Mincer

The answer is kind of weak, as almost every digital product we use on a daily basis gets updated regularly. Either a company crowd sources ideas to sort through and implement, or they have people in house to do it regularly. Windows and iOS users never just 'get what you paid for' as they are updated as technology and Better Ways of Doing Things evolve. The reason users expect it is that we live with this idea that in the Digital Age, everything evolves. Line6 even crowd sources presets, and doesn't even offer additional artist set lists periodically, which wouldn't require any code unpacking. Let's face it, in computer terms, 4 or 5 years is old. Most of us don't use phones that old, so we can't be blamed when we spend money on a digital product touting to be revolutionary yet only is actually revolutionary on the day you buy it. I have plenty of analog pedals and amps and happily got what I paid for. I don't think you can throw an HD500 in the same catagory.

Does anyone make an expression pedal with a switch (like a Wah pedal) that can switch between expression pedal 1 & 2? One pedal with 2 jacks- one for each expression pedal jack, allowing one pedal to control both expression pedal assignments (not at the same time). I know I could buy another pedal, but it seems silly if one can do it- my HD500s expression pedal can do this.

The looper in the m series and dl4 is better than the 500(x) because you can control the volume of the loops with your feet.

The looper collapses left and right to mono, so this won't work. You could always add a stereo looper after the HD to do it, though.

The HD can be made to sound like the M13, but takes awhile to set up levels right to do so. You can use the HD like an effects-only device, but it isn't as easy to use that way due to the unity gain problems- it also isn't true bypass. I use the HD for recording, but use the m13 live, because I need that volume control over the looper.

Which is why it is so odd to be left off of the HD500. If it something you might want to see implemented, I would ask that you lend your voice to the HD500 feature request post: http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/HD500-Looper-volume-should-be-controlled-by-exp-pedal/490433-23508 I think a bunch of looping players might jump on an HD500, but all are frustrated and are still using the DL4 or M-series, which, for some reason, has a looper that is more usable in a live setting.

No matter where the mixer is, the xlr outputs either the right or left, not both. The 1/4 " output sums the left and right sides. So if you are using 1 XLR, you only get half the signal.

The m13 allows volume control of the looper by an exp pedal. So does the m9 and the dl4. The HD500 does not allow the expression pedals to control any parameter of the looper.

Was entered into idea scale she it first started, and before that, as a feature request. We are talking years ago. If it has ever been considered, there has never been an official statement about it, and certainly has never been upgraded to ' under review'.

Yeah, this was a constant complaint since the HD was released. I asked about it at NAMM, and was told that they were aware of it, but was unlikely to be fixed, as opening the code and inserting something might introduce bugs. I don't know if I buy that, but it doesn't look good for this or any other functionality to be added then. This seemed easier than adding new amps or deep amp parameters, yet it wasn't added with the 2.0 update. I don't know if the life cycle of the HD will make it to a 3.0 update, but my guess is no.

Yeah, he does pretty straight forward rhythmic loops, and with other musicians, it is fairly easy to cover for abrupt endings of the loops. What many solo improvisation based loopers do is gradually fade loops out while live playing continues overtop ( not looped). I really like the pod's overdub parameter too, as it is essentially a feedback control. This is a great idea implemented badly as this parameter is also not assignable to the expression pedal. If it was, you could gradually morph loops over time, then freeze the loops without having them fade, while you solo over them. But while Line6 implemented these parameters, they didn't quite see it to the end. I use other devices for looping these days, as the frustrations with the HD's 'almost right' looper will have the whole device in the s'sell' pile before long.

The volume problem is that you can't fade loops in or out, like on the dl4 and m series. This is essential for any live improvisations with loops. I can't use the hd500s looper live for this reason- and neither can a whole bunch of people who make their music with loops. I have been working with looping devices over 20 years, so quantizing isn't really needed...for rhythmic loops, it is pretty easy to get the timing down with practice, and I don't do a lot of loops with a defined rhythm these days anyway.

The other huge reason the looper isn't useful live (I don't care about quantizing) is that it left out a simple thing that the decade+ old DL4 and M series has...the ability to control the loop volume with your feet. You can't map loop volume to the expression pedal, even though there is a parameter for loop volume. So, the code is already written to change the loop volume- they got so close, and we probably won't see this change. The HD does many things well, but a live looper isn't one of them.

Ah, was hoping they would at least make the looper functionally equivalent to the 20 year old DL4 or M series- you still can't control the volume of it with the exp pedal (according to the posted manual). I guess the good news is that it saved me from taking the hit on upgrading. Maybe one day they will add this to the 500 or X.

They took the page down...my guess is that L6 didn't like the scoop from the European retailers and told them so. There is a pretty lively discussion on The Gear Page (with pics). I did see that date on the page today before they took it down. There is a tweet out there from the same retailer mentioning it too.

It also says it won't be available till July 20th.

Maybe this is why they are saying the regular ol' HD500 is discontinuing. Hopefully there is an upgrade path for us HD500 owners if this turns out to be true.

Yes, the advanced guide is wrong. What doesn't behave the same is that on the DL4 and M-series, you can control the loop volume with the exp pedal. This was inexplicably left out on the HD500.

For anyone else looking, I just got a Dunlop DVP3 Volume X . This can be used as an expression pedal (with a 10k pot) or a passive volume pedal (with a 250k pot) depending on which jack you use. In order for it to be used with the M series, you would have to adjust the internal trim to max and press the 'reverse sweep' button inside. But then it is a great expression pedal for the M series (probably for the DL4 and HD-series too). Heavy duty, not too expensive, with adjustment for the rocker tension. I have used an EX-1 which is a terrible, creaky pedal for the money, as well as an EB jr 25k pedal, which doesn't sweep accurately. The Dunlop does, and the bottom plate, which is rubber coated metal, can be reversed showing just metal- great to attach velcro to.