skybone

Any other Bass players out there using their POD HD's for the low end? I've done loads of research trying to find a bass-specific multi-effects unit / amp/cab modeler over the last couple of years, and I kept getting drawn back to the POD Family. I've tried a few other units but was never that happy with them, so I recently bought myself a POD HD500x and the HD Bass Pack. So... What are your favourite amps/cabs/effects? Are you using your HD as an effects processor in front of an amp, or DI-ing? Any tips/tricks for other bass players when using your HD? etc... So far, I haven't experimented much outside the SVT "Normal" & the classic 8x10 with various effects for that gritty "rock" sound, but I've not had it that long yet. I see lots of experimentation and tweaking to come. I might even plug my guitar into it at some point! :D

Fair enough.

I think it's to do with Taxation / VAT. The EU has many different rates in the different countries, and the US has different rates in different states. The UK Rate is 20%, so I had to pay an additional 20% on top of the purchase price. It worked out at an additional US $5.00-ish on top of the Expansion Pack price when I bought the Bass pack. Main thing is that you now have the HD Vintage pack. :)

You could go about "going amp-less" a few ways. You could just try DI-ing into the PA straight from your POD, or if you really want to have the air move, you could look at getting a Power Amp and plug it into your 4x10 (matching the impendance rating of course) with your POD in front of the Power Amp. I used my old PODxt Live in front of the rehearsal room PA, instead of plugging it into an amp, and it worked just fine. Just upgraded to a POD HD, and I intend doing the same. Just make sure your patches sound good when amplified like this, it may take some tone tweaking to get them sounding right at higher volumes, and especially in a band mix.

Not forgetting PayPal's "Conversion Rate" fee, which add's a bit more on top of what you pay. And it's not an EU thing, it's just paying good old UK VAT.

Try logging on to one of the European Line6 sites (click the "Globe" icon on the top right of the page) and choose one of the European sites (UK, France, Belgium, Germany or Netherlands). You'll notice in the address bar that you will have a uk/fr/be/de/nl prefix before "line6.com". From there, click on the Store/Webstore at the top of the page, then click on "HD Model Packs", select the pack you want & purchase with PayPal. This should allow you to buy the model pack(s). I live in the UK, and had to go through the same process to purchase the expansion packs for both my PODxt and the HD. Good luck! :)

As Dragon said, maybe you should start looking at setting up your own sounds rather than using a preset/download. Approach it like you would a new amp, get your "core" sound sorted out, then start adding effects. The key is to experiment and tweak. I think you're asking in the wrong place for an unbiased comparison between the Line6 HD500x & the Boss GT100. It is the Line6 Forum after all! :lol: ;)

Bizarrely enough, I have found the opposite, that bass players are far more willing to adopt new ideas & new technologies than guitarists. It still surprises me of the lack of "high end" or even "mid-market" modeling solutions available to the bass player, and even then, the few that are available are variants of the guitar based processors. There's still a vast number of guitarists out there who wouldn't touch anything other than analogue amps & effects, although, thanks to Line6 and the other companies who've pushed modeling technology on over the last 15 years or so, more guitarists are following the digital route. Going amp-less for both bass and guitar gets around many issues for small to mid-size venues, especially those which have noise limits imposed on them. Plug in to the house PA with your POD, and you still have "your sound". It would seem to make sense to develop more bass specific amp & cab models (and effects). I see a trip to Ideascale coming on soon! :D

I'm waiting on the delivery of an HD500x, and have been using an XT Live as well as my trusty old XT bean (with the old Line6 logo). I bought the Bass Expansion pack for the XT Live (and put it on the XT bean too), and will be getting the HD Bass Pack. I know they say "quality not quantity", but surely Line6 can develop more than the 2 additional bass amp models and 2 bass cab models in the pack. There's a myriad of guitar amps available in both the standard pack (30) and the expansion packs (10 Metal & 9 Vintage). OK, so 2 of the standard pack are bass amps (Bassman & B15NF), but that's still 47 guitar amps over 4 bass amps. Less than 10%. The XT has 28 bass amp models & associated cabs, and there's many more guitar amp models. So how come there's not been an expansion of the bass amp models? I'll be having some fun with the guitar amp models when the 500x arrives, and I'd also like to do some similar experimenting with my bass sound, though with only 4 bass amp model's & associated cabs, this will be limited. Come on Line6, how about a few more bass amp & cab models for the HD (and Helix)? Please?

In a word, yes. I bought an XT Live recently, and I've owned a desktop XT since 2003. I got the XT Live to replace another manufacturer's Bass Specific, floor based Multi-FX unit, as I found it to be "limited" with regards to modeling and effects. I bought the Bass Expansion pack, and using Line6 Monkey, I now have it installed on both the XT Live, and my trusty old POD XT.

How do you do that? I've owned a PODxt since 2003, and I still can't figure it out! :lol: I've trawled through the manuals and have found references to factory resets, but nothing on how you actually perform a factory reset. Back on topic, I recently upgraded to Windows 10, and had a couple of issues with the USB cable. Unplug & then retry at both ends of the cable, if that doesn't work, try good old fashioned "wiggling" the USB connector (or buy a new cable).

Try using the HiWatt 100 & 4x12 cab or the Fender Bassman & 4x10 cab models.