bluebluetones

Hi everyone, I am a happy HD400 user, but every once in a while I consider upgrading to the HD500X. It would be nice to place my effects wherever the heck I feel like it! And I am missing the dual-amp path setup... My initial experience with the HD bean (when I rented one) was not very good. All the amplifiers felt kind of lifeless, and so I began to read on this forum about changing one of the inputs to "Variax" or to "Same" or stuff like that... That did make a difference, but that particular issue (combined with the input impedance selector) seemed to make all of my sounds very different depending on what I was selecting. I could never figure out which setting to use - increase the gain on the input and lower the gain on the pre-amp? Or vice-versa!? It led me to the conclusion the HD bean was either overly option-heavy, or just plain mixed up. Is the HD500X going to give me the same options? Parameter upon parameter of different settings that might make all of my settings or guitars sound completely different? Or did they streamline and correct the input combinations? Is it easier to use?

I too love the sounds of the XT and X3...and I also own an HD400! I have owned so much Line 6 gear through the years, and I still have the XT. It's a great sounding unit! They both sound a little bit different. I like them both, but if I had to choose one I think I would choose the HD pedalboard. It does take a little bit of getting used to compared to the XT. (I could not get a lot of distortion out of some amplifiers on the HD, until I started fooling around with the "Master Volume" parameter.) I, too, would also recommend the HD300 or HD400. I tried the POD HD and the HD500, and they were too option-heavy. All I seemed to get was a hissy, noisy, mess, with endless parameters to adjust and advice from other users to "shut off the mic-input" and set inputs to "matched" and stuff like that. It did solve the problems in most instances, but then the levels were all different and the amp models felt different... ...personally speaking, I had trouble getting my head around the 500 model. I was glad I rented it before buying one. Then I tried the HD400, and I was quickly able to figure it out in an XT/X3 kind of way!

The HD400 doesn't have a mixer-block nor does it have dual amps. It has a fixed loop position choice of either "Pre" or "Post". I went ahead and tried it, and it did work to an extent. If I put the loop in the "pre" position, none of my keyboards retained their stereo effects. If I put the loop in the "Post" position, everything worked fine...except I could not use amp modeling. I stopped just short of trying to figure out if I could use a wah model, but I think in the HD400 it's fixed in one position (at the beginning of the FX chain) So the HD400 is okay for stereo keyboards if you want to use FX2, FX3, and reverb. ...I think I got that right!?? ...thanks for the reply NucleusX!

Hi everyone, In the past I have used my Verbzilla with my keyboards, as it features a stereo in and out. Stereo inputs are very important when using modern synthesizers. It occurred to me that my HD400 has a stereo send and return FX jacks...could I run the output of my keyboard into the FX return jacks? I could then use all the lovely effects on my HD400. Is there a danger of using "Line Level" instruments into the HD400? Will using only the FX return actually allow me to use the effects on the HD400?

Does the FLEX II XL have an effect loop on the back of the amp? Or a CD/MP3 input? Headphone jack? If so, take a guitar cable and insert it into each of these inputs 20 times or so - not violently, but just carefully insert and work it in-and-out of any accessory jack. See if that works. Some "switching jacks" can become oxidized over time, and this often solves the problem.

You are correct - the POD 2.0 is the exact same modeling as used in the Floor Pod Plus. All the same cabs and amps are there. There are a lot of additional effects on the FPP, most notably a pretty nice Univibe! But, if those FX features (and the built-in wah) are not a necessity then the 2.0 is a good way to go. (Take a moment to confirm that the FBV Express will work with the 2.0, that point I am not sure about.)

Ahhh...it's been a while since I have visited the XT forums! I too had the problem, and I figure that some cable had become oxidized or needed reseating. There should be no reason why a POD XT should suddenly not work... Here was my fix: http://line6.com/supportarchivenew/thread/74156/ Let us know if it works!

Ahh...too bad. I really like my HD400 model, and have had a rough time every time I rent one of the 500's. Mind you, I still have my XT with the model packs, so maybe I should dust it off!

Will the update be avail for the HD400, or is it just for the HD500/500X?

Hi everyone, I have recently been entertaining a purchase of the Amplifi 150 to use with my guitar. I have a Flextone III XL, as well as a Spider IV150, and these two amps coupled with my POD XT seem to cover my sonic needs. However, I am intrigued by the full-frequency properties of this Amplifi. I now understand that it can be used to amplify keyboards, as per the very brief instructions included with it. This would help my decision making further, as I could sell my keyboard amplification to fund the Amplifi purchase! My question is: do any users have experience with the Amplifi and keyboards? I am currently using a dedicated 100 watt keyboard amplifier, and I would hope that the Amplifi 150 would be able to do as good or better with its 5 speaker array. My concern is it not being able to compete in a band setting, or the frequencies of modern synths might overwhelm and damage the speakers. The instruction booklet shows a keyboard going into the Aux in jack, so.... Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Regarding the Flextone - I know it's an older amp, and parts might be hard to get for it (also it is a cost issue as well!) but don't give up on it! Does yours have an FX Loop on the rear of the amp? Headphone jack? These jacks can sometimes oxidize, which will prevent the amp from sounding. A quick way to try and remedy this would be to carefully work a guitar cable in-and-out of these jacks to try and restore the connection. Nothing violent or rapid, but just a steady in and out perhaps about 20 times? See if that makes a difference? Other than that, I would have no personal issue with opening the amplifier up, removing and re-inserting all ribbon cables (or removable items) to make sure they are seated properly. Please do this one at a time so that you don't get confused, and make sure the amp is unplugged! If you are at all hesitant about working with electronics (be wary of capacitors even when the amp is not plugged in...) then have someone else look at it. Try and check all connections, including speaker cables to speakers themselves. You might simply need to give all connections a re-seating or cleaning. I hope you have good luck with the amplifier!

Thanks radatats, Yes, I did consider that scenario. I might end up doing just that, but I am still curious whether I can keep everything neat and uncluttered in the actual Flex III XL fashion!

Hi, Thanks for the reply - I understand what you are saying, and I agree with you. The Flex III XL and the Flex III Plus appear to be the exact same amplifier, except one model has two speaker cables coming from it and the other model has one speaker cable coming from it. I have long suspected this similarity, and I want to confirm it before doing any sort of swapping between the two. The Flex III Plus is most definitely a stereo 150 watt amplifier - it's just that it only has a single 12" speaker that operates at 75 watts...

A technical question! Hopefully some seasoned users will know, or perhaps Line 6 still participates in this forum? Can I switch the electronics inside a Flextone III Plus with a Flextone III XL? In my research on the 'net, I did find the schematic for the Flex III here: http://music-electronics-forum.com/t33076/ Simply scroll down the page until you see where a user has listed the "schematic" I made note of the last page, where there is a diagram of part # 35-00-0149 called the FT3 SPEAKER OUTPUTS PCB. On this schematic, it mentions the use of a JP-1 Jumper slection: 1) 2 x 12 Stereo - Install 2) 1 x 12 Mono - Do Not Install 3) 1 x 12 Plus - Do Not Install ...on both my 2 x 12 and 1 x 12 Plus, this JP-1 Jumper most definitely appears to be installed in contrast to what is written! It looks like a resistor at the JP-1 location. There is also a note about "Pull-up on Signal on Main Board for Stereo = Low" vs. "Mono = Hi" Thank you in advance for any help you can offer...

Hi all, When the original POD HDs were released, there was an online chart available showing which effects were included (and excluded) on each of the three models. I cannot seem to find this list anywhere in my search on the internet. Does anyone known where I can find this chart? Thanks in advance!

Reverting to the earlier firmware is very easy using monkey. As I recall, you just click on the firmware version, and somewhere on the screen you will have the option to revert to the earlier firmware. It's very easy. There might be a prompt to ask "Do you want to back-up your presets?" or something like that, but in your case you don't seem to need to. You can click yes or no... I wonder why you want to try the earlier firmware? The Spider's are so much more with the 1.52 and then 2.0 update. You will be missing so many effects! I too was curious what was different about the amp models, and have switched back to the early firmware at least twice a few years ago. I heard absolutely no difference, but boy did I miss all the new features! Hope it works smoothly for you.

I wrote extensively on this topic many years ago, when I bought the Spider IV 150 brand new upon release. I initially thought I had solved the problem, and I never had any more re-boots. I think I came to the conclusion that I needed a power conditioner on the wall outlet I use? Fast forward to now - my original Spider IV 150 is gone, lost to the world of trading gear and amplifiers. But I sure missed that great tone (especially Clean Green...) so I picked up another Spider IV150. While recently editing a patch I had created, in the middle of nowhere, "thump"....the amp shuts down and starts again. I can't believe it. You know, I don't mind spending a bit of money to fix this problem so if anyone from Line 6 can tell me officially what need replacing I would be so happy! Is is the "main board?" How could I have two amps that do the same thing...there must be a part that is subject to weakness somewhere.

There is a common problem with the optical sensors on the POD XT Live - they have been known to fail over time resulting in poor Wah performance and volume problem issues. It is possible this sensor is the problem you are having...the voltage gong to the optical sensors is dying after about 30 seconds. I had to correct this on two previous XT Live's I owned. First off try a pedal calibration, and see if that solves the problem. If I recall correctly, while in the calibration mode you can see a numbered dial showing the pedal position. This is a good indicator in seeing if your pedal is misbehaving....my problematic units would show "0" for heel down and "100" for toe forward. Then, as you watched, the number might jump or glitch to different values. The small PC Optical board is available for purchase if you make an enquiry with Line 6. It was not a lot of money as I recall, and well-worth it to enjoy a very nice effect processor! If you are at all comfortable with taking the back off, you can try to make sure all the connections to the small PC board with the sensors are all tight and sound, as well as taking a very small brush and carefully cleaning off the optical board. Let us know if this is at all helpful.

When you say the sound is "half-there", do you mean half there in volume? - Make sure your volume pedal is fully forward, and the channel volume is raised. - Try to do an expression pedal calibration. The instructions for doing that are on the back of the Floor POD Plus (if you turn it upside down to see the bottom of the unit) - Check the output knob on the rear panel of the unit. It is a small screw/knob near the AMP/Line switch. It controls the overall level of the FPP. Adjust that so it outputs a higher volume. Give it a little wiggle to make sure it is working properly, as well give the AMP/Line switch a few tries back and forth to make sure it's working fine. - Make sure your AMP/Line switch is set properly...(Set to Amp if you are running into a guitar amplifier, set to LINE if you running into a PA or recording device. If that does not solve the problem, try to do a full factory-restore. Let us know how you make out.

The HD147 is definitely a step up from the Spider series...it was released around the same time as the Flextone and Duoverb amps, which were a professional tour-ready series. The closest thing you could compare them to these days would be the DT series from Line 6. Basically the HD147 took the Flextone amps, the XT amps (and their technology), and coupled it with some "higher gain" offerings in a 300 watt head. The editing and interface is almost exact as the Duoverb and Flex III's. All of these included amps appear to be distilled from the Vetta II series. If you are at all familiar with what was offered in the XT Metal Shop model packs (and the POD X3), you will be familiar with the HD147 amplifier models. It is a fantastic amplifier, very under-rated.

I have seen some at Antique Electronic Supply that looks very "similar" to the Flextone III cloth. Have a look at their on-line catalog and see if what they offer will do the trick. You might have to use black cloth underneath the wicker cane-style grill cloth they offer, but it looks pretty close to me...

Hi, Not sure which Flextone you have (Flex III, Flex III Plus, or Flex III XL) but have a look at the back of the amplifier. You will see a whole bunch of input jacks (Send, return, and possibly some labelled Ext Speaker depending on which model you have) Take a regular guitar cord, and insert it in-and-out several times on each jack. I would personally do this approx 20 times for each jack. Don't be rough with them, but just simply plug and un-plug a cord several times in each jack. It is possible the "Switching" style jacks used in these amplifiers have oxidized a bit from sitting around, and need a little cleaning. Running a jack in and out is a simple way of loosening any dust up in them. If this does make a difference, and the amp comes alive again, you might want to go a step further and use some cleaning fluid on these contacts. This would require you to open the amplifier up...I noticed you mentioned you were looking at the circuit boards, does this mean you have opened the amp up? If so, use some contact cleaner very sparingly on each leaf of the switching jacks on the rear of the amplifier. Some folks have suggested spraying into the jacks themselves and then working a cable in and out, but I found that suggestion a bit sloppy. Who know what the stuff is spraying onto in that instance! Preferably adding the cleaner in a controlled and careful fashion is the best way. Please let us know if this helps and/or how you make out.

Hey, The high-gain settings on the Spider IV are pretty "gainy" sounding right away, whereas the Flextone is much more elegant in it's higher gain tones. I would personally not use the "insane" or plexi settings. The insane doesn't have as much definition as a recorded Van Halen tone, and the Plexi tones on the Flex are very realistic...that is to say it sounds like a real Plexi! You have to open up all the EQ knobs to get it to bark...don't be shy! But Eddie's sound is so processed on the early Van Halen records, they do not sound like a Plexi to me. Maybe a plexi with a distortion pedal in front or something? Ted Templeman really tweaked the tracks all to weirdness. Rather I would use the JCM 800 or 2000 amp models on the Flextone. Don't be afraid to put the bass, mid, and treble controls on max on your flextone...that can really change the character of the distortion on the amp models. And if you want the appearance of a larger sound, dropping the mids a bit can make the amp sound louder or heavier. Lastly, when you think you have the gain where you want it, try switching cab models. I assume you know how to do this? (Press on the amp encoder so that the LED shows green, and then turn it while pressing down.) Switching cabs is a great way of using different EQs on amp models...you can take any amp model and run it through any imaginary cabinet. (Be careful here - if you hold the encoder down on a "green" cabinet model for around 3 or 4 seconds, it will flash and that cab model will be permanently attached to your amp model...a customizing feature.) Don't be afraid to try different amp models too. Some of the best higher gain amp sounds I have made are using the Rectifier models with different cabs. And, if you are playing loud, turn your drive down! I hope this helps in some way.