JTSC777

I use my ears instead of listening with my eyes.Works fine for me.

I need to clarify that I do not own a Helix.I own an M13 and an HD500 and a JTV Variax.If you are studying music at a Music University you will be asked to work within many constraints.If you plan on any kind of pro music career you will be asked to do the same whether the task is playing guitar or using your theory and compositional skills. Find a way to make it work with the Helix or get rid of it.I have a 40 year career of recording/ writing/ TV and radio commercials/ club bands/ corporate bands etc...and I am a lead singer.The singer is the focal point of pop music especially these days.The sound guys priority is that. Thats just the way it is. All this stuff is just tools to me.Roland GR55/33/ GP10/ - Line 6 products/ Marshall / Vox and Fender amps.14 guitars.You will learn to use what works and sometimes it is not the latest greatest.Sometimes its a Tech 21 Fly Rig into whatever backline single wnded single channel amp that is provided. good luck with your music education and know this.The music business after university is a 100 times more difficult than being in school. These are tour best days.

The M13( I have one) The HD500(X) and the Helix all will do effects only with a good tube amp.If I am Line 6 I am looking at this and thinking thats enough for that segment of the market. My competitor Roland / Boss only currently offers one model the GT100 that will do 4 cable/ effects only duty.Thats the end of that.I use an HD500 these days more than the M13 only because tube amp/ 4 cable method gigs are fewer and farther between these days. I like to put a Palmer speaker simulator after the HD500 and run it either direct or split between direct and run a thru to one of my tube amps. Absolutely kills!

Both my new batteries($50 ea.) are working very well.Hold a charge a very long time.I tossed the battery I could not revive and just went ahead and ordered another one. Once they start malfunctioning its over.

The HD500 preamps are very good yes. I am currently turning off all cab modeling and using a Palmer speaker simulator after the POD straight into an FRFR speaker and it sounds pretty real.The cab modeling is so difficult to deal with I gave up on it and bought the Palmer.

After lowering all the string levels from 100% default levels in workbench and lowering the magnetic pickups to balance with the modeling sounds I have absolutely no problems with my JTV at all. I am not a chuggah meshughuh huh guy but do play some heavy stuff. I have 10 other electric guitars that all have some quirks. Its part of it. If you really want to have some fun get a couple of Roland synth pickups and a GR55 and disappear down that rathole for about 10 years lol! Chirps/ Squirrels/ Smears/Bleats/Splats! It made me a better player and cleaned up my sloppy technique so I think for me the Variax also needs a certain amount of finesse. Look up that XEB video and listen to that guy playing crazy dropped altered tuning stuff loud as hell through pedals and a damn fine sounding Marshall. Somehow he does it and he is beating the hell out of the E string.

I think his post nails it and should be required reading for everyone using an HD500. Nicely Done!

I have played this tune with various guitars/ modelers/ bands HD500/GT10/GP10/POD2.0 etc...and have never had a problem copping Andys chorused out clean / delay telecaster tone.The HD500 will do anything in capable hands.If you are a Police cover band guy or just a Police nut a damn good telecaster is going to get you there a lot quicker than an HD500/ GT100/Digitech etc...will.They can all do it.I have been playing covers with these modeling things since the first Digitechs RP-1 came out .What a POS that was lol!

I am the OP.I tuned my JTV down and it works exactly the same.I did readjust the bridge to float at the same height. Tested through cranked Marshall DSL401- excellent modeled 12 string etc... tones! through BIAS Ipad headphone setup marvelous! through HD500 and FRFR again does all it is supposed to do. I have installed a GK3 synth pickup on it and plan to make it my main gigging instrument for the next 6 months. very pleased with this guitar as a working pros tool but it also has serious "fun" factor to it!

This particular sound guy is very toilented for sure!

Nice!

my wife made me a real nice cover for my old 1st gen Flextone. I sold the amp a few years ago I miss that cover it had fish on it

Almost all the sound guys in my area of the world drink a lot and dont give two " blanks" about what I ask for. I usually just take the crappy SM57 developed in 1948 off of the mic stand and stick the xlr into any output from my various modelers. But I live in California so most of these fellows know what a modeler is and are also drunk so one less mic to pack up gets them excited and they have another couple of pops during the gig.Except for the sound guy at the casino who is really good but wont shut up LMFWAO!!! for the love of God please keep this whoopin' the sound monkeys butt alive!

Half my guitars are tuned down and half are at standard pitch as I work with 5-6 different bands. I also play a lot of guitar synth so that has to be considered also. All of my guitars have rather high action anyway so I don't have any of the associated low action problems.Strings vibrate toward the neck in an elliptical pattern so having them low just does not work for the guitar synth. I can keep doing it the way I have been but would like to use the JTV I just bought more.Thus far it has only seen limited action at high paying/ profile corporate gigs. Maybe I will keep it that way lol! It got the call for those gigs because it is so beautiful in sunburst under stage lights!

I reall like the way any guitar sounds tuned down 1/2 step. Thanks for all the replies!

The union of EDM and the electric guitar is the future of music. I know as I have been to a recent NAMM show in Anaheim and watched its beginnings a couple years ago . I am 55 years young so will be long gone when things in pop music really change but I amAnd it hopeful something new is coming along.And it will keep guitar music growing and changing as it must to survive!

nut sauce/ vasoline etc--- fine behind the nut those bridge saddle piezos get fouled from condensation/ moisture and fine particles of dust and can only be cleaned with good contact cleaner or they are very noisy. I lean the tremolo forward which loosens the downward pressure on the saddles and blast some in there and it gets everything happening again.Of course the correct way to do this is with the strings off and the tremolo blocked but I am a working pro player and I have to find expedient ways to keep my tools going so I can work. good luck!

I of course would set it up again as I have all the others I have dropped recently. My older Variax 500 works perfectly dropped 1/2 step. I would never go lower and only do it so I can scream a bit less whilst singing. I believe the software alt tunings adjust from wherever the actual string is tuned so it should work. Time to experiment a bit. thank you!

yup this is a good place to get help with lowering expectations lol!

Do any JTV players tune down a half step? If so has it caused any problems?

Get a couple of Alto/ Mackie/ JBL/ EV powered PA speakers of your choice.Use one to play back your tracks and the other for the HD500 guitar sound.Dedicate each one to a specific task.You will sound like a band with real sound reinforcement.Having been in high end studios most of my life I can tell you that for what you want to do studio monitors blow.And yes I have used Yamahaha/ JBL/ Mackie/ Rockit etc...they all make even mic'ed tube amps sound like crap. YMMV/ IMHO/ Ya Da Ya Da/ Yoda Hoda/ Whoop de Dooski!!!

The laptop PC I use for all my editing has no and I repeat no virus protection junk software on it and I rarely have had any problems. Remove that crap and you will have fewer problems. All that stuff does is conflict with Microsoft Defender which is all you need. And no I have never downloaded a virus.

I saw Boston on their first tour opening for Bob Seger.Tom was in overalls setting up their gear with one other guy helping. Marshalls/ giant Hammond organ,the whole enchilada.They were amazing and after their set he also tore it all down. Bob Seger had the flu or something and sucked.

My Palmer PD- 109? The Junction passive DI box sounds killer with my HD500. I just run it after the mono output to my powered speaker or mixer. I stumbled onto one for $29 at GC lol! Things went my way that day lol!

If that video does not convince someone about how amazing these guitars are then nothing else will do it. I am a little too old to have this music be my classic rock now lol! but I love these songs and Kevins innovative fresh take on the electric guitar! thanks for posting this!