medbad5150 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Good grief, plugged into my Vox VT100 nearly two years since I barely used it. GT10..GT100...VG99..GR33..GR55...AX 2....( well axe 2 is still in learning the kit stage ) HD500 is still the one, used it on Saturday night so still packed in the case. So just took 'one' lead plugged Gibson into it. Hit me like a brick wall! Never heard my Paul sound it, open E wouldn't stop sustaining! Okay amp isn't top of the range but still gob smacked. I've read alot about tone suck and noise gates on the HD but in truth, I read this long ago, so barely go past 15% in the gate, I found even that low, the noise is still eliminated, but now thinking, should I turn it off completely. I also use strats so thats where the problem is gonna be, but goes to show, how far these things still have to go to match a half decent amp and a cord. Another idea, which I've read so much about, could I use the amp and just use the effects ( although in truth the GT100 effects kill the HD500 ) and switch off HD amps. Excuse my ignorance but the last time I tried was with Marshall Vintage Modern combo and GT10....failed miserably! Eg Three cable or four? Bypass, switch this off and that on etc etc.. Lol, all said and done, next gig will see HD500 take its place onstage, but just wondering how I could match a proper amp sound btw I tweak to death, and read this forum everyday.. Very grateful for any ideas..thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Personally, I hate noise gates. I never use them. I don't know where it was anymore, but I read or heard an interview with The Edge, and he said that he would rather deal with noisy pickups than have a noise gate destroying his signal. That's kind of my feeling. I've never played through that I felt didn't affect sustain in a negative way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triryche Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hand to the guitar pot has been my noise gate for years!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_Watt Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Noise gates should be able to only clobber noise when you are not playing. That is what they really should be used for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I should also add that one of the best thing about the Variax is that the piezos aren't subject to EMF interference like magnetic pickups are. The piezos are dead quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radatats Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 great topic. I have been using Line 6 exclusively for a dozen years now... I love my DT25 as a tube amp but it is still a modeler. There is no doubt the POD/DT combination is awesome but there is magic in an all tube amp. I am looking to pick up a 1x12 combo for jams and will not use amp sims. I plan on using the HD500 in 4cm for the effects, volume, wah only. I really want to hear from you guys that are using it that way and your experiences, good and bad... things to watch out for, things to avoid... thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbagchee Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Just made the switch myself from all HD500 into FX Return of a tube amp to a 1x12 combo and using 4CM - just posted this link in the other thread but thought I'd share it here too: http://jvmforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=5333 Jim Reynolds is a member of this forum too and I believe he posted a similar 4CM setup explanation here as well but I was having trouble finding it on these new forums. If he's around still maybe he will chime in but it works great once you get it all dialed in - just expect to spend several hours tweaking and comparing but once you get a "default" 4CM patch you can go to town. The only minor gripe is balancing levels between using the amps preamp for tones vs using a modeling pre - depending on your amp and how the loop is setup you might have to adjust the modeling amp level relative to how loud you have the master volume on the amp - that means I have to do a quick check on stage try and get my clean to be comparable volume and re save the patch. This is only a issue if you want to mix modeling and actual amp tones. I was tired of getting my heavy sounds to cut through the band mix. I spent a lot of time eq'ing and I could not get it to sound complimentary to my bass player's tone and still be something that I liked. My ears are just not good enough to meticulously carve out the right frequencies. With my new amp it was dead simple - knobs are all at 12 and it sounds killer, I can still adjust for a room if needed but it really is plugin and go and it cuts nicely now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radatats Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 yep I read the whole link and got some good pointers. I don't want to use modeling with this rig, just the two channels on the amp. I need the POD for effects and my JTV 69. Should be no DSP limits either! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radatats Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Just scored the amp I was looking at on eBay. 50 watt made in USA Crate VFX 5112. All tube 1X12 combo, 4 12AX7, 2 EL34, 2 channels with FX loop. Needs a good work over, new tubes and a speaker and ready to rock baby. Will use the HD 500 in 4 cable method for effects and wah only and to power my JTV 69. If this bad boy is half the amp as in many of the YouTube vids I am gonna be one happy camper... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandrio Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I've posted my ideas on this subject on another topic http://line6.com/support/topic/6264-what-should-i-buy-jtv-or-prs-guitar-i-own-a-hd500x/?do=findComment&comment=42469 The Crate is great and really rocking. I used to have a BV60. But I believe the JTV+HD500 is an unbeatable bundle, both for studio and live use. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpointmetal Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 The day before I bought my HD500....it was a GT-10 before that, and a GT-8 before that, and a GT-6 before that, and one of those little gray Zoom pedals before that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrybacki Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 "When Was The Last Time You Used A Guitar Amplifier Without Hd500?" Yesterday.American Series 50th Anniversary Stratocaster -> Xotic SP Compressor -> Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe -> Fulltone Plimsoul -> Fulltone OCD -> MXR Carbon Copy Delay -> TC Electronic DItto Looper -> Fender Princeton ReverbDo that most every day. Nothing against my HD 500/JTV59 combo really, but then too I believe Leo Fender got it just right in the 1950s and everyone else is still trying to catch up lol.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medbad5150 Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Diamond comments..many thanks I'm onto it, funny how you think sound is right or nearly there with multi effect and just a cord and amp nails it..ha ha okay without the flangers, delays, reverb etc etc..cheers guys much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazzy Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Everytime I play I use L6 Link HD500 into the DT50 Stack and then after I play like that for a while I plug direct into the front of the amp from the guitar and play like that for while. There's something to be said about simplicity. I like both ways. After that I'll play the Spider Jam by itself and then I have a Jet City Picovalve Stack and toy around with that for a while. Oh and I forgot about the Spider III 15 and VOX Mini 3 actually sounds good too. That Mini 3 Aux input really sounds good as a monitor with modelers I'm thinking about getting another for stereo patches, the rechargeable Amazon AA batteries go for like 6-8 hours depending on how hard you push the speaker, amazing. When it starts to sound bad that's the batteries giving out, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyo78 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 My last time was about 4 years ago (PODXTLive)... it was because I forgot the power supply. Luckily my Fender Stage 1-12" amp has an overdrive channel and reverb. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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