snhirsch

Very interesting! When you say reversed, do you mean the two strings were swapped with each other - or - that they were individually out of phase?

Ok, thanks for clarifying! I thought that was what the plan was, but the overloaded use of "models" threw me off. It would be nice if that upgrade had seen the light of day by now, but as the mantra goes: "Release no software before its time! And, perhaps not even then...".

Is the problem actually in the cable proper or at one or both jacks? If it's the cable, it needs replacement. If the problem happens when you rotate or wiggle the 1/4" plugs, try using a bit of NON-RESIDUE electronic cleaner. Spray a bit on a rag or paper towel and wipe both plugs with a twisting motion. Try it again. If the problem persists, CAREFULLY shoot a small amount of cleaner into the jacks and run the plug in and out a dozen times or so to wipe the oxide clear. Once again: use NON-RESIDUE cleaner. If you use lubricated control cleaner it will make an unholy mess.

If it turns out that the HD upgrade has morphed into "buy a new guitar", I'm going to be a bit miffed. Can you please clarify that statement?

Second the suggestion on the K10. I've been working with one for the past several months - at home and in the practice room. The good: Rickenbacker 12-string, acoustic guitar and clean Strat sounds from the Variax are jaw-dropping. The bad: mildly overdriven (by today's standards, anyway) classic-rock sounds have been elusive. The HD500 does not do a good job of modeling tube amplifier dynamics. I guess it's fine if you are used to dancing on pedals to go between rhythm and solo sections of tunes, but I'd like to simply use the volume control for that as I would with a real amp. Even after a lot of experimentation, I seem to end with either great rhythm tones that get way too loud and harsh when cranked or great lead tones that are too soft by the time the volume is backed down for rhythm. Am I simply old-fashioned in my expectations? Has anyone found a model and setup that actually responds realistically to the guitar volume?

That's about the same quality I get from my HD500 at high-gain settings. You can tune some of the fizz out with a parametric EQ, but all in all that's why I'm back to my Fender Mustang III for everything but clean tones. The other guitarist I work with has an older Line 6 Vetta and gets lovely, creamy sounding overdrive. That was one of my motivations for getting the HD500, but it's been a major disappointment.

Put on a Strat neck and don't look back. It makes it into a completely different (and, in my opinion, better) instrument. My JTV-69k went from being a PITA to the sweetest playing instrument in my collection. The only tricky part was fabricating a wedge-shaped shim to get the neck-set angle correct. Without the shim I had to crank the bridge way up off the guitar to get the proper string height. From experience, this type of bridge and tremolo system sounds best when it's close to the body.

I think your first idea was the most technically sound approach. If you have excessive boominess on the bottom end, that's just going to make the compressor pump more if it's first in the chain. I've always regarded "EQ and filtering before compression" as the Golden Rule. Not to say that good sounds can't be made by doing otherwise, just that there are technical reasons suggesting against them.

Dream rig implies an HD500, correct? Have you tried using compression and a bit of EQ on the "bad" sounds?

What are you using for amplification? With a FRFR speaker system the acoustic models are an entirely different animal.

Thanks for the tip! I actually haven't played much with that model. Worth a try.

Man, do I wish I could get a decent classic non-metal sound out of my HD500... I've been using it with a QSC FRFR speaker. Clean sounds and acoustic sounds are to die for. Overdriven tube amp - not so much. It just doesn't behave like a real amp in terms of response to pick attack and guitar volume knob. If I get something that sounds good for rhythm parts at mid-setting, it blows the doors off the room when turning up for leads. My little $300 Fender Mustang III is far, far closer to responding like a real amplifier.

Have you tried another set of strings? There may be an issue with the material the string is made from. Also worth checking the bridge saddle and the nut under a magnifying glass. If the bridge saddle is loose in the bridge that can soak up energy and dull out the string. Ditto if the nut slot is slanted in the wrong direction. If all else fails, try raising the action a bit and see if that helps.

Does anyone actually use a Roland guitar synth when playing with, e.g. a cover band? I can find all sorts of solo performances on YouTube and plenty of synth-oriented original stuff, but no examples at all of a guitarist covering a real keyboard or horn part in an ensemble situation. I've been toying with the idea of using a GK3 and GR-55 with my JTV-69, but am starting to get the impression that the Roland may sound better on paper than in reality.

Have you tried a complete Alternate Tuning reset? This operation is described near the end of the Variax "Pilots Manual". I don't think a reflash does this. Worth a try before you return it.

I'd like to help, but I get an error when attempting to follow that MP3 link.

Amen, Brother. I'm currently back to my Fender Mustang III modeling amp after months of trying to sort out a good classic rock / R&B tone on an HD500. The Mustang is simple and clear to setup, but most importantly it sounds and behaves like a real amplifier. I will continue to use the HD500 for patch-switching on a Variax (why a dedicated pedal is not available for that function is a question for the ages), but with little or no processing engaged. It is a rather expensive preset-selector!

Thanks for the heads-up! The other guitarist in my band ordered one. Dual Variax's to the rescue.

+1 If anyone knows an approach for getting a reasonable "traditional" tube amp sound out of an HD500, I'm all ears. Been fighting with it since last fall. Maxed out high-gain "djent-y" tones seem to be the sole focus. I'm able to get wonderful, clear rhythm sounds on their own presets and so-so mid-gain 70s rock tones on others. What I'd really like is a single setting that lets me graduate between them using the volume on the guitar and pick attack. Doesn't seem like a lot to ask, but has been totally elusive.

No, you cannot do this from the Workbench - that's the point. The Workbench predates the Variax JTV electronics and cannot swizzle any of the new features! The older model guitars had alternate tuning intertwined with modeling and indeed could not do what you are trying to accomplish. The JTV has these concepts completely separate. Just as the built-in Open D will shift all 12 strings of the Rick models (or acoustic) to a what a real 12-string would do, you can "train" it to replace one of the built-in alternate tunings with your desired Open E and do the same. You do not even need to be in the 12-string model, as the "training" operation works at a very low level. Warning: It is a bit fussy and I find it can take several tries before it correctly tracks your input! The procedure is documented in the JTV Pilot's Guide and there's also a short video on the Line 6 website.

I thought I heard you say you want an alternate tuning (Open E) for a 12-string where the virtual "pairs" of strings are doing what you'd expect on a real 12-string, i.e. 3,4,5,6 string in octaves and 1,2 in unision? For example, the JTV 59 has a built in alternate tuning for "Open D". If you select one of the 12-string models and dial the alternate tuning to "Open D", are you not getting all 12-strings cooperating in that tuning? If so, then it should be possible to put the guitar into its internal "learn" mode (documented in the manual) and define an Open E. Once locked in, that will apply to 12-string models along with everything else. If I'm getting this wrong, can you please explain again - string by string - what you would like to do and why the solution I'm describing isn't accomplishing it? Not trying to be dense, but there's something I'm not grasping.

I believe you that workbench will not support this, since it predates the Tyler Variax electronics. But, have you tried using the JTV's built-in function for "learning" alternate tunings? Granted I have not tried open-E on the twelve string, but I was easily able to model a 12-string with a capo at the third fret. That sort of suggests that it is possible to offset all 12 strings. This can also be done through the HD500 in a more robust manner (the "learn" feature can be a bit fussy and sometimes requires a couple of tries).

That, and the utter lack of overload indication in the signal chain.

That did tend to be a problem with earlier generation rechargables, e.g. NiCad. ISTR that the Variax battery is a lithium-ion type, so I doubt leaving it on charge will hurt it. I'm sure others here will correct me if I'm wrong :-)

I wouldn't hold my breath for native Linux support. But, the VM approach is quite workable. I've been happily running HD500 and Variax Workbench under VMware Workstation since last fall (along with Fender FUSE and a bunch of other MI related apps). The one "gotcha" is that under Windows XP the VMware audio device prevents Line6 Monkey from initializing. This just means I need to deactivate the sound card and restart on the rare occasions when I need to flash firmware. There are no conflicts under normal use of either workbench.