I bought a new HD500 yesterday (birthday!) and after a long night I have it up and running with the Axe FX Ultra (10.03). I searched around a lot for info about this setup, but what I could find is old. Here's a not at all concise report of how my rig is working:
My goals were:
-Patch changing in the first 64 patches of bank 1 on the Axe
-At least four assignable footswitches for turning effects on and off
-Make use of the HD500 looper (48 seconds, reverse, multiple recording, undo, 1/2 speed, etc)
-Two continuous foot controllers, switched between using the toe footswitch on the HD500.
I have not tried any of the HD500 modeling, but my impression on taking it for a spin was that the clean models sound nice and the fancy/gainy models sound like a cat barf contest.
My current setup is:
Axe FX:
Guitar -> Analog front
Output 1 (XLR->XLR) -> powered studio monitors
Output 2 (FX loop send, 1/4"->1/4" cables) -> HD500 FX Return (line level)
Input 2 (FX loop return, Female XLR -> 1/4" cables) <- HD500 XLR Out
Input 1 level knob: 5:00 (dimed for weak strat+ deluxe pickups...)
Input 2 level knob: 5:00 (dimed for return from HD500)
Output 1 level knob: ~12:00 for reasonable studio monitor volume, can change at will
Output 2 level knob: ~12:00, controls level that gets sent to the HD500 effects return
MIDI options:
MIDI channel: 1
Prog change: ON
Display offset: 1
Send realtime sysex: OFF (otherwise I get a nice metronome from the tap tuner...)
MIDI PC offset: 0
I left the CC values on the control tab alone, why complicate things.
Axe patches:
Whatever you want, just make the last patch the Effects loop, leave levels alone
HD500:
Start with factory settings, upgrade to firmware 1.20 via a USB connection (nice!), could have done with my MIDI->USB cable that I use with the Axe
Master volume knob on HD500: 4:00 to 5:00, you can monitor the level with the Axe FX Input 2 LEDs on the front.
MIDI channel: 1
MIDI mode: ABCD
HD500 patches: User Bank 1 contains all empty User patches, so I used that.
Looper is set in the post position, so I can loop the output from the Axe
FX return is right before the Looper, set level to +19, make sure it is a Return block.
You have to name the patches on the POD or using the POD Edit software.
Assigning MIDI footswitches:
The 1.2 firmware has a nice setup, which is on a per patch basis. You just assign the MIDI channel (in this case always 1), data type, and value to FS1-FS8, the toe footswitch, and EXP1 and EXP2. I use the CC Toggle capability, which toggles between values (0 and 127), and you can set which is which (light on or off when effect is off). You have to set it correctly so that the OFF switches relate to OFF effects in the patch, and vice versa. I haven't had to use the Axe FX learn option for anything yet.
Previous reports indicated that you had to build patches with the appropriate effects in them for the lights to work right, as far as I can tell that isn't true with firmware 1.20.
I assign EXP1 -> CC 16, EXP2 -> CC 17. The toe switch does nothing so far, as the HD500 internally switches between EXP1 and EXP2 when you hit it. The toe switch is ridiculously hard to press from a sitting position!!!
I haven't done the tap tempo yet.
Result:
Everything I was aiming for works. The footswitches are nicer than many MIDI pedalboards, and they light up correctly. The foot controller is smooth. The looper has full functionality. My output is from the Axe and not the POD. The 4 patches per bank layout is actually really nice, as each bank can be named and when you hit the bank up/down buttons you get a list of preset names on the POD screen. Switching between patches in a bank is fast and easy. I assume I can replicate my patches and have an OK backup to the Axe. I can also bypass the routing of the signal through the POD from the POD itself by bypassing the Axe Effects Loop block... wacky.
Price for the HD500: $450 new, drove to New Hampshire so no sales tax Awww Yeaahh. Used ones run ~$300-$350, equivalent to a GCP or so. Really durable, fairly light, pretty big for what it does as a pedalboard.
Downside: no power switch on the POD (Really Line 6?), the wall wart is actually really small and light, but the power cable is ~8 feet long.
Another upside? There's a USB connection that you can record off of, some people say it works just fine.
My goals were:
-Patch changing in the first 64 patches of bank 1 on the Axe
-At least four assignable footswitches for turning effects on and off
-Make use of the HD500 looper (48 seconds, reverse, multiple recording, undo, 1/2 speed, etc)
-Two continuous foot controllers, switched between using the toe footswitch on the HD500.
I have not tried any of the HD500 modeling, but my impression on taking it for a spin was that the clean models sound nice and the fancy/gainy models sound like a cat barf contest.
My current setup is:
Axe FX:
Guitar -> Analog front
Output 1 (XLR->XLR) -> powered studio monitors
Output 2 (FX loop send, 1/4"->1/4" cables) -> HD500 FX Return (line level)
Input 2 (FX loop return, Female XLR -> 1/4" cables) <- HD500 XLR Out
Input 1 level knob: 5:00 (dimed for weak strat+ deluxe pickups...)
Input 2 level knob: 5:00 (dimed for return from HD500)
Output 1 level knob: ~12:00 for reasonable studio monitor volume, can change at will
Output 2 level knob: ~12:00, controls level that gets sent to the HD500 effects return
MIDI options:
MIDI channel: 1
Prog change: ON
Display offset: 1
Send realtime sysex: OFF (otherwise I get a nice metronome from the tap tuner...)
MIDI PC offset: 0
I left the CC values on the control tab alone, why complicate things.
Axe patches:
Whatever you want, just make the last patch the Effects loop, leave levels alone
HD500:
Start with factory settings, upgrade to firmware 1.20 via a USB connection (nice!), could have done with my MIDI->USB cable that I use with the Axe
Master volume knob on HD500: 4:00 to 5:00, you can monitor the level with the Axe FX Input 2 LEDs on the front.
MIDI channel: 1
MIDI mode: ABCD
HD500 patches: User Bank 1 contains all empty User patches, so I used that.
Looper is set in the post position, so I can loop the output from the Axe
FX return is right before the Looper, set level to +19, make sure it is a Return block.
You have to name the patches on the POD or using the POD Edit software.
Assigning MIDI footswitches:
The 1.2 firmware has a nice setup, which is on a per patch basis. You just assign the MIDI channel (in this case always 1), data type, and value to FS1-FS8, the toe footswitch, and EXP1 and EXP2. I use the CC Toggle capability, which toggles between values (0 and 127), and you can set which is which (light on or off when effect is off). You have to set it correctly so that the OFF switches relate to OFF effects in the patch, and vice versa. I haven't had to use the Axe FX learn option for anything yet.
Previous reports indicated that you had to build patches with the appropriate effects in them for the lights to work right, as far as I can tell that isn't true with firmware 1.20.
I assign EXP1 -> CC 16, EXP2 -> CC 17. The toe switch does nothing so far, as the HD500 internally switches between EXP1 and EXP2 when you hit it. The toe switch is ridiculously hard to press from a sitting position!!!
I haven't done the tap tempo yet.
Result:
Everything I was aiming for works. The footswitches are nicer than many MIDI pedalboards, and they light up correctly. The foot controller is smooth. The looper has full functionality. My output is from the Axe and not the POD. The 4 patches per bank layout is actually really nice, as each bank can be named and when you hit the bank up/down buttons you get a list of preset names on the POD screen. Switching between patches in a bank is fast and easy. I assume I can replicate my patches and have an OK backup to the Axe. I can also bypass the routing of the signal through the POD from the POD itself by bypassing the Axe Effects Loop block... wacky.
Price for the HD500: $450 new, drove to New Hampshire so no sales tax Awww Yeaahh. Used ones run ~$300-$350, equivalent to a GCP or so. Really durable, fairly light, pretty big for what it does as a pedalboard.
Downside: no power switch on the POD (Really Line 6?), the wall wart is actually really small and light, but the power cable is ~8 feet long.
Another upside? There's a USB connection that you can record off of, some people say it works just fine.
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