Rewolf48

Is nobody else having problems with the 2.0 Acoustics and HD500 over VDI? Something did change between 1.9 and 2.0 because the previously fine HD500 EQ, Compress, Reverb is now completely overloaded and even with the volume turned down sounds awful.

Argh... Happened again several times yesterday and again at rehearsal last night - I think all I did was tweak the bass setting in order to get rid of the "mud" accusations, save, and the next I knew I was in standard tuning again.

Does it have to be HD functionality, or could it be a HD Edit function? Provide a sample of isolated guitar in a WAV file and it generates the HD Patch to make that sound for a generic (or provided) guitar input. (Studio/Direct only)

Plexi Lead 100 Normal = ‘59 Marshall® “Plexi†Super Lead 100, Normal input channel Plexi Lead 100 Bright = ‘59 Marshall® “Plexi†Super Lead 100, Bright input channel from http://line6.com/data/6/0a06434c6fb051e03e8ab63dc/application/pdf/POD%20HD500X%20Advanced%20Guide%20-%20English%20(%20Rev%20A%20).pdf pages 6.11 - 6.12

My guess is that the Masonite Plank is a body for a Danelecto Guitar - perhaps specifically the Coral Sitar (see http://danguitars.com/HISTORY.html for the connections). Guitars designed by Nathan Daniel (1912-1994) never reached the pantheon of instruments made by Fender, Gibson, and Martin. But in their own way they were no less influential, their low price tag making them readily available to the masses. Cost cutting was achieved through materials and construction. As with this 3012 "short horn" model in "bronze" finish, the top and back of many Danelectro instruments were made from one-eighth-inch Masonite glued over a poplar framework, and covered over with a painted finish (including trendy colors like fuchsia and peach). From the Wikepedia page on Masonite it becomes obvious that it isn't made in guitar body thinkness, so I expect the difference is that the body resonates more than the solid Strat body would do - the top and bottom is only 1/8" thick. In fact the resonance is how the Coral Sitar worked - the drone strings are only connected to the main strings through the body.

This happened several times over the last few days - since updating to JTV 2.0: I have a HD500 patch with Forced Drop D tuning set, and several times while altering the sound the Guitar kept revert back to Standard tuning, and when I checked the Patch was on Don't Force. Last night at rehearsal it happened again, 3 times, which is rather embarrassing when you really need that Drop-D; thank goodness it wasn't at a gig. I am absolutely certain that I saved the Patch after setting it to the custom tuning, but it keeps going back to Don't Force and standard tuning again. It is not as if it is a quick change via the HD500 menus, but I am wondering if the JTV update now includes real-time overriding of the HD500 Forced Tuning setting if you perhaps switch the alt tuning knob on the JTV. I need to spend time to verify this and work out exactly when it happens, and it won't be for a few days as I am away this weekend, but I was wondering if anybody else has had problems with the HD500 Forced Tuning and JTV 2.0?

My Acer S200E (Windows 8 inc touchscreen) works fine - I have been using it as a VST host with the HD500 as the Audio Interface. In fact I have more problems with the generic USB MIDI than the HD500

I use the HD500 as a MIDI controller for PC on Keyboards, CC for Keyboard Volume and for Notes (not enough hands for guitar and keyboard at the same time) It is limited in that you can't define an automatic Patch Change to sync with HD Patch Change (it is fixed at sending the HD500 Patch), but if you have an HD500 Patch defined you can Patch Change on any channel by pressing the buttons - for example if you have an additional effects processor in the Loop.

mralmostpopular - one little counter to your point 1: There already is a Global EQ, but it is hidden and embedded into the Combo and Stack Front modes: the request for a Global EQ doesn't need to use more DSP than what those output modes already do, it just needs to be moved up so that it can be used for all output modes, and perhaps is made easier to adjust - for example when in the global settings mode the Amp controls would adjust the Global EQ not the selected Amp.

It is possible that you are getting a bit of chatter on the sensors behind the knobs for the amp settings - and obviously I suspect the Volume. This is something that can affect some people. Basically you press a foot switch and tiny movement around the knobs are detected and registered as changes to the patch. If the Volume knob is significantly below the volume saved on the Patch the volume goes down; conversely if it is higher the volume will go up. You can easily test this by triggering the problem and looking at where the active knob settings are relative to the saved settings (which appear as small dots when you have the Amp settings displayed). The "solution" is to park the knobs at one or other extreme position where there is minimal scope for movement. Not a great solution, but I never turn those knobs while playing live anyway so it doesn't matter where they are pointing.

Just for clarity - when I said 100% Wet I was referring to a parallel FX Loop that cut the direct (Dry) signal to zero when 100% Wet. If it meant equal levels of Dry and Wet then I would call that a 50:50 mix and it really doesn't play well with lots of effects in the loop not just digital ones. Sorry for any confusion.

It does have a good SNR, but I can't quantify it. The biggest problem is that if you are using high gain effects/amps then most guitars are a very noisy source and you get noise. So the HD500 has a choice of Noise Gates as effects that you can place where you want in the chain either to reduce noise or as a deliberate effect. Ignoring these the lowest Noise levels are achieved by following the obvious rules: 1) Use a really clean source - you can get stupidly high gain settings with almost no noise by using a JTV with a VDI connection as the whole input chain is digital from just after the piezo pickups, Some active pickups might be quite quiet too. Use a single coil cheap Strat next to fluorescent lights with a dodgy choke and you will be lucky to hear the guitar at all. 2) Using high quality cables 3) Changing the Input setting from the general "anything that is plugged in" to just single inputs as each physical input adds its own little bit of noise. 4) Not using more Gain than is really needed in the effects/amp chain; many people use way too much gain just because it is available

The 1/4" outs are unbalanced If you really want more level you can boost in the Mixer block assuming that you place it late in the chain. http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/index.php/t-943638.html

No problem for me at all and I always use the XLRs - but into inputs intended for Mic level signals such as on my powered PA speakers; it is plenty loud enough without raising the gain on either device above "normal" and just setting the master volume on the speaker to half way. Balanced XLR can carry the Mic level signals quite a long way without interference and pretty much everything that has an XLR input is expecting a mic level signal like the HD500 puts out. Giving you a switch to have XLR Line level would inevitably result in people having the switch in the wrong place and sending much too hot a level. If you want Line level signals then use the unbalanced outputs

Yes. That is both are true. Mastering of a recording is typically a case of getting the apparent level as loud as possible so that it stands out when played with other tracks and a major part of this is Compression. Radio Stations also apply additional eq and compression to make their sound consistent as they play music in different styles and from different periods sound similar - this often uses multi-band compression (several compressors each working independently on a limited range of frequencies) From a single musicians perspective there can be compression applied at the mix stage in order to get the sound to sit nicely with other instrument - as well as simple compression or multi-band compression used at this stage you can also have ducking compression (side chain) where a different sound source controls the compression ration - for example a kick drum may be the side chain input on a bass guitar; rather than the bass smothering the kick or the kick having to be turned up, instead only for the duration of the kick being active the bass guitar is compressed (turned down) - if done subtly most ears wont notice anything other than you can hear both bass and kick clearly. With and HD500 you may choose to add a compressor late in the chain if there isn't anything else to process the sound before the audience hears it But the compression you are talking about is as an effect in the "dynamics" category. There are two reasons for doing this one is to reduce the dynamic range perhaps because sometimes it is hard to play at a consistent volume especially with clean sounds, the other is to increase the apparent sustain. This doesn't increase the real sustain of the instrument (unless gain is high enough to cause feedback) but rather as mentioned above the attack level is reduced by compression and the gain is made up which means that the sustain level is increased. So if you want a smooth very clean sound that doesn't die away quickly use a compressor early in the effects chain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustain). Distortion effects also increase sustain but do it by increasing the level until the higher level signals are reduced by clipping. Don't use both Compression and Distortion at the same time as the end result is always high noise levels as the source note decays.

Theoretically the sound from quality monitors should be identical to that from quality headphones, but there is one very big difference between the two: the environment in which they exist. Headphones are a closed system - just the headphones and your ears, nothing to corrupt it. Monitors however are in a room and are sitting on something; the "loss of detail" you report to me sounds like the room is giving you lots of reflections in addition to any reproduction variations from the headphones (no system is perfectly flat in response so as Silverhead says you need to tweak EQ), but you might experiment with toning down the room effects as well. This is a complicated subject so rather than type an essay I will just point you to some web pages that have already tried to explain it: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar02/articles/monitors.asp http://www.uaudio.com/blog/studio-monitor-placement/

The last update to HD500 (2.1) included Lines 6 Doom, Epic and 3 channels of the Soldano SLO100: POD HD500 Flash Memory v2.1 RELEASE NOTES POD HD500 Flash Memory v2.1 is a FREE firmware update that is highly recommended for all POD HD500 users. What’s New? POD HD500 2.1 includes five new HD guitar amp models and integration support for L3t, L3m, and L3s speakers over L6 LINK. “Solo 100 Cleanâ€, “Solo 100 Crunchâ€, and “Solo 100 Overdrive†HD Guitar Amp Models Three new HD guitar amp models based on* the Clean/Crunch and Overdrive channels of the classic, hand-built Soldano® SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive 100-watt head. “Line 6 Doom†and “Line 6 Epic†HD Guitar Amp Models Two new, Line 6 original HD guitar amp models with lots of gain on tap. Line 6 Doom delivers maximum sludge by combining a Marshall® JCM800 preamp and Hiwatt® Custom 100 power amp with some additional tweaks. Line 6 Epic provides sustain for days at virtually any playing dynamic, giving up gobs of distortion with ease. Play with the Master Volume parameter to experience the true versatility of these amps. StageSource Speaker Support The update also enables POD HD Pro and POD HD500 to integrate with StageSource loudspeakers in revolutionary new ways. You can instantly recall StageSource Smart Speaker modes via POD HD presets, making StageSource and POD HD Pro or HD500 the ultimate integrated FRFR (Full Range Flat Response) guitar system. You can switch from a full-range acoustic sound for the verse to a dialed-in 2 x 12†guitar cabinet for the chorus—with just the press of a footswitch. You can also change to Keyboard mode for dramatic guitar synth soundscapes. Add multiple StageSource speakers via L6 LINK for stereo effects configuration, wet/dry/wet setups, and more. They all have the same amps now

It doesn't work as a USB MIDI interface. It is a MIDI device so that it talks to Edit, and it is a MIDI controller over the MIDI out, but you can't use it to communicate to other devices from a host computer

Damn - all music purchases are currently blocked by "She Who Must Be Obeyed" as we are just starting a house extension, otherwise I would be calling you on some or all of this - mainly as backups. And I'm really local (Redditch, day job in Coventry). Good luck selling them

Haven't had a chance to practice since yesterday, but will get some time in before rehearsal tomorrow (unfortunately the songs we are concentrating on require me to play keyboards). Will have a play with the eq and compression if I have time. Just a little expansion of the discussion here, but: -> what mic position (tone knob) do people use? -> do you have any tricks to change the sound that are perhaps a bit different from the norm? To give you an example of the latter with the acoustics I will generally strum and play arpeggios close to the neck, but when I want clearly articulated single notes I will play right by the bridge - not something that you would do with an acoustic, but it works very nicely with the JTV piezos. This is when I want to cut through while other instruments are playing rather than something I do if I am the solo instrument.

That's interesting because I always put the EQ first followed by the compressor which tends to be the valve comp. My thought was that compressing before eq would mean that the unwanted frequencies would dominate the comp input, but having heard the sound you are getting I might try reversing them - the eq was only the low end cut to reduce the boominess when strumming so a little mid boost might work nicely. That said I was complimented for the "great sound" on our very first gig at a musicians only jam nite. My selection varies - mainly 5 for 6 string and 4 for 12 string, but I do use 3 when it is right for the song - for example we play Aqualung and with a 3rd fret capo it does the acoustic guitar perfectly

1. I read somewhere (I think) that the hd500 tuner doesn't work with the vdi connections? Or is that just with the modeled sounds? Tuner works in both ways: VDI or 1/4 connection.And it works with modelled and mag-sounds. Tuner works on Input 1 so whatever is assigned to that input is what the tuner sees - with VDI connected you get Variax and Variax Mags as options. Don't need 1/4 for anything as both Mags and Models are simultaneously available on the HD500 and can be set as Input 1 and Input 2 down the A and B paths for Acoustic and Electric at the same time for example (Expression Pedal to cross fade...) As wolbai says you MUST get a proper VDI cable - I got my thrown in with the JTV when haggling and haven't used anything else. Its not ethernet though it just uses that style cable and connectors - it actually carries 2 digital audio streams, 2 way MIDI for patch change on JTV controlled by HD500 and Volume and Tone knobs as extra Expression Controls on HD500, plus the other two lines are for powering the JTV

Same here - no problems with my JTV 69 except temperature related retuning (!) and I love Guitar on back, HD500 in one hand and 10" FRFR in the other for the full rig in a single trip. Never mind it sounding better than anything I've ever had before - even the transposed acoustics. Back to the original topic though.... Hurry up - it's been 6 months already!

They are over the top without some tweaking, but this gives you a lot of flexibility; you just need to reduce the range to suit the Wah you are after. Wah is inevitably placed at the front of the chain with perhaps only noise gate before it (I don't use a noise gate as my JTV is quiet) Reduce the range of the expression pedal sweep - can't remember the exact values but try so that min is 10% and max is 90% (on the Exp 1 Controller assignment) and reduce the Mix to about 90%. Then tweak again until happy And avoid too much distortion as that kills the Wah effect.

Forget Watts they mean nothing - you need to look at SPL data and associated distortion figures. My FBT Maxx2a with 10" speaker is only 200W into the main and 50W into the tweeter but gives 121 dB (@ 1M) QSC K10 is 1000W and gives 129 dB Alto Truesonic are 800 watts of Class D power and SPL of 125 dB for the TS112W and 126 dB for the TS115W To give you a comparison most guitar speakers are relatively inefficient and give 97dB to 105dB. For FRFR which is simulating the distortion of the normal guitar speaker it needs a little more headroom to sound the same. But none of this matters really because this is what experts says about SPL levels and permanent damage to your ears: Question: How long can a person endure a certain noise level before hearing impairment occurs? Sound Pressure Level Sound pressure Permissible Exposure Time 115 dB 11.2 Pa 0.46875 minutes (~30 sec) 112 dB 7.96 Pa 0.9375 minutes (~1 min) 109 dB 5.64 Pa 1.875 minutes (< 2 min) 106 dB 3.99 Pa 3.75 minutes (< 4 min) 103 dB 2.83 Pa 7.5 minutes 100 dB 2.00 Pa 15 minutes 97 dB 1.42 Pa 30 minutes 94 dB 1.00 Pa 1 hour 91 dB 0.71 Pa 2 hours 88 dB 0.50 Pa 4 hours 85 dB 0.36 Pa 8 hours 82 dB 0.25 Pa 16 hours Very seriously as a musician you shouldn't have more than about 90 dB SPL without protections and ideally a lot less. Conclusion: a 10" powered speaker of decent quality is more than enough for monitoring or backline