JTSC777 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 I took my new(new to me) HD500 out for it's first gig at a large casino here in central California where I live last night.An excellent PA and sound man(woman) are provided at this venue and the sound engineer is a very good one. I used one Alto 10 in. powered speaker(which I did not really need) the HD500 a GR55 an inexpensive Laguna guitar with a GK3 pickup on it and a Talk Box. The band consisted of a bass player/ vocalist and drummer/ vocalist both very good players with strong skill sets.We played everything from Herbie Hancocks "Chameleon" to "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and the HD500 was an absolute joy to use and listen to.Typically I find that most of these inexpensive modelling devices fall apart at high volume.The HD500 did not show any of that and actually got better as the engineer turned me up in the system and I am talking about ear splitting "where are my ear plugs?" volume.I found it easier to navigate than any of my previous Boss units and it sounded good with all the GR55 sounds I blended with it(B3-piano/strings/electric piano/synth leads etc...).I think the best thing I discovered is how many sounds and levels of gain I could get while staying in one patch.Very amp like in feel and behavior.Not good news for my 6 or 7 tube amps LOL! With all the negative stuff I see on some other forums I just wanted to share my experience at a gig that requires that I bring my "A" game tone wise/gear wise and skill wise.Taking it back tonight to finish our two night stand. Thanks to all the helpful people on this forum for all the hints/tips and tricks on getting the most out of the HD500! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandrio Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 ...Not good news for my 6 or 7 tube amps... absolutely true! u must also try the HD500 with a JTV with a gk3 pu... jtv 59 with roland pu JTV 69 with roland pu JTV 89F with roland pu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juicyjones Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I took my new(new to me) HD500 out for it's first gig at a large casino here in central California where I live last night.An excellent PA and sound man(woman) are provided at this venue and the sound engineer is a very good one. I used one Alto 10 in. powered speaker(which I did not really need) the HD500 a GR55 an inexpensive Laguna guitar with a GK3 pickup on it and a Talk Box. The band consisted of a bass player/ vocalist and drummer/ vocalist both very good players with strong skill sets.We played everything from Herbie Hancocks "Chameleon" to "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and the HD500 was an absolute joy to use and listen to.Typically I find that most of these inexpensive modelling devices fall apart at high volume.The HD500 did not show any of that and actually got better as the engineer turned me up in the system and I am talking about ear splitting "where are my ear plugs?" volume.I found it easier to navigate than any of my previous Boss units and it sounded good with all the GR55 sounds I blended with it(B3-piano/strings/electric piano/synth leads etc...).I think the best thing I discovered is how many sounds and levels of gain I could get while staying in one patch.Very amp like in feel and behavior.Not good news for my 6 or 7 tube amps LOL! With all the negative stuff I see on some other forums I just wanted to share my experience at a gig that requires that I bring my "A" game tone wise/gear wise and skill wise.Taking it back tonight to finish our two night stand. Thanks to all the helpful people on this forum for all the hints/tips and tricks on getting the most out of the HD500! I'm so glad to hear that first-hand again about the volume level. I know I won't have any problem, but I have anxiety about that for some reason. Silly of me. Glad the gig went well and thanks for the report. absolutely true! u must also try the HD500 with a JTV with a gk3 pu... jtv 59 with roland pu JTV 69 with roland pu JTV 89F with roland pu I want to come over and jam at your place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandrio Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 ...I want to come over and jam at your place... u r welcome. our studio and the pureages classic rock band in Athens r @ ur disposal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alienux Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I'm so glad to hear that first-hand again about the volume level. I know I won't have any problem, but I have anxiety about that for some reason. Silly of me. Glad the gig went well and thanks for the report. Yeah, the POD at higher volumes does really well. That's one reason I had to switch to a POD for gigging at church. My Peavey Vypyr amp, which sounds great, was just too overpowering for everyone on stage when I had it up loud enough to get a good sound when miking it. So I had to mic a very low level volume with the amp, which made it sound wimpy and thin, not because of the amp, but because of having to keep the stage volume so low. With the POD it's not an issue at all anymore. I use a monitor pointed backward toward me and put the volume wherever I want, and the sound guys have my full tone signal going into the PA and can adjust the volume from there without weakening my tone. I've had many compliments on my tone since switching, just because of the volume options alone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel_brown Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Yesterday I plugged straight into my Marshall JCM900 and 4x12 cabinet and cranked it up then plugged into my PODHD which then goes into the FX return of the Marshall JCM900 and 4x12. I still like the PODHD setup better, which can also do stereo into both my Marshalls. Everyone once in a while I like to back to back compare it. There are lots of different ways to setup these PODHDs. I'm sure some people have better tones than others and some people won't be happy with any tone. But I'm glad I bought the PODHD and didn't spend a butt load more on a Kemper or AXE. I like hearing the complaints and solutions on this forum but it's also nice to, once in a while, hear something nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTSC777 Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 The second night went even better. Not one minute did I miss my amps or individual pedals.I can't say that about the GT10 I used for about a year before that.I rehearsed last night with a different female singer lead band I work with and used my VG Strat and My Epiphone Mandobird 8 string electric mandolin through the HD500 straight into the PA. Low volume/high volume same great pleasing results and the HD500 works very well with my mandolin! We are starting rehearsals for a "Women Of Rock" show and the HD500 is just what I need for that gig. Thanks again to everyone here at Line 6 Forums! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRSGuy Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 "Women of Rock", now that could be great! Such a wide selection to pull from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyo78 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Yep, I love my HD500 also live. But remember... I'm sure it has something to do with our "tone-sculpting" of our patches too. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billlorentzen Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Been using it live for years, and couldn't be happier. I will probably never go back to straight up amps. I get so much versatility that I would be hard pressed to match with an amp or even two. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi_Im_Matt Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I've been gigging mine off and on for a while now, and exclusively for about the last year or so. Honestly, if I bring out pedals it's for something that isn't yet represented in the POD (like my POG2) or somethign that's just too unique (like a certain Wah I have), or it's just because I want the eye candy. Same for amps. I played a show direct once (amp damaged in transit) and it sounded GREAT. My amps now are just for the feel of having one onstage ( I have one that's pretty eye candy) and to help with monitoring. I'm perfectly comfortable going direct with it though. This POD HD 500 finally made me start telling people that there is no longer an argument between digital or analogue, only a preference. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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