smrybacki

Holy crap! I spend so much time trying to avoid making such noises on accident!

danke schön

I hope all who have replied here understand that I am not trying to bash the AmpliFi product line at all. It's not something that interests me, but 10-15 years ago it sure would have. I do like the HD line despite its foibles, and I would like to see it get updated and "next gen'd" too. I just think that with winning the GP Editor's Pick (I tend to agree with flyingscool on the impetus for this) that Line6 may well be shifting it's focus entirely on that market segment, and that leaves those of us who are more "HD kind of people" kinda hanging. And that's just a shame, but in the world of music gear, not altogether surprising. I started getting serious with electric guitar in the year 2000 after I retired from the Air Force after playing a single acoustic guitar exclusively for over 25 years. I had to learn a LOT of stuff, including terminology and technology associated with it. It has been a ball BTW! But in that 14 year period since then, I can think of so many technology shifts by so many gear companies too many to list here. I think this is just another one, largely because iOS is just so darn pervasive these days and iOS users generally have a lot of, shall we say liquid assets to spend on things like the AmpliFi. Not everyone mind you, but generally speaking. In any event, it is what's hot right now, and Line6 is getting in on the extra large teat that it represents and that after all is why ANY company is in business to begin with, isn't it?

Out of curiosity, is connecting a L2T (or L3T) in stereo with an L2M (or L3M) possible/advisable? In other words, one as a mixer and the other as just a FRFR speaker?

Well, I guess they quit doing that. You are correct that it is easy enough to do. That need to connect a 1/4" to a glorified dongle is one of the complainst against 2.0 firmware, but it's all I've known as I have only ever had firmware 2.0. Apparently (someone correct me if I'm wrong) you didn't need to do that with firmware 1.9, being able to do the Workbench and firmware updates through a VDI connected POD HD.

Not comparing them at all. But any company has just so many resources and I'm thinking that if this is successful, the HD line may languish, wither and die eventually as they pursue the AMPLIFi line.

Where does that leave the POD HD crowd?

Hoo boy....The media train marches on.

Ok, to be very clear here...when I bought my guitar from Sweetwater in October 2013, the ad page specifically said it would be upgraded by Sweetwater at no cost. Period. And it was. However, that may have changed now, I don't know. In any event, in checking a Shoreline Gold SSS JTV69 page, I found this: Variax HD Upgrade and Workbench software give you unlimited tonal potential This Line 6 JTV-69 James Tyler Variax packs the latest Variax HD upgrade, bringing you more stellar models of rare vintage electric guitars, classic acoustic guitars, and exotic instruments. You'll be blown away once you start exploring these with the Workbench HD software, which gives you more tonal control and all-around tweakability than you ever thought possible. Create your own unique instrument model, then use Workbench HD to fine-tune individual string pitch, string volume, pickup position, and much more. You've never tweaked your tone like you can with the JTV-69 James Tyler Variax!

This surprises me. But hey, I guess if we get ANY service these days it's a bonus.

1. Bought mi JTV59 "sight unseen" from Sweetwater...they are a great company and will take care of you. The pictures on their Guitar Gallery were 100% accurate in my case, so it really wasn't "sight unseen"...it was without being played first. 2. My Sweetwater guitar was a "scratch and dent" model...if there was either a scratch or dent on my guitar, I couldn't find it. Personally, I think that given there are so many of these scratch and dent deals, this is a simple marketing/sale ploy to move these guitars and boost sales numbers. 3. There is a 2.0 firmware that is supposed to be high def (HD) . Sweetwater does this for you so the guitar you get will be the latest/greatest.

Well, to be fair...if you have genuine issues with a firmware update, it isn't exactly whining to want them to be addressed. On th other hand, any EXTRA models they may provide are in my understanding voluntary, as is the upgrade to firmware v2.0. Many here have apparently stuck with firmware v1.9 I am told....

This has been my experience as well. Anything short of (almost) dainty technique gets me harsh overtones. This is why I started this thread, and why I nearly dealt all my gear just yesterday, the level of frustration was so high for me. I am looking forward to seeing how others have dealt with it, and thanks to you and RealZap for the pointers.

In case you missed this, yes this is the answer. Use the VDI and you don'tt even need to have the battery installed.

How are you doing that, may I ask? I mean believable, excellent, non-clipping acoustic guitar tones from the combination of a JTVariax and a POD HD played into a full range, flat response system. I figure if enough ideas come out here, this could maybe be a sticky thread.

Hazleton? Thanks for the support but I sobered up (kidding) and decided to hang in with my gear and just get a decent acoustic outright....

Came to my senses and decided to keep it for now.

lol...now that right there was funny....

See this idea of "Scratch and Dent" cracks me up in some ways. I own one mind you and I considered it a great deal....but one end of the market gets you a scratch and dent Korean made digitized guitar with modeled guitars in it for $900 while another segment of guitaroland pays $3k or MORE for guitars which are purposefully beat, dented, rusted and otherwise artifically aged Custom Shop built Stratocasters/Telecasters. When I think about that, my brain goes just wow....

Well, your point about the average music consumer is well taken too....most couldn't tell the difference in audio quality with a gun to their heads anyway. Still, it's nice to know there are alternatives out there that are as convenient as MP3s without sacrificing all of the quality and dynamic range. I have all my music (some 900+ CDs) ripped to Lossless WMA format at present so I already have a decent library to use with the FiiO player. Do you have one of those, BTW? Any opinion if so?

lol...I'd seen this a while back, but it was good to laugh out loud again anyway :)

Anyone can be part of a standard. I will always choose to push the standard higher, even pushing it asaide if needs be, wherever and whenever I can. Just my outlook on life in general. That Fiio player looks nice as well. MP3s suck at anything less than 192k in my opion, and they certainly aren't "hi fidelity".

Neil Young is trying to fix the abysmal state of MP3 music, and return the level of fidelity to it's former glory. Check out the PONO music effort he is founding, and all the recording engineers, producers, executives and artists who are on board for this. Seriously, this could change everything -- again. http://www.ponomusic.com

I think we might have as well, although I seem to remember Zenith TVs mostly. I remember taking tubes down to the Five & Dime to test them on the tube tester there. That is when I first got interested in tubes because they truly seemed magical to me at age 8 or 9. When I was in the Air Force, I worked on KC-135 MC-1 autopilot systems and I had extensive tube theory in school for that, and it only made me feel more like they are magical devices. Yeah, I know that solid state circuits and now digital modeling are pretty amazing too, but damn if I don't still feel like tubes are magical whilst digital is trickery.