 | Download Example 1 Patch 5C - MetalliClean (with Tele) |
| Download Example 2 Patch 5D - MasterPuppetSolo (with Les Paul) |
| Download Example 3 Patch 6C - Canterbury Lead (with Les Paul) |
| Download Example 4 Patch 7C - Chick N Pickn (with Tele) |
| Clips recorded through POD HD500 into Focusrite ISA 428 into Pro Tools HD | |
Line 6, of course, has changed the guitar recording and performance landscape significantly in the last decade and a half. The Calabasas, California company first turned heads back in 1997 with the digital models in is AxSys amplifier and has since become a studio fixture with products like Amp Farm. But it was the original curiously bean-shaped POD, a desktop amp simulator that could be run directly into an amp, PA, recording desk, or computer, that startled even some of the staunchest purists with its surprisingly authentic tones and flexibility. This latest evolution is the POD HD500, the most feature-laden member of a new line that includes the HD300 and HD400. It is built in a pedalboard configuration to make the vast quantity of tones within range for any stage or studio situation.
Designed With A Player’s Purpose
So how do you make a modeler feel like a real amplifier? Line 6 says the data crunching abilities of new Analog Devices chips and HD modeling technology enables the HD 500 to emulate complex circuitry variables as specific as A/B push-pull interactions and power supply behaviors—factors that have a lot to do with the dynamics and tactile response that picking and tubes give a player.
I’m lucky enough to have some very nice modern and vintage amps to play through on a daily basis. They’re the foundation for what I consider good tone and spongy, touch-sensitive playability. But I don’t have a Supro S6616, ENGL Fireball 100, Bogner Uberschall, Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb or Hiwatt Custom 100. Would I like to have access to those tones in a pinch? Damn right I would. And if I can get the sounds of a Divided By 13 JRT 9/15, Fender Bassman, Marshall JCM 800, Marshall JTM45, Dr. Z Route 66, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, Park 75, Vox AC-15 and AC-30—the amps emulations that round out the amp roster in the POD HD500—on top, I’d be pretty excited about the possibilities.
Line 6 did not skimp on effects either. The HD500 comes complete with over 100 of them taken from their M9 and M13 effects boards. There’s the usual assortment of spring reverbs, distortion, fuzz, octaves, EQ, chorus, compression, and so on, but there’s also some quirky effects like the Synth-O-Matic, Obi Wah, Voice Box, Reverse Delay and U-Vibe. And you can use up to eight effects simultaneously, which, when factored in with the amp simulations at your disposal, add up to a formidable set of sound sculpting tools.
The sturdy HD 500 enables you to manage, manipulate, and explore all these options with 512 preset locations, a 48-second looper, 1/4" Aux and Guitar inputs, Variax Digital Input, S/PDIF output, 5-pin MIDI I/O, a chromatic tuner, assignable MIDI footswitch controls and 1/4" stereo FX Send/Returns.
The board is laid out with an expression pedal that can be switched to volume, wah, or pitch effect control depending on how you engage it. There are footswitches on the far left for navigating banks up and down. Footswitches one through four turn the amps and effects on and off, while footswitches five through eight select presets—or when in loop mode, the Record, Play/Stop, Half Speed and Reverse functions. Looping is activated via the Looper switch. To turn on the tuner, you simply hold down the TAP switch on the far right for a few seconds.
You navigate these myriad options through use of the Display section which also includes various knobs and buttons for file saving and navigation. There are also four Multi-Function knobs for parameter tweaking. The standard tone controls allow you to quickly adjust amp settings. They include Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, Volume, and Master. The rear of the unit is where you access all the included I/O. It’s actually an impressive list of connections, and Line 6 deserves kudos for including balanced, 3-pin XLR outputs for studio and stage use. I also think it’s cool to have an L6 link that directly connects to such things as their Line 6 amps. This XLR connection allows you to tweak either the newly released DT50 amp or the POD, and each will update each other as you do so. I’d certainly use that if I had a Line 6 amp.
To Fool the Ears
I plugged the HD500 into Pro Tools via the XLR balanced outputs and a high-end preamp. Once powered up, I plugged a Telecaster into the Guitar input and began to flip through the presets. As you would expect, some presets sound better than others. Settling on Patch 7C Chick N Pickn, I liked what I heard. It had a nice country feel with, a warm short reverb, and it made my Tele sound like a Tele. After adjusting a few knobs, I had a sound I liked and saved it as a preset.
Seeking the thrill of opposites, I selected Patch 5C MettaliClean, set a the delay time with the Tap function and played a nice clean riff that had a bit of bite but still retained clarity. But more importantly, it felt touch responsive and had much more feel than the POD XT I had used on occasion.
With my Les Paul I dialed up some of the heavier-type amps and presets, including the Patch 6C Canterbury Lead and 5D MasterPuppet Solo. Some of the presets are really cool, and some also downright odd. Almost all benefit from a little tweaking of the parameters, though. And players investigating the depth of the HD500 would be well-served by a willingness to dial in presets to taste and according to the sound of individual instruments. That will of course depend not only on personal taste but the kind of guitar you plug into it.
Because I do sound design, some of the wilder presets came in handy, such as 9D Without U Too. Stepping on the expression pedal adds a wild synth-like sound, and adding in some extra delay, I created an exotic lush pad. And I was able to record guitar pieces that I would never have produced myself.
Great sounds aside, Line 6 really did achieve significant improvements in tactile sensitivity with the HD 500. I was definitely able to create a little break up in my tone with harder pick attack, the way I would with an old Gibson or Fender amps. The dynamics are not exactly the same as you get with the real amps but its certainly the closest thing I’ve encountered to true amp sensitivity with modeling or software. Such impressions are certainly a matter of touch, preference and opinion. But the HD 500 does a good job of replicating that intangible element.
The Verdict
The POD HD500 shines most is in its inherent flexibility. As advertised, it’s a multi effects unit that can take the guitar where few normal amp setups can. It’s easy enough to play a straight Fender or Bogner emulation with some reverb if that’s what you need. But it only takes switching on a preset to layer two amps together to create one massive tone monster. Then you can kick in some delays, mods and wahs and take it to a whole different level. Would I replace my amps with this unit? No, I would not. I don’t feel it’s built to replace amplifiers, and you probably won’t trade your ‘64 AC30 for one. But the fact is that it can capably replace most amps in most performance situations. It’s an amazing tool for any guitarist that works in multiple projects or has to move from a bar gig one weekend to a wedding the next and works on experimental soundscapes on the days in between. It can do all of that with aplomb. And at just about 500 bucks it’s a real steal, too.
Buy if...
you want a flexible, good sounding multi effects unit with a ton of I/O for guitar production.
Skip if...
you expect it to replace your real amps and/or don’t want to tweak floor units.
Rating...
Street $499 - Line 6 - line6.com |
Duane Denison of the Jesus Lizard, EGC Chessie in hands, coaxing some nasty tones from his Hiwatt.
The Jesus Lizard’s sixth album, Blue, served as the band’s final statement from the frontlines of noisy rock for the next 26 years. By the time of their dissolution in 1999, they’d earned a reputation for extreme performances chock full of hard-hitting, machine-like grooves delivered by bassist David Wm. Sims and, at their conclusion, drummer Mac McNeilly, at times aided and at other times punctured by the frontline of guitarist Duane Denison’s incisive, dissonant riffing, and presided over by the cantankerous howl of vocalist David Yow. In the years since, performative, thrilling bands such as Pissed Jeans, METZ, and Idles have built upon the Lizard’s musical foundation.
Denison has kept himself plenty busy over the last couple decades, forming the avant-rock supergroup Tomahawk—with vocalist Mike Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn (both from Mr. Bungle), and drummer John Stanier of Helmet—and alongside various other projects including Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers and Hank Williams III. The Jesus Lizard eventually reunited, but until now have only celebrated their catalog, never releasing new jams.
The Jesus Lizard, from left: bassist David Wm. Sims, singer David Yow, drummer Mac McNeilly, and guitarist Duane Denison.
Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins
Back in 2018, Denison, hanging in a hotel room with Yow, played a riff on his unplugged electric guitar that caught the singer’s ear. That song, called “West Side,” will remain unreleased for now, but Denison explains: “He said, ‘Wow, that’s really good. What is that?’ And I said, ‘It’s just some new thing. Why don’t we do an album?’” From those unassuming beginnings, the Jesus Lizard’s creative juices started flowing.
So, how does a band—especially one who so indelibly captured the ineffable energy of live rock performance—prepare to get a new record together 26 years after their last? Back in their earlier days, the members all lived together in a band house, collectively tending to the creative fire when inspiration struck. All these years later, they reside in different cities, so their process requires sending files back and forth and only meeting up for occasional demo sessions over the course of “three or four years.”
“When the time comes to get more in performance mode, I have a practice space. I go there by myself and crank it up. I turn that amp up and turn the metronome up and play loud.” —Duane Denison
the Jesus Lizard "Alexis Feels Sick"
Distance creates an obstacle to striking while the proverbial iron is hot, but Denison has a method to keep things energized: “Practice loud.” The guitarist professes the importance of practice, in general, and especially with a metronome. “We keep very detailed records of what the beats per minute of these songs are,” he explains. “To me, the way to do it is to run it to a Bluetooth speaker and crank it, and then crank your amp. I play a little at home, but when the time comes to get more in performance mode, I have a practice space. I go there by myself and crank it up. I turn that amp up and turn the metronome up and play loud.”
It’s a proven solution. On Rack—recorded at Patrick Carney’s Audio Eagle studio with producer Paul Allen—the band sound as vigorous as ever, proving they’ve not only remained in step with their younger selves, but they may have surpassed it with faders cranked. “Duane’s approach, both as a guitarist and writer, has an angular and menacing fingerprint that is his own unique style,” explains Allen. “The conviction in his playing that he is known for from his recordings in the ’80s and ’90s is still 100-percent intact and still driving full throttle today.”
“I try to be really, really precise,” he says. “I think we all do when it comes to the basic tracks, especially the rhythm parts. The band has always been this machine-like thing.” Together, they build a tension with Yow’s careening voice. “The vocals tend to be all over the place—in and out of tune, in and out of time,” he points out. “You’ve got this very free thing moving around in the foreground, and then you’ve got this very precise, detailed band playing behind it. That’s why it works.”
Before Rack, the Jesus Lizard hadn’t released a new record since 1998’s Blue.
Denison’s guitar also serves as the foreground foil to Yow’s unhinged raving, as on “Alexis Feels Sick,” where they form a demented harmony, or on the midnight creep of “What If,” where his vibrato-laden melodies bolster the singer’s unsettled, maniacal display. As precise as his riffs might be, his playing doesn’t stay strictly on the grid. On the slow, skulking “Armistice Day,” his percussive chording goes off the rails, giving way to a solo that slices that groove like a chef’s knife through warm butter as he reorganizes rock ’n’ roll histrionics into his own cut-up vocabulary.
“During recording sessions, his first solo takes are usually what we decide to keep,” explains Allen. “Listen to Duane’s guitar solos on Jack White’s ‘Morning, Noon, and Night,’ Tomahawk’s ‘Fatback,’ and ‘Grind’ off Rack. There’s a common ‘contained chaos’ thread among them that sounds like a harmonic Rubik’s cube that could only be solved by Duane.”
“Duane’s approach, both as a guitarist and writer, has an angular and menacing fingerprint that is his own unique style.” —Rack producer Paul Allen
To encapsulate just the right amount of intensity, “I don’t over practice everything,” the guitarist says. Instead, once he’s created a part, “I set it aside and don’t wear it out.” On Rack, it’s obvious not a single kilowatt of musical energy was lost in the rehearsal process.
Denison issues his noisy masterclass with assertive, overdriven tones supporting his dissonant voicings like barbed wire on top of an electric fence. The occasional application of slapback delay adds a threatening aura to his exacting riffage. His tones were just as carefully crafted as the parts he plays, and he relied mostly on his signature Electrical Guitar Company Chessie for the sessions, though a Fender Uptown Strat also appears, as well as a Taylor T5Z, which he chose for its “cleaner, hyper-articulated sound” on “Swan the Dog.” Though he’s been spotted at recent Jesus Lizard shows with a brand-new Powers Electric—he points out he played a demo model and says, “I just couldn’t let go of it,” so he ordered his own—that wasn’t until tracking was complete.
Duane Denison's Gear
Denison wields his Powers Electric at the Blue Room in Nashville last June.
Photo by Doug Coombe
Guitars
- Electrical Guitar Company Chessie
- Fender Uptown Strat
- Taylor T5Z
- Gibson ES-135
- Powers Electric
Amps
- Hiwatt Little J
- Hiwatt 2x12 cab with Fane F75 speakers
- Fender Super-Sonic combo
- Early ’60s Fender Bassman
- Marshall 1987X Plexi Reissue
- Victory Super Sheriff head
- Blackstar HT Stage 60—2 combos in stereo with Celestion Neo Creamback speakers and Mullard tubes
Effects
- Line 6 Helix
- Mantic Flex Pro
- TC Electronic G-Force
- Menatone Red Snapper
Strings and Picks
- Stringjoy Orbiters .0105 and .011 sets
- Dunlop celluloid white medium
- Sun Studios yellow picks
He ran through various amps—Marshalls, a Fender Bassman, two Fender Super-Sonic combos, and a Hiwatt Little J—at Audio Eagle. Live, if he’s not on backline gear, you’ll catch him mostly using 60-watt Blackstar HT Stage 60s loaded with Celestion Neo Creambacks. And while some boxes were stomped, he got most of his effects from a Line 6 Helix. “All of those sounds [in the Helix] are modeled on analog sounds, and you can tweak them endlessly,” he explains. “It’s just so practical and easy.”
The tools have only changed slightly since the band’s earlier days, when he favored Travis Beans and Hiwatts. Though he’s started to prefer higher gain sounds, Allen points out that “his guitar sound has always had teeth with a slightly bright sheen, and still does.”
“Honestly, I don’t think my tone has changed much over the past 30-something years,” Denison says. “I tend to favor a brighter, sharper sound with articulation. Someone sent me a video I had never seen of myself playing in the ’80s. I had a band called Cargo Cult in Austin, Texas. What struck me about it is it didn’t sound terribly different than what I sound like right now as far as the guitar sound and the approach. I don’t know what that tells you—I’m consistent?”
YouTube It
The Jesus Lizard take off at Nashville’s Blue Room this past June with “Hide & Seek” from Rack.
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Fender Player II Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar - Coral Red
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