gtrman100

1) Yes 2) Let your ears be the judge. Personally, I think Classic mode sounds more real-er. IMO

If I could get a copy I'd really appreciate it. I have had no overheating issues with the earlier firmware. Please PM me. Thanks

When you are in Classic mode, it bypasses the cabinet modeling because the amp model is tweaked to sound through the speaker. The Full Range mode is more like sending the amp model through a PA speaker with a tweeter (like the one built into the Spider V's). So in Full Range mode the amp model is sent to the speaker cabinet model to emulate the sound of a recorded amp. That's why you have a whole range of different speaker cab models to choose from. Use whichever sounds best to you. IMO, the Classic mode sounds much better than most of the amp models in the Full Range mode. The Full Range mode is still useful to me when playing an acoustic guitar or other acoustic instrument.

You are in the same boat as the rest of us. If you search The Gear Page, you'll see that the update of the G10 basically lowered the amount of storage that the battery contains. And so the battery life is about half. I put in a support ticket because my older G10 transmitter was getting less than 2 hours of life. The new one is better, I haven't been able to determine exactly how long it will last, but I think it's around 3-3.5 hours. Nowhere close to the 8 hours advertised. If you haven't upgraded the firmware on the G10 transmitter- don't, if you don't have an overheating problem. You have to upgrade the Spider V AND the G10 transmitter. I know this is against Line 6 policy, because they consider it a safety issue, but I had my G10 for over a year without any overheating. It's up to you.

Tube amps distort more as you increase level incrementally. So there is a sweet spot on tube amps where the output tubes distort in a way we find pleasing. Solid state amps, though, don't behave this way. They produce power up to their rated watts, and louder than that they produce a very different kind of distortion that we usually hate. This is a simplification but it generally is how it works. Pedal create distortion using solid state components, but are designed to distort in a more pleasing (amp like) way.

What kind of guitar are you playing- single coil or humbucker. If it's a single coil, you'll hear hum especially if you are playing a high gain amp model. It's picking up electrical noise around the guitar. If you have a dimmer on your lights, you might try turning it off. They are notorious for sending electrical noise around the house. If it's a humbucker guitar, you might have a problem with the AC wiring in your house. In either case, use the gate module to reduce the loudness of the hum. Just be careful not to set it too high, or you'll choke off the sustain of the guitar.

#1 is the best way, even though this is a solid state amp. Set the Master at a desired level, and use the Amp volume to set the preset volume level with your other presets. With a tube amp, the master volume can be used in different ways to get power tube distortion, but obviously it doesn't apply to Spider amps.

If you haven't updated already, you should really update to version 2.0. Try using the classic mode which will get you closer to the sound of a regular guitar amp, rather than a FRFR system. There aren't much or cab models in the new classic mode. I would personally sift through the presets and find a tone that is close to your desired tone. I would turn off the effect and use the tone controls of the amp to tailor the basic tone. Then add effects to taste.

First, have you upgraded the software on the V to 2.0? It makes a huge difference with the Classic vs Full Range mode. Classic cuts the tweeter so it sounds like a regular guitar amp and they've tweaked the presets to sound better. Second, are you tweaking from a computer or tablet? The controls on the amp are ok, but it's much easier to find what you're looking for on one of the computer apps. I never use the amp controls to tweak unless I'm at a gig or jam. Third, go to Custom tone and try some of the presets that others have posted. There are 1000's there. I'm sure you can find something close to what you have on the IV. The V is lightyears ahead of the IV in quality of amp models. It just might take a bit of experimenting to find your tone. Fourth, the V 240 will be better to amplify your Helix. It's tweeters and extra power will do a better job of reproducing the sounds. But, the Helix is a whole different ballgame when it comes to tweaking. If you think the Spiders have a lot of controls, wait until you get the Helix. Learning on the Spider V now, will help you learn the Helix when you get it.

Sorry for the late reply. The "Plob" you hear when changing classes on the DT amps is unavoidable because the output stage is being reconfigured electronically. It is a bit annoying, but in a band context I've never had it be a big problem for me. I guess it depends on the kind of music you're playing. I would also make sure your tubes are biased properly.

I've had my DT25 (and a 50) for many years and experimented with V30's, Texas Heat, Eminence 105, and others. I find the software models included sounded the most "neutral" with the stock Celestion G12-90. It's not really FR style speaker, just one that was less biased than most guitar speakers. But that's the beauty of modeling- experiment and find what you like the best. There is no right or wrong. I'd probably sub in one of the speakers you suggested if my main tone was a vintage Marshall.

You have to use a Mac or PC to do the update. The update is done with the line 6 updater app.

Other than a few cosmetic changes, there is no difference between the original Spider V and MkII. The cosmetics are minor labeling changes on the front panel. The software is the real update. In essence, if you update your original Spider V with the latest software, you have a MkII.

Well guys, I've got the same problem as others. Before the update, I would get about 6 hours of playing time. Now after the update, maybe 2-2.5. I'm going to do a test and see accurately how long it's lasting continuously without sleep mode. BTW, this is my second unit. My first lasted a few months before it wouldn't accept a charge and it was getting hot. I hope the overheating fix isn't horrible battery life. There is no way to gig with a 2 hour battery life.

Have you gone to the page with the cab model and changed it from "Classic" to "Full Range" mode? It will probably sound like the original preset. If not you can always roll back the firmware.