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HD500X - No new features...no updates?!


lilguitar
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I It's like complaining because your BOSS metal zone pedal hasn't come with any updates in the past ten years, yet it still does the same thing it was intended to do. If you're truly that ticked off, then save your pennies like the guy above this post did and get another product.

 

 

Not a valid argument about boss metal zone pedal, because there is no software coupled with hardware.

 

It's useless if we do not distinguish the concepts

 

Softwares have bugs, we need fixes or patches which are necessary and must be free. updates or releases, when you have new features are bonuses if it is free. We should pay for it. (In software world)

 

We have the right to ask for fixes/patches. Not for new updates/releases/features for free.

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Not a valid argument about boss metal zone pedal, because there is no software coupled with hardware.

 

It's useless if we do not distinguish the concepts

 

Softwares have bugs, we need fixes or patches which are necessary and must be free. updates or releases, when you have new features are bonuses if it is free. We should pay for it. (In software world)

 

We have the right to ask for fixes/patches. Not for new updates/releases/features for free.

 

 

I agree that fixes should be free. That's a no brainer. 

I agree that we shouldn't expect a product that we didn't buy. Meaning, don't buy a 20 effect box hoping that a future software update will include 20  more. 

 

And I agree that we could pay for major features. 

BUT 

IF THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE US FOR NEW FEATURES  

 

1. make sure that bug fixes remain free, and not a situation where "you can pay to download the marshall 1970 cab, it doesn't have the same problems as the 1964" 

2. Make new feature purchases one of two ways: 

a. a one time fee that covers all future releases, by unit id, so that it carries over unto a 2nd owner, or in the event of a unit 'reset'.

b. make it an a la carte menu. pay for features you want, without paying for features you do not. Again, by unit id, so that it carries over to any future owner, or in the event of a unit 'reset'. 

 

 

But then, what happens is: 

user forums become a mess when trying to answer questions -- what updates are you on, what bonus material did you download. -- Sorry, I don't have those features, therefore I can't help. 

and sharing patches, such as on customtone, becomes a nightmare for users because -- now i have to order a new feature to make this patch work  

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But then, what happens is: 

user forums become a mess when trying to answer questions -- what updates are you on, what bonus material did you download. -- Sorry, I don't have those features, therefore I can't help. 

and sharing patches, such as on customtone, becomes a nightmare for users because -- now i have to order a new feature to make this patch work  

 

This is a very good point,, would hate to see fragmentation.

 

Also... providing the free "v2.1" update is not solely to appease current POD owners (afterall its not a subscription service) but, more importantly to Line 6, to provide an opportunity to remarket to potential new customers,,,,,,  A shiny new software update is a relatively inexpensive way to entice tyre kickers and shift the 1000 HD's sitting in warehouses around the world i'd imagine.

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I want Line 6's product "A" that I purchased to sound and behave like someone else's product "B". To make that happen, Line 6 should give us product "B" features for free and in a timely manner.

 

Why? Because this other company product does this, and Line 6 did it in the past on some product and because my IPhone got an update.

 

With a few exceptions, this seems to be the argument. Unless I am missing something, that argument is....we'll...I don't even know what to call it. (Bug fixes notwithstanding)

 

If this unit is that disappointing to you for whatever reason, dump it and get product "B" and be done with it. No matter what unit you settle on, it's going to have a bunch of stuff that it does extremely well and then some stuff that it sucks at. Ave FX II is awesome! It's going to cost you $2k without a foot controller. Well, since the $400 HD is falling so short of the mark for some, you need to get off of your wallet and make it happen and save youself the agrivation. I mean if you really dig this woman, for example, who just isn't giving you any rhythm, don't waste you time asking why and providing a list of really well thought out reasons as to why she should be diggin' your stinkin' drawers. Just go find one that is into you! There is plenty to choose from! (Not my best analogy but it was the one that came to mind.)

 

I promise you this, being out of $400 and having a great sounding unit with a long wish list of changes you would like to see implemented is way better than being out of $2K+ and having a great sounding unit and a long wish list of changes you'd like to see implemented. Either way you end up starring past the great unit sitting in front of you focusing only on the laundry list of issues you have with it. Mulling over the list time and time again ready to add a new item if the unit so much as looks different in filtered light than it did in full sun.

 

That is time better spent plugging in the unit and rocking what it does well and it does a lot really well.

 

No disrespect meant to those who really feel left out in the cold by Line 6. Just throwing in my "Happy with the HD" 2 cents.

 

Go play guitar. Always make me feel better!

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and then on the other side of the equation. 

If I have to pay $300 for a bare-bones no-frills HD, and another $300 on the features I want... 

 

Why not just go buy a 'brand x', which cost $600. Sure, I may not need a 'specific effect' but if I have it, I may someday need to use it and wouldn't need to pay for it separately. 

 

 

 

Believe it or not... 

all of this witty banter is how ideas happen. 

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If this unit is that disappointing to you for whatever reason, dump it and get product "B" and be done with it. 

I said that 20 posts ago. 

Someone else said it 20 posts before me. 

And about 5 posts ago, I said... I already own my unit. I don't care if they come out with something new, or discontinue the line. 

 

 

Its a recurring theme in life. That is why, progress for the sake of progess, should not be tolerated. 

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My HD500, JTV-69 and DT25 are by far the best, most expressive, flexible pieces of gear I have ever had the pleasure of using in over 40 years of playing.  The complaints I hear from time to time on these forums just boggle my mind.  If you can't get the tone you want out of this gear, get a new mirror and look closely for the problem...  trust me its in there.

 

Are there any little things that would be cool to have in an upgrade? Sure! Do I really give a rats a$$ if they come? No...  I could never go back to doing things the old way.  It was far more expensive, hard to put together and cart around, time consuming, required constant maintenance, had to be tweaked just the same and was generally a one trick pony. 

 

Still I look forward to see what good things are announced at NAMM and will be the first to load any new firmware... Thank you Line 6... Even if nothing new ever comes...

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and then on the other side of the equation. 

If I have to pay $300 for a bare-bones no-frills HD, and another $300 on the features I want... 

 

Why not just go buy a 'brand x', which cost $600. Sure, I may not need a 'specific effect' but if I have it, I may someday need to use it and wouldn't need to pay for it separately. 

 

 

 

Believe it or not... 

all of this witty banter is how ideas happen.

 

That's not the other side of the equation, that's the same equation. We are in agreement totally. Why would anyone purchase something that did not satisfy their need? Who purchases a Korean made Squire Stratocaster and then gets pissed off that it ain't a USA Gibson Gold Top Les Paul? I purchased my HD knowing exactly what it was capable of doing. After playing with it for over 2 years, I have found features that I would love it to have. I can get mad and complain that Line 6 let me down, I can purchase something to add to my set up to get what I want (that's what I did. Got an Eventide H9 Max) or I can scrap the whole thing and try something new OR, I can be upset and complain here.

 

I realize that for the cost of my HD and my new Eventide, I could have purchased something else for the same amount of money. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. It's a personal choice. For me, I like what the HD has to offer. I like the way it works with my 2 DT amps, L2M and Variax. The DSP issue was a bit of a bummer once I started bumping up against it. The Eventide takes care of all of that.

 

The point here is exactly the one that you are calling the other side of the equation. If the HD is so suck butt, why purchase it to begin with? Why not get off the wallet and drop $2K and get a unit that is closer to what one wants?

 

The HD is a great unit evidenced by all of us who purchased it in the first place. Honestly, who purchased the HD while saying to themselves, "this unit is a bare bones $300 suck butt device and I may have to sink another $300 into it to make it usable! Oh,... and while I'm here, I gonna need a carrying case for it as well!"

 

I've had my issues with the quality of line 6 products (anyone remember the DT transformer issue?) but calling foul simply because you don't like the HD offering and think that it is Line 6's responsibility to give us what we want when we want it seems a bit off to me.

I mean did you purchase a Pod HD 500(X) to play music with or did you purchase some future promise of what you feel is the direction of the Pod to play music with? I bet you'll get a better tone out of the former than the latter.

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I said that 20 posts ago. 

Someone else said it 20 posts before me. 

And about 5 posts ago, I said... I already own my unit. I don't care if they come out with something new, or discontinue the line. 

 

 

Its a recurring theme in life. That is why, progress for the sake of progess, should not be tolerated.

 

Hey Buddy, I've got news for you. Someone else has said all of this on 20 different threads on 20 different forums long before both you and me and that someone else. Go back and read the old Line 6 forum. The rule of 20's applied there too!

We are all havin' fun taking turns being the smartest mofo in the forum!

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Hey Buddy, I've got news for you. Someone else has said all of this on 20 different threads on 20 different forums long before both you and me and that someone else. Go back and read the old Line 6 forum. The rule of 20's applied there too!

We are all havin' fun taking turns being the smartest mofo in the forum!

Is there an echo in here?? ;)

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Hey!!! Did no one see the pic I posted? Nothing to say!!??? Daaaayim!!! Looks like there IS a new device coming! Pod HD x3!!!!!! With built in wifi and Bluetooth and cloud tones, quad core A9 chip, hyper resolution, quad signal path?

 

Yes, there are new devices coming at NAMM, and then more later throughout 2015.

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confirmed: sarcasm detectors are operating smoothly, and topic redirection is calibrated to specification.

 

....But that is the whole jist of this thread....not enough updates!!!!

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza!.......

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I come back to this forum every few months just to see if Line 6 has released any updates or paid any attention to its customers whatsoever.  It's always the same.  Line 6 has given the community nothing in the last 2 years basically.  Yet you still have these apologists who claim Line 6 doesn't owe its customers anything or claiming that development is indeed "in the pipeline".

 

1. Line 6 doesn't legally owe its customers anything.  No one is arguing that.  Don't straw man the argument.

 

2. In prior generations of Pods and in other companies' digital products, there were fairly regular updates throughout the product lifecycle, particularly the expansion of the number of amp models offered.  Even more to the point, Line 6 had product feedback/feature request webpage and now has the IdeaScale page.  This gives everyone the expectation that the product is going to be expanded upon.

 

3. The argument that Line 6 will make more money throwing those ideas into future products instead of updating current products for free is simply not true.  Frustrated customers won't buy the next generation if they had a bad experience with this generation.  I've had Pod 2, XT, X3, and HD.  The HD biased me against Line 6 to the point where I'd rather pay more for a competitor's product.

 

4. If Line 6 wanted to chime in and let its (potential) customers know what their priorities are and whether the sore spots would be fixed later on, it could at any point.  It chooses not to do so.  In other words, it is satisfied leaving the community with the expectation of updates in point #2 without actually delivering any of them.

 

5. There are numerous things that are unlikely to be noticed before buying, such as EQ's in % instead of meaningful units, or the % values of the exp pedal poorly aligning to musical values in the pitch shifter.  No one is angry that these things were in the product initially.  But people should be angry that these issues haven't been addressed, let alone fixed, by the company.

 

6.  I call BS on any "developments in the pipeline".  Ever since that mixer was announced (then later Amplifi), the Pod HD has gotten absolutely no attention.  I'd be very surprised if it isn't labeled a "legacy product" by next year.

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NAMM is in a matter of days....

 

how about giving them a chance to see what they announce when the rest of the industry is announcing things....

 

at this point, i don't think that's much to ask....

 

I come back to this forum every few months just to see if Line 6 has released any updates or paid any attention to its customers whatsoever.  It's always the same.  Line 6 has given the community nothing in the last 2 years basically.  Yet you still have these apologists who claim Line 6 doesn't owe its customers anything or claiming that development is indeed "in the pipeline".

 

1. Line 6 doesn't legally owe its customers anything.  No one is arguing that.  Don't straw man the argument.

 

2. In prior generations of Pods and in other companies' digital products, there were fairly regular updates throughout the product lifecycle, particularly the expansion of the number of amp models offered.  Even more to the point, Line 6 had product feedback/feature request webpage and now has the IdeaScale page.  This gives everyone the expectation that the product is going to be expanded upon.

 

3. The argument that Line 6 will make more money throwing those ideas into future products instead of updating current products for free is simply not true.  Frustrated customers won't buy the next generation if they had a bad experience with this generation.  I've had Pod 2, XT, X3, and HD.  The HD biased me against Line 6 to the point where I'd rather pay more for a competitor's product.

 

4. If Line 6 wanted to chime in and let its (potential) customers know what their priorities are and whether the sore spots would be fixed later on, it could at any point.  It chooses not to do so.  In other words, it is satisfied leaving the community with the expectation of updates in point #2 without actually delivering any of them.

 

5. There are numerous things that are unlikely to be noticed before buying, such as EQ's in % instead of meaningful units, or the % values of the exp pedal poorly aligning to musical values in the pitch shifter.  No one is angry that these things were in the product initially.  But people should be angry that these issues haven't been addressed, let alone fixed, by the company.

 

6.  I call BS on any "developments in the pipeline".  Ever since that mixer was announced (then later Amplifi), the Pod HD has gotten absolutely no attention.  I'd be very surprised if it isn't labeled a "legacy product" by next year.

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I don't know about some of what you said Bobbo. How does IdeaScale give everyone the expectation that the product is going to be expanded on? That's like stubbing your toe at the same time that lightning strikes and drawing the conclusion that stubbing your toe caused the lightning. Isn't IdeaScale just a web presence for submitting ideas to Line 6? If we have Expectations that current products are going to be expanded upon because of the existence of IdeaScale then we are making up stuff.

 

Also there have been quite a few Line 6 employees in this thread and across this forum that share quite about about things to come. They have restrictions about how much detail they can share but that is reasonable right?

 

On what basis do you call B.S. on the pipeline? Do you know something? If so, please share.

 

BTW, your tone guide was a huge help to me when I got started. Excellent work!

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I will agree that IdeaScale probably is used for future products more than current ones. Under 'effects processors', there is one idea (for sturdier switches) that was released. In the few years (?) that I looked at IdeaScale to see if *any* ideas for *any* effects processors were implemented, we have only one out of almost 1000 ideas. Of course it is easy to feel cynical about the HD- it might not be technically 'dead' but there is a whole lot more that is given priority for the last 2 years. BTW, last year's NAMM we were strung along a bit too, so it is hard to not be cynical about that either. I own a few other pieces of L6 gear (M9/13, DL4, Acoustic Variax) and while I will be at NAMM too, I am hoping I don't leave the L6 booth shaking my head.

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I'll be happy to be wrong and will retract what I've said once an announcement is made.  My statements about the Pod stem from the frequency and scope of firmware updates throughout the product's lifecycle.  I bought one when the line first came out, and development has steadily tapered off.  That generally indicates to me that the company is focused on other things.  As FW updates became less exciting and frequent, other products were developed, launched, and pushed, namely StageSource and Amplifi.  In fact, the Pod HD isn't even featured on Line 6's home page anymore.  I always thought the Pod was Line 6's flagship product, but I don't get that impression at all anymore.

 

Of course, there could be other explanations - internal shake-ups, being grandfathered into some bad design choices, the product being launched prematurely to meet a deadline rather than extend the design another cycle, etc.

 

As far as IdeaScale, it replaced the product feedback/feature request page.  I'm pretty sure it is intended to improve existing products as well as shape development of future ones.  Time will tell, but as already mentioned, it seems like absolutely nothing has come of it.  Again, maybe there's something I'm missing behind the scenes; but it always seemed to me like it offered a glimmer of false hope that we'd see the improvements suggested developed.

 

I hate to sound so negative.  I'm actually a very positive guy.  Again, I hope I'm wrong and eagerly anticipate NAMM and perhaps announcements that get this product moving forwards again this year.

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Saw the post on Captain Anderton's page.

Anderton's is a great shop in the UK. He does a lot of cool videos along with Chapman.

Not sure if we will see a new unit at NAMM maybe a DEMO but something must be in the works as I figured with a 4 year old series product.

NAMM is a coming! Exciting times for all guitarists.

Look forward to seeing what comes beyond POD HD. (whenever that happens)

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I own an HD. Therefore, I am fine if they kill the product line off. I won't be buying another for twenty years. And honestly, I am not sure I will ever buy a Yamaha product anyhow. 

 

I am fine if there are no new 'upgrades'. Bug fixes and computer drivers are not upgrades. And things like the pitch-shifter being in % rather than "1/2 steps", those aren't bugs - that is just a difference in programming opinion. 

 

 

 

All I want is ANDROID SUPPORT. 

That not an upgrade. That is an entirely new product, in a way, and could be used on all of their products. 

I mean, think about it, how many pieces of software work exclusively on the top-end Microsoft WIndows versions. I wouldn't even be able use this webpage if I was limited to Microsoft, but the EDIT software runs only on certain versions of Windows.

 

 

 

Stepping off soap box.  

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 And things like the pitch-shifter being in % rather than "1/2 steps", those aren't bugs - that is just a difference in programming opinion. 

 

 

You're right, its not a bug, its a blatant misstep in the design process. No piece of musical equipment should use % to show pitch travel or EQ bands..... that really is a poor, immature design approach. The fact that they "can't" fix EQs suggests to me that the HD wasn't finished when they launched. 

 

IdeaScale is a holding place to keep the angry interrogating of Line 6 to a minimum in the official forums....

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 it seems that there r technical probs regarding android support, as per DI's post:

 

 

Obviously, the biggest hurdle is POD HD's lack of Bluetooth hardware. Collectively, the size of a POD HD preset is many times larger than an AMPLIFi preset (deep amp/cab/Variax/L6 LINK parameters, up to 52 controller assignments, MIDI mapping), not to mention there are 512 of 'em. Waiting 10-20 minutes just to sync preset data is a non-starter. This is a limitation of current Bluetooth technology.

 

That, and since POD HD is considered our flagship performance and studio solution, it makes sense to pursue Mac/PC integration over mobile. POD and AMPLIFi are designed for two very different environments, but it's nice to know that people are intrigued by the AMPLIFi experience.

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Hey TheRealZap, I was responding to pianoguyy when he said:

-----------------

I mean, think about it, how many pieces of software work exclusively on the top-end Microsoft WIndows versions. I wouldn't even be able use this webpage if I was limited to Microsoft, but the EDIT software runs only on certain versions of Windows.

-----------------

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Pitch shifting is different than step tuning. 

Think about your tremolo. You don't grab the bar and make the sound go from E to Eb to D. No, you do a linear tuning until you hit Eb. 

I like the idea of an E to Eb step system, but I would much rather have all points in between. 

 

In fact, I still carry around my 30 year old Boss pitch shifter pedal, but use it less since I bought my HD.

Why? Because when you show up to do a guest spot, 3 songs, unrehearsed, and you have a floating trem like a Floyd Rose, you can't tune your guitar to a +/-3cent difference.  And that is not a half step. I need 'all points in between'. 

 

 

I need those percentages for proper pitch shifting. And I am thankful that the 'half step' is a recognizable number like +/-1. That's easy to remember. 

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Obviously, the biggest hurdle is POD HD's lack of Bluetooth hardware. Collectively, the size of a POD HD preset is many times larger than an AMPLIFi preset (deep amp/cab/Variax/L6 LINK parameters, up to 52 controller assignments, MIDI mapping), not to mention there are 512 of 'em. Waiting 10-20 minutes just to sync preset data is a non-starter. This is a limitation of current Bluetooth technology.

 

That, and since POD HD is considered our flagship performance and studio solution, it makes sense to pursue Mac/PC integration over mobile. POD and AMPLIFi are designed for two very different environments, but it's nice to know that people are intrigued by the AMPLIFi experience.

 

 

Bluetooth Smuetooth. 

I can't remember the last time I used Bluetooth for anything - probably 2008 to get info off of an old phone onto a new phone.

I am talking about USB. Its much better - faster and reliable. Especially since the HD has USB and not BT, lol. 

 

And being the 'flagship' device, I would think that you would have a considered that musicians, not just at-home practicers, are using these things when on stage and on the road, or even in a rehearsal hall. Away from home for hours, even days, without the comforts of home but still needing to use the gear. 

Mobile/portable access would be very useful without needing to have a full fledged laptop available at all times. 

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And being the 'flagship' device, I would think that you would have a considered that musicians, not just at-home practicers, are using these things when on stage and on the road, or even in a rehearsal hall. Away from home for hours, even days, without the comforts of home but still needing to use the gear. 

Mobile/portable access would be very useful without needing to have a full fledged laptop available at all times. 

 

So if you're talking about a tethered mobile solution (tablet or phone via physical USB cable), then yeah, that's doable... except with iPhone. :(

 

We did some research a while back and asked "If you had to choose one, would you prefer a phone/tablet or Mac/PC editor for the next flagship POD?" Every single person said "Oh, man, I'd really love both, but if I HAD to choose, Mac/PC hands down." Ideally, the user wouldn't have to choose.

 

Of course the ultimate goal is to create a UI that's so fast and easy to use, there'd be no point in dragging out a laptop, phone, or tablet at the venue.

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maybe he meant to say that windows xp/vista may not be supported any longer... as in that sort of "certain versions of windows"

but mac support exists and works... no sweat.

 

Hey TheRealZap, I was responding to pianoguyy when he said:

-----------------

I mean, think about it, how many pieces of software work exclusively on the top-end Microsoft WIndows versions. I wouldn't even be able use this webpage if I was limited to Microsoft, but the EDIT software runs only on certain versions of Windows.

-----------------

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