Members Will Chen Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 Just a heads up! If you've got a POD HD, its available... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members germanicus2112 Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 Nice! Thanks man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 Didnt think it was coming until the 19th! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby D Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 and it's AWESOME....i am digging what it does to ALL the amp models..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members baranger1 Posted May 13, 2011 Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 Thanks Will, I had thought it was out on the 19 as well. Bobby D check out the master control on the Marshall amps. Sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Will Chen Posted May 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 Got it installed and had a brief audition at low volume last night, so far so good! Initially I thought the power amp controls were a slight let down as they appeared to have only a very subtle effect, but they have a greater effect depending on the amp model being used. This isn't anything close to what Peavey's Revalver offers and likely not the equivalent to the AxeFX deep editing parameters but cool addition none the less. The new amp models are very nice. The Vibrato channel of the Deluxe provide that little extra shimmer which the normal channel was lacking and the new Electrik amp should deliver for all those who didn't like the high gain tones before, tons of creamy gain with real tight low end and lots of high end sizzle. However, the bright tweed bassman paired with a strat may be the coolest. Dial it up and play Little Wing and you'll see what I mean... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted May 13, 2011 Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 Did they fix the fact that the stereo effects loop wasn't truly stereo like it was supposed to be? :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Will Chen Posted May 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 Did they fix the fact that the stereo effects loop wasn't truly stereo like it was supposed to be? :poke: I didn't test it, but the release notes state that the effects loop was fixed from summed mono to true stereo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted May 13, 2011 Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 Yep, they beat their deadline. I had doubts they would meet their deadline which I publicly aired, gotta eat those words now!I didn't test it, but the release notes state that the effects loop was fixed from summed mono to true stereo. I think it is now officially worth what I paid for it, especially with a proper tube preamp front end, maybe someday I can use it with humbuckers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Will Chen Posted May 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 13, 2011 I think it is now officially worth what I paid for it, especially with a proper tube preamp front end, maybe someday I can use it with humbuckers!Huh, do you actually have one? If you simply don't like it, that's a separate issue. But given you understand the input summing quirk (and workaround) and now the ability to fine tune the gain staging (pre vs power amp) of an amp model I can't see how anyone would still complain about any unwanted clipping. Go check out Jim Soloway's humbucker guitar clips with the HD500 for reference of 100% pure clean tones. If you've been so unhappy with it, why have you kept it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gh0st Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 Huh, do you actually have one? If you simply don't like it, that's a separate issue. But given you understand the input summing quirk (and workaround) and now the ability to fine tune the gain staging (pre vs power amp) of an amp model I can't see how anyone would still complain about any unwanted clipping. Go check out Jim Soloway's humbucker guitar clips with the HD500 for reference of 100% pure clean tones. If you've been so unhappy with it, why have you kept it? What is the "workaround" to the "humbucker issue"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 Relax Will. YES I have one. I sold my GT-10 and bought the POD based purely on reviews and the negative comments directed at Roland/BOSS COSM - I have been a bit underwhelmed by the POD series, although I must say that it has grown on me. The amp modeling is FAR better than Roland/BOSS but the effects are FAR FAR FAR superior in the Boss products IMO, and that opinion has not changed. The POD wins on THREE fronts for me over the BOSS- ONE - Dedicated software editor that is well implemented. TWO - Amp modeling is far better THREE - Stereo effects loop. The stereo effects loop is a must because it means I can incorporate ANY external effects device, meaning I don't lose anything - I can always use external devices - including stereo devices and THAT is why I have kept the POD. I like it, but I get frustrated when things don't work they way they say they will on the tin. A stereo effects loop that isn't stereo? I DO like that Line 6 can continue to "fix" things on their products after the fact with firmware updates, but YES my humbuckers still overdrive the input of the bloody unit, and they aren't even that HOT- I'm not the only one that experiences this as others have brought it up at the LINE 6 forums- so it isn't just me.My workaround was to get a tube preamp, an old Hughes & Kettner TUBEMAN Plus for about $140 and use that as my "front end" for the POD. It works fantastic! I get some nice real tube breakup and feel before hitting the unit with a true instrument level signal (thank you Tubeman) and I don't have to mess with all that {censored}ty digitally modeled gain - hell, the fact that the WORKAROUND for fizzy sounding {censored}ty amp models even at the Line 6 forms was to use the PREAMP MODELS ONLY because the poweramp models were implemented so horribly bad. That said, this new update SOLVES a lot of that particular problem by giving us control over the power amp! YEAH! Color me impressed that Line 6 can continue to actually offer new features and fix bugs with the firmware! But the truth is that the tube preamp is really the way to go. Other than that, I'm happy with switching to the POD and as I tweak it, I've began to enjoy the sound and start to think I need to give Line 6 products another look now that they have matured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby D Posted May 15, 2011 Members Share Posted May 15, 2011 i LOVE the 1.31 update. got it updated the day before i got called to do studio sessions at the Power Station studios. they have plenty of nice amps there, and i had been using a vintage modded JCM800 with a ragged early 70s marshall cab that sounds like GOD. but i pulled out the HD500, and the engineer/producer was hemming and hawing....but i convinced him to give it a LISTEN. we ran it into a NEVE eq module, tweaked the lower mids a little, and just sweetened it a bit. 5 minutes later, we were CUTTING TRACKS.......the HD500 passed the studio test with flying colors, and the stuff i recorded is sitting just fine in a mix that i had previously recorded guitars with the vintage marshall rig and BJFe pedals.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Will Chen Posted May 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 ...but YES my humbuckers still overdrive the input of the bloody unit, and they aren't even that HOT- I'm not the only one that experiences this as others have brought it up at the LINE 6 forums- so it isn't just me... Yep, but all that was previous to the 1.22(?) firmware. I can't speak for everyone but over at the L6 forum in every case no one clipped when no amp model was selected and one very prominent voice in that discussion who posted clips on the Line 6 forum re-flashed their unit and their issue went away and another had a defective unit. The POD is always stereo by default. When you dial up an empty patch, 2 inputs are active the guitar input and a mirror of the guitar input. If you use any mono effect previous to the parallel split (including any amp) your duplicate stereo signals are summed to mono creating a very hot signal which when coupled with even moderate pickups will result in a signal which clips even with the gain at the lowest settings. By switching input 2 to any of the Variax settings (assuming your not using a Variax) you get a correct level signal with the stereo input is summed (the actual guitar input summed with the silent Variax input). This is stored at a preset level allowing one to double the input if desired to drive the amp models harder. I've got several guitars with humbuckers in the 9K to 10K range and none create any unwanted clipping when I adjust the input accordingly for a mono signal chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 Yep, but all that was previous to the 1.22(?) firmware. I can't speak for everyone but over at the L6 forum in every case no one clipped when no amp model was selected and one very prominent voice in that discussion who posted clips on the Line 6 forum re-flashed their unit and their issue went away and another had a defective unit.The POD is always stereo by default. When you dial up an empty patch, 2 inputs are active the guitar input and a mirror of the guitar input. If you use any mono effect previous to the parallel split (including any amp) your duplicate stereo signals are summed to mono creating a very hot signal which when coupled with even moderate pickups will result in a signal which clips even with the gain at the lowest settings. By switching input 2 to any of the Variax settings (assuming your not using a Variax) you get a correct level signal with the stereo input is summed (the actual guitar input summed with the silent Variax input). This is stored at a preset level allowing one to double the input if desired to drive the amp models harder. I've got several guitars with humbuckers in the 9K to 10K range and none create any unwanted clipping when I adjust the input accordingly for a mono signal chain. Thanks for the tip on the inputs - I didn't know that. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Will Chen Posted May 16, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 Thanks for the tip on the inputs - I didn't know that. B NP. The stereo routing "feature" is detailed in the Advanced Guide, but it took some trial and error to really understand what was going on. I think when you get around to muting input 2 (ie set to Variax, not XLR or aux which can both result in a higher noise floor) you'll be pleasantly surprised. Relative gain will be lower, but you'll pickup a fair amount of clean headroom and a reduction in noise. I think this was behind much of the humbucker distorted input issue. IMHO, Line 6 should mute the second input by default... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 NP. The stereo routing "feature" is detailed in the Advanced Guide, but it took some trial and error to really understand what was going on. I think when you get around to muting input 2 (ie set to Variax, not XLR or aux which can both result in a higher noise floor) you'll be pleasantly surprised. Relative gain will be lower, but you'll pickup a fair amount of clean headroom and a reduction in noise. I think this was behind much of the humbucker distorted input issue. IMHO, Line 6 should mute the second input by default...Yes- thanks again. The "advanced guide" - is that the thing that is available on their website for download? Part of my problem has been that I was a Roland/BOSS user for nigh on 20 years at this point and was familiar with them- that said, I also used to program Digitech products and other synth/multieffects products over the years and I am still a bit baffled by the POD - it seems that they ship their products out with bad firmware on purpose, knowing they can fix it after the fact. I'm used to the indestructible Roland / BOSS products that simply ARE what they ARE and you just live with it until the next version. That said, I have been rather impressed that they can actually add new features with firmware updates. It's intriguing. I also like their software editor for the POD HD. Roland has a tendency to lag behind in these areas- POD has built a community around the brand and have made the hardware secondary to the software- now if they would have JUST put an on/off switch on the damn thing I might be willing to forgive Line 6 for some of this assbackwardnesss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted June 12, 2011 Members Share Posted June 12, 2011 Oh, and Will - that input thing you told me about fixed the fact that the humbuckers overdrive the input of the POD. That proves to me two things: (well, maybe three) ONE - you are a cool dude that understands how to be objective about gear. TWO - all the people that said the "overdriving" thing didn't exist are either better informed about how to set up a POD product or are full of {censored} because it IS real, and switching to VARIAX fixes it. THREE - Line 6 really needs to include a manual or post a fix for this FAQ- while they continue to impress me in some ways, they are still bassackwards in others. Thanks for the tip, it really is appreciated and it was the key to solving that issue. -B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Will Chen Posted June 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted June 13, 2011 Oh, and Will - that input thing you told me about fixed the fact that the humbuckers overdrive the input of the POD. That proves to me two things: (well, maybe three)ONE - you are a cool dude that understands how to be objective about gear.TWO - all the people that said the "overdriving" thing didn't exist are either better informed about how to set up a POD product or are full of {censored} because it IS real, and switching to VARIAX fixes it.THREE - Line 6 really needs to include a manual or post a fix for this FAQ- while they continue to impress me in some ways, they are still bassackwards in others.Thanks for the tip, it really is appreciated and it was the key to solving that issue.-B Hey no problem man. L6 built a pretty solid product but there are definitely some quirks about it which are confusing and annoying. The stereo vs mono summing is a big annoyance to me. I wish there was simply a switch to change the mode of operation like the GT-10 rather than the weird auto switching based on effects placement and outputs used the HD500 currently has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gh0st Posted June 24, 2011 Members Share Posted June 24, 2011 I guess I'm not following what you mean by "muting input 2". How do i do this on the HD300? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Will Chen Posted June 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted June 24, 2011 I guess I'm not following what you mean by "muting input 2". How do i do this on the HD300? Only an issue on the HD500 to the best of my knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.