the four presets.

 

Sounds like you are in a tricky situation; the device will do quite well in the configuration you have described, but you not knowing how to do the basic edits to things like FS assignment, on the fly, will make it more difficult for you.

 

I suppose a good place for you start, will be to get this rig of yours connected to a computer, and attach a couple of studio monitors to it, something that will at least approximate the sound of full range / flat response speakers.

 

The HD500x performs *very* different when run in 'studio/direct' mode - as you intend to use it - as opposed to running it into a guitar amp, or fx return of a guitar amp.

 

So, do this:

 

1.) Install Monkey software on your computer

2.) Following all instructions, connect HD500 to computer, and update all drivers and firmware.

3.) Install HD500x Editor software on your computer.

4.) After all software is installed, and you have some full range / flat response speakers connected to the outputs of the HD500x, start playing with some patches.

 

You will notice there are six banks of presets, with several presets per bank. You can navigate through all of the onboard pre-existing presets using the HD500 Editor software, and it's alot easier than using the on-screen editor. At least, when you are starting and the learning curve is steep.

 

Spend some time with the advanced user guide, it's in a .PDF file format, and you can search it for specific terms.

 

Here is how the presets are mostly set up - "pre" amp FX models, "amp model", then "post" amp FX models.

Assuming you are using the A-B-C-D (FS 5-8) as patch change footswitches, this leaves you with four footswitches to make effects changes. (the TOP row of FS 1-4)

 

So, you will quickly notice that you have more FX blocks to assign effects to than you have FS assignments to turn those FX on and off.

 

I commonly set up certain effects to "stay on", like compressor, noise gate, EQ. I usually set up FS 1 and 2 to turn on and off drives, distortion, boosts, etc. I usually set up FS 3 and 4 to turn on and off delay, chorus, reverb. In general, not always, that works for me.

 

So, you want to create a total of around 8 different presets. You will need to set up two banks of four presets.

Within each of those presets, you could, by using FS 1-4 to turn on or off certain effects, be able to switch - within one preset - from a 'crunch' tone to a 'lead tone', by switching on boost, distortion, drive and delay in various combinations.

 

For example, you could set up:

(FS5) A = acoustic

(FS6) B= rhythm / crunch

(FS7) C= lead 1

(FS8) D= lead 2

[ColonelForbin]

Next up, when you are going through the preset patches already loaded onto the HD500x, you will notice some of the presets are *only* an amp model, and no effects assigned. These are very useful indicators of the "core tone" of each amp model. You can get a lot of mileage from just getting familiar with the sound of the amp model with no extra FX. Find amp models that you like "as is", then build your patches from those starting points. I like the Fender models - the Blackface and the Tweed (bassman), and I also really like the Plexi both normal and bright, as well as the Park. For starters; because each of the amp models is *excellent* in it's own way.

 

NOTE: there is a *huge* volume difference between say, the little Vox combo amp as opposed to a Bogner or Mesa or Marshall. Treat the amp models as you would treat the actual amps, and you'll be on the right track.

 

Another thing for you to look at - using those 'bare' amp model only presets, find an amp model you like - then adjust the mic model settings. This will make a big difference in your tone; SM57 on axis or off axis makes a difference in sound. All of the mic models correspond to real world mics, and each behaves different. Some basic understanding of real world gear will help. It's all virtual and digital, but it is modeled and designed to function similar or the same to it's real world counterpart.

 

Once you get familiar with the amp models and the various presets already loaded on the HD500, you can drag and drop individual tones out of the HD500 editor and onto your desktop of your computer. Then, when you are assembling banks of specfic presets that you want to combine into a group, you can then drag them into blank slots when you set up your tones for the gig.

 

Another similar process, will be to download HD500x specific tones from CustomTone. This might actually be very useful to you, since you are learning 40 cover songs, a possible process, will be to search CustomTone for the patches which users have created that correspond to the songs you need to learn! Some patches are better than other. All I can say for advice is: download a few, and study how the patch is created, and look at the sequence of the effects as related to 'pre' and 'post' amp model. 

 

Also, take care to understand how the effects are assigned to each footswitch. You can easily re-assign these within any given patch, but it's not a global setting - meaning you have to make the FS assignments on a per patch basis.

[ColonelForbin]

You will want to understand some basics of how to make adjustments on the fly using the HD500 itself, so that when you are stage, or doing rehearsal, and you have your patches all set - but you might need to make a specific adjustment. Be aware of how to change things like inputs settings; I happen to use a Variax, but I also use a Strat, and at our last gig, I had both connected, and was able to put one guitar down and pickup the other, because I set up the input A(1) to be "variax and guitar input", which made it so the tuner would work for both guitars.

 

-Make yourself familiar with the advanced user guide: HD500x Advanced User Guide

 

-As others mentioned previously in the thread, take some time to read the MeAmBobbo user guide too.

 

-Also, take a look at this thread, with multiple HD500x Tone Creation Videos by Andy Paredes, Joe Butterfield, Nick Bell, even some Spanish Language videos made by Joe Cozzi. They also included links to download some of the patches also. They have that post compiled here; these two links, I think, are to the same videos / tone building info:

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/8685-tone-building-tutorials-for-pod-hd/

 

Another good resource is Glenn DeLaune, he had been making patches for the POD series for a number of years, I think he also did some for the HD500 and HD500x. Do some searches, not sure the exact location. Try these for starters - NOTE: Glenn CHARGES $$$$ for his patches, they are NOT FREE:

 

http://glenndelaune.com/patch%20downloads.htm

 

http://glenndelaune.blogspot.com/2013/08/blog-post.html

 

 

 

Good Luck!!

[alienux]

G'Day Nicos!

 

Ha, I love that movie. Haven't seen it in years but I may have to watch it again.

[Brazzy]

You will want to understand some basics of how to make adjustments on the fly using the HD500 itself, so that when you are stage, or doing rehearsal, and you have your patches all set - but you might need to make a specific adjustment. Be aware of how to change things like inputs settings; I happen to use a Variax, but I also use a Strat, and at our last gig, I had both connected, and was able to put one guitar down and pickup the other, because I set up the input A(1) to be "variax and guitar input", which made it so the tuner would work for both guitars.

 

You always have some good posts Col Forbin. I tried up-voting them but I've used up my voting rights fore the day, LOL. Thumbs up to You!!

[ColonelForbin]

Here's a few other random folks who have posted patches and/or descriptions of how they use the HD500(x) live and such, direct, or with in-ear monitors:

 

Roy Finley / Sterns County 17

 

Lincoln Brewster (HD500 format - you would need to change the file name to use these on the HD500x)

 

Thread about bringing HD500 patches into HD500x

 

Gabriel Leopardi's HD500 patches

 

Another thread about going direct to PA from HD500x

[BognerEventide]

Thank you all for the welcome!

:)

and your tips on helping me with this pedalboard.

with your recommendations,i made 4 presets.
one clean,one crunch,one rhythm and one lead.

 

and i wanted to ask you two questions in order to make those presets more functional for my live needs.

1)at the editor,i went into the CONTROLLERS and i assigned which effects i want to turn on/off with each footswitch(FS1-FS4) plus the EXP1/EXP2 control,but it is not saved...?

what can i do for this?

 

2)how can i pre-program which IA footswitch(FS1-FS4) will be enabled every time i press its preset button(ABCD)?

 

Thank you guys,your help is very appreciated!

...it is a huge PITA to have to learn 40 new songs and at the same time a new machine in a few days... :(

[silverhead]

1) You need to use the editor's SEND SELECTED button to send each preset to your HD500X device. When doing so, make sure all FS settings are in the on/off state that you want for future recall. In other words, if you have a certain FX in the ON state when you SEND the preset, it will be in the ON state when you subsequently recall the preset using the HD A-D footswitches.

 

2) The editor's workspace mirrors the HD500X preset memory space. Both are organized into 8 setlists of 64 presets each, further organized into 16 banks (1-16) of 4 presets each (A through D). When you SEND a preset from the editor to the device, it stores the preset on the device in the associated preset space. In other words, if you are working in the editor on preset number 12A in Setlist #2 and then SEND that preset, it is stored in the corresponding preset space. Later, you recall that preset by using the HD footswitches to select Setlist #2, Bank 12, FS A. So the simplest thing to do is organize your presets the way you want them using the drag/drop method of moving presets around between banks/slots. Drag/drop swaps presets; CTRL drag/drop copies a preset.

[pianoguyy]

1. learning electronic gizmos can't be done by reading a couple posts. you gotta spend time fiddling with it. 

1a. just start by toying with the factory presets.

 

2. part of your job as a musician is to know your gear. -- could you imagine showing up to play a Vai song and then saying "sorry, I have a 6 string with 22 frets and no tremolo." 

 

3. there are plenty of musicians that are willing to take your spot. they know the songs. they know the gear. and if they don't, they would take the time to learn it. 

3a. or pay your roadie to learn the stuff. that way all you need to do is play the notes. he can be responsible for changing sounds, just like he is changing strings. 

 

4. I suggest using your old gear, and then learning the new gear in your spare time. and slowly working it in to the live sets, until you are familiar with it enough to use it full time.