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The switches definitely feel like an upgrade from the HD500. The new switches feel like what you'd find on a standard boutique pedal, whereas the old ones felt a bit light/springy. I didn't have a complaint about the old switches, rather my point is that if you liked the old ones, these are even better. They feel like they'll hold up to more abuse. The LED surrounds are also much brighter and easier to see. I don't have a 500 here to compare patches to at the moment, hence why I asked if anyone would be willing to give the patches a try. It would seem that while there is a DSP upgrade, it's not quite as much as some were hoping for. There were a lot of people claiming twice the DSP. I don't think that's true.

Ok guys, There is a discussion going on over at thegearpage.net about the new DSP on the HD500X. I don't have an HD500 available at the moment to test the difference, but I posted some of my results in testing the DSP limit on the new unit, and some users are reporting that it isn't much different than what was occuring on the older units. I've included a screen-shot, which shows the DSP limit being reached if I try to add more than what is already there. Maybe some of the other HD500X users could try to re-create the patch (Blackface 'Lux Nrm and Tweed B-man Brt), and see if they're hitting the DSP limit in the same spot. Some HD500 guys could try it too. I'm curious to see if this is a problem across the board with the 500Xs or if perhaps some bad units went out. If we're hitting the DSP in the same place as the older units, as is being reported, that is a problem. Thanks guys.

You should try one out in the store. It has more DSP, but you absolutely can still hit the DSP wall.

Hey guys, I thought I'd make this a separate post so that it's easier to find for anyone who might be having some issues. The patches for the HD500 do not import directly into the HD500X Edit software at this time. They use different file formats. There is a work-around that I posted earlier, and is being passed around now. All you have to do is change the extension on the patch files: For individual patches, change the extension from .h5e to .5xe For bundles, change the file extension from .h5b to .5xb For setlists, change the file extension from .h5s to .5xs I have found no inconsistencies among the patches from the HD500 Edit to the HD500X Edit using this method. I don't know if/when Line 6 will update the software to allow backwards compatibility, but in the mean time, you can use this method to get your 500 patches to your 500X. UPDATE: Someone else mentioned that you can drag-and-drop individual HD500 files into the tone slots in the 500X Edit software. I can confirm that this works. You will still need to change the file names for set-lists and bundles, though.

So far, so good. I haven't come across any inconsistencies. It looks like changing the file extension is the solution. My guess is that they changed the extension for the customtone gallery, without changing the actual file structure. You don't want HD500 users downloading patches made for the DSP capabilities of the 500X, so I understand that decision. They should have made the software compatible with the HD500 patches, though. Not doing that makes little sense to me.

It's actually .h5e to .5xe

Has anyone here answering actually tried importing the patches? The 500X uses a different file format (.5xe) from the 500 (.h5e). 500X Edit does not seem to open .h5e files. Instead, it seems that you have to individually change the extension on each of the files. They do seem to open fine after that, but it could be a headache if you have a lot of patches.

Just a note for anyone looking to upgrade, the HD500X uses a different file format than the HD500 (.5xe for the 500X, .h5e for the 500). I went ahead and tried simply changing the extension, and they do seem to open in the new edit software. I haven't noticed any issues, but I also haven't yet had a chance to go through and make sure that they retained all of their settings. The reasoning for making a new file format was probably for the customtone gallery, but it seems like an odd move for them not to make the 500X directly backwards compatible with the older format. Luckily, I only had a handful of patches for the 500, but someone who's made a ton of patches over the last couple of years is probably going to find the process of changing the file format and testing the patches to be very tedious.