spikey

Well like I said- glad its working for you. Long as its fun is what counts... If it isn't fun then its a job.... :P

So you are telling me that you can run one pair of 500x outputs your monitors (with cab and mic simulations on) and then run into your Flextone III (with the cabs and mic simulation tuned off from another output set), at the same time? I didnt think we could separate the cab and mic sims in the outputs? Because if you are keeping the cab simulations turned on and hitting the front end of your flex with it, I tend to think it would sound muddy as hell (all things considered). Maybe Im not understanding what the 500x is capable of yet... I am glad the 500x is working out for you, but when I try to do what you did with the HD Pro I can't run to a amp with the simulations on because it messes with my tone. BTW Im running 2 Marshall 1960a cabs into a DT-50 head. I have to kill the mic and cab simulations to do this (using the real Marshall cabs). Mixing cab simulations with real cabs is a crap shoot in most cases. You might get lucky but most of the time it makes mud. I also run to a pair of powered Mackie monitors (with the cab and mic sims turned on). But I cant do what I want to do, and run to both at the same time... And if you think about it, that exactly what needs to happen on a stage. A dedicated output for the house, and another for the DT/Fender/Marshall/Vox head on stage is what we have always needed....

I like hearing about the competition here. All of it. Id also like to think it helps keep Line 6 on their toes however naive that may be. But it also serves the purpose of showing us other options available when they refuse to do just that.... A win win for us all Im thinking.... Keep up the good work guys ;)

Well that may be so but they sure are hyping the X http://line6.com/podhd500x/ like they are expecting huge sales numbers... Nothing wrong with that of course, just saying that from the website they seem to see it a bit different than what you are saying....

Glad to see that the Vetta is still getting Kudo's after all this time. I may have to pull mine out from under the table again...

Try using a clean fender style amp with no effects into the mixer and use "studio direct" output with a 57 mic and 2x12 cab simulation. If your signals are not showing clipped on the board then you should have a clean signal out.

"I bought mine knowing full well the limitations and benefits." I doubt that you knew all its limitations or benefits before you bought it, unless you beta tested it before hand (product tester) or you have powers we normal humans don't. ; ) You however may have been able to figure things out faster than I did...The concept of how it worked (for me) is my main gripe, because it took me about 2 full years too get my head around some of it. So yes, Ive had mine for years and I do have reason to gripe. Even if I am getting decent tones out now, the alien in it still rears its head at times and yells I AM NOT ADJUSTED LIKE A REAL AMP SO DONT EVEN GO THERE! Im not butt hurt about it as you stated some may be, but it was a learning curve and still is at times. Getting over it isn't the point. Dealing with it was, and still is at times..... As always YMMV...

They (Line 6) were suppose to do what ever it is they want to do. Its their product and their future at stake here. Their decision... The new more hefty buttons on the X are welcome, the rest ive seen leaves me underwhelmed compared to the Pro. What were they supposed to do? I would have gone the way Fractal Audio is headed for example, in using the best A to D and D to A converters money can buy . While increasing the cost of course (at the expense of better tones and more power for the FX chains), instead of settling for a mere 20 percent increase in DSP (and only because the vendor couldn't get the older chips any longer im hearing). But even if thats a line o bunk too, I think we all wanted more and didn't get it. And that, is what has caused disappointment for many. But hey, they didnt increase the cost any, and they did increase the DSP power by 20% or so. So all isn't so bad especially for the new Pod buyer... Guess it could be a lot worse huh...

The HD500 (can't say X cause I don't own one) will do you a good job, but be ready for many tweaks because it won't setup like a real amp does (if you are used to that setup). Some can dial it in faster than others, but worst case be ready to do some knob dickin and tone shaping cause its the nature of the beast. And, unless you just think you will need that extra 20% of DSP power, I would look on Ebay for a good used HD500 because they are probably selling theirs to upgrade to the X model. YMMV and good luck!

Phil, The Dr. Z may be one of the most intensive power grabbing DSP amps, but remember that we just got an upgrade after many years of DSP limitations among other things. All excuses aside , had I upgraded this guitar processor in a world of nothing but black and white limits knowing what we know about it now, I would have added enough horse power to "fix" this so that we could see a difference and then some. After thinking on it some, I question why a brand new unit has only a 20 % headroom increase in the 1st place?!?. I personally have my HD Pro dialed in to my liking now after many years of frustrations, so unless it blows up in the near future I wont upgrade because 1st I don't feel the need atm, and after seeing the "limited" amount of DSP added on the new one Im probably not alone here... And this is NOT what I wanted to think about the new unit, at all! YMMV of course....

Yep the Pro is now an ex-flagship Pod. Had to happen at some point just like the Vetta. The 500x has twice the dsp power as the Pro does im told. Not seen any official spec sheet yet....

Take the HD500 back to guitar center for a refund and be sure to educate the manager on why you returned it. Any guitar store worth their own salt should have warned you about this new model 1st, and then made a customer for a life time. Either they don't have a clue, or don't care to have one and instead try to make money, instead of return customers. I'll never figure that mindset out. The latter "always" takes care of itself. Let them know why you returned it.

I noticed there was no "dry output" port on this new version of Pod. Glad they got rid of that useless thing for us Variax digital guitar port users because it didnt work in digital mode with their own digital designed guitar... They did add in an "aux in" port in addition to the FX send and LR receives, and an analog in guitar input. So I wonder what the aux in port is for? Not being able to control the balanced outputs and unbalanced outputs add ons "separately" and then send these signals to the proper stage and PA (at the same time with the right tone setup) is a minus for me. "and will certainly have more visibility within Line 6, if you put this info where they are looking for it." And as far as updates or anything else go's, as long as Line 6 shelters themselves from the people of this forum by not using a L6 spokesperson to address and discuss with us (and even disagree) current and future plans they may have (within reason of course) along with the ideas and requests that we have, they will never equal the Fractal Audio guys, or any other.... This I dont know and even if I did I cant say crap is as worthless as the dry output port was for a Variax user.... Why in the world are they not looking for ideas and discussion about their own products on their own user forum pray tell?

The ability to send to a stage amp without mic or cab simulation on while sending to the PA with mic and cab simulation on, at the same time, would be a definite upgrade...

Thanks John for the answer... Thanks Hurghanico for the manual link.. Now Id like to see a detailed comparison chart between the HD500, the Pro, and the X...

"Dynamic DSP with more power for amps and effects" So how much more power?

I doubt we will see that price on a 59.... :( ever...

Whatever Line 6 decides to do, for the love of GOD please make it act and adjust like a real amp does signal chain wise with the editor, with inputs that are really inputs (not half'ed or split or mangled or doubled or stereo butchered ) and outputs that are really outputs that feed the PA with a cab and a stage amp without one from the same patch ( while not dependent on analog only inputs to outputs when you freekin design a digital guitar to work with the thing )... Add NOTHING in the signal chain that we can't remove or replace on a whim. That means cabs, mics, mixers and the rest. With the ability to send these same output signals to multiple outputs (stage AND PA) from the same patch , adding what we need or removing what we dont need per output port ...., You want a stereo signal path, fine..., but don't rob, steal or remove anything signal level wise from the right side to achieve correctness on the left, and vice versa. You want mono to stereo after the compressor? Fine just draw the lines and the software is smart enough to figure out the impedance path correctly without the need of having to have a engineering degree in electronic design structure of audio routings, all the while allowing the tuner to tune 2 guitars both analog and or digital, attached at the inputs at the same time... ;) I dont want to work around it, or relearn it's fabulous difference from the norm, or re-engineer it or rethink it, or achieve greatness in figuring out new ways to use it. I want it to be a toneful beast that acts like a freekin amp does so I can make music with it.

I wouldnt expect any Expert or Line 6 to say anything to any one "on the up and up" here on the last planet in the rim.... This kinda "news" will be announced at a bigger avenue than this place. And L6 has to pay da bills... After all We are just lower class users of an old and near extinct product line now... ;) Not feeling the love yet? Not so you say...? Secrets and NDA's silence the know it alls? Is it meaningless to even ask because the answer is No - even if it is Yes? Can anyone say "Vetta".... :P

Sounds to me like a power supply component issue. Better call Line 6 for an RMA number to return it to them for repairs, or find a Line 6 authorized service dept near you...

I was told that the fix is so that the external fuse (the one on the back of the amp you can get to) would open first on an over current issue, rather than the hard wired one on the inside first... fyi... They didnt change anything that might effect tone or setup of the amplifier, they just made it operate correctly on an over current issue if that happens...

Hurgh nailed it for the most part. His touch will make all the difference even with the exact setup.

Thanks Tony and Yea I do notice when you guys do this kinda thing ...

My mackies I believe are 8", and running with a small powered mackie sub. If you go with a sub, do NOT go passive. All that I have heard sound like doodoo compared to a powered sub.

Yes the unit's numbers/ID not being logged/recorded with Line 6 before they shipped it to be sold is a stange thing indeed. I believe that they (Line 6) should offer to inspect that unit, and if the serial # on it is indeed not in their data base, it only takes a second or so for savvy guy to add it to their already existing database. I wonder now (conspiring minds want to know) just how many more are being made there, shipped out the back door, and not showing up on the invoices (or sales receipts)??? ;) But until that time, like phil says if it updates via Monkey ok, and sounds good and does not break on ya, then there should not be any issues to deal with.