what is the right way to use the mag variax with vdi cable? thank you

[guilhordas]

I can not get a real good tone of my magnetic pickups using vdi cable, the more I turn off the models knob, the sound that comes from the actual pickups is very bad, I know that something is not working, I know the sounds the actual pickup. I only have success when I turn off the vdi cable and run a 1/4 guitar cable to the pod hd.
what is the right way to use the mag pickups? thank you

[DarrellM5]

The magnetic pickups on my JTV-69 sound incredible, through the 1/4" and the VDI outputs.  Are you running it into a HD500X?  What are your input settings?

 

This sounds like a problem with the guitar so far.

[guilhordas]

my inputs are 1- variax and 2 -guitar, is there something wrong, the problem is not with the guitar because when I run 1/4 sounds good

The magnetic pickups on my JTV-69 sound incredible, through the 1/4" and the VDI outputs.  Are you running it into a HD500X?  What are your input settings?

 

This sounds like a problem with the guitar so far.

[guilhordas]

I do not want to blend models with mags, I just want to use the mag. how should i do? push the button and turn off the models?

[silverhead]

Select Variax Mags as the Input if you just want the magnetic pickups.

[guilhordas]

I do not want just the mags, you know? I just do not want to use mags and models together, I want to be able to in a song of a gig I use only the mags and other models only, then, should I leave on inputs 1 and 2 Variax and Variax mags? and when I use the mags should I push the button and off models models?

Select Variax Mags as the Input if you just want the magnetic pickups.

[silverhead]

I would use 2 different presets if I wanted only the mags and then only the model during the same song.

[guilhordas]

but where  should I set on the patches to use models or mags?

I would use 2 different presets if I wanted only the mags and then only the model during the same song.

[silverhead]

You use the Inputs to select models or mags. Selecting Variax as the input uses the model that is also assigned within the patch. Selecting Variax Mags uses the mag pickups.

 

If you want to use a blend of model and mags you select both of these as Inputs. If you want to use either a model or the mags, not both, then you assign the one you want as one input and make sure the other input excludes the other setting.

[DarrellM5]

I have mine set for Input 1 Variax and Input 2 Aux.  Then I just push in on the model knob to switch back and forth between the two.  Yours should work this way as well or something is definitely wrong.

[silverhead]

DarrellM5 is correct. I was over complicating things. With the Input set to Variax the VDI connection will send the output of the Variax to the POD, according to the Variax model knob setting. If modelling is turned on it sends the selected model; if modelling is off it sends the mags.

 

You don't need to use different presets and you don't need to use Variax Mags as an Input if you just want to control the model/mags selection manually.

 

Sorry for any confusion.

[guilhordas]

definitely there is something wrong in my setup then, when I do this that you guys talked about ,  mags sounds artificial, bad, but when I run cable with 1/4 back normal sound and sounds great, the real sound of a stratocaster with real pickups.
the sound that comes out of mags with 1/4 is completely different from the sound that comes out of mags with vdi cable

[guilhordas]

I still could not figure out, but the real pickups only sound good when I run 1/4 cable, with the cable vdi not;.
I use my inputs 1 variax and 2  guitar

is there any secret on pod hd to set?

and , every time that i press another preset the models get turn on, do i have to push off models button all time that i want to use the real pickups?

[guilhordas]

another question, the  tone of real pickups should sound exactly the same when I use the vdi cable or the 1/4? does not sound to me, on the contrary, they sound very different

[mdmayfield]

I would suggest trying this:

 

Input 1: Variax + guitar

Input 2: same

 

Then use the Model Select push-in switch on the Variax to select models or magnetic pickups. I've found those settings to be the closest match between 1/4" and VDI on my setup.

[silverhead]

There is one significant difference in the Pod HD in how it processes the VDI vs. Guitar Input. Only the Guitar Input has the Input-Z parameter; the VDI input does not. Perhaps the tonal difference that you are hearing in the mag pickups is a result of your Input-Z setting on the Guitar (1/4") input.

[guilhordas]

Funny thing, I was doing login right now to comment precisely what you said, I think you're right, guitar in z makes a good difference in tone

There is one significant difference in the Pod HD in how it processes the VDI vs. Guitar Input. Only the Guitar Input has the Input-Z parameter; the VDI input does not. Perhaps the tonal difference that you are hearing in the mag pickups is a result of your Input-Z setting on the Guitar (1/4") input.

[guilhordas]

I recorded these 2 samples for you to hear the difference, first sample of each track is always with 1/4 in the second with Vdi, notice how different sounds

 

the guitar in z is on auto

[guilhordas]

is very weird, even if I'm using the 2 inputs in the guitar and aux , if I press the patches on pod models sound , models should not be mute when I Set The inputs this way?

[cocoa7]

Hi,

 

I am experiencing the same issue...selecting 'Mags' with the VDI cable doesn't result in a tone that's identical to the 1/4 signal.  So, I have one question:

 

Is it possible when using 'Mags' with the VDI cable to duplicate the tonal characteristics of the JTV 1/4 signal?

 

If not, I don't need to keep trying, but I can be frustrated.

 

Thanks!

[silverhead]

 

Is it possible when using 'Mags' with the VDI cable to duplicate the tonal characteristics of the JTV 1/4 signal?

 

Probably it's not possible to get exactly the same tone. That's because of the different A/D and/or D/A conversions that are involved. The VDI signal will convert the Variax Mags from analog to digital as the signal leaves the Variax. The Pod HD will accept this signal in digital format. Conversely, the 1/4" output will send the Variax Mags signal in analog format, and the Pod HD will convert it to digital on Input.

 

These are two different conversions which will not present exactly the same signal as input to the Pod HD DSP processing. However, I would expect the differences to be very minor and probably not noticeable to any ear other than an audio engineer's or an oscilloscope.

[Charlie_Watt]

The 1/4 inch mag signal is passive just like a normal guitar.  The VDI is processed - has to be because it's digital.

[mdmayfield]

These are two different conversions which will not present exactly the same signal as input to the Pod HD DSP processing. However, I would expect the differences to be very minor and probably not noticeable to any ear other than an audio engineer's or an oscilloscope.

 

Because of that, I don't think that the specific A/D converters probably cause the tonal difference. There have been blind tests where audio engineers and musicians (let alone the normal population) couldn't tell converters apart. (This was in context of ABX'ing 44.1kHz 16-bit with SACD, and no one did significantly better than chance.)

 

But.... Passive pickups change their tone a lot depending on the capacitance (strongly correlated with length) of a guitar cable. I wonder if a very short guitar cable would make the 1/4" output closest in sound to the VDI.

[chuskey]

I can not get a real good tone of my magnetic pickups using vdi cable, the more I turn off the models knob, the sound that comes from the actual pickups is very bad, I know that something is not working, I know the sounds the actual pickup. I only have success when I turn off the vdi cable and run a 1/4 guitar cable to the pod hd.

what is the right way to use the mag pickups? thank you

I have experienced exactly the same issue as you have described.  I think I posted something about this a while back and was told it was most likely due to the difference of 1/4" analog cable vs digital signal and AD/DA conversion.  

It's kind of an aggravating trade off to choose between the benefits of having digital control when switching patches via the VDI or a usable sound from the mags using the 1/4".  If I'm going to use the mags I just skip the VDI all together.  

 

If there is a work around for this I'm thrilled, but I think it may be unavoidable due to the differences in the way the analog signal gets delivered to the HD500(X).  I suppose Line 6 could theoretically compensate for this via the firmware, but that's totally speculation on my part.     

[cocoa7]

Yes, very frustrating.  Since a few of the posts suggest that the difference is minimal, and since my ears hear a significant difference, I wonder if something else isn't amiss for those of us who are experiencing this problem.

 

As for cord length, I'm using a 12-foot Monster cable...not likely to be the source of my problem.

 

What I hear is a significant increase in the brittleness/harshness of the sound when 'Mags' are selected using the VDI cable.

 

Until I figure out a better way, I suppose I'll keep both the 1/4-inch and the VDI cables connected the the HD500, then take the time to plug/unplug the appropriate one at any given time.  This, however, removes possibility of switching from 'Mags' to 'Variax' via presets in the middle of a song.

 

Is it possible there's some other component within the two units (HD500 and JTV) that needs to be tweeked?

[Charlie_Watt]

I don't do this but you should be able to run the VDI and 1/4 inch at the same time into the HD.  If you switch the modeling off, the 1/4 inch should be the raw mag signal.

[Islandman2020]

I realize this is an old thread, but I am new to Variax and the HD500X, and I thought I would add here what Kurt at Blue Jeans Cables said about ethernet cables. He said that there is no standardization, or requirement for the testing of ethernet cables and consequently their quality is all over the place.  At BJ Cables he said they test each cable they sell with a 100K testing device.  Each cable comes with it's own test report.  He suggests that the Belden 1305A is not only an ethernet cable of highest quality, but is also made in with a unique jacketing design that makes the cable highly flexible.  I think he said that in an "Audioholics" interview that could be found online he talks about this.  Anyway, I wonder if a higher quality VDI cable like the Belden would make a difference in sound when using the magnetics? 

[snhirsch]

While a durable, quality cable is important for stage use PLEASE do not buy into any of the nonsense about oxygen-impregnated, helical wound cable manufactured by virgins under a full moon somehow sounding better.  I realize companies like Monster have made untold millions on the gullibility of so-called "Golden Ears", but trust me:  The electrons simply need to get to the other end.  They don't care how they get there. 

 

When using VDI, your sound is being encoded into a digitial bitstream.  A magic cable won't make it sound any different.

[silverhead]

+1. A cable carrying digital data either works or it doesn't. If it works, it works. None of them work any 'better' than another.

 

Of course, a guy working at a business that sells cables of the same sort at different prices is motivated to have you believe that the extra cost is worth it. If you ask a guy who works in a TV store whether the more expensive HDMI cables work any better, he'll certainly tell you that they do. They don't.The digital data either gets from one end of the cable to the other or it doesn't.

 

EDIT: Of course I'm just talking about the digital data-carrying aspect of the cable. There are clearly differences in the physical materials used in the cable shielding and housing. A flimsy inflexible cable is more likely to be damaged over time than a robust flexible one and that's definitely worth something. But that's at the physical, not technological, level.

[cruisinon2]

While a durable, quality cable is important for stage use PLEASE do not buy into any of the nonsense about oxygen-impregnated, helical wound cable manufactured by virgins under a full moon somehow sounding better. I realize companies like Monster have made untold millions on the gullibility of so-called "Golden Ears", but trust me: The electrons simply need to get to the other end. They don't care how they get there.

 

When using VDI, your sound is being encoded into a digitial bitstream. A magic cable won't make it sound any different.

Hallelujah, a voice of reason. That has driven me nuts for years...I suppose Kevlar speaker cables would be nice, just in case your living room comes under fire in a drive-by...but the notion that they sound any better or worse, is comical.

[Charlie_Watt]

I could not agree more!  People that spend a fortune on Monster Cables are smoking rope if they think they can tell the difference in sound.  Wire is wire!

[snhirsch]

Back in the days when I did fixed sound installations, I often used plain old Romex 12g (or 10g if the distance was extreme) wire in the walls.  No one ever complained about muffled or lost sound :-).  For portable use, nothing beats 12/2 SJ electrical cord for durability.

[cruisinon2]

Back in the days when I did fixed sound installations, I often used plain old Romex 12g (or 10g if the distance was extreme) wire in the walls. No one ever complained about muffled or lost sound :-). For portable use, nothing beats 12/2 SJ electrical cord for durability.

Lol...it's such a scam.

 

When I was a kid I spent 2 summers saving up enough money to buy myself my first decent component stereo system. Dad and I got everything home and realized we hadn't bought any speaker cable. The old man, being an engineer, went to the basement and hacked the power cord off a sh*tty old lamp, cut it in half, stripped the ends and, POOF! Speaker wire...and it was a nice pair of BOSE bookshelf speakers, too. Sounded prefectly fine...used those same wires, with that same stereo well into my 30's.

[psarkissian]

“Belden 1305A is not only an Ethernet cable of highest quality, but is also made in with a unique jacketing design that makes the cable highly flexibleâ€--- the reason to go to this far with cable design, in this particular case, is that Ethernet cable like this is flat. If you twist it and the field orientation changes, then the impedance will have slight changes. That’s why nobody uses “Twin Lead†for antenna cable anymore, and pot for coax when dealing with these frequency ranges.

 

VDI cable is encased in a round insulation to keep this down to a minimum. Beldin also has a Firewire Audio that they came out with a few short years ago with the trunking insulation that also keeps the twist of the four leads, down to a minimum or no twist at all. The more leads, the more complicated it becomes.

 

For more about Firewire Audio, 1305, and cables in general,… check out books by Steve Lampen of Beldin Cable, or email him at Beldin (just not all of you at once). He’s always happy to give tips to audio people about the fine points of cables.

 

“PLEASE do not buy into any of the nonsense about oxygen-impregnated, helical wound cable manufactured by virgins under a full moon somehow sounding betterâ€---- Yes,… what “snhirsch†said. Oxygen doesn’t enhance conductance, it makes it worse, especially at contact points, oxidised contacts just ‘F’ things up.

 

Don’t waste money on expensive esoteric cables. Monster cable is nice, but unless you have an audiophile set up with a 128dB signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) system,… another 2dB of SNR won’t mean anything because the human hear can’t hear a difference in power change below 2dB anyway. 

 

VDI cable is better than plain Ethernet because of the Cannon casings on both ends that gives good mechanic contact to the connections, keeping wiggle and intermittent contacts to a minimum. 

 

Line6 Link is an AES/EBU, 110-Ohm cable for use with Line 6 products that have Line6 Link capabilities. DO NOT use 50-Ohm mic cable for Line 6 Link applications. 

 

AES/EBU 50-Ohm Balanced Line is for use with low impedance mic applications. Do not confuse this with 110-Ohm Line 6 Link. It would be bad. As Venkman said, "... don't cross the streams",.... and don't confuse these cables or their applications.