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[HD500X] Tips for live sound and connections


aadrianperezz
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Hello there

 

I was just wondering, I'm gonna start playing live soon, me and my band are gonna start playing our own songs and also some covers to start. and I'm used to create patches in my bedroom, at a low volume level of course.

 

Lets asume I have 8 patches for example, got some of them from L6 CustomTone (These are mostly for covers) and some made by me. All of these are at different levels and other parameters from each other.

 

I have a combo Solid State amp, and I connect my hd500x directly through the Input jack (my amp has fx send and fx return) to make my patches, and i like the sound, but when we go rehearsal and connect to a random head/cab amp at high volume theres such a high pitch or fuzz in some patches.

 

Best way to balance the level sound between patches?? ( lowering from the effect level or amp level on the patch).. a friend of my recommended me to connect it through the  FX Return jack but since my effects are so unbalanced volume speaking,is a mess and I think (I dont know if its a fact or am i just crazy) i like the sound better coming from the Input jack.. Bottom top is I would like to know the best way to obtain the sound I like from  a combo amp at lower level to a amp head/cab at high level. 

 

That being said, what tips for setup and/ or connection can you guys give me? Thank you very much in advanced, i know the pod hd500x is a great unit, its just I think im not very pro or agile at it even-though i know how it works cause I've read the manual and stuff.

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1.  Build and tweak the patch on the equipment you intend to use live.   The POD is great unit but each power, amp cab etc... is going to add it's own charistics to the tone. And FRFR system, like going straight to your PA takes some of this out of the equation but only if you are FRFR when you setup the patch as well. You can expermient with going straignt into the power amp, typcially this is "closer to original" tone but there are not rules. If the Input works for you and the patches work, then by all means go for it.

 

2.  Build those patch at or close to Stage volume. I know this is tricky to get done but it really helps if you can find a way.  For home practice you may want to keep a different set of patches for low level. But those will not always scale up in volume well, espcially if using different equpiment to amplifiy it.  Even with the same ones often the volume jump requires EQ changes.

 

3. Leave some headroom in the patches for volume matching.  This is still a constant strugle for me. The only way I found to get this right is on the fly changes at rehersals to the overall volume and then not changing that later after saving the patch.

 

4. Realized you might have to change the patch to fit into live band.  When practicing at home what sounds good with only a single guitar can sound bad when you put it in the context of full live band.  

 

5. Room to Room will sound different. This is what the Global EQ was added to the POD to accomidate.  So you may need it sometimes to adjust the overall changes from one venue to the next.  Personally I just deal with it and don't worry too much about it. I think live we as musicans worry much more about tone than needed. But it's there if you need it.

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Great advice above.

 

I'd say run into the FX return instead of the input. You'd just be going through the power section of your amp and not through a second preamp (your Pod being the first preamp) to amplify yourself. That way your sound will b a little more consistent between different amps FX returns you plug into.

 

I do this at jams that have a head/cab already there.

 

I run studio/direct mode with full amp models and cabs on. Some would disagree with this method due to the models being skewed, but I'm not looking to realistically recreate any certain sound and things sound good.

 

And yes, patches for live use need to be tweaked at the volume you intend to play at/around and with the full band.

 

I had to buy a replacement 500x a few days before a gig and reprogram it from scratch without getting a chance to test it out in practice. My clean sounds at that gig were practically inaudible

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1.  Build and tweak the patch on the equipment you intend to use live.   The POD is great unit but each power, amp cab etc... is going to add it's own charistics to the tone. And FRFR system, like going straight to your PA takes some of this out of the equation but only if you are FRFR when you setup the patch as well. You can expermient with going straignt into the power amp, typcially this is "closer to original" tone but there are not rules. If the Input works for you and the patches work, then by all means go for it.

 

2.  Build those patch at or close to Stage volume. I know this is tricky to get done but it really helps if you can find a way.  For home practice you may want to keep a different set of patches for low level. But those will not always scale up in volume well, espcially if using different equpiment to amplifiy it.  Even with the same ones often the volume jump requires EQ changes.

 

3. Leave some headroom in the patches for volume matching.  This is still a constant strugle for me. The only way I found to get this right is on the fly changes at rehersals to the overall volume and then not changing that later after saving the patch.

 

4. Realized you might have to change the patch to fit into live band.  When practicing at home what sounds good with only a single guitar can sound bad when you put it in the context of full live band.  

 

5. Room to Room will sound different. This is what the Global EQ was added to the POD to accomidate.  So you may need it sometimes to adjust the overall changes from one venue to the next.  Personally I just deal with it and don't worry too much about it. I think live we as musicans worry much more about tone than needed. But it's there if you need it.

 

Great advice above.

 

I'd say run into the FX return instead of the input. You'd just be going through the power section of your amp and not through a second preamp (your Pod being the first preamp) to amplify yourself. That way your sound will b a little more consistent between different amps FX returns you plug into.

 

I do this at jams that have a head/cab already there.

 

I run studio/direct mode with full amp models and cabs on. Some would disagree with this method due to the models being skewed, but I'm not looking to realistically recreate any certain sound and things sound good.

 

And yes, patches for live use need to be tweaked at the volume you intend to play at/around and with the full band.

 

I had to buy a replacement 500x a few days before a gig and reprogram it from scratch without getting a chance to test it out in practice. My clean sounds at that gig were practically inaudible

 

Both are great answes, very nice tips! thank you! .. if anyone wants to add something or say something feel free to respond :)

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