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Published on 02/14/11 at 14:22The HD500 is a POD pedal simulation chain for his guitar. Yes I said his chain because all too often on forums and user reviews from people who do not understand the principle of the machine ... POD simulates an amp that is in a room ... this amp is transplanted by a microphone that is plugged into a preamp and you, you listen to the result from another room on a monitoring system ... So to compare it to a real amp, there must be real amp in the same conditions! So you put your amp in another room, you put a microphone in front of you and listen to all on the same monitoring system as the ... POD IN this case and only in this case, the test is valid ... otherwise it's like comparing an ostrich and a taxi ... 
For the effects and amp see the features available on the website ...
The connections are especially attractive and can fill bcp different configurations that either live or in studio.
2 inputs (guitar in and in) or not independent.
2 XLR outputs which can be connected directly to an address system, a mixer or mic sound cards without going through boxes of live
2 output jack that can be plugged into guitar amps, line or DI box
1 spdif
1 headphone
LINK 1 output for connecting to an amp POD DT50
1 Mic more anecdotal than anything else (like the POD can be used as sound card, it may be practical, but then we could have Line6 drag at least one or two simulated pre amp ... it was not that of podfarm ...)
MIDI input and output to control another MIDI module (or another POD) or to be controlled from a MIDI controller. Small flat on control MIDI in, only changes in the bank or presets are controllable. we would love to control the parameters of the effects or amps via MIDI CC as was the case on the X3 Live ...
Possibility of adding a second expression pedal
Ability to add an effects loop
the pedal seems sturdy and well built!
He still criticized the failure to be provided with ON / OFF.
Variax input
USB output for use POD as sound card and have access to the software publisher
UTILIZATION
Use the manual is childish and very clear.
We still blame the failure to record the sound via USB AND DRY sound process ... require to go through the spdif to be able to do ... and therefore it requires a sound card ... Too bad ...
Too bad also that the internal DSP can not handle certain strings effect too greedy ...
SOUND QUALITY
The most important point!
First, if you do not have a Variax, forget the factory presets ... plus'être done "to show the possibilities of the beast," they are mostly built on the basis of Variax ... and with other guitars it sounds ... not
POD This is a beautiful machine with lots of advantages but also disadvantages!
The real problem is that the HD500 POD its price is not related to its ability ...
Let me explain ...
It would be sold € 2,000 he would go to a public more knowledgeable and more aware ... There it is sold 500 € and is therefore accessible to a large mass that does not necessarily understand the philosophy of the machine ... I've seen I do not know how many users compared with their big tube amp and screaming foul because the POD does not sound too good! ... and when you dig a bit you realize that these same people compare the sound of their amp placed beside them with the sound of POD plugged into their multimedia speakers .... Obviously it sounds worse! AC still an advantage ... there are already HD500 hand and AC back even cheaper!
Otherwise ... sound!
The amp models and effects of high bills. It's very very good and we feel that we are dealing directly with the heavy.
Remains the weak point (as in previous products of LINE6) simulations cabinet and microphones for transplanting. In my opinion (and it only causes me) is MUCH difference with the axis FX which uses the principle of convolution ... Simulations of cabinet and microphones for the HD500 are "too typed" clumsy and caricatured. Very specifically, that of SM57 ... (Yes the SM57 adds a little bump in the upper midrange ... but NOT THE POINT THAT !!!!)
With simulations of cabinets and mics available there is a little difficult to manage the upper midrange and treble ... It's getting (too) fast and loud whistling; tiring limit. So it takes time and patience to reach to find something (especially with distortion). Especially since the amp simulations are they very good job! It just turns a knob and we feel that it is reactive, it has the same sensations on a conventional amp head. Patience is a must. Despite this small flaw, the sound is more than convincing and will fill more than one!
Cons by the firm if it bypasses and one enters a convolution, there is at the very heavy! The sound finally becomes neutral! It finally lost that side caricature and we typed in block "sound LINE6" and we can finally carve his sound as you want it!
OVERALL OPINION
Line6 spear (again) a huge stir with this product ... with some risk-taking still ... they send a product to the value for the incredible price, that 's great, but far from being a product IDIOTPROOF and that's dangerous ... I fear for them to get a lot of negative opinions based on simple misunderstanding of the product!
brief ... For my part, I think it's fantastic
The positive points:
+ Connectors and more than sufficient
+ Value for great price
+ Simulation amp and effect of very good quality
+ Can be used as a controller
+ MIDI Controllable
+ Pedal to look nice and seems robust
+ Choice of amps and effects very smart!
+ FX Loop
+ Soft editing hyper simplistic
+ Its more than convincing
The negative point:
- No ON / OFF
- Controls MIDI IN only for presets and bank change
- Factory presets made for Variax and too "demonstrative"
- Simulation and micro firms below the rest
- Unable to record sound DRY + WET simultaneously via USB
- No HD500 POD for bass, or VST format sound card for now ... Too bad ... it might be better to strike while the iron was hot!
For the effects and amp see the features available on the website ...
The connections are especially attractive and can fill bcp different configurations that either live or in studio.
2 inputs (guitar in and in) or not independent.
2 XLR outputs which can be connected directly to an address system, a mixer or mic sound cards without going through boxes of live
2 output jack that can be plugged into guitar amps, line or DI box
1 spdif
1 headphone
LINK 1 output for connecting to an amp POD DT50
1 Mic more anecdotal than anything else (like the POD can be used as sound card, it may be practical, but then we could have Line6 drag at least one or two simulated pre amp ... it was not that of podfarm ...)
MIDI input and output to control another MIDI module (or another POD) or to be controlled from a MIDI controller. Small flat on control MIDI in, only changes in the bank or presets are controllable. we would love to control the parameters of the effects or amps via MIDI CC as was the case on the X3 Live ...
Possibility of adding a second expression pedal
Ability to add an effects loop
the pedal seems sturdy and well built!
He still criticized the failure to be provided with ON / OFF.
Variax input
USB output for use POD as sound card and have access to the software publisher
UTILIZATION
Use the manual is childish and very clear.
We still blame the failure to record the sound via USB AND DRY sound process ... require to go through the spdif to be able to do ... and therefore it requires a sound card ... Too bad ...
Too bad also that the internal DSP can not handle certain strings effect too greedy ...
SOUND QUALITY
The most important point!
First, if you do not have a Variax, forget the factory presets ... plus'être done "to show the possibilities of the beast," they are mostly built on the basis of Variax ... and with other guitars it sounds ... not
POD This is a beautiful machine with lots of advantages but also disadvantages!
The real problem is that the HD500 POD its price is not related to its ability ...
Let me explain ...
It would be sold € 2,000 he would go to a public more knowledgeable and more aware ... There it is sold 500 € and is therefore accessible to a large mass that does not necessarily understand the philosophy of the machine ... I've seen I do not know how many users compared with their big tube amp and screaming foul because the POD does not sound too good! ... and when you dig a bit you realize that these same people compare the sound of their amp placed beside them with the sound of POD plugged into their multimedia speakers .... Obviously it sounds worse! AC still an advantage ... there are already HD500 hand and AC back even cheaper!
Otherwise ... sound!
The amp models and effects of high bills. It's very very good and we feel that we are dealing directly with the heavy.
Remains the weak point (as in previous products of LINE6) simulations cabinet and microphones for transplanting. In my opinion (and it only causes me) is MUCH difference with the axis FX which uses the principle of convolution ... Simulations of cabinet and microphones for the HD500 are "too typed" clumsy and caricatured. Very specifically, that of SM57 ... (Yes the SM57 adds a little bump in the upper midrange ... but NOT THE POINT THAT !!!!)
With simulations of cabinets and mics available there is a little difficult to manage the upper midrange and treble ... It's getting (too) fast and loud whistling; tiring limit. So it takes time and patience to reach to find something (especially with distortion). Especially since the amp simulations are they very good job! It just turns a knob and we feel that it is reactive, it has the same sensations on a conventional amp head. Patience is a must. Despite this small flaw, the sound is more than convincing and will fill more than one!
Cons by the firm if it bypasses and one enters a convolution, there is at the very heavy! The sound finally becomes neutral! It finally lost that side caricature and we typed in block "sound LINE6" and we can finally carve his sound as you want it!
OVERALL OPINION
Line6 spear (again) a huge stir with this product ... with some risk-taking still ... they send a product to the value for the incredible price, that 's great, but far from being a product IDIOTPROOF and that's dangerous ... I fear for them to get a lot of negative opinions based on simple misunderstanding of the product!
brief ... For my part, I think it's fantastic
The positive points:
+ Connectors and more than sufficient
+ Value for great price
+ Simulation amp and effect of very good quality
+ Can be used as a controller
+ MIDI Controllable
+ Pedal to look nice and seems robust
+ Choice of amps and effects very smart!
+ FX Loop
+ Soft editing hyper simplistic
+ Its more than convincing
The negative point:
- No ON / OFF
- Controls MIDI IN only for presets and bank change
- Factory presets made for Variax and too "demonstrative"
- Simulation and micro firms below the rest
- Unable to record sound DRY + WET simultaneously via USB
- No HD500 POD for bass, or VST format sound card for now ... Too bad ... it might be better to strike while the iron was hot!