High gain tone matching with Helix Native

[DeceivedThrush]

Hello everyone,

 

I've been playing around quite a bit with the trial version of Helix Native and I'd like to know if anyone is experiencing hard times getting out some convincing high gain tones either with stock cabs or Ownhammer/Redwirez IRs.

 

I know that "convincing tones" may sound silly because it's something highly subjective but I can't seem to make HN sound right to my ears..

 

There are always these annoying toppy-trebly frequencies I can't get rid of and even custom IRs the overall "body" of the tone just sounds too flat in respect, for example, to Amplitube Dual/Triple recto simulation.

 

I'm assuming the core/modeling software is the same on both plugin and hardware vesion of Helix (maybe with the hardware version things are easier, with Tonematch?) but I still notice there's a huge difference between all Youtube demo videos and what I can get out of my speakers (btw, I'm using a Steinberg UR22 MKII audio interface with 2 Yamaha HS7 nearfield monitors, Hi-Z input source with guitar signal not clipping).

 

Since no Tonematch function is available on the plugin version of HN (afaik) is there a particular method/suggestion you have used to at least get in the ballpark of these tones?

 

Thanks!

[DeceivedThrush]

Bumpin' this one..

 

despite I'm finding my own way through stock cab sims (which are not as bad as I initially thought) I'm having very hard times in replicating a Dual Rectifier preset I made on Amplitube.

 

I've managed to create quite a few presets for home playing but still there's this one preset I'm not able to match, even starting from same setup on Helix Native (Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Amp with 1xSM57 and 1xU87 miking 1 Celestion V30 speaker + 1 Brit Alnico Gold speaker).

 

Is there a way/plugin that could be used to try matching the tone or is it something you got to do "by ear"?

[Mudloop]

As far as I know, there's no tone matching capabilities in any of the Helix products. So yes, has to be done by ear - for now at least, but you could always create a suggestion for this on Ideascale.

[Triryche]

I would  recommend searching the Helix (hardware) forum for tips on dialing. Lots of advice concerning those hi end frequencies.

[Tcamponovo]

I've noticed that sometimes shaving a little bass and treble in global eq can really improve overall sound. Helps with the sometimes 'compressed' tone of a direct line signal.

[soundog]

Yes, like @tcamponovo sez, experiment with sticking a low pass/hi pass block after your amp/cab/ir and roll off the highs (try 6k for starters) and lows (try 80 Hz for starters).

 

You can also experiment with tone matching by using some sort of EQ Match plug in (T-Racks 5 has a good one - , so does iZotope, and FabFilter). You can measure the eq curve of your target tone, then apply it to your Helix tone in varying %s until it sound good, then see what is being applied as the "adjustment". After that, you can create an eq block to duplicate the adjustment with Helix Native.

 

Lots of a given guitar tone is contained within the EQ.