NMED

[tauzero]

New multi-effects - Line 6 HD500. Picked up on Ebay for a frankly ridiculous price. The Zoom B3n supplies my needs for one band but I wanted something with a good octave up (the Zooms sound really odd) among other things. Put in a comedy bid for it and won. Picked it up today. Impressions are that it's bloody heavy, has a good intelligent harmony, and Line 6's editor scrimps on screen real estate (I hate that term) so I finish up squinting trying to read the teeny tiny writing.

There's an option to buy the Line 6 bass amp pack, which I'm toying with - it has the SVT model and that's what I use on the Zoom. Any opinions? Also, is there any way of getting an effect like the Boss Slow Gear out of it? [Later] Ah, found it. Auto volume. Should have looked in the other other manual which describes the effects.

Edited February 28, 2019 by tauzero

[Skybone]

The HD Bass Pack is well worth buying if you're considering using it for Bass. The SVT Normal model is superb (IMO), matched with the 8x10 cab model, it sounds superb (again, IMO). The SVT Bright is a bit too bright for me, but might be worth trying if you're a fan of flats. Must admit, I've not really played with the GK800 model much, and when I have, it's not sounded that good to my ears, though it might be better suited to an active bass or for getting a more "modern" sound.

The effects sound good, but you do have to work on getting the sound "right", though no more so than any other unit. If you want a good overdrive/distortion sound, you will have to add a second amp to the patch, and run one side clean, the other with the OD/Dist, and mix to suit, so you keep some bottom end. Kind of like a "Mix" knob on a Bass OD/Dist pedal. I've not used the Octave or the Harmony in anger, but I have created one patch where I used them together for an Octave Up and a Harmony on the 5th. It tracks really well, and sounds rather cool IMO. Might try adding an Octave Up effect only on one of my "standard" patches, for when the guitarist goes in to a solo.

Stick it out with the Editor, it is not quite as intuitive as the old PODxt Editor, but it's a very powerful tool, and great for working on patches.

I run a HD500x as my main pedal, and run it into the Effects Return of my amp. I also have a HD Desktop (the Bean) as a backup.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Skybone

[tauzero]

It's temporarily on the back burner - the power supply  was getting very hot. When I checked it, it was an AC/AC 2000mA PSU (for old PODs and Variaxes) not an AC/DC 3000mA one. There must be some protection circuitry in the HD500 to prevent a reverse polarity PSU knackering it - a bridge rectifier would do it and also allow AC to power it. I don't think it's an ideal situation so proper PSU ordered. The seller tells me that's the PSU he got with it, so the mix-up has happened somewhere back down the line.