billlorentzen

Cubase

I do a lot of singing while playing, and I don't like having to look down to change patches between rhythm and lead sounds, so I've set up some patches where I use the control pedal to toggle between two different sounds. Some patches are set up with two different amps, and I use the control pedal to pan between the amp paths. Other patches use the same amp, and I just change amp settings with the pedal. Because I have an original HD 500, for patches with two amps, I usually use a pre for the clean sound, so I can have plenty of fx in the patch too. I change virtually all the fx settings with the pedal, too, such as increasing verb and delay, cranking the compressor, changing modulation amounts, etc. I'm really happy with the results on these patches, and I'm finding uses for the in between sounds too. It's so much easier to just push the pedal to rip out a quick line in between comping. Give it a try!

I'm sure to catch a flame or two for this, but I think the idea that modelers are fine for recording but not live is somewhat illogical. Either way, most of the time it's going through a board and speakers before the audience hears it. So how is one different than the other? If anything it's even more valuable in a live setting where there are more inconsistencies, more ambient noise, and often less quality in the mic, pre and board. I use the Pod HD exclusively these days, direct into the board, whether on concert stages or for club dates. I get a perfectly consistent sound everywhere, and I don't miss carrying a heavy rack of Mesa Boogie iron and fx units like I used to! I can understand if some players miss the moving air of a big amp, and I don't play super loud styles, but if you can get used to hearing yourself at a lower volume, the advantages are many. IMHO.

Divided by 13 Deluxe Gibtone for jazz SLO overdrive occasionally I could cover all my gigs with the first two. I mainly use the Deluxe for cleans and the Divided for dirties.

As a recording engineer, my advice would be, whatever works! Don't be afraid to use multiple EQs to get the sound you want. I usually start out with selecting the best guitar pickup, then the amp, cab and mic to get the sound I'm after, then use EQs after the amp. This is how good sounds are developed in the studio. As with compressors, sometimes you may need more than one EQ to notch out certain freqs.

I found my problem. I had input 2 set to aux. It must be set to same for the pan pedal to work. This works pretty well. Use two different amps and just pan between the two. I use this because when I'm playing and singing I don't like looking down at the pedal board to go from comping to soloing. Also it's good for some swells and semi broken up sounds in the middle of the pedal throw. The only drawback is that with a couple amps and a compressor on the clean amp and a distortion pedal on the cranked amp, I only have processing headroom for a reverb. However, by assigning the decay setting to the pedal also, I can increase the verb for the distorted amp.

I'm looking for the same answer. I tried putting the pedal on panning before the two amp paths, but I can't seem to get it to work. It still acts like a vol pedal. I've also tried simply turning one amp master vol up and the other down withe exp ped, but that gives unsatisfactory results as there is kind of a dead spot in between. I'd like to be able to set up a smooth transition from amp to the other.

Dumble overdrive special Mesa boogie mk3 Marshall 2x12 cabinet DBS 160x or 160A compressor with over easy compression Tc electronics analog chorus A better sounding auto wah (similar to the one in Vox Tonelab)

Good to know it won't damage it, but it doesn't completely ignore it. It makes crackling complaints. Not that I blame it.

I was playing a show the other day and sent one XLR out to my own monitor and the other to the board. Just before the show the FOH mixer accidentally turned on phantom power to my pod HD. Apparently all through the show he was hearing pops and noise from me. However I didn't hear anything in my own monitor - it sounded fine. I was worried that he may have damaged my Pod, however I could not hear any problem myself when I got home. Does anyone know if 48v to the output causes damage?

I have a little trick for getting instant volume boost. First of all, I'll mention that I use compression on every patch, sometimes just a little, sometimes more. I set up 2 compressors, one set with a higher output level, and assign both to the same foot switch. Then I save the patch with the loud compressor off and the quieter one on. When I want more gain I kick the switch and get only the louder comp. You can employ this either before or after the amp, depending on whether you want to give the amp the extra gain or just raise the output volume of your sound. Of course you can also have different compression thresholds too, for more sustain on a solo sound or whatever.

I love my HD 500. I don't play metal and I never use the high gain amps, so my opinion may not be useful in that regard. I found it easy to dial in great sounds on my custom strat with EMGs, usually the Divided by 13, Deluxe or maybe the Hiwatt or a Marshall. However, after a year or more, I'm still working on perfecting the sounds for my Ibanez AS 100 (like a 335) with EMG 89s (single and double coil). The funny thing is I got awesome sounds out of my Vox Tonelab with the Ibanez, but I have a really hard time duplicating them on the HD. The EQs don't make it easy, though they do work. None the less, I love the Pod and think it is, as the Brits say, a brilliant piece of kit.

There should be no need for separate paths or dual amps, unless you want two different sounds from the two amps. The DDL has a mix setting. Just set it at 50% and you have it delayed and undelayed in equal amounts. I would put it after the amp - no need to make the amp work harder, though it might sound good.

I do use the looper for editing purposes, and it's great for that. Still, if they went to the expense of adding the button, the programming and the 40 secs of memory, why not make it really usable? For me, as a working musician, one of the best things about the HD500 is that it covers all my essentials in one unit. I do hit and run gigs where I have to set up a PA every time I play, and half my gigs are solo, so weight and convenience are really important. I'd pay $100 for the extra memory to make the looper longer, rather than carry more gear!

Honestly I don't know why line 6 even bothered with a looper with only 40 seconds. You can't even play a 12 bar blues, let alone a verse and chorus of an average tune. I'd like to use it on gigs, but it's generally useless for my needs. Does the 500 X have a longer loop time? I'd be happy to sacrifice an effect for a longer looper.

Honestly I don't know why line 6 even bothered with a looper with only 40 seconds. You can't even play a 12 bar blues, let alone a verse and chorus of an average tune. I'd like to use it on gigs, but it's generally useless for my needs. Does the 500 X have a longer loop time?

It works fine as a DI, and sounds good on acoustics. I use it for my steel and nylon acoustics all the time. The EQs give a lot of options for both tone shaping of special purpose patches, and reducing the effects of current crappy acoustic pickups.

I think you will find the chorus in the Pod also raises the level a bit - that always bothers me, too. I doubt it is a mistake. Probably the modeled unit does the same thing. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about the coloration, if any. We are talking about electric guitar, after all. When I run my acoustic guitars through the Pod HD, I do not notice the sound being adversely affected, and I am a pretty discriminating recording engineer type.

I don't have a DT amp yet. I am a veteran HD500 user, looking at the DT. Do you all agree these are the amp models in the DT? Fender Twin Park 75 Vox AC30 Mesa Double Rectifier On my HD, I don't particularly like those, except sometimes the AC30 for jazz.

So you're saying it can compensate so well it makes no difference? While I appreciate your reply, I must confess I am a bit skeptical about that - different types of cabinets give such different reproduction. Also, coming from a recording engineer background, my inclination is to choose the more inherently transparent reproduction, with the least compensatory processing. I wonder which cabinet that would be? I'm hoping someone has tried both and can tell me their experience? Or maybe someone from Line6? Unfortunately, I don't think I can find a local dealer who has both setups for me to try.

I've been using the Pod HD500 on my gigs for over a year, straight into the mixer for my single or duo acts, or into an Atomic Reactor for ensemble gigs. I've got dozens of very tweaked out sounds for the 3 guitars I use. I'm looking at getting a DT to replace the Atomic Reactor, but I'm unsure which model to get. Obviously, closed back cabs sound very different from open back combos. Generally I prefer open back combos for the music I usually play, but that may not be significant for use with the HD500. I have 3 questions: Any opinions as to which style of DT amp requires the least re-tweaking of patches, compared to the direct outs of the HD500? Even more important, which amp type actually sounds best with the HD series, overall? Or are you best off choosing the cabinet style you prefer, because it will most efficiently reproduce the amp sound types you like?

Yeah, I'm spoiled by the UAD stuff, too. In fact I sold my 1176LN after I heard the UAD one. For me a compressor is one of the most valuable effects for guitar, so I would like to see a really excellent model of a really choice compressor inboard.

I was really surprised to see the DynaComp as one of the compressor options. I had one back in the day, and was thrilled by the improvement a good studio compressor made when I stopped using pedals and built a rack for effects. The comp I used and still love for guitar is the dbx 160x. It has an "Over Easy" mode option for a soft knee, constantly variable compression ratio. This mode sounds way better on guitars than most anything else I've used. While the LA2A is a great compressor, it would not have been one of my top choices for a guitar rack effect, because it's not particularly versatile. And the DynaComp would have been one of the last pedals I would have picked. Maybe next go round Line6 could add a soft knee compressor to the arsenal?

Do you find that you use the mag pickups more often than the modeled ones?

Great to hear all the rave reviews! I guess I will have to give it another try.