The Watering Hole

So, I've had the HD500 for a couple of weeks now and the first impressions are still holding up. The first thing I’ve noticed is that this has given me back my enthusiasm for playing guitar again. I put this down to two main factors, the convenience of using an all –in-one package without annoying the entire street but more importantly, and I am pleasantly surprised here, the touch sensitivity of it.  Line6 really have nailed it this time, it does feel like you are playing an amp at last. Previous pods all had the feel of the notes either being on or off with very little in between, but the HD range has nice dynamics and behaves like a real amp when rolling off the volume pot on the guitar too, which is exactly what I’ve been longing for.  

The cab sims are ok, not great, but they are useable.  The one thing that I was very disappointed with is that I expected the 500 to have dual output just as the 400

Nice review Jon.  Stop making me want stuff.  LOL

Hey Jon, put that up on Andy's forum as well (ION).  Now that he works for Line 6 he'll want to hear both the good and the bad (and he might even be able to get them to change things).  :)

Oh that's cool Craig, what does he do for them?  I wonder how my old les paul is treating him...

Good idea Craig....Done !

Paul, I sometimes wish that I lived the life of a hermit far away from society as I wouldn't then be constantly tempted by new equipment.....it's a viscious circle of GAS :-)

Jon — May 27, 2011Paul, I sometimes wish that I lived the life of a hermit far away from society as I wouldn't then be constantly tempted by new equipment.....it's a viscious circle of GAS :-)

Then you would just be gassing for different things, like toilet paper.   ;D

Nice review - Now I'm sure I had better stay away from them in Satan center...

Hi Jon, how you doing?

I agree 100%, the HD500 is a GREAT piece of gear, I love playing it.

Lance — Jun 02, 2011Hi Jon, how you doing?

I agree 100%, the HD500 is a GREAT piece of gear, I love playing it.

Hold the phone... Lance likes a POD? ;)

Just kidding, pal! Hope all is well with you!
Tripper

Hi Lance,

Doing great mate thanks !    Funny, I never thought that I would go back to a POD ever again, but of course this is not like the crap that has gone before in pods....a different animal altogether.

Nice Review. Glad to hear someone over on this board likes the HD500. I just traded my Eleven Rack for a Boogie and and Eventide Time Factor (just traded the TF a few minutes ago for a Schecter Tempest Custom). Since the 11R is gone I am seriously thinking of picking up and HD500. The clips I have heard online sound really good. I was able to get some really goood tones out of the Digitech RP1000 (gigged for about a year with it and no amp) and I believe the HD500 should sound a bit better.

Interestingly I tried it into the power amp of my peavey c30 via the effect retun n the c30, and it sounded like shit, but thinking about it I was using the power amp models on the Hd500 and I think I should have used the "pre" models. Will give that another go and report back. I hqve yet to complete my solid state full frequency range power amp to feed a real guitar cab. That should sound really good, I hope.  

Well worth the bucks

SPA is back!

spaivxx — Jun 16, 2011Nice Review. Glad to hear someone over on this board likes the HD500. I just traded my Eleven Rack for a Boogie and and Eventide Time Factor (just traded the TF a few minutes ago for a Schecter Tempest Custom). Since the 11R is gone I am seriously thinking of picking up and HD500. The clips I have heard online sound really good. I was able to get some really goood tones out of the Digitech RP1000 (gigged for about a year with it and no amp) and I believe the HD500 should sound a bit better.

So far from the clips I have heard, the HD Bean is on my I want it list, I would not want it for live use (if I ever play out again) just for recording. But I have a foot pedal that would work with it anyways with a (MIDI/USB interface that is)

DBM, I bet you'd dig the Dr Z enough to make it worth buying just for that one amp!  

That said, guys are raving about several of the fenders since the upgrade, and I haven't even really tried them yet as I'm checking out the mid to high gain stuff first and just flip to the Z for cleaner stuff.  There's some pretty good stuff in here!  

DreamTheaterRules — Jun 16, 2011SPA is back!

Yep! Found the site on my favorites list and wondered if it even still existed. Good to see you guys again.

I bought the Eleven Rack because everyone said it was a nice less expensive alternative to the Axe FX. The 11R sounded GREAT at home, but I couldn't really get the feel and tone I had hoped for through the PA for live use so I traded it away.

I had been gigging for the last several months with a Blackheart 15 watt EL84 powered head and 2 1x12 cabs, driving it with a TCE Nova Drive and then a few effects (Carbon Copy, MXR EVH Phaser, Cantrell Wah) and honestly, no matter what I buy and try, that setup always seems to remain constant. Simplicity and tone.

But when I bought the 11R the whole time I was looking at/paying for/playing the thing I had the Pod HD in the back of my mind. I know it's fashionable to hate Line 6, but I have enjoyed many of their previous products (Vetta I & II, every version of the XT, M13, etc...) but was never 100% happy with any of them. That said, I have never been 100% happy with ANY piece of gear.

But I am 100% certain that some sort of Pod HD product will land in my arsenal soon enough.

spaivxx — Jun 16, 2011 That said, I have never been 100% happy with ANY piece of gear.

Amen. I think I can attest to that--I've got three completely separate rigs in the studio (Line6, Egnater, and Sovtek) and none of them do everything I want.

Yeah - holy crap, Spaivxx is here! Welcome back!

I think I'm going to get an HD500. I have some trade from returning the GR-55, so I think it'd be worth the gamble...especially since I'm about to form at least one (perhaps two) guitar bands.

Tripper

Thats cool because the more guys here that have them, the more guys there at to share patches etc.

My only gripe is that the Bean has no MIDI in-out, and no editor that works through MIDI. I would have to hook it up to my work computer because I have USB disabled on my DAW, so for editing I would have to use th office box which has USB enabled. No big deal I guess the two computers are only 4 feet apart. I was disappointed with Line 6 when they discontinued the MIDI in-out in favor of USB for the editor.

and I had to buy a special MIDI converter for the older POD and have never used it since....  

USB is just more "universal" as it were.   :)

DreamTheaterRules — Jun 17, 2011and I had to buy a special MIDI converter for the older POD and have never used it since....  

USB is just more "universal" as it were.   :)

Probably USB is a better option as MIDI is a 20 year old phenomenon. But since my DAW has USB disabled, it is a pain in the neck to hook it up here and there......