amsdenj

At least one acoustic amp. A couple more bass amps, Ampeg SVT being one of the best.

But the Vintage Preamp, as an effect, not an amp model, does not provide its parameters to the 500X Drive, Bass, Treble, etc. knobs. Right? So this makes it more difficult to tweak the tone during performances, something I sometimes find convenient.

I understand the HD500 and HD500X has more DSP power, more effects and different/updated HD amp models. That's great. But I'm interested in using the POD for acoustic instruments: mandolin, Variax 700 acoustic, and bass, as well as electric guitar. My question is concerning the A2D, D2A converters, sample rate and bit depth of the HD500 vs. the X3/Live. Are they the same? That is, models aside, would the HD500 have better quality then the X3 for acoustic instruments, not considering the models? Note that I understand you can use effects to cover a lot of what the X3 preamp models provided. But there's a big difference. The X3 preamp models use the X3 front panel controls while the effects don't. This is a big functional gap.

I am a long time Line6 user starting with the origianl POD, and currently using a POD XT/Live. I have been anxiously waiting for Line6 to update the POD HD line. Here's my view on the POS HD500X. I'm a flexible musician in that I play a number of instruments including electric guitar (Strat, Les Paul and Variax 300 with MIDI capability), acoustic guitar (Variax 700 Acoustic), mandolin, and bass. I like Line6 products because they provide the flexibility I need to be a flexible musician. The POD X3/Live provides mic and preamp models that support acoustic instruments, as well as a multitude of guitar and bass models. I use the X3/Live with a Roland AC90 for flexible sounds at low volumes, and a modified '65 Fender Showman for larger venues. The Showman has HI-Fi tone controls in the Normal channel, and full range coaxial speakers in a Tremolux cabinet to support the wide range of instruments. My problem with the HD500 is that it doesn't support this flexibility. There's no mic preamps, acoustic guitar amps, or full range preamps like in the X3. And there's only one somewhat limited bass amp. The HD500 is too focused on just electric guitar. I had hoped the next generation POD HD would address these limitations at least with a few more models. I'd happily drop the $500 if it replicated a bit more of the capability of an X3 with wider dynamic range and better models. But the current HD500 line doesn't meet my needs, so I'll have to stick with the X3 a while longer.

Thanks for the response, and I do see your logic. I can detect on the POD X3 Live for example that the Variax 700 i much brighter direct into the PA, or bypassing the X3 (using the tuner bypass setting). However, I also found that the Vintage preamp on the X3 Live gives a much warmer, darker sound that I quite like. So I guess diversity is our friend.

I have a Variax 700 acoustic that I'm quite happy with. It is a nice playing instrument, feels good to hold live, and provides a lot of good, flexible sounds. I'm wondering what's the best way to connect this to an amplifier. Here's my guess from best to worse. 1. POD HD Probably best because it would have higher bit depth and sample rate than the other solutions, and maybe better D to A converters. But the A to D converters are in the guitar - so that's a constant. One drawback is that there's no amp models for acoustic guitar. But that can be worked around with effect choices. 2. Direct to PA (or other analog amp) This uses the D to A converters and preamps in the guitar. Not sure how these compare to either the POD HD or X3 since we don't have the specs. But at least the signal chain is shorter - generally a plus. Compression, EQ and other effects can often be quite good in a modern digital mixer, providing most of what would be needed. 3. POD X3 Live This seems to loose quite a bit of the high end compared to direct to a PA- perhaps because of a lower sampling frequency that might be more appropriate for electric guitar. Hard to tell without the specs. But its pretty obvious to the ear. That said, the vintage preamp tends to give the variax acoustic a nice warm tone, even though the sparkle is a bit missing. This is also pretty convenient live. Anyone got another opinion, recommendations or observations?