Does the PODHD500x replace the purpose of having an amp head?

[kncrew]

I'm thinking about purchasing one and i was sort of confused as to how it has its own built in amps. Does this mean that all u need are speaker cabinets and no amp head?

 

Also i was looking into just using it for effects and no so much amp tone because i already have the spiderIV half stack and my preset tones are all on there. Can I just use the pod to switch between those? I heard of a 4 cable method but i'm not sure how to do that so if you could explain that that twould be awesome.

 

Thanks in advance guys

[BigChas52]

The HD500X has amp/cab simulations, but you will still need powered speakers to hear the output.  Unpowered speaker cabs will not work without a power amp.  Another option is to run the HD500X directly into a PA system.

[Brazzy]

If you want to monitor with speakers you'll need powered monitors or a guitar amp. If your just going to use it to record with USB to a computer you'll need ear phones.

[BillBee]

I like to run the HD into a power amp (or the FX loop in on a head) then to the cab of choice (2x12, 1x12 or 4x12). It gives you a tonal variety which you couldn't get unless you had a wall of amps and cabs. From clean to mean in one board.

 

-B

[ColonelForbin]

I'm thinking about purchasing one and i was sort of confused as to how it has its own built in amps. Does this mean that all u need are speaker cabinets and no amp head?

 

Also i was looking into just using it for effects and no so much amp tone because i already have the spiderIV half stack and my preset tones are all on there. Can I just use the pod to switch between those? I heard of a 4 cable method but i'm not sure how to do that so if you could explain that that twould be awesome.

 

Thanks in advance guys

 

 

You might have some issues making that work; from what I just read, is it accurate that the Spider head you have does NOT have an FX loop? IF that is the case, then the HD500 will not connect easily to your rig. 

 

Think of the HD500 as the tone and amp modeling portion of the rig, with the fx and expression/wah pedal - but it's not actually powering the speaker.

 

So, to be clear and answer your original question: No. The HD500 is not a power amp. It emulates various amp models, and cabinet models, in much the same way as your current Spider rig, but doesn't actually have a power amp. Just a floorboard.

 

If your Spider half stack had an FX loop, you would be able to do things like, bypass the Spider's tones entirely, and just use the HD500 amp modelling.

 

You could also (with an FX loop) incorporate the HD500 with your existing tones, using the four cable method. That's not gonna work for you though, so I won't waste your time discussing it in detail.

 

What *will* work for your rig, and it's not ideal, but would allow you to at least hear the HD500 tones through the power amp portion of your rig is this:

 

"CD/MP3 Input for jamming with tracks or your favorite drum machine"

 

You would have to connect the HD500 to the 1/8" jack on the Spider using some combination of cables. You could get a converter to go from the two XLR outs to something that can step down to 1/8", or you could just go from the HD500 headphone out to the 1/8" input.

 

Not ideal.. But, then you can decide if the HD500 amp models are enough of an improvement over the amp models in the Spider to warrant upending your whole rig.

 

In terms of half stacks, the DT series would cost you around $2,000 if you bought it new if you wanted to do the full upgrade.. The DT50 head alone is $1200, which presumably would work with your current cabinet. The new DT50 4x12 cabinet is $800 new.

 

But that is a whole other world of amp modeling interacting with the Bogner tube amp - goes well beyond just 'modeling' the sounds of the amp. Take a few minutes and read up on how the HD500x and the DT amp series interact. Pretty stellar. The HD500 (when Line6Linked) to a DT amp provides the preamp digital modeling, and the FX. The Bogner portion of the DT amp does all the poweramp / tube tones, without digital modeling - all analog. When you switch amp models on the HD500, it switches power and analog relays in the DT to 'become' the power amp corresponding to the amp mode you have chosen.

 

http://line6.com/dreamrig/

 

http://line6.com/dt50/

[ColonelForbin]

Found this in the archived forum:

 

http://line6.com/supportarchivenew/thread/66051

 

-Use the CD/MP3 input on the amp - you'll need a dummy jack plug in the Spider IV's normal front input to enable the CD/MP3 input

-Start the Spider IV in TEST mode by holding down the Tap button as you power the amp on - this will disable all DSP functionality as far as amp modelling, tone and FX - I would recommend this method as being a bit more robust instead of using the mini jack approach of going in via the CD/MP3 input.

[kncrew]

You might have some issues making that work; from what I just read, is it accurate that the Spider head you have does NOT have an FX loop? IF that is the case, then the HD500 will not connect easily to your rig. 

 

 

If you mean like a sends and returns on the back of the amp no it does not unfortunatley. Is there a chance where I could potentionally upload my effects to the pedal board and switch between them like that? I appreciate your post it made alot of sense. I want the freedom of expirimenting with my own effects, but still being able to keep my pre existing effects. I have the FBV shortboard mkII pedal, but i feel its not enough for what im looking for. Thanks again

[robertmcollins3]

I believe you can use the POD as a MIDI controller to control the channels on the Spider Valve.

[ColonelForbin]

If you mean like a sends and returns on the back of the amp no it does not unfortunatley. Is there a chance where I could potentionally upload my effects to the pedal board and switch between them like that? I appreciate your post it made alot of sense. I want the freedom of expirimenting with my own effects, but still being able to keep my pre existing effects. I have the FBV shortboard mkII pedal, but i feel its not enough for what im looking for. Thanks again

 

In terms of sharing tones / etc from the Spider to the HD500; far as I know, they are not compatible like that. I believe the Spider IV uses the amp modeling and effects from the XT / X3 era? Anyone else want to clarify that, "chime" in (amp model puns, lol)

 

Line6 rebuilt their amp models from the ground up for the HD series, and same for the effects (M series).

 

-You would have to essentially rebuild your existing patches into the HD500, by recreating the basic settings and effects choices using the HD500 editor.

-You might be able to load up the Spider patch editor at the same time as the HD500 editor, in order to make transferring the settings somewhat less painful.

-You may find other people have already done some work recreating tones from the older rigs into the HD series, those might be good starting places.

 

But it will really require you recreating your tones and spending some time recreating the sounds you already have.

 

The naming jargon on the Spider is totally different from the amp model names they use on the HD series, and my guess is the effects may be similar in name / what they are modeling, but those were also re-created for the HD series, and it's sister/brother hardware, the M13, M9, etc. (The HD500 has all the same effects as the M13, but also has HD amp models. The M13 just has the effects, no amp modeling)

 

It is the kind of thing where, when you hear the HD500 properly amplified, you will need to let your ears decide if the new 'HD' amp models and M series FX sound alot better, a little better, or comparable. For me, it was an easier comparison - I had an X3Live, upgraded to the HD500. The X3Live did extra routing options which the HD500 cannot do, so in some ways it's all a compromise. But the *sound* to me, was wayyyyy better. The amp models just sound alive in the HD500. Add a DT amp, and it takes it up another notch.

 

So much so, that I had to start from scratch on all my tones, the X3 didn't port into the HD, and beyond that - when building patches for 'studio/direct' vs 'combo/poweramp', or even for specific use with a DT amp - different patches for everything.  In terms of how the DT works, you just choose the 'PRE' versions of the HD500 amp models. These model only the preamp characteristics not the power amp.

[pianoguyy]

The pod is not a power amp. It does not replace a head if you are using a cabinet. 

But it does replace the need for an amp. 

 

I plug the guitar into the pod. I plug the pod into the pa. 

 

*The days of me lugging gear around are over. Today, I carry a couple guitars, the pod, and a utility bag. 

*The days of me showing up at 2pm for a 10pm gig, so I can set up and run sound check are over.  I need ten minutes to set up and sound check.

*The days of me paying a sound guy while using my own speakers to hear myself are over. The sound guy puts my guitar through the floor monitors. 

 

 

 

==================================================================

 

 

Prior to my pod... 

I plugged the guitar into my fx. I plugged the fx into an amp. I plugged the amp into a speaker. The sound guy mic'd the speaker. The mic went to the pa. 

Two steps with the pod, 5 steps before the pod. 

 

 

Don't misunderstand. You can still use the pod with an amp. But I don't. A lot of us don't. 

Its no longer an fx signal going into a 'whatever you plug into'. Which will sound drastically different depending on what you plug in to. The pod simulates amps/cabs. So, its actually best to go straight to the pa, or to some form of a flat unresponsive amp that puts out true tone instead of adding its own tone. 

 

Unless you want to use the fx and not the simulators. That's a possibility too.