Rewolf48

The HD500 can do this too... except for the iPod via USB part, you would need a laptop via USB or 1/8 headphone connection

After our recent large gig (1000+) where we also had to act as PA supplier and operator for ourselves and the other two bands I have also found myself looking at the M20d especially as up until yesterday I could find it around £840. The other incentive is that I have to tidy up and distribute the Zoom H1 recordings from rehearsals and when the recording is just mud from the Bass Guitar, Kick and low-end from the Acoustic Guitar all combining together it can be a real challenge to get anything listenable; but if I had the individual sources all recorded then it should be quite easy to mix them together to get a stereo out (that I would have to record in real time). Plus we currently cancel rehearsals when one person can't make it, but I have seen people talking about using rehearsal or live recordings to fill in the missing person at a rehearsal. And the ability to do "everybody except me" recordings for practising against or taking the separate tracks into a DAW and trying alternative arrangements. Damn - I appear to be talking myself into it... looks like Helix might be pushed back a bit

DI has already said that Helix doesn't replace HD at least "Not at Lauch"! The price difference is just too big and it is all about having the right sort of product at the right price; that is why we lost the HD300 and HD400 - the price saving for the lower in the range models once the HD prices had settled down was so small that most buyers were going that little bit further and getting the HD500X. Might we see a Half Helix with a single DSP and limited IO and routing options? Possibly. But that doesn't replace the HD500X in terms of what it can do at the just a bit under $500 price point We might also see a Double Helix with 4 DSP chips and a higher price point, but only if people are complaining a lot about how they can't configure a virtual rig as they want it. Of course you can do a Double Helix when they launch with a Floor Board and Rack connected together digitally. Personally I see the HD500X being pulled only when L6 have a Helix version at $500 or if HD500X sales drop to very low levels

Are you using the ASIO drivers? These should latency between 3 and 10 ms using Reaper; the 100 to 200 ms are what you typically get using the Windows Sound drivers. I just noticed you mentioned updating the ASIO drivers, but the latest Line 6 ones are installed by Monkey so this is hard to get wrong, but you can muck things up using ASIO4ALL. These times are so long that it look as though Reaper is simply using the wrong sound connection

I don't know if this helps; you have probably read it already: http://line6.com/data/6/0a06434d41f050904bee355b1/application/pdf/L6%20LINK%20Connectivity%20Guide%20for%20POD%20HD%20&%20DT%20Amplifiers%20v2.10%20-%20English%20(%20Rev%20A%20).pdf I have just found it myself, and it might contain the answer to how to have stereo monitors using the L6 LINK: AUDIO configuration. Got to try that when I get home

I thought there was a delay in the model otherwise exact same tuning of the strings wouldn't give the effect at all, but I expect that it is a fixed delay rather than varying based what you are doing

One reason for the relatively low number of votes might be because it is just a subset of other ideas that were already there such as this one which had 75 votes: http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/POD-HD-Split-preamp-Poweramp-cab-in-seperate-blocks/493760-23508 Or this remarkably similar 22 votes: http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Separate-preamp-poweramp-cab-blocks/551666-23508 As well as allowing one amp to drive 2 cabs, the same idea allows fx blocks to be put between them including the FX loop.

Unless this new synth effect turns into something really interesting when we start hearing it... in which case bring that forward to Birthday

I am definitely going to upgrade - and relegate the HD500 to the B Rig; I just know it is going to happen, as the HD500 was one of the first and I was an early adopter on that one - I had actually gone out to buy a X3L and was scuppered because it was out of stock with no more due and hence found out about it's replacement. So my HD500 has been used a lot. But the latest model packs and recent L2t purchases have given the HD500 a new lease of life, so I will not be buying the Helix immediately unless the HD500 shuffles off its mortal coil in the next few months, but perhaps a Christmas present?

I don't have a DT, but my memory of previous threads is that a DT has to come before a StageSource otherwise some aspects of functionality are compromised. I don't remember anybody with two DT amps and StageSource in a combined rig before!

It won't be that convincing unless you can do +1 octave on the bottom 4 strings and unison but slightly delayed on the top 2 strings. There was a discussion about this before: http://line6.com/support/topic/3042-can-you-simulate-a-12-string-guitar-with-a-6-string/ And the conclusion is... to use a 12 string or a Variax

Line 6 have released some additional Helix sound samples: https://soundcloud.com/line6/sets/helix

My HD500 was more like standing full weight on one leg on the pedal and feeing the case flex before the switch engaged - it was so hard that I simply never bothered using it. It was nothing at all like triggering the switch on a cry baby wah which is what I thought it is supposed to be like - at least on my cry baby it is a case of rocking to the toe position and then pressing just a little harder. Maybe it is my svelte 13 stones not being enough weight... :) it would have been absolutely impossible for either of my under 10 kids to use that switch, and I am sure I my unit is not the only one. Definitely take off a little at a time, but if you do go too far you can build it back up with electrical tape or a sticky pad.

Ok, big gig in front of 1000+ people now out of the way (the people were there, whether they were listening is a completely different question!), so I finally had a chance to open up the HD 500 to look at those 2 reluctant switches that have been annoying me. Removed the back screws, slid the floor slightly to one side and back again to access to the inside. As per the video the actual switches are on a pair of PCBs that the run the length of the unit just under the mechanical switches - these only contain the electrical switches and LEDs. Two nuts hold down either end, but the main connection is actually a three pronged clip that forms part of the mechanical switch and prevents the electrical switch from moving. Just by looking it is obvious that there is no point at all in spraying contact cleaner into the mechanical switches without opening the unit - there might be some value in spraying a little lubricant from the inside pointing outwards just to reduce mechanical noise, but the chances of contact cleaner actually getting to the micro switch from outside is zero - unless you flood the whole thing which is just silly. I checked the micro switches and the mechanical switches and individually they all worked fine. So I blew around everything with some Air and then did as was suggested and removed the little black plastic bits, then reattached the PCBs, pressed a few switches and tested I could hear the micro switches go click, then turned the HD500 over and powered up into diagnostic mode and ran the switches test. This failed with 5 switches that didn't engage - ok it is now worse than before. Turning it back over and looking at the ones that were not working I could see that the spring had a significant gap before it would touch the micro switch, so I took the PCBs off again and using needle-nose pliers (round profile) stretched all the springs; they are pretty tough and don't stretch easily. Then I put the PCBs back on again and repeated the diagnostics - this time it failed with 4 switches. There is still a gap between springs and micro-switches, so I put all the little black bits back again and this time it passes the diagnostics with ease. That is except for the Expression Toe switch which I have never been able to work without standing on it - during the diagnostics I could get it to switch with some pressure and flexing of the frame. So I had a look at that too: This is not a micro-switch and the reason why it is hard to switch is simply the mechanical part on the bottom of the expression pedal not making contact - so how to change things so it does work with less pressure? I looked at moving the PCB closer but this is not possible, I looked at extending the mechanical bit under the pedal, but the switch looked as though it might be an electrical circuit being completed by the expression pedal so I couldn't use anything non-conductive. In the end - and with much more confidence about it because I had the unit open - I took a flat file, and with the HD500 upside down carefully removed a millimetre or so from the rubber block under the expression pedal and carefully shook the filings out of the pedal sideways. Then I gave it all another blow with the air and did the full diagnostics test - this time the expression toe switch engaged with reasonable pressure. It was then just a case of putting the floor of the unit back on and running the expression pedal calibration; and everything is working - I would say just like new, but actually it is better than new because I can use the Expression Toe switch now and never bothered before. So my recommendation for an HD500 is that switches that won't engage are probably down to compressed springs and are very simply fixed by disassembling and stretching the springs slightly - you will only need the correct size screwdriver, socket spanner and needle nose pliers to fix this and some Air to blow away any dust in the switch mechanicals, and a flat file if you want to fix the expression pedal switch. You do not need contact cleaner inside an HD500 except if the Pots are going scratchy (not sure how you would notice this except perhaps by the values jumping). A very light oil (even WD40!) can quieten down the switch mechanisms but spraying anything into the switches from outside is pointless. It may not be the case for every production batch, or for the HD500X, but for my unit I struggle to see how the micro-switches could be damaged by too much pressure and there was no need to remove the black plastic bits. Other production batches may have had changes to the tolerances of the components, and if your switches engage just by looking at them then physical contact may be being made too early in the mechanical switch range and I would consider removing the black bits before the micro-switches are damaged.

I think that one main point that parkinson was trying to make was not to use a standard computer network cat5 cable instead of a cable with neutrik connectors on it and then to go running around stage - without the extra support of the XLR type surround of an Ether-con cable I can easily see the socket and/or plug getting damaged, and as two of those wires carry power I can also see that there is the potential for electrical damage. [i have no comment about applicability of the JTV jack plate to an earlier Variax] The VDI compatible cable I use is just as flexible as any guitar lead I have ever used and I have no problems at all using it live, however that little door/flap/cover over the VDI has broken off, which doesn't stop it working, but is a bit annoying. I can't find a UK supplier for this replacement jack plate (JTV-69) in or that ship to the UK - anybody know how to get one without sending it back for repair to Line 6 the authorised UK repairers that now cover Line 6?

It is how synth players move around as well - the "fly rig" for a Yamaha Motif user is a memory stick and a rider for a same spec Motif at the other end. When you get to the other end all presets including any samples needed to produce them (a gig of custom sample memory is available on an XF) are simply loaded onto the machine from the memory stick. Obviously the Motif can act as a USB host and it is apparently running Linux under the skin anyway, so that same USB port can also be used for WiFi and connect to a network drive for the same purpose. It is a bit more complicated for an HD500 user as you would need to take your laptop with you because you can't do a memory stick install of the utility software - I don't think HD500 Edit is constrained to registered devices (but I have never tried). Software that can be installed as a portable app includes Audacity and Reaper so it is possible for quite complicated applications. Seeing as the Helix is class compliant perhaps Line 6 should think about having the utility software such as Editor/Librarian install as portable apps onto a memory stick for exactly this scenario?

Yes - that occurred to me after I wrote it; all those Mac and Linux Users complaining that it wasn't class compliant, while us Windows users just went ahead with the custom driver installation because that is what we are used to

So just to be clear - if you have an Android 5 device (Lollypop - such as the Nexus 7 Tablet that I have) and a suitable cable to connect the device to Helix that Helix you can record and playback audio using that device? My presumption is based on following from this http://www.soundonsound.com/news?NewsID=17431 to discover the Released state of this https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614 (scroll to the bottom for the release statement). Plus that fact that a lot of people on the 'net are reporting success with USB Audio and Lollypop. If it does then L6 could report Android compatibility for Lollypop and later. Does it also work with an HD500?

But this does raise the question as to whether computer software could be given a sample of target guitar (as per AxeFX process) and a sample of Helix amp without Cab (over USB) playing similar, and then *magically* determine the differences between them and generate an IR that would be used in a Helix IR Block in place of a Cab to give this same effect. An IR includes EQ and phase effects so can achieve this tone matching. In fact this is what I think the AXeFX includes is an automated version of this which is exactly what is being talked about

Watch out for HD500 and StageSource interacting with each other and changing your output mode - for example the HD500 can go into Combo Poweramp mode and the speaker into Guitar, but you might get half of that with the speaker as reference and the pod expecting the speaker to be simulating a guitar cab. My reaction to an L2t (placed on it's side as a monitor) when connected to an HD500 was that it was good, but I was definitely on Studio output mode on the HD and floor monitor on the speaker. My patches have always been programmed for Studio, but even then I did need to tweak to compensate for failings of my previous amplification system that I had built into the patches. I actually removed a parameteric eq needed for a speaker resonance and was able to turn up the Resonance DEP, once I had done this the sound went from good to really impressed. You should have seen the faces of the bass player and drummer of the band we were sharing gear with when during our soundcheck having played only electric sounds I switched to an acoustic model on the JTV. :blink: I haven't read of anybody who was not at least happy with an HD into L2t via L6Link - some do still prefer a DT for electric and only use the L2t for Acoustic, but others sell their DT as being superfluous.

Yes to the more complicated question - in the same way that a Variax + HD500 set-up can route Acoustic models through effects and out to PA while Electric models can be routed to a Guitar Amp by using Left and Right outputs and panning; except that from what I have seen panning is not needed on Helix because the FX Loop Outs can be defined as outputs so you can have stereo to both

I've only used studio/reference and floor monitor (to the HD500 these are the same), but I am sure others were successfully doing this. I might give it a go over the weekend

You have upgraded the HD firmware haven't you? StageSource integration requires a minimum firmware level

The K10 like all other active speakers has protection against overload so you can't overload it and cause damage, so as long as the limiter light is not coming on you are ok and getting a clean signal, if it is coming on just reduce the volume of the source until it doesn't come on

Hold on, hold on, give us a bit more about this feature... Are you saying that Helix guesses what the range of a plugged in expression pedal is, and then as you move it around refines its range definition? What if you plug in a pedal set to minimum (say a few ohms of resistance) and then only move it half way (say to 5k resistance) and I don't move it farther. Does helix now think half way is full range? Will that muck up the user defined minimum settings on a Roland EV-5 by recalibrating it to be zero? I'm not presuming you have anything wrong here and I am sure it will work like magic, but a bit more explanation would be good. [is this another one of those "lets get the forum to write the manual" things? :) ]