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POD HD 500 - Suddenly sounding weird


diegoprogmetal
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Hello, 

I came here as a last resort. Today I was playing with my Pod HD 500 creating some tones, using my headphones. I had created a really nice "Brian May like" tone, and started playing a few of his solos. But, after a few pickup changes, all of the pickups started sounding weird. At first I thought it could be the pickup selector switch in my superstrat, but then I tried with my Les Paul and it was also sounding weird. I changed the cable and still sounding weird. I tested my headphones and they are ok. So the only thing that's still the same is the pod. 

I'll try to explain how "weird" it sounds. The first thing I noticed was a sudden loss of gain. For a moment I thought it could be my pickups, or other electrical parts of the guitar, but as I said, I tested on my second guitar. The second thing I noticed is that the sound feels like there are no mids anymore, like a weird scooped low gain sound, or something like an out of phase sound even when I'm using only one pickup. No matter which patch, because it sounds the same even on tuning mode. 

I remember a similar thing happened 20 years ago with my old Zoom 505. I never tried to fix it so I don't know what it was. I suppose maybe some capacitor or some resistor has gone bad, but I'm not good with electronics, so I don't think I'll bother opening my Pod. 

Has this happened to anyone here? I tried using Google, but I couldn't find a single person complaining of the same problem. 

I can't plug in on a real amplifier because it's night here right now. I hope some of you has seem my problem happening before and can give me some advice. 

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Did you accidentally engage the guitar pad... or the global EQ? 

 

I would recommend that you backup your HD500 presets, then do a factory reset. If the problem continues it's hardware related... if it goes away, then you likely inadvertently altered a global setting. 

 

I'm pretty sure the only way to do a factory reset on the HD500 is to re-install the latest FLASH through Monkey.... this thread seems to cover it. 

https://line6.com/supportarchivenew/thread/46908/

 

 

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On 12/8/2018 at 1:12 PM, codamedia said:

Did you accidentally engage the guitar pad... or the global EQ? 

 

I would recommend that you backup your HD500 presets, then do a factory reset. If the problem continues it's hardware related... if it goes away, then you likely inadvertently altered a global setting. 

 

I'm pretty sure the only way to do a factory reset on the HD500 is to re-install the latest FLASH through Monkey.... this thread seems to cover it. 

https://line6.com/supportarchivenew/thread/46908/

 

 

 

On 12/8/2018 at 3:43 PM, hurghanico said:

Voltage and current instability in some places could be the cause of weird behaviors of the powered devices connected to the mains.

 

Try to connect the device to another outlet. Sometimes using a Power Conditioner is necessary. 

 

Check also if the power supply is still ok.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

All about POD HD500/X

 

 

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for your answers. I tried doing both of your suggestions, but before I could do anything, the Pod went back to "normal", or at least it looks like it. I'm not so sure actually. Since the problem was in the tone, it's hard now to be sure if it was always like it is now, or if it's now on a "middle term" between normal and problematic. It's definitely improved. I can notice the difference between humbuckers and the splitted mode on my superstrat, while when the problem was full on I couldn't at all because everything was sounding week, with scooped mids, and very low gain. But I tried comparing it with Guitar Rig, and Guitar Rig is running circles around the Pod in quality and clarity of tones. I'm not sure if it was always like that, or if I'm just more critical and paying more attention to the tone on the Pod now.

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I once had an issue... 

It had ended up being my headphone adapter (3.5 to 1/4) which was causing my stereo signal to sum-to-mono causing phase cancellation. 

 

Beyond that, I have nothing to offer. 

I mean, it worked fine. Then you changed pickups in the guitar and then it sounded bad. 

Seems more like something to do with your wiring skills than a problem with the Pod. 

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1 minute ago, pianoguyy said:

I once had an issue... 

It had ended up being my headphone adapter (3.5 to 1/4) which was causing my stereo signal to sum-to-mono causing phase cancellation. 

 

Beyond that, I have nothing to offer. 

I mean, it worked fine. Then you changed pickups in the guitar and then it sounded bad. 

Seems more like something to do with your wiring skills than a problem with the Pod. 

 

Yeah, I also thought it could be the wiring on my superstrat, so I got my Les Paul to test it and it was still the same. I have no idea what it was, and what really got me worried is because 20 years ago the same happened to my Zoom 505, but unlike what happened now, my Zoom never got back to working as normal. I suppose my Pod is close to the end of its life unfortunately. Whenever my electronic things start failing, it doesn't take much for them to just stop once and for all. I think it's probably the house with a faulty electric installation. Most houses here are very old, and the electric installations are usually older than me (I am 34). I think I'll have to buy some filter or a power conditioner like hurghanico said.

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