silverhead

You might want to experiment with the Tap Tempo feature. That way you can use the same preset and adjust the delay timing by tapping with your foot rather than creating different presets with different bpms.

(I presume you mean HD500 Edit, not Workbench.) You need to set the Delay FX parameter to one of the note-based settings, not a specific bpm. If you set the Delay to a specific bpm, that overrides the Tap Tempo feature. If you set the Delay to something like a 1/4 note, or an 1/8 note, then the Tap Tempo feature will work.

Yes - amps and FX are identical.

There's another thread here about the same thing - I think the upload feature is broken, hopefully temporarily.

1. Just make sure you get the hardware-independent Pod Farm 2.5 license. Then any interface that gets the guitar signal into your computer will do. 2. Typically, you would record the dry signal from your interface into your DAW and then use Pod Farm as a plugin for post-processing (like reamping). Of course, you can also record the processed (wet) signal, or record both. You can also use the standalone version of Pod Farm when just playing and not recording.

Don't be overly concerned about impedance ratings for casual listening. Trust your ears. I've used both low and high impedance headphones with my Pod HD devices. There is definitely an improvement in sound quality with the higher impedance headphones. Is it worth the extra cost? That's a personal decision - to me it was, but having said that my low impedance phones served me well for a long time with my X3. But the improved sound quality of the HD exposed a big difference between the sound quality of my monitors and that of my headphones. So I upgraded. Another factor to consider is whether you use headphones to develop your tones/presets. The higher quality headphones you use, the less tweaking will be required to get good gig-level tones. YMMV.

I think your explanation makes perfect sense. Here's a suggestion: - connect an mp3 player to the cd/mp3 input of your HD500 and find a song that illustrates the issue you are having - something that sounds good through the Bose CineMate but bad through your headphones. For best results, you could even use a recording from your HD500 and get it on your mp3 player. - bring your HD500, the mp3 player, and your troublesome headphones to your local audio store that sells a range of headphones. - experiment with different headphones using your setup until you find a pair that you like and can afford.

Have you used any other speakers/monitors with the Pods (X3 Pro and HD500)? In other words, are you sure that the headphones are the issue? Is the sound 'good' when you listen to it using other devices? Headphones are pretty simple things - you connect them and you hear sound. The only control you have is with the output volume of the connected device. If the sound is good through other monitors, but bad through your headphones - then either your headphones are broken or they are mismatched and you need to use different, matched phones.

These products are fully embedded proprietary systems. The internal components are not swappable/replaceable like your average computer; you can't expect to replace the processor chip with a faster or more powerful chip that you might buy off-the-shelf at your local computer store. I don't expect you would end up with a working Variax if you replaced anything on the motherboard.

I have used headphones with much lower impedance (<100 ohms) quite successfully with both the X3 and the HD series. I have also used high impedance headphones. It is true that the sound quality is better with the professional grade, higher impedance headphones, but the cheaper phones will work just fine. I would avoid using earplug headsets, or any phones that are really cheap. Anything in the $60+ range should do fine. I don't understand your question about sound differences from the recording. The recording itself makes no sound - you only get sound when you hear the playback, and that requires a monitoring (listening) device such as headphones. The better your monitors, the better the sound you hear. Different headphones will produce different sound, as will different monitors/speakers. The quality of the recording is a seperate matter - and has nothing to do with the listening devices.

I don't know. In the past I have purchased things like knobs (not pots), VDI/14" jack assembly, pickup selector switch assembly, pickguard, and piezos. I would suggest you call Line 6 and ask them to point you to your nearest parts supplier.

I'm not very familiar with the details of the boost - I've never used it. However, theoretically I expect it would have a similar effect to anything else that affects signal volume. Depending on how the tone is being processed, louder volume can affect the tone - like increasing your guitar volume using the knob on you guitar will affect the tone by creating more dirt/grit from the amp gain/drive setting. It is generally used to compensate for, or match with, outboard equipment (computer, DAW, ...) whose usb inputs are somehow 'quieter', whatever that means :huh: . There's no right or wrong about it - use it if you find it helpful, otherwise don't use it.

Agreed. The point is that you can't buy motherboards directly as replacement parts from Line 6. They are only available by cannibalizing from an actual Variax guitar, whether you do it yourself or buy the parts from someone who has done it.

How are your speakers/monitors connected? Have you experimented with using the +18db boost available in the Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices control panel settings?

Not necessarily. The only easily available replacement parts are the external parts - knobs, switches, jacks, piezos etc and whatever plug-in chips/boards are associated with them. If the internal electronic chips/boards fail (e.g. the motherboard) the only way to get them is to buy another Variax 700 and cannibalize it (or buy the parts from someone else who has done this). Line 6 does not sell internal electronics for the Variaxes.

I suggest you take your HD500 in to an authorized Line 6 service centre: http://line6.com/service_centers/ Hopefully it is still under warranty. This was a surprisingly expensive non-warranty repair for me (same thing happened) but was not something I felt comfortable attempting to do myself. In most cases it is not a simple matter of replacing the jack/connector; there is also an internal chip that usually needs replacement. While the fix can be expensive, the device is much less useful without a working usb connection.The problem is not just using the editor or not being able to record directly, it also means you can no longer update firmware or even import new presets.

No - HD Edit works fine. It's Workbench HD that doesn't work right now using the HD500 VDI connection.

The FBV is just a controller. The footswitch assignment is done on the device (in your case, the HD Pro). The manual describe how to assign multiple FX to a single FS in a preset. http://line6.com/data/6/0a06434dfe5c4f7b801d5336b/application/pdf/POD%20HD%20Pro%20Advanced%20Guide%20v2.0%20-%20English%20(%20Rev%20A%20).pdf

There's virtually no chance that the X3 is going to be expanded. You will need another interface. And yes, Pod Farm (version 1 that was bundled with the X3 when you bought it) will work with the X3 connected even if it is not the selected audio device.

Ah - ha.... trickery! Should this not have been posted here? http://line6.com/support/forum/38-variax-guitars-bass-workbench/

I don't believe you can control the HD500 device Master Volume, but you can control settings like the amp/channel volume and a VOL FX pedal. The easiest way to do is is using HE500 Edit. In the Mixer panel, set the Variax Vol or Tone knob to be used as a controller (i.e. lock the local control; the knob will no longer control the Variax function). Then in the Controllers panel select the item you want to control and assign the Variax knob as the controller. You can do this directly on the HD500 device without using Edit - see the advanced manual for details.

If you are using a laptop computer, and the noise sounds like an electrical hum, you are probably experiencing a ground loop. To test for this, run the laptop on batteries and disconnect its power supply from the wall. If a ground loop is the problem the noise will disappear.

I would reinstall the firmware. Connect the HD500x to your computer via usb, and hold down the left nav key on the HD500x while powering up. Then run Line 6 Monkey to reinstall the flash memory (firmware). If you have a recent backup of the HD500x presets then it's best to choose to replace existing presets when prompted during the installation. If no recent backup, then choose to keep your existing presets (and back them up immediately :) ). Also, after reinstalling be sure to reset the global parameters and calibrate the pedal (search the knowledge base for details).

No, Line 6 has not produced a list. Feel free to do so and post it here for others to use.

Opening a ticket would be best. It's essentially an email, but gets routed directly to Line 6 tech support and its trouble-tracking system.