neonid Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hi folks, Been moved away from emulators/simulators for a long time but recently started to see how much they're improved. I virtually fell in love with the tones the AxeFX II is capable of producing, but it's a bit too much money for what merely a guitar player I am. Started to then look around, and found the 11rack and the Helix. I must say I'm much intrigued by the Helix but there's just one thing that holds me back..a convincing demo that it really can do what I call 'volume dynamics' by playing with your guitar volume knob. Low volume being crystal clean, more volume a bit crunchy overdrive, til max volume you're good to go for a fat distortion. I've seen the Fractal devices do it, but only on one or two demo videos I've seen the Helix do _something_ like that but it seemed fuzzy and not authentic. See this clip here: https://youtu.be/P6BnWivkMzA?t=135 (2:14min) how he builds up with more volume and how the volume starts to boast up.. . And this is the AX8, not the AxeFX II. Is somebody willing to prove/disprove the Helix dynamics capabilities? I'd go for the AX8 budget and soundwise but I need it to operate as a soundcard for a DAW which the AX8 doesn't do. Appreciate all your responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cclement Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Yup.. the Helix does this just fine.. and I tend to ride my volume control quite a bit with the band. Depending on the patch, this is easily done. I also have a "treble bleed" circuit on my volume control, so I get the added bonus of not getting that muffled sound when I turn down. Some people dig that however... YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neonid Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 Yup.. the Helix does this just fine.. and I tend to ride my volume control quite a bit with the band. Depending on the patch, this is easily done. I also have a "treble bleed" circuit on my volume control, so I get the added bonus of not getting that muffled sound when I turn down. Some people dig that however... YMMV. Awesome.. glad to hear this! Do you have a recording somewhere where you can demo this clean to brutal? Just so my own ears are a bit more witness themselves as the demos I did spot on the internet all sounded like a fuzz pedal :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verne-Bunsen Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 I'm away from my Helix right now so I can't make you a purpose-built demonstration, but I do have a recording I made a while back demonstrating some pickups I wound for my Strat and I do some volume knob twiddling in it. I think it provides a good example. I'm very much a volume knob player myself and being able to clean up a hot amp with the guitar volume was a make-it-or-break-it factor for me with Helix. It handles it just like it should, it's really quite impressive. Anyhow, here is the clip. I don't remember the patch precisely but I think it was the Jumped Plexi, no dirt pedal, there is a vibe on the first section. You can hear me turn the guitar down at about 0:22, back up at 0:43, and then back down at 1:17. Hope it helps you! https://www.dropbox.com/s/xw32bdqqhrwbgwk/ABOVE.mp3?dl=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbuhajla Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Look up some of Paul Hindmarsh's videos on Helix. He plays with his volume knob quite a bit during demos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocco_Crocco Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuZurmlRlUM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neonid Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 Thanks folks! Some nice examples here... Really appreciate the quick responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonkeyXT Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Really liking the Paul H. demo linked in the 'best answer' post - convincing demo. If I wasn't onboard already, I'd jump in from that one... Great showcase of dynamics - and one heck of a player. Nicely referenced demo. I also enjoyed Paul's visit with Chappers and The Captain back a ways - I believe if you searched for 'first demo of a production model Helix' you'd find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocco_Crocco Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Really liking the Paul H. demo linked in the 'best answer' post - convincing demo. If I wasn't onboard already, I'd jump in from that one... Great showcase of dynamics - and one heck of a player. Nicely referenced demo. I also enjoyed Paul's visit with Chappers and The Captain back a ways - I believe if you searched for 'first demo of a production model Helix' you'd find it. That demo is also illustrative of how different pickups sound through the Helix.... most demos use humbuckers, but he makes that Strat sing... and still sound very Stratty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonkeyXT Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Oh yes indeed - for me it all lives and breathes based on that fact. I've always gone about choosing which amps to use contextually based on how well they respond to varying pickup settings, volume roll-back, etc. All of those dynamics. That's true going back through the various PODs I've also used. Some amps are notably more responsive to these changes, but it also depends on what you feed it all at the front end in particular of your audio path. Paul's Strat playing on that demo is very sublime in fact; he's a great, well-rounded musician. I'd say that Paul and (now no longer with Line 6) Sean Halley deliver the most comprehensive demos of the devices they're showcasing. Both of their various demos for Helix spoke a lot to me about getting onboard - at that time, it wasn't a question of 'if,' but 'when.' =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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