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Helix Amp Model Gallery - Real Controls vs Invented


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Viewing the following Real amp images (click to expand), you can see exactly which controls are actually present in every Helix modeled amp, so you can deduce which controls are instead added "bonuses" which essentially lets you modify the unadorned original amp sound.

-Invented control starting point for neutral settings (setting to simulate the real stuff, without those invented parameters). But you can play with this values, it's up to you (no limits):
Presence for No Presence amps should be zero (all the way counterclockwise). Exception Jazz Rivet (P: 50%).
Eq bonus controls to noon (50%) for No Mid, No Bass, No Treble amps.
Master parameter for no master amps to 100%. (Power Amp)

Note 1: Real amps (Without Master) with Volume means Gain- Drive (Pre) in Helix. Volume in Helix is like a mixer to compensate final modeled output level (obviusly it doesn't exist in any of the real amps).

Note 2 : To attenuate "Crossover Distorsion", the best parameter in Helix is "Bias", increase it from 6 to 8 as general rule just in case you need to mitigate it.

Note 3: The default Line6 amp settings parametrs for Helix, when you open a modeled amp, are also a good starting point, normally they are close or exactly in concordance with this. Tip : double click in the parameter to come back to the default one.

Note 4: For Pre Amps models in Helx, some power amp related parametrs (i.e presence in general ; or cut tone with vox amp )are not present, but they modeled also Master and Sag with PreAmps.

All amps are modeled on the Input 1 (High). If you want simulate Input 2 (low), then use a gain block to take 6dB off the signal, and change the input impedance to something lower; somewhere between 68k and 150k.

 

The Guitar In has the variable input impedance circuit and an analog pad. The Aux In is a low impedance, line level input. Using one of the returns set to instrument level would be the closest to the Guitar In.
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'64 Fender Deluxe Reverb [us Deluxe]
(no mid, no presence, no master)
the tone controls are exactly like that or a twin reverb except the 10k linear midrange knob is replaced with a fixed 6.8k resistor. If you want to match the model to the actual amp, set the model between 6.1 and 6.8 (values drift in the real amps). The idea, though, was to make the midrange knob on the deluxe behave like the midrange knob on other black-face fender circuits that have a midrange control.
9679403393_8243e66805_o.jpg

While the Twin Reverb set the standard as the large-club amp, its smaller sibling the Deluxe Reverb established itself as perhaps the most popular small-to-medium club and studio amp of all time. And now, in this age of improved sound reinforcement and lower stage volumes, a Deluxe Reverb remains all the amp that plenty of players need to get their mojo going, whatever size the venue. With 22 watts from two 6V6GT output tubes in class AB, a single 12 Oxford 12K5-6 speaker, and tasty tube reverb and tremolo (the latter errantly dubbed vibrato on Fender control panels), the Deluxe Reverb is a grab n go combo that has proved a pivotal tone tool for too many major players to begin to mention. Its clean tones exhibit classic mid-60s Fender sparkle and bite, while its overdrive is extremely dynamic and expressive. Plenty of guitarists consider this the ultimate Tele amp, but inject just about any style axe and the Deluxe Reverb will deal out gorgeous tones with equal finesse.

 

The Holy Grail for many blues, country, and "roots" players has been a blackface Fender® Deluxe Reverb®. After listening to quite a few candidates back when we were seeking the ultimate Deluxe Reverb® for our 1964 Blackface 'Lux model to be based on, we stumbled upon an extremely cool '64 Deluxe Reverb®. We still haven't found one better.
Most players love a Deluxe Reverb® when it's turned up to about 7 for a nice gritty sound that cleans up when you back off your guitar's volume knob just a little. Notice how the tone control response changes as this Amp Model's Drive is changed: clean settings are crisp and present, while more driven settings will mellow the high end. This is typical of what you get from a Deluxe Reverb® and is nicely captured here. The Deluxe Reverb® itself has only Bass and Treble controls, leaving us, once again, with the prospect of a couple knobs with nothing to say for themselves. But fear not; in this case, we've set up the model's Middle knob so you can add some post-Amp Model Midrange contouring for a little more flexibility, while Presence adds, well, Presence. Once again, set the Middle knob to its "neutral" 12 o'clock position and the Presence knob to 0 for the classic Deluxe sound. Tweaked up right, this tone will cut through and sing. We jacked into Input 1 of the Normal and Vibrato Channel to get this model cooked up.


US Deluxe NRM: The Normal channel is the mellower of the two, with less brightness and gain than the Vibrato channel.
us Deluxe VIB: The Vibrato channel is a separate preamp circuit with tone and clipping characteristics that are different than the Normal channel due to an additional 12AX7 tube stage. High frequencies are increased due to the addition of a bright cap across the volume knob.

Tips:
We matched the knob positions in the amp models. If anyone here has used a Deluxe Reverb you know that after about 4-5, the amp stop getting louder. Once the amp goes past 7-8 it can get pretty ugly. The model behaves the same. Once the drive passes 40% or so, it'll never be a clean amp. Cranking the drive will never give a tight distortion, it'll blow out the power amp. Some think this sounds awesome, some think it sounds ugly. That's totally subjective. But if you are using a model and you want more drive, think of how that model would sound when cranked. Sometimes it sounds a lot better to put a drive pedal in front of an amp than to push an amp to its limits.

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'65 Fender Twin Reverb [us DOUBLE]
(No Presence, No Master)

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An all-time classic of biting twang and shimmering clean tones, the Fender Twin Reverb first hit the scene in 1964 and quickly became the standard for large, fully featured touring combos. Everybody used it, from jazz and country players to serious rockers. With 100 watts of power, 2x12 Jensen speakers, and lush onboard tremolo and reverb, the Twin Reverb has remained a go-to amp for countless players for going on five decades, and has earned its place in the annals of tone history many times over. Played clean but singing with a Telecaster, this is the sound of Roy Buchanan; cranked with a Les Paul, its pure Michael Bloomfield. It never gets extremely overdriven and dirty, mostly just louder“a lot louder.
Double NRM: The Normal channel is the mellower of the two, with less gain than the Vibrato channel.
Double VIB: The Vibrato channel is a separate preamp circuit with clipping characteristics that are different than the Normal channel due to an additional 12AX7 tube stage.


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'73 Hiwatt DR-103 [WhoWatt100]
9682653812_e77bbebf03_o.jpg
Although it might have looked somewhat Marshall-esque from the outside with its black, business like British styling and four EL34 output section, the HiwatCustom 100 was a very different beast. When Dave Reeves began prototyping his Hiwatts in 1967 it was with the objective of building the best guitar amp available, period. A look inside a good Custom 100 shows you how thoroughly he achieved that goal (due in part to Reeves hiring of ˜mil-spec wiring spec Harry Joyce). With their immaculate wire runs, military-grade circuit work, and high-end transformers, Hiwatt amps achieved tones that ranged from multi-dimensional cleans to ungodly aggressive overdrive, all at unprecedented volume levels.
This was the sound that propelled Pete Townshends Live at Leeds-era tone with The Who in the late 60s, as well as David Gilmour's soaring lead work with Pink Floyd in the 70s.


Amp with a brilliant chimey tone and unique tone-stack. If you need more gain, crank the drive and master. This amp has a special Master, an additional gain stage between the master volume and the phase inverter, then the model matches this trait.
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'60s Supro S6616 [soup Pro]
(it has only volume and 1 tone control, no master)

 

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With its single-ended 6V6 output stage, unusual preamp circuitry, and oval 6 x 9 speaker, the SuproS6616 of the late 50s and early 60s”manufactured by Valco in Chicago”might seem an unlikely candidate for œclassic amp status. Yet more of the stuff of legend, Jimmy Page has admitted to using a Supro amp to record most of the first two Led Zeppelin albums. The only problem is, he never copped to which Supro model he used. Talk about a real communication breakdown! Wind it up, and the S6616 offers juicy, brown overdrive that can sound like a raging stack when mixed with the track, yet with a character all its own. Reined in to clean volumes, it is beautifully spanky and crisp. And at all levels the 6 x9 speaker yields nodes and peaks that contribute to an unusual and distinctive sonic voice that has come to be known as the Supro sound. We don't know if this is ˜the one or not, but it sure sounds like it to us! (Dragon pants not included.)

 

t its distinctively fat, thick, organic smoothie of tone  has made it a go-to tool in studios around the world.

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'39 Gibson EH-185 [stone Age 185]
(no mid, no presence, no master)
9682647752_66cd8bed03_o.jpg

EH-185 With its hot microphone input and a well-worn 12 field-coil speaker, this little 1939-42 combo has become a favorite of blues guitarists and studio players alike. This was the Gibson company's first amp designed for the electric guitar “ previous models were designed for Hawaiian lap steels, an extremely popular instrument during this era. Nothing else quite nails the round, warm, woody tone and easy breakup of its octal preamp stage and dual-6L6 output stage. The EH-185 makes a surprisingly versatile voice for sculpting
anything from vintage jazz tones to raw rock n roll when cranked up, and sits beautifully in a full-band mix, both live and in the studio. Seminal jazzer Charlie Christian is believed to have moved up to an EH-185 combo before his death, about the same time that he stepped up from his original GibsonES-150 guitar to an ES-250. In a more modern setting, it has shared the stage with Queen Of The Stone Ages Josh Homme.

 

After almost 4 months of daily Internet searches, Line 6 finally located and procured a Gibson® EH-185 for its HD (after for Helix) modeling collection. The immaculate specimen was boxed and shipped like a crown jewel and arrived safe and sound from its native Mississippi. Like kids at Christmas, anxious Line 6ers gathered 'round for the great unveiling. After some lightly rejuvenating spa treatment from one of LA's top amp techs, the EH-185 was modeled with incredible results.

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'58 Fender Bassman [TWEED Blues]
(no master)
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Simply the crème de la crème of vintage amps from the 50s, the Fender5F6-A Bassman combo with 4x10 Jensen alnico speakers was the amp that started it all “ instant rock and roll tone. Originally a bass guitar amp, the Bassman became a blues and country staple for 6-string guitarists. Incidentally, when Jim Marshall built his first amps with Ken Bran they were heavily influenced by the early Bassman. Its 5AR4 tube rectifier aids in its outstanding dynamic response, and it boasts great touch-sensitivity thanks to a highly interactive three-knob cathode-follower tone stack. The Bassman doesn't have a master volume, so like all amps of this era, you had to crank this mutha up to get that dirty tone revered by all Bassman enthusiasts! As Buddy Guy, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Vaughan, and so many others would tell you, when you're talking vintage amps, the Bassman really is ground-zero for big-combo tone.
Tweed Blues NRM: The Normal channel is the mellower of the two, with less (as you'd expect) brightness and gain than the Bright channel.
Tweed Blues BRT: The Bright channel utilizes the second half of the first preamp tube (the Normal channel uses the first half only) for a different voicing. High frequencies are increased due to the addition of a bright cap across the volume knob.

 

It has the fat bottom end you'd expect from a bass amp, but also has the Fender® twang on the top.
One of the interesting things about the Bassman is just how interactive the Middle and Treble controls are. The Middle control isn't a bandpass, as in most tone control setups. Instead, it's almost like a second treble control. The two are additive, so if you're running your Middle knob higher than halfway up with this model, you'll find that the Treble control might give you more bright than you really want. On the other hand, when you turn the Middle knob down, you'll probably want to boost the Treble.
The Bassman®, like many of the amps modeled didn't have a master volume. So to get the kind of tone that the Bassman® can deliver at higher gain settings, you had to crank it up loud enough to do some serious damage to anyone who might be standing close by. Now you can get that kind of tone at a bedroom or studio level ” or even through your headphones! Try a Drive setting of about 4 or 5 ” it's guaranteed to dredge up the best R & B licks you know.

Tips:
Master 10, Drive 3 to 5 aprox
Try with a Booster Drive (Treble).
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Divided by 13 JRT 9/15 [Divided Duo]
(it has his own 2 eq controls, 2 interactive volume controls, no presence, no master)
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Fred Taconne, a relative newcomer to the boutique amp market, but one that brings several unique twists to his designs, by referencing some of the more unusual tube complements of the past as well as combining unexpected feature sets”all in hand-built amplifiers of the highest quality. The company's JRT 9/15 is a case in point: using a pair of 5879 pentode preamp tubes (best known for their use in the Gibson GA-40 Les Paul Amp of the 50s), Divided by 13 creates two differently voiced but blendable channels for a simple yet incredibly versatile front end. Running this through one of two switchable output stages built into the same amp”a pair of 6V6GTs in class A for 9 watts, or a pair of EL84s in class AB for 15 watts”further augments this amps voice exponentially. The result is a palette of tones that remind you of the best American tweed and classic British amps, while somehow sounding entirely unique throughout their range. A single G12H30 Celestion Speaker.

Each volume controls the two 5879 tubes. One is voiced with more gain and darker, the other is brighter with less gain

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Dr. Z Route 66 [interstate Zed]
(no mid, no presence, no master)
9682634440_e2be136fac_o.jpg
One of the most original and successful, designers and manufacturers in the contemporary boutique scene, Dr Z is known for establishing new tonal templates, rather than cloning the vintage standards. The popular Route 66 is perhaps the best case in point: based around a pair of KT66 output tubes (a ruggedized, military-spec version of the 6L6), with an EF86 pentode in the preamp, the Route 66 manages to make the most of high-end ultra-linear output transformers that are popular in the tube audio world, but have foiled guitar amp makers for decades. The result is an amp that achieves an extremely touch sensitive, full-bodied milkshake thick overdrive when pushed, without ever losing its impressive clarity and definition. In short, a new and original classic.

The Route 66 features a simple tone stack, consisting of Volume, Bass, and Treble, which feeds a non negative feedback Phase Inverter, for true harmonic content and full output tube dynamics. It has a GZ-34 Tube Rectifier to complete the round enveloped tone. The amp has piano-like clarity with endless sustain, even at low volumes. Its 32 watts truly sing when driven hard in a focused, thick distortion, with a tightest bass response.
Tips:
Treble and bass operate regularly until 50%, and dial in gain once turned past 50%.
To put this amp into overdrive, crank all three controls (Drive, Treble, Bass), use humbuckers and possibly an overdrive pedal.

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'60 Vox AC-15 [Essex A-15]
(it has only volume and 1 tone control, no presence, no master)
9679390261_d2b6b20db0_o.jpg

Designed by D Denney for Tom Jenningss JMI company in 1957 and often lauded as the first tube amplifier specifically designed for the electric guitar, the AC-15 has been hailed as one of the juiciest distortion generators ever created, and sought after as a top-flight tone
machine for five decades. With one channel utilizing an EF86 pentode preamp tube, a second utilizing an ECC83 (12AX7), luscious tremolo, and a pair of EL84s in hot cathode bias with no negative feedback (aka class A), it emits an extremely complex, harmonically-saturated distortion tone when driven hard, and classic British jangle and chime when reined in. The bloom, depth and dimension of this combo is further enhanced by its legendary speaker, the alnico Celestion Blue (G12 T530). An EZ81 tube rectifier contributes to its stunning touch sensitivity. Quite simply, this is one of the most copied amps in history, the inspiration to countless boutique designs, and truly a tone to die for.

 

There was no master volume on the original circuit, and there is only one preamp stage before the signal hits the power amp. Normally, we put the master volume right before the power amp, but if we did this then we have the Drive knob and the Master Volume knob in pretty much the same place in the modeled amp circuit.

So, for the AC-15, the master volume is post-phase-inverter in the full amp model. This allow the user to use the Drive knob to hit just the Phase Inverter tubes harder. However, in this amp the power tubes can distort a LOT. When this is combined with the fact that the preamp doesn't distort a whole lot on its own, it can produce a situation where turning the preamp up and the master volume down will clean up the sound quite a bit. The preamp barely distorts and the power amp distorts a TON. This is the opposite of many amps where the preamp is designed to distort and, while the power amp can distort as well, most of the crunch comes from smashing the preamp.


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'67 Vox AC-30 with Top Boost [Essex A-30]
(it has his own cut tone control, no mid, no presence, no master)
9679389887_f71e38ae1a_o.jpg

With four EL84s generating around 36 watts vs the AC-15s two EL84 at 18 watts, the AC-30 was originally designed simply as twice an AC-15 for British pop bands that needed the power to take them to the larger venues (and stadiums) that this new music was reaching. Through the course of the early 60s, however, this soon-legendary combo evolved into something very much its own. The EF86 pentode was dropped from the preamp early on, replaced by another 12ax7 ECC83, but the most distinguishing factor arrived in 1961 in the form of the highly interactive Top Boost tone circuit. First available as a back-to-factory modification, Top Boost became a standard option in 1964, and amps from that era”with a pair of Celestion alnico Silver Bell (G12) speakers”represent the archetypal AC-30s in the minds of most players. With a broad, blooming, three-dimensional tone and volume levels that belie its 36-watt rating, the AC-30 has been a cornerstone of tone for The Beatles, The Shadows, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Brian May of Queen, Peter Buck of R.E.M., and many, many others.

 

Model is based on* a Vox® AC 30. Music was changing in the early '60s and guitarists were asking for more brilliance & twang. So the Jennings Company, makers of Vox® amps, decided to add Treble and Bass controls (and an extra 12AX7 gain stage, incidentally) in addition to the Treble Cut knob it already had (which in actuality was a sliding bandpass filter that always seemed like it was working backwards); this additional circuit became known as Top Boost.
The AC 30 with Top Boost was the amp made famous by many British invasion bands. Much of the unique character of the Vox® sound can be attributed to the fact that Class A amps overdrive in a very different way than Class AB. Brian May of Queen, Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, and The Edge of U2 have all used classic AC 30s to make their music. Although usually played fairly clean, a cranked AC 30 has a great saturated lead tone, a la Brian May on the early Queen albums.
On this Amp Model, the Middle control acts like the original Cut knob on the AC 30. We plugged into the Hi gain input of the AC 30's Brilliant channel when creating it.

An AC30 has no power amp feedback so it doesn't have presence controls. It has a "Cut" control which is basically an adjustable snubber on the phase inverter.
Tips:
Starting Point: Master 10, set Drive to taste, Mid 5 (50%)
Instead of turning up Drive, try boosting the input signal before the amp.

Cabinet suggestion: Alinco Silver Or use (or combine with) Marshall greenbacks (4x12 20w or 25w). Alternative: Red Wirez Vox and Marshall greenbacks, Ownhammer Blue and greenbacks

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'65 Marshall JTM-45 [bRIT J-45]

(no master) --> Defualt setting 10
9679386037_51b7e5dc69_o.jpg
 

The JTM 45 was the first Marshall ever made back in the early 60s. It was built from 1962 up to 1966. It didn't actually have a model number at first, but later it was called a JTM45 (which got its initibls from Marshalls son Jim Terry Marshall).. It has KT66s tubes a tube rectifier, and no master volume and is around 30-45 watts.

 

 the JTM 45 had a common biased preamp section, had the same gain in the first preamp stage for each channel, one bright and one dark channel for added bass response. 

 

Were equipped with 6L6 (5881/KT66) tubes that provided a more open and less heavy distortion. 

 

 

Clapton used it for the Bluesbreakers album probabally making it most famous there. Its supposed to be really good clean with a good marshall breakup too.

One of the earlier amps that, as mentioned above, found its inspiration in the tweed Fender®Bassman®, but nevertheless managed to sound like something quite different as it took on several constructional twists and design elements that marked the beginning transition from a mellower Fender like tone to the distinctive, bright crunchy sound of all Marshall® amps to follow. Hefty, high-quality British transformers and KT66 output tubes (a 6L6 equivalent, but with more power and punch) gave the JTM-45 a huge soundstage and a smoother overdrive tone than the later EL34-based Marshalls that more players are familiar with today. Cranked through a closed-back 4x12 cab with Celestion G12M Greenback speakers, this rig evokes the archetypal Brit-rock and blues-rock guitar tone. Interesting side note: this is the exact same amplifier as the Marshall Bluesbreaker that Eric Clapton made famous, but in head form, rather than housed in a 2x12 combo. This is your starting if you are looking for that beano tone.
Brit J-45 NRM: The Normal channel is the mellower of the two, with less (as you'd expect) brightness and gain than the Bright channel.
Brit J-45 BRT: The Bright channel utilizes the second half of the first preamp tube (the Normal channel uses the first half only) for a different voicing. High frequencies are increased due to an inter-stage high shelving filter

 

It's a nastier, brighter Fender Bassman. Great clean, for dirty blues, up to Angus Young type stuff.

Tips:
It's a bass-heavy amp ; Decreasing Bass could be a good tip. Great for clean tones as well as rock tones
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'65 Marshall Plexi 1959 Super Lead 100 (BRIT PLEXI)

(No Master)
9682610070_c6cd74371f_o.jpg

Tthe stack four inputs, EL34 tubes Both the Normal and Bright inputs of this legendary Marshall 100 watt beast. First produced in 1965 (note that the 959  is a model number and does not indicate the date of manufacture) is often referred to as the original Plexi, featuring two channels and four inputs. It was utilized by Pete Towsend, Eric Clapton, and most famously, by Jimi Hendrix at his Woodstock performance.

Brit Plexi Nrm : The Normal channel, as you might expect, offers a flatter EQ response and a bit lower gain, well-suited for rhythm playing.
Brit Plexi Brt: The Bright channel features a boosted, brighter tone, which is ideal for a more cutting lead tone

Brit Plexi Jump: Normal channel + Bright channel jumped from imput.

Guitar playing is all about experimentation, isn't it? That, and finding all the possible ways to get more distortion out of whatever gear you have at hand. One of the fun things you can do with a Plexi is take a short guitar cable and jumper channel I and channel II (as they're frequently numbered) together for a little extra saturation. Some guys loved this sound so much that they pulled the chassis and permanently wired a jumper into the amp. Being the obsessive/compulsive tone freaks we are, we just had to give you the Plexi Jump model to give you a sound based on of this setup.

Modeled after* the infamous '68 Marshall 'Plexi' Super Lead. By the time this amp was built (ca. 1968), Marshall had completely changed the circuitry away from the Fender 6L6 power tube heritage and moved to an EL34 tube. Another major tone difference was due to the necessary output & power supply transformer changes. All this mucking about added up to create a tone forever linked with Rock Guitar. Amps of this era didn't have any sort of master volume control, so to get the sound you'd have to crank your Super Lead  just the thing to help you really make friends with the neighbors. Hendrix used Marshalls of this era; a decade later Van Halen's first two records owed their "brown sound" to a 100-watt Plexi (Our Super Lead, in fact, has the 'lay down' transformer that was unique to '68 models, the same as Hendrix and Van Halen's Marshalls.). To get a crunch sound out of a Plexi, you would likely crank the input volume and tone controls. You'll find that, in keeping with our "make-it-sound-a-whole-lot-like-the-original" concept, this model is set up to do pretty darned near the same thing.

Tips:
Plexi is supposed to sound fizzy (it's helps to cut through in a mix). Don't be afraid to turn the bass all the way down or the treble all the way up. Just like with the actual amp. For example, on the normal channel of a Plexi most people turn the bass way down. Otherwise it's too flubby." Settings for a "typical" Plexi tone could be aprox. Bass: 2, Mid: 8, Treble 7.5. Presence adjust to taste.

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'71 Park 75 [bRIT P-75]

(no master), brightness=presence?
01_PARK_75.jpg
Were manufactured by Jim Marshall from the mid 60s until the late 70s as a means of circumventing an exclusive English distribution deal for the amplifiers bearing his own name. It got its name from the dealer Johnny Jones wifes maiden name, Park. These amps have become legendary in their own right, but none has quite attained the status of the
beefy Park 75. Although they were usually based loosely on circuits used in classic Marshall amps, Park models were often given clever new twists, such as the increased front-end gain in the 75 and the use of military-grade KT88 output tubes rather than the traditional EL34s. Our specimen comes paired with a 1973/74 speaker cabinet loaded with four Rola Celestion
G12H speakers. Add it all up, and its a sizzling, crunchy plexi-style tone like nothing you've ever heard before, equally adept at classic British blues-rock and contemporary grind.

 

Line 6 snatched up its Park 75 during an amplifier recon trip around Southern California. On the hunt for another piece of gear, Line 6ers noticed the Park 75 peeking out from behind other amps. A rare find (according to legend, only 300-400 were ever made), the amp was in great shape and its cab was complete with original Fane speakers. A short test-drive was all it took for the recon group to fall in love with the vintage vibe that sounded as good as it looked.

Brit P-75 NRM: The Normal channel is the mellower of the two, with less (as you'd expect) brightness and gain than the Bright channel.
Brit P-75 BRT: The Bright channel utilizes the second half of the first preamp tube (the Normal channel uses the first half only) for a different voicing. High frequencies are increased due to an inter-stage high-shelving filter.


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'82 Marshall JCM-800 [bRIT 2204]
9682617196_3518c48a80_o.jpg

As Marshall amplifiers evolved through the course of the 80s, the JCM-800 (1981-90) came to stand out as the new flagship of the range. While the 2210 version”previously modeled by Line 6 was enjoyed by many for its 100 watts of power and two foot switchable channels, the 2204 50-watter EL34 came to be known as the flag-bearer of classic Marshall tone.
With its one, dual-input channel, added versatility of its Pre-Amp Volume and Marshalls new Master Volume control, the JCM-800 2204 was otherwise not a stones throw from the hallowed plexi and metal panel 1987 Lead Models of the late 60s and early 70s, although its front-end gain could be tapped more easily without blowing your head off.
Cranked through a closed-back 4x12 with Celestion G12T-75 speakers, this is the pure sound of 80s rock, the amp that propelled countless hits from that decade and beyond.

Turn to this Amp Model to conjure up tones of the coveted JCM 800, one of Marshall's most universally acclaimed modern amps. This updated version of the Plexi continued Marshall's heritage with added gain and edge for a new generation of rock guitarists. One of the biggest differences here is that the tone controls are located after the preamp tubes.

Tips:
Turn up Master Volume. Try with a low-gain TS808 or Tube Drive.
The real amp is too bright, you can adjust the various tone controls and parameters to reduce the brightness to your tastes presence normally way down. They are designed to be run loud and the brightness decreases as the MV is increased. Designed to get their character from power amp distortion. If you don't push the power amp all you are hearing is the preamp which is voiced to be trebly. The power amp then compresses the highs and the sound gets fatter, but MV too high and will get muddy.
The sound of 80's hair metal,treble boosting amplifies the upper frequencies, however, that treble boosting helps the sound cut

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2002 Bogner Uberschall [GERMAN UBERSONIC]
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Plenty of amps have fought it out to be baddest of the bad in the high-gain stakes, but the Bogner Uberschall is as heavy, mean, and downright evil sounding as they come. With a whopping four 12AX7s worth of preamp gain, plus two more for FX loop and phase inverter, rammed through a quad of EL34 output tubes, the Uberschall (German for super sonic) was designed to be Armageddon in a box. A take-no-prisoners distortion machine for the most aggressive shred and nu-metal players on the planet. In addition to its unprecedented levels of highly saturated gain, this amp packs the eviscerating bass response needed to put this kind of music across on the big stage.

This model is reminiscent of an 800, modded for heavier, grinding lows and what some call insane gain.
 The presence knob on the Bogner Ubserschall is more like a contour, affects most of the midrange as well.

Tips:
Heavy grinding lows and insane gain, it could be too boomy (low cut). From Real Amp manual: starting point control values, gain 60%, bass 60%, mid 60%, Treble 60%, Presence 60%.
Keep the Master volume low (5 or less). Turn up Presence, add Mids
Bogner manual: "One of the most unique items is our "Presence" control. It's an amazing combination of a midrange-presence control. As you sweep through its range you will notice an incredible variety of tones this one control allows. For an extremely aggressive sub-harmonic bass and scooped-midrange sound, keep the presence off or very low. A huge 3-dimensional tone can be found by running the presence around 2 o'clock. Pushing the "Presence" control to maximum will allow you to cut a sonic path through the mix by reinforcing your midrange and slightly rolling off the sub-bass. Trust us: REALLY check out the presence control to unleash the hidden secrets of the UBERSCHALL. The "Midrange" control is very interactive with all the other tone controls, you can go from a hollow scooped-mid setting to an aggressive in your face and on your throat kind of intensity. The "Bass" control allows almost a sub-harmonic low-end to be added, at high volumes be sure to keep the bass down a bit to keep your tone focused like a laser beam"
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2001 Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo [CALI RECTIFIRE]
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Mesa/Boogie almost single-handedly, and simultaneously, established the custom amp (aka boutique) and high-gain crazes in the early 70s, and has continued to set the pace for nearly four decades. As the new standard for grunge and alt-rock amplification, the Dual Rectifier pushed this pedigree forward to the new millennium, and its high-gain third channel established the tone to beat for the 90s and early 00s guitar rock. With broad control over its drive and level, and a versatile tone stack, it can go from thundering, scooped crunch to soaring lead tones with a creamy midrange, all with crushing volume and authority. Others have come and gone, but the Dual Rectifier continues to earn its place on the big stage, and to exert its authority over lesser amplification efforts.
Class AB, 6L6. Modern setting.

Amp Model is based on* a 2001 3 Channel Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head. The Dual Rectifier was part of Boogie's more modern, high gain approach for that "big hair" sound. In contrast to the earlier Boogies, the Dual Rectifier's tone controls have more influence at high gain settings, so you can scoop the mids and increase the bottom end.
We used Channel 3 on the Modern setting for this one with the rear switches set to Bold and Tube Rectifier, respectively.

Tips:
Real Rectos are bassy/fizzy beasts but that tone works great for certain genres
This is based on the Modern mode, so be very careful with the Master parameter. If you turn it up too high it will flub out really quick. If in doubt reduce the MV (because there is no negative feedback, the power amp has a lot more gain and a huge bass boost).

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2009 ENGL Fireball 100 [ANGL Meteor]
Mid boost
9682612090_1916e5b351_o.jpg
Great for aggressive, drop-tuned riff work, Based on* 2009 ENGL Fireball 100 (German) Designed to redefine the stereotypicalshred sound and dial in a more musical lower-midrange and bass response, the ENGL Fireball 100 has become one of the new standards of contemporary rock and metal. Using a quad of 6L6 output tubes for mammoth lows and gut-thumping punch, and four 12AX7 preamp tubes for scorched-earth gain levels, the Fireball 100 nevertheless brings great refinement and articulation to this aggressive genre, boasts surprising versatility, and has earned its keep in the rigs of several cutting-edge shredmeisters (Ritchie Blackmore, Steve Morse).

Tips:
Since the Treble and Presence control knobs sweep through different frequency ranges and influence
the signal at different places in the amp's internal signal chain, you can dial in different combinations
of treble and presence settings to come up with many interesting sonic variations.
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'93 Soldano SLO-100 [sOLO LEAD]
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Noted for its hot-rod chrome chassis and aggressive rhythm tone. Normal (Clean / Crunch) and snarling Lead channel,100w, 6L6 tubes.
Now considered a modern American classic, have made it the heart and soul of many of Rock, Metal, and Electric Blues, Mike Soldano created his flagship Super Lead Overdrive 100 (SLO-100) amplifier in 1987 and continues to hand-build it to this day. The SLO-100 was made an instant hit by early adopters Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, and used by a range of players, including Warren DeMartini, Warren Haynes,
Lou Reed, and Eddie Van Halen. Much of the love for the SLO-100 is due to not only its juicy high gain tones, but also its clean and crunchy capabilities, making it an extremely versatile head. The SLO-100 features two channels, Normal and Overdrive, with a Clean / Crunch gain switch on the Normal channel. We loved the different characteristics of this amp so much that we created three separate models!

Solo Lead Clean: This model of the Normal channel switched to Clean provides the most headroom and a variety of warm to shimmery clean tones.
Solo Lead Crunch: Here we've modeled the Normal channel switched to Crunch, which is superb for a range of distorted textures from polite to aggressive.
Solo Lead Overdrive: A model of the Overdrive channel with some seriously tight bottom chunk to liquid, screaming lead capabilities
.


Mike Soldano first came to fame as the guy who could do all the really cool mods to your Marshall. It wasn't long before he started building his own 'hot-rod' amps ” sporting chromed transformers and chassis, no less. Mike's amps are also famous for their bullet-proof construction and military spec wiring and components.
While primarily known for its high gain personality, the SLO-100 has a great clean tone as well. Eric Clapton put Soldano on the map when he played "Saturday Night Live" with his Soldano SLO-100.

Tips:
Those amps are all designed to get their character from power amp distortion. If you don't push the power amp all you are hearing is the preamp which is voiced to be trebly. The power amp then compresses the highs and the sound gets fatter. Many people find SLOs too bright. It was designed as a large stage/stadium amp. Running one at your local pub is going to give results that are very thin and buzzy, best tones achieved by increasing the master and backing off the preamp, just like the real deal. The key to an SLO100 is to run the MV high so that the mids thicken up. Otherwise it's a shrill mess. In certain contexts with the right IR it can be a cool sound.
Rectifier preamp is a derivative of the SLO-100.
Many times the knobs aren't "centered". If you put the Treble knob at noon it isn't actually at 50%, in the case of an SLO100 it is intentional. On an SLO100 all the way down is around 8:00 and all the way up is 6:00 so 50% is around 1:00 not noon."

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'60s Ampeg B-15NF Portaflex [ before called Tuckn' Go, but now
Ampeg B-15NF ] -Bass Amp

(no mid, no presence, no master)
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Get sweet and lowdown with this model of the honorable  60s Ampeg B-15F bass amp, complete with the Custom Design, CTS 15 inch speaker. The unique Portaflex design consisted of the tube amps electronics being mounted on a chassis that flipped over (hence our nifty model name) to secure as part of the speaker cabinet, intended to offer the portability of a combo, without the over-heating and rattling problems associated with combo amps of the period. Ampeg founder Everett Hull was not a fan of Rock n Roll music, and thus conservatively rated this amp at 30 watts, to encourage its users to keep the volume at sensible levels to avoid distortion. But we think this versatile low-ender sounds just as great turned up for some throaty growl.


All-valve bass - 25W RMS , speaker 1 x 15" custom Eminence, preamp 3 x 12AX7, rectifier 1 x 5AR4 or 5U4G, power amp 2 x 6L6GC

Its tuned and front-ported, has a closed back, is 25 watts with a single 15-inch speaker, and set a new standard for cabinet and speaker efficiency, tone and convenience in bass amplification. If we had to sum up the amps sound up in one sentence, we would simply say: Listen to James Jamersons bass playing on the Motown/Tamala records of the 1960s ” The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and many more. Jamerson played bass on more Motown hits than anyone else, and his choice for amplification was the Ampeg B-15. We think you'll agree that the sound of his P Bass through that amp on those records is as fresh and exciting today as it was 35 years ago. And if he's not enough to convince you, how about Duck Dunn! Don't get us started....

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Line 6 Elektrik

This high-voltage, face-melting original has interactive presence & mid-range controls, with more gain than you can shake a stick at. It has something from the first Bomber Uber.
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Line 6 Epic
A metal-freindly beast that provides sustain for days at virtually any playing dynamic, giving up gobs of distortion with ease. We did it in small doses throughout the length of the preamp.
It's based on the Soldano lead channel, but with more gain and a smoother transition into clipping on all the gain stages. This means that as sustained notes decay they don't "fall out" of distortion. It's unrealistically smooth. This is why players will still put an overdrive in front of a high gain amp; to get that kind of "liquid lead" sound.
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Line 6 Doom

Heres a hybrid to fill a void for doom/sludge players. It's a JCM800 preamp going into a Hiwatt power amp with some additional tweaks, to give you large amounts of gain and a rich, sag-induced reaction with a whole lot of bass.
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Pod HD model packs amps adds and Helix Amp sim:
Fender Champ (US Small Tweed)
No Master-->100%, No Presence--> 0%, No Mid*, No Bass, No Treble

*In the tweed champ, the bass and treble are after the amp modeling, but the midrange control is between the two preamp gain stages. The midrange knob can become a cool drive feature.
fender-champ-5w-tweed-525756.jpg

The Fender Champ was a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1948 and discontinued in 1982. An updated version was introduced in 2006 as part of the "Vintage Modified" line.
The Champ had the lowest power output and the simplest circuit for all of the Fender tube amps. The Champ had only one power tube, which meant that the circuit is single-ended and class A, single-ended (single 6V6 tube). Five watts and the simple toneful circuit allowed the Champ to be used easily and often in recording studios.
Tweed amplifiers typically break up earlier than later "cleaner" models and are known for their warm-sounding overdrive.
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Bogner Shiva (German Mahadeva)
based on 6L6 Model, channel 2
ShivaHDRV-large.jpg

6L6 models are 60 watts and have a touch more lowend/highend extension that's more American-style.
The beauty of the Shiva is that it takes what Marshall did in the 70s and 80s and adds some modern appointments so that the user can achieve tones ranging from classic rock to heavy metal (the utilization of the boost feature works wonders here).

One thing is constant, though: Swirling notes. It is hard to describe, but the Shiva has a midrange character that results in what sounds like a light swirling of each note and chord that creates a very harmonically rich tone.


Tips:
Bogner around noon (50%) are dark, it's like turning the treble way down on a Marshall. The treble knob at 50% on a Bogner is equivalent to the treble knob at 10% on a Marshall. If you turned the treble up to 8 or 9 it would sound a lot like a Plexi.
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A-30 Fawn (Vox AC-30 Fawn)
No Master, No Presence, No Mid, No Bass, No Treble
AC30panel.jpg



Vox redesigning the initial preamp of the AC-30. The troublesome EF-86 tube was replaced with a battery of ECC83 (12AX7) tubes. A third channel was also added. By the end of 1960, the initial AC-30 was phased out in favor of the new AC-30 fawn.
The Beatles first recordings in the Abbey Road studio used a fawn.
The early version of this AC-30 was covered in a tan or "fawn" vinyl that was as thin as wallpaper.
A single tone control rolled off the treble on all three channels simultaneously. Individual treble and bass controls were not included in the stock version of the AC-30/ Fawn. An optional factory installed, rear panel mounted "Top Boost" circuit became available in 1961. This circuit added a treble and bass control to the "Brilliant" channel, but not in this fawn model.
The amp also featured two 12 "Celestion Alnico Blue speakers. The Celestion Alnico speakers in the earliest production of the AC-30 Fawn might not have a magnet cover and might be tan, rather than blue.

Normal Channel
Brillant Channel

 

On-top-boost model. Both the bright channel and the normal channel each, only hit one preamp stage before going to the phase inverter in the power amp. All of the saturation of this amp comes from the power amp, and it can get pretty dirty.
The bright channel is pretty bright when run clean, but that brightness when driving the power amp results in a wonderfully rich and harmonically complex overdrive. It's quite responsive to saturation with picking dynamics and
volume knob control.

Turning up the Bias knob reduces crossover distortion the best, but there are no wrong knob settings. If you like the sound coming out, the knobs are set right for you.

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Orange OR80 (Mandarin 80)
No Master, HF drive=Presence
orange-amp-orange_or_120.jpg

Controls: FAC(mid range tone control by 6 pos switch) - Bass - Treble - H.F Drive(presence) - Gain

Year: 1974-75
Model: OR80
Output: 80 Watts
Preamp tubes: 12AX7
Power tubes:EL34
Bias: Fixed bias
Rectifier: solid state
Phase Inverter: Cathodyne type: 1/2 x 12ax7

The F.A.C. control stands for Frequency Analysing Control. It is a mid-range sweep that offers many variations on the Orange sound. Experiment with different settings for a variety of sounds. It is basically EQ settings from bassy all the way to the left and getting progressively thinner as you go to the right. Most people, set it all the way to the left or one click to the right from that.The FAC control switches between different interstage coupling capacitors which will change the low frequency cutoff/rolloff point of the preamp. In other words, it cuts bass increasingly with each click clockwise.

The HF drive is a presence contol, that boost/atennuates very high frequencies, comparing to other amplifiers. It's in between gain stages (2 to 3), so it does afect drive. You can call it a drive control, like the Eq, that is between stage 1 and 2.
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Peavey 5150 Block Logo (PV Panama)

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The Peavey 5150 is an all-tube guitar amplifier 1992 on, initially as a signature model for Eddie Van Halen.

The Peavey 5150 has four Tube 6L6 Power Tubes, and five 12AX7 Tubes in the preamplifier staging (with one as a phase inverter.) Despite its shared "plain" PCB, each component was generally high quality, allowing manufacturing ease while providing high quality tone.

A defining attribute largely responsible for the 5150 sound is the fixed bias, set to a lower value which resulted in the Power Tubes running at a lower energy commonly known as "cold-biased", resulted in a more controllable gain setting, allowing such a heavy amount of gain to be applied without sacrificing tonal definition.

Excellent frequency response (largely attributable to the vacuum tube amplification), and clarity with heavy gain. Its cultural significance in Hard Rock, later Metal, as a unique product with a unique tone.

Well known for its high gain overdrive channel, and has seen widespread use by rock, hardcore and metal guitarists. An early breakthrough was its use by Colin Richardson and Andy Sneap, two "seminal" British producers of heavy metal; especially Machine Head's Burn My Eyes (1994) helped the 5150 gain a reputation for its sound, which "defined a generation of guitar tone".

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Roland JC 120 Jazz Chorus (Jazz Rivet 120)
No Master → 100%
No Presence → Exception, neutral in this case should be 50% instead of 0.
Bright
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Roland Jazz Chorus is a solid-state instrument amplifiers produced in Japan since 1975. Its name comes from its built-in analog chorus effect. The Jazz Chorus series became increasingly popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s new wave and post-punk scenes because of its clean yet powerful sound, durability and relatively low cost when compared to the more commonly used amplifiers of the time such as Marshall or Fender. It also found favour amongst funk players in America. It also became popular to use for clean tones in heavy metal, with the most famous users being James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett from Metallica.

The Jazz Chorus is one of the most famous and successful combo amplifiers from its period and its earliest users included Albert King, Andy Summers (The Police), Robert Smith of The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees and Pat Metheny.

Engage the Bright switch to add some bite, add a chorus after the amp to simulate the stereo chorus.
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Ampeg SVT (before was called SV Beast, but now is Ampeg SVT) - Bass Amp
No Master, No Presence

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The Ampeg SVT is a bass amplifier made by Ampeg. The SVT, which stands for Super Valve Technology, was designed by Bill Hughes and introduced in 1969. The SVT bass head produced 300 watts at a time when most amplifiers made less than 100. The SVT has been through many design changes over the years but is still in production today. The SVT head was initially coupled with a pair of sealed 8x10" speaker enclosures because one cabinet could not handle the power of the SVT. Later on Ampeg updated the speakers in the enclosures so that one cabinet was sufficient.

 

For 30 years now, we've heard the tone and felt the power of the mighty Ampeg SVT that model is based on. This workhorse has appeared on innumerable recordings and arena stages worldwide  there is no equal to the original SVT of pure tube magic. The SVT set the tone, punch and arena-rattling standard for all future big gun bass rigs. Its users have included everyone from The Rolling Stones to Van Halen, and pretty much every rock bass player in between. We selected a 1974 Ampeg SVT, and we've also given you a 70's SVT 8x10 speaker cabinet to pair it with. The sonic combination of this head and cab is beyond big, but you had to pray that your bandmates would help you move it! Thanks to line6, you can now get big classic rock bass tone without frequent visits to the chiropractor.

Channel Normal
Channel Bright
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Gallien-Krueger GK 800RB (G Cougar 800) - Bass Amp
No Presence, Crossover freq
gk30200600-xl.jpg

Designed 20 years ago, the 800RB has long been a standard of the industry the choice of countless bass players, touring bands, and backline companies. The amplifier head delivers 400W of biamp power in a rackmountable metal case, 3 voicing filters. Great deep, punchy sound. Roadworthy and studio friendly.
A legendary bass guitar amp that has proven its worth over several decades.

 

What would any collection of bass amps be without a Gallien-Krueger 800RB? This model is based on the solid state amp that helped define what new bass amps sounded like for the better part of that decade. Geddy Lee had one. Will Lee used one on Late Night With David Letterman. And bands like Def Leppard powered through a decade of pop metal with the 800RB. The GK 800RB produces a very scooped sound, and doesn't really distort. Try pairing this amp with another legend of the Eighties, the Hartke 410 cabinet. This rig is known for producing what we call the mid 80's metal bass tone. It's the perfect choice when you're ready for a little Pyromania....

Low cut, contour, and high boost switches
Boost with jack, and LED crossover with switch
High and low master

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Silvertone 1484 (Mail Order Twin) (only Helix)
No Master, No Presence, No Mid
a3971.jpg

The Silvertone 1484 was manufactured by Danelectro for Sears and sold under the Silvertone brand. . These amps have recently surged in popularity because of their use by Jack White, Beck, and anyone else who wants great tone. The smooth drive to hard crunch will please just about any guitar player out there. Theyre dynamic but also have this different vibe that encourages experimentation and creativity. The sexy, cold war era styling is just the beginning.
It has become the in-demand Silvertone amps of the current era. Onstage and in the studio, the awesome and unique tube sound of the 1484 proudly powers the punch of some of today's best rock.
60-watt (2 6L6GC Power tubes) amp boasting "clear, mighty sound!" The catalog listing advertised this amp for guitar or bass usage (Frequency response 40-15K Hz). , and had all the amenities you could want in a medium sized (and priced) package: reverb, tremolo, two channels (bridgeable for even MORE crunch!), two matched 12-inch Jensens Special Design (C12Q). Some great sound hiding under that mild-mannered exterior. 6 pre tubes, 5 silicone rectifiers 12ax7, two 6CG7 of 6FQ7. V3 (which is a 6CG7 cathodyne PI). A lot of the characteristic sound of these amps comes from the phase inverter.
.
These amps are famous for their nice smooth overdrive but they've also got a sweet clean tone at lower volumes.

Introduced: 1963, Retired: 1967
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Mesa M9 Carbine (Cali Bass) - Bass Amp (only in Helix)
No Presence. Voice
m9_carbine_fd1_front_panel.jpg
The punch, clarity and speed on-demand attack and crystal-clear definition of the M6's Trans-Classâ„¢ All-Tube preamp and MOSFET power. They love that it's easy to dial and yet offers all the versatility they need via the power of the rotary VOICE feature. The next step in the evolution of this dynamo was obvious. Add substantially more power and endow the preamp ¦enter the M9 Carbine.

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Mesa Bass 400+ (Cali 400) - Bass Amp (only in Helix)

No Presence
mesa-boogie-bass-400.jpg

Channel 1
Channel 2
500 Watts @ 2Ohms, All Tube, Class A/B Power / 12x6L6, 4x12AX7
Two Channels
Fixed Bias
Pull Shift Bass & Treble Controls (Standard Mid Control)

CHANNEL ONE
Volume 1 offer a high
headroom preamp that you might find preferable for active type basses. The gain is slightly lower than Channel 2 and the tonal personality is slightly different. The Pull Bright switch built into Volume 1 can be great for funk bass, as it accentuates the harmonics above the Treble control region.
CHANNEL TWO
Input 2 and Volume 2 recreate the classic sounds of the D-180, The gain is slightly higher and may be better suited for traditional basses than Channel One. But be certain to sample both channels because their tonal personalities are both very usable with very interesting differences. It is even possible to preset the two channels

TONE CONTROLS
uses traditional type tone controls which have been especially tailoredfor bass, and whose ranges can be extended by use of the Pull Shift switches. The Treeble control, when set high, becomes the most powerful of the three. At settings of 7and above it will minimize the effect of the Bass and Middle, but they will become the stronger controls when the Treble is below 5. Most players find a sweet spot between 2 and 5 where the tonal balance is just right for them. Pulling out the Treble Shift alters its frequency center point downward, toward the upper mid range. (And since there is more musical energy at these frequencies, your amp will seem to get a little louder as well.)
Using either Bright switch injects an extra dose of high treble. The Bass control is wide ranging and using the Pull Shift can boost its power. Your Bass when used with our speaker cabinets) can produce more true fundamental tone than just about anything else. Its bottom end response is truly "profound" and yet it avoids boominess and muddiness. The Middle control is the subtlest of the three. Its purpose is filling the gap between the treble and bass frequencies. Spice according to your liking.
MASTER
Full undistorted power is developed at settings around 5. There is rarely any reason to run the Master above 6 or 7, as higher settings merely increase noise without improving power or tone.

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Matchless DC30 (Matchistick) (only Helix)
No Presence, No Mid, Tone, Cut
ml_dc30e_2.jpg


Power: 30 Watts
Controls Ch.1: Volume, Bass, Treble
Controls Ch.2: Volume, Tone, Cut control, Bypassable master volume
Power Tubes: 4 x EL84
Preamp Tubes: 1 x EF86, 3 x 12AX7
Rectifier Tube: 1 x 5AR4
Features: Dual inputs for each channel, Effects loop
Speaker Configuration: Customized Celestion G12H30 and Celestion G12M Greenback

The DC-30 was the company's first design and still leads the lineup.
Thirty very conservatively rated watts from a quartet of EL-84's, through two channels, each with unique voicing and tone control layouts, produce a world of tone choices. Pure Class A configuration gives rich, complex harmonics whether played clean, mildly overdriven, or with all out power tube saturation. This means you should sound great in any situation, in any music style. Similar to AC30 without breaking, Channel 2 similar to AC15.

A long list of musician designed features includes: highly interactive tone controls and circuitries unique to each channel, bypassable master volume, cut control for high frequency shaping.

The preamp sections are based on a layout of two 12AX7's in Channel 1 and one EF86 in Channel 2. The two 12AX7's in Channel 1 create a parallel-triode circuit with interactive bass and treble. The one EF86 in Channel 2 consists of a high-gain pentode coupled to a six-position tone switch. Outright benefits include quick dial-in of new tones and an easy return to the settings you prefer. Also high treble cut control, master volume, with a bypass feature that offers flexible control of the power amp section. The power amp is fed by a 12AX7 phase inverter, which drives four EL84 power tubes. The rectifier circuit gives you the flexibility of using one 5AR4 for a quick attack or you can use two 5V4's for a smooth, round response.

Sound on the 212 Combo is delivered through two dissimilar Celestion speakers: a G12H30 and a Greenback 25, each specially modified through a proprietary MATCHLESS formula.


An AC30 that wouldn't break down, the DC30 also became one of the best-loved and most-used amps of hard-working players in the studio and on the touring circuit. These EL84-based class-A beauties are entirely hand-wired in the lauded point-to-point style, and deliver classic British chime, shimmer, and crunch, but with a certain modern clarity and fidelity and a bulletproof robustness relied on by countless pros. Bolted into one of Matchless rare exotic-wood cabs, they look awful sweet, too.

Channel 1
Channel 2
Channel 1 + 2 Jumped:
Line 6 add and extra channel Channel 1 + Channel 2 Jumped


What is jumping channels?:
On an amp with more than one input for each channel (eg Hi and Lo) you use a short lead to go from the unused input of the channel your guitar's plugged into, over to one of the inputs for the other channel. Standard practice on a non top-boost AC-30. By combining the 'normal' and 'bright' channels you get a wider range of sounds.

http://www.matchlessamplifiers.com/manuals/DC-30-Settings.pdf
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Mesa Boogie Mark IV (Cali IV) (only Helix)

mesa-boogie-mark-iv-head-179937.jpg

Mesa Boogie Mark IV Combo de 85 w de potencia Clase A  Simul-Class (en función del tipo y disposición de las válvulas de potencia puede entregar tambi©n 70, 50  30 w). Mesa Boogie Mark IV Un altavoz Celestion C90 de 12. 3 canales independientes con diversos modos de respuesta. Ecualizador gráfico de 5 bandas conmutable y auto-asignable a los canales R2 y Lead. Mesa Boogie Mark IV . Salidas de grabación, línea, Reverb.. 5 válvulas 12AX7 en el previo. 4 válvulas 6L6 de potencia; Selector de válvulas de potencia como pentodo o tri­odo. Variac para respuesta normal (Full Power) o clásica (Tweed).

En 1984, Mesa/Boogie sacó al mercado el primer amplificador Tri-modal, el Mark III. Tri modal, porque tiene modos separados para sonido Limpio, sonido Crunch y sonido Lead. El Mark IV, que salió seis años después mejoró notablemente la capacidad de controlar cada canal por separado introduciendo dos perillas controladoras en el panel frontal, optimizando de esta forma el espacio disponible sin aumentar el tamaño tan cómodo y versátil del MarkIII. Es un amplificador completo, tiene de todos los rangos, desde blues, jazz, rock, heavy, incluso metal, tiene unas posibilidades immensas y justo por eso lo hacen especialmente complicado.

Rythm1 Gain-Rhythm 1 Gain y Pull Bright
Este control define la sensibilidad del canal limpio, en seteos sobre el 8, comienza a causar distorsión, pero en general es limpio cristalino. Cuando está saturado, entrega la sensibilidad a la mano derecha del guitarrista, como para tocar blues, aunque para eso está el canal Rhythm 2.
Pull Bright: Le agrega brillantez al sonido. Con Rhythm 1 en valores bajos (de 4 para abajo), se le agrega mucha brillantez. A seteos altos (de 7 hacia arriba), poca brillantez.

Rythm2_Gain-Rhythm 2 Gain y Pull Fat
Controla la ganancia del canal 2. Es un control muy poderoso; en valores bajos, entre el 1 y el 4, podemos obtener una saturación baja, lo que nos permite tocar blues y ser capaces de controlarla sólo con pegarle fuerte o despacio a la cuerda de la guitarra, un canal limpio alternativo.
Pero en valores altos (de 5 hacia arriba), podemos lograr un segundo sonido Lead para nuestros solos. Con mucha ganancia y sustain.
Pull Fat: Cuando está desactivado se puede lograr sonidos blueseros controlando el canal sólo con la ganancia y el control de presencia, pero si quiero algo más cercano al rock o heavy metal, hay que activar este control y subir la ganancia a valores lo más altos posible. Es una herramienta muy útil a la hora de ser versátil.

Treble Controls
El Mark IV tiene tres controles de treble separados e independientes. Uno para cada canal. Es un control muy potente, con mucho que ver con la cantidad de ganancia de cada canal. Influye directamente en esto, y no es menor, porque la mayorí­a de la energí­a del sonido en este ampli está ruteada para ser controlada con estas tres perillitas tan aparentemente insignificantes.

Veámoslo ordenadamente, primero los controles para los dos canales Rhythm, luego para el canal Lead:
-R1 Treble, R2 Treble y R1+R2 Bass & Mid

-Rhythm 1 Treble
Entre el 0 y el 3, entrega un tono cálido jazzero, pero la mayorí­a de la gente lo ocupa entre el 5 y el 7. Ese serí­a un punto medio para tocar pop, rock. Por este control pasa mucha energí­a sonora y define el sonido del canal en gran medida. Es primordial.

-R1+R2 Bass & R1+R2 Mid (Bajos y Medios para canales 1 y 2)
Estos controles regulan la cantidad de bajos y medios de los dos canales a la vez Rhythm1 (Limpio) y Rhythm2 (Crunch). Son los ºnicos controles compartidos en el Mark IV.
Estos controles dependen en gran medida de cómo esté seteado el Treble de los dos canales. Si el Treble está muy alto, estos controles de bajos y medios se tornan sutiles y no producen gran cambio en el tono general. Ahora, mientras más bajo esté seteado el Treble, los bajos y medios resaltarán. De todas formas los controles de Bass y Middle sirven para redondear el sonido y darle un poco más de definición. Por lo tanto hay que trabajar bien el Treble primero y luego redondear con bajos y medios.

-Rhythm 2 Treble
Funciona muy parecido al Rhythm 1 Treble, mientras más alto, más ganancia y sustain para el canal, mientras que en valores bajos predominan los controles de Bass y Mid, dando más calidez al sonido. Este control debe tratarse en conjunto con el control de presencia correspondiente al canal.


-Presence Controls
Hay un control de presencia para cada canal en este ampli. La presencia por lo general se refiere a un realce de los medios-agudos y un poco de bajos. Mientras más presencia, va a sonar más brillante y más cálido a la vez con un poco más de definición. A menor presencia, se logra un sonido más opaco.
Los canales Rhythm2 y Lead, tienen una función Pull. Si uno tira la perilla hacia afuera, el control de presencia actúa en un rango más alto de frecuencias, permitiendo obtener un sonido más filudo que nos ayude a sobresalir en situaciones en que la banda en la cual tocamos lo haga a volumenes muy altos. Si la función pull está desactivada, se logra un sonido más agresivo a lo Angus Young de AC/CD. Aunque la notoriedad del cambio de presencia al girar la perilla disminuye.

-Canal Lead
El canal lead cuenta con control de ganancia (Gain), Treble Bass y Mid independientes, y un Lead Drive que actúa en conjunto con el control Gain.
El control Gain regula la cantidad de ganancia que entra al amplificador (input gain) y tiene la opción de Pull Fat, que produce el mismo efecto que en el canal Rhythm 2 agregando o restando cuerpo y peso.
Una vez más el Treble define el sonido aquí­ y manda. Los otros controles Bass y Mid sólo redondean el sonido y lo pulen.
El Lead Drive ajusta la cantidad de distorsión en el sonido, si quiero tocar metal tengo que subir el gain y el drive a tope. Si quiero distorsiones más vintage o british, lo hará  seteando estos controles en valores bajos.
Este control tiene Pull Bright, lo que ayuda mucho a la hora de definir el sonido de una distorsión para que no suene opaca y poco legible. Le agrega rango agudo, por lo tanto las notas suenan un poco más dulces y precisas.

-EQ Gráfico
Este ecualizador gráfico sirve para cortar o realzar rangos de frecuencia que nos pueden resultar molestos en algunas situaciones.

 

  • Cali IV Rhythm 1, based on* the Rhythm I channel of the MESA/Boogie Mk IV
  • Cali IV Rhythm 2, based on* the Rhythm II channel of the MESA/Boogie Mk IV
  • Cali IV Lead, based on* the Lead channel of the MESA/Boogie Mk IV

Each channel is a landmine of push-pull pots that have some pretty significant impacts on tone . Add this to the Full/Tweed, Simul-Class/Triode, and harmonics/Mid-Gain rocker switches...

The philosophy for the amp modeled when it came to all the tone switching is to try and use the more common setting for each feature. Also, some settings seemed to limit the range of the knobs, and in that case, It'd use the setting that gave the most adjustment range.

So, It used full power and simul-class. The harmonic/mid gain was set to harmonics.

The three presence knobs were pushed in, which gave the most difference in the power amp from channel to channel. The negative feedback changes on a per channel basis.


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  • Hot-rodded Marshall JCM 800 (Line 6 2204 Mod)(Only Helix)

Line 6 Original based on a Hot-rodded Marshall JCM 800.

Hot rodding would usually entail internal modifications to the amplifier.
This could just be changing the odd resistor/pot/cap value to change drive levels, tone etc...
Or it could actually be a change to the signal path itself, such as adding and extra gain stage or wiring two different inputs in parallel on older marshalls. Marshall with extra gain mod.

The original intent of the term "modded Marshall' was to achieve the added gain without resorting to a pedal. For instance GnR album Appetite for Destruction, was recorded with a Hot Rodded JCM 800.

Hot Rodded Marshal JCM example, 12ax7 (ecc83) added, using triode:

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  • Line 6 Fatality, Line 6 Original&amp (Only Helix)

It's a heavily modified Mesa Rectifier. It sounds a bit like a Mark V Extreme setting.

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Paul Reed Smith Archon  (Archetype) (Only Helix  2.10)

 

 

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 Archetype Clean, based on* the clean channel of the Paul Reed Smith Archon
 Archetype Lead, based on* the lead channel of the Paul Reed Smith Archon

PRS Archon/Archetype- a spongey, driving type of modern tone. Lots of gain without brutality. Great sounding amp!! Beefy cross between a Marshall and a Mesa.
PRS Archon Head, all-valve, 100/50 watts, 2 channels, , fixed  Bias, 6x 12AX7 preamp tubes, 4x 6L6GC power amp
The Archon Twenty-Five features six 12AX7 tubes in the preamp section, a duo of 5881 tubes in the power section, and a solid state rectifier.

The amp is hand-wired. The pots are all high-quality Alpha pots and the tubes are mounted directly to the chassis.
The Archon offers individual Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Master Volume, and Bright switches for both the Clean and Lead channels and global Presence and Depth controls.
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The Clean channel is rich a dimensional and stays clean to almost full volume. Reminiscent of the mesa and soldano cleans.
The versatility of the three-band EQ lets you dial in tones from across the decades and across genres.

 

Placing the Treble and Bass around 3 oclock, the Middle at 9 oclock, and the Bright switch on, the Archon is capable of a surprisingly accurate blackface approximation. Playing Tele and running a Tremolo and Reverb in the loop, It could easily cover country and surf. Dialing the Treble and Bass back to noon and cranking the Middle to 3 oclock creates a more British sounding clean tone.
Cranking the Clean volume and Master volume makes a sound that made me think of Pete Townsend and his Hiwatts. The tone has a little power tube grit to it, but its big, rich, and percussive.
The clean channel is excellent and also takes pedals very well.

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The Lead channel starts out in hot-rodded Marshall territory and quickly works its way up into modern high gain tones. As long as you keep the Lead volume below noon, you can always clean things up with the volume knob on your guitar. If you crank the Lead volume beyond noon, totally higain.

Lead volume around 9:00 or 10:00 range of dirt tones and the way in which the Archon allowed the nature of each guitar.
The three-band EQ adds a ton of versatility. You can scoop the mids for more modern sounds or push them for classic rock tones. With Treble and Bass at noon, Middle at 4 oclock, and the Bright switch off, the Archon is a ˜60s and ˜70s rock monster.
For an amp with this amount of gain, the Archon is amazingly low noise. To the extent that even hitting the above-mentioned classic rock tone with the extra gain of a Park Fuzz Sound didn't add any hum or hiss”it did make for a ripping lead tone, though. The fact that the Lead channel can handle the extra gain and harmonic content of a fuzz pedal demonstrates just how articulate the Archon is.
It should come as no surprise that with the rich distorted tones of the Archon, the collection of dirt pedals were neglected. But pedal fans fear not, the Archon is one pedal-friendly amp (especially with the versatile EQ). Dirt pedals come out sounding large and natural. Pairing the Archon with a klon gave me instant access to four distinct tones from pristine to mean.

It has the clarity of gain of an Engl meaning you can pile it on if you feel the need and it won't turn to a fuzzy mushy mess, but isn't as overly tight or stiff and compressed as an Engl can be. It has a bigger bottom than the Engl too, nice chunk, but not a flabby mess like a Dual Recto which needs a boost in front to tighten it up. The mids seem to sit in a real good slightly lower mid place where they don't have any upper mid honk but aren't overly scooped when set half way either. It's got good cut and clarity on the top end with a nice bite than isn't as aggressive a bite as a Soldano or Marshall can be.
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Cross between a Mesa Dual Rectifier's larger-than-life delivery and a fluid, midrangy Marshall. Cranking the master volume to 11 o'clock was like waking a dangerous beast. Here the amp is blisteringly loud, and the low end feels like a medicine ball to the ribs. Thanks to the responsive EQ and presence controls,

The overdrive channel is remarkably flexible. Setting the controls at noon with the gain knob at 11 o'clock produces modern hard rock tones perfect for drop-tuned Tool and Alice in Chains riffs. Raising the presence and treble knobs while dipping the midrange to nine o'clock provided fast low-end response well suited to old-school Metallica-style thrash. Boosting the mids while pulling back lows and highs is perfect for barreling '70s/80s British metal. The amp's brawny midrange makes it slightly trickier to achieve the razor-like edge needed for some extreme forms of modern metal, but the amp handles low B, A, and even G tunings exceptionally well, never sacrificing tightness or detail, even within full chords.


The Archon has such ludicrous amounts of gain on tap that you don't need to do much dialing to obtain enormous tones. If you're willing to make the power amp sweat a bit, you'll find that many of the Archon's tightest and heaviest tones don't require preamp saturation.
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It was modeled with the bright switch in the ON position (Lead) . The bright switch is entangled in the tone control circuit, and when the bright switch is set to off is shunt some high frequencies to ground. When it's set to ON, it's pretty much a standard tone circuit topology.

The tone control circuit is highly interactive, and when the bright switch is off, it becomes highly interactive in a different manner. I knew I could match it well with it in the ON position, so I did that. While it's possible to match it in the off position, I'd have to have a whole second tone circuit running behind the scenes, using DSP. Plus, I did use a little personal preference, so I just modeled it in the more classic "on" position because that sounded better to me.

 

Clean channel model has bright switch On-Off modeled.

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 Line 6 Litigator (Only Helix 2.10)  new Line 6 Original inspired by boutique mid-gain amps

Smooth-overdriving, easy to play, boutique mid-gain.

The "Litigator" was born  not constrained by making a model that matched a real world amp. It started from a Fender place like so many of the boutique amps, moving the tonestack to a different location later in the circuit and also tone stack cap values and ranges (wasn't constrained by the real world, low pass and high pass filtering before each of the gain stages). driving knob adjust frequency responses in various places in the circuit (fine tunning the knees of how the individual tube stages entered clipping). Tunning the power amp to make it distort in an idealized way. Adjusting the sag so that it reacted in a ideal way.

Based on a heavily modded Fender and then hammered on and tweaked. It wouldn't be impossible to make in the physical world, but it might get a little messy. removing a lot of the noise and irregularities that people find unpleasant, but adding just enough of the wrong things so they enhance without being a distraction. It's like a vintage amp with movie magic color correction and hyped depth of field.

 

Like a dirty Vintage Deluxe, dumble-esqe, very smooth, mid-gain, edge-of-breakup model. In the same general neighborhood as the Pete Anderson Deluxe model that was in the HD model packs, but with more gain on tap.

Low Overdrive type amp in the Helix to give me a usable sound right out of the box, sounds awesome with the new drive model (Stupor OD “ BOSS SD1).

 Distortion Stupor OD (Mono, Stereo), based on* the BOSS SD-1 Overdrive
Stupor OD- The Stupor OD strikes me as similar to the Klon with more gain - sort of a good, general sounding breakup without drastically changing the amp's frequency response.

 Delay ; Pitch Echo (Mono, Stereo), Line 6 Original
Pitch Echo- a weird effect for people who like weird effects, only usable with cents tone variatios (chorus delay).

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New amps and Preamps added in Helix Firmware 2.20 (30 March 2017):

 

  • Line 6 Badonk, all new Line 6 original inspired by the original high gain Big Bottom model

Big Bottom model from the XT code and rebuilt using the new tools so that the overall EQ and pre-post distortion filtering matched. The previous tone stack was a little limited, so it was tuned up the tone stack to taste to have more range and be more realistically interactive. The old model was really more like a preamp than a full amp model, so it was added the power amp from the Fatality model (mesa rectifier mod), which I then tweaked slightly to reinforce the overall EQ curve of the Big Bottom.

 

Line 6 Big Bottom
Just can't seem to get enough bottom end out of your cabinet? Try punishing it with Big Bottom. We crossed a Boogie Triple Rectifier with a Rivera Los Lobottom sub rig and dialed it in for serious disembowelment. But it's not just about the bass.
A super wide midrange control and an extra presence high midrange maintain articulation and power throughout the tonal range of this amp.

Tone Secret: The Big Bottom does not have a crap-load of low frequency. Instead, it is an amp with a slightly more than average amount of low end that can really hold together when it's being fed a lot of low frequency. It holds together well with heavily detuned guitars.

 

  • Woody Blue, based on* the Acoustic 360 bass amp

No Master --> Should be set as 10

Volumen = Gain

Variamp (Effect?)

Fuzz? (Not modeled)

kbp0a9so8ohgp1a9bfnj.jpg

 

Chief proponents: Larry Graham, John Paul Jones, Jaco Pastorius

The volume of guitar amplifiers was on a hyperbolic curve throughout the entire 60 decade (Everly Brothers in 1960 and end with Jimi Hendrix in 1969), the volume differential is huge. The Ampeg B-15 was simply not designed to win a head-to-head collision with a Marshall stack set to kill. Something had to be done on behalf of bass players everywhere.

 

In 1967, enter the Acoustic 360, a 200-watt, solid state head designed to drive the 361 cabinet, a rear-firing 18 speaker enclosure modeled, I believe, after the Panzer tank. The 360/361 absolutely towered over the B-15, physically and sonically, and got the bass world ready for the Woodstocks, Altamonts and giant festival concerts to come.

Tone, punch, clarity, and volume.

 

One of the coolest features is the Variamp Control: 5 section EQ,

position 1: 25 175 Hz,

position 2: 75 150 Hz,

position 3: 150 300 Hz,

position 4: 300 600 Hz,

position 5: 600 1200 Hz.

The Variamp has a cut / boost control, straight up is out of circuit. A tremendous amount of tone shaping!

* Bright switch
* Volume control
* Treble control
* Bass control
* Fuzz tone control? --> Not modeled?
* Electronic tuning fork: 5 ½ octave tone generator, its very weird (Modeled)

 

In December of 1967, the Acoustic 360 actually helped The Doors get arrested for noise violations and put them - and the amp - on the cover of Life magazine. This notoriety had a very predictable response, which is that it made the amp a must-have for serious rockers who would love to be arrested by The Man for bass notes alone.

 

Not that this was an easily accessible piece of gear. The suggested retail price of the 360/361 package back in 1967 was $1250.00, which in 2014 dollars comes to USD$8,850.00 Not. A. Typo. There is not, to my knowledge, another bass amp that costs nine grand, unless you're cutting an SSL console in half and dragging that around, which is actually a pretty awesome idea.

Nevertheless, price be damned, the best bassists of the era knew that this was a killer amplifier. Larry Graham himself used these towering stacks for the thumb, the stank and the funk. Led Zeppelin's virtuosic bassist John Paul Jones had to keep up with Jimmy Page, for the love of Pete, and with the Acoustic 360 .Jaco Pastorius saved all his money (legend has it, sleeping on the beach when his bandmates on the road slept in hotel beds) and eventually purchased an Acoustic 360, which gave Jaco's fretless J-bass that instantly-recognizable bump in the upper-mids that provided him bassdom's most enduring, original voice.

 

Acoustic USA in 2011, launched its website and introduced a new version of the 360/361 bass amplifier as well as various speaker cabinets and a power amplifier.

 

  • Del Sol 300, based on* the Sunn Coliseum 300 bass amp

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Sunn Coliseum 300 Head.
Solid state amp made in the USA.

300 Watts @ 2 Ohms. Also works into 4 (200W) and 8 Ohm 120 w cabs.

Compresor 2:1 ratio

Contour 6 db 60;  3db 500 hz; 6 db 4khz

Master

Electronic corssover: from 100hz  to 1khz (Not modeled)

It sounds very warm and close to a tube amp sound.
The EQ controls give loads of different tone options

 

More compression is possible with the gain control

 

Old SS amps have a raw warmth and character

 

It's got a great strong tone, and the eq is extremely flexible and powerful.There are filters "in between" each band of the EQ, so they don't effect each other. You can boost the 62.5hz, and not effect the 125hz, so on. Which is the exact opposite of say, the Fender tone stack, where you turn down the mids to turn up the other stuff.

 

lobass  62.5 hz  -->  fat

bass 125hz

hibass 250hz  --> punch

low mid  500hz  hollow

mid 1khz and himid 2kz  presence and snap

hi 4khz  metallic and brittleness

These were made from about 1981 to 1985,  Fender bought SUNN

 

1x12 Del Sol, based on* the Sunn Coliseum 300 bass cab (12 speaker)

1x18 Del Sol, based on* the Sunn Coliseum 300 bass cab (18 speaker)

 

 

  • Busy One , based on* channel 1 of the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp

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Very Rare Preamp made famous by Billy Sheehan.

The Pearce Pre-amp is just a supremely great distortion and clean.

This pre amp is solid state. It has 2 channels, which can be used separately or coupled, w/ built in distortion. It has a -10dB/0dB/+10dB switch (pretty cool if you need less or more punch without having to change your settings all the time). Each channel has a gain - bass - mid range - mid - treble  - volume controls and built in compressor/limiter with adjustable threshold. Each channel can be used separately, or combine them to create a wide range of tones.

  • Busy One Ch1, based on* channel 1 of the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp
  • Busy One Ch2, based on* channel 2 of the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp
  • Busy One Jump, based on* channel 1 and 2 (jumped) of the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp

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Excellent info (and not just for HElix, but also for HD owners)! Thanks, this is a keeper

Not so sure about the guidance that Amps that do not have Presence behave like the real thing when Presence is set to 0.

This may be true for Helix, but may not be so for HD owners where a 50% setting may be worth trying as a starting point.

Also, tone stack settings may or may not be modelled in an Amp-specific way.

Always better to trust your ears than to stick with a default assumption that a 0 or 50% setting of a dial that does not exist is modelling the real thing (w/o a dial).

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The guidance that Helix modeled Amps based in Amps that do not have Presence, behave like the real thing when Presence is set to 0, and No Master amp to Master 100%, is info directly extracted from a famus huge Helix forum TGP (with some "buenas" true sentences from Line6 guys). So, in my opinion this the best starting point, but please, feel free to play with the controls, it is up to you, trust your ears.

For HD owners it's the same. By the way, RES Level 0 (Pod HD only) seems to be the starting point, but sometimes sound better increasing it, specially with some clean amps.

In my opinion this kind of info (the starting points values similar to the real thing, and more sag, bias details) is missing in the manual,  reading 100000 pages from forums in order to clarify so simple details is not the best for the users.

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Extra imaginary paramters are a real waste of time and resources in my opinion. The easier the Helix is to operate, the better for artists.

I've had the exact opposite experience. Furthermore, having the extra "imaginary" controls has precisely zero adverse effects on how the amp models sound if you don't use them. Leave them in their default positions and only use the controls that you know to be pertinent. Why prevent others from experimenting? After all, that's how Rock n' Roll was invented - by breaking the rules. Where would we be if Hendrix never experimented with pedals? Where would we be if the people who decided to tinker, modify and push the limits of tube amp design decided not to? Music today would be excruciatingly boring.

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https://soundcloud.com/user-512214365

 

Model Packs POD HD only, from Line6 X3, not available in Helix:

 

Line 6 Agro
An aggressive high gain amp with a unique Mid control that will take you though the entire gamut of tone on one knob. How
did we do it? The mid knob for this model changes the character of the distortion. When set to minimum the distortion exhibits Fuzz pedal characteristics. When the Mid is set to noon it creates creamy modern high gain amp tones a la Soldano. And when the Mid knob is turned up to Max is very much reminiscent of that Class A Vox® sound. Of course, then there are all the places in between...
 
Line 6 Insane
Our goal here was to provide you with as much input gain distortion as possible short of complete meltdown. You get ridiculous, rich tube drive to shame the distortion of pretty much any amp on the planet (sort of like a Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® on 10
being used as a preamp for a Soldano), while still retaining tonal definition and character. As result, you enjoy lots of bottom end and cabinet character with tons of wide-ranging tone shaping. Crank up the Drive and take no prisoners!
 
Line 6 Octone
Now heres something we hope you ll really like. What would it be like if you built a tube-based Octave Distortion preamp for a Class A power amp? Line 6 Octone provides the answer. You d get an Octave box that tracks better than anything you ve ever used, deals with consonant intervals with a degree of panache that just wasnt possible before, and kicks some major rock and roll butt!
 
Line 6 Purge
Like 80s shred guitar? Well, then, youre gonna love Line 6 Purge. We took our model of a Marshall® JMP-1 preamp and hot-rodded it. It was hard work sticking in that digital dual overhead cam and hooking up the virtual glasspacks, but when we were done, we
had the ultimate shred machine. Look out world, here you come.
 
Line 6 Smash
Got an axe to grind? Dial up Smash to take it way over the top with an obscene helping of gain. Smash delivers a tight bottom end, and a serious mid range void  that ll render Hi-Fi, butt-kicking rhythm tone every tim

 

968 Plexi Variacd

Based on* a Marshall® 100 watt Super Lead being run at high voltage thanks to a Variable AC Transformer
 

Line 6 Acoustic

 

Pete Anderson Custom

When Pete plays, you hear vintage Fender Deluxes and Twins. But what you see are two first-generation Line 6 Pods (the old, kidney-shaped ones that many of us have buried in our gear graveyards). Pete worked with Line 6 early in the development of the Pod, and the company recorded and modeled Pete s actual amps.

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  • Teletronix LA2A (LA StudioCompresor) effect is modeled after* the classic, studio-standard LA-2A tube compressor. It’s just the thing when you want to smooth out your levels the way that you would typically do in a recording studio. The Peak Redution (THRESHOLD) knob determines how aggressive the compressor will be in smoothing things out, control the gain reduction (0=No compresion). Turning the knob farther to the left give you more aggressive compression. The GAIN knob lets you increase level once you've smoothed things out. But be careful: if you add too much gain here, you may see that you start clipping, and need to back off again on the gain.

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  • Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man - (Elephan Man) is based on* the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man which is a pedal that uses the "bucket brigade" electronics of other analog echoes, and adds a chorus circuit to boot. This adjustable chorus is applied to the echoes only, leaving the direct sound unaffected. The Memory Man, with its warm, distorted tone and swimming echoes, became an important tool for many guitarists, and was an essential part of the guitar sounds for the first U2 album. Part of the Deluxe in Deluxe Memory Man was the increased delay time of 500 milliseconds. Analog w/Mod emulates that classic Memory Man tone with the added advantage of 2 seconds of delay time. The mod speed and depth controls set up the chorus on the delays.

memoryman.jpg

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Scrip Mod Phase is based on* the MXR Phase 90 — the guitar stompbox phaser that changed the world. The Phase 90 is relatively subtle compared to other phasers, and when you use it, it becomes part of the overall guitar tone rather than trying to grab the spotlight all to itself. Its lush, organic, and groovy swirl can be heard all over the first two Van Halen albums, as well as Jimmy Page's work on Physical Graffiti. The Phase 90 is a four stage phaser; its single knob controlled only speed.It gives you additional flexibility with MIX controls to adjust the intensity of the effect.

 

 

phase90.jpg

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The Ubiquitous Vibe model is based on* the now-legendary Uni-Vibe, which was put on the map in 1969 by Jimi Hendrix. Essentially a four-stage phase shifter, the Uni-Vibe is best known for its watery texture and sultry tones. One listen to "Machine Gun" and you'll know what we mean. You can recreate the effect of the original Uni-Vibe's vibrato switch by turning the MIX control to 100% wet. (That's what the switch did on the original.)

 

uni_vibe.jpg

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  • The Optical Trem model is based on* the optical tremolo circuit that was used in the blackface Fender amps, like the '64 Deluxe Reverb and '65 Twin Reverb. Basically a light bulb and a photo-resistor, when the light got brighter, the tremolo got louder. It's a very smooth, even tremolo, and the obvious choice for use with the amp models that are based on Fender originals.

tremolo_springreverb.jpg

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  • Fine furniture and cool tones — the Leslie 145 that the145 Rotary model is based on* gave you both at once! That tube-driven behemoth (you definitely don't want to try picking one up on your own) features a belt-drive rotating high frequency horn along with a downward-facing 15-inch speaker that had a segmented drum spinning under it to disperse the sound. It was originally designed to be used with electric organs like the Hammond B3, but once guitarists (and even vocalists!) heard it, they just had to get in on the rotate-o-rama. Our model gives you all that whirligig glory, without giving you a herniated disc. Slow/Fast switch acts like the one that came on the Leslie 145’s preamp, ramping between the two speeds. This effect also gives you TONE and MIX settings. For the truly authentic kind of spin that a Leslie delivers, you'll want to set the MIX knob to max, since a Leslie had no 'dry' path.

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Arbiter FuzzFace (Arbitrator Fuzz) .Sometime in late 1966, an infamous circular stompbox hit the London music scene. Designed and built by Arbiter Music, the Fuzz Face would soon begin its famous association with guitar legend Jimi Hendrix. Like all stompboxes from the early era, the Fuzz Face would see many design changes, as well as re-issues. Our model is based on* the germanium diode-powered treasure pictured here: an original, very early "gray with black screening" Arbiter Fuzz Face. Call the Facial Fuzz model up, and treat yourself to our faithful re-creation of the original's fuzz and glory. Crank up the drive, and you’ll be seeing Purple Haze right before your eyes!

 

fuzzface.jpg

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Not to be outdone by the Brits, the colonies came up with their own twist on the fuzz rage. Mike Mathews and his band of merry men at Electro-Harmonix had been cooking up all sorts of nifty effects when their attention turned to the distortion/fuzz pedal. Their most popular offering was the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi, which Triangle Fuzz model is based on*. The Pi was known more for its sweet sustain than for its buzz.

big_mugg.jpg

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From Stevie Ray Vaughan to Michael Landau, the simple Ibanez Tube Screamer is the overdrive heard 'round the world. This medium-gain pedal was introduced in the early '80s, and in many blues circles, you're not allowed to solo without one. Over the years, Ibanez issued several variations of the venerable Tube Screamer, but none have reached the fabled status of the TS-808 that this model Sream 808 is based on*.

 

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Born and bred in the late '70s, the ProCo Rat was the beginning of a new generation of distortion boxes. With a sound that was angrier and more aggressive than a fuzz, the Rat put teeth into a new breed of metal that was beginning to crawl to the surface of the music scene. The TONE knob on Vermin Model based on* the Rat model functions like the original's "filter" control, giving you brighter tone at lower settings, and darker tone at higher settings. Once bitten, you'll know why we call this one "tone with teeth!"

rat.jpg

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One of the many things that people have loved about the blackface Fender Twin Reverb over the years has been its rich, dense reverb sound. The three-spring tank offered a more complex sound than Fenders earlier spring reverbs, and of course that's what Spring model is based on*. Go find yourself a bevy of bikini-clad beauties, wax up your board, and dig in.

------------------

 

AutoFilter (Auto wah)

 

????????

 

Mutant Filter - Mu-Tron

musitronics_mu-tron3_001.jpg

  • ENVELOPE DRIVE
    • UP position produces familiar “auto-wah†sound – like a heel-to-toe sweep on a wah pedal
    • DOWN position produces a “down swoop†sound – like a toe-to
  • PEAK (or Q) controls the filter audio response from very weak to very strong. (The original Mu-Tron III’s peak maximum was at about 8 on the dial, the Tru-Tron 3X peak is much stronger, from about 9 to 11 on the dial. If trying to match the setting of the original Mu-Tron III, set the Tru-Tron 3X proportionately lower)
  • MODE
    • LP (lowpass filter) passes all the signals below the peak and attenuates signals above the peak
    • BP (bandpass filter) passes signals only near the peak and attenuates signals below and above the peak
    • HP (highpass filter) passes all signals above the peak and attenuates signals below the peak
    • MIX is an optimized mixture of the dry (unfiltered) signal and the filtered signal
  • FILTER RANGE
    • LOW sets the filter sweep to a low range for most rhythm guitar, bass and lower fret uses
    • HI sets the filter sweep to a high range for accenting string harmonics or for up-the-neck and solo work

Mode (LP/BP/LP) selects the type of filter: Lowpass, Bandpass, Highpass

Peak Controls volume of the cutoff frequency

Gain adjusts the filter’s sensitivity to the signal of your instrument

Range (Low/High) selects the frequency range covered by the filter envelope

Down/Up selects the direction of the filter sweep: down or upwards

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Added in firmware 2.20

  • Distortion > Obsidian 7000 (Mono, Stereo), based on* the Darkglass Electronics Microtubes B7K Ultra bass preamp/overdrive/EQ

9713995_800.jpg

  • Of classic overdrive to Ultra Hi Gain Distortion
  • Built DI output for Live and Studio
  • Controls for level, blend, drive, grunt switch, thomann attack switch
  • Low: +-12 dB @ 100 Hz
  • Mid: +-12 dB @ 1 kHz
  • Hi Mid: +-12 dB @ 2.8 kHz
  • Treble: +-12 dB @ 5 kHz
  • Parallel output
  • Original Hybrid FET/CMOS gain stages
  • Made in Finland (339 €)

You can dial almost everything from slight distorted sound to complete nasty buzzing sound. Rock, metal - it covers everything. Frequencies of the EQ matched in a way to make bass cut through both in a mix and live situations. You can sharpen your tone by adding Mids and Highs or make it softer by cutting down Highs and adding a bit more Lows. It is capable to run with 9 and 12V that brings a bit more gain and headroom. If it still is not enough of gain, two toggle switches that saturates low and high frequencies comes to hand. Moreover, drive option is not so to say mandatory for this pedal. By dialing Drive at minimum position this pedal becomes a good preamp pedal for passive bass. In this case EQ works as delicate and fine and adds smooth frequencies that enhances tone of instrument.

 

 

-The problem of most bass distortion/overdrive is that after saturating the signal, you loose low frequencies. By mixing (blending) the distorted sound with the direct sound, you recover those low-ends. And this is exactly what this pedal does ! And much more.

-The attack switch (hardtoaccess), is in fact a high-pass filter gain, that over&under&flat boost the high frequencies before saturation. The Grunt switch is more or less the same for the bass frequencies.

This is a massive plus, as you can saturate only highs or the entire signal, and recover the bottom from the clean signal. You always keep those low-ends, saturated or not!

-Great EQ! Treble @ 5khz

 

- Why having the "Drive Level" and a Blend?

Since you have a blend, the Level could have been a Master Level,... Or a Drive Level and Clean Level instead?

This makes it hard and confusing to adjust the global volume.

Eg you have the right sound but it's too loud compare to the clean, you need to balance more blend and take down the drive level.

 

 

The 4 Band EQ has very uncommon center frequencys. Especially the low mid with 1khz and high mids with 2khz are very high. But neverthelss they are very useable and fit perfectly nice to the overdrive circuit. This overdrive circiut can be blended with the clean signal but the EQ is behind the overdrive circuit. This means the EQ has influence on the overdrive sound with makes it much more versatile.</p>

  • Distortion > Clawthorn Drive (Mono, Stereo), based on* the Wounded Paw Battering Ram bass overdrive

t7anuqn4q4pwkkuygcom.jpg

 

The Battering Ram is an Overdrive + Fuzz pedal which works equally well for guitar or bass or anything else you want to plug into it. Overdrive + Fuzz means that the overdrive and fuzz channels can work in parallel, each channel receiving the instrument signal and mixed together.

 

The Drive section is just beefy enough to push your amp, while the Fuzz section is warm but fierce at the same time. Combine them together, and you’ve got a bit of a monster on your hands, one that is super fun to sit down with and attempt to tame.

 

SPLIT switch which allows either channel to be on separately instead of in parallel.

 

Stomp on the OVERDRIVE switch and you turn the pedal on and activate the Overdrive channel. It's a smooth overdrive which can go from completely clean to growling distortion via the DRIVE knob.

The LO switch adds in the lower frequencies to make it full-range for bass or other instruments.

The HI knob lets you either boost or cut the highs to dial in the tone you want.

The LEVEL knob on the Overdrive side controls the output volume of the Overdrive channel only.

 

The FUZZ section is switched on via a second stomp switch and has it's own LEVEL knob to control the Fuzz volume separately from the Overdrive.

The fuzz sound is snarling and raspy and can get right out of control if you crank up the SUSTAIN.

The TONE control goes from high-end cut to flat to a mid-cut, high end boost.

And for another set of sounds there is the OCT switch to change the fuzz section into an octave up fuzz. Crazy. And the yellow LED for the fuzz channel turns to red to indicate the fuzz is now in octave up mode.

 

Starting with the left side, the Overdrive, we see three basic controls, plus one toggle switch. Drive controls the amount of gain present in the output signal, Hi controls the high frequencies added in, sort of like a tone control but with focus on the high-end, and Level is the actual volume put out by the pedal, after running through all the other controls. The toggle switch acts as a low end booster, which works really well for bass players, but can also make for some deep, fun sounds coming out of a guitar, too.

 

The right side is the Fuzz side, and the controls here are a little different. Level does the same thing as on the left side, Tone controls the EQ range, from a high-end cut to flat to a mid-cut, high end boost, and Sustain adds fuzzy gain into your signal. There’s a mini toggle switch on this side as well, which boosts the Fuzz side up an octave, making it a killer soloing tool (the LED switches color when you switch it on, too).

In “normal†mode, you must turn the Overdrive side on first in order to access the Fuzz side, and they must work together to form an all-knowing and all-powerful drive pedal. But here’s the thing: the gang at Wounded Paw wasn’t having that, so they threw in another mini toggle switch in the middle of the pedal to allow you to select between the 2-In-1 option, or to have each channel separate, with the player being able to pick and choose which side (or both) they want to be present at any given moment. This is extremely useful for multiple situations, and makes the flexibility of this pedal that much greater.

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------

The Autoswell's parameters work like this:

Threshold

This is where the trigger for the minimum level for when the autoswell starts to open up. The higher this is set, the more level would be needed for the effect to start the ramp up process.

 

Release Offset

This threshold offset determines the point in which the effect starts to close off. The more positive this is, the more quickly the effect will close and be ready for another swell. Along the negative end the longer sustained notes will hold out.

 

Attack

This will be the amount of time the effect takes to bloom up to full volume, Longer times for slow, steady swells and short times for more cello-like attack.

 

Decay

The decay time will set the fade away time after the release offset threshold is reached. Subsequently this also can set a "wait time" before the swell can be triggered again.

 

Taper

This is like changing the type of pot in a volume pedal or knob. Logarithmic will have a more even and smooth fade in and out, and Linear will have a more drastic fade in and out (the names are kinda counter-intuitive... audio is weird that way)

 

Level

Sets Output level for leveling/balancing.

---------------------------------------------------

 

https://soundcloud.com/user-512214365

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This topic deserves its own section in HelixHelp.com. These posts represent an unbelievable amount of elbow grease, research, and know how and are an incredible contribution to Helix users. Huge thanks

Ditto.

Who runs helixhelp? And how can we have this info added?

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https://soundcloud.com/user-512214365

 

Fassel

 

Based on* a Cry Baby Super made by Jen Electronics. Jen Electronics in Italy manu- factured wah pedals for many companies, including Vox, Thomas Organ, Arbiter, and others. This particular pedal has the highly desireable mojo of the Fasel (an Italian manufacturer of electronic components) inductor. Some have credited the unique satu- ration characteristics of the Fasel inductor to the fact that it was a really cheaply made component

 
wah-wah effect was originally intended to imitate the supposed crying tone that a muted trumped produced, but became an expressive tool in its own way. It is used when a guitarist is soloing, or to create a "wacka-wacka" funk styled rhythm.The original pedals were popularized by guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and David Gilmour, though many artists have developed signature sounds with them since
------------------------------
 
Weeper
Modeled after* an Arbiter Cry Baby, this is yet another variation on the original Vox wah design. The biggest variation between many of these wah pedals is the inductor and the tolerances of the capacitors and resistors that make up the filter circuit. Just like vintage guitar amps, two of them made on the same day, by the same person, from the same parts bin might sound totally different. As always, we went for the best examples we could find..
 
----------------
Chrome
 
Based on* a Vox V847. This pedal was a reissue of the original 1967 Vox V846 wah pedal, which was the successor to the original Clyde McCoy wah (Clyde McCoy was a trumpet player who had asked Vox to make an effect that would make a keyboard sound like you were using a plunger mute on it. Guitar players everywhere thank him).
-------------------------------------
 
Chrome Custom
Based on* a modded Vox V847 that belongs to one of the Line 6 crew. This pedal had the gain staging on the first transistor stage tweaked, a aftermarket Fasel inductor, the Q widened at the top end, and the 100k pot replaced with a 470k pot to better match the original V846 specs.
-----------------------
 
Throaty
real-mccoy-custom-rmc-10-wah.jpg
Based on* the RMC Real McCoy 1. For many guitarists, the original Vox Clyde McCoy signature (or even rarer, picture) pedal is the holy grail of wahs. Geoffrey Teese of RMC did a lot of research, even tracking down a supply of the original stack of dimes iinductors and having pots that duplicate the taper characteristics of the original ICAR parts to produce a clone of these highly sought-after wahs.
 
------------------------
 
Conductor
00001015_1.jpg
Based on* the Maestro Boomerang. According to original advertising material, this was not a ‘wah-wah’ pedal but a ‘wow-wow’ pedal. Po-tay-to or Po-tah-to?. In 1968 or so, Maestro went to Richard Mintz of All Test Devices, who had first become known for his design of a sustainer for Leslie West, and hired him to redesign most of their effects units. This pedal was Curtis Mayfields choice for wah, so is perfect for wacka-wacka; retro madness.
 
--------------------------------
 
Colorful
arton264.jpg?1386866159

This model is based on* the wah part of a vintage Colorsound Wah-Fuzz. The Color- sound is different from the other wah pedals here in that it was an inductor-less design. For you non-electronics minded folks, this basically means that it used a different type of circuit to get its frequency resonance and would saturate (distort) in a different manner than the inductor-based designs.

---------------------------------

 

UK Wah 846 (Helix only) V846-Wah Pedal

vox-846-hw-hand-wired-wah-free-delivery-

Over forty years after the original VOX Wah forever changed the sound of rock music. While its classic tone is undeniable, the VOX V846 was not created to simply repeat the history of the past, but to write new chapters in the future. As its name implies, the V846 Hand Wired boasts hand-wired turret board construction. But VOX didn’t stop there. Every component, including the inductors, resistors, capacitors, and the potentiometer has been carefully selected for premium fidelity and tone.  Wah Wah pedal in history by delivering the purest sound.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

Teardrop 310 (Helix Only)  Dunlop Cry Baby Fasel model 310

151026000000000-00-500x500.jpg

Classic wah-wah sounds from the '60s rise again from the heavy-duty, die-cast Dunlop Crybaby Classic Fasel Inductor Wah Pedal. This pedal features the legendary Fasel inductor, which was the key to the tone, sweep, and voice of the very first Crybaby. Dunlop has gained exclusive distribution rights to these components, so guitarists the world over can rediscover the lost tone of the original Crybaby/Fasel wah pedal. The Dunlop Crybaby Classic Wah Pedal features a 100kOhm

 

 

*All product names used in this document are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images are used solely to identify the specific products whose tones and sounds were studied during Line 6’s sound model development.

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Channel Switching with Helix Presets and Snapshots
 
 Before  MIDI Switching for Snapshots it is important to program at least one Snapshot. Otherwise, when switching between Presets, the amp settings  will be in the last state.
 
The Program # is the code number of the MIDI PC (Program Change) Message that the Helix will send to the Amp with midi ( Blackstar Series 1 , JVM, ...) when you press a Preset or Snapshot button on the Helix. This is how the real Amp knows to change to a certain combination of settings. The Description is how the amp channels will be set after pressing a Preset or Snapshot button on the Helix.
 
DO THIS:
                              
Go to Menu > Global Settings > MIDI/Tempo > Page 2 > MIDI PC Send - Turn this off > Press Home button
 
THEN:
 
Navigate to the Preset you want to program and select Snapshot 1.
 
Press the “Menu†button and then press the “Command Center†knob.
 
Use the joystick to move to an unused “Instant Command†(Lightning Bolt). I preffer the lightning bolt in the top left corner. That is Instant Command 1.
 
With an Instant Command (Lightning Bolt) now highlighted, turn the Command knob to Command - Bank/Prog
 
You should see five settings and they should look like this:
 
Command: Bank/Prog
Midi Ch: Base (try 1 if doesn't work )
Bank CC00: off 
Bank CC32: off
Program: off    (0, 1, 2, 3) will change the real channel in the midi amp
 
For instance, Program# for Preset 01A Snapshot 1 is “0â€. So, set the Program to “0†(zero). Leave everything else as/is.
 
Press Snapshot 2 button. Set Program to 1.
 
 and so on...Snapshot 3
 

Finally use the snapshot for the startimg point in the preset. and save the preset.

 

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La tecnología del sonido ha creado una legión de maniáticos obsesionados con la alta fidelidad, para ellos, la música es lo de menos....

 

Eso es demasiado a menudo es cierto, pero esa misma tecnología también ha ayudado a crear música increíble. Puede ser una trampa o una herramienta.

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I ran it through Google Translate.  I've been editing it for better grammar, haven't finished it yet, but here's what I've got so far.  Could probably use some editing by an actual Mark IV user, I've never seen a real one in my life.:

 

The Mesa Boogie Mark IV Combo

  • 85 watt amp
  • 3 independent channels, Clean Rhythm (R1), Crunch Rhythm (R2), and Hi-Gain Lead.
  • Simul-ClassTM Power Amp Technology, choose either Class A or Pentode Class AB. 
  • The power tubes can be arranged to deliver 70, 50 or 30 watts. 
  • 5 12AX7 tubes in the preamp, and Four 6L6 tubes in the power amp
  • Selectable pentode or triode mode for the power amp.
  • Variac switch for normal response (Full Power) or classic (Tweed).
  • 5 band switchable graphic equalizer, Self-assignable to the R2 or Lead channels.
  • Recording line out with Level Control and Silent Mode Mute Switch
  • Mesa Boogie Mark IV A combo uses a Celestion Custom C-90 12" speaker.
  • Spring Reverb

In 1984, Mesa / Boogie released their first "Tri-modal" amplifier, the Mark III, named for its three channels: Clean Rhythm (R1), Crunch Rhythm (R2), and Hi-Gain Lead.  The Mark IV, which came six years later, greatly improved the ability to control each channel separately by adding another row of control knobs to the front panel, thereby optimizing the available space without increasing the size of the head which was so comfortable and versatile with the Mark III.  It is a complete amplifier for all styles; blues, jazz, rock, hard rock, even metal.

Rhythm1 Gain with Pull Bright
This control defines the sensitivity of the clean channel.  At about 8, it begins to cause distortion, but overall it is crystal clean. When saturated, the channel is very sensitive to the right hand of the guitarist, useful in playing the blues, but technically that's what the Rhythm 2 channel is for.
Pull Bright: Adds brilliance to the sound. With Gain at low values ​​ (4 and less), it adds a lot of brilliance. At higher gain settings (7 and up), less brilliance is added.

Rhythm 2 Gain with Pull Fat
Controls the gain of channel 2. It is a very powerful control; at low values ​​between 1 and 4, a low saturation is achieved, useful for playing blues. By controlling how hard you hit the strings, this channel can be used as an alternative to the clean channel, with the added ability to add distortion by adding more energy to your picking hand.
Higher values ​​(from 5 up), will produce much more distortion with higher gain and longer sustain.
Pull Fat: When disabled, a lower gain bluesy sound will be produced by controlling the gain and presence controls.  But if you want something closer to rock or heavy metal, pull this knob and turn up the gain to higher values.  Very useful when you need a wide tonal pallet.

Treble Controls
The Mark IV has three separate and independent controls for treble, one for each channel. It is a very powerful control, with much to do with the amount of gain for each channel. Of all the EQ controls on the amp, these have the most influence.
 

Rhythm 1 Treble
Between 0 and 3, delivers a warm, jazzy tone.  For pop and rock, typical settings are between 5 and 7. Understanding this control is essential as it has a huge effect on the tone and gain of the amp.

R1 + R2 Bass & Mid (Shared for channels 1 and 2)
These controls regulate the low and middle bands for both R1 (Clean) and R2 (Crunch). They are the only shared controls in the Mark IV.
These controls depend highly on the Treble settings of the two channels. If the Treble is very high, these controls do not produce much change in the overall tone. If the Treble is set low, however, low and middle bands have more effect.  In either case, Bass and Middle serve to round out the sound and give it a little more definition. Therefore, it’s best to set the Treble first, and then work the Low and Mid controls.

Rhythm 2 Treble
Similar to Rhythm 1 Treble, the higher it's set, the more gain and sustain will result for the channel.  Lower values ​​will allow the Bass and Mid controls to have more effect, giving more warmth to the sound. This control should be set in conjunction with the corresponding presence control for the channel.
 
Presence Controls
There is a Presence control for each channel on this amp.  Presence typically refers to an enhancement of the mid-high and some low frequencies.  More presence will sound brighter and warmer with a little more definition.  Less presence is duller.  The Rhythm2 and Lead channels have a "Pull" function. If the knob is pulled out, the presence control acts in a higher frequency range, allowing for a “brighter†sound to help “cut through†in situations where the music is at very high volumes. With the pull off, a more aggressive sound is achieved, a la Angus Young of AC / DC.  Also, turning the knob has less effect with the pull off.

Lead Channel
The Lead channel has Gain, independent Treble, Mid and Bass, and Lead Drive controls acting in conjunction with the Lead Master control.
The Gain control adjusts the amount of gain entering the amplifier (input gain) and has a Pull Fat option, which produces the same effect as in the Rhythm 2 channel, adding or subtracting body weight.
Again, the Treble defines the sound and commands the most effect. The Bass and Mid controls only round and polish the sound.
The Lead Drive adjusts the amount of distortion in the sound.  To play metal, set the Gain and Drive to 10.  For more vintage or British distortions, set these controls to low values.
The Lead Drive control has Pull Bright, which helps to increase the definition of the distortion, so the notes sound a bit sweeter and more accurate.

Graphic EQ
The graphic equalizer is used to cut or boost frequency ranges that can be annoying in some situations.  (Because we all like to boost those annoying frequencies ;) )

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Jason,

 

Updates to HelixHelp.com look fantastic! Keep up the great work!!

 

If riffyrafemetal is up for combining efforts, HelixHelp.com would be even more amazing as the pinacle of well compiled Helix information resources.

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Ok everybody,

 

All of the amp descriptions from this thread have been added to http://helixhelp.com.

 

After work, I'll get started on migrating all of the effects as well. There's a lot of info here so it'll take a bit of time but hopefully it'll be done by the weekend.

 

Thanks for all your hard work!

 

That said, you may want to include some of the background info from comment 1:

 

-Invented control starting point for neutral settings (setting to simulate the real stuff, without those invented parameters). But you can play with this values, it's up to you (no limits):

Presence for No Presence amps should be zero (all the way counterclockwise). Exception Jazz Rivet (P: 50%).

Eq bonus controls to noon (50%) for No Mid, No Bass, No Treble amps.

Master parameter for no master amps to 100%.

 

Note 1: Real amps with Volume means Gain in Helix. Volume in Helix is like a mixer to compensate final modeled output level (obviusly it doesn't exist in any of the real amps).

 

Note 2 : To attenuate "Crossover Distorsion", the best parameter in Helix is "Bias", increase it from 6 to 8 as general rule just in case you need to mitigate it.

 

Note 3: The default Line6 amp settings parametrs for Helix, when you open a modeled amp, are also a good starting point, normally they are close or exactly in concordance with this. Tip : double click in the parameter to come back to the default one.

 

Note 4: For Pre Amps models in Helx, some power amp related parametrs (i.e presence in general ; or cut tone with vox amp )are not present, but they modeled also Master and Sag with PreAmps.

 

All amps are modeled on the Input 1 (High). If you want simulate Input 2 (low), then use a gain block to take 6dB off the signal, and change the input impedance to something lower; somewhere between 68k and 150k.

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A couple of minor notes: that's not an S6616 in the photo, and there were no Marshall amps in 1959 (although that's the model number for the 100-watt plexi).

 

Thanks for this, though!

did you read the description of the Marshall?

it says

"Tthe stack four inputs, EL34 tubes Both the Normal and Bright inputs of this legendary Marshall® 100 watt beast. First produced in 1965 (note that the “1959 “ is a model number and does not indicate the date of manufacture) is often referred to as the “original†Plexi, featuring two channels and four inputs. It was utilized by Pete Towsend, Eric Clapton, and most famously, by Jimi Hendrix at his Woodstock performance."

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did you read the description of the Marshall?

it says

"Tthe stack four inputs, EL34 tubes Both the Normal and Bright inputs of this legendary Marshall® 100 watt beast. First produced in 1965 (note that the “1959 “ is a model number and does not indicate the date of manufacture) is often referred to as the “original†Plexi, featuring two channels and four inputs. It was utilized by Pete Towsend, Eric Clapton, and most famously, by Jimi Hendrix at his Woodstock performance."

 

Nope: actually I did not read the description, because I'm quite familiar with the actual amp.  What I noticed was that it says '59 before "Marshall “Plexi†Super Lead 100 (BRIT PLEXI)," as if the amp was a model from the year 1959, and if you look, you'll see that that's where there year is listed for all of the amps above it and below it: '65 Marshall JTM-45, '71 Park 75 [bRIT P-75], '58 Fender Bassman, etc.  Hence it should not say '59 before Marshall “Plexi†Super Lead 100 (BRIT PLEXI).  So yeah, what I wrote seems kind of goofy because I didn't notice that the description makes the distinction between year and model number, but that doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't say '59.  Probably meant to put '69 there.  Anyway...

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