Change Variax Tunings Using Footswitches

[bmcoonan]

Greetings,

 

I'm sure this has been answered so I apologize in advance for the repeat - I've searched several threads for an answer and haven't been able to find a definitive one.

 

My question is can you alter the tunings of the JTV guitars on the fly using the Footswitches of the HD500? For example - within one song can I hit open g, standard, open em just by hitting a switch and NOT doing anything on the JTV?

 

Thank you so much - I'm getting ready to purchase but this is a key feature that I thought was possible...based on what I found, I THINK it was not originally possible, but perhaps a software upgrade enabled that ability.

 

Thanks much,

Brian

[TheRealZap]

you can have a tuning selected for each tone...

the way you could accomplish this is to simply have duplicated tones with different tuning selected example: 1A Jam-Eb 1B Jam Drop D etc....

[bmcoonan]

Thank you TheRealZap - and this may seem like overkill ...but it actually does change the tuning (modeled) of what is output from the variax correct?

 

Appreciate the quick response!

[TheRealZap]

Yeah, it can change the guitar, the tuning, and everything else on each tone.. :)

[bmcoonan]

Yeah, it can change the guitar, the tuning, and everything else on each tone.. :)

THAT is what I needed to know (and am unbelievably excited about!)

 

Thank you!

[rlumpkin]

This is a feature I use and love.  And don't forget that a virtual capo is treated the same as any other alternate tuning, so you can play a song with capo-7 simulated, and instantaneously switch with the footswitch mid-song to capo-0 for the solo.  Because you'll probably want a different tone for that, you'll probably change more than just the virtual tuning. 

[moondancer]

I use input 1 Variax with a tuning, input 2 set to Variax Mags. Put a panner in front of channel a/b and pan by the expression pedal between a Variax model with tuning and your Variax magnetic PUPs with surely no tuning ;)

But in this case you may not put an mono fx in front of the panner!

[brywool]

Holy Crap... the amount of thought in the setups is mind boggling.

I'm doing the different tunings with the Variax as well. It's WAY cool and gets me out of the capo thing.

My biggest fear is if my HD or JTV goes down in a gig. All my tunings and sounds would be gone in one fell swoop.

I have nightmares about such things. ;)

 

Regarding Virtual Capo, I've just gone in and manually changed the tunings on the Variax settings on the HD500, one string at a time.

Sounds like there might be an easier way with the virtual capo approach.

[Rewolf48]

egarding Virtual Capo, I've just gone in and manually changed the tunings on the Variax settings on the HD500, one string at a time.

Sounds like there might be an easier way with the virtual capo approach.

 

Not really easier - the choices are:

 

1) If you are in tune and confident you can do a Virtual Capo change on the fly for all tuning changes (JTV only)

2) You can pre-define the tuning changes into tuning slots on the HD then turn the wheel (JTV only)

3) You can save a specific tuning as part of a Model on any Variax using Workbench and then switch between the Models (and Variax - tuning knob has to be Model on a JTV).

4) You can get the HD500/Pro to override tuning on a JTV via the Variax settings page (JTV only - saved per HD patch)

 

The first is not seamless - you have to stop playing, but the others can be done while the guitar is sounding - there is a trick that Merlin mentioned on the old forums where you use tuning changes rather than fretting notes, and so can drink beer (or whatever) while playing live  B)

 

Personally I like the HD control because it is a single action - you change the HD Patch and the JTV changes Model and Tuning automatically.

 

Just wish that it could change JTV Bank as well as Model (independent of the Bank Selection) so that when you jump to a Spank model you get all Strat Models accessible on the Switch even though the Bank Selection is for example on Acoustic.

[brywool]

Yeah, having the HD500 do it is great. The setting has to be pre-stored, but once you've done it, it's there.

[peter2014]

Hi

 

I have an HD500x - brand new - trying to get it to save tunings to a preset and override the tunings knob on the JTV, but whatever I try I cannot get the preset to override the knob on the guitar.  The only way I can get the right tuning (and guitar model) to sound is to dial it up on the JTV alt tunings (and guitar model) knob(s).  What I want is to be able to select a preset with a footswitch and have the tuning (and model) change without having to change the knob(s) on the JTV guitar.

 

if someone could give me a step by step guide as to what settings to make in HD Edit / on the guitar / on the HD500x, i.e. an idiot's guide, I would be grateful.  I have spent hours looking a manuals and on forums and have not been able to make changing tuning (or model) by footswitch happen.

 

Peter

[silverhead]

In order for the tunings in the preset to be applied your JTV guitar Tuning knob must be set to Standard. If it is set to any specific alternate tuning that setting overrides the stored preset.

[wicker_man]

silverhead - I don't think that's right.  All my tuning and model selections are programmed into my POD HD Pro with the tone.  I don't bother with those selector knobs at all unless I'm just noodling at home.  But, if I've changed the knob to say, Open G, then hit my patch that is set to drop D, everything changes OK.  May be different behaviour in the 500, but I doubt it...

[cruisinon2]

In order for the tunings in the preset to be applied your JTV guitar Tuning knob must be set to Standard. If it is set to any specific alternate tuning that setting overrides the stored preset.

Doesn't seem to matter where the tuning knob is on mine. As long as the tuning I want is saved to the preset, it changes as it should. I just tested it to be sure before replying.

 

To the OP...Select the patch you want, and hold down VIEW button for a second or two. A settings menu will open. Scroll thru the pages until you get to the Variax tuning page. The default is set to Don't Force. Use the knobs to change it to whatever tuning you want, then save. Be careful with the following though... If you save the tuning you want to the patch, then at some point after that you change the guitar model and save again, the tuning choice will revert to standard. Its generally regarded as a bug, and a major pain in the a$$ until you realize why its happening. Hope that helps.

[silverhead]

Thanks to both of you for the correction. I don't know where my confusion came from - I remember there used to be some behaviour like I described. Perhaps it changed in a recent firmware update, or perhaps I remember it from some beta release and didn't realize it had changed. Anyway - thanks for setting the record straight.

[wicker_man]

No worries!  Was probably in an earlier firmware version as you say.  I must admit, being able to set the specific tuning in the POD interface and store/recall it from the patch is one of my favourite features.

 

 

peter2014 - I have a POD HD Pro, but I suspect the interface is broadly the same on the 500x.  Try this:

 

1. Plug in JTV via VDI first or you won't see the tuning page.

2. Press and hold 'View', then page through to 8/10 when editing the desired patch

3. Use knob 1 to change variax tuning setting from 'Don't force' to 'Custom'

4. Use knobs 3 & 4 to set tuning for each string

5. Save patch

 

That's all I do anyhow.  Same process for setting the model, just on page 7/10.

[peter2014]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I will try again a bit later today.

 

What's weird is that no matter what I do (even with the JTV attached with a DTI cable - I'm not using a regular guitar cable so I guess the DTI cable I am using is ok as everything else else works) I can't get the 8/10 settings page to show tuning.  It just says N/a and when I turn knob 1 (which is the only knob indicated) nothing happens.

 

I can see tuning in the Mixer section of HD Edit and can switch to custom and save tuning from there, but the position of the knobs on the JTV still seems to override everything.

 

Does anyone know how to make 8/10 tuning say N/a?  If I knew that I could probably not do that thing and get tuning control in the HD500x.

 

I don't know whether the Variax Control knob 1 in 7/10 on the HD500x has anything to do with this - it has choices Preset and Global - I don't really understand the difference between the two, though whichever of those two settings I use it doesn't seem to help with the tuning problem.

 

Peter

[jakeman19]

Peter, "Preset" would save the tuning with each individual patch you create or edit. "Global" is just that, it's tuning is setup so if you change from patch to patch it's the same on all selected. So you'd have to use the Preset to then see/use the 8/10 as you must have it in the Global setting elsewhere. Hope that makes sense.

 

Jd

[peter2014]

Just an update for the record, for the benefit of anyone who has the same problem and searches this forum.

 

Line 6 recommended I update the flash memory on the guitar.

 

I thought I'd done that when I first fired up Line 6 Monkey.  I looked again and where I'd gone wrong was that I hadn't appreciated that Monkey was updating the HD500X and not the guitar, and that I had to "Change devices" and update the guitar in a separate operation.

 

That has fixed the problem - now all working as I expect it to according to the manual.

 

Peter

[peter2014]

BTW thanks jakeman for your post of 16 March

 

Peter

[edstar1960]

Just an update for the record, for the benefit of anyone who has the same problem and searches this forum.

 

Line 6 recommended I update the flash memory on the guitar.

 

I thought I'd done that when I first fired up Line 6 Monkey.  I looked again and where I'd gone wrong was that I hadn't appreciated that Monkey was updating the HD500X and not the guitar, and that I had to "Change devices" and update the guitar in a separate operation.

 

That has fixed the problem - now all working as I expect it to according to the manual.

 

Peter

 

Hi Peter - yes that makes sense - the ability to change tuning on the JTV from the HD500 was introduced at one of the v1.8x firmware levels (can't remember exactly which one) for the JTV.  If you had JTV firmware v1.71, the software would not have supported being changed from the HD500.

[biggarfish]

I've been using the HD500 with my traditional guitars for a couple years now but just finally got a JTV 69 this week.

Any new insights on saving tones like acoustic and banjo and also directing them straight to the P.A. while sending chords and solos to my amps.

[nlucasone]

I know this is a pretty old thread...BUT I have a few questions....

 

I have owned my JTV for a while now, and just bought myself a DT25 combo which is AMAZING! 

 

BUT anyways...

 

I have always just used the dial on my JTV to change the tuning, but it occurred to me that that should be able to be done via a footswitch! Well...I can't seem to find a seamless way to do that. 

 

I have duplicated my tone, and had my tuning saved to each one. I can switch between the two tones fine and it changes my tuning. Problem being it's not really seamless. I also had to switch from using footswitch mode 5-8 back to ABCD. There is always a sync time between them that seems to "SKIP" 

 

Has anyone figured out a nice way to do this, or shall I just stick with my rotary switch??? 

[eenymason]

I know this is a pretty old thread...BUT I have a few questions....

 

I have owned my JTV for a while now, and just bought myself a DT25 combo which is AMAZING! 

 

BUT anyways...

 

I have always just used the dial on my JTV to change the tuning, but it occurred to me that that should be able to be done via a footswitch! Well...I can't seem to find a seamless way to do that. 

 

I have duplicated my tone, and had my tuning saved to each one. I can switch between the two tones fine and it changes my tuning. Problem being it's not really seamless. I also had to switch from using footswitch mode 5-8 back to ABCD. There is always a sync time between them that seems to "SKIP" 

 

Has anyone figured out a nice way to do this, or shall I just stick with my rotary switch??? 

The age old saga of the dreaded..............gap.

There is no perfectly seamless way to switch "instantaneously" from one preset tuning to another, regardless of whether it's changing presets in the HD500 patches, (by pressing a footswitch), or whether you turn the knob, or flick the pickup selector switch on the variax. As a musician, you should/will have the skill to anticipate when the change needs to happen.

Your best bet (for speed), is to have the two variax patches adjacent to each other in one of the two "custom" banks on the variax, and simply flick the pickup selector. You won't get quicker than that. I have many songs which rely on two (and sometimes more) patches, and I'm quite accepting of the fact that the HD500 has this limitation. As well as changing guitar type/tuning on the variax, usually a different amp type/setting etc is required, so two patches for me is usually the go. Sometimes during a solo, I just change guitar/pickup type for different tone/dynamic output, using the pickup selector. Then at the end of the solo, I'll press the patch switch on the HD500 again to reset to the pre-programmed guitar setting, as often it's somewhere else on the variax dial, and I'm sure as hell not searching for it in an instant.

Sure it'd be amazing if the gap wasn't there, but if that's what you NEED in your life, save your pay, upgrade to the Helix, and embrace "snapshots".

[jbsoundideas]

I have a Variax Standard with Workbench HD. Is the HD500 the only Line 6 unit that can change the Variax tunings via footswitch? Or can other line 6 units do so.

[silverhead]

On 7/23/2022 at 11:18 PM, jbsoundideas said:

I have a Variax Standard with Workbench HD. Is the HD500 the only Line 6 unit that can change the Variax tunings via footswitch? Or can other line 6 units do so.

Any Helix device with a VDI interface can do that too.