mozzaman Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Hi, I'm a total newb on this, I've never posted on any forums before, so apologies if my etiquette is not correct ! A couple of weeks ago I bought a Variax Guitar. I'm now thinking about buying an HD500 (or 500X!) but when I went to the guitar shop whilst they let me fiddle with it in a music room they didn't really answer any of my questions. They're pretty basic and probably even been asked and answered before, but I can't find anything. a) I see that editing can be done on a PC, but can the device be fully programmed without a PC. I play guitar in the spare room, and the PC is in the living room. I don't want to have to carry everthing across the house just to tweak things. b) If I connect with the VDI does this give anything more than powering the guitar. Does it give any access to different effects, for example. Any help or feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilmikehoo Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 You don't need the PC at all, although I find it a bit easier to sit at the computer with my guitar and do the editing that way than constantly bending over with a guitar strapped on! Do you have a laptop by any chance? I don't have the Variax.........yet! lol!!! But yes, the VDI gives you much, much more!! I recommend reading the instruction manuals that are available here on the Line 6 site to find the answers since there is oh-so-much to explain and discuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozzaman Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought about downloading the manuals, that's a good idea. I don't have a laptop but if I can do everything on the POD that'll be fine for me. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenSLR Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 My last effects unit was a Zoom 9050 and it took me a while to even figure out how to use the POD HD500. Even after reading the manual that came with it I was stumped, it made more sense looking at a few clips on Youtube then downloading the advanced manual but combining all this, after reading Meambobbo's guide it was then I really started to understand it. Not very user friendly without putting in the effort to learn it and you don't need a PC but it helps, even if only for the Customtone user patches you can download. s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneman2121 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 the hd editor is much more convenient and easier to use. you can access parameters immediately, you can see everything happening on the computer screen where otherwise you might have to enter one mode to access controls by holding down a button while the screen appears for the parameters you want to set and then page over to the particular set you want to tweak. then back to the main screen, which is the signal flow, by pressing a different button. there are a couple of settings you can't access with the editor but once you set them you don't usually change them. for example, output mode, studio direct, combo fron etc. confused? me to. i purposely stopped using the editor to learn how to use the pod controls and it took me a couple of days. now i know them but it is much quicker and more productive when your chasing a tone. you don't want to be almost there and then have to press button A to get to screen B and then page over to screen C then tweak your knob. consider getting a cheap or used laptop but make sure it has the specs to handle the editor program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondancer Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 the hd editor is much more convenient and easier to use. I may say, that is really a question of subjective preferences. I don't like to work with the HD Editor, Moving the graphic knobs with the mouse behaves like a toy or a computer game, less usability. No undo, no reload of the old values. The access to the footswitch assignment or assignment of parameter to the expression pedal is slowly and uncomfortable. Sorry I can see any benefit or working with HD Edit except the backup of all of your sounds and setlists! To create new sound I place my HD upright in a shelve and work distinctly faster than with HD Edit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 ..... no reload of the old values. ...... I'm not arguing for or against using the editor here, but I just want to point out the way to reload old values - use the RECEIVE SELECTED command. That will reload the preset(s) from the HD500 memory into the editor, overwriting the preset memory space in the editor program with the old (most recently saved) values. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneman2121 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I may say, that is really a question of subjective preferences. I don't like to work with the HD Editor, Moving the graphic knobs with the mouse behaves like a toy or a computer game, less usability. No undo, no reload of the old values. The access to the footswitch assignment or assignment of parameter to the expression pedal is slowly and uncomfortable. Sorry I can see any benefit or working with HD Edit except the backup of all of your sounds and setlists! To create new sound I place my HD upright in a shelve and work distinctly faster than with HD Edit! so your saying your saying the editor is slow and toy-like I'm not arguing for or against using the editor here, but I just want to point out the way to reload old values - use the RECEIVE SELECTED command. That will reload the preset(s) from the HD500 memory into the editor, overwriting the preset memory space in the editor program with the old (most recently saved) values. i was going to ask him about that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondancer Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 so your saying your saying the editor is slow and toy-like Yes, the handling is bad. BUT this is only my sense! Other may feel quite opposite. I have a 5 year old XP Lenovo Laptop with a dual core cpu. It is a little old, may be. The USB port is 2.0 and I feel the communication between pc an hd is slowly. The design of the HD Edit-Software is a little bit like the handling in the HD. No scalable Window ... For me too kittenish. But at least, it's only my perseption! I'm working the whole day with computers and software. There's quite a standard of handling that is not provided by HD Edit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneman2121 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 when selecting a different amp or fx, it takes about a second to change, correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjnette Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I find editing on the HD easy. I agree there is a sluggishness using the edit softeware as the PC has to talk to the HD and it lags for a bit. But I have used it this way. It is just that I prefer to edit with my setup, setup. Might be different story if I had a laptop. As someone here said if you were given 30 Amps and 99 FX units you'd feel confused for a while. I think it is an Apt statement. After a year I am still discovering and creating. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenSLR Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 I find using a PC to edit cumbersome, I have to take the HD out of its case, find the lead and hook it up to the laptop, then open the programme. Once all is up on the screen I can't hear the results of the editing, I have to unplug it all and then replug the HD into my amp. It's much easier to go straight to the amp and edit using my ear. To me, HD Edit is only good for uploading tones from Customtone. s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneman2121 Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 Once all is up on the screen I can't hear the results of the editing, I have to unplug it all and then replug the HD into my amp why can't you hear the results of your editing using the program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenSLR Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 why can't you hear the results of your editing using the program? I'd have to get my guitar and amp and plug them all in, lol. I don't practice in the same room and the sound of my practice amp isn't going to represent my real amp which I only use in a studio or on stage so I'm not going to lug my PC with me when I can just twiddle knobs and press buttons on the HD500 s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel_brown Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 The answer is both. The Line6 Editing software for the PC is fine but the PODHD doesn't require it. Line6 built a decent editing interface right into the PODHD without having to use the PC Editing Software. I personally do both. If I'm going to be building a tone from scratch I'll use the PC so I can see everything without flipping through a bunch of screen pages. If I'm going to tweak a patch then I'll just do that right on the PODHD. My only recommendation is to hook it up to a PC so you can make backups of the tones you create. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.