DT25 w/HD500X erratic behavior

[adagosto]

Hi.

 

The DT25 has worked out pretty well over the last year. So the band decided to try the HD500X and dump the pedal board.

 

We have been finding the 500x seems to act erratic on stage from gig to gig. One time the thing started hissing really noisy noise (shut it off and back on solved that problem). Another time the volume from one patch to another suddenly went to max volume and blew everyone's ears out. The time before that had a totally different problem. We actually has a used HD500 in the past and had similar problems and sold it thinking it was a bad apple. So we got a new 500x thinking it would help. So far not so much. We didn't even take it out this past weekend.

 

A home I don't use it at high volume and that seems to help it behave for some reason. Also I have had problems in rehearsal with it to but nothing as bad at the shows. It's to the point that we just joke about what "Christine" is going to do tonight.

 

I am using a standard XLR cable from the HD500X to the DT25. The patches are super simple, nothing complex about them.

 

Has anyone experienced weird behavior from your 500x on stage? Any suggestions on how to set up patches better to blend volume from patch to patch? Any thoughts on how to best manage this beast?

 

Thx!!

[Palico]

Got the same setup and don't have many issues. 

 

One problem that I have found that might be related. On the DT25 where do you have the channel volume knob physically at?  On my DT25 I've had the opposite once in a while where volume just cut out. I found my volume knob on the DT25 was set to zero. Well that is fine since the patch controls it anyway but it seems being at either extreme seemed to override the POD. It was basiclly thinking the I moved the volume knob when I didn't. I found just putting it at noon before I started the night seems to resolve it. 

[ColonelForbin]

I am using a standard XLR cable from the HD500X to the DT25. The patches are super simple, nothing complex about them.

 

 

 

That's likely your culprit right there. It's not intended to use a standard XLR; it's designed to use a digital AES-EBU 110ohm digital cable - which looks identical to a standard XLR, however, for what the Line6Link transmits, is pretty essential for glitch free performance.

 

Think about it like this: the cable is two-way - the connection has to remain correct / consistent sending data from the HD500x to the DT25, and also back from the DT to the HD500x (adjust a knob on DT, watch value change on HD500x screen..) That might not be the problem; but it's worth testing!

 

I bought AES cables from Best-Tronics in Tinley Park, IL; great quality.

Line6 also has their own branded option; as do other cable makers, Hosa, etc.

 

http://btpa.com/AES-EBU1-XX.html

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/L6LinkLong

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/L6LinkMedium

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AESS30

[TravDaddy]

Two things that might help:

 

1. Make sure your FS Mode is set to "ABCD"  (footswitch mode - press & hold VIEW to get to SETUP, page 1)  For some reason, DT amps don't like it set to "5-8" with the L6 Link.

 

2. Go through all of your stage patch settings and set the CHANNEL VOLUME high and then SAVE it. Use your MASTER volume to set the stage volume level. If any of your volumes are accidently touched, they were already maxed out, so there will be no explosive burst. If that setting causes too much unwanted distortion, dial down the DRIVE level on the patch.

 

 When I first used the L6 Link on my DT50, I had a similar experience and it will scare the crap out of everyone!  Mine happened in the house, with me sitting in front of the amp. It was on top of a 4x12 cabinet, so I got blasted HARD.  Wife was two floors up and she actually yelped out loud. Well, that's what she said... I still can't hear anything... Ha! 

 

  Good luck with Christine. Remind your bandmates of what happened to the Christine haters. Although, I'd probably skip warning the drummer. They have machines that do that now. And a machine never brings its girlfriend to practice.  Ha!

[psarkissian]

Yes, what ColonelForbin said. Regular 50-Ohm XLR mic cable is the wrong thing to use.

Use the AES/EBU 110-Ohm XLR cable for Line 6 Link on one of the links ColonelForbin

put up there. Thank you Star Blazer.

[Matt_Brown]

I've had the same issue with the 1/4 out direct to PA as well as the L6 to my DT (on, I use and xlr L6 link too but I always use the same one and it's high quality).

 

I'm starting to think the POD is the problem. I mostly go direct to PA now and it's a lottery as to what volume I'm going to get and what it's going to sound like. And I never change anything except the master volume.

 

This makes me think that the AES cable is not the answer.

 

Any other thoughts?

[ColonelForbin]

On the DT25 where do you have the channel volume knob physically at?  

 

Good question Palico! - to Adagosto - always keep in mind when you are L6linking the DT25 and HD500x, they are linked with two-way data communication.

 

For example, let's say you have the channel volume on the DT25 set to either 0 or max. Now, you change to a preset, and when HD500x forces the channel volume to how you have it set in the patch, it ignores the channel volume on the DT. Let's say the HD500 patch is set at 50%. But then something on the DT25 vibrates just enough for the HD500 to register a value change coming from the DT25.

 

The channel volume on the HD500x says, "Oh the DT25 just said turn the channel volume up from 50% to max! OK! And then you are like, WTF?!?!?! Because that can be a steep volume jump! Or as Palico mentioned - the exact opposite, as in "Oh, the DT25 just said to turn the channel volume down from 50% to 0. OK!:" And you are like, where did my volume just vanish to?

 

It is not all that common, but it can do it just from vibration, not often but sometimes. Once it moves enough to register a change on the HD500x, it will then tell your HD500x to match the physical position of the DT25 knob - in the scenario I presented, it will either max out the channel volume, or go dead quiet.

 

When I was building DT-HD patches, I made sure to do fine tuning with the DT25 controls, then SAVE the patch in the HD500x. This will at least provide a decent starting point for having the DT-HD values at comparable positions. Problem is, those physical knob settings are likely to change from patch to patch; so unless you program all your patches to have nearly identical gain/channel volume/eq settings (not likely!) you are bound to have some amount of difference between the physical knob setting on the DT25 at any given moment as compared to the corresponding settings in the HD500x. I think the DT-HD master volume relationship also works same way.

 

If any of those DT knobs settings are way off from the equivalent settings in the HD500x patch, and those knobs on the DT move even just a little bit, it could explain what you are experiencing.

 

Good luck!