txwylde Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Love the idea of the Firehawk FX and tweaking tones on my iPad. I also like the idea of the HD500X. I have tried the whole multi effect unit thing and thought the sounds were a bit processed. I do have the Pocket Pod that I use to practice when I do not want to bother my family at night. I can get some great tones and have run my TS9 into the Pocket Pod and it works well with analog pedals. Is the "Engine" in the Firehawk and the HD500X pretty much the same? I have see the Firehawk and HD500X comparison. For $50 more, I might opt for more functionality of the HD500x. I had thought for sure that the HD500x was going to get a refresh and was surprised to see the Firehawk come out. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated in making my decision on purchasing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandrio Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 fhawk is a POD HD minus: - dual amps - mic input - aux input - MIDI - L6 LINK - S/PDIF out - Mac/PC editor - 52 controller routings... also it is a POD HD minus $50. the decision is urs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 In fairness you also need to consider what Firehawk offers that the Pod HD does not. - Most, if not all, of the Pod Farm series amps - Bluetooth connectivity to mobile devices running an editor app - Tone search/match capability of AMPLIFi - your own personal and unlimited cloud-based tone library Not arguing for or against either product; just completing the comparison. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoguyy Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 But what you really need to consider is... what are you using it for? I am a live performer - that also does studio work and plays at home and --- all things music. I was looking to replace my entire rig. Not add to my rig. Not replace parts of my rig. The entire thing. Is the Firehawk enough for you to use in front of 30,000 scream fans. With nothing more than a guitar between you and the PA. The 500X is. I don't know the answer to that because I haven't looked. It wasn't available when I was shopping. I am not going to be switching rigs anytime soon, so I don't need to know. But it demonstrates the point --- what are your plans for using the gear. And then, which one is more suited for that purpose. Your bedroom while people are sleeping or a professional sound stage performing in front of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steele666 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I have to imagine the Firehawk will have a pc/mac editor. I personally think it seems like a very cool piece of equipment and am excited to try it out. POD Farm has some awesome sounding amp plus the HD amps and I think its a winner. If I can add IR's by reamping (like you could do in the X3) im sold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandrio Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 i believe Firehawk DOES NOT have a pc/mac editor. it has The Firehawk Remote app for iOS and Android instead FIREHAWK REMOTE APP Amazing tone. In the palm of your hand.The Firehawk Remote app for iOS and Android makes it easier than ever to create the perfect guitar tone. From your phone or tablet, you can craft elaborate signal chains, fine-tune hundreds of tone parameters, and connect with a massive online community of guitarists. The Line 6 cloud contains a vast library of tones covering countless genres and thousands of popular songs. You can create, save and recall an unlimited number of presets, so you’ll always have access to the tones you need. Learn More Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoguyy Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 i believe Firehawk DOES NOT have a pc/mac editor. it has The Firehawk Remote app for iOS and Android instead But if there is a phone app... there are simulators that allow for apps to run on a computer. They trick the app to think that it is a phone. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said in reverse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColonelForbin Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Here's a multi-part question: Will the additional for-purchase model packs be available on the Firehawk? Will they cost$$, or will they be free? Will they be available at the same time as the HD500x, or delayed? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColonelForbin Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 For me, the most important distinction, is that Firehawk doesn't have Line6Link. And I use that, so I don't choose the Firehawk. It also doesn't support the same level of patch editing; full dual channel paths, control of the parameters with the JTV controls, and a few other things like that. But the #1 issue is the Line6Link. I also wonder if it would allow things like splitting the Variax Mags and Variax Models as the 500/500x does? I would guess no. I had an X3L, sold it to fund the Hd500 back in 2010; I don't miss it or it's non-HD amp models. I recently sprung for a 500x, because my old 500 was getting slightly glitchy, and I was interested in the new model packs, and the increased DSP usage for building dual amp model patches, L6Linked to a pair of DT25's. Firehawk is a cool idea though! Makes sense they made it lesser to the HD500 series; gotta keep some amount of selling points isolated in products. If they could all do the same things and all had the same features, they wouldn't have new products to sell. Overall, the Firehawk looks pretty solid, Tons of amp models and FX; some older, some HD. If Line6Link isn't something you use or need, it's a worthy option. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillilan182 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Love the Pod HD500x but I love that the firehawk programs the tuning of the song into the channel when using a Variax. Correct me if im wrong but the Pod does not have that capability right? Would make my live show flow some much smoother with that function. I could play an acoustic intro, blues amp verse and chorus, banjo bridge, blues chorus all with switching channels and then next song could be capo'd or half step down with a single foot switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I'm not sure exactly what you mean. The Pod does store alternate Variax (JTV) tuning and model with each preset. So does the Firehawk. Neither supports changing these things without changing presets (is that what you mean by 'channel'?). I don't think there's any difference between the Pod and the Firehawk in this respect, unless I misunderstand you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillilan182 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 i stand corrected! thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandrio Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 firehawk does not support param changing thru jtv vol+tone knobs. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leftzilla Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 This is an always tough comparison when just starting out (meaning you do not own either board) and then trying to decide which one you want. I personally have and HD500X and have no interest in the Firehawk because I would lose capability (Specfically Dual amp some of the Advanced controls). There are conversations within these forums about how Difficult the HD500X is to use or get good sounds out of. I personally do not feel that way but the Firehawk may be simpler in this fashion as it is a cross between the Amplifi FX100 and POD HD series. So if I were you I would go and play with all 3 of these floorboards and see which one you like the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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