DickFoster

Yeah most of the toob boobs out there claim to hear so much more than the rest of us don't they? The difference between ceramic and alnico magnets, the differences in how pickups are wound and how they're waxed, the tubes, the speakers, the guitar cords with the so called oxegyn free wire, etc. etc. etc ad nauseum. It's just too bad they aren't able to hear their own BS with that super human hearing of theirs. I find it all very amusing. If you challenge any of em with a blind fold test, they get all huffy and indignat for some reason. I simply don't understand why that would be. It seems to me that they'd be eager to show off that super human hearing of theirs. LOL It all reminds me of some of those blind wine tastings where a two dollar bottle of wine stands out over bottles costing hundreds of dollars each. AKA the Infamous Two Buck Chuck and in France no less. Truly funny. The true test and the only one that counts is what sounds good are your own ears, end of story.

Two things are common for all the control pots that tweak the volume, mids, highs, lows, FX level, presence, etc. Those are the +5V analog supply and U10 on the left user Interface board, which is a TLC1543CDW, a analog to serial digital converter chip which samples the voltages on all the control pots along with temperature for the graphic LCD and sends that data in serial digital format to digital processing by U27 the system processor on the main board via a couple of latch chips U5 and U7. Unless the problem is confined to just the volume where I'd look at the pot itself, I'd start looking first at that 5VA supply first, then at that U10 IC, if the 5V supply is looking good. If it's just one of the volume pots alone you can probably either clean it or just replace it. As usual a loose board interconnect can cause the same problems so give those a good shake before you go digging in too far. There is a built in self test that can be used to check the pots. To enter the self test mode, With the unit off and while holding down the "REVERB" button power up the unit to enter the self test mode Press the TREMELO button to decrement though the tests or press the GATE button to increment though the test routines. Press the COMPRESS botton to execute the test you're at. Test 1 is the SRAM. Test 2 is push button switch test Test 3 is the LED test Test 4 isn the Character LCD test Test 5 is the Graphic LCD test Test 6 is the Encoder test Test 7 (the one we want here) is the POTS test. Press Compress to start the test. Roate each of the pots. When the pot is fully CCW the right LCD should display 000 when the pot is fully CW the display should read 127. Press REVERB to exit the test. The tests go though 16 for doing other things such as reloading the software, resetting patches, testing the MIDI and FX interfaces, etc . WARNING!!! Be very very careful when in the test mode. DO NOT execute any of these tests unless you absolutely know what you are doing as some of the tests are used to upload and erase the system software and or patches and you could even convert you amp to a boat anchor. When in doubt ABSTAIN. BE CAREFUL, DO NOT proceed unless you are sure, very sure.

You'd probably have much better luck searching the used gear sites on the Internet like Guitar Center, Musicians Friend, etc. Not many people come here anymore so the odds are not in your favor on this board. Here's one on ebay, is it what you're looking for? http://www.ebay.com/itm/LINE-6-VETTA-GUITAR-CABINET-USED-GOOD-CONDITION-4X12-LOCAL-PICKUP-NJ-/170801536144

I guess we're saying the same thing more or less. The distortion, using distortion in the sense that the goes outta is not a faithful reproduction of the goes inta, is what lends tube amps that so called destintive sound. Actually that sound is due more to the transformers used in tube designs than it is due to the tubes themselves. The iron and copper losses pretty much soak up all the high frequency stuff leaving the fundamental and second order stuff more or less in tact. I think I'm pretty safe in saying that using the proper sampling techniques you can make a modern amp using solid state electronics sound practically identical to any tube amp that was ever made if you try hard enough. I suppose this fact is more or less born out by the fact that in most any sizeable performance what the audience hears is coming from a PA system. While the guitars may be plugged into tube amps, those tube amps are miked then amplified by the house PA system which is almost always if not always made with pure solid state amplifiers these days. I'd be willing to bet any of the toob purist out there that they couldn't tell the difference if faced with an honest, well conducted, blindfolded A/B test. Of course they'd swear otherwise and will till the day they die no matter what. Just as any true flat earther would have it. To them facts are simply irrelevant but in the end, it is what it is.

My guess is that they decided to go for the high volume low buck market and abondened the high end stuff. Still it's anyone's guess really. As a retired electrical engineer who spent a life time in electronics, I find tube amps pretty silly really. Not that I hate tubes because I started out everything tubes. I guess it's pretty much the same reaction you'd have if you saw a horse and buggy on the freeway. I pretty much equate toob boobs to flat earthers. Maybe it'ss because I know that what they like so much about the sound is really distortion which is pretty easy to introduce once you're able to make a low or distortion free design as a base amp to build on. Line6 was pretty much there with the Vetta, their only short fall were their models and how they approached making them. Almost but no cigar. If they used decent sampling instead of trying to model circuits, they could have made the things sound like almost anything tube or otherwise. Sound is a very complex thing with many many variables adding to the end result. Trying to duplicate something by modeling it is almost always going to be a futile effort.

It is different but different in a good way. It's too bad Line6 wasn't convinced and caved in to the toob boobs. Oh well someone with a little more spine and determination is bound to come along sooner or later and pick up where Line 6 left off and build gear for a market other than the tattooed freak show.

If there is any such thing as modeling speakers it's the first I've heard of it. There are instrument speakers designed for guitar amps and the demands they put on them, PA speakers and stereo speakers but I've never heard of modeling only speakers before.

It's simple enough to remove the logo if it turns you off. Besides " we' don't need no stinkin badges "

I'd hook it up and try reading some patches etc. though the cable. If all seems to be working well with it and the amp and everything functions as it should, then I'd go ahead with the upgrade after reading and gaining a full understanding of exactly what to do and when to do it. But that's just me, it's your amp and your call. If this sort of thing gives you the willys and you're not comfortable with it, then when in doubt, obstain. BTW no parts should be needed to do an upgrade or reflash the amp if things go wrong. If push comes to shove another amp can be used to do it. Maybe the best thing for you to do is to first locate a shop that can handle it if things take a wrong turn so you don't brink your amp forever. For what its worth, the upgrade is not really that big of a deal. The tuner works better and other stuff like that but all the factory patches still pretty much suck in my opinion whether it's the new or old software but that's pretty typical of any make. Factory patches just generally suck no matter what factory they come from or what gear they're going into.

^^^^^^What he said.^^^^^^^^^

I suggest you find a techican to take a look at it for you. It's probably a simple power supply problem or something. If you find a tech, he will need this. http://www.epanorama.net/sff/Audio/Pro_Audio/Products/Misc/Vetta%20HD%20Service%20Manual.pdf

Good to hear. So the dead battery was the culprit. It's seems that's the problem about half the time anyway.

Now that we know it's not totally dead that leaves either a patch problem or perhaps an analog hardware problem. I assume you're trying to setup different patches. The pot are all digital so it's probably not that. How are you at working on electronics? If not yourself do you know anyone who is good at that sort of thing. If so I the service manual can be had, then it should be a fairly simple job to fix it and put things right again.

What he is suggesting is that you use the MIDI port to reinstall the software. Before you do it's best to make sure the battery inside is good. That seems to be one of the major sources of problems. The battery dies then the RAM gets all screwed up and the amp doesn't know what to do or how to work right. Replacing the battery and reloading the software fixes a lot of what ails these amps. Unfortunately the battery is inside and involves a little soldering to replace. Once the battery has been replaced, it's good to go for five years or so before needing another new one.

Yes indeed there are switch setting to turn each channel on and off separately. Have you gone though the manual i.e. the pilots handbook. It's worthwhile if you haven't yet.

I think the tabs are on the battery holder not the battery itself.

I don't see much in the way of standing or legitimate legal grounds for anyone to sue who takes it upon themselves to take apart their own gear. Least wise none of the car makers or anyone else that I know of has had an issue with that sort of thing. Then again there was that thing with hot coffee. The judge, jury, plantif and the plantifis lawyer should all be taken out and horse whipped for that silly stunt. No better yet, whip that lawyer twice because they all deserve it.

That's too bad. The long board is a great addition to the Vetta. It's a well built piece too. I found a used one at Guitar Center for not much and lucky for me it worked just fine. I've adapeted mine with a couple of bits of wood so it fits and parks right into the back opening of my Vetta combo for transport and storage.

Either E? It sure sounds like it almost has to be a digital problem of some kind. Did you get the long board working? How's the tuner display on it?

I have no problems with a company discontinuing a product for whatever reason. That is just the way world turns and how it has to be, otherwise we'd all be beating our dinner in the head with a stick or riding horses instead of cars and aeroplanes. However there is no excuse for a company not doing whatever they can to support the products that they have produced for the folks who have invested their hard earned money in them. To fail to do that is simply irresponsible, unkind and not worthy of future business. For example it would cost Line6 NOTHING to put service info for discontinued products on their web site. Simple and no cost involved so there simply are no valid excuses not to do it to be made. However not doing it is a clear demonstration of complete disregard for the customer. It's just that simple. Attitude is everything.

One can hope that Line6 will wake up someday and realize what a good thing they had. Maybe who ever the MBA nitwit was that is responsible for them dropping the Vetta will be gone and good sense will return to Line 6. I know they had it once or they could not have developed the Vetta.

Press the toe switch under the volume pedal. Sometimes you have to press down hard. That turns the board on but you have to save it on in each patch that you want to use the board in. Try reading the instrustions too. That often helps a lot.

I think a lot of the times it's a dead battery or something simple. Usually an easy fix for someone handy with electronics. From what I've seen, and I've seen a lot of gear having spent a lifetime in electronics, it's a well designed and well built but very poorly supported piece of gear.

Just so you know if you didn't already, the long board has to be turned on and saved in the on state in each and every patch that you intend to use it in. Just hit the toe switch in each patch that you want the board enabled in then save the patch in that state. It will also save any custom mapping of the expression pedals that you've done. By default the expression pedals are wah and volume. The default is no board in each and every factory patch and until you turn it on it don't know nuttin until you tell it it's there with it plugged in and then turned on. Yeah I know, it's a PITA but it is what it is.