Considering upgrading from PODxt Live to POD HD500.

11:11

Just wondering if anyone owns and uses the POD HD500, and can possibly give me some feedback? So far I've listed to stuff on the net and sounds quite impressive, but would love some proper opinions! Thanks in advance.

population

I am in the exact same boat my friend. I am heading out this weekend to give one a thoroughly good going over. I didnt really think the x3 etc were much of a jump up on the xt to be honest but the sound samples in the hd500 sound veeery impressive

darrenw5094

There has been talk of it taking on the Fractal Axe-FX in the amp simulations department. The XT Live and X3 had way too many amps on board. 80% were pure dung. Only a handfull were any good.

Paolo_M

I've only heard clips on-line.
The 500 version allows for using custom IRs.
The models I've heard run through the RedWire or GuitarHacks impulses have sounded very impressive.
It's nearly there with the Axe-FX and significantly cheaper.

The 300 and 400 sounded pretty much meh, but I don't think you can use custom IRs with them.

Again this is just based on listening to clips on-line.

Thomas from Presence

Guys go for it. The HD500 is just bloody ace. Feels great, sounds fantastic. Really raw and analoguey or space cakes digital if that's your thing.

The other ones in the range have the same amp sounds though I think for the money it's worth shelling out for a HD500 for all the extra FX and options.

mada999

am gonna bit the bullet and get one of these also... what shops stock them in Dublin ?

Squidgy Black

mada999 wrote: »

am gonna bit the bullet and get one of these also... what shops stock them in Dublin ?

Music Maker on Exchequer Street are the main dealers for Line 6 over here, Xmusic near the red cow inn might stock them too.

mada999

thanks ste.... music maker are all out of them... last time I was in X-Music they were selling the pod xt live for €449 and the pod x3 for €499... bit steep for old models!

mada999

ordered one on ebay.... hope the custom's isn't too much
working out @ $540

spiderjazz

I hope you don't get stung too badly by customs, that could work out at (max) $732 dollars if my calculations are correct, which is around €520 euro. Still only a bit more than the new price from thomann though.

drawnacrol

Music Maker should have them in again soon, i've been meaning to try one out

mada999

might be closer to €445 (with customs)... hopefully don't get stung for it though!

Hauk

mada999 wrote: »

thanks ste.... music maker are all out of them... last time I was in X-Music they were selling the pod xt live for €449 and the pod x3 for €499... bit steep for old models!

I ordered my HD500 with Music Maker. They only order them in if you ask for one. That's why they don't have them.

mada999

I ran music maker last week or so and he's said he was out of stock and that he was getting a few more in soon!

looks like the one I purchased on the net is stuck in customs

darrenw5094

You need to factor in the USA to IRL voltage transformer. Pain in the bun.
Nothing escaping the customs these days. :mad:

mada999

jaysus never though of a voltage transformer... will it deffo be needed..

just got off the phone with the bro...an post are charging me €30 for the customs... nice...

if so it's working out @ €421 which is about €70+ saving.... i'll take that!

can't wait to get cracking on it !

mada999

just had a look online and it say's that the power adapter comes with uk plugs and the voltage should be fine...

should have bought a couple of these things.. the price has gone up on ebay to $499

spiderjazz

What kind of tones are you looking to get out of it? I'd be interested in hearing some recordings with it.

I played one when they first came out and wasn't blown away, but I've heard they've improved with some of the firmware releases that have been released since then.

Nice one on the customs as well, that's grand and cheap!

Thomas from Presence

spiderjazz wrote: »

What kind of tones are you looking to get out of it? I'd be interested in hearing some recordings with it.

I played one when they first came out and wasn't blown away, but I've heard they've improved with some of the firmware releases that have been released since then.

Nice one on the customs as well, that's grand and cheap!

The firmware update was ok but the tones can be got out of it with a bit of thinkering - much like a real amp and pedals.

Here it is in action with my 80s tribute band Delorean.

They're all live direct to tape recordings from the unit with no after processing other than a bit of mastering compression. The synth in Take On Me came off the unit and a lot of the pad sounds are got by splitting the signal chain.

I cannot recommend this box enough for it's versatility and the feel of the amps.

spiderjazz

Sounds good! Guitars sound great in easy lover.

For live use, are you running straight to the board from the pedal, and monitoring through the stage monitors then?

I've no doubt that the tones are in there, I've heard some great stuff done with a Pod XT! Granted I was mostly looking for high gain tones so I didn't play around much with the clean tones.

Thomas from Presence

spiderjazz wrote: »

Sounds good! Guitars sound great in easy lover.

For live use, are you running straight to the board from the pedal, and monitoring through the stage monitors then?

I've no doubt that the tones are in there, I've heard some great stuff done with a Pod XT! Granted I was mostly looking for high gain tones so I didn't play around much with the clean tones.

I was never 100% with the XT but I still use the X3 with another band (laziness to recreate the patches on the HD...).

The great thing is you can have two amps at once. I do that for the heavier stuff (i.e. Easy Lover) so there's a high gain modelled Marshall with some definition from a lower gain DR Z.

For monitoring I never rely on the front of house so I have my own - a 400 watt Mackie thump which is far too loud but lets me get feedback and a bit of interaction with a speaker. I used to put vox and bass into it but it's really best to have it just for guitar.

I either take a link from that straight into the desk or when I'm using our own PA, I put the two XLRs for stereo into the desk and send them to the monitor.

One thing to watch with the HD500 is that it doesn't sum to mono so if you set up patches that rely in stereo you better get them into the PA in stereo or half of the sound disappears!

Anyway I waffle on...

I'm not a heavy tones guitarist but I think the secret would be to do something similar - get the heft from one of the heavier amps (the Engle or Mesa) and give it a bit of cut from something else.

There's loads of lovely tones on Customtone.com to pull apart and examine too.

spiderjazz

Thomas from Presence wrote: »

I was never 100% with the XT but I still use the X3 with another band (laziness to recreate the patches on the HD...).

The great thing is you can have two amps at once. I do that for the heavier stuff (i.e. Easy Lover) so there's a high gain modelled Marshall with some definition from a lower gain DR Z.

For monitoring I never rely on the front of house so I have my own - a 400 watt Mackie thump which is far too loud but lets me get feedback and a bit of interaction with a speaker. I used to put vox and bass into it but it's really best to have it just for guitar.

I either take a link from that straight into the desk or when I'm using our own PA, I put the two XLRs for stereo into the desk and send them to the monitor.

One thing to watch with the HD500 is that it doesn't sum to mono so if you set up patches that rely in stereo you better get them into the PA in stereo or half of the sound disappears!

Anyway I waffle on...

I'm not a heavy tones guitarist but I think the secret would be to do something similar - get the heft from one of the heavier amps (the Engle or Mesa) and give it a bit of cut from something else.

There's loads of lovely tones on Customtone.com to pull apart and examine too.

Sounds good. I like the idea of running a heavier amp along with a cleaner one for definition, could be interesting. I'm actually using an Axe Fx myself these days, but it's always good to hear that companies are raising the bar. I'd definitely agree with the fact that with modelers you have to tweak and get to know the unit before you can unlock their full potential. I'd say user error was part of my problem with the Pod.

That's strange about not being able to sum the outputs though, I'd imagine they could fix that if they wanted.

mada999

darrenw5094 wrote: »

You need to factor in the USA to IRL voltage transformer. Pain in the bun.
Nothing escaping the customs these days. :mad:

Voltage transformer not needed..... runs fine on the with a 2 pin to 3 pin adapter max €5...