ColonelForbin

Yeah, that's what I am looking at - you can probably get a replacement HD500 / HD500x for less than $500. Not sure what you will get for the DT25; I am guessing you have at least $1k in it already. For me, it's all about the tubes! Real power amp tubes, with analog circuitry. I spent enough time mucking around with my HD500 into random solid state amps, that when I upgraded to the DT25 it was the "oh wow" moment, and it's remained that way ever since! For a relatively minimal investment in the replacement HD500x, your rig is pretty much all there. Stereo is cool, but it's not crucial. I had to rebuild all my patches to work with the DT25 link - though with the HD500x, they actually have a whole setlist of preconfigured patches using the PRE amp models. I guess, while I like the ease of amp modeling, I prefer the authentic tube amp tones. Others have gravitated in the complete opposite direction! Depends alot on how you want to use the gear. I like the DI out from the DT amp, it's excellent, and completes the routing. Was doing a fair amount of multitrack recording with my band at rehearsal, getting ready for studio time. I went back and listened to my direct signal, from the DT25 and it rocks. Clean, precise, warm, and perfect sounding. With no bleed from the rest of the band!

For what it's worth, I use the DT25 combo, and I play with it up on an amp stand. The controls being on top of the DT25 make for easy quick adjustments when needed. I never got too into the closed back vs open back discussion; though I suppose the advantage to the DT25 1x12 combo, is that you can always pair a closed back cab with the combo, but they don't make an open back extension cab, so if you go with the head, you are stuck with only closed back.

Yeah, Guitar Center seems to have the 1x12 DT25 on sale for now; at $799 new. Convince Zzounds or some similar place to price match, to dodge the tax that GC charges... http://www.guitarcenter.com/Line-6-DT25-112-1x12-25W-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp-107081598-i2113871.gc

The DT25 is an amazing amp, even without the HD500 linked to it. If you want to do a direct comparison, the DT25 is a Bogner tube amp. The Blackstar is solid state. In your case, since you already have the way more expensive / tube amp, spend some time with the MIDI interface, and tweak the onboard preamps that you can load into the DT25. With the most recent DT firmware, they increased the options substantially. http://line6.com/dtv2update/ Remember: when you link the DT25 to an HD500(x), you get a connection potential that is difficult if not impossible to find anywhere else with any other gear. Personally, I like the HD500 as is; I love it with the DT linked. There is something to be said about the fact that the Bogner portion of the DT amp is all analog, tube power amp, with the ability to reconfigure it's analog power amp settings on the fly, as controlled by the HD500(x). That being said, to get yourself into stereo, you'd need another DT amp, and the HD500(x) pedalboard. Which is what I ended up doing after a year of using the HD500 with a single DT25. The Blackstar as is, while not being a tube amp, is a stereo amp.

+1 to this! Similar experience that I had. Loved the HD500 by itself; used it running into FX loop of a combo amp from 2011-2014- but adding the DT25 a year ago took it to a whole new level. Just recently added a second DT25 to run the stereo / dual amp models; both are at the shop getting new JJ's tubes and biased, so they are ready when I go into studio. We wrapped up the first round of drum takes with everyone elses' scratch tracks, my parts are still a couple weeks away. Need to get my guitars setup next.

Yeah; I was working on that with my JTV59, works perfectly. You just turn down the low E string to 0, and adjust the other 5 strings to open G, or open whatever key you want.

Though just noticed, that for the 'closeup' detail image, Zzounds is showing the white pickguard....

Zzounds says April 17th for the Firehawk and April 11th for the Variax Standard. Guessing that is more accurate than the others; though no definitive word. http://www.zzounds.com/item--LINFIREHAWKFX "We have been given a date of Apr 17 for the arrival of this item. This date is not guaranteed, rather an estimate based on either information obtained directly from the manufacturer or historical delivery data for the specific manufacturer." http://www.zzounds.com/item--LINVARIAXSTD "We have been given a date of Apr 11 for the arrival of this item. This date is not guaranteed, rather an estimate based on either information obtained directly from the manufacturer or historical delivery data for the specific manufacturer."

I will report back when I get my DT25 back from the shop. Went with the matched pair of JJ's EL84's and the JJ's balanced triode 12AX7. I didn't know the info about the stock tubes being the only options, for the Bogner specifications, guess I should have done more homework before I re-tubed! But other folks around here have used JJ's tubes in their DT amps and typically reported good things. For what it's worth, my DT25 was about a year old with the stock tubes in it when I took it in to the shop last week, and the tech reported back to me that those tubes were pretty much done - though they had not given me any issues; I just figured it was worth a tube up tune up bias and whatnot before I lug the gear to studio to do some recording. Oh yeah, and you are using the DT50, so as others noted; yours gets EL34's. Got mine from the tubestore; here's links to what you would need if you go with JJ's tubes: http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/EL34-6CA7-Tube-Types/JJ-E34L-EL34 http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/JJ-Electronics/JJ-ECC83-S-12AX7

Zzounds recently updated their website to include the new Variax Standard; looks like the more realistic date may actually be April 11th... Looks like the black pickguard design is accurate too; Sweetwater is the only place showing the white pick guard. http://www.zzounds.com/item--LINVARIAXSTD

"1969 Fender Stratocaster, original pick-ups, maple neck, strung upside down for a left-handed motherf*cking genius, Jimi Hendrix." ~The Adventures of Ford Fairlane

Yeah, those Mesa Mark IV's are a killer amp!

Yeah, I am curious if those dates are accurate; Musicians Friend is the only place advertising any ship dates for the new Line6 gear. They are showing Feb.13 for the new Variax Standard. They are also saying March 2 for the new G70 / G75 wireless units.

Sweet! Yeah, good call, you diagnosed the symptoms pretty well. Since doing that firmware reset didn't help, you were definitely looking at hardware related malfunctions. If you haven't already, make sure you get a decent VDI cable if you end up using it with a POD. Get the kind with the XLR style shielding on both ends: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VDI I got one of those (Line6 brand) and then also got one from these folks: http://btpa.com/Line-6-Variax/

Yeah; it's still got me all G.A.S.'d up :) Musician's Friend still says Feb.13th; they show March 2 for the Firehawk.

Yes! And if you use two DT amps or dual amo models you definitely want the input 2 to SAME, because if it's not, it's looking for a second musician. That one tripped me up; got used to setting input 1 variax, input 2 guitar.. Do that with dual amp models and it splits the two amp models into the two inputs, and since you are only playing on one of the two inputs.. In general, if you are using one amp model only, you can make it run louder / hotter by setting input 2 to SAME, or to back off, make it less loud, less 'intense', set input 2 to something other than the input 1.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/line-6-firehawk-guitar-multi-effects "Expected to Ship 03-02-2015"

I emailed Sweetwater, no response on their end, and the same pic remains. Might make for some interesting explanations on their end, since they claim to have already taken pre-orders! Musicians Friend still just shows 'expected to ship 2/13'; Zzounds hasn't even added them to their website yet. For what it's worth, Musicians Friend shows the Firehawk shipping in March 2nd.. Is there some way we musicians can take over Valentines' Day, and rebrand the whole thing? Who needs candy, hearts and flowers for romance - it's all about the MUSIC of LOVE! or at least the Love of Music :)

YEahhhhh.. Now you're talking! I was clearly looking at the low end of the Pacific spectrum.. That axe looks way nicer. The big question is "when?".... :)

The XLR outputs from the HD are mic level. The 1/4" outputs can be toggled between "amp out" vs "line out" level

The update will be released for the 500x first; and no word on how long HD500 users will need to wait.. And like Tom Petty reminds us, "The Waiting is the Hardest Part!!" I've been on the HD500 since 2010; just recently (finally) snagged a HD500x! Super stoked; the new footswitches are awesome. The footswitches on my old HD500 were just starting to show symptoms of going out; press on FS7, sometimes takes a few steps to get it to activate. And I always had mis-step issues with the proximity of the FS4 / FS8 switches to the tap/tuner switch. March can't come soon enough! :)

Ahh, good catch Rads! I figured there were some higher end Yamaha Pacificas, that makes sense. Probably a nicer base model than the lowest price model

This statement perfectly sums up my previous post: take any guitar+real amp combination, at gig volume level :now put a microphone in front of the amp, send that mic to the mixer, out to the PA you are using. I guarantee you, it will not be a "one and done" process. Which microphone? Ribbon? Condensor? SM57? On axis? Off axis? I only say this, because I have struggled consistently with my band. What am I struggling with"? The other guitarists amp... He uses all analog pedals, into a Fender tweed. We have used at least 6 or 7 different mics, in different combinations. Some will sound good for his rhythm parts but not leads. Others will sound good for clean tones but not crunchy tones. My tone = easy!! I use my HD500 -> linked to a DT25, the HD500 is set to "combo/poweramp" output mode, and I am using the PRE versions of the amp models. I then run the DI out from the DT25 to the PA / mixer, and it sounds stellar! For his amp, I have tried various mics, various placements, various distances, etc. I have tried on axis, off axis, snare mix, condensor mic, Beta 57, regular 57, all kinds of mics. It's gotten better over time, but it's not easy, and I spend alot of time in ProTools trying to get his guitar amp mic to sit well in the multi-track recordings we are doing with the M20d. So, it sounds like you are trying to equate plugging a guitar into an amp with running the POD in studio/direct, and that's not an equal comparison. What you should do is: 1.) try combo/poweramp output mode - run the 1/4" out from the HD500 into the FX return of an amplifier. This will get you 99% of the way to the experience of plugging a guitar into an amp - but not mic'ing it for recording or live use. Now, put a mic in front of that amp. Get that mic to sound right... That second process is the other half of the equation, IE, Studio Direct.

It sounds like you have put in some serious time "tone searching", so I won't challenge your findings; I also had trouble getting the HD500 to work well 'with drums' when used in Studio/Direct mode. Part of the issue, though, is that there is more to it than just the amp+guitar. For example; the POD allows you to add a microphone to the signal. I do agree with your statement, that a guitar + amp, controls set normally, and yes, you will get a useable tone rather quickly. HOWEVER, what you will NOT get so easily, is adding a microphone to that amp, and making it sound good with little to no work. In fact, you really have to work hard at mic choice, positioning, and EQ on the mixer, gain stages vs overall volume; plus the sound of the PA or recording through which that mic is routed. That process is not simple, not quick, and not instant. Which brings me to 'Studio/Direct'. It's the process of the guitar+amp+cab+mic+room all rolled up into one. Sounds like - and forgive me if you've already spent time with this - you are searching for 'combo/poweramp' or one of the non-studio direct output modes. I typically use combo/poweramp; this output mode disables the mic and room modeling. It keeps the cabinet, but removes the 'air'; which when properly connected to an amp (IE, through the FX loop RETURN, or via Line6Link to a DT amp) simulates just the amp and cab, in the room with you, no mic model, no room model, no 'air'. I can see why, if you were searching for the 'combo/poweramp' mode, and used 'studio/direct', you would likely become very, very frustrated. Switching the mic models around alone with *drastically* reshape the tone of your sound. But again, it's supposed to - it's not emulating only the amp at that point, it's also simulating the microphone response to the amp.

"Left hand models will also be available at no extra cost."