silverhead

I use the Beyerdynamic DT770. I find them great. I think the 990s are one step up, so should be better.

Yes, but the sound quality will be reduced because you will have to use your PC sound card. With the USB connected to the 500X you will be able to run the edit program. But you will then have to visit the Sound section of the control panel to reset the audio device to your PC sound card (it will have defaulted to the 500X as soon as you connected its USB). Then you will need to connect the 500X analog outputs to your PC's audio input, probably needing an adapter. I think you'll be disappointed with the results for your purpose. The degradation in sound quality will render the setup virtually useless for working on your patches. They won't sound the same when you listen to them again through the 500X. Either of the above suggestions is preferable.

Well, as good as the Variax acoustic models are I don't think they are as good as the modeling that was demonstrated in your video. I think you even commented on the quality when you introduce the finger-picking section. (Not to discount the quality of the playing!! ;) )

Well, I disagree with you on the first sentence. But so be it. Nothing I say here is going to change your mind, and vice versa. As for the second point, I hope the OP negotiated about $100 discount off the full market value of the JTV. Otherwise he/she paid too much. And I expect you're right that the original purchaser doesn't own it anymore. It's worth about $100 if sold separately to an owner of an older Variax - and that is a direct loss to Line 6. And it is a piracy issue, because many people have one without the other - namely, every owner of an older Variax who did not purchase Workbench separately. Like the one who may have bought the dongle separately from whomever the OP bought the JTV from. If so, that unscrupulous person sold a pirated copy of the Workbench product (in the from of the dongle) from Line 6 and got paid whatever amount he/she received for the dongle. That's money that properly belongs to Line 6. .... but again - I don't expect you to agree with my view.

Yes - I kept the same IR in your patch for the Variax acoustic. I have been using that set of 7 IRs in the Taylor file with the Variax acoustics in several presets since I got Helix. It sounds much better with one of those than with nothing, or with any stock guitar cab in Helix.

I still don't see your Helix patches on Customtone so perhaps there is a website problem. Can't help you there. But I have seen your patches in another post (http://line6.com/support/topic/17643-acoustic-and-electric-at-the-same-time-with-helix/?do=findComment&comment=130426) and I have to say that your detailed explanation and video is hugely helpful and probably wouldn't be accommodated in Customtone even if it were working properly. I think what you've done in the other post is what you (hopefully) will continue to do. Perhaps a link to the 3rd-party website descriptions in the Customtone comments area would be supported? I don't know.

Peter, this is a great setup! Thanks for sharing. I've modified the patch(es) for a Variax JTV-59 using the Acoustic-1 Model instead of Return1 input, and using Variax Mags instead of the Guitar input. I only have two expression pedals so I've also modified the Vol controller on the acoustic path to use EXP2 and inverted min/max values so I can control the electric/acoustic blend using just EXP2. Works great!

Seems outrageous for a little piece of plastic, and it would be if that's all it was/is. But this is how Line 6 controls the licensing of the Workbench software product. Anyone can download the software, but it's useless without a piece of authorizing hardware. In the pre-JTV days when the Workbench product was sold separately and not included with a Variax purchase, this is the piece that controlled licensing. And it still does, for older Variax guitar owners who have never purchased Workbench. Buyers are paying for the software, not just the little piece of plastic.

I think it just may take some time for uploads to propogate and be recognized. As far as I know Helix and Helix Rack tones are fully compatible so I don't think there's any classification issue. If your upload appeared to be successful I expect we'll see them there soon. .... but I may be completely wrong about this..... :)

Here is a great guide developed and generously made available for all by a Line 6 forum member. http://foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/ Learning to develop good tones on the POD HD devices takes some time. This guide is a great place to start.

A USB hub should not be used. However, since it was working with a hub I wonder if anything has changed in your configuration and setup. Any new equipment also connected to the hub? New software? As a test, try connecting the UX2 directly and see if the problem persists.

This is a long shot, but very fresh in my experience so I'll give it a shot...... Do you by any chance have an external expression pedal connected? If so make sure it is fully inserted. I was having lockup issues earlier today and after much hair pulling discovered that my expression pedal cord was not fully inserted. The tip contact was engaged but the sleeve was not. Lockup issues disappeared as soon as I fully inserted the cord.

No - the tone files are not compatible. You will have to recreate them manually, end even then the tones in Firehawk with the same parameter settings as the xt won't sound identical due to the different device architectures and modeling technologies (e.g. the HD models in Firehawk).

Yes, you will be able to register the X3 and receive full support from Line 6. There will likely not be any more firmware updates but the product is still supported.

I think $250 is a fair price. In fact, for used equipment, I would almost prefer it to be used more. If electronic equipment has a hardware fault, that fault is most likely going to appear in the first few hours of use, but not necessarily the first few minutes. The fact that the 1 yr warranty has expired (or is about to) would be a bit of a concern to me with such little use, but the price is fair. As for 'rules' about this type of post, it's OK for Line 6 gear. We just don't want this to be a buy/sell/trade place for all kinds of stuff.

Also make sure the guitar jack/cable connection is solid and clean. Try wiggling the cable in the jack. Maybe try using contact cleaner as well.

Try this link: http://line6.com/software/ On the right side of the page you will find a link to the Line 6 Monkey utility. Download and install it. Then connect your UX1 to your computer and run the Monkey program. It will help you find and install the latest software for the UX1.

I think it boils down to what you value more: better tones or better features for studio use. The Hd500 definitely has the former; the X3 has the latter (direct dry signal recording over USB; better built-in support for acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and vocals; Pod Farm tone compatibility). The X3 also has a feature called Lock Tone 2 that is very handy for a singer/guitarist when performing. If you do decide on the X3 Live make sure you get one that has already had an inherent USB issue fixed. It was called USB Audio Dropout and affected the recording process. Line 6 has offered a lifetime warranty for this issue so if you do get a device that has the problem Line 6 will fix it, but it will be inconvenient for you. Better to get one that's already been fixed.

I don't think there's any risk in using the 1/4" Variax output when running Workbench using its hardware interface device to a computer. The risk is when using the JTV 1/4" output when its VDI is connected to a compatible Line 6 pedal (of which the OP says he has none).

The PC/Mac capability with AMPLIFi applies only to the recording capability over USB. There never was, nor is, (to my understanding) an intention to design a PC/Mac based editor. The whole design of the AMPLIFi and Firehawk devices is to maximize portability by coupling them with mobile devices and Bluetooth. The whole point was to untether the devices from a computer, except for recording and firmware updates.

The remote app runs only on mobile devices based on the iOS and Android systems. It will not run on a laptop computer. There is no PC/Mac-based editor for AMPLIFi. I believe there are some 3rd party programs that claim to support Android apps on a PC but I don't know whether the AMPLIFi Remote app will work on these systems. It certainly won't be supported by Line 6.

No - removing the battery is not a fix.

How exactly are you importing the patches? Give a detailed step-by-step procedure.

The easiest way I can think of is to have a computer in the sound booth connected to the JTV using the interface cord/device that came with the JTV. You may need a usb extension cable if the distance from guitar to computer is longer than the provided interface cable. You can then run Workbench HD on the computer and use it to control the Variax. Note that patch changing won't be instantaneous as it is if you just do it on the JTV. It will take some milliseconds - maybe approaching a full second - for the remote control via Workbench to take effect. Whether and how much this may hinder what you want to do, I can't say.

Like you I mostly use the VDI connection so don't have much experience with the Input-Z parameter. However my understanding is that it pertains to the first FX that appears in the signal chain, not the type of guitar being used.