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HD500X updates


dblake37
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Oh goody, another one of these.

 

Let's make this a sticky thread.

 

POD is old now. Two things happen to old stuff. In Phase 1, it gets ignored for a while, updates cease, etc...but it's still on the shelves as long as the units continue to sell.

 

Then there's Phase 2: one day, one of the bean counters realizes that they're not selling very many anymore. Then it's discontinued.

 

We're still in Phase 1...

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Yeah it first came out at the end of 2010, and it is still selling well, with the success of Helix it seems to of added some cred to the HD series as an affordable option. They sell well used!

 

 I would introduce a new purchasable bungle(include FX) for the HDs after all they are still their propriety interface for the Dream Rig so some development would seem logical.

 

But as any company has the duty to keep employees employed the Helix should be the new Dream Rig interface.

 

While it would be nice to have the Global EQ model available as a model a couple of the Helix FX would be good. It is really only dreaming and getting peoples hopes up. Shame on those who ask!

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And it sure would be nice if I could use 500edit on my Android Phone or Android Tablet to manage my Pod when not at home.


Even if it needs to be a '500 Lite' version that only allows for the import and export of patches, and not a full-fledged working program.


Something needs done. 


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I will never understand why there's this expectation for products to be maintained/updated forever. It's not the world we live in anymore. At the pace that technology currently evolves, a product that's 7 years old is ancient...and in a disposable economy, the fact that ANYTHING is still selling, essentially unchanged 7 years later, is borderline miraculous.

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I will never understand why there's this expectation for products to be maintained/updated forever. It's not the world we live in anymore. At the pace that technology currently evolves, a product that's 7 years old is ancient...and in a disposable economy, the fact that ANYTHING is still selling, essentially unchanged 7 years later, is borderline miraculous.

 

There are people still bitching at why their super old XT is not supported, so this should not be a giant surprise. People are (________). :)

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I'd have thought so too...seems unlikely that people will spend 3 times as much just because there isn't a Line 6 product at that pricepoint.

 

What about Firehawk and Amplifi?...Both are newer than HD and at the $300-$500 price point.

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It comes down to competition and market share.  Right now nothing else is as good as the PODHD in that price range.  I know I'm not going to buy a Helix or AXEFX or Kemper.  Too much money.  I can afford it but that doesn't mean I'm going to spend it.  Not worth it to me.  I would consider it if I didn't already have a PODHD.

 

Musician:

Someone who brings $5000 worth of gear in a $500 car for a $50 gig.

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Well, a new HELIX update came out today I think, I cannot remember if the HD series had several updates in so little time. (I guess not).

 

But If you guys check amazon or other sites, people is still purchasing the 500x and giving positive reviews, I think Helix marketing campaign helped somehow to increase the sales of the hd500x. (brand exposure maybe?, don't hate me please)

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I don't know if the POD HD500X/ProX will receive further updates but they are still being manufactured. At the price point they remain a great value even without further updates.

 

And I think you're right that Helix may in fact have spurred HD sales. Many HD users here have said that they felt no need to spend a great deal more $$ to buy Helix; the HD meets their needs. That may have persuaded some tire-kickers to save some money and buy the HD rather than Helix. Nothing wrong with that, and I bet they're happy.

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yeah I agree!

There is quite a bit of friendly rivalry between KPA AXE and now HELIX is in there and winning over some Market share on a few forums. 

When you couple the reviews and comparisons including compared to the HDs for new ears the HDs are as good on desktop speakers or earbuds.

Maybe if they stopped selling them new the used price might go up.

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And now, of course, there is the Helix LT . . . . .

Which was inevitable.... But at $1K, it's still gonna be a tough sell to the $500 crowd. I thought it would be end up having fewer features, and be closer to the $750 price-point. At that price, I think PODers would be lined up around the block to get one...but the $1K threshold is a harder nut to crack.

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Just looked at prices this side of the pond and, ok, I might get a discount on the LT (that I don't know) against the price of a 'Full' (that I do know as I've negotiated to buy one several times) and the diff seems to be around £250. I'd def spend that to get the extra features! If they are going to do a 'lite' version it needs to be a lot cheaper!

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But (IMO) the Helix simply had too many inputs and outputs for the common user. And touch screen is only useful for practicing at home. Once you get into a band situation (live/rehearsals/studio), most of what you pay for is stuff that doesn't get used. 

It is much like buying a Ferrari so that you can drive back and forth to your mailbox every day. It just isn't the smart buy for most. 

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I don't know if the POD HD500X/ProX will receive further updates but they are still being manufactured. At the price point they remain a great value even without further updates.

 

And I think you're right that Helix may in fact have spurred HD sales. Many HD users here have said that they felt no need to spend a great deal more $$ to buy Helix; the HD meets their needs. That may have persuaded some tire-kickers to save some money and buy the HD rather than Helix. Nothing wrong with that, and I bet they're happy.

 

I have to say I am impressed with the HD Bean over my XTlive. Never liked the AC30 model in the XT, but the HD one is awesome. Hate to say it but I kinda wish the XTlive would have crapped out sooner.

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So do you guys think the Helix is better than the HD 500X ???

 

For what I have heard on YouTube they sound very... very ... close to each other.... I mean... there is no differences like when you compare

 

something like a Kemper to a Zoom G5 ..... Right ????

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So do you guys think the Helix is better than the HD 500X ???

 

For what I have heard on YouTube they sound very... very ... close to each other.... I mean... there is no differences like when you compare

 

something like a Kemper to a Zoom G5 ..... Right ????

If you think that Kemper and Zoom are similar products, then there really isn't any point in discussing this any further...

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So do you guys think the Helix is better than the HD 500X ???

 

For what I have heard on YouTube they sound very... very ... close to each other.... I mean... there is no differences like when you compare

 

something like a Kemper to a Zoom G5 ..... Right ????

 

The first thing that needs to be determined is --- what is "better"? 

 

Is the Helix better, of course. But, depending on what you are using as your qualifier, it may not be. 

 

 

For example - Let's forget the Helix for a moment, so that we can compare apples to apples. If they made an HD500X CTS (color touch screen). Is that better than the HD500X? If they made an HD500X I/O (input and output) with 24 inputs and outputs, is that better than the HD500X? Or if they made an HD500X 2P (two pedal), is that better than the HD500X? 

YES. 

Sure, those "bonus" versions are better than the original, simply because they are the same - with more. But what if you are a musician that needs sound quality without the extra bells and whistles. Is the CTS going to sound better than the standard version? Is the I/O going to sound better? Is having two pedals going to make you sound better? 

NO.

 

The 500, 500X, HD Pro and the HD Pro X (plus the made up extra versions I listed up above) are all going to sound the same. They are all the same. There are only slight differences between them based on if you want the floor unit or the rack unit. 

 

 

 

So, coming back to your question - is the Helix better then the 500X. 

 

Like my previous post said --- you don't need a Ferrari if all you are doing is picking up your mail at the end of the driveway. A hoveround will do just fine. 

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  • 1 year later...
8 hours ago, philchiladki said:

does anybody know of a comprehensive changelog for updates? what features and improvemens have been added total since 1.00?

 

This is a really old thread.... but I'll help out with your question.

  • Go to this URL: https://line6.com/software/index.html 
  • In the search, choose "POD HD500" for the product, "FLASH MEMORY" for the software and "ALL OS" for the operating system. 
  • Repeat for "POD HD500x" if you want...

That will give you a comprehensive changelog...

 

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58 minutes ago, philchiladki said:

thanks! I heard people in some forums mention that the newer “distortion is smoother” - I don’t see anything that would imply this in the changelog you pointed me to. Is that all the info there is on flash updates?

If you are talking about coding, no, there is not more information. But the link given to you may take a lot of "sorting out" to find what you want, but does explain most (if not all) of what has been changed. 

 

As far "smoother distortion", without doing a websearch, i have really only seen people talk about the difference in the "free" JCM800 and the "paid" JCM800. However, in general, there are some tonal differences between 2010 firmware and 2015 firmware. And certainly, more tools added with the updates means more ways to dial in a "smoother" tone. 

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  • 10 months later...

I bought the Helix and returned it.  It could not control my DT amp the way it should with the line 6 link.  I created my own midi patch but I shouldn't have to.  The DT edit software blows away the Helix DT communication.   Nothing like real tube!  Sticking with my DT amp & POD 500X.  '

 

Line 6 needs to create a HD android/iphone app to control the HD product line.  Will sell like hot cakes.

 

 

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17 hours ago, gmathis501 said:

I bought the Helix and returned it.  It could not control my DT amp the way it should with the line 6 link. 

 

17 hours ago, gmathis501 said:

Nothing like real tube!  Sticking with my DT amp & POD 500X.  '

 

You are aware that the next Helix update will include DT integration... to the delight of many DT owners?

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