Zombieslayer5P

Hi there dlotto. The muddiness of several of the models is a frustrating obstacle in the HD units, but it's not entirely impossible to overcome. I've found that there are two approaches that work well for me. 1) Place a graphic EQ in front of the amp model. First cut 80Hz by -3 to -6, then cut 220Hz by -1.5 to -3. This should help remove some of the muck from the tone, and allow your articulation to be better pronounced (esp. through distortion). or 2) Use a screamer model before the amp model. Turn the Drive all the way down, set the Level to about 70 (where I feel it's neutral in terms of output level compared to the Screamer being bypassed), and then toy with the tone knob to taste. The Screamer model will shape the tone by filtering out the lows responsible for flubby atriculation, but will also shave off some of the high end, leaving a sound that's neither muddy nor very shrill/shimmering. Bonus idea (since I just thought of it lol): Use the Mid-Focus EQ before the amp model. First, turn the Gain all the way down on it. This will make it's output gain neutral, and keep it from acting as a boost. Next, set HP Freq to 0, HP Q to 50, LP Freq to 100, and LP Q to 50. Finally, play something that requires your tone to be more articulate (I find setting the looper to play before the amp to be helpful, as you can let the looper play for you while you tweak). While playing, creep the HP Freq up until you notice that things sound more articulate. This is once again hammering down the low frequencies from your guitar which the HD translates as mud. Well, that's all I got. I hope that it proves helpful to you. Good luck! :)

Had to choose other since I use Sonar X3. Started with Sonar in 2003, so it just feels like home to me.

No satellite connection here. All cable.

Hey guys. I'm in a bit of a pinch here. I'm trying to update my POD with the latest firmware update, but Monkey keeps saying it cannot connect to the server and gives an error code (80001019). I've heard of people having this problem when it comes to downloading a customtone patch, but I haven't been able to find any info on people having this issue with Monkey simply being unable to fetch an update from the L6 servers. Is anyone else experiencing this, and if so, have any of you managed to conquer this obstacle? Thanks for your time in advance, everyone. :)

Don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I'd like to see the high gain amps (sans the SLO models) reworked for enhanced realism. The SLO, as another poster stated, does sound and seems to react in a more amp-like fashion. The other high gain amps (especially my beloved F-Ball ;)) should really be brought up to snuff. As for new amp models, I'd like the lead channel from the ENGL Savage 120.

I would suggest the Blackstar. My brother recently acquired one of the ID heads (ID60 TVP-H), and I had a chance to put it through it's paces. It's very easy to dial in a tone suitable for just about anything your heart desires (assuming you also had every cab you'd want to shape it's tone with as well :P). Plus, they will have firmware updates for it from time to time. I would get the latest update that will allow you to use the amp's emulated output and extra input on the rear as an fx loop.

I am chomping at the bit myself for new amp models, but I would still welcome improvements to the existing ones. One thing I have always noticed is that the highs when distorted (esp in high gain models) tends to sound as though there's some sort of white noise generator being used so create it, making them sound hissy/fizzy. I'd like to see this worked on so that the distortion characteristics give a proper crunch or pissed-off-hornet sound on the high end. If L6 were to do this, I could see it being feasible to give an option to future firmware updates where you can choose to either download the update and update the existing models, or download an update that will leave them as is if you already like them as they are, as well as a way to change between the two if, say, you updated the existing models, but changed your mind and want to go back to the original existing models. But this is just my 2 cents.

I do the screamer thing already, but I never had thought to crank the output level on the screamer and reduce the drive on the AMP model. I did this as per spaceatl's suggestion, and while it didn't really do much for refining the higher frequencies, it did have the nice result of making the AMP sound tighter with better note definition. :) Also, I've played with the treble and presence knobs to no end, and found where it sounds it's best (balancing between too much fizz and not enough definition/clarity). Is it possible to attach the patch file here so you guys can see what I've got thus far?

Just tried using both the full and pre models with the same setup (using the F-Ball and F-Ball Pre models). I found that turning down the master volume on the full model (from 84 to 67) seemed to take off just a hair of the fizz, but it still sounds rough. Using the pre variant, it sounds anemic in comparison (empty sounding mids with steril sounding highs). Still, I appreciate the suggestions :) . The fizz issue is something I've been combatting even when using the full models with cab/mic models in Studio/Direct mode straight into my US-1641 and out of my KRKs. To my ears, the way the HDs represent the higher frequencies (with the med/high gain amps) sounds almost as though they use some sort of white noise generator, whereas the highs in real amps or higher end modelers give a proper "pissed off hornet" sound. The best way I can describe the difference in these two sonic textures is that the HD's highs sound like a constant hiss, where as the highs in a real amp/high end modeler have a grittyness that seems to ebb and flow with the signal of the guitar passing through the circuit. My hope is that in some future firmware update (assuming it ever comes lol) will address this issue, so that the amp models will sound less harsh when going for an aggressive tone regardless of the output configuration. Again, thank you guys for sharing your knowledge. :D

I am wondering if anyone here has any insight into this. I run my POD HD500 (Output mode: Poweramp Stack, speaker/mic sims:off) into a powered mixer with all eq flat on it, then from the mixer into a 2x12 cab packing WGS Veteran 30s. (And don't worry; the mixer's speaker outs require a MINMUM 4 ohm load, and my cab is 8 ohms, so I'm covered there :D) I've been having a hard time dealing with using the full amp models in this fashion, as it sounds very fizzy unless I really turn down the treble/presence controlls . One benchmark I have is the Recto model, as it doesn't sound nearly as good as when my friend ran his Mesa Roadking into the same cab on channel 4 in modern mode (basically working as the same recto modeled in the HD). HD Recto full model sounds very fizzy in comparison. With that in mind, does anyone know whether or not the full models (in either poweramp output mode) are actually optimized to compensate for tonal changes that result from running into the power section of a tube amp, or does L6 have some work to do on refining the HD's representation of the higher frequencies in their models? Thank's in advance for you guys' time. :)

First thing I would suggest is to find your prefered method of amplifying your HD500 (and the correct output config for it). After that, you should set your tones while your amp is at performance volume and you are in front of your amp so that you are shaping your tone towards sounding good from the audiences perspective. This is important when dialing in your live tones due to equal loudness curves (fletcher-munson and all that jazz). Hopefully, by doing this, you'll find yourself some tones that please you and your audience. And that's my $0.02.