AquaRegia

Well, I just bought a Pod Go. I hope I don't live to regret it. As a long time Spider (IV, V) user, I figured everything would work pretty much the same. And it did, the first time I connected the Pod Go to my Mac. I tweaked some tones, started learning how the Pod Go works, moved some things around, backed up my files to the Mac. Cool. The 2nd time I tried to connect, I got "no device connected". Tried restarting Mac, turning Pod Go off/on, different USB port... "no device connected". Nothing has changed; why would it work one time and not the next time? I came here, read this topic. Clearly I'm not the only one with this exact problem. I bought a powered USB hub (this one, if you're curious) and plugged everything in. "NO DEVICE CONNECTED". This is quite frustrating; if my Line 6 product won't do what I bought it for, I might as well sell it. I'm not recording or using MIDI or anything fancy; I just want to a) use the Pod Go Edit software on a nice big monitor instead of twiddling tiny buttons on the floor, and 2) back up all my tones to my computer, like I was able to do with every previous Line 6 product I've owned. If the USB cable Line 6 packages with their products is the problem, where should I look for a different one?

I answered my own question last weekend... YES for the MkI SV, but NOT the MkII. I forgot that the MkII amp/shortboard combo treats the pedal settings the same way it treats the knob positions - stored as software when you save a tone. So regardless of the physical position of the volume pedal, as soon as I click to another preset, channel volume reverts to 100%. Ouch. Got a few dirty looks during sound check for that. Now I'll have to investigate if changing ALL 40 of my saved tones' pedal preset info can do what I want, i.e., lower the volume of all 40 presets evenly.

Just to be clear (I'm doing this for the first time): a. when the Edit program says "receiving presets", it's copying them from the amp to working memory, and b. when I choose "File -> Save Bundle", it's saving them all to my hard drive? Then, when my current amp dies (it's bound to happen eventually) I can 1) buy another SV MkII 2) hook it up to my computer 3) choose "Load Bundle" 4) choose "Send All" and the new amp will be a clone of my old one. Sound right?

SV MkII with Shortboard, gigging regularly. Same issue - channel volumes saved as low as possible (any lower and I get the channel-switch pop), and yet with master volume barely on, stage volume is difficult to manage. The sound guy would say "your amp can come up a bit," and I'd tap it - couldn't even tell if it moved - and he'd say "WHOA, way too much!" Now he says "OK, I need you to BREATHE on your amp volume." LOL I'm thinking about trying the Shortboard volume pedal as a workaround. I never use it while playing - my feet are just not coordinated enough for wah (I've tried - hopeless) and the volume knob on the guitar is fine. Maybe I could physically block the volume pedal at 50% permanently...? Thoughts?

About 2 years ago I started having intermittent problems (volume fading) with my SV MkII 112. After reading similar reports here, I concluded that it was the DSP chip overheating. I opened the cases on both my Mk I and Mk II amps, located the DSP, cut an old aluminum nameplate holder into 1-inch blocks, and used thermal adhesive to attach them as heat sinks. I have had no problems since, and I gig almost every weekend. Hope this helps some others!

To my knowledge, the Spider Valve original (i.e., Mark I) amp cannot connect to a computer. I was also disappointed to find this, and I bought a Mark II for exactly this reason!

Unfortunately, channel volumes below 11 or 12 o'clock can cause digital confusion. Keeping channel volumes up, however, requires the MASTER volume knob to be turned down for moderate overall volume levels, and sometimes THAT'S a problem also. Be aware the CHANNEL volume is saved for EACH separate saved tone, while MASTER volume is always in effect, regardless of tone. Once you get a few tones where you want volume-wise, tweak channel volume for the others to match. Took me quite a bit of fiddling, but eventually I got things the way I wanted, and I use just about all 36 slots on my SV Mk1.

I have had (thankfully very few) overheating issues. Toward the end of one daytime warm-weather gig, my SV Mk1 started cutting out for no reason I could see, which I found was a common symptom of the digital signal processor (DSP) chip overheating. I decided to attach a heat sink to the delicate chip. I found an old aluminum nameplate holder in my basement and used a hacksaw to cut off a 1-inch square. I sanded the flat side as smooth as I could, likewise sanded the top of the DSP housing, applied some good thermal adhesive and stuck that sucker on. Have not had any trouble since. Did the same to my SV Mk2, even though it had never acted up. I can upload pictures; if anyone wants to see them, let me know. Other than that (and of course not being able to transfer my custom tone settings), I love everything about my SV amps.

Just in case anyone ever has the desire to do so, I'd like to report that yes, it's perfectly possible to put a SV Mki amp into a Mkii 1x12 cabinet, and vice versa. I did have to drill two new holes in the top of each cabinet, as the Mki amp is smaller. As far as I can tell, the speakers are identical. Both "custom" amps still work fine. I wanted the Mkii amp with more functions, but I like the "handle" on the back of the Mki cabinet; the Mkii cabinet lacks this nice feature, and it also seems a bit heavier. I swapped the feet, as the Mkii has grippy rubber ones (don't swap the screws, though, as they are not the same), and the handles - the old Mki handle was getting worn out.

All I can say, as a regularly gigging SV Mkii 1x12 owner, is that I have never once seen any reason to wish for another speaker. The 1x12 amp is SO LOUD that I've never had to turn the master volume past 5/10 (12 noon) EVER, even for the biggest venues (of course, at large shows, I mic the amp). In my basement, 2/10 (8 pm ish) is too loud. I think it sounds great - sharp and clear - but I've never owned a 2x12. My vote is no, it's not worth any money for the extra speaker - just makes a heavier amp to have to carry around!

Just another data point that may help future member with similar problems: I love my Spider Valve Mk i, so when I saw a good deal on a Mk ii, I grabbed it. I verified it worked and stashed it in my basement for about 6 months, until I had time to play with it. I turned it on a few days ago, and after a brief crackle, no sound. No hum, no "bad" noise - total silence. Lights on, tubes glowing, but no noise. I came here and read some topics, including this one. I checked the two fuses accessible on the back panel. I verified that the new speaker worked by outputting my old amp into the new speaker; I verified the new amp would NOT send a signal to the old speaker. I removed the 4 screws, pulled out the amp head from the cab and checked the two motherboard fuses - both fine. Next step - check tubes. Sure enough, one of the 12ax7b preamp tubes had failed, which I discovered by replacing them one at a time with old ones I had replaced and saved. Apparently a dead tube can look just like a good one (especially if, like me, you have little experience regarding what you are looking at).

I'm happy to report I had no trouble swapping out the tubes and biasing them. The new Sovtek 5881 6L6WGC and Sino 12ax7b tubes sound pretty much the same as the old ones, which is exactly what I hoped. Thanks all!

I apologize in advance for resurrecting a topic from WAY back 4 months ago, but I'm in the same boat - bought a used Mk1 112 two years ago and have been using it pretty regularly (5-10 hours a week, including at gig volumes). Now the tone is getting mushy and it seems a safe bet it's time for new tubes. Which ones? I'm reading posts here and my head is spinning! One guy here claims the SV amps shipped with Sovtek 5881 6L6WGC power tubes... but someone else says the SV needs 450 volts, and the tech specs on the Sovtek WGC say "Maximum plate voltage is 250 volts". Then there are WXT, WXT+, and I don't even know what else... and all the User Manual says is "Sovtek 5881". A complicating factor for me is that the "presence" function on my amp doesn't function, so I'd like to keep the tone as bright as possible - tubes that "darken" the tone will not be good for me. Amazon has Sovtek 5881/6L6WGC matched sets for $30 + $5 shipping. Is this my best bet for reproducing the original tone of my amp, or is the 250 V vs 450 V really a problem? Also, I plan to replace the preamp tubes while I have the amp open, so... Shuguang 12AX7b? Some people say they are noisy and quick to wear out. JJ, Sovtek, TungSol, EH, others? Thanks in advance for any help.

Holy crap thank you! I never would have figured out that "bank up THEN pick a letter" thing. It's even BETTER than I thought it would be. And yes, I just needed to really STOMP on the toe of the pedal to get it to switch. Thanks a million for your help!

Well, my used shortboard arrived today, and before I get REALLY angry, I want to make sure what I'm seeing is correct. a) The "bank up/down" buttons seem to be for EDITING the patches only. I was expecting to be able to switch - while onstage - between my #2A and #3A. But when I hit the "bank up" button, the display reads "3A", but the sound stays #2A, with the A light flashing as if I'm going to save patch #2A to the 3A slot. Fine... but completely useless for live gigs, which is the whole point of a foot controller. Is this really the designed behavior? If so, grrrr. Why waste space on a floor pedal for EDITING functions? Unless this unit is malfunctioning. b) According to the manual, there should be a toe switch of some kind to toggle the pedal from volume to wah. I pushed on that thing as hard as I could and nothing happened. I got volume, no wah. Is my unit broken, or am I misunderstanding something?