Is HD500 still a good buy (for use as pedalboard and interface)?

[the_trooper_emi]

Hello everyone. I'm on a tight budget for two things, guitar interface and a multiFX. So I thought to get both in one unit, and the HD500 can be found used for a reasonable price.

Expected use cases:

- As a pedalboard replacement with an amp and 4 cable method. Your standard pedal board: wah, volume, compressor, OD, noise gate in front. EQ, chorus, delay, reverb in the amps FX loop.

- As a guitar interface. So just an interface, no modeling. To play and record through DAW with VSTs.

 

As you can tell I'm not interested in it's amp and cab modeling capabilities at all. I only care for effects and PC connectivity, so I have two questions.

1. How are its effects, do they stand the test of time? Off course I'm not expecting Helix level quality, but are they decent enough to be used today?

2. ASIO drivers. This is a somewhat old device. Can it be used for playing with VSTs with acceptable latency?

I know Line6 is famous for its customer support, but how long can they support a product. Do you fear your drivers will break with every Windows update never to come back? With that in mind does it make sense to buy HD500 if it won't be able to function as an interface in the nearby future.

(If you have suggestion for another device that fits the descriptions and is affordable, please share!)

Thanks in advance!

[pianoguyy]

The 500 was replaced by the 500x. The 500x is current - in the sense that it is still being made and sold (although, who knows what changes may happen due to CoVId). 

 

However, what 'outsiders' don't always grasp - there is no difference between the 500 and 500x. 

A few years after it was designed, a part manufacturer discontinued a part. L6 used a new part, and decided to change one other part - a part which was giving them an issue but also something they had been looking to change in newer products (in testing at the time, but are now available for sale). 

They use the same firmware. They use the same software. There is no real difference. 

 

The reason I mention this - if you feel as if the 500x is a workable product for you, then the 500 is the same viable option as well. 

 

 

 

[pianoguyy]

46 minutes ago, the_trooper_emi said:

I'm not interested in it's amp and cab modeling

 

I have said numerous times - buying from L6 and not using the amp modeling is like buying a Ferrari to drive from the garage to the end of the driveway in order to pick up your mail... and then back to the garage.  

 

Of course, that typically applies to new products. The 2nd-hand market brings that price down considerably. But, you can buy some of those other products at discounts as well. 

[the_trooper_emi]

Thanks for the info about 500(X)!

 

16 hours ago, pianoguyy said:

buying from L6 and not using the amp modeling is like buying a Ferrari to drive from the garage to the end of the driveway

 

The thing is, there doesn't seem to be an FX unit that offers 4 cable method, has freely movable blocks (even Line 6 has one that you can't move the compressor and some other blocks) and can function as an interface.

 

As far as I can tell there's HD500X and Boss GT100. In my price range, up to 250-300€. There's also Mooer GE250 which is a newer device. It also has the advantage of being much smaller (I don't need a monster size unit on my desk since I'll use it as an interface 90% of the time). But, honestly, if I'm giving 300€ I'd rather have a Line6 than a Mooer. Maybe I'm wrong but, there it is.

 

You might say, just get an interface. I could, but I still need an FX unit for the rare occasion when I play live with an amp. Which brings me right back to the beginning.

[hurghanico]

Even if you don't intend to use amp models in particular, I think it's impossible to find another unit that offers so many other features in one device for a cost  of 200-250 in the second-hand market.

 

The quality of the models (amp and effects) as it was good long ago is obviously still now, there are countless online demos to prove it.

 

Proprietary Line6 asio drivers work just as well as all others of other brands and are still supported, but it's hard to predict how long they will still be.

 

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All about POD HD500/X

help and useful tips

[JohannDaart]

HD500X is an unit that can do a lot of things well.

Guitar+Mic? Check. FX loop? Check. Abundance of outputs? Check. Great pre amp models? Check. Looper? Check. Tuner? Check. So many robust footswitches in such cheap unit currently? Check. USB recording? Check. 

 

Its weakpoints? Quirky power amp modeling and outdated cab models. 

 

If you plan on using it for effects, as a pre-amp modeler with real power amp and guitar cab, then you will be happy. You will bypass HD's flaws.

 

Only for effects? Maybe? There are cheaper units, that might do the job better. 

 

As an interface for playing with VSTs? No.

You want latency below 10ms, preferably below 5ms. HD500X has well above 10ms :(

On the other hand, even current generation modelers don't offer sub 5ms latency for VSTs. Those units are made for modeling. If you want to play with VSTs properly, get a dedicated USB interface with good drivers (Zoom UAC-2 has good drivers that offer sub 5ms on USB3).

[the_trooper_emi]

23 minutes ago, JohannDaart said:

You want latency below 10ms, preferrably below 5ms. HD500X has well above 10ms :(

 

Bellow 5ms!?  :O  Can any interface even do this?

 

Anyhow, I think you're being a little to harsh. 5ms latency is like playing 1.7 meters away from an amp. Who plays with their ears glued to the amp?

You know how much latency you get when you play 5 meters away from the amp? 15ms.

I think everything up to 12ms of latency is perfectly acceptable.

[JohannDaart]

2 hours ago, the_trooper_emi said:

Bellow 5ms!?  :O  Can any interface even do this?

 

Yep, from higher price points RME interfaces (they write their own drivers), from budget tier Zoom UAC-2 (Zoom wrote their drivers too for USB3, instead of outsourcing them and repackaging them as other companies).

 

Another disadvantage of HD500X is that it seems to be unstable for some people on their modern systems (Windows 8 / 10), they get blue screens often.

 

The disadvantage of consumer, budget interfaces like Zoom, Focusrite or Steinberg, is that their headphone outputs are meant for consumer, low impedance, high sensitivity headphones. If you have headphones that are hard to drive, then you might need a headphone amp.

 

HD500X advantage is that its headphone out is meant for professional, harder to drive headphone monitors and I really like how it sounds through them.

 

2 hours ago, the_trooper_emi said:

Anyhow, I think you're being a little to harsh. 5ms latency is like playing 1.7 meters away from an amp. Who plays with their ears glued to the amp?

You know how much latency you get when you play 5 meters away from the amp? 15ms.

I think everything up to 12ms of latency is perfectly acceptable.

 

It all depends on a person. What seems natural with a normal amp, for some people (even untrained beginners, not pro musicians/producers) is irritating while using VSTs through monitors or (especially) headphones.

If you've tried playing with VSTs at 10ms+ and you like it, that's.... a blessing haha ;)

 

On my laptop, @256 samples, the round trip latency is 22 ms:

 

 

 

I haven't even tried using VSTs, HD500X is a modeler, not built for them IMHO.

You obviously can go down to 128 samples, but 256 seems to be stable. Lowering the sample rate makes things jaggy on my system. If you want to use many VST plugins on many tracks at once, then I don't think HD500X will cut it, even on powerful PC.

 

I'm trying to give you an honest picture of what HD500X is. I think it's a versatile and great unit in many, many aspects, but handling VSTs is not its strong side or even being a proper USB interface because its stability issues on modern systems.

[the_trooper_emi]

4 minutes ago, JohannDaart said:

On my laptop, @256 samples, the round trip latency is 22 ms:

 

Yup, that is too much. I was thinking up to 12ms round trip latency.