Eq Starting Point? Maybe That's The Wrong Word... Help?

[brywool 1]

Hi-

I've had a JTV59 for about a year now. I LOVE it. I used to have to carry a ton of acoustics along with my electrics and the JTV/HD500 Combination has made my life so much simpler, thanks Line 6.

 

My issue is this- I use it through a Bose system. I'm a multi-instrumentalist and so my keyboard and mandolin go through it too, along with the HD500/Variax. The rig has made my life much simpler.

 

For the Acoustic sounds, this combination works pretty well. For the electrics, not so much.

 

My QUESTION is this:

 

When you guys set up your sounds in your HD500 for your Variax's- do you pretty much leave the EQ flat or does each patch get EQ'd differently?

 

If I take the sounds straight from the Workbench into the HD500, that's obviously pretty simple, but while these sounds are great through headphones, sometimes in the live situation it's not that great. It's almost like there needs to be a basic amp setup in the HD500 that is just killer, then all the sounds from the workbench go there to take advantage of those great amp settings.

 

I'm probably looking for an overly simplistic answer here, I just tend to get wrapped around the axle trying to dial in perfect tones.

[cruisinon2 1,288]

Hi-

I've had a JTV59 for about a year now. I LOVE it. I used to have to carry a ton of acoustics along with my electrics and the JTV/HD500 Combination has made my life so much simpler, thanks Line 6.

 

My issue is this- I use it through a Bose system. I'm a multi-instrumentalist and so my keyboard and mandolin go through it too, along with the HD500/Variax. The rig has made my life much simpler.

 

For the Acoustic sounds, this combination works pretty well. For the electrics, not so much.

 

My QUESTION is this:

 

When you guys set up your sounds in your HD500 for your Variax's- do you pretty much leave the EQ flat or does each patch get EQ'd differently?

 

If I take the sounds straight from the Workbench into the HD500, that's obviously pretty simple, but while these sounds are great through headphones, sometimes in the live situation it's not that great. It's almost like there needs to be a basic amp setup in the HD500 that is just killer, then all the sounds from the workbench go there to take advantage of those great amp settings.

 

I'm probably looking for an overly simplistic answer here, I just tend to get wrapped around the axle trying to dial in perfect tones.

 

Not really sure what you're driving at...I've never had two different patches with all the tone controls set in exactly the same spot. Especially switching from one amp model to another, one size definitely does not fit all. If the problem is that your acoustics patches (which ideally won't be using any of the 500's amp models anyway) sound good running direct to a PA, but not the electrics with amp models, then the answer likely lies with whether or not you're using full amp models or pre-amps only, and also what output settings you are using...studio/direct, combo/front, stack/front, stack/power amp, etc. Each will color the tone differently, and some experimenting is usually required to get it to work with the rest of your gear.

[brywool 1]

I was thinking "is there a common starting point?" but yeah, I know what you mean.

If you think of it in the terms of an amplifier, you turn on your amp and it sounds like XX when it's clean.

Then you add effects, distortion, etc. But you've got that clean, punchy amp as a starting point.

With the HD500, it seems like you're always starting at ground zero. I need to find the "clean, punchy amp" and build from there and I guess that's what I'm finding hard to do.

I realize it's an odd and somewhat basic question,

[cruisinon2 1,288]

I was thinking "is there a common starting point?" but yeah, I know what you mean.

If you think of it in the terms of an amplifier, you turn on your amp and it sounds like XX when it's clean.

Then you add effects, distortion, etc. But you've got that clean, punchy amp as a starting point.

With the HD500, it seems like you're always starting at ground zero. I need to find the "clean, punchy amp" and build from there and I guess that's what I'm finding hard to do.

I realize it's an odd and somewhat basic question,

 

Well, you're right, you are starting from scratch each time...the HD500, 500x are quite different anything else I've used. Definitely not plug-and-play. I tend to think of the clean and dirty tones as completely different universes. I almost never use the same amp model(s) for both...but your mileage may vary.

[brue58ski 299]

I would stop creating tones on your headphones and use your Bose.  I've never had a tone I've created in headphones sound the same anywhere. 

And it's always just been a standard rule. 

 

Make your tones with what you're going to use. 

 

It's the only way to be sure what you create will be heard the same way as when you created them.  It does, however, sound like you don't have the Bose system where you create your sounds.  At least use real speaker and dump the headphones.

[Aavitsland 0]

The FM curve applies no matter what, so you set your sounds at gig volum. Have separate patches for recording, low rehearsal and home noodling.