cruisinon2

The toneport is really just an interface... all the models and patches you create are in the Gearbox software and stored on your computer. To my knowledge there is no external pedal that you can store those sounds on...doesn't work that way. You may or may not be able to use a MIDI foot controller to toggle amongst your various tones... not entirely sure about that, as I have no experience with the toneport. What I do know is that it's one of their "legacy" products that hasn't been made for a while. If you want self-contained, footswitch driven hardware that actually does store all your various sounds onboard, then you'll have to get into something like the POD HD500X, or the Helix floor unit. Both have the looper you're looking for, but you won't be able to transfer any of your current tones from the setup you have now.... the platforms are different, and what you've been using is several generations back at this point. Starting from scratch is an unfortunate reality when upgrading modeling gear, especially when you're jumping ahead several iterations of both the hardware and modeling engines. Look into the Helix family of devices... modeling has come a looooooong way since the Gearbox days.

Some models are louder than others, and it has nothing to do with how their real-world counterparts behave. A "real" AC30 might blow your doors off by comparison, yes...but this is the digital realm. There's one pile of 1's and 0's pretending to be an AC30, and another bunch masquerading as an AC15. There's no "power" coming from Helix at all... the line outs could barely drive headphones. The only actual power comes from the Powercab.

Will it work? Yes. Will it sound good? There's only one way to find out... but generally speaking small daisy-chained bookshelf/computer speakers are not terribly high quality. They're fine for having your computer beep at you, but not much else. It's worth a try since they're already there, but don't expect too much. A small pair of powered studio monitors will be infinitely better, and there are a number of options in the sub-$300/pair category.

Idea Scale is where you have to put requests like this... nobody official will see or address it in here.

Anybody else have "Cheap Sunglasses" stuck in their head today? ...;)

1) No... an IR is not a power amp or speaker enclosure... they're just wave files that get applied to whatever signal you feed it... digital captures of a particular cabinet/mic combination. This is a world of 1's and 0's, not watts and ohms. That being said, you do have to make sure that you're feeding Helix a line level signal, or else the fire department will come to visit, and you'll be buying new gear. ;) I've never used a load box with Helix, as I don't have any "real" amp's anymore...went digital and haven't looked back, lol...But I don't want you to blow anything up, so I'll let somebody else chime in on the specifics for this one. 2) The amp models need to be in parallel paths for that... in series it will sound disgusting... can't daisy chain all that together, it'll be a mess. You can certainly set up parallel paths if you wish. 3) Generally speaking you'd put the distortion boxes in front of the amp (or amp model), and the time based stuff after. Think of it as if you were in a studio: a mic-ed amp and cab blasting away in the next room. You listening at the desk through monitors, any FX getting added at the board. All that is easily done with Helix.

1) I have the Helix floor, but assuming that the basic functionality is the same, then your signal chain can get be as simple or as complicated as you like... if all you want is an IR, then just don't put anything else in the chain. 2) Not entirely sure what you're asking here... do you want a dual-amp patch, where you're blending two ammo models together, or are you just looking to toggle between two different amps? 3) You can put it anywhere you want... though I've never had much luck putting reverbs before the amp model, but to each their own.

If the manual says they're unbalanced, then they're unbalanced...it's a better confirmation than the testimony of strangers on a forum. Not a whole lot of room for interpretation on this one...

As already mentioned, any guitar with a 2-point floating bridge really needs one string replaced at a time... keeping the bridge in its neutral position is a delicate balance between the tremolo springs and string tension. If you completely remove the latter, the springs will yank the bridge right off the posts, as you've seen. If after you get everything back together you find that the treble side of the bridge is closer to the guitar body than the bass side, adjust the bridge posts (the points where the bridge itself pivots) up or down accordingly, until everything is level. The nut is an easy fix... I've had that happen to a number of guitars over the years. A little Elmer's glue will work fine, just make sure the nut sits even in the slot. If you poke around YouTube, you can find any number of basic guitar set-up how-to videos that'll walk you through the basics. It's good to learn... you'll save a ton of money in the long run learning to do it yourself. All guitars need routine maintenance, and it ain't rocket science once you get passed the initial fear of screwing it up.

That's your answer, right there... it's designed for live use, where a Bluetooth connection is just about the last thing you want to be relying on. Can't see it being added to this device.... but whether it's in the works or not, it's highly unlikely that anyone official will address the question in here anyway.

Nope.

Scroll up to the post above yours. That's why...

yes, they're 10's.

Yup... Pink Floyd was another great show... only saw them once, "The Division Bell" tour I think, mid 90's. That was an outdoor show at Giants Stadium in NJ. When it's done right, it's done right...

Yeah... sadly, I've been to my share of miserable sounding shows too. That's what happens when you try and play music, invariably at absurd volumes, in a facility that was designed for basketball and hockey, lol... don't think the architects pay much attention to acoustics. One of the best sounding shows I ever saw was Dream Theater @ Irving Plaza in NYC about 20 years ago. They called it "An intimate evening with DT" or something... stripped down set-up, smaller drum kit, amps, etc., everybody up front, using only about half the stage. What really stood out was the volume... more than sufficient, but not the "scream to be heard by the guy standing next to you" levels typical of most shows. Sounded great no matter where you were standing...the "louder is better" philosophy really needs to go away.

Lol... indeed. With the exception of the occasional minor tweak at a gig, I hardly touch the joystick, buttons, or knobs on the unit anyway. It's far easier to muck around with HX Edit...I don't enjoy bending down to the floor any more than necessary these days.

There's no way to answer that question... it's like asking "how much does it cost to fix a Honda Civic?" Is the turn signal busted, or did the transmission fall out on your way to 7-11? Those will be two very different repair bills...

There are a thousand "best speaker" threads laying around... all containing basically the same info. Poke around a bit and you'll find what you're looking for.

Yes, but aside from a bug fix or OS compatibility update, there's nothing in it...they didn't even bother with release notes because there's nothing to talk about. Last time the models changed was 2014, and that's not a criticism... it just is. Like the POD, the current Variax platform is getting old. It doesn't surprise me that there hasn't been anything new for a while. It's a virtual certainty that whatever will dethrone the current Variax stuff has been in the works for some time.

The capacitance of 1/4" analog cables can limit the signal reaching the amp, thereby affecting tone, often by sucking out high frequencies if the capacitance is too high. The VDI connection on the other hand is entirely digital...the 1's and 0's either get where they're going unmolested, or they don't arrive at all. http://sfguitarworks.com/the-great-cable-myth/ There's also a whole lot of A/D and D/A conversion going on in a Variax and a Helix (or other modeler ...scroll up in this thread for a more in-depth overview. It's a miracle this stuff works at all... lol

There are a number of YT videos for this and other typical VH tones... just search "helix unchained".

If you are gainfully employed and you want a pedal...buy a pedal. If she gives you a hard time, just wander over to the closet and start taking inventory of her shoes and handbags... works better if you do it out loud. Works for me every time I come home with a new toy. Say it with me: "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission"...;)

I hate to break it to you, but you don't see roadies in that video series because they're not exactly what you'd call the "featured attraction"... Now for me, the only thing I like better than watching my favorite players talk about their gear, is meeting Jeff The Roadie for 4 1/2 seconds.. I think I'm in the minority on that one, but I digress. Just because you didn't see any roadies on camera, doesn't mean they're not there. And while I'm sure there's the odd exception, any band doing significant touring has somebody helping haul gear, even if it's just a buddy from high school who's getting paid in free beer. On a side note, I would like to extend my compliments for what is a very refreshing and imaginative approach to beating the "modelers aren't good enough yet" drum... Without actually saying it, you manage to get the point across clear as day, while simultaneously leaving the door wide open for instant "That's not what I said!" backpedaling...that's tough to do convincingly. Cloaking the underlying sentiment inside a separate "innocent" question is a sound strategy, but in this case it's a bit too transparent. "A" for effort, though. ;)

If I had an army of roadies hauling my sh*t, and triggering all my clean/dirty/FX changes from offstage while I put on a show, then I wouldn't think twice about dragging around 2 tons of gear either.

Well I've got the Helix floor, and I have a couple of distortion boxes that I recently started to use, just occasionally. If I leave the pedals on, the hiss is present whether the FX loop is bypassed or not... that's the part that puzzles me. If the loop and trails are turned off, I don't get why I'd hear anything at all... I'd think that turning it off would be the same as removing it from the chain altogether, but apparently that's not the case. Regardless, in my case the noise itself is definitely coming from the pedal(s), because if they're turned off, the hiss disappears even with the loop active. Overall it is a bit puzzling... but I find the mix parameter workaround is usable. For patches that use the external drive pedals, I set the FX loop's mix parameter to zero for any snapshots that aren't using the pedal, that way I can leave the pedal on, and still silence the hiss so it doesn't mess with cleaner tones. Not ideal, but usable.