eenymason

Simple problem here is the lack of headroom goven by a solid state 60watt ketboard amp. OP said it himself. 60 watts class A tube amp would be MUCH louder than 60 watts Solid State amp. Google it if you're really that interested in the scientifics behind it. Most FR/FR solutions have hundreds of watts available to give you that headroom. There are lots of options - depends on your budget. If you can't afford it right now, use the kbd amp, and ask for a little help from the sound tech, by putting a little of your signal in the monitor mix. Wise words above from Spikey regarding making sure you can all hear each other, wothout having to be real loud. Edit PS... I don't have Helix, but I guess it's the same as the HD500. Make sure your output volume from the Helix is maxed out, and control over-all volume using your amp's volume.

I'm picking up a couple of 2nd hand DT25 cabs this weekend, and I will power them with my Sherlock Signal Station 5050 stereo tube amp. I've been running into (originally) a Marshall JCM800 extension cab with 2 x Celestion G12-65 speakers which I found to be a little dark, and more recently both the Marshall and a Spider (?) minus the amp section, with 2 x 10" Celestion Seventy80 (aka G10P80 custom Line 6) which opened up the sound somewhat, and made me smile more. So bye bye Marshall cab, my trusty old friend - it's been great, but it's sadly no longer working out for me. :( I'll keep the ex-Spider cab, (and who knows - I may even put those 10"ers into a bigger, better cab at some point), for more spread. Looking forward to this! Who knows - there may even be a cheap 2nd hand DT25 head down the track!!!

How exactly has Line 6 been notifying users? This is the first of I have heard of this, and I bought my 600 around 7 years ago.

Is this official? Is this documented anywhere? I used to run both 1/4 out and VDI out simultaneously from my Variax 600. I am thinking about doing the same again if I end up using a couple of amps in the future. Or are you talking specifically about plugging both outputs into the XT simultaneously? Please clarify ?

It's probably the squeak of metal on metal that gets amplified - I used to hate that about the 600 trem too. I transplanted into a Strat clone, and never looked back. You might try some graphite maybe? Can't stop the movement - may as well try and minimise the sound!

It's like the biggest slap in the face, from the company that makes the product we love to use, to not include support for the gear we initially fell in love with, in the new gear they bring out. Can you imagine if the latest USB connection on computers refused to read older USB devices? Line 6 needs to listen to it's long term users, and lift their frikkin game.....

I may be naive in my thought that Line 6 SHOULD have some degree of respect for those who indeed HAVE purchased Variax guitars, and who thrive on having that special connection between the the two pieces of equipment (historically HD500/500X), and the Variax. Personally, I don't recall the HD500 not allowing the Variax to communicate with Workbench upon the HD500's release. I figure you must be accurate on this piece of info, though. Can you comment about your "expectation" regarding the Helix/Legacy Variax communication, as we have come to accept as the norm with HD500/500X? Or is this part of Line 6's "planned obsolescence" regarding the Legacy Variaxes still out there, working as they should still.... Specifically, controlling Variax patches in a live situation - the Workbench issue is unimportant for me, as I will keep one of my 500s as a backup live unit, and for workbench communication if necessary,

Why oh why would we hang on to this (otherwise) useless piece of equipment, when the gear it's intended to be connected to, and indeed communicate with in a live situation (Pod HD500/500X), SHOULD allow communication with Workbench. Pod HD500 allows this - why not 500X? Also what's the update on Helix linking with Legacy Variax models? SURELY we're not going to have to update those (Variaxes) as well, (if we don't want to)?

Uh have you ever had a Strat where you could select all 3 pickups? Apart from one with special wiring, where you could flick a switch of course.... On the Variax, there are 5 dedicated positions for Spank, which give you all the standard 5 position options on a (70's onward) Strat, which activate one or two pickups at a time. You may see this as a shortfall, and indeed, there is the odd occasion where it'd be nice to be able to have more than 2 pickups active in this "virtual pickup" realm. Alas it is what it is - and with the legacy variaxes not being supported anymore, I wouldn't see that they'd ever introduce that option. JTV, and Standard though? Maybe there's already a request for it on idea scale? Or am I missing your point?

I use studio direct out, into a stereo valve power amp, into two cabs. The Marshall 2x12 cab is a bit dark for me personally, but funnily enough I only really noticed it, when I bought a Line 6 Spider combo minus the amp section (which apparently was dead), which has two 10" Celestion Seventy 80 (actually labelled Line 6 G10P-80) speakers, and it's obviously open backed, and it's a better match as the speakers are more flat response than the G12-65's in the Marshall. So depending on the amps available, you'll be able to hear (pretty much), what FOH will hear. As I say it won't be perfect, and you may have to tweak the (real) amp a bit for tone, but I'm sure you'll be pretty happy. If you can, try out some amps with an FX loop in your rehearsal studio. Alternatively, you could specify you need two powered monitors, dedicated to your guitar signal for onstage purposes - then the Studio direct setup is not a problem at all. Two xlrs to FOH, and two 1/4" outs to the monitors - beware the 1/4" outs are instrument level, and so are higher output signal. Good luck with it!

If your having stereo fx (as well as amp simulation), as part of your sound, I don't get why you wouldn't want this feature to be part of your stage sound. Why don't you make sure the amps supplied have effects loops, and just plug the Pod's 1/4" outputs to the fx return on those, so all your sounds generated by the Pod are simply going into a power amp/speaker setup? It may not be the "perfect" sound for you onstage, but I find having full modelling (including cab emulation), through a power amp/cab setup can be fine, if your "more important" agenda is what goes to F.O.H. As far as I can see, this is the only way you'll be able to send your signal to both F.O.H., and onstage amps, and have consistent results. There must be more to the story???

yeah, well this morning I wanted breakfast served to me in bed by a bountiful wench dressed in a French maid's outfit, well versed in the ways of how a man likes to wake up in the morning.... Who do ya reckon's more disappointed??? Needless to say, I got over it......

You'll only ever get in the ballpark, and how close you get to the "sweet spot", will come down to how pedantic you are in your processes - though having said that, it sounds like you got the idea already. Of course the guitar body/pickups are only a part of the equation, with all the stuff that happens in the fingers, then of course down the line in the way of FX and amps etc, I wouldn't get TOO bogged down with it if I were you - it gets in the way of playing the dang music. Probably only you will be able to differentiate any differences in choices made at this level, when you're playing with a band. Though, if it makes you lean in just a bit further to the wind - go for it!

Just like the legacy variaxes, I'm sure even though they're going to be discontinued sooner or later, the JTV's will be supported in the way of spare parts, but then, all things must pass, and eventually, no more........ I would imagine if they are discontinuing sooner, rather thatn later, they've got some other Yamaha option in the pipeline. Now to shift those remaining units !!!

This may be the explanation - http://line6.com/support/forum-18/announcement-73-mac-os-1011-el-capitan-problem-with-line-6-usb-audio-driver/

I actually have two cabs as well, and I think I will experiment some more with different output modes. I have a Marshall 1936 cab with 2xG12-65s (it's a JCM800 series from around 1981), and also I bought second hand a Spider (II/III - not sure) box minus the amp section with 2 Celestion G10P-80s which have a flatter response. I will try using dual path, with full sims + cabs on through the G10P-80 box, and pre sims minus cabs through the Marshall. And you're right - I only usually have the HD500 output around 2 O'clock - I'll crank it! Cheers for your ideas! Regards, Ian.

Hi A2D, sorry to hijack your thread, but as an aside regarding your amp/cab setup.... I also use a valve power amp into speaker cabs. Mine is a Sherlock Signal Station 5050 (stereo) made in Melbourne by Dale Sherlock, and to my knowledge is pretty similar to the VHT/Fryette style power amps. I use full amp sims in my HD500, as I don't drive the power amp past about 3 or 4, and don't get any "gain" from that - it's got heaps of clean headroom. How does yours go, using pre sims only, versus full sims?

Don't apologise Titchy - the pleasure's all ours... Thanks to all here, for contributing to my favourite post here for a long time - this beats hanging around the Helix forum by a long shot! It's all doom n gloom over there, while things either float to the surface, or sink to the bottom of the barrel. Titchy - it's all about the beer bottle and the towel. Never forget this important lesson! Amen. (Hic)

My first Boogie was a Mark II combo (with C90), which I combined with an early Marshall 1960A cab. It WAS a killer sound on both channels (particularly with all the speakers combined). I was a bit of a snob (read fool), and refused to use an overdrive pedal (cos I thought the amp had all the overdrive I could use), and stupidly sold it cos I didn't like the crunch, cos I wasn't using it to it's full capacity. Now if someone has shown me how to use an overdrive to get that crunch using the clean channel....... I still have the '71 Strat I had back then - it's not going anywhere..... I guess my point is the (C90) Black Shadow wasn't great with the HD500 for me.

FWIW: I don't have a Helix, but this is my 2 cents worth regarding amp modelling into an amp/speaker in a live situation.... I have in the past used a Mesa Boogie Satellite 60 combo, with mixed results. This was designed as pretty much just a power amp, as a second (stereo?) amp setup in conjunction with one of the earlier Mesa combos (maybe IIC or the like). It had a Black Shadow, which I never really liked that much. I plugged into the fx return, and even though it was plenty loud enough, with plenty of headroom, I never really gelled with it. Mind you, that was my first setup when I was still learning about the HD500, so maybe that says something. I moved onto a stereo 50 watts per channel power amp made by Dale Sherlock (Sherlock amplifiers, based in Melbourne, Australia), plugged into a Marshall 2x12 cab (JCM800 model, maybe designed as an extension to a JCM800 combo), with 2 G12T-65s in it). An awesome amp, with heaps of clean headroom (it's evidently based on the original VHT power amps), but I was still not totally won over. It sounded better with cab sims on, than off, oddly enough. G12T-65s are great speakers BTW - very sought after - just NQR with a modeller. Recently I picked up a bargain, which has me going in the right direction, and the more I read about it, I know why it's working. I bought a shell and speakers of a Spider (II or III) 120, which had the amp removed, as it was rooted, (Australian for no good). The speakers, (2 x Celestion G10P-80s), are great, even in the crappy chipboard (I think) open back cab they're in. They're also know as Celestion seventy 80s, and are designed as more of a flat response speaker (I think they're also used in Atomics, but don't quote me on that one), perfect for use with modellers. I'm currently considering putting these two into a couple of good sized single speaker cabs, for low volume gigs, and selling the JCM800 2x12, to fund another pair of seventy 80s, (maybe 12" models), for another 2x12 cab, so I can use em all, for more spread at bigger gigs.

OK, so I'm not buying it anytime soon, but will somebody please try and take down that Chad guy from Boston, by putting up some INTERESTING vids? I start to yawn as soon as I look in his direction... PLEASE? THANK YOU!

You may not be aware of this yet? http://www.positivegrid.com/bias-head/ I love Bias, but for me the patch changing interaction between Variax (for me 300 and 600 tranplants), and HD500 has been too good to replace the HD500 with something without that interaction. Now if Line 6 were to make Helix interact with the older variaxes, I'd be looking for stuff to sell so I could upgrade. Sadly I don't know if they ever will - I doubt it in fact.

Firstly download Line 6 Monkey. Go to the software download page and find the appropriate download for your gear. http://line6.com/software/ Once you have installed Line 6 Monkey, plug in your XT via USB, and Monkey will recognise it and take you through the process of downloading and installing all drivers and software you need for creating and changing, and saving presets on the XT. For the HD series it's called HD Edit. I never used earlier models of Pods, so I don't know much about the related software, but I'm guessing it's pretty much the same processes involved. You are already familiar with Workbench by the look of it, so using Line 6 Edit is the other half of the process of saving whichever variax patches you want within the XT patches - whether (F) or (U).

Everywhere we look there is compromise.... My "waiting impatiently by the microwave" analogy is my humorous way of referring to those who feel the need to rant here about "I'm not going to buy this new piece of tech, unless you guys promise me it can switch patches quick enough that it's not noticable in any way shape or form". The fact will be known in good time just how long the lag will be between patches. There will be one. There will also be far more ways around it if it is deemed "unacceptable" to user X. You echo my point - as good as the sound/feel may be at concert stage volume with the (insert guitar preference here) into (insert amp preference here), there are limitations - no alternate tuning changes within the same song - unless if you're Joe Walsh, and your tech brings the requisite guitar to you while the band vamps. The ability to do stuff nowadays that we couldn't do 20 years ago, is nevertheless compromised by other "annoyances" the new technology brings with it. Limited DSP (aka let's see what we can get the allocated DSP to do with all our algorithms when we push it to it's limits), resulting in the (insert unknown milliseconds here) gap in sound when we change to the new patch to get the other preset we need, in order to be able to recreate the song we're covering as authentically as possible. Sometimes we need to go with the flow, and just like - get on with it! For others, there will be more fundamental reasons whether to go with the new tech or not, eg it doesn't support the original Variax, making all this a moot point.

thanks for clarifying that for me - as I use them that way (vax patches saved within HD patches), I guess I won't be getting rid of my old work-horses just yet...