Helix LT and 5 string bass

[Jeffbassvocals]

Hey! I'm considering getting a Helix LT and have a couple of questions... I am a bass player and play exclusively 5 string. I am an old schooler and play mostly Blues R&B and classic rock. I'm interested in the Helix for its reputed simplicity of use. Is it as simple in a live gig situation as it is reported to be? Also... we tune a half step down which makes my B string a little floppy... can I stay in standard tuning and have the unit transpose down a half step without affecting the sound? Thanks!

[plumber]

Yes - if you know how these things work

 

No

[pbatts]

Hey! I'm considering getting a Helix LT and have a couple of questions... I am a bass player and play exclusively 5 string. I am an old schooler and play mostly Blues R&B and classic rock. I'm interested in the Helix for its reputed simplicity of use. Is it as simple in a live gig situation as it is reported to be? Also... we tune a half step down which makes my B string a little floppy... can I stay in standard tuning and have the unit transpose down a half step without affecting the sound? Thanks!

 

I am an old schooler...

 

Have you used modelers before? Are you computer savvy?

 

Is it as simple in a live gig situation as it is reported to be?

 

Maybe, once you learn the ins and outs of the Helix. The Helix has a LOT going on. There is a learning curve and it is going to be a steep one if you don't have any experience with modelers and/or you are not computer savvy.

 

...we tune a half step down which makes my B string a little floppy... can I stay in standard tuning and have the unit transpose down

 

No

[jbuhajla]

It is simple to use if you have a solid knowledge base of amps, cabinets, effects, mics, etc... and you are reasonably tech savvy. You can also make it very complicated. 

 

1/2 step down, not reliably. I would recommend trying to change your setup (string height, truss rod adjustment, etc... $), different string gauges ($$), or a bass/neck with a slightly different scale length ($$$$). 

[Jeffbassvocals]

Thanks... I used to have a Line 6 Bass Pod pro floor unit. It had some nice sounds, but programming and editing was a pain. I sold it years ago when I too a hiatus from playing. So I do know how to muddle through... but the point is I don't want to have to... I'm hoping this unit will be a lot more plug and play. I don't use a ton of effects... primarily a 10 band eq, chorus, envelope filter and light distortion. Obviously I would integrate more if I get the Helix unit.

[dragonfet]

Hello Jeff,


as a happy Helix owner I can contribute the following:

1. Ease of use: It took me a bit to fully understand the concept of the Helix' UI, but once you're in it, it's amazingly easy. Getting the patches to work well takes some time, e.g. you can't have two snapshots with very different gain structures in the blocks as that will create an audible pop when switching. That's probably what the other two posts meant with "tech savvy" and "know how things work". It's a non-solveable problem though: The more (virtual) knobs and switches you have, the more possibilities you have to screw everything up. I work a lot with different distortion sounds and heavy effects, so I sit a lot of home with the unit to build new patches and snapshots. When I come to the band room, I usually adjust them a little to work with my gig setup and at gig volumes, that's something you should prepare for if you want to make tones at home.

If you have a setup as simple as you described (EQ, Chorus etc. all in series), I'd think it's just a matter of adding those blocks, configuring them to your taste and calling it a day. Maybe create Snapshots if you have eight or less different bypass states or if you want different settings for them. I'm very picky with distortion, so it took me a while to find the right ones to use for the right occassions, but there is a lot to choose from. Also the modeling seems very accurate; it reacts very sensitive to dynamics if you want it to.


If you meant "live" literally: There is a short moment of silence when changing patches, so you should try to use snapshots or stompbox mode instead. I have had zero problems during gigs, and I doubt the LT will perform any worse. I set the unit down, connect power, bass, an XLR cable for the FOH and the 1/4" for a monitor if necessary, that's it.


2. Pitchshifting: I just tested it. It seems to work normal to good on the upper four strings of my Ibanez 5-String, but the low string has tracking issues on all pitch related effects. The first two frets create an added low frequency interference that varies with picking intensity, the low E string seems to take longer to track. It doesn't matter how much you downtune, since the problem likely is with the note tracking itself and not in the processing that follows to change the pitch, add harmonics etc. - I cannot recommend doing that.



Sorry if this post focuses too much on my personal setup, but I hope it helps your decision.

[njglover]

You can technically use the pitch shifters to lower your tuning, but I wouldn't recommend it. As others have suggested, you are much better off changing your string gauges and setup, especially if you are always playing in that tuning. The Helix is super, super easy to use. Granted that I am a very computer savvy person, but I make changes on the fly all the time. Not so much on stage (I try to have everything set up so I don't have to), but at practice I can rearrange my set lists, duplicate patches and make modifications, switch around snapshots (which are some of the easiest things to do, actually), etc. The most annoying thing to do is when I want to make a change to one particular sound that I use on a lot of different patches, then I have to go through and make that change to all the patches. This is not really a problem, it just takes a little time. And it may not even matter to you if you just use one patch most of the time. I like to have different patches for every song. Works as a convenient set list on stage, for one, but it also allows me to really dial in the specific tones and options I want for any particular song. Some of them are probably duplicates of one another, but who cares?

[Jeffbassvocals]

Thanks for the very helpful info! Got off the phone with Sweetwater about an hour ago and my Helix LT should arrive on Friday. I'll probably have more questions once I get my hands dirty!