MartinDorr

Get a matched set of power tubes for your DT25. Plug them in at home or practice room and check how bad they sound if not biased (it probably won't be bad). Replace them with the original ones you had and store your replacement set in a save box for when you need them and don't worry anymore. Once you really need them get them biased or do it yourselves after you get homw/back from your gig.

Started to look at TS808 and noticed that L6's model has additional Bass and Treble knobs. Does anyone know how to set those such that the L6 model emulates the real thing?

I can't be sure but I would be surprised if your Treadplate at 75% Drive and 100% Channel Volume is not pushing you higher than -12dBFS between the Amp output and the Mixer. Turning the Mixer down by -7dB would not save you. The damage may already be done. Also, not sure what the Screamer does to your Amp input. If you want to make sure that your gain staging is reasonable (less than -12dB between blocks) you need to turn everything off and see what every block adds to your signal level. This will also tell you how different the 2 types of input signals are and probably be a first check point for why one of them generates 'fizz' that other does not. If you want more than -12dB as output, put the Mixer at the end and add a clean boost of up to 12dB. Recommend to stay away from signal levels higher than -12dB between blocks if you want no artifical compression/distortion produced by the models. I certainly have not checked all of them, but everyone I measure showed this behavior except the mixer.

Unless you have already tried and it does not work for you, use an input signal boost if you are running out of Drive to get a Drive-like effect. Mid Focus EQ or one of the compressors can do this and adjust tone at the same time.

I hear different sounds and yes, the fizz one has more fizz ;-) Not clear to me how your HD input ignal is generated and what the interface setting is for the path that does not 'fizz'. Can you explain? What is the recoding level you see in your DAW for both recordings (w/o DAW adjustments)? If you trun off your amp model (bypass volume 100%) and all following effects, what is the recording level of those signals for both cases? I can't tell, but there may be some distortion going on in the fizz generating model chain and it might be worth checking what each modelling step does as it gets added starting with nothing (i.e., just the input signal level) for both cases. Use your DAW meter and check peaks. Anything above -12dB may compress, anything above -6dB may cause some unwanted distortion, and above -3dB thing usually get nasty. Make sure to add models 1 by 1 from input to output as a later model may hide that your signal level hit the ceiling in between. Good luck.

I think the new Garageband requires 64-bit AudioUnits and I heard there is some new 'sand boxing' implemented in how AU plugins are run on Maverick which may break use of plugins that do support 64-bit interface. I ran Ozone 4 (32-bit AU) on earlier Garageband version and the new GarageBand does not find it. Also tried to upgrade Ozone 4 to 64-bit (version 4.04 download from Izotope) but that does not run under Maverick and there are no plans from Izotope to update Ozone 4 (Ozone 5 is now out for more than a year). I am using the older GarageBand (still in Applications folder) whenever I need to use the older plugins. You may want to give the old Garageband a try to run Pod Farm 2.5

You need to program the DT via MIDI to setup what's recalled by the Channel/Type flip switches on the Amp. There is no way change the programming (except for a reset that restores the factory programming). Download the DT MIDI document from Line 6 to get the full scoop.

I don't know exactly what equipment you would use but I believe there are pedal MIDI controllers that can be programmed to send out any MIDI control message and as many as you want. You could use one of those to select all DT settings you are interested in like tones from teh Pod. You can also program 8 configurations in the Channel A/B Type I/II/II/IV slots selectable on the Amp itself. Obviously that only gets you access to 8 pre-wired setups, but that may go a long way for a gig situation. The DT Amps are just delivered with a pre-wired configuration of pre amp model and Amp type.

In regard to 3. you may want to be aware that Drive does not just influence the preamp modelled in the HD but also the power amp section in the DT. This means that the Drive setting of your amp in channel B will only do something for the preamp and not impact the poweramp section (only the Drive setting of Channel A will do that). This topic also relates to why the volume level of different tones on the HD500 may be balanced when you monitor via USB or any output controlled by Master, but may come out quite differently when you go through a DT. As far as I can tell the difference is that the Drive setting is also used by the power amp section in the DT and different Amp topologies will cause diffferent amplification levels when routed through the DT's power amp section. In other words you cannot generally assume that you can balance tone volume levels just with the HD and then assume that the tones will still be balanced when you go through the DT power amp section. Good luck. It's worth the trouble though because the DT's sound great.

Did not notice a change when updating DT25 FW. I believe that as long as you are not using the new features you will not notice a difference in sound. The update is really more geared towards improving the Amp's capability for users w/o a Pod. But one can use the new features to reduce DSP load on the Pods by programming and selecting reverbs on the DT. This is only theory for me (I have never tried that although the doc says it should work). It seems pretty involved to do so (via MIDI control from Pod) and may not be worth the trouble.

To illustrate how true Hurghanico's 'theoretical' reference is, it is worth knowing that Line 6 themselves is using Cab sims as part of the modelled preamp block in their DT amps (despite that the DT's obviously have a real Cab). Your milage truly varies and you should pick what you like best by the ultimate measure (what you hear with your equipment).

Same here. Just went through a intonation re-adjustment after messing with my spring tension on a JTV-69. The HD500 tuner seemed perfectly adequate to do the job, at least as far as I could hear differences.

Had similar problems in the past until I decided to never turn on both within a few seconds. Have no issues as long as I wait to turn on the 2nd device after the 1st one went through initialization (HD500 shows tone and DT-25 has set last selected type/class). I think the cause of the various startup problems is unsynchronized exchanges of MIDI or other messages on L6 Link. Sometimes, depending on when the 2nd device is turned on, only a portion or possibly even a partial message makes to it to the device that's turned on while the other one is sending. Obviously these are all just guesses.

Would be helpful if you posted your settings. I hear the distortion, but it sounds like your level is quite high. Most suspicious of your your channel volume. Have you tried backing it down to half of your setting. There are amp models where 50% channel volume is too high even with a middle in the road drive setting and guitar input level. Just a thought and a simple thing to change unless you already sold.

I measured a Fender Strat position 2 level before and after TubeComp insertion (no amp and no effects) and found I needed a level of 4% @ 100% threshold to get the same output level. I suspect this should not change for any guitar because the frequency changes of the TubeComp are subtle. As you increase compression threshold to about 65% the TubeComp adds a little gain (you can reduce level to 0% as you go) and I think very little compression. As you keep going up in compression threshold settings things get quite a bit louder. And if I remember right, every 1% level increase adds about 0.4dB gain in case you want a little extra boots. There was an earlier thread about compressors in general with more information on what others do and why. Good luck.

Thanks for additional feedback. Yes, I was a nut and I meant the individual string saddles of the bridge. Ordered a set of strings with a wound G string (D'Addario Chromes Jazz Light) - the web is full of references to bad G string sounds especially for distorted sounds. And I'll check the tuning wheel, althought I thought I already did in the very beginning.

Tried the truss rod adjustment and found that I could not get it to move at all with the pressure I was daring to use. It definitely does not feel loose, but seeing how easy the luthier in the video did this I suspect I need a pro that knows what he is doing (mine may not be working quite as intended). Looked more into the nut and took both the G and B string ones apart and adjusted their height (just to see whether this does anything). Put it all back together and adjusted it to match the fretboard curve at different heights ... and it sounds just as badly as before. Only thing I am suspicious of now is that the piezo on the G string is a tiny bit lower than the rest of the nut string indent. I cannot really see it but feel it going over it with my fingernail. Don't get quite the same feeling when I do the same on the working B string. Looks like i will be heading for a Line 6 service place unless someone has another thing to try. Thanks for bearing with me.

OK, had time to try a couple things. A little update for now: It's not fret buzz (raise G string at nut and the gurgle is present even when I finger no note; not as bad as on high note, but still there) It's not the bridge pickup height either (put it all the way down; no effect on gurgle besides my mags got quieter That leaves the truss rod and possibly how the the piezo sits in the nut (maybe even the nut assembly itself). Need to do it little more research before I take it all apart and be confident I don't need a setup job after.

Hey, thanks a bunch hurghanico Looks like I'll have a couple more things to try and will delay finding a setup shop in favor of learning a trick or 2 from the videos. Sampled the trussrod one, and I am impressed! Updates will have to wait a little as I won't be able to play for a few days.

Short of changing the bridge setup I will raise the G string on the nut. I realize that this will have no effect on any tone I finger on the G string, but it should remove the problem at least for the unfingered G (if fret buzz is the issue). Softer playing should remove or at least reduce the effect too. Did not notice I does, but will recheck. Thanks for feedback. This is starting to get into territory I don't feel competent of messing around with (e.g. truss rod or bridge and subsequent other setup adjustments). Any recommendations on a good place to get such work done in Phoenix AZ area or good document(s) to read about this topic?

I wish you were right but that's not it either. I guess that leaves the nut or the adjustable saddle as the next best choice to suspect if its a mechanical issue. I'd have to agree with Charlie_Watt that if it does it with mags it really can't be the piezzos. Guess I have to get a magnifiying glass and play Holmes ;-(. Anyone with experience on what could be wrong with the nut opening or the saddle (or how it attaches to the bridge - a loose screw?)

No, standard tuning, similar effect with mags via Variax or analog connection. But the effect depends on the selected guitar model (the sample is Lester bridge) and the Amp model The bridge mags on my JTV-69 are not as hot, but even adjusting for that with more Amp Drive does not produce as much of a gurgling effect.

Ok, I figured it out (but why hide how to add attachments in reply options ?-) Played 4 Gs on different strings (high E and down) w/o any attempt to improve tone or sustain to get bare tone and natural ring out. #3 (playing G on 12th fret G string) is clearly worst with shortest ring out time and gurgling right from the start. Happens on any note I play on teh G string, but is most noticeable in upper octave. Tightening all tuning pegs helped most, but did not eliminate the problem. New strings helped, but not by much. Dampening the tremolo springs may have helped, but I can't tell for sure.

Having trouble uploading anything. How does 'My Media' work or is the only way to post to a 3rd party web site and link?