jsiegel2015

I solved my noise problem with the amp switching jack being connected. Had used an 8 channel Ebtech hum eliminator with my pedal board, rack and half stack with success so I purchased the two channel version. The Ebtech will not work in line with the amp jack but if you put it in line with your amp input and either your send or return on your amp fx loop, it works perfectly. Very quiet. Not sure why the amp switch causes a ground loop, I would think it should be an isolated circuit through a relay in the helix but apparently it has a common ground or circuit somehow. Ground lifts, etc., also do nothing for this problem.

It's silent until I connect a 1/4" to the amp switch jack and the solo jack on my Mesas. It is like a bad cable kind of noise with a little hum. Not as loud as your playing but loud enough that you can't overlook it. I tried half a dozen cables. I tried a trs into two ts type of Y cable thinking I was crossing the tip ring. I am going to try lifting my ground but really you should not have to in a simple amp switching application. Would be cool to have a couple switches to ditch the amp switcher and for the cost of the unit, there shouldn't be the "well it's a line 6 that only costs..."

I use the HD500X into a DT50 and have fenderish clean, a louder, almost breaking up clean sound, an AC/DC overdrive and a fully saturated, overdriven scooped mids Modern sound. I use dual amps, cabs mics, depending on the channel I play with the Class and the I, II, III or IV setting as well as pentode or triode. I use the Mesa models (treadplate?) for the fully saturated, the Marshall for the AC/DC, I believe another Marshall for the 2nd channel and the clean is a Blackface or Twin model (I forget the name). I seem to have volume issues with the clean channel. I will play it at home, think it's plenty loud enough then it's almost non-existent at the gig. Adjust it up (sounds too loud), get to the gig and it's still not loud enough. Started just backing off in my overdriven modes. Will play with it when I have time but to answer your question it is possible to get those sounds, they do sound good enough, are they 4 or 6 6L6's and 5-7 or 9 12AX7's...NO, but will they fool the drunk guy who thinks you're Yngwie....yes.

The only problem I experience with the amp switching jack is noise when connected to an amp and switched to a dirty channel. Not very "convenient" to have an amp switching jack that you don't want to switch your amp with for fear of the noise!!!

I think the DT adds just enough real tube to get you by but when you don't have them, the stage source or Bose just doesn't thump or cut. It is loud enough but loud like a Vetta not loud like a Marshall or Mesa. I honestly feel like you either want to have tubes or sound like your trying to make a tube sound.

No ground loop hum BUT I tried to add "Solo" and "Channel Switch" to two of my unused switches on the Helix and when you plug an amp jack that switches it's channel or solo function into the Helix's Amp Switch plug, you get a lot of noise and hum. Tried many, many things to eliminate and it seems to be a wicked ground loop or something. Only when you are on a dirty channel but if you're switching channels?! The overall sound of the Helix is better used like a pedal board when using it with a real amp. Adds some nice overdrive to the front end, the modulation works nice, pitch has kind of stalled but Line 6 has never had a great pitch shifter,if you needan Eventide you should probably buy one. The delay is nice, wahs are functional. Still no TALK BOX simulator. If you want solid state via a StageSource then the modeling is ok but still not great. Sounds like a "good" modeling amp. I'm disappointed with the L6 connection. Have a DT50, was planning on using the Helix in place of the HD500X but it's way too complicated to edit amp functions without an editor so I'm going to use the Helix with either 2 cables or 4 (undecided), thru either my Mark V combo or Rectoverb combo. Use the HD500X with the DT50 and when I want to look really really cool but not be able to walk for a couple days I will go with my Recto half stack,full blown pedal board and rack! Hurts just thinking about it.

Anyone switch from the HD500X using the L6 into a DT50 to a Helix? If so, any way to transfer (tried several things with no luck) from HD to Helix? Also I use a 1/4" into the HD and an XLR from HD to amp. I tried the same with the Helix and it doesn't appear to be able to work that way OR (and more likely) I am doing something wrong. Any insights, suggestions or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

A follow up after receiving and playing the JTV89F. At first I was like this is silly, played it a few times, tried different models, wasn't super impressed but kept playing around. Then started loading custom settings, playing around with acoustics, 12 string, etc.. Gained a little interest. Then loaded a high gain bridge in position 1, acoustic 6 string in position 2, 12 string in position 3, SRV strat on it's neck pickup on position 4, and a high gain neck pickup (actually a Lester neck) at position 5. Very, very interesting. Of course I then had to load that to Custom 2 because I couldn't figure out why it kept resetting Custom 1 settings (thank you to another thread). Now I started playing in different modes, in drop C, drop D, etc. and am pretty impressed. Listen is it my 6 string with Bill Lawrence L500XL's, thru my pedal board and rack into my Mesa Dual Rec? Not quite but does it weigh 500 lbs less and fool your average listener? Hell yes it does. I'm running the JTV89F into an HD500X with an L6 link to a DT50 1x12 combo. Have a safe case for another combo that it fits into, the HD500 fits in the utility compartment in the top. I don't think I have ever been so portable and set up so fast. The mags on the JTV bother me a little as I don't model all the time but I may try swapping them out. The other thing I don't really get is why would you want to have the Variax cable attached all the time? Once you have it loaded, it pretty much can be used with the 1/4 only, models and everything. Is it due to power? I get decent battery life. Maybe I don't do something that others do that needs the Variax cable? I realize you need it to update, load it, make changes, etc.. This is definitely cool and I'm really thinking of trying just the Variax and that set up at an upcoming gig. I may actually keep this thing. Just need a little more experience and good feelings. Thanks for the tips and insight to play all settings, modes, etc.. Almost did not and was going to send it back after a couple days.

I am waiting for my JTV 89F to get here tonight. Have an HD500X into a DT50, the Variax was too interesting not to try but I have no idea how to use it productively. Any tips, tricks, bits of user knowledge that I should know before I start the process?

I'm a new HD500X into a DT50 combo user to alleviate problems I was having with the size of my regular and beloved rig. I needed something compact with tubes, that I could get in and out easy with so I am trying it. Not new to Line 6 as I have a Vetta II head from years ago in my practice room and have another Spider Valve where we practice as a band BUT...I have a patch set up with dual amps, and all the FX slots used. When I try to change the mix level on the 80 Flanger, no matter what I do, it reverts back to less than 5%. Checked controller parameters to see if it was being controlled by the EXP 1 or 2 and it is not. Could this be a DSP limit problem or would it tell me that. Also any tips you guys have concerning saving FX to use in different patches or anything like that, please share. I don't see a way to do it. Any helpful tips would be much appreciated. I tried this set up last Saturday night and while it definitely is not my main rig with which I am so comfortable with, the set up, tear down and compactness blows my mind and it seems like it could work if I give it a chance (says the guy with NO patience)! The other problem I had was I set it up via MacBook, live I needed the MacBook to run monitor mixes and record our digital board so it was not nearby. Was scared to try to make any manual adjustments for fear of really screwing something up. Like I said, any tips, suggestions, good FX and/or sound advice would help so much.

With Line 6 now in the wireless business you would think making one of their proprietary products wireless would be high on the priority list?! Waiting on my JTV US right now and one of the main issues I already have with it (before ever playing it), is that my Sennheiser SKM2000 unit will never be able to work with it unless I just want to play straight guitar sounds. So even tho I have a great wireless unit sitting their, I will have to be tethered! It would definitely make me buy a new unit if it was the only one that provided Variax wireless. Nice selling point for their wireless brand. Buy ours and you can be wireless playing your Variax or any other guitar you want! Sennheiser wouldn't be able to say that.