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Has HD500 fw 2.62 changed tone of your existing patches?


edstar1960
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FW 2.62 should be transparent and not affect any existing patches and from what I have read on the forums pretty much everyone who has upgraded have reported no difference, however, myself and one other user did notice a difference in tone on our HD500 units when playing back our existing patches, specifically, the tone was less treble-y/harsh sounding and had more bottom end and warmth.

 

I am interested to hear from anyone else with an HD500 that has upgraded to v2.62 and also noticed that their existing patches or the overall tone of the unit has then changed. 

 

So has this happened to you? If so, then please just let me know what the change was that you noticed, however subtle, and if using 1/4" or XLR outputs whether it was affected by GLOBAL EQ at default levels being ON or OFF, and also what setup you were using at the time?

 

My setup:  JTV59 > VDI > HD500 > L6 Link > L2m

 

I am expecting this to be an empty thread, but if others have had the same issue, then hopefully we can perhaps determine some common factors and maybe even determine the cause.

 

Thanks in advance.

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I've got the opposite: more harsh, trebly, fizzy sounds from the same patches. I've got to do some more tests because the first ones were really depressing. My setup is

 

Gibson SG --> 1/4" > HD500 --> XLR > Focusrite 2i2 --> Yamaha HS5

                                                                                              --> PC

 

Global EQ: Off

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At rehearsal last night I used my alternate set up of JTV59 > VDI > HD500 > 1/4" > Behringer B210D

I had used it at previous rehearsal a couple of weeks ago pre upgrade with JTV fw 2.10 and previous Hd500 fw with good results, I had to turn down high end and even roll off some low end, and it was loud enough and cutting through band mix, but last night with new fw I struggled to get sufficient volume, the top end didn't need to be rolled off, the mids were lacking and the bottom end had been boosted. I was using the same patches but they were not behaving at all the same way. Some of my patches use the same amp but increase the drive value going from crunch to heavier sound, but they seemed to have a much bigger variation in sound. Also patches that used hard gate seemed to take heavier picking to open the gate.

I need to do some more investigation and thorough testing to see if I can work out what is going on. I may well have to roll back and start again.

Meanwhile, if anyone else has experienced tone change issues then please share in this thread. Thanks.

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Yes changed my tones. And yes the global EQ was switched off. Added more gain and fizzle and scooped the mids. May go back to the earlier firmware.

 

The installer actually says the tones will have to be re tweaked as in that the new update will change some.

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BTW - I am interested in all instances where users have heard a tonal change once they have upgraded whether they think the unit sounds better or worse.

 

It seems a number of people have thought it sounds better after the upgrade - so would be good to get a handle on how many people and why they think the tone has changed and to record details of their setup in case we can spot an obvious trend.

 

Thanks again.

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the problem I have is im stuck in the tweaking loop of doom lol, to be honest im so into learning what each effect can do/does, I would not be able to tell if anything on the sound front has changed lol

 

I've only owned my HD500 for a month or so and im still experimenting with it, and im having a lot of fun doing so heeh, although once I feel I know and understand everything im doing I will probs/hopefully stop playing around with my patch settings etc.

 

I don't understand how the tones could of changed in the way of sound because of a firmware update, unless they had to changed certain audio quality parameters to make the global EQ fit in do its job ?

 

just as guess though

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BTW - I am interested in all instances where users have heard a tonal change once they have upgraded whether they think the unit sounds better or worse.

 

It seems a number of people have thought it sounds better after the upgrade - so would be good to get a handle on how many people and why they think the tone has changed and to record details of their setup in case we can spot an obvious trend.

 

Thanks again.

 

It's not at all uncommon to notice a difference in how a patch sounds from one day to the next, even if you haven't done anything to the firmware at all. Ear fatigue is usually the culprit..it happens to everybody, no one is immune.  Play for several hours, even at sane volumes, your ears get tired and you will start to perceive things differently...then you tweak to compensate.

Fast forward 24 hours, dial up the same patch, and there's a good chance that you won't like what you hear. I'll bet money that this is what the majority of people who think the firmware changed their existing patches are actually experiencing.

 

Hell, your mood and whether or not you happen to be playing well on a given day are likely to affect your perception of how the rig sounds...

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It's not at all uncommon to notice a difference in how a patch sounds from one day to the next, even if you haven't done anything to the firmware at all. Ear fatigue is usually the culprit..it happens to everybody, no one is immune.  Play for several hours, even at sane volumes, and you will start to perceive things differently...then you tweak things to compensate.

Fast forward 24 hours, dial up the same patch, and there's a good chance that you won't like what you hear. I'll bet money that this is what the majority of people who think the firmware changed their existing patches are actually experiencing.

 

I like to equate changing tones due to firmware updates to sightings of sasquatch or UFOs. There's always someone out there who insists, but always, always, there is lack of evidence. Or if there is some sort of evidence, it's always ambiguous.

 

If someone can post before and after sound samples, you can increase the sample of pairs of ears at least.

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I like to equate changing tones due to firmware updates to sightings of sasquatch or UFOs. There's always someone out there who insists, but always, always, there is lack of evidence. Or if there is some sort of evidence, it's always ambiguous.

 

If someone can post before and after sound samples, you can increase the sample of pairs of ears at least.

 

It's so subjective...the litany of things that affect your sound from day-to-day (aging strings, beat up picks, whether or not you've got your chops that day, etc, etc) almost makes this a pointless discussion. Unless we're talking about some glaring and obvious malfunction that generates  hideous noise, minor nuances that changes from one day to the next can be blamed on a thousand other things which are far more likely than updating the firmware. Just my 2 cents...

 

 

But Bigfoot is real man...saw one myself, deer hunting in WV. Never been so scared in my life. Just couldn't get the phone out in time to snap a picture, but I know what I saw! :P

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It's so subjective...the litany of things that affect your sound from day-to-day (aging strings, beat up picks, whether or not you've got your chops that day, etc, etc) almost makes this a pointless discussion. Unless we're talking about some glaring and obvious malfunction that generates  hideous noise, minor nuances that changes from one day to the next can be blamed on a thousand other things which are far more likely than updating the firmware. Just my 2 cents...

 

 

But Bigfoot is real man...saw one myself, deer hunting in WV. Never been so scared in my life. Just couldn't get the phone out in time to snap a picture, but I know what I saw! :P

 

I hear you!    LOL    ;)

 

Ear fatigue is real and so is misperception.   I am very aware of both in regards the HD500.   So why did I bother with raising this thread?

 

User one is David who has an HD500 and an HD500X, he had both at latest fw levels and he A/B'd them using the same patch and he could tell that the HD500 sounded more treble-y/harsh.

He upgraded both to v2.62 and then A/B'd them with the same patch and discovered that they now sound the same - the treble-y/harsh quality has now gone from the HD500. 

 

User two - myself - I tried out an existing patch before the upgrade - backed everything up - did the upgrade - overwrote everything - performed the global reset and pedal recalibration - reloaded in ,y previous setlist - tried the same patch again and it sounded les treble-y/harsh than before.  I had not been playing for hours (just a few mins before the upgrade and a few mins after) so I can rule out ear fatigue. I have left it for a few days and gone back to it and it still sounds warmer and richer and better than it used to.  I did not record a sample before and after so it could be my ears playing tricks on me or just a misperception on my part.

I had noticed several other people mentioned that their HD sound improved after the upgrade - so I thought it worthwhile to gather all the "perceived difference" info in one thread, to see whether there is enough evidence to rule out "it's just in our heads" .

 

Since then I have seen in the different threads that other users have also experienced the "it sounds better" after the upgrade ..... so it could just be a matter of mass delusion rampaging through the boards ...... or it could be that the upgrade has made a sonic difference to the units.         :)

 

This thread is for all those that have heard a difference and don't believe it's misperception or ear fatigue to record their experience and their setup so we can all review the data.      :)

 

The data can then be filed in the Line 6 X-FILES and we can get Mulder and Scully to investigate!      ;)

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I think I had Ear fatigue yesterday never really heard of it before now?

 

playing about using the FX loop on the 35RT with the HD500 after a while it sounded like I could not get any good tones out of it?

so I disconnected the HD500 and played just through the Crush 35RT and to me it sounded odd (not the same as it did?), I don't know how to explain it apart from wtf it didn't sound like that Saturday no mater how much I twisted knobs on the amp it sounded crap or I didn't notice much sound difference from the tone control knobs? then my mate tony (bass player) pops over to have a look and say's wow he impressed with the sound quality from the Crush 35RT ?

 

but to me it sound dull lol only way I can put it?

 

so that's probs  Ear fatigue ? never really knew or thought about it to be fair.

 

I think maybe because I have to play at quite low volumes (don't want to upset people with my bad guitar playing) might have something to with it as well lol

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What's needed is A/B recordings posted in this thread.  Otherwise the Bigfoot analogy fits.  I heard/saw it just didn't get a recording/picture to prove it.  I'm not saying you're not hearing it.  The question is - is it real or ear fatigue ?  Ear fatigue creeps up real quick and effects everyone a little differently.  Bigfoot creeps up real quick and effects everyone the same...

 

Also one question I didn't see asked is, are you using the same guitar ?  I would think so but I have a few friends that constantly switch guitars all the time.

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Ear fatigue is real, also perception changes, even without the fatigue... I make sure I'm not tweaking my electric patches after tweaking my acoustic JTV patches. What sounded really live and dynamic in an electric 500(X) patch sounds flat and dead after messing with the FRFR sound of the acoustic patches I use. If I've been tweaking the acoustics and need to work on the electrics, I go and take a few minutes' break - does 2 things, I'd guess -- lets the ears rest (lessening the fatigue), and also makes the immediate memory of the acoustics fade that colors your perception of the sound - the mental comparison....

 

FWIW,

Dave 

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What's needed is A/B recordings posted in this thread.  Otherwise the Bigfoot analogy fits.  I heard/saw it just didn't get a recording/picture to prove it.  I'm not saying you're not hearing it.  The question is - is it real or ear fatigue ?  Ear fatigue creeps up real quick and effects everyone a little differently.  Bigfoot creeps up real quick and effects everyone the same...

 

Also one question I didn't see asked is, are you using the same guitar ?  I would think so but I have a few friends that constantly switch guitars all the time.

 

Yep. Using JTV59.   I am assuming people will be A/B'ing using the same setup - otherwise it really is a non starter.   Dave did A/B side by side but he didn't record his samples but I have no reason to believe ear fatigue had anything to do with his experience.  The others, like me, played before and after and noticed a difference when they reloaded their old presets.  Again, ear fatigue doesn't hit you from a few moments listening to a well known patch, then listening again after the upgrade and noticing it sounds different.

 

I am not completely ruling out ear fatigue or just misperception ........ but if users think it is just that then they don't usually bother to say... and the reported incidents have not been after messing around for hours or trying loads of patches .... it is just a before and after experience ..... and some of the more experienced guys on here have said the same thing ......... so I figured it is worth collecting details at least.

 

If anyone has got an A/B audio sample that they could post demonstrating the before and after sounds with the same guitar and same patch just with different firmware then that will be great.  However, if nobody can produce a before and after that sounds different then we will just have to file under x-files .....    :)

 

Thanks for your input everyone!   :)

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Sure, most Bigfoot and alien sights are bogus. But Bigfoot and aliens exist. 

 

 

Take what happened to me as an example. 

I knew I changed my software, so it makes sense that I may have thought there was a difference. But the people who didn't know I changed the software made comments about it sounding different. 

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It could be because of the 20Hz high-pass and  20kHz low-pass filters on the global EQ in default settings.

 

I'm no expert, but I've read here and there that people use low/high-pass filters to cut out those inaudible frequencies during the mixing/mastering processes to "clean" up their tracks. Yes, it may not make any noticeable difference most of the time, but sometimes those sounds could affect compression, excite (unwanted) harmonics in the audible range, and other stuff.

 

So that's my explanation, but I would be totally fine if I'm wrong and someone has a better answer. Better tone is still better tone  :)

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It could be because of the 20Hz high-pass and  20kHz low-pass filters on the global EQ in default settings.

 

I'm no expert, but I've read here and there that people use low/high-pass filters to cut out those inaudible frequencies during the mixing/mastering processes to "clean" up their tracks. Yes, it may not make any noticeable difference most of the time, but sometimes those sounds could affect compression, excite (unwanted) harmonics in the audible range, and other stuff.

 

So that's my explanation, but I would be totally fine if I'm wrong and someone has a better answer. Better tone is still better tone  :)

I agree after spending more time with headphones on I think the Global EQ is making quite a difference.As an example the Hiwatt model sounded poor bedore the update.Post update and a few tweaks and it sounds great.Not good or okay but great! Played for almost 2 hours today!

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It could be because of the 20Hz high-pass and  20kHz low-pass filters on the global EQ in default settings.

 

I'm no expert, but I've read here and there that people use low/high-pass filters to cut out those inaudible frequencies during the mixing/mastering processes to "clean" up their tracks. Yes, it may not make any noticeable difference most of the time, but sometimes those sounds could affect compression, excite (unwanted) harmonics in the audible range, and other stuff.

 

So that's my explanation, but I would be totally fine if I'm wrong and someone has a better answer. Better tone is still better tone  :)

 

Thanks for your input and suggested possible explanation.    :)     

 

My experience has been that the Global EQ on default settings on the 1/4" outputs makes no difference ON or OFF - it sounds the same to me.  I still think my existing HD500 patches with the previous amp models sound better with fw v2.62 though. For me it sounds like the top end has been reduced and the bottom end increased resulting in a warmer richer sound, before I was always having to EQ out what I perceived as a harshness and treble bias to the tones but that is no longer the case with v2.62.

 

I also notice the improvement when using L6 Link which is unaffected by Global EQ.

Edited by edstar1960
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I agree after spending more time with headphones on I think the Global EQ is making quite a difference.As an example the Hiwatt model sounded poor bedore the update.Post update and a few tweaks and it sounds great.Not good or okay but great! Played for almost 2 hours today!

 

Thanks for your input and for sharing your experience.  It's nice to know that we are not all imagining the improvement.  Hope to hear from some more users with similar experiences.

 

Personally, I can't hear any difference on my 1/4" outputs between GLOBAL EQ being ON and OFF when using default settings. However, v2.62 does seem to have improved the tonality of my HD500 existing tones across all outputs - even the L6 Link out which is unaffected by Global EQ. So, for me at least, I don't think the improvement is directly down to the Global EQ but it may be a side effect of the code optimisation which was performed to allow implementation of Global EQ.   YMMV.   It's all good though!    :)

Edited by edstar1960
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I have wanted global eq in my HD500 since I got it.That feature is one one of the best things about my Boss GT10. Not going to turn it off.I will use it to tune my rig to the different rooms I play in.I have listened to the raw amp models in my HD after I updated and before I bought a model pack and still thought they were slightly different.I know a lot of users here are recording these HD units and putting them under the studio microscope. I understand that type of use all too well lol! With the update and a vintage model pack it has become much more useful to me for live gigging.Many times though I will use other rigs as well depending on the material I have to cover and size of the room.The real test will be to crank the HD up and play it at volume using an FRFR amp.That is where these units fall apart. When I have to play a very big room and play real loud I typically use something else like a Marshall JCM800 combo and my M13 or the Fly Rig or a small pedalboard with individual pedals.

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Thanks to pfsmith0 - he has shown that GLOBAL EQ, whether ON or OFF does affect extreme low and high end frequencies.  See this thread: http://line6.com/support/topic/13346-global-eq-frequency-response-plots/

 

That may well explain some of the "better sound" reports.

 

It may also explain why recordings before and after the upgrade sound the same because the GLOBAL EQ does not affect the USB outputs - assuming recordings made using USB connection.

 

Unfortunately for me, it doesn't explain why my HD500 tone has changed, I am getting an increase in low end and a cut in high end, and possibly some cut in high mids.  Almost like a diagonal line on a graph starting above flat line at low end and ending below flat line at high end.  I also hear a difference when using L6 Link which GLOBLA EQ does not affect.   I may try a re-flash to see if anything changes if I get time this weekend.

Edited by edstar1960
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one factor to consider is the direct sound from the strings when playing at low volumes. a slight change in volume will totally change the balance between direct and pod signal.

my 1st impression was with eq off everything sounded like i was on a bright channel. may have to reflash.

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I would suggest that all of you on this forum who have never heard of or don't believe in ear fatigue, PLEASE do some research on the internet NOW!

I ask you to do this as someone who spent most of his life standing in front of a Marshall Super Lead 100 cranked. Now I spend a great deal of my waking hours listening to high pitched whistling and ringing in my ears!

Thankfully, it hasn't impeded me to the point of affecting my ability to play or mix. I look at it mainly as a daily irritation to be lived with.

PLEASE! Don't take your hearing for granted! Do that research on ear fatigue NOW!

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  • 1 month later...

Familiar with ear fatigue and in my recent frustrating experience is that tone has changed to something undesirable after recent update. Another possibility and maybe Line 6 can answer, is it possible the 'tone' chip was damaged somehow? and if so, how could we test it, better yet how much would it be to replace to absolutely make sure it's not that? My tone is now much harsher and missing all the warmth prior to update and cannot get back to that. I've come close, but it seems everything is overdriven. Sounds like metal on metal even on lightly overdriven tones???? I rarely go Full Metal, play a lot of church Hillsong stuff and just doesn't sound the same anymore. I've taken it to the repair shop after support told me to do so, only to find out they simply reset it. wish I was advised of that and save 100.00, I had the USB V 0.00 error that supposedly Line 6 had no advise for? Same gear, same patch,, head phones, amps, PA's, played with all the settings and still does not sound the same. Love the unit and it's flexibility, but could understand that something may have been damaged electronically that can't be easily detected.  Help... 

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I did notice something at a gig on Saturday. It seems that my tones that use the variax strat model and the fender twin model seemed louder. I thought I had those tones volume matched to the other tones I use but Saturday the two strat + twin patches sounded louder.

 

-Max

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@kinslaya, I would agree with  that description. I maybe 8 patches I use for 99% of my playing and in reviewing live recordings I cannot get back to the tone I hear on the recording... the warm overdriven tone is gone

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Thanks for your comments.  Interesting that some people are experiencing a difference.  Unfortunately, some have had the tone get worse and in marcgtr's case he can't re-tweak to the sound he had before.   So did the firmware upgrade change something that is crucial to the tone?  Or did it highlight a flaw in some electrical component that is only apparent for users with a specific production run of the unit?  Or can the flash update process actually cause a component to fail or become damaged?

 

My experience has been that initially I thought it had become less harsh however recently I have been using it and finding the harshness and treble has returned  I am leaving several days between use to ensure it's not ear fatigue.   So I don't know if it is the firmware or if it's just the unit itself which is causing the apparent difference in tone on different days.

 

Unfortunately there is no way of testing the unit to make sure it is all working correctly - so if there is a flakey component that is just a bit off some days we will never know until it fails outright and causes an obvious "broken" sound.

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Actually, I would like to amend my original posts. 

My unit originally sounded better, and it still does. 

 

But, now that I have had it for awhile, and have used it in many more situations than when I originally posted... 

 

 

I have a couple of really nasty patches. Patches that weren't nasty beforehand. 

 

 

For the most part, there was a slight improvement on sound quality. I still can't figure out how to describe how it changed, but my ears know that overall it is better.

Yet, there are a handful of patches that took a severe turn for the worse. 

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Actually, I would like to amend my original posts. 

My unit originally sounded better, and it still does. 

 

But, now that I have had it for awhile, and have used it in many more situations than when I originally posted... 

 

 

I have a couple of really nasty patches. Patches that weren't nasty beforehand. 

 

 

For the most part, there was a slight improvement on sound quality. I still can't figure out how to describe how it changed, but my ears know that overall it is better.

Yet, there are a handful of patches that took a severe turn for the worse. 

 

Thanks for the update.

 

Were you able to re-tweak the nasty patches so they were back to what you liked?

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