Dual Amp Settings

[josephship434]

In the past few months I've been trying to really get back in the swing of playing guitar again and trying to learn more about effects, chains, all kinds of fun stuff. I bought the HD500x, and I've been getting a lot more comfortable with understanding the interface and experimenting with the different effects looking for the best tone to play with my team. What I wanted to learn about here is why someone might use the dual amp feature instead of just a single amp. Obviously it's about finding creating the right tone, but I was curious of any existing resources on the benefits of using mixed dual amps or perhaps two of the same amps. Thanks in advance!

[pianoguyy]

17 minutes ago, josephship434 said:

why someone might use the dual amp

 

the 'why' is simple.... because we can. 

 

Beyond that; 

many people use a clean/dirty setup. instead of changing patches or fx on/off, they simply switch amps. although, this usually also involves a dual path, not just a dual amp. 

 

everything else, as you already figured out, would be about tone

 

 

 

 

[josephship434]

That helps, because I haven't looked into experimenting with dual paths. You know of any good artists or youtube channels or whatever that helps educate people on stuff like this?

14 minutes ago, pianoguyy said:

this usually also involves a dual path, not just a dual amp. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hurghanico]

There are many guitarists who use 2 amps live, eg one that is particularly good for clean sounds like a twin reverb, and one particularly good for distorted ones like a marshall plexi.
In the POD, putting 2 mutually exclusive different amps in a single patch (instead of 2 dedicated patches) is useful to avoid completely the lag time that would occur instead when changing patches.

Another possible good reason to use 2 amps in one patch is that very often in recording studios is used to place in front of a cab speaker 2 different and complementary microphones such as the bright SM57 with the warm Royer 121 and mix their signals to get the ideal sound. Unfortunately in the POD it is not possible to combine 2 different microphones for the same cab/speaker, and therefore the only way is to use 2 equal amps with the same cab/speaker but different microphone.

 

Finally, combining different amps is a way to create new amp sounds not otherwise obtainable with just one. If you like, it is a way to multiply the loaves and fishes.

 

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[RonSom1976]

One more:

 

I am the only guitarist in my band.

 

You can start a song by using amp1 and switch on amp2 at a point - so you simulate a second guitarist starts playing now (the same accords).

You should pan right / left for this effect.

[sorcerer532]

2 hours ago, RonSom1976 said:

You can start a song by using amp1 and switch on amp2 at a point - so you simulate a second guitarist starts playing now (the same accords).

You should pan right / left for this effect.

 

Are you asking if it is possible or are you making a statement telling us that it is?

[RonSom1976]

josephship434 

asked what can you do with two amps in a preset - this is on way.

 

I use it when I play When I come around by Greenday - Intro only one amp - after the drum-break/Bassguitar-Fill-In both amps

 

 

(I don't pan it hard - it's not to flash the audience - but the sound is different  - kind of just nice - no science)

[sorcerer532]

Ah--josephship434--I thought you started the thread for some reason! Ha!

 

On 6/29/2020 at 6:41 AM, josephship434 said:

That helps, because I haven't looked into experimenting with dual paths. You know of any good artists or youtube channels or whatever that helps educate people on stuff like this?

 

I don't know of any YouTube channels, but here is the way I've done what Ronsom1976 is talking about:

1. Create a dual amp patch with one amp model on "PATH A" and another on "PATH B"--leave both amp models on --> POD HD500X Edit Pilot's Guide 3-7 English Rev B.
2. Go to the MIXER view: pan "PATH A" hard left and "PATH B" hard right --> POD HD500X Edit Pilot's Guide 4-1 English Rev B.
3. Go to the AMPS view and dial in each amp models' settings & volume levels
4. Go to the CONTROLLERS view  --> POD HD500X Edit Pilot's Guide 5-1 English Rev B.
5. In the MODEL list select the amp on path B
6. In the FS ASSIGN list choose the footswitch you want to use to turn Amp Model B on and off
7. Go to the AMPS view, turn the amp model in Path B off, and set the "CH VOL" knob to 0%
8. Test the footswitch you selected--it should turn the amp in Path B on/off and toggle the channel volume from 0% to where you previously programmed it

 

[frac82]

hello everybody!

another question: can HD500X (and also 300/400/500) operate in "mono amp" mode?

i.e.: does the HD500X come with a set of single-amp presets from factory, just right out of the box, by default? is this option present or you can only use it in dual mode?

sorry but I couldn't find any info on the web about that...

thnx

[pianoguyy]

i must have totally misunderstood that, because there is no way this is a real question

 

[frac82]

@pianoguyy I'm evaluating the purchase of a HD500X pedal board; I just wanted to know if it comes also with a set of mono-amp prests by default or if out-of-the-box it's just dual-amp and you can have mono paths only creating them by  yourself from scratch. I'm asking because I couldn't find any HD500X preset list on-line to check. 

[joel_brown]

The short answer is yes.  Also the default presets are not very useable.  Everyone has ended up building their own presets from scratch or heavily changing the default presets.  It's not hard to do.  Just think of how you would do it with normal effects, amps, and cabinets.

 

The questions is: why are you buying an HD500X ?  Why aren't you looking at some version of the Helix like the Stomp or Go ?  Why do you want to buy something very old and obsolete ?

[pianoguyy]

5 hours ago, frac82 said:

@pianoguyy I'm evaluating the purchase of a HD500X pedal board; I just wanted to know if it comes also with a set of mono-amp prests by default or if out-of-the-box it's just dual-amp and you can have mono paths only creating them by  yourself from scratch. I'm asking because I couldn't find any HD500X preset list on-line to check. 

 

I still find it a laughable question. 

Not just because of 'can it be used with one amp and in mono'... I mean, DUH.  

But also, anything made for stereo can be mono simply unplugging your 2nd audio source. Take out one earbud, you no longer hear stereo.  

 

The reason you only see people talking about how to make dual or stereo patches is because THAT is the more advanced stuff that not all machines do and can be difficult to properly set up. People ask if it can be done. People ask how it can be done. The thing you want, everyone knows it can be done and how to do it. 

 

*Now, since I brought up "more advanced stuff", I will point out - the 1/4" outs will sum to mono if you only use one jack. So, I advise you to use a dummy plug in the other, that way stereo is always 'active' and you are hearing what is truly meant to be in the one channel. You won't have any unintended phase issues. This is especially important if you use XLR since XLR does not sum to mono. You want to hear the same from both sources. 

[frac82]

I thought it was a simlple question, but still no answer. thanks anyway.

[hurghanico]

On 1/23/2021 at 8:16 AM, frac82 said:

hello everybody!

another question: can HD500X (and also 300/400/500) operate in "mono amp" mode?

i.e.: does the HD500X come with a set of single-amp presets from factory, just right out of the box, by default? is this option present or you can only use it in dual mode?

sorry but I couldn't find any info on the web about that...

thnx

 

On 1/24/2021 at 12:14 PM, frac82 said:

I'm evaluating the purchase of a HD500X pedal board; I just wanted to know if it comes also with a set of mono-amp prests by default or if out-of-the-box it's just dual-amp and you can have mono paths only creating them by  yourself from scratch. I'm asking because I couldn't find any HD500X preset list on-line to check. 

 

The POD HD300 and 400 can use only 1 amp model in the chain.. the HD500X can use (if you want) up to 2 amp models in the chain..

 

I never used them but IIRC many if not all HD500/X factory presets use only 1 amp, and if the second parallel chain is used it is often to have some effects in parallel or to switch via the pedal from the signal of a chain with an amp to the other one without amp.

 

When creating new patches (very easy thing to do, especially with the Editor) the default starting configuration of the chain is always with only 1 amp slot.

 

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[pianoguyy]

2 hours ago, hurghanico said:

I never used them but IIRC many if not all HD500/X factory presets use only 1 amp, and if the second parallel chain is used it is often to have some effects in parallel or to switch via the pedal from the signal of a chain with an amp to the other one without amp.

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There are dual amp and dual path presets. 

But, also, depending on the firmware version someone has, there was even a Dual Amp setlist at one time. 

[hurghanico]

1 hour ago, pianoguyy said:

There are dual amp and dual path presets. 

But, also, depending on the firmware version someone has, there was even a Dual Amp setlist at one time. 

 

I've never had the X version of the POD HD500, I guess you have it instead,

and that's probably why I've never seen Dual Amp factory presets or even Dual Amp Setlists in combination with any firmware.

 

Certainly given the slightly greater DSP resources available in the X version it is logical that it has also factory presets more DSP hungry as demo stuff.

 

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[pianoguyy]

Actually, the Dual Amp setlist was older, before the X units even came out. 

But,yes, there are dual amp patches on the current firmware. 

 

*I have these things saved, but don't use them.