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Disappointed with VDI cable from Line 6


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I ended up buying the VDI cable from Line 6 in case the battery runs out or I decide to have Helix change models which is not possible running wireless or via a regular cable. The cable came in and is really crappy. Its nothing like a guitar cable and gets tangled every single time. And being 25ft long makes it even worse.

Does any one make a cable that is more like a real guitar cable?

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My old 2005 era VDI cable is a tangled mess  

I suppose I got lucky - when i ordered a new VDI cable from Amazon - it arrived as a tangle free easy to roll up flexible type EtherCon cable

 
 
41bKAUcoMfL.jpg
 
But requires  a bit of a luck to get a nice official Line-6 VDI cable 
 
 
Suggest try re-ordering  from Best Products here:
 
 

http://btpa.com/98-030-004-XXX.html

 

 

Variax Digital Input Cables Compatible with POD®xt Live, Bass POD® xt Live,
Quality made and tested in the U.S.A. with tactical dual jacketed ethernet cable

 

98-030-004-250.jpg

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Have you checked the input selector in the edit page?

The VDI doesn't usually doesn't engage automatically, it has to be selected.

It's an easy thing to forget, done that one a number of times myself.

Are you talking about input1 and input2 on the POD being set to variax?

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My old 2005 era VDI cable is a tangled mess  

I suppose I got lucky - when i ordered a new VDI cable from Amazon - it arrived as a tangle free easy to roll up flexible type EtherCon cable

 
 
41bKAUcoMfL.jpg
 
But requires  a bit of a luck to get a nice official Line-6 VDI cable 
 
 
Suggest try re-ordering  from Best Products here:
 
 

http://btpa.com/98-030-004-XXX.html

 

 

Variax Digital Input Cables Compatible with POD®xt Live, Bass POD® xt Live,

Quality made and tested in the U.S.A. with tactical dual jacketed ethernet cable

 

98-030-004-250.jpg

 

 

Thanks Steve

I ended up ordering the BTPA cable as you recommended. Will report back once I get it! 

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My old 2005 era VDI cable is a tangled mess  

I suppose I got lucky - when i ordered a new VDI cable from Amazon - it arrived as a tangle free easy to roll up flexible type EtherCon cable

 
 
41bKAUcoMfL.jpg
 
But requires  a bit of a luck to get a nice official Line-6 VDI cable 
 
 
Suggest try re-ordering  from Best Products here:
 
 

http://btpa.com/98-030-004-XXX.html

 

 

Variax Digital Input Cables Compatible with POD®xt Live, Bass POD® xt Live,

Quality made and tested in the U.S.A. with tactical dual jacketed ethernet cable

 

98-030-004-250.jpg

BTPA cable arrived today already!! YES!!! what a difference. Recommend all the way! Thanks Steve!

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Happy to hear your good results with the BTPA cables.

 

 

BTPA Cables are what Fractal recommends too, as they are consistently good quality !

 

 

I was all set to put a 25' btpa cable on the card when I noticed that it was $39+ and the shipping was another $11 (minimum). That's a fifty-buck cable at that point, and the Amazon/Line 6 one with free shipping (and I can get it even cheaper with coupons at Musician's Fiend) is still just $29.99. That makes the btpa cable 60% more expensive, even if there really is a 30% improvement in quality of the cable itself.   Backed away. Not worth it.  Unless someone here can convince me. 

 

I think someone should talk to btpa.com about their default shipping costs. 

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I was all set to put a 25' btpa cable on the card when I noticed that it was $39+ and the shipping was another $11 (minimum). That's a fifty-buck cable at that point, and the Amazon/Line 6 one with free shipping (and I can get it even cheaper with coupons at Musician's Fiend) is still just $29.99. That makes the btpa cable 60% more expensive, even if there really is a 30% improvement in quality of the cable itself. Backed away. Not worth it. Unless someone here can convince me.

 

I think someone should talk to btpa.com about their default shipping costs.

Yeah, they got balls charging almost 30% of the cost of the item for shipping...nothing's that good. You'd think it weighed 100 lbs. No way it's costing them more than 2 or 3 bucks to ship.
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I was all set to put a 25' btpa cable on the card when I noticed that it was $39+ and the shipping was another $11 (minimum). That's a fifty-buck cable at that point, and the Amazon/Line 6 one with free shipping (and I can get it even cheaper with coupons at Musician's Fiend) is still just $29.99. That makes the btpa cable 60% more expensive, even if there really is a 30% improvement in quality of the cable itself.   Backed away. Not worth it.  Unless someone here can convince me. 

 

I think someone should talk to btpa.com about their default shipping costs. 

I think their default shipping may be higher but you have the choice at checkout to select USPS shipping. Mine came to $26 shipped. 

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I just tried to check out... the cheapest I could get the BTPA cable shipped for was $10 from USPS.

 

Wasn't there a guy here on the forum who made and sold his own that featured a braided jacket? Or am I mis-remembering?

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT.... I found the link for the braided cables. Looks like the guy is gone.... he stopped responding to PMs.

http://line6.com/support/topic/958-cool-vdi-cable/

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I think their default shipping may be higher but you have the choice at checkout to select USPS shipping. Mine came to $26 shipped. 

 

I'm comparing the standard Line 6 25' cable, so the btpa.com 25' cable came to (with shipping):

 

Screen%20Shot%202016-08-02%20at%206.04.0

 

My guess is that the shopping cart web software they're using is calculating costs using the "if it fits, it ships" Medium Flat Rate 2 box.  How do places like MF, Amazon and B&H manage to offer free shipping for a virtually identical product?

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Yes,... they used the cable meant for the Variax interface device. And

if I recall,... they didn't read their owner's manuals. The cable with the

Canon casing on both ends is for playing through.

 

VDI is used with floor and rack multi effects XT Live/Pro, Bass XT Live/Pro,

X3 Live/Pro, HD500/500X/Pro, Firehawk FX and Helix/Helix Rack

 

Rule of thumb,... if it won't take the Canon casing end, and it doesn't

say "VDI" or "Variax" on the unit, then it's not for playing a Variax through.

 

Too many want to take the cheap shortcut and not get the right cable.

There's a Murphy-ism about shortcuts,... "a shortcut is the longest distance between two points".

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I have been using a Whirlwind ENC2010 cable. This is the 10 foot version but they make other lengths. 

It's MUCH better than the Line6 cable. It has the same heavy-duty end fittings but the cable is heavier, thicker and much less prone to kinking and tangling.

 

Mind you, I'd change to a wireless in a flash if they offered one that would control the Variax. 

 

Cheers

 

Simon

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