toonsms Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Hello All, I have an hd500x. I have a chance to get a Variax 700. I know that the 700 doesn't work with the new HD Workbench and that I can plug the 700 into my HD500x and use it but not have the HD workbench to edit the 700. I can't quite afford the newer Variax models (yet) and would love to take the opportunity of getting the used 700 if possible. I am open to getting used device to support the legacy interface but I have a few questions about what that would allow me to do. Questions: - What is the minimum L6 product I could get so that I could use the unsupported legacy workbench? I would buy it used for the sole purpose of connecting the 700 to legacy workbench. - If I edit the 700 tunings and other settings using the legacy workbench, can I then plug the 700 into the hd500x and use the modified 700 patch and tunings? Cheers. Thanks in advance for any advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toonsms Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 Related: Noticed that the 700 has no visible pickups. I know it uses the piezo's in the bridge. That's perfectly fine. Seems to work great and I don't care about the visual aspect of missing pickups. But it makes me wonder why all of the other Variax guitars have various styles of real pickups. Question: Is the piezo bridge pickup not as good / flexible as the real style pickups the other (and all recent) Variax guitars have? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Best bet is to use the Variax USB Interface widget (and its connecting cable set), instead of using an HD500X as an interface, when connecting to a computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Only the JTV Variax has real pickups in additional to the piezo pickups. All previous Variax models only had the piezo bridge pickups. I use my older pod X3Live to interface with workbench with my older Variax. I don't think the HD500x will work with the old workbench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb7170 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 The old Variax Workbench works with the XTLive, X3Live, and HD500, but not with the HD500X. The HD Workbench for the JTV updated to HD works with the HD500 and HD500X only. Until Line 6 makes the Helix work with some form of Workbench HD, I will have to hang on to my 500 for my Variax 300, my 500X for my 2 JTV's (59 & 69S). It's a pain, and I hope they get it together -- the sooner the better. I honestly have not used my Variax 300, or messed with it and the old workbench since I got my JTV's. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eenymason Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Best bet is to use the Variax USB Interface widget (and its connecting cable set), instead of using an HD500X as an interface, when connecting to a computer. Why oh why would we hang on to this (otherwise) useless piece of equipment, when the gear it's intended to be connected to, and indeed communicate with in a live situation (Pod HD500/500X), SHOULD allow communication with Workbench. Pod HD500 allows this - why not 500X? Also what's the update on Helix linking with Legacy Variax models? SURELY we're not going to have to update those (Variaxes) as well, (if we don't want to)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 .... Until Line 6 makes the Helix work with some form of Workbench HD, I will have to hang on to my 500 for my Variax 300, my 500X for my 2 JTV's (59 & 69S). .....Or you could use the Workbench Interface hardware device. I know it used to be packaged with every JTV. Do you have one? They may have stopped that practice after upgrading the POPD HD500X devices to support Workbench HD. I know it's not ideal, but it is an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb7170 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Definitely not ideal. I have 2 of the USB interfaces, got one with each JTV. I had been used to using the Workbench on the 300 with the XTLive, then X3Live then the JTV 59 with first the X3Live, then the HD500. I was forced into using the USB interface when I realized the 500X didn't work with Workbench until they did the HD upgrade, not all that long ago . My use of the USB interface was a PITA because as I have posted before, the JTV's sound different when used via the 1/4" guitar jack versus the VDI input on the pod's. The relative volume of mag's versus models is different from VDI to 1/4" jack. It took twice as much time to adjust the models -- tweak with USB, save, disconnect, hook up to VDI, nope, need to fix that, reconnect to USB, tweak, repeat, repeat..... I was very disappointed when L6 included the VDI input specifically for the Variax on the Helix, but not have the ability to use their own Workbench HD with their own guitars -- what up with that? My HOPE is that they will correct the situation soon, AND make it possible to update the Variax as well. It's sort of like putting a hand crank on a Cadillac -- yeah, it would work, but... why? My perspective.... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eenymason Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Definitely not ideal. I have 2 of the USB interfaces, got one with each JTV. I had been used to using the Workbench on the 300 with the XTLive, then X3Live then the JTV 59 with first the X3Live, then the HD500. I was forced into using the USB interface when I realized the 500X didn't work with Workbench until they did the HD upgrade, not all that long ago . My use of the USB interface was a PITA because as I have posted before, the JTV's sound different when used via the 1/4" guitar jack versus the VDI input on the pod's. The relative volume of mag's versus models is different from VDI to 1/4" jack. It took twice as much time to adjust the models -- tweak with USB, save, disconnect, hook up to VDI, nope, need to fix that, reconnect to USB, tweak, repeat, repeat..... I was very disappointed when L6 included the VDI input specifically for the Variax on the Helix, but not have the ability to use their own Workbench HD with their own guitars -- what up with that? My HOPE is that they will correct the situation soon, AND make it possible to update the Variax as well. It's sort of like putting a hand crank on a Cadillac -- yeah, it would work, but... why? My perspective.... Dave It's like the biggest slap in the face, from the company that makes the product we love to use, to not include support for the gear we initially fell in love with, in the new gear they bring out. Can you imagine if the latest USB connection on computers refused to read older USB devices? Line 6 needs to listen to it's long term users, and lift their frikkin game..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTSC777 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I am preparing to do some touring with a country artist.His material requires 4 tunings.Standard/Eb/ dropped D and Baritone .I am back and forth between using my older Variax (I am getting its VDI jack repaired tonight ) or a JTV ( a bit of a crapshoot) a new Variax Standard( not much love here for that one) or just use my Roland GR55 which is rock solid for alt tunings.I would much rather use a Variax for reasons of portability and ease of use/ ability to be used with a wireless etc...but the stability of the GR55s tunings so far is winning. Otherwise I am faced with carrying 5 guitars on a tour bus.Any opinions from any touring pros here would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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