HD500X: NO 1/2 step tuning!

[guitarstudio187]

If your interested in dropping your guitar down 1/2 step and playing with Hendrix, SRV, or Guns 'N Roses, this pedal DOES NOT do it!  Disappointing!    :angry:   Make it a patch or an update, Line 6!  Soon!

[phil_m]

That's why your guitar has tuners! :D  Or in my case, that's why I have a Variax.

 

Seriously, though, the HD500(X) doesn't do polyphonic pitch shifting, and I doubt that such functionality will be added.

[robertmcollins3]

Step 1:  Push the tuner button on the POD for a couple seconds. 

 

Step 2: Take another 30 seconds to tune down.

 

Step 3: Enjoy

[gunpointmetal]

Even the pedals (Morphius DropTune) that I've tried specifically for this still have some odd-sounding artifacts on certain intervals. Why not just tune down a half-step manually?

[chuberto]

Yeah Line 6, listen to what we have to say and add this function! Also add a function to make me coffee!

 

FYI I bought a Morpheus DropTune pedal which does exactly this. I sold it because it didn't work as I wanted it to. In fact, the HD500 does do it, just not perfectly, just like the Morpheus.

 

The cheap answer? Use the pitch glide, set to 100% mix a semitone down and put up with the artefacts. The best answer, use it as an excuse to buy more guitars!!

[clay-man]

You could push them to make a better pitch shifting algorithm for pitch glide 2.

 

Pitch shifting without artifacts is possible, it's just kind of more complicated to make than a basic pitch shifter.

[joel_brown]

I use the pitch shifter to tune down a half step using a hi gain tone and haven't noticed any artifacts.  Is this something that usually happens with clean sounds or full amp models ?  I use the Angel Pre in this particular patch.  Guitars with a floating bridge can't be re-tuned very easily.  If the pitch shifter didn't work for me I'd be upset also.

[gunpointmetal]

Try playing a major 7 chord or 9 chord with the pitch shifter. Those are two that are definite problems for me. It CAN do 5ths/3rds alright, but when I get into the lower end of the range, it gets exponentially worse, even on simple interval chords.

[GlennDeLaune]

If your interested in dropping your guitar down 1/2 step and playing with Hendrix, SRV, or Guns 'N Roses, this pedal DOES NOT do it!  Disappointing!    :angry:   Make it a patch or an update, Line 6!  Soon!

The Pitch Glide effect does this perfectly. Just setr the mix level to 100% and turn the pitch setting to -1. i use it all the time for Alice & Chains and SRV and it does a greast job. Oh and make sure you position the effect at the begining of the chain for best results.

[porcytree]

hey there Glenn, Cool "running into you" on this forum. You helped me out a few times with some good advice on the old GT Central forums ( was a GT10 user back then) and it's always nice to see some of that old crowd on other forums.

 

Have you got any vids uploaded of you using the Pitch Glide effect as you mention above 'cos when I try it just sounds awful. When you say set the pitch setting to -1, do you mean -1 or -0.1. Neither of those settings sound like 1/2 step sown to me , but the -1 setting is particularly terrible.

If it works for you then I gotta be doing something wrong somewhere.

[joel_brown]

Works for me too but I also have it first in the chain.  Maybe that's the key.

 

Hey porcytree, you do have your Mix setting at 100% ?  It should just work with changing the Pitch number.  btw I'm using HDEdit.

 

Glen, thanks for all the instructional videos you've done.  Your stereo effect with a 20ms delay on one side is something I use all the time in live performances.

[guitarstudio187]

Thanks Glenn,

 

I was told by LINE 6 support that it couldn't be done!   Line 6's written response to me was "We have just spoken.  I have put in the feature request." d parks.

 

It took me a couple of hours this morning but I figured it out!  Thanks for the hint in placing the effect at the BEGINNING of the chain.  I didn't know that. 

 

For what it's worth to the others reading this post, my settings are: PITCH: -0.9, MIX: 100%, FX TYPE: Pitch, FX MODEL: Pitch Glide.  This gives me my 1/2 step down tuning and allows me to play along with the great ones: Hendrix (Red House), SRV: (Pride and Joy), and Gun N' Roses: (Paradise City)!

 

Thanks again!

 

Al

Principal and Owner

Guitar Studio187

[gunpointmetal]

Doesn't matter where I put it in the chain. If I go for anything outside a "normal" interval chord or anything incorporating the low E string (or low B, or the other low E), I get all sorts of wackiness..warbles, glitches, weird shifts. Some of the artifacts actually sound really cool, but I can't accuratley reproduce them every time.

[porcytree]

Hey there Joel - yeah set the mix to 100% (with the Pitch Shift right at the start of the fx chain) and it sounds like a bag of arse.(like Gunpoint says, wackiness and warbles )

 

Gonna try again using GS187's settings.

 

Really hoping to get this to work as I really enjoy jamming to some SRV  but hate having to tune the guitar down. I really like my guitars strung with 10's ( Elixirs ) but just find them to be a bit too "frooby" when tuned below standard. Was much better with 11's but I didn't like the feel of 11's as much as 10's

[BillBee]

Pretty sweet thread - I've been stalking Glenn's y-tube vids for a long long time :)

 

I have to try GS's settings too.

 

I've used The Amazing Slowdowner (I think that's the name) for slowing down and pitch changing and it works pretty well - export out the adjusted file. The boys have some VH and that tuning varies per album :)

 

-B

[FlyingSquirrel]

The Pitch Glide effect does this perfectly. Just setr the mix level to 100% and turn the pitch setting to -1. i use it all the time for Alice & Chains and SRV and it does a greast job. Oh and make sure you position the effect at the begining of the chain for best results.

 

 

I do the same thing, the same way, minimizing anthing else in the chain, just the pitch glide into the amp & that's it.  I use my "go to" tone and it works perfectly, largely in part I think that the DSP isn't getting overburdoned with huge amounts of multitasking responsibilities.  I use it for Eb, as well as D-Standard tuning with stellar results.

[pianoguyy]

I am sure its been answered, but I am not about to read all of the responses. 

 

 

There is no step tuning. But there is a very good pitch shifter that can easily tune a half step down. 

[bayoubill]

I have a friend with the same HD 500x I have that can set his as described above and go to Eb with a hit of a switch yet mine will not without the worble or bleedover. I just don't get it. 

 

Btw, I don't have time to retune between tunes. I have about 7 seconds before the count off to the next tune. I watched my friend do it last night on all the SRV and Guns and Roses tunes. Is mine defective?

[bayoubill]

Thanks Glenn,

 

I was told by LINE 6 support that it couldn't be done!   Line 6's written response to me was "We have just spoken.  I have put in the feature request." d parks.

 

It took me a couple of hours this morning but I figured it out!  Thanks for the hint in placing the effect at the BEGINNING of the chain.  I didn't know that. 

 

For what it's worth to the others reading this post, my settings are: PITCH: -0.9, MIX: 100%, FX TYPE: Pitch, FX MODEL: Pitch Glide.  This gives me my 1/2 step down tuning and allows me to play along with the great ones: Hendrix (Red House), SRV: (Pride and Joy), and Gun N' Roses: (Paradise City)!

 

Thanks again!

 

Al

Principal and Owner

Guitar Studio187

I'm taking mine back to where I bought it for a replacement tomorrow. My friend can tune down without any problem yet mine with the same settings does not work

[bayoubill]

The Pitch Glide effect does this perfectly. Just setr the mix level to 100% and turn the pitch setting to -1. i use it all the time for Alice & Chains and SRV and it does a greast job. Oh and make sure you position the effect at the begining of the chain for best results.

Could you tell us how on youtube? I really need this function. The band leader will not change the set list or the time I have to retune. The guitarist before me used a HD5500x and could go to Eb just by hitting a button. That's one of the main reasons I bought my Hd 500x. Doing what you describe does not work and I get bleed over and worbble. I have my settings as you stated 

[tazzkhan]

Thanks Glenn,

 

I was told by LINE 6 support that it couldn't be done!   Line 6's written response to me was "We have just spoken.  I have put in the feature request." d parks.

 

It took me a couple of hours this morning but I figured it out!  Thanks for the hint in placing the effect at the BEGINNING of the chain.  I didn't know that. 

 

For what it's worth to the others reading this post, my settings are: PITCH: -0.9, MIX: 100%, FX TYPE: Pitch, FX MODEL: Pitch Glide.  This gives me my 1/2 step down tuning and allows me to play along with the great ones: Hendrix (Red House), SRV: (Pride and Joy), and Gun N' Roses: (Paradise City)!

 

Thanks again!

 

Al

Principal and Owner

Guitar Studio187

Thx Al, those settings are spot on, works perfect for me. Strange it aint working for some. Al, why did u choose -0.9 instead of -1.0? Just curious.

[DarrellM5]

 

Have you got any vids uploaded of you using the Pitch Glide effect as you mention above 'cos when I try it just sounds awful. 

 

I'm not Glenn but I did purchase his Masters of Metal patches for the HD500X.  Check out the videos of him demoing those patches.  There's pitch glide in quite a few of them.

[medievil1]

I've never found an acceptable pitch up/down.. they all sound terrible...

 

as an alternative to retuning, why not just throw the mp3 in a daw and transpose it....I did the whole GNR Appetite album a while back.. got it in e flat and e standard

[damien_]

I am very happy with my DigiTech Drop.  I use it all the time during band practice and live performance.  Never noticed artifacts or other weirdness.  It's polyphonic so it can shift the pitch of each string individually, which shouldn't affect how some specific intervals will sound.

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Drop

[NucleusX]

I use the pitch shifter to tune down a half step using a hi gain tone and haven't noticed any artifacts.  Is this something that usually happens with clean sounds or full amp models ?  I use the Angel Pre in this particular patch.  Guitars with a floating bridge can't be re-tuned very easily.  If the pitch shifter didn't work for me I'd be upset also.

 

Most pitch shifters can handle a 1/2 step without noticeable artifacts, but starts to become noticeable at a full step up or down, gain or clean.

[CipherHost]

I'm taking mine back to where I bought it for a replacement tomorrow. My friend can tune down without any problem yet mine with the same settings does not work

 

bayoubill, did you notice any difference in settings between your POD and your friend's POD? I'm wondering what version of Flash is in the PODs that do not experience this problem. 

 

I'm bummed because my 500X has this effect as well. One note is fine. With two notes the effect becomes noticeable and becomes much worse with increased polyphony. It's almost like the sound I hear when I turn on the ceiling fan on when playing, only worse. The ENGL obscures it a bit but it is still quite apparent. 

 

I ran only the pitch glide (PITCH: -0.9, MIX: 100%, FX TYPE: Pitch, FX MODEL: Pitch Glide) in the patch; no amp. 

Input 1 = guitar, Input 2 = Variax

Studio/Direct into an Alto 112A through the L unbalanced.

 

I tried Input = guitar, dual pitch glides in paths A and B, unplugging the USB to my iMac, switching to all the other output modes, changing Guitar In-Z, changing the Tap Tempo speed. I tried headphones since my girlfriend is sleeping, otherwise I would have plugged both L and R unbalanced outputs into the Alto or into individual Altos. It actually seemed to help a bit but it is what comes out of the speaker(s) that matter to me.

 

I have all the latest updates. Can't imagine what else it could be.

 

Sure would appreciate anyone else giving this a try to see what their results turn out to be as far as any noticeable warbly, binaural-like effects.

[Rocco_Crocco]

Be carefull... some of the worble and artifacts may be caused by you also hearing the standard pitch of the guitar's acoustic sound blending with the altered signal. The solution? Turn up yer volume.

[CipherHost]

Be carefull... some of the worble and artifacts may be caused by you also hearing the standard pitch of the guitar's acoustic sound blending with the altered signal. The solution? Turn up yer volume.

 

I am positive, in my case, this is not a case of hearing the acoustic sound of the strings on my guitar as well as the sound from the speakers. I crank it up pretty good. This warble, binaural-like effect is definitely coming from the pitch effect through the speakers. 

 

In the past I have thought that the pitch effect was not made for polyphonic use, but with the previous posts of others being able to play chords with no warble, I wonder what the difference might be. It is not as noticeable with a G Barr chord, but when I play C9 up to E9 the "pulsing" sound actually changes frequency.

 

The fact the Glenn is able to use this effect without the warble makes me wonder what I am doing wrong. Glenn, just to double check, you do not get this "pulsing" sound effect when playing certain chords like C9 in a patch with only the pitch glide in it?

 

The Pitch Glide effect does this perfectly. Just setr the mix level to 100% and turn the pitch setting to -1. i use it all the time for Alice & Chains and SRV and it does a greast job. Oh and make sure you position the effect at the begining of the chain for best results.

 

P.S. - I tried using both the L and R unbalanced in the same Alto today and it made no difference.

[gunpointmetal]

THE PITCH GLIDE EFFECT DOES NOT SUPPORT POLYPHONY.

 

That's not in caps to sound angry, its in caps because people keep ignoring and there are dozens of these threads online. People who get it to work are either super, duper clean players and you don't notice they're only playing one note a time, they're getting lucky, they're playing octaves a lot, or they have something else in the chain to obscure the artifacts.

[CipherHost]

THE PITCH GLIDE EFFECT DOES NOT SUPPORT POLYPHONY.

 

That's not in caps to sound angry, its in caps because people keep ignoring and there are dozens of these threads online. People who get it to work are either super, duper clean players and you don't notice they're only playing one note a time, they're getting lucky, they're playing octaves a lot, or they have something else in the chain to obscure the artifacts.

 

ARE YOU SAYING I'M NOT A SUPER, DUPER CLEAN PLAYER?

 

Just kidding. Thanks for the feedback. It is much appreciated. It was what I previously thought but the previous posts got me all riled up. The pitch glide does a great job on single note leads. It is a very convenient option when the singer needs a drop by a semi tone or two.

 

Cheers!

[joel_brown]

For some people this works fine and for some it doesn't.  Sounds like something in the patch must be different or maybe how it's connected to the guitar and amp.  I even tried some 7th and 9th chords, no problems with 1/2 step tuning.  Works great for me.

[pianoguyy]

Input levels definitely makes a difference. 

*input levels - not the settings, but the volume you get from your various pieces of the pie. Like volume knobs, pickups, pick type, picking technique, etc.

 

 

Did you ever use a guitar tuner? 

Because I am sure you saw it saying you are playing a G4 and then it quickly came back to say that you are playing an E2, only to have it also say that you are playing an out of tune C#5.

Stringed instruments like the guitar have different frequencies that occur when playing one note. Which is why tuners go all over the place. 

 

A lot of better tuners have 'fixed' that issue, but the mic is still hearing them. They are simply being processed out.

You can't really do that with things that you need to hear - like mfx. You need those hidden frequencies to make it sound 'real' (hidden frequency removal is one of the things that makes MP3 files sound 'stale' compared to a store bought CD).

So, adjust your playing, and see if that helps you with your warbles. 

 

 

 

 

 

Random example:

Kawai uses 'Harmonic Imaging' to reproduce sounds in their digital samples. Which is a more in-depth way of adding realism to the sound. Far superior than other digital methods. But all it is, is putting the hidden sounds that were once removed back into the sound you hear. 

[CipherHost]

For some people this works fine and for some it doesn't.  Sounds like something in the patch must be different or maybe how it's connected to the guitar and amp.  I even tried some 7th and 9th chords, no problems with 1/2 step tuning.  Works great for me.

 

I'd be much obliged if you could provide the patch that works for you. I have a variety of pickups and amps to try it with.

[joel_brown]

Here's my preset with 1/2 step down tuning.  I use a PODHD Desktop with Studio/Direct Output into the FX Return of a tube amp.

PreAngelHalfStep.zip

[CipherHost]

Here's my preset with 1/2 step down tuning.  I use a PODHD Desktop with Studio/Direct Output into the FX Return of a tube amp.

 

Thanks. I don't have a PODHD Desktop but will try to convert it for use in my POD HD500X.

I will respond with the results. 

[pianoguyy]

Thanks. I don't have a PODHD Desktop but will try to convert it for use in my POD HD500X.

I will respond with the results. 

 

Does it even need converted? 

Stick it straight into the machine. If it works it works. If not, then convert it. 

[CipherHost]

Just got done giving the patch a try. I did not see pianoguyy's post till just now.

I converted it with the conversion utility and loaded it via HDEdit. I played through my Alto first and then tried going out of the L unbalanced out into the effects return of a DT25. Unfortunately, the warble is still present, but I am using a POD HD500X and not a PODHD Desktop. 

Joel, thanks again for sharing the patch.

[pianoguyy]

If a file format is compatible you can just drag-and-drop the file into EDIT. 

BUT, even if a file can be imported, there may be a setting that is incompatible. And to make the situation even more confusing --- there are settings that can be opened in 'offline' mode, but when you connect your pod, they don't work. 

 

I use offline mode often, to remove something - like a volume pedal or looper - when a file doesn't work. 

[CipherHost]

Good to know. Thanks pianoguyy.

[un4tun81]

I have a POD HD 500X and was trying to figure out the detuning to setup 1/2 step flat. I read everyone's post here and followed the instructions from the ones that said it was passable. Not a chance it sucked.  That was aweful especially on the Top 4 strings wasn't as bad on the bottom 3 but still not passable. All settings were checked to make sure I had them right.