Tweaking without the tears.
Proving that "tweakable" isn’t a synonym for "complicated," POD HD500 provides the perfect balance of flexibility and simplicity. Add effects, change their parameters, and configure the signal chain in just a couple moves. It’s a refreshing change from the deeply confusing and convoluted systems that force you to dive so deep you don’t know which way is up.

Effect blocks.
Effect blocks provide an astoundingly wide tonal palette. Any effect can be assigned to any effect block anywhere in the signal chain. There are eight effect blocks – you can design an elaborate signal chain or line up eight delays, eight distortions, etc.

Parallel paths.
Create two independent tones, each with its own amp and effects signal chain, from one or two input sources. You're now at the helm of a truly powerful sound designer's tool, creating stunning sonic landscapes or setting up elaborate signal chains. These parallel paths meet at the virtual mixer for panning and level control. Plug into parallel paths in three ways.

• VDI (Variax Digital Interface). Connecting a James Tyler Variax® guitar via VDI allows you to assign the guitar’s magnetic pickups to one path and the modeled guitar tone through the other with one cable. Play electric and acoustic sounds simultaneously, a 12-string/six-string combo, whatever you choose.
• Multiple inputs. This approach can be applied to any of the POD HD500 inputs including the auxiliary input and XLR input. Independently process an electric guitar with piezo outputs, two separate instruments, or an instrument and microphone.
• Single input. You can use a single input to feed effects in serial and split them into parallel paths for processing in parallel. (A guitar into a phaser into a delay into an amp model sounds much different than a guitar into a phaser and delay in parallel into an amp model.)

User-writable preset locations.
You want presets, you got 'em. (You don't want 'em, write over 'em.) POD HD500 has 512 preset locations. Some of these locations have factory presets, some are empty, and all of them are user-writable.

All effect blocks are assignable to any of the footswitches or expression pedals. You can assign single blocks to single footswitches for a traditional pedal board-style interface, or assign multiple blocks to the same footswitch to enable and bypass multiple effects in one move. You can also assign any effect’s parameters to the expression pedals, which provides real-time control of up to 40 parameters for tones that morph dramatically from heel to toe.

Set lists.
If you play in a band (or bands) chances are you’ve got a variety of set lists. Wouldn’t it be nice to organize your tones that way? We thought so, too. POD HD500 has eight different set lists, and each one holds up to 64 presets. You can create a set list for each of your bands, different set lists for one band, or whatever you want. Did your singer swap some songs backstage before the show? No problem. Set lists can be reordered on the fly. Keep all your tones organized, in order and ready for action.

Performance mode.
When this view is chosen the LCD displays big, bright effect icons that show where each effect is assigned. (This view is essential because POD HD500 foot switches are so freely assignable.)

MIDI.
One press of a footswitch can shoot MIDI information to your rig, control your software, and make drastic changes to your POD HD500 tone – simultaneously!

A variety of MIDI data can be assigned to the foot switches as well as the expression pedal and toe switch. You can set MIDI CC, MIDI CC toggle, program change, bank change and note on. POD HD500 can control software including Ableton® Live, Propellerhead® Reason®, POD Farm™ 2, and more.

POD HD500 Edit.
So much more than just editor/librarian software, POD HD500 Edit is a powerful and essential control panel for POD HD500. Its separate (and gear-lust-inspiring) sections for FX, Amps, Mixer, and Set Lists allow you to reach deep into every aspect of your tones or just experiment with sounds. If you’re looking for the limits of its functionality, you’re going to need SCUBA gear.