Palico

Sorry just double check and it seems the HD300 didn't have an effects loop, so 4 cable method is out. Output to Power-Amp in probably the best option.

Yep sure does, select your amp model, cab etc.... Then run the output of the POD into the Effects Return/Power Amp in. Make sure to set the ouptut mode to Power Amp in as well. As for using teh POD as effects only, not sure if used the 4 cable method before, but most report that sounds good. If you using the POD with cabs etc... staright into the front of the amp then all your effects would be in front of the preamp. Some, usually mod/reverb don't typcially sound good there. BTW, with the 4 cable method you can use either the amps pre-amp or the boards preamp so it gives you the most flexability, but does require more wires and more complicated setup.

Yep but with Yahama owning them, althought I would not expect the JTV to be discontinued now. But once Yahama can get up a running with producing a Floyd option and LP type option, IMO it's inevtable that Yahama would take them over. Why I need to get one real soon!

Been eyeing a JTV 89F might be time to pull the trigger, figured the JTV will still be around as currnetly Yahama doesn't have a LP or Floyd yet.

You are right about analog gutiars, but the Varaix works as advertised without Workbench. Workbench was seperate piece of software to enhace the instrument. Being software it will eventually not run on every OS that comes out and no software company can maintain products forever. Yes Gearbox is already out of date as well for you XT as well. I recommend keeping a machine around that you can use to edit them. Just because MS doesn't support XP anymore doesn't mean you can keep an old machine around to run it, as long as the machine works. BTW both of those software parts do work in windows 7, so you could get a machine that runs that to use them if you wanted something slighly newer. I'm not an Apple person but I'm sure you could find a older Apple machine with OS that might run the software as well. Bottom line, if you don't want to be able to update your machines and still use older software/hardware combos on the guitar, then maybe digital ain't for you. It's just part of the equation in working with digitial equipment, regarless of which company produces it.

I'm sure it's something on the Variax. Notice they cut the color options available on the JTV and the recent price drops on the JTV. Maybe a Yahama Variaxs instead of Tyler?

Not sure exactly but on High gain setting feedback can be a problem, turn your gain down or turn on your noise gate.

Pefer LP type guitars without the Guard myself. But good job putting it in. Looks factory, nice fit.

I've never done it but I don't see why it wouldn't work just fine. The HD500 has serveral drives but there are still some great ones they have not modelled. The DS-1 comes to mind as well the Voodoo Labs Sparkle drive. Since they are drive they need to be up front in the chain no need to have them in the effects loop. Might want that if you wanted to add something else that benefits from being post pre-amp. Or if you using the 4 cable method you need that effects loop too.

Yes you can run just one with dual amp settings. The X3 will sum both of them back to mono if you just use one. If you use two it will run stereo for you a sound a bit better though. But I would guess back in the heyday of the X3 most people used it mono.

The PE60 you meationed is a good one that a many people use. I run a POD HD unit now but I used to run my X3 when I used it live into a Atomic amp for the power tubes in it. That was really good setup but the Atomics are kind of pricey. You might want to check out some of the Power PA speakers, they would be FRFR as well. I tried that with a my X3 before the Atomic into a Harbringer powered speaker. It was okay, but Harbringer speakers are genearlly junky. But if you were to get SA, Yahama, or maybe JBL power speaker then I'll bet you get a pretty good sound from that. Keyboard Amps are not really truely flat but they do come pretty close too.

Based on that statement you would want a FRFR type of setup. You could get a good powered speaker and run it into that. But to tell you the truth going into the effects return of a good guitar amp works well too. You said you didn't want to spend much (makes sense the X3 is not the most current L6 modeller anyway) and I assume you are not playing out with it. Why not just set the X3 output mode for Combo front and go into the Guitar in of your existing Amp? It may not be perfect to the modeled amp but you might be suprised at how good it really is.

I'm not sure what you referencing on the tone 1/2 button? The four cable method basically works this way. Gutiar -> POD (Cable 1). Signal into the POD. POD Effects loop send -> Guitar Amp IN. (Cable 2) Guitar Amp Effect Send -> POD effects return (Cable 3) POD Output -> Guitar Amp Effect Return (Cable 4). Signal Path: 1. So you have the signal coming from the guitar to the POD. 2. On the patch you assign your effect you want before the Gutiars Pre amp. Such as dist. etc.... so the signal is then processed by these effects. 3. Set the Amp model in the POD to No Amp/Off. Disables the POD as Pre Amp. 4. Enable the Effects loop on the POD. Since the POD Effects send is hooked to the guitar amp in. The signal is then routed to the guitar amps pre amp. NOTE you will have to play with volume levels on the POD send and guitar amps input to find what works best. 5. After the guitar amps pre amp processes the signal. The amp then sends that to the Guitar Amps Effects loop Send. That cable is hooked to the POD Effects Return. So the guitar pre amp has processed the signal now is coming back to the POD. 6. Any effects you have AFTER the effects loop will now be processed by the POD. Usually Chorus, verb, etc.... 7. The POD outputs the signal on the out bound. Since that is hooked the Guitar Amps Effects Return the signal is send to the Guitars power amp. And of course amplified and to the speakers etc.... So on the POD itself the Effects loop will represent your guitar amplifiers pre amp. Turn it on or off on patch to control weather the signal is sent to it or not.

Yes you can do that, for all the pedals that X3 has already assigned and FX button for. Stomp Mod Delay Compressor/boost and Wah (sorry forgot about that one!). The only thing you will have to have seperate patches for is if you want to swtich betwen the PODS PreAmp and your Guitar Amps PreAmp and effects pedals that don't have a assigned footswitch, e.g. EQ pedal.

Also yes, if you turn off the Amp in the POD you could certinally use the POD X3 for just effects. Just no way other than change a patch to turn it on and off within the same patch, other than having a computer attached via USB or perhaps maybe via MIDI.

You sure you looking a X3 live? There is no "Stomp Box Mode" to the X3. What you describe is competely possible on the POD HD units. On the X3 the the buttons are hard assigned to the "Stomp" (gain type effects) "Mod" Modulations (Chorus, tremolo, etc...) Delay and Compressor/Boost. While the EQs and other effects you can turn on a off by changing patches you don't have buttons specfically of them. So you could setup patches that change with different setting and swtich between entire patches. I'm no MIDI expert but perhaps, if you used a seperate MIDI controller you could pass in the change that way.

You can use the the 4 cable method with an X3 live, however; you can not assign the footswtiches on the X3 Live (you can on the POD HD). So you will not be able to set foot swtich to turn on/off the POD Amp and On/Off the Effects loops which would put your Amps PreAmp in and out. Now you could have multiple patches on the X3 Live where the POD Amp Model is off and the Amps PreAmp is on and vise verse. You basic hook up would be the same as the Pod HD, there are youtube vids for that. You just will not have as much flexablity going back and forth between the Gutiar PreAmp and POD one.

Ouch.... Yea for that scratch I would just get an fully custom guitar. Thanks for the link thought, was wonder how much extra. A 1000, extra I might could consider but $4000 more nope.

The usual sites seem to have just the normal versions. The thought had crossed my mind to look into a JTV-89F US. It will likely leave once I see the price tag, but never hurts to inquire.

Well more speakers will indeed make it sound "bigger" but you do have good point about headroom. If you use the Fender Twin model instead you should get more clean headroom type of sound. The Blackface tends to break up in the drive ranges a bit which the models the reaction of Fender Blackface turn up. The Fender twin drive almost acts like a second volume know. Topo 1 does tend be quiter than the others. I run mine rig into a PA a good bit of the time because I like to make the sound a bit bigger without making louder. That works with any PA but more speakers will spread the sound out. As much as these system attempt to model say a 4x12 cab and comes close, it's hard for system to minic live 4 actual 12s. One thing you might try which I use a good bit is use the a Fender pre amp but use a 4x12 cab model, which is basiclly modelling the Fender Showman setup.

Will a 2x12 have more "substance" than 1x12? I'm not sure anyone can answer that for you but you. Hard to define what "Substance" is? I have a the DT25 combo with POD and never found it missing anything really. I do run into my PA to make the guitar sound bigger but I would do that even if I wasn't using a digital system.

Yep you got it. Quick question for you thought. If you have the POD with DT over L6Link, why bother with all the trouble with reseting the DT to anything other than the default?

So it seems that works the same as the old Variax. And yea the pitch stuff on it is the same, doesn't work quite as well but it does work and I rarely need it. I think I might upgrade to an JTF 89F in the near future but I think I'll wait until after Winter NAMM to see if L6 comes out with anything new in this market then. Wish they made the 89F in another color besides Black or Red. I love Sunburst and could deal with the 69 but I want the locking tremolo.

Hi Tbone, I think you are misunderstanding how the L6Link works with the POD unit. Bascially the POD takes the incoming guitar signal. Processes with the selected pre-amps and effects. To this point the POD is working pretty much like it does working any system. Then it sends the signal, along with switching instructions for the topology, class, etc... over to the DT. It does not use the DT built in PreAmps then. It doesn't send the PreAmp over but the processed signal. The reason you want the L6Link is because it will send the DT the instructions to switch to the correct Class etc.. when you change the amp model on the POD. The nice thing is it also establishing communication between the POD and DT on knob settings. So if you move the say "Bass" knob on the DT and then go over and hit save on the POD, the POD will have whatever you just set the "Bass " knob to. (Except for Reverb which is independant)

Follow up question. With my band we tune down 1/2 step on everything. I assume the drop tuning would just adjust down the extra 1/2 as the adjust for where the guitar is actually setup for? So if I manally tune the entire guitar 1/2 flat and then swtich DADGAD it would actually go do DbAbDbGbAbDb?