Advice Please. HD500 for Practice?? And which Amp?

[UKMark]

Hi All

 

First post here. Been reading all sorts of great reviews about the HD500X box. Perhaps someone in a similar situation to me could advise please before I rush out in a fit of GAS and splash more cash :)

 

I have recently moved to an apartment and am not able to practice at high volumes at all. Currently I spend most of my times inside headphones which is OK but not ideal.

 

I would really like to be able to find a solution that will allow me to 

 

1. Play at low volume with a decent Blues (slight broken, creamy, tubes sound) tone

 

2. Be able to switch between rhythm and lead tones. I am an intermediate player and still find getting it all together when switching from chords to solos a bit of a challenge when playing live. So need to keep practicing that.

 

3. Be great to create set lists of songs and assign tones to them as we play quite a wide range of stuff.

 

4. Have 2 buttons on the pedal that just assign a standard rhythm (clean) tone and a lead (slight broken) tone for when the band leader throws in a new song that I don't yet have an actual patch for. This in addition to whatever buttons are needed to cycle through a possible set list.

 

5. Have a nice dark but clean tone for the more jazzy tunes we do (things like Chitlins con carne, Blues for Del etc)

 

I have tried a lot of modelling units, both pedal and amp, and they all seem very good at the high gain metal and hard rock type sounds but less so at creating that sweet creamy tube sound so important to blues and some jazz. Is the 500 going to deliver?

 

Finally, some advice on what amp to use when practicing at home, again, low volume. And how to hook it up (MP3 in, FX loop etc) as I have read a lot about that and can't seem to find the definitive answer.

 

Oh and one last thing, what about when going out to a gig? I currently use an Egnator renegade which has an FX loop and 2 channels. Will it play nice with that and how best to hook it up.

 

Sorry for so many questions but I really don't want this to be another GAS driven purchase that ends up on eBay after a month!

 

Many thanks all

Best wishes from the UK

Mark

 

[pianoguyy]

If you have a computer, I have no problem using those speakers. If you use a laptop or don't have a computer at all, then you take $20-50 down the local Wal Mart and you buy a pair of computer speakers. You will probably need a stereo 3.5mm to stereo 1/4" converter. 

 

They shouldn't alter the original tone too much and most apartment dwellers tolerate the volume -- especially since they have their own computers that put out the same volume. 

 

 

 

Your 500 will deliver your cream. 

But the one thing that many people forget is the fact that you need to compare apples to apples, not apples to apple seeds. 

Your 500 puts out the 'final' sound. Which is the amp, cab, AND THE MIC. It is the sound the crowd hears. 

Whereas a guitar amp misses that final step. The crowd doesn't hear your amp/cab, they hear the PA. The mic adds another level of tone. 

So, when it comes to saying that modelers aren't doing it for you, that is something to consider. The crowd is getting the same result they always get, you do not. 

[joel_brown]

Yes it will deliver but you will have to tweak your tone between what you hear in your apartment through headphones or computer speakers and what your Egnator will sound like.  That may take more tweaking than you think, which is not the PODHD's fault.  Those amps/speakers are a lot different from each other.

[pianoguyy]

but that's also why you should always go direct to the pa regardless of what devices you are using to hear yourself. Each device will make you sound different to yourself, but the pa will always be the same to the crowd. 

And do not adjust your patches for each device. One device (the same device) should be used for sound creation. 

[UKMark]

Thanks for the helpful replies. Sounds like it will work for me. I guess the choice now is 500 or Firehawk. Anybody got any experience/thoughts on which is most likely to work out for what I want to do?

[pianoguyy]

If you are a musician that plays in front of people in hopes to get money and chicks, get a 500.  

If you are an iPhone kid that would rather play Garage Band on the internet so that you can get likes and hits, get a Firehawk.