How To Change The Battery In Your Line 6 Vetta HD or Combo: The Vetta XONE: Part 5

If you own a Line 6 Vetta 2 Combo or Vetta HD,

at some point you will have to replace the internal CR2430 lithium battery.

The battery doesn't last forever, so it's an eventual issue that you'll have to address.

Guess what?

It isn't as hard as you think it is.

Really!

Just follow this guide, as well as the Line 6 Vetta Reddit Group's excellent guide to Vetta Battery Replacement.

To begin, I'm still using my Line 6 Vetta HD (Ver2.50) that I originally purchased in 2003!! It's currently full of custom patches for the 42 songs in my band's live set. I'm still loving how it sounds after all these years. I also bought a used Vetta Combo (ver2.50) as a backup.

I've already replaced the Vetta Combo's Battery. Click here for that.

After successfully replacing the Combo's Battery,

I decided to replace the battery in my Vetta HD.

Here's how I did it:

Unplug everything from the HD

Take pictures before every step!

First I loosened the 4 main Chassis screws on the bottom of the HD.

Now you can pull the amp housing out by itself.

Next, you unscrew the 8 small Phillips head screws along the top and front of the Chassis. Lastly, you unscrew the 2 medium Phillips Head Screws in the two recessed spaces on the top. 

Then you can slowly open the two amp chassis.

You will need to disconnect 6 wires to separate the Chassis halves

Here are the 4 main wires that connect the two parts of the Vetta HD's amp chassis.

The small white wire in the front, comes from the Input Jack.

The next two ribbon Cables, 1 Small, 1 Large

Then, at the other end of the board, the Large White Multi-Wire

Next, un-hook the power leads from the power button

Now you can separate the 2 halves of the Chassis

I unscrewed the tiny Phillips Head Screws from the XLR Direct Outs, and the Plastic Nuts on the other I/Os. Then took out the 5 Phillips Head Screws keeping the Main Board in Place.

You can see the battery on the bottom right

There was a fair amount of dust inside,

so I cleaned everything up

I attached the board to my helping hands and turned the board on it's side

Here's the original battery with the factory silicone, holding the battery in place

I scraped off the Silicone with an xacto knife, keeping the original battery in place.

Here's the original battery, silicone off

Then I just flipped the board on it's back with the helping hands, and used my soldering iron to heat the solder on the 3 points where the battery is attached.

By heating those 3 points on the back, the battery falls right out

Battery removed

Now, just install the new CR2430 Battery. You'll have the bend the legs of the battery holder to fit them into the holes. Then while holding the battery in place with your finger, re-solder the 3 holes in the back. 

Flip over the board and add a small bead of solder to each of the back legs.

Now your battery is in place

Next, I added some new clear silicone to keep the battery in place for travel

I waited 15 minutes for the tack to set in the silicone.

While I did that, I replaced my original power button, which wasn't working, with a new one.

Old and new button

The new button installed

Then I re-assembled the chassis, connecting all 6 wires first, then the 10 Phillips Head Screws, 8 small, 2 Medium.

Don't forget to re-insert the stabilizers on each side

Put the Chassis back in the HD, and re attach the 4 Phillips Head Screws on the bottom.

Well Done!!

You have just given your Line 6 Vetta another 10-20 years of life!!!

Don't forget to read my other Line 6 Vetta articles in this Series:

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE From The Line 6 Vetta (Part 1)

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE From The Line 6 Vetta (Part 2)

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE From The Line 6 Vetta (Part 3)

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE From The Line 6 Vetta (Part 4)

XONE is at ReverbNation!

Head on over to ReverbNation and listen to the shorter songs from my 2016 album Maxxed Out At Full Capacity 

You can also hear the longer songs at SoundCloud

XONE at SOUNDCLOUD!!

XONE is now at SOUNDCLOUD!!!

Pop on over to SoundCloud and hear the longer tracks from my 2016 album Maxxed Out At Full Capacity!!

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE From Your Line 6 Vetta!!! (Part 3)

Still using your Line 6 Vetta 2 Amp? So am I!!!

My Vetta, version 2.5, is still sounding HUGE in 2017,

still doing an excellent job as a great live rig!!!

And I still use LINE 6 EDIT to make every single custom tone!!!

The Vetta is such a great GUITAR AMP for having the complete palette of tones,

that can be switched in an instant, with a foot click.

And the BEST way to get AWESOME TONE out of the Vetta

is to exclusively use Line 6 Edit to craft perfect tones that fit your unique rig.

I'm currently working on a secret project that requires me to use a live guitar amp,

so the Vetta has been utilized on a regular basis for the last year.

I crafted the guitar patches for this song in the usual fashion.

I don't use any Cab Models at all, since I'm usually running my Vetta through a Marshall 4x12 with GT12T75 speakers, and it colors the amp models nicely.

I did however have a light wrinkle I had to iron out.

Because I'm rehearsing live in a small studio, I'm going through the PA rather than my Marshall 4x12. To compensate for this change, I had to adjust the Bass setting on my patches a bit, from 20% up to 30%

I run two Mogami XLR cables from the Vetta to the Board, and the AIR is set to Global: U-67 Mic.

I'm really enjoying creating new Guitar Patches, utilizing two blended amp models, to create HUGE tones for this new project with the Line 6 Vetta!!!!

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE from Your Line 6 Vetta {Part 1)

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE from Your Line 6 Vetta {Part 2)

Download the song "MORE" for FREE!!!

You can download the new song MORE from the XONE Reverb Nation site!

Song #2: Wrestling For President: Arnold & Jessie in the White House!!!

Wrestling For President is a comedy song about our love of celebrities and how it could lead to certain actors being elected President and Vice-President. We've seen an actor elected President before: Ronald Reagan. So I wondered what would it be like if we elected two former Governors as President/Vice-President: Arnold Schwarzenegger, with running mate Jesse Ventura!

Wrestling For President starts out like a normal song, but 1/3 of the way through, we get to hear the acceptance speeches of Arnold and Jesse following a theoretical win.

Here's bit of the transcript of their speech:

Arnold: "When I first came to this country I never dreamed that the American people would change the Constitution to allow a foreign born Action Movie Superstar like myself to become the President of the most powerful Nation in the world with the entire U.S. Armed Forces, with The Army, The Navy, Marines, The Airforce, Coast Guard, and things of this nature..."

Jesse: "That's what's great about America, Arnold. America loves a HERO. We proved that first in Minnestota, where I got elected merely by the extremely unique masculine tone of my voice."

Hear the rest of the track "Wrestling For President" on the album XONE - The Emperor's Dream available

at Itunes, Amazon MP3, and Google Play!!!

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE From the Line 6 VETTA! (Part 2)

Getting awesome tone from the Line 6 Vetta isn’t as hard as you think.
A small investment of time is all that’s required. Think of the $$$ you’ve spent on this piece of gear. Why not get the most out of it? Part 1 of this article may have seemed like a lot of info to take in, and that’s because it is. But actually learning your own rig’s tendencies with the Vetta is pretty easy when you actually do it. Line 6 Edit Live Tweaking gets you to a real understanding of your rig’s tendencies within the context of your band/music, and this can be accomplished quickly.


Your exact rig will help you get started. For example, I play an Ibanez RG1570 with D’addario EXL140 strings (Tuned DGCFAD) into a Vetta Head, dual Monster cabled in stereo into a Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet with G12T75 speakers. I make only Blended patches, that utilize the Amp 2 slot for the Low, Low-Mid part of the patch with Channel Volume at 100%, and the Amp 1 slot for the Hi-Mid, Hi part of the patch with Channel Volume at around 50-80%. Both amps are panned to Center, and I always use NO CAB sim. The Vetta is in 4x12 mode in Stereo, Presence ON, Loudness OFF, SM-57 AIR Global.

Look at your rig the same way. Are you playing straight into a Vetta Combo or using a separate cab, 1x12, 2x12, 4x12? What kind of characteristics do your speakers/cab have?

I know that at Live volume, my Marshall 4x12 adds a lot of thump/bass, so I tweak all of my patches in the Vetta with a Bass setting of 20% (9 o’clock). This also helps my bassist Ted, because now the Low End can be his domain in the live mix. And my tone is still nice and warm and chunky.

This is an example of how one learns their rig within the context of the Vetta being the tone source. You have to learn your rig the same way.
You have to find this out in the environment that you play in. If you are a LIVE player, then you must learn this playing at Live Volume(LOUD). If you are a BEDROOM player, then you must learn this at BEDROOM Volume (LOW).

BEDROOM patches do not transfer to the LIVE environment,
and Vice-Versa.

In explaining how I set the amp model variables, I want to keep clear that these settings are relative to my exact rig and your settings will probably be different. These settings have been constant for me, ever since I figured them out.

Since I make only Blended patches, I will refer to Amp 1 and Amp 2 settings (Amp 1=Hi-Mids, Highs - Amp 2= Low-Mids, Lows).
I start with Amp 2 before adding Amp 1.
My Settings are basically the same for both Clean and Hi-Gain tones.
(Some amp models require certain variant settings, so saving as default is always good) (Cab Sims are “OFF”)


DRIVE
Amp 1 = 50%
Amp 1 = 50%
Always set this to 50% for BOTH models.
You can tweak from there later, but start with the Nominal Tone Setting, as stated by Line 6 in their Manual. Sometimes after the patch is finished,
I will increase the 50% to 52% on Amp 2, and I’ll get that right amount of tube saturation sound on the patch. Sometimes adding it only to Amp 1 does this. Sometimes setting both to 52% makes the magic happen. Sometimes it’s 60%, 70%, 83% on Amp2…
You have to figure out what values favor YOUR RIG.

Note: Gain Staging
(Essentially, too much of 2 DRIVE/GAIN/distortion sources mixing together = NOISE ☹ bad).


BASS
Amp 1 = 20%
Amp 2 = 20%
I mentioned before that I set both Bass levels to 20%, due to my Marshall cab adding Bass at LIVE volume. That is true on most patches. Sometimes I set Amp 2 to 23% for a bit more chunk/thickness. Some models require a starting Bass setting of 50% to find their thickness, like the Line 6 Big Bottom, Marshall JMP-1, or Soldano X88R models.
Most of the time it’s 20% for me.
You’ll have to see what works for you.
For example, my friend Adam’s Vetta is 36% Bass Level.
He uses a Schecter Guitar>Vetta II HD>Line6 4x12 V30s.
You can see the variance.


MID
Amp 1 = 50%
Amp 2 = 16-20% - 18% on most of my patches.
While you would probably want to keep the Mids low with a Tube Amp,
that will not work with a Digital Amp like the Vetta.
You’ll need to push the Mids to cut thru in a Band Mix for LIVE volume.
That’s why I always have Amp 1 = 50%. It makes sure that I cut thru.
(You can set the Mids any way you want for BEDROOM volume,
Cause you’ll always cut thru by yourself ☺ )


TREBLE
Amp 1 = 82%
Amp 2 = 70%
These settings are very standard for my patches. They don’t change at all,
except for on a few Clean amp models where Amp2=50% because of the Highs. Otherwise, these are set in stone for MY RIG.

PRESENCE
Amp 1 = 83%
Amp 1 = 83%
Another “Set In Stone” Setting for My Rig. Because XONE is tuned to DGCFAD, I need a lot of Presence to be in front in the mix. This Presence setting puts me there, without becoming “shrill”.
(I also have the Global Presence Boost “On”).

VOLUME
Amp 1 = 30-83% (50% is the standard setting that always works)
Amp 2 = 100%
I always set Amp 2=100% because I believe that the models sound best when pushed to “11” here. Amp 2 carries most of the patch.
I usually set Amp 1 to 50% to start tweaking it into the tone.
Many times it stays at 50%. Sometimes 83% works really good,
Sometimes 30%, 60%, 70%. Sometimes 52%. Sometimes 44%.
Here’s where the Blending really takes place in Blended Patches.
It’s a lot of fun HEARING a new tone come together from two different amp models.

Note: Checking your Gain Staging at the end can sometimes add that last little bit of Magic that a tone is missing. You might not even know it’s there, until you type it in, try it, and realize, it sounds right!


I want to reiterate, that using LINE 6 EDIT to TYPE IN these exact values,
rather than turning knobs, allows you to get to the finite, best tone out of the Vetta. You can LITERALLY HEAR the difference in quality between say, 50% and 52% or 83% and 88%, in any of the Vetta’s variables, amps, effects. You cannot make these changes with the faceplate knobs. If you want AWESOME VETTA TONE, you gotta tweak it with Line 6 Edit…

I really love the Line 6 Vetta. And I think that Line 6 has really delivered an awesome Multi-Variable Tone Machine to those who are looking for such a piece of gear. It’s not for everybody, but it’s definitely for me.
I wanted something similar to John Petrucci’s Rig, but I have neither the Money, nor the Time and the ability to Cart it around, nor even the Chops for such a HUMONGOUS rig ☺. I purchased my Vetta in 2003, and it has provided everything I wanted originally and MORE over the last 6 years. I’m having so much fun with it. I want you to have the same fun with your Vetta.
And I’m not going to sell it to you for money like some would.
I’m sharing it for FREE. (Like our CD)
All you have to do it test this method out thoroughly,
and try Line 6 Edit Live Tweaking with your Vetta!

No Factory Patches Allowed!!

Stay Tuned for Part 3…

UPDATE: Here's Part 3!!!!

The Way To Tweak AWESOME TONE From the Line 6 VETTA! (Part 1)

There is a way to get AWESOME TONE from the Line 6 Vetta.
It doesn’t involve twisting knobs, or hours upon hours of tweaking.
It involves the knowledge of one’s complete Rig within the context of the Vetta, and tweaking to that Rig’s strengths by a single method.
It’s what I call “Line 6 Edit Live Tweaking”.
And it works! If you’re not getting everything you want out of your Vetta,
then read this and try Line 6 Edit Live Tweaking for yourself…


I’ve owned my Vetta HD (now on ver2.50) for almost 6 years.
I’ve taken the tweaking of it very seriously since the beginning.
I wanted really awesome, Pro-sounding LIVE tone at an affordable price,
in a convenient, singular, easy to set up package with many controllable variables. The Vetta HD has delivered exactly that! But it DID NOT come immediately. It has been an ongoing process to completely compartmentalize all of the amazing processes that this amp can do. In lieu of Line 6’s recent Announcement that Vetta will receive NO MORE VETTA UPGRADES, I’m posting my findings in hope of helping Vetta Users everywhere get brilliant tone from their all-digital, complex, musical gadget, or Vetta’s for short. I do not personally believe that there’s any other way to get AWESOME TONE from the VETTA, other than the method I’m posting here.

I realized quickly that the factory patches that came with the Vetta were useless for my rig
(Ibanez RG1570>Vetta HD>Marshall 1960A 4x12).
I needed to tweak my own original patches for my specific rig. For the first 2 years, I tweaked my Vetta with the Vetta Face Tone Knobs and Edit Window. After 2 years tweaking the Vetta, I was pretty satisfied with my tone. I thought I was getting everything I could out of the amp.
I WAS WRONG!

In my third year of Vetta usage, my Bassist Ted gave me an old laptop computer for free. It quickly became a computer whose only role in the world was to tweak my Line 6 gear (Vetta HD, Flextone III). I got an M-Audio Uno USB midi interface and two USB extension cables, and began tweaking my Vetta after rehearsal at LIVE volume (95-112db) using the Line 6 Edit graphic editor. With the Vetta now 17 feet away from me, I could really hear a particular patch’s tone, rather than standing directly in front of the amp when making adjustments with knobs on the Vetta faceplate. As I made an adjustment to a particular value, such as DRIVE,
using my mouse after striking a note or chord, I could really hear the attenuation of the Amp Model’s pre-amp gain. Line 6 Edit’s excellent graphical interface allowed me to adjust every single patch variable easily from 17 feet away from my VETTA, in REALTIME!

Fast forward to 3.5 years of twice weekly, post-rehearsal sessions of purely tweaking my Vetta, with Line 6 Edit, from 17 feet away, at live volume in a rehearsal room when making new tones for new songs, or just for the fun of experimentation. The laptop stays at the rehearsal room for just this purpose. I currently tweak my Vetta while looking out a large window at the beautifully lit, and always working Los Angeles Harbor. I will sit and tweak patches until 2am, testing new theories and ideas of combinations.

I’ve intentionally deleted whole libraries of created for fun patches to start the whole process over again. I really know which Amp Models I like in the Vetta. The Engl Powerball, Diezel Herbert, 5150 II, Line 6 Chunk Chunk, Lunatic, Treadplate, Big Bottom are my favorite for Hi-Gain Tones.
I make only Blended patches, that utilize the Amp 2 slot for the Low, Low-Mid part of the patch with Channel Volume at 100%, and the Amp 1 slot for the Hi-Mid, Hi part of the patch with Channel Volume at around 50-80%. Both amps are panned to Center, and I always use NO CAB sim. The Vetta is in 4x12 mode in Stereo, Presence ON, Loudness OFF, SM-57 AIR Global. All these settings favor my particular Rig, with my EQ sitting within my Band’s Entire Mix for Live use.

Here’s the POINT of this whole thing.
And we are talking LIVE/GIG TONE here.

I’ve found while tweaking in Line 6 Edit,
that there can be HUGE differences between having, say, the Amp Model’s DRIVE set at 48%, 50%, 52%, 58%, 66%, 83%, 98%, etc… (Line 6 Edit uses percentage for all parameter variables). The knobs on the Vetta faceplate do not allow you to make such FINE adjustments. And these FINE ADJUSTMENTS are essential to creating Excellent Tone in the Vetta, for your Rig. These fine adjustments are not dialed in with the mouse. They are TYPED in exactly. Sometimes, those adjustments get made when you are dialing in the amp models at the start of creating a patch. But often, they come after you’ve customized every single variable within the patch and are at your final SAVE. It’s the last “Coup De Gras” to the TONE, and makes it just come alive! Your EARS will HEAR it!

(To TYPE in values, just double click on the number value above the knob/variable)

I’ve not only tested this theory on my own Vetta and Flextone III+,
but I’ve also helped many of my friends with POD XT Live, HD147, Bass POD XT Pro patches with this method. I’m even tweaking a POD X3 Live for our Violinist Shawna. There is a common thread for killer tone in all those Line 6 products and it is the AVAILABLE FINITE VARIABLE CONTROL of the adjustable parameters inside of Line 6 products. Forget the Knobs. In fact, put them in some crazy setup,
like all to “11”!!! They are irrelevant.
(The only faceplate knobs on the Vetta I might ever use are the Global Rev, Lo, Hi to compensate for a new live environment)

I firmly believe IMHO that if you are NOT Tweaking your Vetta, with Line 6 Edit, at your LIVE Volume, from a minimum of 10 feet away, you are not getting the most out of the Vetta.

I firmly believe IMHO that if you owned and later sold the Vetta without ever investing at least 6 MONTHS of pure “Line 6 Edit Live Tweaking” time, that you did NOT experience what this amp can really do.

If I did not intend to tweak patches in the Vetta this way,
I would play something else. Engl, Diezel, Krank…See my Article on Vetta’s Subjectivity.

That is NOT to say that tweaking in Line 6 Edit is time consuming. In fact, it’s the opposite! Once you really learn YOUR RIG’S tendencies (plus the way you sit in your band’s mix with the Vetta, etc…)
you will dial in new patches with amazing quickness.
(But everything starts somewhere with any piece of gear)

For example, in January 09, I routed a Yamaha electric VIOLIN through my Flextone III+, into a Marshall 1960A 4x12 for a live rehearsal. I very quickly dialed in a tone for our violinist Shawna, using the Flex III’s JC-120 model and typing in values in even numbers (Edit/my rig likes even numbers for the most part), all the while, using our EARS to decide when we had the tone. We gave her some Digital Delay and Rich Chamber Reverb, typing in the values and testing quickly, and WHAM! We were rehearsing, not tweaking away forever, getting nowhere, like I hear from some who use the knobs. And she was cutting through as well!
(She now uses the POD X3 Live)

If you use Line 6 Edit in this fashion regularly, you’ll get to where the number values mean more to you than say, tapping the Tap Tempo button for Delay Time. It is NOT math, either. I will NOT do math. I’m all History/English/Art in the brain. Yet, Line 6 Edit is so easy and understandable for me, that it has become amazingly familiar. I can fully extrapolate my favorite effects settings in my head now before I even type them in. That’s 3.5 years of bi-weekly Line 6 Edit Live Tweaking only. Time and Regularity make it a simple process in no time.

Even the tube snobs I know, can’t deny the strength of my Vetta’s LIVE Tone. My Vetta’s tones have converted a bunch of my friends and fellow musicians to Line 6 products. In a blind listening test against the real amp, I’ve had people pick the Vetta as the better sounding. I attribute this to the use of line 6 Edit. Without Line 6 Edit, I couldn’t dial in these tones.

I still can NOT seem to fully Record my LIVE tone, and have it represent what it sounds like Live. But in the LIVE environment, I know I’m firing on all cylinders in regards to the Vetta. My tone is full, rich and totally 3-D live. Try Line 6 Edit Live Tweaking with your Vetta. You won’t be sorry…Cause this is a great amp, and it can be GREAT for you!

I’ve posted 4 of my Vetta patches at Line 6’s CustomTone.com
under XONE. They were tweaked for my rig, so if you don’t play an
Ibanez RG1570>Vetta HD>Marshall 1960A 4x12
then you’ll have to tweak those patches to your own rig’s tendencies,
in which case, you ought to just start from scratch and make your own custom patches that are tweaked to YOUR RIG and customize EVERY variable to it. Now Go For It!!

Stay Tuned for Part 2

XONE – The 4th Dimension – EPK

XONE (pronounced zône)

XONE is a modern metal band integrating elements of progressive rock, driven by story-oriented lyrics, expressed with a depth of passion, and delivering an eclectic but captivating sound that cuts across all musical borders.


Fans say XONE's influences, which range from Rush, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Evergrey, Pink Floyd, White Zombie, Van Halen, Tool, Dream Theater, Symphony X, Peter Gabriel, The Police, Godsmack, U-2, and more, can be heard in many different aspects of our music. The lyrical styles range from the re-telling of historical events, exploring the dimensions of both inner and outer space, to everyday relationship encounters, which touch a nerve that we can all relate to...

XONE began in summer 2003 when Vocalist/Guitarist Will Austin and Bassist Ted Heming began working together to build the foundations of what is now XONE's distinctive sound. Their common goal was to create a musical environment that transports the listener to a realm all its own. With the addition of Drummer Jason Seger in 2006, XONE continued it's campaign to bring their music to the masses.

XONE released their album “The 4th Dimension” in November 2008.
1. The 4th Dimension
2. Ironheart
3. Beautiful One Day
4. TKO
5. Young Man’s Destiny

The 4th Dimension is currently available for free download on the internet. Fans can hear our music, and see our videos online, anytime. XONE is also recording their next CD “ELEMENTS” currently on Pro Tools/Sonar 7 in their San Pedro Studio overlooking the enormously beautiful Los Angeles Harbor.

Connecting with the listener/audience in a positive way is our goal. Anyone who feels our music is important to us! Some may say we're obsessed (we agree), and some believe that we practice too hard (we sure do), but XONE literally spends hundreds of hours intently practicing and perfecting old favorites, creating new masterpieces, recording new albums, promoting/marketing, and preparing for our next jaw dropping show that will change your life forever.

A New Era In Progressive Metal begins...

Visit XONE On The Internet:

Band Blog & Homepage
http://www.xonelive.com

XONE Album: The 4th Dimension
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=892356

The 4th Dimension - Lyrics and Song Story
1. The 4th Dimension
2. Ironheart
3. Beautiful One Day
4. TKO
5. Young Man's Destiny

See our Video for Beautiful One Day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0EmrIRUvtM

XONE at MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/xone

XONE Free Jams
http://www.myspace.com/xonemusic


XONE would like to hear your Feedback!!
Email us at: prog_metal_xone@hotmail.com
Or leave a Comment at our Blog!

The Fourth Dimension

XONE is proud to release our new album:
The 4th Dimension.
It has taken almost 2 years to release this CD,
but the end result is an album that we are very excited for you to hear!
Our intention is to tell stories and be storytellers.
The 4th Dimension is our first real step in this direction.
We’ve learned a lot about ourselves and our gear along the way, we’ve had to re-record all of the Bass ourselves, but we’ve allowed the Vocals to lead the way with this new album.
We hope you will engage yourself into the unique stories told by each of the songs from the album,
and process their subject matter internally in a positive way.
Fall into The 4th Dimension…


XONE
The 4th Dimension (2008)
1. The 4th Dimension
2. Ironheart
3. Beautiful One Day
4. TKO
5. Young Man’s Destiny

6. The Mastermind
(15min epic-almost completed-to be released in Dec 2008)


Lyrics - Click Here

*The 4th Dimension is being released directly on the Internet
and is available now for FREE DOWNLOAD!!

Click the FREE DOWNLOAD link for each song
and get/hear the new album from XONE

Watch our video for: Beautiful One Day
(click "watch in high quality, in blue, bottom right of video window)

and let us know what you think by leaving a comment at any of our sites.

Young Man's Destiny

The fifth song on the new XONE CD The 4th Dimension,
explains that it’s not easy growing up from a boy to a man.
It’s every young boy’s dream to grow into a great man.
It’s getting there that can be difficult.
This is the Young Man’s Destiny…


Young Man’s Destiny
(Lyrics)

Verse 1:
From a young age,
he's always been told.
You have to choose,
you're young now,
you got your whole life ahead of you.

Stepping through stages in life,
it takes time to get old.
and I'll find things my own way,
no matter what people say.

Chorus 1:
A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
From childhood,
to the man that I wish to be.

A young man's destiny,
now he seeks to see.
No longer a child,
but the man that he yearns to be.

Verse 2:
Living in boundaries,
a cage around my soul.
You will suffer,
so that the truth can be known.

Listening to arrogance,
from liars and fools.
Groups are only cowardice,
trying to be cool.

Chorus 2:
A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
From childhood,
to the man that I wish to be.

A young man's destiny,
now he seeks to see.
No longer a child,
but the man that he yearns to be.


Chorus 3:
A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
From childhood,
to the man that I wish to be.

A young man's destiny,
how he seeks to see.
No longer a child,
but the man that he yearns to be.

A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
Of this lost childhood,
and this human disease.

A young man's destiny,
and how he fought to be.
Not only the child,
but the man that you see...

TKO

The fourth song on our new XONE CD The 4th Dimension
is the song: TKO.
This song is a direct attack on the worldwide Al-Quaeda terrorist organization. This song asks listeners to remember images of victims jumping from the Twin Towers to their deaths to escape the flames. The song also reminds us of the execution of Nick Berg, a young American Jew who went to Iraq to help. We must remind ourselves of how we would be treated in a world controlled by Muslim Extremists.


The images of those people jumping to escape the burning heat of the flames, is a harrowing memory. I will never forget seeing them. I will never soothe the rage in my heart over that day. I also will never forget the murder of Nick Berg. I watched the full length video, where for a minute and a half, Al-Quaeda lieutenant al-Zarqawi saws off Nick Berg’s head slowly while his followers hold Nick down and chant “Allahu Ahkbar!” (God is Great!) as Nicks life is extinguished. This is exactly the treatment that Muslim Extremists have in mind for US Citizens, Westerners, and all Jews, should Muslim Extremists ever gain control of the Middle East or worse, the entire world.
We should never forget that.

I urge you to watch the whole Nick Berg execution video for yourself and then make your own decision as to how far you are willing to go to destroy this threat.

The middle section of the song details the reality that has existed throughout time, whenever dealing with the consequences for a small faction (like Al-Quaeda) who punches the giant (USA) in the nose. When it has happened before in history, the larger entity (Egypt, Rome, Russia, etc…) usually ended up destroying/killing a large population of folks who looked just like the persons who initially attacked them.
It’s almost an inevitability of mankind.

Did Osama Bin Laden think that mankind had changed that much?
He had to know, that by attacking us on 9/11, he had just sentenced large groups of his own people to death in the meat grinder of the modern war machine. Large world powers have no choice but to retaliate one hundred-fold. It has always been that way. No modern, progressive thinking has changed that. And so the meat grinder would be set up in their land, not in ours, of course. Just like the rest of history.

And their minions continue to pour into it,
believing they are fighting a Jihad (holy war) against the infidel,
all the while dying for nothing, feeding the latest large civilization’s
jaws of retribution.
So while the inevitability of the war goes on,
do not forget what Muslim Extremists have planned for you
and your family. They are medieval people.
Don’t pull any punches.
You gotta go for the TKO!

TKO
(Lyrics)

Verse 1:
It's just a question of Evil
and it's not a game.
Merely the question of Evil,
Things were never the same...


Bridge:
Falling
I remember them falling
Falling
I can remember them falling
from the flames...


Chorus 1:
They're gonna saw off your head with a rusty knife,
and it'll take a minute or two for them to take your life.
but you won't be prepared, if you've closed your eyes,
You gotta go for the TKO,
if you want to survive!



Verse 2:
No more a question of Evil,
Just an issue of blame,
Learned the lesson of Evil,
Now things can never be the same....



Rhy Lead:
And this is my answer!
And there is the place.
And I will remember.
Now I know your face.

So this is my answer!
And DEATH is my name.
Now you understand my answer!
Want to ask me again?...


Bridge:
Falling
I remember them falling
Falling
I can remember them falling
from the flames...

Chorus 2:
Cause they're gonna saw off your head with a rusty knife,
and they'll invoke the name of GOD, while they take your life.
and you can't be prepared if you've closed your eyes,
You gotta go for the TKO,
Do you wanna survive!?!

Ironheart

The second track on our new XONE CD “The 4th Dimension”,
is the epic story Ironheart. This is the true story of the first time that a people oppressed by Rome, fought back and won! In 9 AD, Germanic Goths under the command of a former Roman Auxiliary Arminius (Hermann the German) routed 3 Roman Legions under the Command of Quinctilius Varus at Teutoburger Wald near modern day Detmold, Germany.

In 9 AD, the Roman Empire had pushed its northern border to the Rhine River, and Rome was attempting to push it North to the Elbe River. Standing right in the way of this were a bunch of loose knit tribes
Inhabiting the Teutoburger Forest. The Romans would conquer an area and immediately tax the people living there to subjugate the inhabitants to Roman rule. It was a model that worked.

To subjugate The Teutoburger Forest tribes, Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned Governor of the area. Varus had earned his reputation governing Syria, where he bled the land and people dry with heavy taxes,
filling his own pockets along the way from the revenues. He came to Germania with the same idea in mind and instituted his will harshly.

Working as a auxiliary Commander and Aide to Varus was Arminius, a young native german who had served in Rome’s Auxiliary fighting insurrection in Illyria (Bosnia). He had returned home to work with the Roman government. What he witnessed was his people completely subjugated to Varus’ taxes and Rome’s will.

Arminius, also known as Hermann the German, decided to lead a rebellion against Varus and his Legions. He united the Forest tribes with his own Cherusci Tribe, and planned the destruction of Rome in his land.
Since Arminius was trusted by Varus, Arminius was able to lead Varus into a trap. Arminius reported to Varus that tax collectors in some of the villages had been killed. Varus ordered his 3 Legions to follow him into the Teutoburger Wald. Once inside the forest, and cut off from his base and supplies, Varus was in a bad situation.

Arminius’ Germans attacked Varus in a bog, and terrorized the Romans using hit and run tactics. The Roman Legions were a hard bunch of soldiers, but they were outnumbered. Arminius sent his cavalry to Varus rearguard to completely cut off all Roman communication and supply.
After three days, of continued, sporadic attacks by the Germans, the Romans realized how grim their situation was. 3 Roman Standards had been lost, two captured by the Germans and one that fell into the bog, and was never seen again. The Roman Standard was a holy symbol to Roman soldiers, and the loss of three had a definite morale effect on the dwindling number of remaining troops holding out. Varus and his commanders accepted their hopeless position, and each fell on their swords rather than be taken alive.

Some had tried to rebel against Rome and failed. The Jews at Masada, the Egyptians had both lost. Even Arminus had helped defeat rebellion in Illyria. But in his homeland, Arminius had dealt the first blow in a long line of changing fortunes for Rome. His destruction of three Legions was felt in Rome, and its echo was felt over the next 300+ years, culminating in the Visigoth defeat of Rome at the Battle of Adrianople in 379 A.D.

Our story begins, as an old, battle-weary Arminus tells his tale to a young Cherusci boy, so that the story may live on…

Ironheart
(Lyrics)

Intro:
Old man, will you tell me the story,
Of how our people became free
If I can see it through your eyes
Then I know I can believe,
that what I've heard is true,
it really was you...

Verse A:
My village was strong and we lived off the land
and from these surroundings I grew into a man.
I sought my own fortune, so I took up the sword
and served under Rome against Illyria.

But then Rome sought to tame a leash on our land
They came here to rule us with an iron hand.
Quintilius Varus came to govern my home
and where did this leave me, now that I served Rome.

Transition

Verse B:
(Now) Varus' methods had been tested before,
I've heard it said that Syria can breathe no more.
Economic enslavement was Varus' plan,
Collecting taxes, he became a rich man.

So he levied his tributes among my own kin,
even though I now served under him.
I played along to make him feel that he had my side,
and all the while I was plotting Rome's demise.

I brought him news of Romans killed by the tribes,
refusing to pay any part of his bribes.
So Varus took his Army marching North to the call,
He marched them right into Teutoburger Wald.

Transition:

Chorus A:
We shall drive out the invader
I lead my men into victory's halls
with these blades we shall defend the righteous
we strike to war by the clarion's call.

Chorus B:
For so long my sword's been forsaken
Now it causes Roman blood to flow
Enticing Varus into a nightmare
so that we can strike the final blow.

Verse C:
I will catch them deep in the mountains
where a phalanx can't be deployed
They will soon become overextended
3 Roman Legions will be destroyed.

Ironhearted I burn with vengeance
I cannot let despair take hold
We must strike while we're still able
and Varus must be forced to fall on his sword

Verse D:
I broke with our tactics to give us a chance,
No other peoples' faced Legions and lived to dance
Auxiliary tribesmen led them into the trap
and we sprung it on them with a resounding snap.

We waited until they had come into the bog
and snuck up on them in the midst of the fog
I then sent my cavalry far to their rear,
raiding their supply lines, I stranded them here.

Transition:

Chorus A:
Now we destroy the invader,
piece by piece he is devoured whole.
(Our) war cries echo throughout the night air
No Roman soldier shall know sleep at all.

Chorus B:
By the hour they grow weaker and weaker,
Their retreat is confused and slow
We have captured 2 Roman Standards,
while the third lies in the swamp below.

Verse E:
In the howling wind and hammering rain
we strike the Roman Lines again and again
This continues for three days and then
the Roman Leadership now sees the end

Ironhearted I burn with vengeance
I have let all contempt take hold
One last strike while they're disabled
and Varus is forced to fall on his sword

Outro:
Well Rome wasn't built in one day,
and it won't be destroyed in one either.
but it's presence will slowly decay,
as I ring the death knell of an empire.

so Goths we shall remain,
a people united in name...
all for one in the same.

And this Ironheart once believed
That if Rome could be forced to flee
to the banks of the Rhine on her knees.

That Legion after Legion would fall
Romans and conscripts, et al...
onward to Adrianople...
And this Ironheart still believes…

4th Dimension (Title Track)

The title track of the new XONE CD is “The 4th Dimension”.
It is the story of a man losing his mind in Outer Space,
and going over the Edge of Insanity…

This is a story set in the future, where a young man dreams of seeing the Universe. So, he takes a job running the Tractor Beam at a large Space Station in the Outer Rim, far from Earth. Day in and day out, he clocks his shift on the tractor beam, loading the ships into the Cargo Bays of the Space Station.

Forty years pass, and the old man now realizes that he never saw the Universe. He stayed in one place, on that Space Station, watching everyone else come and go for all those lost years. He grows despondent over his misfortune. Slowly, his mind drifts into insanity. He is lost.

Later, while on shift on the Tractor Beam, the man stares out into space as the hours of his shift creep by like quicksand, taking him down, into the recesses of his mind. Momentarily his hand comes off the Tractor Beam Controls, sending the ships crashing into the Base, and causing a chain reaction explosion that destroys the entire Space Station…

Planetary Terrafarmer children, at play on the Planet below, watch in awe as the Station explodes into infinity in the Sky above…

The 4th Dimension
XONE
(Lyrics)

Verse 1:
Waking up from a bad dream,
stare out the porthole into the darkness of space.
Spend my shift on the tractor beam,
I'm starting to feel that my life's been a waste.
Every day, it's the same thing,
guiding the ships into each docking bay.
Though my task requires mastery,
ship after ship, my hope's slowly decayed.

Chorus 1:
Where are you from?
Where are you now?
Caught in my own stagnation...

Where will you be?
Where are you bound?
Death is my destination...

Verse 2:
Gone,
Into the dreaming.
Gone,
Into my mind.
Gone,
Into the silence, creeping
and I'm,
Gone,
Into the night.

Chorus 2:
Where are you from?
Where are you now?
Death is my destination...

Where will you be?
Where are you bound?
The stars are my destination...

Verse 3:
The deep space of infinity,
or lost space of my mind.
A sine wave to eternity,
a quantum disturbance in time.

The cold space of insanity,
invading the depths of my mind.
A patchwork of reality,
responding to nothing in kind.

Chorus 3:
Where are you from?
Where are you bound?
The stars are my destination...

Where will you be?
So far from home,
Fell into the 4th Dimension...

Verse 4:
Can't wake up from a bad dream,
staring out into the coldness of space.
Took my hand off the tractor beam,
sending the ships crashing into the Base...

Outro:
Death is my destination...

Fell into the 4th Dimension...

The stars are my destination...

Fell into the 4th Dimension...

The 4th Dimension

XONE is proud to release our new album:
The 4th Dimension.
The process was long, but the end result is an album that we are all very excited for you to hear! We hope you will engage yourself into the unique stories told by each of the songs from the album,
and process their subject matter internally in a positive way.
Fall into The 4th Dimension…


XONE
The 4th Dimension (2008)
1. The 4th Dimension
2. Ironheart
3. Beautiful One Day
4. TKO
5. Young Man’s Destiny

6. The Mastermind
(15min epic-almost completed-to be released in Dec 2008)


How can you fall into The 4th Dimension,
and what does this mean to release this album?

Well, in today’s internet-connected world,
where music is streamed and downloaded
right into one’s home, the hard copy CD is less important
than music available directly on the internet.
Because of this new standard:

The 4th Dimension is being released directly on the Internet
and is available now for FREE DOWNLOAD!!

Click the FREE DOWNLOAD link
and get/hear the new album from XONE

and let us know what you think by leaving a comment at our
YouTube Video Channel or MySpace…

The Vetta-POD X3 Connection

The Line 6 Vetta and the Line 6 POD X3 provide comparable rigs for those guitarists who want a huge palette of tones within reach, at an economical price. The Vetta has been my mainstay amp with XONE for the last 5 years, and I love it. But for those ready to jump in now, with Line 6’s modeling, the POD X3 is the latest, greatest product from the Chatsworth, California company.

I still love and use my Vetta HD weekly, so there’s no reason for me to buy a POD X3. But If I was in the market for a new rig, then the POD X3 would be at the top of my list. Combined with a good power amp and a quality 4x12 cabinet, the POD X3 Live would provide a guitarist with an immense store-bank of tones and sounds that can change in a millisecond to polar opposites. That may sound quite technical,
and that’s because the POD X3 is complex and technical.

If you don’t intend to tweak unique, original patches yourself, then this unit that features two completely separate signal paths won’t do you any good. Each signal is independent of the other and can be effected in any way by the user. From Boutique amp models, to classic Post-Effects, POD X3 users can create a myriad of new tones for their music needs.

The Vetta can’t do 2 separate signal chains at once, but rather pushes both amp channel signals through a combined Post Effects chain, where modulation, delay, and reverb use the same variables for each amp signal. If I just lost you, then maybe buy a Marshall or some Boutique Dream Amp, which has 2-3 excellent tones, and doesn’t require much tweaking.

But if all this made sense to you and you’re considering the POD X3,
then “Go For It”!! I recently have been helping a friend learn how to use his POD X3 Live. While I am having to learn a new interface, the concepts are very similar to the Vetta, so we are getting somewhere quick.

One thing is for sure, the POD X3 sounds excellent!!!

The Vetta XONE Continues

Where would I be without my Vetta? I would be immersed in a land of 2-3 tones. I just need more than that. The Line 6 Vetta delivers a huge palette of tones, and with the two amps at once feature, I’m able to blend two amp models to make a unique original tone each time. The applications are almost endless. Especially in XONE.

While there are many awesome tube amps out on the market, and most of the ones you’d want cost a fistful of cash. It’s great if you can afford that. I cannot. Yet. I need an almost limitless palette of tones for XONE’s music. The only way I can afford this type of device, is with the Line 6 Vetta. In 2003, I walked out of Guitar Center with a Line 6 Vetta HD (head) and an FBV Longboard Foot Controller for $2000. It’s still the best investment I’ve ever made with my tone.

Before Line 6, I swore by Marshall.
I have to admit that some of the Marshall models in the Vetta really give that Marshall tone that I like.
The ’85 Marshall Silver Jubilee, ’92 Marshall JCM 900, and ’68 Jumpered Marshall Super Lead really stand out in the Vetta for hi-Gain tones. Mixing any of those with the Line 6 Original Spinal Puppet model,
And I get a really rich Marshally tone. The Spinal Puppet is basically a hot-rodded Marshall head, so it brings out that rich Marshally tone when mixed with a Marshall model.

Typically, use the Marshall model as the Main amp in the patch,
Lows and low-mids, with the Channel Volume at 100% (all the way up),
The Spinal Puppet covers the high-mids, highs at 50% (12o’clock).
Sounds really awesome to my ears!