Line6 Pod HD500 Questions

[Wafx]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently using a Line6 amp and I've gotta be honest, I've grown rather tired of it. I've been looking at the Line6 Pod HD500 for a few days now and can't really decide if I should grab one or not.

Seeing as I could use it as an amp replacement if I get a pair of speakers aswell as use it for recording.

Tho seeing as this would be my first shot at recording and using pods at all, is the line6 pod the way to go? If not, then what would be?
I'd rather not spend cash on something I'll have to replace within a year. From what I've read up on so far is that the line6 pod will last quite a while.

To clarify, should a newbie like me burn cash on a Line6 Pod HD500?

I've been playing guitar for almost 3 years now, mostly death / thrash metal & I've gotten myself a Washburn Stealth 2ST with a dimebucker pickup (wish I'd remember which one the other one was, brainfreeze at the moment) but I'm still stuck on a cheap Line6 amp which doesn't really give me any chance at messing around with the sound.

B.R
Wafx

[Almy]

Multi FX pedals are a great way to learn FX and get a lot of bang for the buck when you are starting out. You can have a HUGE amount of effects and amp models to use and learn from for way less than you would piece together everything.

I use a floor multi FX pedal live straight into the sound system. We use Aviom in ear monitors so I don't even have an amp for hearing myself. Just guitar to pedal to FOH. I've been playing this way for a few years now. I use an older GT 8 and if I were going to buy something right now it would be the 500HD.

Keep in mind I still like to build an all analogue set up for getting that certain sound I want. But the cost is way way more. I love what digital can do now, by all means take advantage of the quality, affordable price, and convenience. Especially while you're learning how to use gear. You have plenty of time to change your mind down the road and explore other non-digital options. And a unit like the 500HD will definitely prepare you to make informed decisions later.

[Wafx]

Thanks for the quick answer, kinda hit right on what I needed to know!

Another newbie question came to my mind, if I've understood things right the HD500 comes with a bunch of different pre-set amps, but is it possible to add other amps into it? via the pc connection in some way, or are the pre-set amps set in stone?

B.R
Wafx

[Almy]

Multi FX floor pedals in that price range come with tons of preset patches. And they typically have quite a variety covering a lot of different styles. They also utilize the amp modeling and effect modeling from more than a few aspects. That basically means you have tons of presets to play around with. But most people will agree that presets won't be that great. Especially since a lot of it is preference and also different guitars will get different sounds from them.

You'll be able to have a lot of fun playing around with the presets though. And once you're comfortable with the unit then you can start making your own. This is where it gets rewarding, and tough initially. But basically in nicer units you can customize every detail just like you would analogue equipment. You can even choose what mic type you want to mic the digital amp cabinet and then choose where to place it. Never mind how much gain and eq and such. Also in some amp models you can set the sensitivity on where the 'tube' breaks up to get dirty.

It can be overwhelming to learn but there is help out there. Lincoln Brewster put his patches up so you can see what he's doing:

Welcome To Lincoln Brewster's Official Site

Plus you can find message boards devoted to certain pedal boards and the users have tons of patches and tips.

[Ree Fungorio]

Yeah what Almy said! There's a limited number of amps (16 I think although that's grown since I started using the kidney I still have) but you have a good amount of adjustment to each so that the sounds available are basically endless. The Line 6 site says you can edit via USB, don't know if you can download patches but there are collections of patches that you can easily dial in manually (thanks for the cool link Almy). You can go from an old gibson combo with a room mic to a mic'd up rectifier stack in the time it takes to arm a track. Also I tried a keyboard through it and the ability to add distorted gain to a piano or rhodes patch is great instead of straight into a brand x pre.

I've been using my old, old pod (I think it's been on since 1999) and have a friend's borrowed HD300 for recording in Logic and really surprised how good I can get it sounding. Does it sound like a Bogner Uberschall? Ya got me but it sounds good and it's just super flexible. I don't record with FX but just from dickin around my house I really think all the modulation FX are fantastic. I use an M13 for mod only if I'm able to use my amp with an FX loop (but I don't know if it's the same FX engine). For me the amp sims and gain FX just don't quite cut it for playing live even on the HDs, but I wish it did because it would be much nicer than a 75# amp and a pedal board. To me it seems that the louder you go, the less "real" it sounds or maybe feels. I don't think your average listener would notice but playing I do. Maybe using an Atomic or some other amp/spkr designed for that would work. That's just my opinion anyway and it may be fine.

As long as you're open to digital amp sims, and some folks won't touch em, I think the line 6 stuff has been at the forefront since they've started. If you want a huge amount of flexibilty for recording, I think the HD series is a fantastic piece o gear. If it works for you live and you have an amp that works good with it (or an excellent monitor situation) what more could you ask for? Your whole kit in a bag, no patch cables to crackle or batteries to die and the ability to have your exact settings at the touch of a switch. Awesome!


Now I want to buy one. Sorry for babbling on
Ree

P.S. I think a problem with the presets is they'll sound great in headphones, but not through an amp (unless you've got a stereo amp). The presets seem to use the full extent of the stereo FX capability. Recording as well, you go to pan a track and it's already panned, usually more than one direction.

[Ree Fungorio]

Hey Almy, I've always wondered about in-ear monitors: is there any low end in there or do you get it from the stage (or from the mains)? I guess I feel like I wouldn't want something capable of reproducing a kick drum inside my ear. I think I would need myself to be pretty loud in the mix too so there's be a lot going on in there. Then again, I won't even use ipod buds and it probably wouldn't be that much different.

Was it pretty frickin hard to get used to?

sorry to go OT

[Almy]

That's definitely an area where you get what you pay for. The first time I used an IEM system it was something where we spent $500 per person, including wireless. This time we spent $1,500 per person. And the difference was very significant.

A couple of the main differences are ear bud types and monitor mix control. On the cheaper setup the wireless earbuds didn't have a very good frequency response, especially the low end. So although you could hear something like the bass guitar or kick drum, it wasn't that great. The earbuds I use now are much better and do just fine. It's definitely worth getting better earbuds. and I bet the more expensive ones are even better.

For the monitor mix? the cheaper setup was such that you would send a monitor mix controlled by the sound person to each wireless transmitter, and then each person could turn themselves up or down and that whole mix up or down separately. Unfortunately if you wanted to adjust more specifically you would need the sound person to do it, and you would need available monitor sends for that. Now we use the Aviom system. Each person on stage has there own miniature mixing board where they can turn up and down everything however they want on their own without effecting anything or anyone else.

It didn't take me long to get used to using IEMs but I was already sold on the idea before i ever tried it. I love being able to dial in my own mix and thus be able to really here myself and the nuances. Having a stage volume of essentially 0 is wonderful for the sound person as well as my ear damage. There is a ton that can be said about it, but I better stop there since I'm helping derail a bit!

I started with the Shure PSM200 package for $500 per person. That would get you up and running with a wireless setup. It isn't ideal, but the price is nice for the learning process. I would probably go with one of the Audio Technica versions if I had to do it again. You can't turn off the limiter in the PSM200 but you can in the AT one, and the Shure limiter was set way too low.

[Almy]

I forgot to mention that if you're a drummer, from your kick drum comment, no matter what IEM setup you have the micing technique on your drums are definitely going to make a difference with the IEMs.

[Wafx]

Thanks for the responses guys, feels like the HD500 will do me good, give me a chance to learn and make playing more enjoyable again.

Will try to order one soon and hopefully have it early next week.

Just need to find a set of monitors to run with, any suggestions while we're at it? somewhere around the $100-$150 pricerange?

[InstituteOfNoise]

Just wanted to clarify that there are only 16 HD Amp Models for the HD300/400/500. These amps were remodeled from the ground up using many new methods we've created. (Yes I work for them). We tried to get 16 amps that covered the most ground with little overlap. At this time there are no additional models that can be added to the POD HDs. It's really at it's peak live using it with the new DT50 amp. All editing can be done via USB. There are patches up on customtone.com that are downloadable into the editor >> POD HD.

[subby33]

Hey I just want to put in my 2 cents here.

People always say "There are only 16 amp options." Well how many do you need? Does anybody even own 16 different amps? On my HD 500 I only use the Vox 30 , and I think its the JCM model. When I used amps I only had one anyway . . . why would I ever need 16? You should be coming up with your own sound and guitar tone anyway. Having all those options can be too much.

With that said, the HD 500 sounds very good. To my ears, it doesn't even really sound digital. I have owned a lot of the stuff Pod tries to emulate . . .and it really gets you there quite easily. I'll be honest, for me, the USB editing has been buggy. My computer will sometimes recognize the Pod, other times not. If you want to edit via computer, it may be tough, but other people may have absolutely no issues with it.

That said, I edit everything from the front screen. Its really laid out quite easily, and I actually prefer to just lean over and use the options on the front. It's really an amazing value. 16 amps, every effect you would ever need, 8 pedals in one. I mean, what else could you possibly want? The sound quality is great. I think this is really the only time Line 6 nailed it. My guitar tones are so textured and real, nobody would know I didnt use a real amp, even if they say otherwise.

The only thing I miss is feedback. I wish they could simulate that :-) Then i'd be all set!

[Almy]

Yeah, 16 is way more than enough, especially when you can adjust them all over. In the few years I've been using a multi-FX pedal board live with no amp I've used exactly 1. After some experimenting of course.

[jpoprock]

Almy... yer speaking my language. For the record, my situation was exactly Wafx's. I now play guitar on a worship team at a big church and using my amp wasn't practical. I wasn't sure what to buy, but since I'm a big Line 6 guy (I have a Variax 500, DI with Gold Bundle, Flextone, Pod 2.0, Echo Park Delay, Otta Wah filter, GearBox, Workbench, PodFarm), I figured I'd give the HD500 a go. So far, it's too early to tell how I feel about it. But I think that it's going to rock for my needs!

I havent had time to put it through it's paces just yet, but with headphones only, it sounds good. They say the presets aren't good, which is no surprise (But why is that??) and I can tell that most of them are probably too bright, useless, or weird. That being said, there are some wicked cool FX on this thing. I may not ever use many of them, but there are some great ones. It's a huge improvement over the XTLive stuff. I used to use an Xtlive with an Atomic 2x12, but ended up hating that too. Went to a Spider Valve 2x12, loved it at first, then hated it. Then went to a Flextone that I found cheap (Namm show only tweed tolex!), and liked it the best of all. it's the first version, so not as flexible, but the stereo FX are what makes it. It sounds pretty good. But I actually prefer my POD into my Alesis RA-300? Power amp, feeding a Marshall 4x12 stereo slant. That sounds really good. So, I'm assuming that the HD500 will sound even better.

I'm a little surprised that there aren't more than 16 models, but they could fix that with an update. I was hoping they had the Cornford or more varieties of Bogner and Engl amps. They don't even have what I think is the holy grail of rock amps... the SLO 100! And they only have one Mesa, which is the Dual Recto. So, it wouldn't surprise me to see them make "add-on" packs like they did with the XTlive stuff. I still own mine from before, but they aren't compatible. Still, the 16 amps they do give you were smart choices that cover almost all the bases.

I scored mine at Guitar Center for $499 plus a $100 off coupon the other day (it's over now), so I got it for $399. They sell refurb's for that price too btw, but mine is new. There is no gig bag (shock), but I have a cheap ATA type case that mine fits in perfectly with room for padding.

It's too early too tell if like many amps I've had, that I'll end up hating it. But from what I've heard so far, the potential is there for some great sounds. Just depends on how super critical you want to be. I could care less about how accurate the emulation is. In fact, I don't even look it up. I just find a sound I like, and build upon it.

At church, I'll be running it direct to a big digital Yamaha board, which is then fed back to us on stage via Aviom in-ear monitor units. It's not the greatest set up, but it serves it's purpose. I'm struggling the most with finding headphones that I like. I use some nice Shure in ears, but the thing I don't like about them is that you have to get them in your ears JUST RIGHT or else you'll have no low end. I sing a lot of lead vocals too, so in-ears are good for me when singing. But for guitar, I think I'm going to look for a pair of good sounding wrap arounds.

If I could get custom molded tips for my Shure's E2c' since they are really nice. Custom moulds are expensive I think though. I don't know the benefit of custom moulded tips either. I always thought that it was for a great fit and stealth look. But so many of the stock tips are made in such a way that you have to get them in your canal just right, so your bass response is good. I think it's all about the "seal" that they provide via somewhat of a suction. So, will custom tips give you that huge full sound that good foam type tips give, or better? I'm thinking that for the money, I should just buy some Comply or Monster tips to try first. That may be the ticket.

j

[Almy]

Which Shure ear buds you use definitely makes a difference. I used the Shure SE115's when we first used the low end set up. And now we are using the SE535's. And the difference is HUGE. Even the quality of the molds are way better, these have a lot better frequency response as well.

Btw don't be afraid to tear apart a custom preset that you 'almost' like. The sound I've been using for the last few years is actually a preset that was close to what I wanted. I just tore apart the settings and tweaked everything to get what I really wanted. The whole thing, either making custom patches from scratch or adjusting presets, can be a lengthy process. You'll also find what you love one day you may not like at all next month. It's definitely rewarding though if you stick with it and just keep on trying.

If you're at a big enough church they should have an amp closet so you can use analogue if you want. That's what a lot do. Have a jack you can plug into on the stage that comes out in a closet to go into your gear. If they can afford Avioms its worth asking them about setting something up. You could get a digital controller for all your analogue pedals too.

But if you're like me you would still rather go with a digital fx board on stage, especially for consistency when doing portable stuff with the worship team. I'll always want to have a nice analogue set up but the digital is too convenient and has gotten too good. I hope to have some extra money in the next year or two, if so I'll upgrade from my GT8 to the 500, or whatever is tops then.

[jpoprock]

I'm sure there are nicer buds. But I didn't pay for these, and I doubt that they are wanting to dish out gobs of money to buy more either. Most of them were abused, crushed, stepped on, etc. Mine are well maintained by me. So.... These are going to have to due. The question is... are moulded custom tips for my ears THAT much better than a good set of foam tips?

Also, we have isolated amps and DI's that feed them along with the house. That's an option... and more gear for me to lug around and worry about. I'd much rather show up with a couple guitars and my HD500 and go... IF... it sounds good.

I have an analogue riga x2, but it was a hassle to bring a power amp, POD, pedalboard, etc. I could also bring my Flextone and mic it. But the effects weren't up to snuff. In a worship band, DELAY and VERB RULES. I don't want to have to worry about my knobs getting knocked out of time, etc. If something isn't just right, and we are mid song, I'm SOL. You don't have the luxury of messing around with your sound in front of 1,000 people. The HD500 will make this easier.

I haven't had time to hear it thru my stereo 4x12. Only my Shure headphones. And I've not yet heard it through Pro Tools, nor the house. But with my headphones... I will say that so far I'm impressed with the FX, but I question just how good some of these models really sound. I keep thinking it's "me" and my headphones. But I'm not so sure that it is me?? I realize that 16 amps should be enough... but that's only if each and every one of them sounds amazing. And that is NEVER the case with anything. I need but ONE good rock tone, and one good in-between tone. But if the choices you have to get those two or three great tones are limited, than what's the point? I want the AC30 or AC15 to be unreal. But so far, I'm not all that impressed. The Plexi tones sound sorta flat and dead to me, and I LOVE a good Plexi tone. What they want you to do, is take an existing model, pair it up with a funky cab, and tweak it to sound like a Boogie, etc. Why not come out with a Boogie model?

Line 6 is thinking that they have given us 16 models of the most widely used and well known tone types. I sort of agree... but that only counts of each and every amp modelled is off the hook good, and some aren't. And if the presets are supposedly not all that good, then how am I supposed to know what to do to make them better?? The problem with modelling, is that you have to know the nature and nuance of each amp's "thing". Not all mids do the same thing. Some mids boost lows. Some lows come with more preamp gain, thus more sizzle, etc. I would much rather have home run Presets to styleize. Not the other way around as they say is the case with the HD stuff.

Like I said, it's early and I haven't even begun to tap into what this thing does. But I really hope it's what I'm looking for because dragging a combo, two guitars, pedal board, 30ft+ run from the iso cab to my area, etc just doesn't cut it. Plus, I'm going to be coming thru the board in Mono I think, not stereo. Therefore, shouldn't I be tweaking my tones as mono tones?

Thanks!

J

[Almy]

In the end, just trust your ears. If you can't get what you want from it, definitely switch. If you have access I would also test patches through the sound system at church on an off night or morning.

[jpoprock]

Yes, I have access to testing patches thru the sound system when no one is around. I kinda wish I had a wireless unit though... so I could walk out front and listen. I'm sure somehow I could sit at the sound booth and patch in to the board too. I would want them to set the channel to flat probably, and dial my sound in to that? Unless they know that flat has issues. I'll find out.

j

[Almy]

Yeah if you could befriend the sound person it would be very easy to plug straight into the board rather than the snake, then you could be out front.

[jpoprock]

Thankfully, there is no need for "befriending" in my case. I ask for it, and it happens... or they will find a way to make it happen. It's a luxury I do not abuse or take advantage of. In other words, though I am quite humble... I am fully aware that I'm a key member of the team, for whatever that's worth! Apparently... getting what I need! LOL!

[jpoprock]

I did spend more time with the HD500 yesterday (thru my Shure Ec2 headphones only at this point) and found some great sounds for my style. I also discovered in a Preset tone (My Bad... emulating BAD by U2), that is right up my alley for certain things at church. That delay is EXACTLY the kind of delay I work TO DEATH, and what's cool about it is that you can turn it totally off, as well as the compression that makes it more ambient. So I saved it as my own preset with the delay and compression both off, which yields a very rockin' Vox AC30 sound. I need to figure out two things now. First, how they chained two delays together that are controlled with one footswitch, and how to add another delay of another kind to an empty soundbank. I would like to have a "general" delay on for solos, along with maybe a boost, and then for other passages, that dual delay that allows me to single quarter note "EVH Cathedral/David Gilmour" repeats. All tap tempo tweakable too. Perhaps that's a post more suited for the Line 6 forum, so don't be surprised if I cut and paste this to that forum!

I have no idea what my patches will translate to thru a PA just yet. Also, I need to also test them thru a stereo power amp/stereo 4x12 cab. I also need to understand this dual amp thing, which can be super cool when constructing a tone. My question, is a dual tone even useful if you're going thru a PA that is mono? I'm not sure that our church PA is mono. I think it's stereo, but the feed we get back to our Avion headphone mix is mono I think. So, will my sound be rotten? Should I avoid dual amp tones in this scenario?

Thanks!

J

[stratman_100]

I dont wish to appear blunt but you are wasting your time with floorboard effects processors. Buy a proper amp say Dr Z, Bad Cat, vintage Fender, Vox etc. I have tried most of the Line 6 and Boss multi-effects and none of can replace the real thing. Why have 16 crappy sounding amp models when you can have one real amp that sounds great. I Don't understand it.

I know you might have heard this argument before and I WILL get jumped on ... but please use your ears, or is it that you actually want the thin, scratchy, harsh and un-harmonic sounds from the Line 6 engineers who have no idea what good tone is, cos thats what you will get.

[shanabit]

Originally Posted by stratman_100

I dont wish to appear blunt but you are wasting your time with floorboard effects processors. Buy a proper amp say Dr Z, Bad Cat, vintage Fender, Vox etc. I have tried most of the Line 6 and Boss multi-effects and none of can replace the real thing. Why have 16 crappy sounding amp models when you can have one real amp that sounds great. I Don't understand it.

I know you might have heard this argument before and I WILL get jumped on ... but please use your ears, or is it that you actually want the thin, scratchy, harsh and un-harmonic sounds from the Line 6 engineers who have no idea what good tone is, cos thats what you will get.

The problem with your argument and everyone else that comes to the amplifiers rescue is this; we already know what your saying is correct.

The REAL issue is we are in locations(Church, Apts, etc) that we cant have an AMP cranking which leaves a LOT of us looking for a diff solution. Its that simple. Yes I have the HD500 and no an amp its not, nor is my BOSS GT10. Yes they sound thin and harsh, fuzzy to me as well.

I will get an amp and a proper pedalboard setup for those gigs that I can go that route.
I agree with you. What I DONT agree with is everyone dropping the " Just get an amp dude" comments when the poster isnt asking for AMP advice. Just answer the questions as they are asked. Peace

[InstituteOfNoise]

Originally Posted by stratman_100

I know you might have heard this argument before and I WILL get jumped on ... but please use your ears, or is it that you actually want the thin, scratchy, harsh and un-harmonic sounds from the Line 6 engineers who have no idea what good tone is, cos thats what you will get.

And you know this as fact how??? I'll answer for you... you don't... because it's so far off base without anything to back it up, I shouldn't even be replying to it.

Fact is... Tone is in the hands of the user. There are some incredible name artists using this getting incredible tones first hand. Modelers and amps are all tools, so use what best suits the situation. I've heard/witnessed plenty of bad tone from players playing muy expensive guitar and boutique amps and sound horrendous.

[CrankyRayHanky]

I've never heard a decent rock/metal tone from Line6- or any other di.....until recent Fractal clips opened my eyes. That's expensive, so after searching for clips, I found some decent ones on the Rack11. You can land that for $700 and have several applications to utilize- pro tools, reamp, interface, etc.

If Line6 has a hard rock clip that sounds good, point me to it...otherwise from what I've heard, it's an updated version of their poor base amp tones drizzled with swirly swirl fx

[mdme_sadie]

Originally Posted by CrankyRayHanky

I've never heard a decent rock/metal tone from Line6- or any other di.....until recent Fractal clips opened my eyes. That's expensive, so after searching for clips, I found some decent ones on the Rack11. You can land that for $700 and have several applications to utilize- pro tools, reamp, interface, etc.

If Line6 has a hard rock clip that sounds good, point me to it...otherwise from what I've heard, it's an updated version of their poor base amp tones drizzled with swirly swirl fx

You know it gets me when people say this sort of thing, not because it's necessarily wrong, but because 1) they generalize Metal/Rock tones and 2) they don't use the kit themselves.

Metal can be from :

YouTube - Axe Fx vs. Pod HD - Rectifier comparison

Or :

YouTube - Line6 POD HD500 Soundsample JCM800

Or :

YouTube - PODHD500-BognerBoogie

Or :

YouTube - POD HD500 - Plexied - sound sample

Or any number of other tones, even including totally clean big chime tones, or completely digital over the top Djent tones where synthetic tones are actually an important part of the Metal or Rock genre.

You need to specify "I've not heard Dumble like tones" or "I've not heard tones similar to x artist and x album or even x song".

I mean no Amp sim matches real tube amps for their organic harmonics an distortion or feel, or when recording them that gets that breath and room, but the current generation of modellers does get close enough to make them viable choices in the budget amateur studio or for live work when convenience or cost is a factor. That includes the AxeFX, 11R and of course Pod HD.

Go out, try them out, don't just sit and play through the presets but build your own, if you want to see how the amp sims are then you're going to have to go in and edit the presets to make one that has nothing but the amp sim block in place (and maybe a '63 spring verb block with the Fenders), do some research before trying this stuff out so you know how use them. You'd be surprised.

[Erim]

To the OP,

Here is a pretty good example of how versatile the HD500 can be. There seems to always be a segment of people who say good tone is impossible with modelers. Definitely not the case in my experience. In my opinion an HD500 at your stage of playing would be an awesome thing. Gives you a chance to try your hand at all kinds of amp and pedal board set ups, dual tone options etc. without dropping 3k on a stack and rack. If you get stuck on one amp and pedal line up for awhile, then perhaps it's time to think about upgrading to the real versions of "your sound". Just my 2 cents anyway. The questions wasn't is this the best final rig he can have.

YouTube - LINE 6 POD HD500 HUGE MULTITRACK RECORDING By Chris Beaver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMldh...eature=related

[mdme_sadie]

The firmware just got updated to 1.31 and it's made serious improvements. I was gassing for an Axe2, but this has cured that (at least for the moment, though no doubt the gas'll be back as some kickass demos come out for that unit).

New power amp controls for bias, bias excursion, hum, sag, master.

Bunch of new amp channels and a new high gain amp, then significant improvements on the amp sims too even before the amp controls they sound much tighter.

The Recto sounds 100x better, no longer digital thin fizz, but with that real Mesa growl which is even more versatile with some sag and bias adjustment.

Really good cleans are also very easy to get now even out of some surprising amps that you wouldn't consider for it normally.

Well worth checking out if you weren't happy with your Pod HD before.

[gtarmn75]

I recently bought the hd500 and I love the capabilities and effects but my high gain amp tones are not very gainy or thick even with the dueling of amps and adding a eq and distortion or overdrive sim. Especially at high volumes through my halfstack. On mine I can't adjust tube bias,sag,or master gain. I suspect I need the firmware upgrade. Will this thicken my distortion and make my tones more full. If anyone can answer this please email me at gtarmn75@ gmail.com thanks. Right now I've been running my metal muff through the effects loop of the 500 just to get a good metal tone.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Gearslutz.com App

[Ree Fungorio]

Originally Posted by gtarmn75

Right now I've been running my metal muff through the effects loop of the 500 just to get a good metal tone.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Gearslutz.com App

I don't exactly do metal but once when using a SS shared backline amp I put a fulltone OCD in the loop set up to emphasize the low mids which seemed to be missing. Using the loop level control I could dial in the amount of OCD added and it worked ok. The OCD is the only OD I have that seems to not compress the tone so much, I think it helped blend in with the plain signal. Just my $.02.

I went amp route and have all my bases covered now with a Savage Macht 12 and a Mesa Electrodyne. I do carry around my old pod 2.0 JUST IN CASE...but never had to use it.

Peace
Ree

[sonnylarsen]

Originally Posted by stratman_100

I dont wish to appear blunt but you are wasting your time with floorboard effects processors. Buy a proper amp say Dr Z, Bad Cat, vintage Fender, Vox etc. I have tried most of the Line 6 and Boss multi-effects and none of can replace the real thing. Why have 16 crappy sounding amp models when you can have one real amp that sounds great. I Don't understand it.

I know you might have heard this argument before and I WILL get jumped on ... but please use your ears, or is it that you actually want the thin, scratchy, harsh and un-harmonic sounds from the Line 6 engineers who have no idea what good tone is, cos thats what you will get.

Start listening with your ears instead of your eyes. The ONLY thing that matters in music is that it SOUNDS good. That is ALL. There are plenty of well known artists who incorporate digital gear into their massive vintage rigs because they understand that a good tone is the most important thing, not how the tone is originated.