Help! BLACKSTAR & POD HD500

[tasty jam]

I have a Blackstar HT-50 head and a Line 6 POD HD500 and I cannot make them work together at all. I have tried what seemed to be every option I could think of and I get nothing but below par results. I tried the 4 cable method which was great at a very low volume, brought it to a band practice and I couldn't hear anything over the drums and other instruments. Also plugging straight into the front of the head did not sound great either. it seems that whenever I hook up the POD to the blackstar head, the volume drastically goes down and loses that punch. im a metal/hardcore player so the punch is very important.
if some one could give me some tips on how to achieve a decent setup, that would be great!

 

[VBCheeseGrater]

I went through this exact same thing trying to integrate a POD into a tube amp. I suspect you have to really work on the PODs output settings, also the blackstar's loop level (it has a pad switch right?). It will never sound perfect in 4CM since you have a D/A conversion before and after the blackstar preamp that way.

Me? I gave up. For awhile i ran two separate rigs in A/B - pod + power amp, then a tube amp, and switched between the two, that way my tube amp was always pure signal, and i could switch to the pod and use the model/effects when required. This was alot of gear though to lug around. Worked great though.

then i went all in on the Pod HD Pro, and after months of trial and error, it sounds top notch live.

maybe you should try just using the Blackstar as a power amp. Use the Pod as your preamp, then plug into the effects return of the HT-50, so you have tube power. use the pre-amp only models on the pod, no cab models I suspect that may give you the best results. Keep your patches gain somewhat low - so when you crank it at band practice - it will sing instead of fart.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

same problem i had when i got mine and plugged it into my 6505+ using the 4 cable method. this link helped me a lot.

Setting Up Your Tube Amp with a POD HD500 | amplifya.com

and these are my personal settings with my amp. No volume loss.

Mixer ChA- -4.5db panned center
Mixer ChB- -4.5db panned center
Put studio Studio EQ before efx loop 150hz Bass +1.5db Gain +6db
Efx Loop setting- No Change
Input 1M
Input 1 Guitar
Input Same
1/4 out switch set to amp
Guitar in switch to normal
Stack Power Amp mode
Inputs setup set to Global
Back switch set to Stomp
Master Volume -100%

 

[tasty jam]

thanks for the replies!
i'll give it a shot. hopefully It works. I hate using headphones on the POD everytime I jam.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

or try his settings. he is using an ht stage60.

 

[tasty jam]

tried that video out awhile ago. it didn't work. worst case scenario, I have a live rig and a studio rig. and that's not s bad haha

 

[will_shred]

Why not just buy a tube screamer and put it in front of the blackstar? Hell I was playing death metal from an HT-50 with no boost. Those amps can scream.

 

[tasty jam]

that's what I was thinking. I have a BBE DI-100X and adding a tube screamer with it would sound great..i hope.
I am a massive noob and I have no idea how to put the BBE into the mix with my other pedals. its not the most popular piece of equipment either so its hard to find other forums with answers about it. ideas?

 

[tasty jam]

my main issue is that its a DI box and I know how that goes into play, but it also has the Sonic Maximizer buit in to it also, which I know has to go at the end of your effects loop. so im lost there. does it go in the front of the amp or in the back in the effects loop with my other pedals?

 

[charlessalvacion]

In front.