POD HD500X+Cab simulator vs helix

[hag01]

I'm thinking whether it is worth to upgrade, as I have a list of equipment I need, so I'm trying to arrange my priority order.

Soundwise, can I get sound as good as Helix sound if I'll add something like Tropedo Cab to the Pod?

 

I know that the is Helix better than the Pod in more aspects than sound, but I'm looking for sound improvement only, and buying a good cab simulator will be much cheaper than the Helix.

[FlyingsCool]

What's your budget?

[Dehzzyy]

Everyone who bought the Helix is going to tell you to get the Helix, nature of the game. I've read a bunch and the Helix does sound better, but you can tune a POD HD to sound similar, and most likely close enough that in a mix it doesn't matter.

[PeterHamm]

Depends on your use.

In the house and in the mix, in the typical club or church, your audience won't hear the difference between HD 500 and Helix. 

 

if you need the additional flexibility Helix offers to make your sound (I do 3 simultaneous sounds, for instance, on a regular basis), then HD 500 will be limited.

 

If Helix only sounds better to YOU and to no one else, the question is... does it make you play better, enjoy it more, and therefore does it help your audience enjoy it more, even if they can't hear the difference. THAT is a very big question.

[hag01]

I think you missed my specigic question, fellows.

I know the Helix sounds much better, I can even hear the difference on youtube demos, and it is big difference IMO.

 

My question was, how big the different will be with a good cab simulator?

[FlyingsCool]

Big

 

But is that really your question?

 

It seems your real question is, "Is it worth it to spend the extra money to upgrade?"  But that depends on your budget, and then the value of what Helix offers over your HD500X.  If it's just the sound, it's easy to say, eh, well, as you noted, the Helix sounds totally better, but, obviously, that doesn't seem to matter to you.  Helix offers so much more than the HD500X it's silly, but that may not matter to you for a variety of reasons.

 

Like anything, Helix is an investment.  It comes down to Opportunity Cost as to whether the investment is worth it to you.

[hag01]

My budget is:

There is no budget.

If I'll think something is important enough I'll get the money eventually.

 

I just have to decide now what upgrade am I going to do - adding Two Notes Torpedo Cab with the Pod I already have, or replacing my Pod with a Helix.

I need to know whether I have to put aside 500$ or 1500$.

 

Also, I have to decide if I'm buying a bag for my Pod, I need to know to what direction am I going to.

[PeterHamm]

 

I think you missed my specigic question, fellows.

I know the Helix sounds much better, I can even hear the difference on youtube demos, and it is big difference IMO.

 

My question was, how big the different will be with a good cab simulator?

 

To you? maybe there will be a difference. To your audience? Nah.

Like anything, Helix is an expense. 

fixed it for ya.

[FlyingsCool]

 

My budget is:

There is no budget.

If I'll think something is important enough I'll get the money eventually.

 

I just have to decide now what upgrade am I going to do - adding Two Notes Torpedo Cab with the Pod I already have, or replacing my Pod with a Helix.

I need to know whether I have to put aside 500$ or 1500$.

 

Also, I have to decide if I'm buying a bag for my Pod, I need to know to what direction am I going to.

 

 

Then it depends a lot on the style of music you play.  Do you find the HD500X constraining in it's ability to add and control effects?  Do you desire more than just the single effects loop the HD has?  Are you using a DT amplifier?  Would you like more feedback on your preset setup?  Does spillover between preset changes matter to you (i.e. would snapshots be a huge advantage for you). 

 

If all you do is use an amp and a couple effects, and you don't feel like spending the extra money, then maybe the Torpedo Cab is all you need.

 

As a caveat, I don't have any experience with the HD500X and Torpedo Cab combination.  I do feel like using the Helix is light years better than using a PODHD however.  But that's just me.

 

And heck, buy the cab from a place like Sweetwater or GC, try it out, return it if you don't think there is a huge difference.

[FlyingsCool]

 

Like anything, Helix is an investment expense.  It comes down to Opportunity Cost as to whether the investment  expense is worth it to you.

 

 

 

fixed it for ya.

 

 

I was wondering why my money kept disappearing.... hmmm

[hag01]

Then it depends a lot on the style of music you play.  Do you find the HD500X constraining in it's ability to add and control effects?  Do you desire more than just the single effects loop the HD has?  Are you using a DT amplifier?  Would you like more feedback on your preset setup?  Does spillover between preset changes matter to you (i.e. would snapshots be a huge advantage for you). 

 

If all you do is use an amp and a couple effects, and you don't feel like spending the extra money, then maybe the Torpedo Cab is all you need.

 

As a caveat, I don't have any experience with the HD500X and Torpedo Cab combination.  I do feel like using the Helix is light years better than using a PODHD however.  But that's just me.

 

And heck, buy the cab from a place like Sweetwater or GC, try it out, return it if you don't think there is a huge difference.

The true is, that up to now that was really what I always do, use an amp and a few effects, I never felt I need something more than that.

 

That is why I'm looking only on sound upgrade and nothing more.

[PeterHamm]

 

The true is, that up to now that was really what I always do, use an amp and a few effects, I never felt I need something more than that.

 

That is why I'm looking only on sound upgrade and nothing more.

 

 

 

imho, the amps are far more realistic in Helix. For instance, I tend to ride the volume control a lot, and change the tone on my guitar a lot. This means that I can, with a real amp, have an overdriven sound when my guitar is full up, but a cleaner sound, even functionally totally clean, when I back down. HD 500 let me do that like a real amp to a certain extent. For me, Helix is EXACTLY like a real amp used to be to me.

 

I am one who finds that if you use the right cabinet in Helix (and I felt this way about HD 500 before it), that you don't need third-party IR to get your sound, but maybe that's because the kinds of cabinets I like the most are modeled very well in both HD and Helix.

 

So there's one perspective just on amp sound...

[AlexKenivel]

Helix. I used to run my Pod HD into IR loaders in my studio with great results. Helix still sounds better.

[DunedinDragon]

There are a lot of us around here that struggled with that same decision, coming from the HD500 to the Helix.  What I can tell you is that what got me to make the move wasn't the thing that really paid off in the end.  And here's what I mean by that.

 

I made the move with the idea that I'd see an improvement in my overall tone.  And though that's true, the big benefit was the Helix really opened up the opportunities for me to significantly grow my skills in sound design.  Yes, my tones improved.  But they dramatically improved not just because of technology, but because the added flexibility of the unit encouraged me to explore and expand on the ideas I'd learned from the HD500 by building better and more robust signal chains and learning to more precisely craft my sound.

 

Was that worth the extra money?  I'd say yeah....

[shanecgriffo]

i came from a pod xtl and it's a pretty big improvement i have to say

 

but in saying that, you can improve things a bit with a nice overdrive/comp or tube preamp in front of the old pod.. as a cheap option

[spikey]

Play one before you buy if possible. Then watch all the videos and listen with a "good" pair of flat studio reference monitors (ones you will use to play thru if possible). Then decide because no one can please you, but you.

[BlueViolince]

I used an HD500 with Logidy EPSi before getting the Helix, for acoustic IRs.  The sound was objectively comparable, when you compare just the bare clean tone.  On the other hand, the quality of effects, and speaking of effects as plugins, there is so much more that can be done with them.  I eliminated four pieces of hardware when I switched over to the Helix.  Two EQ pedals, a MIDI translator, and the IR loader.  The Helix made up the difference, giving me a lighter rig.  Beyond that, programming patches became much easier, and the finished sounds are better.  There's more clean headroom within the chain, and my parallel delay chains sound much cleaner and more natural.  I think the preamps and compressors are better quality, which is a big deal.  Those are two of the most critical items, in terms of effect tone.  Everything else in the Helix is at least as good or better.  Worth the price, in the long run.