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Hey Line 6-ers, I've been using the Four Cable Method (4CM) for a few years now with my POD HD500 and a Blackstar HT Stage 60 amp. It's been quite successful, albeit after some very careful tweaking. I've posted a video with the results on my youtube channel if you would like to view it for some context: Click Here Essentially it details a disparity between the "Guitar In" jack and the "FX Send" jack. With all things in the signal chain being set to Unity - no FX blocks and Amp Mods on Bypass - The level coming out of the FX Send jack is -2.8dB LOWER, on average, than the source signal. I tested this with a signal generator, recording the level over time, averaging it out. Then putting that signal through the POD HD500 and out the FX Send jack, recording the level over time, averaging it out - and you see the -2.8dB difference. This is consistent across any of the settings for the FX Loop Level (STOMP/LINE) meaning that the issue is not related to that level - it's internal. About 2 years after I did this in-depth analysis - I haven't seen any changes in the firmware that fixed this quirk, but I did start playing with the FX Loop Level switch and the Unbalanced Out switch - which don't make any sense to me. My questions to the Line 6 Folks: 1 - Is the 2.8dB DROP from Guitar In to FX Send deliberate - or is it a bug? Or is it because I'm using a TS cable to go to ONE amp instead of a TRS->TRS cable? 2 - Can you help me (all of us) make heads or tails of the STOMP/LINE/AMP settings with Unbalanced Out, and FX Loop - the only number actually given is the LINE level for the Unbalanced out. From what I've read of the manual: Unbalaced Out: AMP = +4dBv (this is assumed because the only number given is the LINE setting of -10dBv) LINE = -10dBv FX Loop: LINE = +4dBv (this is assumed because the manual says "higher peak-to-peak voltage, making it optimal for Line-level devices") STOMP = -10dBv (this is assumed because LINE was assumed as the +4dBV) I HAVE to be reading this incorrectly - does higher peak-to-peak voltage mean -10dBv? - why would the 2 LINE settings be different? I do know that BOTH -10dBv and +4dBv are LINE-Level, one is for Pro audio application, and the other for Consumer application. Should all 3 of my levels be set consistently? (All at -10 or all at +4?) Currently, my setup is as follows: Unbalanced Out set to AMP(+4dBv), FX Loop set to STOMP(-10dBv), and my amps loop is set to -10dBv. The Result is Loud and clear sound from the amp - but it can be a little noisy, lots of digital background white noise (probably due to dirty power in my old house - so, not faulting L6 for that.)...I can barely turn it up past 2 or it's blowing my ears out. So that means that my amp and the FX Loop are both running at -10dBv, but that the FX Return on my amp is getting a +4dBv from the Unbalanced out of the POD. If I change the Amp's FX Loop to +4dBv - very subtle change, if any at all...hardly noticeable, same thing if I change the LINE/STOMP FX Loop on the POD HD. HOWEVER if I change the Unbalanced Out on the POD HD to LINE, my volume drops significantly and the gain doubles...my clean amp channel sounds like a dimed AC30. I'm hoping this Real-World example is a helpful analysis for everyone - I'm stoked about my setup and it's super easy to gig with - This is more of an intellectual exercise for fellow nerds like me. Rock.

Today, I have read several threads of people having what I perceive as genuine quality issues with their Line6 gear, including: - Howling headphone outputs - Footswitch issues - Firmware failures In my own world: - my POD HD500 indeed has an F3 footswtich that acts dodgy as hell and won't do what I assigned it to do much of the time. - I can assign FS2 to a volume pedal function, but it won't "take" and refuses to use anything but FS1 until I save the new preset and come back to it to change it after I go to any other preset. Then, it seems to work most of the time, but nbot always. - Last night, my brand new (October 2012) JTV59 developed a problem where the magnetic pickup selector switch (no modelling invloved) in the up (Neck) poitision went wonky and screached with static. While fiddling about with it, i noticed that moving the guitar to a resting on my lap position (resulting in a slight bump) caused it to fix itself for s short time. More movement produced intermittent cut outs. Troubleshot it to a loose connection inside the guitar somewhere (most likely) and even with my strong electronics background, I would sooner traverse razor wire than to open this thing up and try to sort that sure to be rat's nest all out. I guess what I am getting at is this; Since Yamaha just acquired Line6, as a person who works in business I know this acquisition likely took months to work through, so I wonder did quality slip while everyone at Line6 dotted their i's and crossed their t's in prep for the big day of announcement? I have to say that overall I am not too thrilled with the quality of what I have anyway, from a hardware and firmware standpoint. It's all well and good to spend $1500 buying two pieceds of gear that are supposed to effectly replace dozens of guitars, amps and effects UNTIL it ceases to work properly. At that point things change for me. Thoughts from the community on this?

Hey guys, this is my first post in the forum. Right now I'm using a Gibson Les Paul with my HD500, using headphones. The sound is OK, but I'm looking to buy an amplifier. I'm considering buying a DT25 combo, but before I do, I have a couple questions. 1. Firstly, I have ran out of DSP a lot on my HD500, mainly because I use dual amp configurations. What I am wondering is if I can still use two amp paths with two different (pre) amps modelled on my HD500, and have the DT25 combo output both amps (both paths) in only one speaker (I will be using the combo amp). Another thing that I'd like to know in relation to this is whether or not using the HD500 in conjuncton with the DT25 will free up DSP. I heard that (since the 2.0 update), the DT25 models the pre amp instead of the HD500. Is this true? Will it model both of my pre amps, allowing DSP usage to drop on the HD500? 2. Secondly, I am wondering which cable to purhase to use with L6 link. I understand that Line 6 reccomend an AES/EBU type cable over everything else. However I also see that they recommend a Classic Series Microphone Cable by Planet Waves, which as far as I'm aware doesn't appear to be an AES/EBU type cable. I live in New Zealand, so I cannot purchase brands such as Mogami, in fact the only AES/EBU cable that is stocked in my local store is a HOSA AES/EBU cable. Would you reccoment this as a good cable? http://www.rockshop.co.nz/shop/recording/hosa-ebu003-aes-ebu-cable-3ft.html Also, I assume that 3ft is too short.... Thanks so much in advance, and any other tips in realtion to the DT25, such as upkeep and tone tricks will be greatly appreciated! I will be entirely new to valve amps. Nick.

Hi, I am trying to control the presets/expression pedals on POD HD 500 from my PC DAW. I just bought a USB to MIDI cable that works perfect with one of my MIDI keyboards. However, when I send a message (maybe a wrong message, but nevertheless) to 51 port of POD HD 500, which is supposed to be FS1, it definitely switches the FS1 on, but then hangs the POD completely so that it is not operational - no buttons work, nothing is responsive. Is that normal? Cheers, Sergey

Ok, so I have had my JTV59 Variax for 2 months now. It is connected to a POD HD500 and then out into a pair of Tech21 Power Engine 60s. I also have the EX1 expression pedal. Here are some things I've learned: EQ is your friend to tame low frequencies from the guitar into the POD The extra expression pedal is WAY more handy than I would have expected initially MEAMBOBOs guide is extremely helpful in explaining what needs explaining I should NEVER play the Variax/POD/PE60 setup immediately after I've played my 50th Anniversary Strat into my Princeton Reverb. You know why... The Dr. Z amp model is a resource hungry biotch, but it sounds fabulous. I've never heard a Park amps before, but I do like the models in the POD a bunch. The metal models often sound like an angry wasp in a jar to me...no offence to the Devil Horns crowd. Andy Paredes of Line6 can design the crap out of some classic artists tone in a POD HD500/x, and I am grateful for that Sean Halley can play really good, and his videos are helpful -- could use more of them (Ditto Andy's) Some of the effects in the POD are really, really good. Others are gimmicky or just plain wierd. Very cool. When you nail a tone, it is a joyous moment and you can spend the next several hours playing the same song you designed it for :D So yeah, not perfect by any stretch, but it is FUN -- and that my friends is the thing to know.

I've run into a frustrating limitation when using the tone knob to control parameters on the HD500. Setting it to lock the tone control doesn't do so completely. The HD500 firmware is 2.2 and the JTV firmware is 2.0. Here's an example I ran into: I have the tone knob set to control the amp drive control. At maximum knob value the gain is at 60% and at minimum knob value it goes to 100%. Tone knob lock is set to preset not global, but I've found this happens in both instances. When playing and turn the tone knob everything behaves as it should. However whenever I change pickup positions or banks on the JTV the tone is rolled off. Even if I turn the tone knob back up the tone stays rolled off, but the amp parameter is still affected. I have to run the tone knob back up to maximum and change pickup position or bank to get it to tone back to maximum. So what is happening is that whenever I change pickup positions or bank the guitar recalls the tone setting for where the physical knob is set. However I'm then unable to change the tone setting because the tone knob is locked. The only slight work around I've found is going into workbench and saving the tone knob position to 10 on each model. The problem here is that now when I change pickup position and/or bank the amp gain setting follows the preset saved value. So if I have the knob at minimum and the amp gain is at 100 when I change to another pick up position it goes back to 60. This is very frustrating! I don't mind if the HD500/JTV don't have the ability to work together like this, they didn't when I bought the HD500. But don't add a "feature" that only half way works. I've wasted the last hour trying to get this to work in the way it logically should. I can see no good reason for designing this feature to work this way. If this is just something I'm doing wrong PLEASE someone point out how I need to set it up and I will gladly recant my anger with Line 6 programmers. Thanks

Hi - Is the Firmware update v2.0 necessary if using an HD500 with the DT25 amp? I don't want the expense of MIDI cables and the extra work involved if I get everything through the HD 500 anyway. Cheers.

Hello Everyone, I would like some help with a connectivity problem I have with my JTV-69 and my POD HD500. Separately, both the JTV-69 talk with the Line 6 Monkey through their respective USB interfaces. The HD500 I just plug in, it gets recognized and updates to the latest versions of software/firmware. I do the same with my new JTV-69 and I follow the procedure of using the USB interface that came with the guitar. I put in the VDI end of the cable to the guitar, I put the connector end into the USB hub and run the hub line into the USB. I also put in the battery, plug in a 1/4" plug into the end to activate the battery and push on the selector knob and the light comes on. Line 6 Monkey recognizes the guitar and updates everything to the latest and greatest. The problem I have is that the HD500 VDI connection will not power the JTV-69. I positively click in both ends and I get zero power or connectivity. I also tried re-installing the battery, clicking in a 1/4" plug and turning the guitar on, but it still doesn't get recognized by the HD500. There is no signal going to the HD500 or visa versa. I've read about cable problems here, so I purchased another Line 6 VDI cable for the guitar and tried that. Same "no talkie". I also tried (2) known good ethernet cables and they didn't work either. For kicks I tested the L-Ion battery and my multimeter read over 8V. I then tested the VDI output from the HD500 and found 2 pins giving 3.15V each and 1 pin giving over 8V. I then clicked in the original VDI cable to the HD500 and tested the pin outs at the other end. I again found 2 pins with 3.15V and 1 pin with over 8V. I tried this on all of my cables and it appears they are all the same. So, have I confirmed the HD500 has a hot connection at the VDI output or should there be more pins hot? Does the problem lie with my new JTV-69 on the power circuit side since it will talk with the Line 6 Monkey and with the Variax Workbench when connected through the guitar USB interface when using the battery? Is there a procedure I missed to make the HD500 talk with the JTV-69? I did set the inputs for Channel one to Variax, then tried Variax+Guitar, and Variax+Guitar+Aux, etc., on all of the iterations and put channel 2 to "same". I tried Global and Preset (forcing the program) and got nothing. Basically, the JTV-69 will not power up or be recognized by the HD500. Here are some screen shots: On the last screen shot, I manually added the Variax and the icon showed up, but no connectivity occured. I do have the extended warranty on the JTV-69, so I could send it in for a check up...it's just a pain. Anyone have any similar experiences or any answers? Thanks for any help, Bill (carreracats)

Has anyone connected their POD to ableton? I'm interested in connecting my POD HD500x to ableton via midi not as a controller, but to have the POD synced with ableton (meaning that my patches would change throughout a song without me stepping on any of the foot switches and my delays would be synced with tempos of the tracks in ableton). Is this even possible?

Please note I didn't make this patch - I'm just using it in this performance. It is called maB_Stch-Al_0418 . Enjoy.

Buenas amigos, acabo de comprarme hace como un mes una HD500, unos dias atras empezo a dejar de funcionar el pedal de expresion, cuando elegia un nuevo sonido presionando A B C o D, lo cambiaba pero sin sonido, tenia que cambiar de EXP 2 a EXP 1 o viceversa, asi empezaba a sonar pero no funcionaba el pedal de expresion lo subia y bajaba sin que hiciera nada, leyendo los foros la actualice hoy y le hice su global reset para despues irme a calibrar el pedal y ahi fue donde me di cuanta que no agarra el cambio de volumen o de posicion del pedal, lo calibro primero al minimo y despues al maximo como dice y cuando voy a paso 3 me pone nada mas 0 no cambia al mover de posicion el pedal, que hare la mando a garantia o alguien sabe como resolver eso???

I don't use the wah all that often for anything, but there have been times that I've wanted the effect. So far, I can't seem to find any of the HD500 wah's to be anything other than shrill or muddy with nothing in between. Does anyone have any tips on setting up any particular wah model so it's...'milder' is the only term that comes to mind?

When the Monkey says to back up your presets because you might lose them in a Firmware update, they ARE NOT kidding. :( Thank goodness this isn't a production server....

Had a patch that was boomy as hell with my JTV59 Variax into my POD HD500, regardless of the guitar model it seemed. The patch itself was a dual tone, comprised of a Bright Channel Plexi and Normal Channel Deluxe. A 63 Spring Reverb and Bias tremolo were pushed into both amps and a volume pedal at the beginning of the chain. I screwed with amp parameters til I was nearly frustrated, and then thought "EQ the signal in". So I put a studio EQ right after the volume pedal and adjusted down the low signal going in and Viola! Makes me wonder what else EQ can do for things elsewhere now...

I have a Variax and an HD500 I play through a pair of Tech21 Power Engine 60s. There's no doubt that I can create a whole lot of great sounds using this setup. I also have a pair of, and soon a third Fender tube amps (DRRI, Vibro Champ and a PRRI soon), a bunch of high quality analog stomps and an MIA Strat and Tele that I simply love the sound of, often just guitar into amp truth be known. So after a year fairly involved with my POD, I realize that I kind of have to be in the mood to go to all the effort to create a patch because let's face it, it is an involved process. Just getting the amp "just so" takes long enough, and then you diddle about with effects and finally the guitar choice just to play one song in a semblance of a perfect tone for it. Now understand, I'm not complaining about having this kind of power at my disposal. It's very cool and when I AM in the mood, I often go "wow" at the end of that process. But there are other times I just want to PLAY, you know? Minimum of fuss and maximum of being in the moment of playing. Anyone else experience similar? My friends that I play with are all tube amp, stomp box traditional guitar types so they can't relate really, or maybe they can and just realized long ago to just play. Want say ye Line 6 Commune?

Man, I didn't really think about the possibilities avaible with such a simple add on. Like having a volume swell and mix level on chorus readily available -- or a hundred other things I haven't even thought about yet. Gotta say that sometimes the simplest things can give you a big boost in creativity.

I have the hd500. Heard good things about both the DT25 & L2t. What have others purchased? Would like to get other users thoughts on this

I have had the HD500 for a year or so and have just added the JTV59P to my setup. I was wondering if anyone can suggest the best workflow for creating models in workbench (or loading patches found on the internet) and storing them in patches on the HD500 for selection from the floor when playing live.

Please, please Line6; make a video on how to set properly the HD500 as a midi controller for Dt amp series!!! This thing is drive me CRAZY!!! I want to be able to save other paramethers (mic or cab type)...the manual (midi implementation guide) it s not easy to understand... for now i can only send midi message on channel one? I am a bit confusing....sorry

Hi My Name is Don I'm a Line6aholic Help Me, I'm addicted to Line 6 and the buy it now button at American musical and zzounds.com and it doesn't help that they both offer the payment plan that makes it even worse. It all started way back with the first flextone, I fell in love with it. I thought it was the best amp I ever played out of. Then I moved on to the flextone 3 and thought I would never buy another amp again. But of course Line 6 had to put out the DT50. So what did I do? you guessed it... Then I had to get the HD500 oh and don't forget the JTV69s to complete my dream rig. Now you would think I would stop there but noooo... I bought the Relay g30 wireless for all my other guitars, "don't get me started there"... well now that I had the dream rig I figured what the hell I need a new PA so what did I do buy it now, buy it now, and of course buy it now. Had to get the L3T just to see if that would work for my dream rig plus vocals and acoustic but is one enough? Two is always better. You know where it goes from here the Stagescape M20d now I have the dream stage although I haven't sprung for the subwoofers yet , crap why did I bring that up... Now my new addition is the HD Pro X. Now it's like I'm waiting with bated breath to get the next email from Line 6 telling me about the next addition to my Line 6 inventory. I do love Line 6 and it never lets me down, it gets better and better all the time... Thanks Line 6

I tried to do this last night and it sounded really bad. I switched the XLR to the balanced mono on the Pro and the input on the L2M and it sounded a little better. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to turn off the cab sims? Do I put the DSP on the L2M to Line or Electric Guitar? Help!!!!

Love my gear! Wish there was a dedicated Dream Rig forum. But I don't think this is a dream rig specific observation and question. Every time I go to crank up my rig (Dt50 2x12, HD500, JTV 69), I hold my breath. Sometimes it works straight away. I plug in, strum a chord and Booya!!! I'm rockin the house! Other times, no joy! no sound until I turn everything off and restart it all. Sometimes the topologies start switching randomly on the DT until I turn turn everything off and restart. Sometimes the Pod turns off and restarts on its own. Loud pops every now and then, and other silly, tweaky random stuff The vast majority of time, I've got no problems, but always in the back of my mind, i am waiting nervously for the day that the reboot doesn't work at all. Worst is, what happens if it happens at a gig! That would get me to cussin' loud and mean! Does anyone else experience this type tweaky stuff with the DT+HD combo? Why do it do what it do? Something to be said for plugging one guitar via one cable into one amp! Never had a problem doing that! Worked every time!!! Thoughts? Contributions?

Does anyone no how to make a decent patch with both a clean and distortion sound in it. for instance, instead of switching from 1A to 1B, I can just stay on 1A with a clean sound, and flip on the overdrive as needed. I can't seem to get the distortion pedals to make a decent sound

Hello, I have been hearing good things from the HD500(x) however I have also heard about a noticeable lag when switching patches. I have been looking at getting one of these but I fear too much of a lag would be a deal breaker for me as I would intend on using it live. Could someone please post a video of said lag? That is play a chord, let it ring and switch patches a couple times, maybe with varying effects and even the exact same patch would be cool. This would be greatly appreciated. Thanks