HD500 critical bug.

[Will Chen]

I don't plug my HD500 into a computer to edit, so haven't experienced it first hand but a great many users have encountered a bug which results in a very loud high pitched squeal when using HD edit. A couple have complained that due to headphone use they've encountered some hearing damage as a result. Regardless if personal injury claim is true or not (though someone posted a sound sample and I can believe it). Many are reporting its crashing their computers as well as the HD. Line 6 has acknowledged the bug and reportedly shooting for a fix by end of week (cutting it pretty darn close at this point). You can read the full details here: http://line6.com/support/thread/76099?start=0&tstart=0

I'm not affiliated with Line 6 and maybe this has been posted before, but thought I drop you guys and gals a line...

 

[GuitarKidd]

Yep, I received an email in regards to it last week sometime. I haven't heard the squeal, but HD Edit has locked up my HD500.

 

[SquashPile]

I received the email too. I have not had those issues so far. 500 is always plugged into my computer. I use edit exclusively, but not headphones.

Hopefully resolved soon and something to remember when monitoring direct with phones.

 

[halorealm7]

I received the email too. I have not had those issues so far. 500 is always plugged into my computer. I use edit exclusively, but not headphones.

Hopefully resolved soon and something to remember when monitoring direct with phones.

Same here, always plugged in and edit really gets a workout. I use phones mostly. So far so good, never a squeal or a crash of any sort and I'm getting close to a month of use.

 

[derek_32999]

Ya, I just make sure not to use the HD500's foot switches et all when using EDIT. That helps. The only times it has locked up on me is when I am using both at the same time.

 

[echos]

Happened to me once this week. Really loud and high pitch. It was pretty awful as I was using headphones. Hoping this gets fixed soon as I have to play thru cans since I play early in the AM.

 

[Pietro]

Not once yet. Maybe that "fix" will be a part of the new firmware!

 

[Jack Gilvey]

Got that e-mail a while ago as well. No squeals here either, never heard of it before that e-mail. I edit primarily on the PC.

 

[guitarnet70]

When I still had the HD500 it has happen twice and it was damn loud!

 

[travisvwright]

Not once yet. Maybe that "fix" will be a part of the new firmware!

I'm sure. I wouldn't be surprised if fixing that delayed the planned release.

 

[steadystate]

Wow. I just read the thread. Their "top engineers and QA staff" have been working on this "non-stop" and have been "doing their best to provide a solution as soon as possible" for two months since this thread was first posted?

The first bug I reported to a different manufacturer (that shall remain nameless) was fixed in one day. I guess solutions are harder to find in deep pockets.

 

[SquashPile]

Wow. I just read the thread. Their "top engineers and QA staff" have been working on this "non-stop" and have been "doing their best to provide a solution as soon as possible" for two months since this thread was first posted?

The first bug I reported to a different manufacturer (that shall remain nameless) was fixed in one day. I guess solutions are harder to find in deep pockets.

 

[MKB]

I guarantee that Line 6 has placed this bug as a top priority fix, as they could conceivably be held liable for hearing damage in some users. It will most likely delay the release of v2.0 until they find a real fix.

FWIW I have never heard the issue, but I seldom if ever use Edit to create tones. I do it all from the unit UI, and only use Edit to back up patches. I did listen to the recording of the issue by one user, sounds mighty frightening...

 

[Peeb]

When I read "critical bug", I thought that the display might from time-to-time read something like:
"Your bend on that last note was a little flat. Timing could use work too- tighten it up"

I would hate that.

 

[steadystate]

Roll your eyes all you want. I don't blame the people on that thread for being as upset as they are. I've owned Line 6 gear. It's great gear for the money. But if I had this happen to me (unpredictable full amplitude blast of noise or tone that could damage my hearing), I'd be *royally* pissed off. Some people experience a primal sensation of anger when presented with such a stimulus, as when some a-hole sets a firecracker off next to your ear as a "joke". I've seen it happen more than once. Hearing loss is a serious matter. One instance is all it takes. Once it's gone, it's gone.

Considering their resources, Line 6 is taking a long time to sort this out.

 

[GuitarKidd]

Just had it happen to me tonight. Fortunately I wasn't wearing head phones but going through my M-audio's. This was the first time I heard the squeal though.

This is how it happened to me.

• Tweaking a patch
• Playing a Youtube video backing track
• Noticed that audio shut down on the youtube video
• Then, HD Edit froze up, but still had sound from the guitar going through.
• I killed HD Edit, and that's when it squealed.
• The POD seemed reset itself and then started going through a cyclical reboot.
• I powered down the POD for a few minutes, plugged back in, but started the cyclical reboot all over.
• I had to do the Hard Reset on the unit to get it to come back up. I had to reinstall the drivers on the PC. And I reinstalled the most current firmware.

This was not a pleasant crash to deal with. Line6 really needs to get this fixed ASAP.

The worst part is I had a FANTASTIC patch created using the tips from the ABITW Solo Pt2 thread from that one guys website. Man did I learn some new tips and tricks and was really stocked. Than HD edit crashed on me.. UGH....

 

[Pietro]

Wow. I just read the thread. Their "top engineers and QA staff" have been working on this "non-stop" and have been "doing their best to provide a solution as soon as possible" for two months since this thread was first posted?

The first bug I reported to a different manufacturer (that shall remain nameless) was fixed in one day. I guess solutions are harder to find in deep pockets.

Apples and oranges. Could be the "bug" you found was easy to fix, and the issue that is being discussed here is more complicated.

It is not a reflection on the company either way.

 

[DRS]

Never had this happen to me. I use the Edit all the time. I did get L6's email.

 

[Dr.Fix]

I got the L6 email, anyway I didn't experience that issue.

I'ma a software devloper and I have to say that sometimes fixing bus is not as easy as it seems... you have to be able to reproduce them, and sometimes is very hard, expecially when they're caused by windows crashes...

what if crash is due to a specific driver of a specific model of usb card or something like that? L6 engineers can't of course try every combination of the world... they can try to make protections or checks to prevent that situations, but trust me, that's not so easy.

 

[steadystate]

Apples and oranges. Could be the "bug" you found was easy to fix, and the issue that is being discussed here is more complicated.

It is not a reflection on the company either way.

This could be the case. However, IMO, Line 6 waited too long to let users know that they were aware of it and working on it. I will say that they are more responsive than Roland.