POD HD500 has changed my opinion of Line6.

[Rod]

Originally Posted by gtr37

only thing I seriously wish for and this is me personally is a great sounding hot rodded Brit hi gain.
If they did that . Custom brit hi gain . for instance,Take a JVM orange on channel 1 ,and give a second channel of the Splawn Qr in 3rd gear that would be the bomb.
Then they could leave the Marshall's alone

I use hot rodded Marshall tones all the time with my HD.the trick is to use the tube driver first in the chain. Also try the tube driver and Dr Z amp and cab..pretty astounding. As is the tube driver into the Jtm45 and plexi. All great hot rodded tones.
And Julia, I think you'll love the new Soldano amps when they're available for your 500

[Rod]

On another note I picked up an 11r for cheap and thinking it was going to blow away my HD300..not so.....the Hd's effects are better and with the most recent upgrade it really is sounding and feeling pretty realistic.
I do like those Bogner amps especially the blue channel from the ecstacy.. I could use just that amp at a gig. Has a great balanced overdrive tone which cleans up when you lower your guitar volume. The Vox and plexis are useful as well. The fx leave something to ge desired though. Maybe I need to spend some time with fx. I also have G3 that I use in my teaching room with students. It's just not in the same league
for tone and feel as the hd and 11R are...haven't done the new update....is there much of a change in the sound/feelnof their new amps?

[gtr37]

Originally Posted by Rod

I use hot rodded Marshall tones all the time with my HD.the trick is to use the tube driver first in the chain. Also try the tube driver and Dr Z amp and cab..pretty astounding. As is the tube driver into the Jtm45 and plexi. All great hot rodded tones.
And Julia, I think you'll love the new Soldano amps when they're available for your 500

hmm intresting I love the 11r tones I have heard and would have thought Digi by a long shot over the Line6 .although it sounds like Line6 is not that far off the mark. perhaps I should consider that dt25 head and Pod400.

For my stuff actually every modeller I have ever used the Soldano is the amp choice. with the randall Mts the Soldano's were the ones i used.
So line6 addition of the SLO is great news to me.

[Kellen]

I've been using the POD HD500, and JTV69 for about a year, now. Originally, I bought the POD to add some depth to some of my instrumental acoustic solo performances (a la Kaki King/Andy McKee) where I would need multiple tap delays, looping, and switchable compression/volume schemes. The POD promised to handle this in addition to being very flexible and engineer friendly with it's layout, and software editing.

It did the trick, and before long, a bunch of other players around town were asking how I was getting such a big sound out of such a small rig. It was satisfying to use, and in the hands of a proper tweaker made for some great patches. On one occasion, the mixer didn't make it to a gig, so I was able to mix my guitar, the vocalist's keys through the aux/in, and his voice through the mic pre. Not a recommended setup, but I was floored that we were able to carry the night with gate/comp/EQ, and sound great for $500. Of course he couldn't talk to the audience while I was tuning. Ha.

So, I gig about 5-6 times per week with my Live Band Karaoke band, five-piece rock band, acoustic solo/duo. My normal guitar rig at the time was a Hughes and Kettner Duotone combo with an Xotic BB, and AC+, and a Keeley Katana. It's a great sounding, high-quality rig. Needless to say, I needed to be more flexible than I could be at this point to accommodate the karaoke gig.

Basically, I started using the POD for everything. Some songs have basic tones, and they can share a preset, but some songs require a lot of specific effects. The ability to switch these great-sounding effects in any combination is a life saver. I couldn't possibly meet the space, time, quality, and flexibility points of my gigs without something like the POD. I have no doubt I'd end up with more options, and maybe better tone if I were to run Axe-FX, or build a complicated switcher rig with isolation cabs, etc. Also, I have a backup, and the bassist in the band uses one now, so if shit really hits the fan all of our presets are stored on the show laptop and everyone's pod. Break one in Denver? Buy a new one on the way, and in 15 min it'll be updated and programmed for EXACTLY your show.

Couple that with the Variax, and you can pretty much accommodate whatever weird request, pull off gimmicky bits that the audiences love, instantaneously switch to other tunings for chords, but still solo in standard, etc. Only need an acoustic on the intro? Bam. Solved. Acoustic/Electric simultaneously with gain/volume/delay mix control on the expression pedal switchable by one button? Done.

I haven't purchased the DT25, yet. So far, I like having a stereo rig, and I've become accustomed to hearing my tone in my ears, or in front of me. Plus, I'd need two of them for the stereo thing, and that would bump my mixer footprint to at minimum 4 channels, so I've been dragging my feet. I've demoed them together, and if 30-40 foot stages were the norm, then I'd definitely own one.

If you've got 1 or 2 sounds that you need to have, and you like having an amp, and your Soundguy seems to get good results, and you have a great sounding guitar booth/mic/control room... I don't really see the point of a POD for you, nor the Variax.

But, if you're really particular about your effects, into stereo, record, have a couple of different gigs, don't mind/enjoy tweaking your tone, and above all—always work with at least a decent PA with your own wedge, then this thing is going to rock your work for cheap.

[CloudyJim]

I have a guitar that I've set up to split stereo outputs between bass and treble strings. Think Chet Atkins style alternating bass with different effects on bass and treble channels. The HD500 seemed perfect for that with it's dual routing/input possibilities. I also had an M9 and loved the effects.

I returned the HD500 within a week. Why would I do that considering it's the only affordable MFX unit that can do separate/dual channels from input to output?

I simply could not get good basic tones out of it. The feel is better than the XT Live that I had before it, but it's still has that POD stamp on it. I couldn't get a clean or mild distortion tone that I liked. So, I thought, I'll just turn off the modeling and use it for effects. Well, the effects ARE NOT as good as the M9, despite them saying they are the same algorithms. Notice how the harmonizers and synths don't track as well in the HD vs the M9. There's more latency with the HD500, etc. The effects feel more claustrophobic in the HD. It has that whole "playing through a computer" feel which leaves me cold.

I ended up with two Mustangs (a I and a III) and those cheap amps have a ton of varied great cleans and vintage tones. No latency and great feel.

My impression is that the Line 6 modeling boxes are geared towards metal and all the great reviews are probably related to those sounds They haven't made much progress in the clean department.

[coderKen]

Originally Posted by CloudyJim

My impression is that the Line 6 modeling boxes are geared towards metal and all the great reviews are probably related to those sounds They haven't made much progress in the clean department.

I'm far from a metal player and I've really enjoyed the HD500. I think it all just boils down to the player. No one unit is going to satisfy everyone. I've wanted to like modelers for a long time but was just never able to bond with one (that I could actually afford...) until the HD.

[CloudyJim]

I think that all of the modelers out there that I've tried have had a basic sound that is always there, regardless of which model you are using within the unit. There's a Kemper thread going on right now where someone is pointing out that all of the profiles have a basic common Kemper denominator. Whatever it is the Pods stamp on the sound, it doesn't work for me.

I'm sure the Mustang amps have their own stamp, but I hear distinct differences between myriad of clean amps and dont' notice a common denominator. I'm sure it's there, but I don't notice it because i'm not annoyed with it.

[SouthernShred]

Not a knock on Line 6 or any other modeling manufacturer, but I've had the POD XT Live, HD500, AxeFx Standard, 11R, etc, etc...I seem to have had a string of FOH engineers that only know how to make my modeler sound bad (not my playing lol) direct in the FOH and in my IEM's...I'd love to be convinced that I can get a consistent sound out front, but perhaps I'm just dealing with fools. Venues range from medium to larger sized clubs to churches that do modern worship music...I've been dealing with modelers and preamps for the past ten years and I just get frustrated. I can dial a good patch that sounds good at volume through a QSC HPR122i or similar...sigh...

Anyway, Line 6 has made enormous strides from the first big 2x12 combo amp to now

[Akeron]

Originally Posted by CloudyJim

My impression is that the Line 6 modeling boxes are geared towards metal and all the great reviews are probably related to those sounds They haven't made much progress in the clean department.

The problem is not the marketing but the amount of video\audio with the same style of playing\tone that the users of this (and other) modeler create. It happens that lots of people (myself included) like distortion so much.

[GuitarKidd]

Originally Posted by CloudyJim

I think that all of the modelers out there that I've tried have had a basic sound that is always there, regardless of which model you are using within the unit. There's a Kemper thread going on right now where someone is pointing out that all of the profiles have a basic common Kemper denominator. Whatever it is the Pods stamp on the sound, it doesn't work for me.

I'm sure the Mustang amps have their own stamp, but I hear distinct differences between myriad of clean amps and dont' notice a common denominator. I'm sure it's there, but I don't notice it because i'm not annoyed with it.

Just like Fender, Mesa, Vox all have their own footprint. The "Modeling" term, IMO, stabbed L6, Digitech, etc., in the back by trying to emulate and accurately model those amps. I'm perfectly fine with Line6 if they came out and said here is the new POD, with no amp modeling. Maybe define it by calling it amp "referencing" or something. Where they refer to a fender for cleans but all in all it's not modeled after the Fenders. Rather we are given a clean slate and we produce whatever tones the product can produce.

If I get a nice clean tone and it's not based on a fender or vox amp, who gives a flying rat's rear end. If you like your clean sound and you got it out of the Treadplate... then so be it. Some people approach modeling with a closed mind IMO. Today's units are so much more versatile than a closed box tube amp IMO. Pick up a HD500, RP1000. Learn to use them and learn to use them in the proper context and adjust your expectations.

Expectations are huge too. Sure, you can plug your Axe into your 300 -1000 pair of Monitors, is it going to "FEEL" the same as if your have an amp on stage or pointed at yourself? Of course not, but what you do get is the easye of getting millions of tonal options at your disposal and crafting music with just a few pieces of gear.

At this point, I don't think I will EVER own a tube amp. Never have either in my almost 10 years of playing.

[efjbdejong]

Originally Posted by GuitarKidd

Just like Fender, Mesa, Vox all have their own footprint. The "Modeling" term, IMO, stabbed L6, Digitech, etc., in the back by trying to emulate and accurately model those amps. I'm perfectly fine with Line6 if they came out and said here is the new POD, with no amp modeling. Maybe define it by calling it amp "referencing" or something. Where they refer to a fender for cleans but all in all it's not modeled after the Fenders. Rather we are given a clean slate and we produce whatever tones the product can produce.

If I get a nice clean tone and it's not based on a fender or vox amp, who gives a flying rat's rear end. If you like your clean sound and you got it out of the Treadplate... then so be it. Some people approach modeling with a closed mind IMO. Today's units are so much more versatile than a closed box tube amp IMO. Pick up a HD500, RP1000. Learn to use them and learn to use them in the proper context and adjust your expectations.

Expectations are huge too. Sure, you can plug your Axe into your 300 -1000 pair of Monitors, is it going to "FEEL" the same as if your have an amp on stage or pointed at yourself? Of course not, but what you do get is the easye of getting millions of tonal options at your disposal and crafting music with just a few pieces of gear.

At this point, I don't think I will EVER own a tube amp. Never have either in my almost 10 years of playing.

I use the same approach. I dail in amps without even looking what model I am actually using. Just use my ears to get me where I want.
These modelnames do nothing for me. As it turns out I like the Dr Z a lot coupled with overdrives.

Love my HD500, too bad I cant update due to a broken usb circuit.....

EJ

[CloudyJim]

Guys, I don't give a rat's ass what the model says either. I want a wide variety of tones and don't care how I get it. I simply had to work too hard to get a good twangy clean tone (think surf, spaghetti western, spring reverb, , Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, etc) out of the HD500. It just didn't feel right and the different clean amps weren't different enough from each other.

Just look at the latest HD firmware upgrade and the new amps. High gain is the name of the game over there.

I often wonder if I just didn't have the right FRFR amp to get the most out of the HD. The Mustang has the advantage of being an all-in-one package so I don't have to wonder what it was intended to sound like. However, the Mustang through headphones walks all over the HD in my opinion. The HD had me reaching for the treble knob every time. I'm not sure why they can't get that right.

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by CloudyJim

Guys, I don't give a rat's ass what the model says either. I want a wide variety of tones and don't care how I get it. I simply had to work too hard to get a good twangy clean tone (think surf, spaghetti western, spring reverb, , Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, etc) out of the HD500. It just didn't feel right and the different clean amps weren't different enough from each other.

Just look at the latest HD firmware upgrade and the new amps. High gain is the name of the game over there.

I don't think so. I did this with the new SLO Clean patch.

http://soundcloud.com/jim-soloway/slocleantest-1

In fact, all I use are clean tones and I love this unit.

[hobbes1]

nice jim. i guess i'm gonna have to upgrade to 2.1 here soon

[derek_32999]

That is a great clean tone, Jim, but not what he was talking about. I know, too. It took me forever to get a Roy Nichols type crisp clean and every time I play with that setting, I tweak a little something. The DEP seemed to help a lot, though.