Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

Can't get tone dialed in. HELP!


Judkins401
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've searched a lot of the forums, websites, tutorials, and the manual trying to get a decent sound out of my HD500x. After 3 days of tinkering, and about 100 preset downloads, I can't get any more than an incredibly synthetic, excessively muddy, or excessively gainy sound out of this thing.

 

My goal is to use the HD500x in my home studio to produce quality recordings. I'm working on an EP and as of right now, drums, bass, and vocals are done and sound fantastic, but I've tried recording multiple guitars on multiple settings, and no matter what it just sounds awful. I've been using Amplitube for a while and was tired of the crummy synthetic tone, expecting this to be better a splurged, and it actually sounds worse than Amplitube in most cases, or even a crummy 50$ solid state amp for that matter.

 

To give you an idea of the tone I'm after, The style of music/sound I'm after is similar to Alkaline Trio, Blink 182, Hot Water Music, Matt Skiba And The Sekrets (If you take the time to check them out on youtube, I greatly appreciate your time!) I feel like this should be relatively easy as it's mostly just a crunchy distortion, nothing excessively gainy, no crazy effects, however all I can do is get a watered down weak, crappy sound out of the pod.
 

I have taken the "best" raw recordings I could get, and tried EQ and compression and doctoring them up in my DAW but no matter what, it sounds like I'm recording out of a poor quality amp simulator. I've seen recordings from others on youtube using this device and it sounded great. Can anyone key me in to getting the most realistic sound possible? Again my goal is to use it to record. I don't want "demo" sounding recordings and that's all I can seem to get out of this thing!

 

Currently using HD500x through mono output into Behringer interface, 44.1k, 24bit. Playback is through Yamaha studio monitors. I'm running through Reaper on a PC. I use this same setup occasionally to record a micd amp and it sounds fine, so I do know everything else in the system is working and configured correctly.

 

Thanks in advance!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't want to rain on your parade, but 3 days of working with the POD is just barely scratching the surface. Most of us spent weeks, if not a couple of months at the beginning, experimenting with amp/cab/ mic combinations until we hit on what works for us.... it really isn't a "plug and play" device.

 

And if you do nothing else, ditch Customtone and anybody who wants you to pay for their patches.... it never works. With no idea what other components were in the rig of whomever created a given patch, the guitar, the monitoring method used, etc etc... it's virtually impossible to take anybody else's patch and have it be useful without extensive tweaking.

 

As for tips... if you know what kind of gear the artists you mention use, you can start with the same, or similar models in the POD. The rest is listening and turning knobs until you hear the sound you've got in your head. Shortcuts don't really exist, and the experimental phase is unavoidable....but 3 days is a drop in the bucket. It takes time. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, cruisinon2 said:

Don't want to rain on your parade, but 3 days of working with the POD is just barely scratching the surface. Most of us spent weeks, if not a couple of months at the beginning, experimenting with amp/cab/ mic combinations until we hit on what works for us.... it really isn't a "plug and play" device.

 

And if you do nothing else, ditch Customtone and anybody who wants you to pay for their patches.... it never works. With no idea what other components were in the rig of whomever created a given patch, the guitar, the monitoring method used, etc etc... it's virtually impossible to take anybody else's patch and have it be useful without extensive tweaking.

 

As for tips... if you know what kind of gear the artists you mention use, you can start with the same, or similar models in the POD. The rest is listening and turning knobs until you hear the sound you've got in your head. Shortcuts don't really exist, and the experimental phase is unavoidable....but 3 days is a drop in the bucket. It takes time. 

Thanks for the input. I do realize it's going to take time to get comfortable with it, but is it realistic to expect that I will be able to get record worthy tones out of it, or am I wishful thinking?

 

Also I noticed there are model packs available. Will this help in the process, or only make it more difficult adding more to an already extensive bucket of things to tweak.

 

Thanks again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are many that got record worthy tones out of the POD XT, so yea, the tone is in there. If you are wanting a box where the model sounds good when you call up the amp model, you would be better off with a Helix than an HD...The modeling is the same, but the resolution of the Helix is much higher and Line 6 finally got the defaults into a better place than they were in the HD...You are going to have to work to get your tone in HD...Once you get under the box, it's not that hard, but it just depends on what you want to do...If you want better quality models and FX, go Helix and get the VST plugin also...Just my opinion.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This guide help me a lot in its time: http://foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/

 

And this forum has awesome concentrated information : https://allabouthd500x.altervista.org/allabouthd500x/index.php

 

Also, I attach you some patches that are pretty nice worked (If you have a single coil S or T Type guitar). I hope this information is helpful

jhoh Mayer.h5e

Main 357ms.h5e

Swell.h5e

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Judkins401 said:

is it realistic to expect that I will be able to get record worthy tones out of it

 

The Music of Nashville  

Seasons 2, 3, and 4

 

There is more than a Pod being used, but there is plenty of Pod being used.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are a few things people "get wrong" when first working with the unit.

1. Reset the unit. Updates are nice, but the "factory reset" is vital. 

2. Get the global/system settings set. You'd be amazed at the difference they make. 

3. Realize what you are getting and what you are not.  

4. Give it time.

 

Expanding on 3 and 4:

First, realize that you are not getting a guitar amp sound. You are getting a pa/album sound. This is why using one with a guitar amp is a "minus". It is always going to "sound different" than what we grew up hearing in our bedrooms. That is why using a pa system/frfr/studio speakers is a "plus". 

Some people grab the unit and think they are going to use for their gig tonight - not gonna happen. But, they probably could, they just over think it. People need to realize that their old rig was probably bought one piece at a time, and you spent weeks and months tweaking before you added another piece, which you then spent weeks tweaking.

Now realize that the Pod is the entire rig being replaced all at one time. But it isn't just one rig, it is dozens of rigs - because instead of having one amp and one wah, you now have dozens of each. 

However, if you think of your brand new virtual rig as an old physical rig, it makes more sense. Just look at your old rig, and if you put everything digitally into the exact same place, it becomes much more easy to get started ~~~ as long as you remember that it is not going to sound the same as a "guitar amp". 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are introducing an extra A/D conversion running the POD's analoge out to the Behringer.

 

Have you tried running the POD directly to Reaper via USB while selecting Line6 ASIO as your device in Reaper? 

 

I forget what the USB audio options are for the 500, but make she you are capturing Studio direct. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...