help with Line6 HDPod500x + Audacity

[myl6username]

I bought a new asus laptop and when i use my good ol' POD HD500X --> USB --> Audacity 2.3.3, i have a critical error every time.  When i record a new track on a project with any other tracks, as soon as the recording is done it tells me i have dropouts and the tone of the track is a full step or more lower (if not totally garbled and crazy). My new band can't record and i promised them this would be cheap and super easy and i'm desperate... any help is immensely appreciated!

So far tried updating windows and turning off wifi and turning on airplane mode (read this in another thread, but didn't help).  Tried plugging in different USB port, no help either.

Below is the step-by-step of things that work until the final result that doesn't work.  So many variations work fine, it's only recording over a project with a new track via line 6 that doesn't work, and only when Line6 is both input and output.

Setup:
*Line6 pod hd 500x
*Windows 10 Home, ver 1903
*Audacity 2.3.3
*Asus laptop
Intel Core i7-8565U CPU @ 1.8GHz
16GB RAM
64bit OS, x64-based processor

1)
*NO line 6 plugged in, record via realtek audio laptop speaker - ok
Input Source : Realtek audio
Output Source: Realtek audio

2)
*NO line 6 plugged in, playback + overdub new track via speaker - ok
Input Source : Realtek audio
Output Source: Realtek audio

3)
*YES line 6 plugged in, playback + overdub new track via speaker - ok
Input Source : Realtek audio
Output Source: Realtek audio

4)
*YES line 6 plugged in, record via realtek audio laptop speaker, playback via line6 - ok
Input Source : Realtek audio
Output Source: Line6

5)
*YES line 6 plugged in, record **FIRST** track via line6 (so nothing playing back while recording) - ok
Input Source : Line6
Output Source: Line6

6)
*YES line 6 plugged in, playback + overdub a 2nd or more track via line6, but output is laptop speaker  - ok
Input Source : Line6
Output Source: Realtek audio
--> i can even play this back via output source Line6 after its recorded and it's still fine.

7)
*YES line 6 plugged in, playback via Line6 + overdub a 2nd or more track via laptop speaker - ok
Input Source : Realtek audio
Output Source: Line6

8) ERROR TIME!!!!!
*YES line 6 plugged in, playback + overdub a 2nd or more track via line6 - dropouts detected, full step down in tone of the second track, possibly sync errors too-->CRITICAL ERROR
Input Source : Line6
Output Source: Line6

So ONLY when i have Line6 as the input AND output source (and output seems to be the worst offender), and also only when there is already at least 1 pre-existing track, I cannot record without severe errors.

Please help :-( 

Many thanks in advance

[silverhead]

You don’t mention drivers at all. The most common issue with Audacity is its default driver called ASIO4ALL. When using Line 6 equipment you need to use the Line 6 ASIO driver.

[myl6username]

39 minutes ago, silverhead said:

You don’t mention drivers at all. The most common issue with Audacity is its default driver called ASIO4ALL. When using Line 6 equipment you need to use the Line 6 ASIO driver.

thanks for the advice - where would i look to see what driver is being used and change it?

[silverhead]

15 minutes ago, myl6username said:

thanks for the advice - where would i look to see what driver is being used and change it?

Somewhere in the Audio Preferences / Settings. I’m not familiar with the details of how to configure things in Audacity.

[silverhead]

.... or you could try using a different audio recording program (DAW). I use both Reaper (free trial period then very affordable) and Cakewalk by Bandlab (free).

[hurghanico]

Tips:

- avoid connecting the POD to USB 3 ports, use USB 2 only ports

- avoid installing and using the asio4all driver (tipically needed/used by the Audacity program)

- instead of using Audacity use a decent pro level DAW program like Reaper (already suggested above by silverhead) and make always use of the ASIO dedicated driver provided with the POD

 

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All about POD HD500/X

help and useful tips

[myl6username]

for posterity, this issue was FIXED by going to windows sound control panel and ensuring that the rates on both recording tab and playback tab of the Line6 device were set to the same sample rate (44.1khz and 16bit CD quality). they originally were not.