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How do you dial in your overdriven presets? With my ears - not meant to be facetious, but really that's all that matters. 'Standard practice' is BS, it's just doing what others do and may not work for you. You may want/need to change your mic/cab approach for dirtier sounds, or even the amp settings. Luckily you can do all those changes with one button push using snapshots. I think you need to throw away analog approaches (which frankly were always a massive compromise (amp + cab with pedals in front) and embrace what digital offers in terms of clean and dirty and 'disgusting' can all be highly independent. You are no longer bound to amp/pedal/can settings based on what you have onstage. Play and learn, and have some fun.

Having tried many power-amp cab combinations (SS and valve) and FRFR approaches over many years my view is what works for you (at this moment in time) is what works, and that everything is a compromise. I now run direct to FoH and use (damned good) IEMs, and adjust tones to fit in the mix for FoH. The IEMs sound good, but its not the same 'experience' as loud onstage cabs. I would never go back though. The audience gets better sound and the sound is consistent(ly good). Something I can't say for running loud on stage and having to hit that volume level both for tone and so I can play well. My opinion is that its all marketing and hype, musicians play into it, and sunk costs drive opinions about what works more than anything else - before the next best and greatest potential purchase comes along. Audience be damned and internet opinions are worth what it costs to read them - nothing.

Any FX blocks you place before the Send block will be included in the signal going out to your power amp/cab. Any FX blocks placed after the Send block will be heard only through the Main outs to FOH.

I had time to look up the manual for your amp. There's a footswitch (PEDL-90016) that toggles the FX Loop. Since I don't see a manual switch (usually on the front panel) I would normally assume that the FX Loop is ON by default. However, it would be silly to assume logic from Marshall (like they ASSUME that you have the footswitch, so no front panel switch is necessary...)., so if your FX LOOP isn't working you should spend some time researching that.

There is no solution for the "Helix Stadiu, Bulk Transfer" issue but an intervention by Line 6 itself. My Sradium's screen does mot exactly look like your image. It only has a kind of very small blinking cursor that vanishes when the Helix logo shows up. Istromgly recommend: If you didn't already, - make a support ticket for your issues. Here are only users of Line 6 gear amd this is no official support.

Regardibg "Helix Stadium Bulk Transfer" - The reason users don't mention it is the fact tmat the WIFI connection works more or less. So they aren't aare of this issue. Look here For 2.: Line 6 Central is only for updating firmware but won't work with the error above. Stadium App is the remote app for Helix Sradium where you can do nearly everythind you can do on the unit's touch screen. For 6.: You can omly use one interface with ASIO on Windows.

I connect it to my computer.

Another suggestion: use Customtone (see link at top of this page) to filter the sort of band/guitarist/songs that appeal to you. Perhaps you’ll find some presets you can use as a starting point for tweaking to your own taste.

I think that message is telling you that there is an IR block in the 5th block position in Path 1A. It specifies an IR that is not found in the IR library. Make sure the specified IR is imported into the correct slot of the IR library.

Do you use any stomp buttons at all or purely snapshots? I would just clear the bypass assignment for the amp/blocks entirely. Then assign the bypass to snapshot only. Then select snapshot 1, turn things on/off as needed, save. Then go to snapshot 2, do the same and save. Sometimes the bypass assignments get confused when you have multiple things controlling what is on/off.

Also there's a lazy method that I've used as well -- use at your own risk. I've started doing this, and it works for me. Prop up the Helix so that the buttons are perpendicular to the floor. Apply liquid deoxIT to each of the buttons, around 3 applications. Wait an hour: the liquid will eventually reach the actuators/microswitches. Press the buttons a few times. Flip the Helix upside-down, again propping it so that the buttons are perpendicular to the floor. The excess DeoxIT will ooze out. Vacuum each button, wiping the leftover DeoxIT until it's dry.

The micro switches under the metal buttons are cheap and will stop being reliable after about a year of regular gigging use. If you are handy with electronics, open it up and clean out all of your switches whenever this starts happening. No need to re-solder a new microswitch. The procedure is very simple, in essence: locate the micro switches, and apply liquid DeoxIT to them, and press them a few times. I like liquid (not spray) DeoxIT, because it's only one drop, nothing gets sprayed in the process, you don't need to be careful where you spray, etc. The switches to me became as smooth as butter after the cleaning. watch a video on how it's done. https://youtu.be/WONiwe0vjH0 Helix is built like your typical Chinese gadget (Kemper floor is no different): looks solid from the outside, but inside is all microscopic PCB stuff with cheap components. In particular, the little button plungers are not held by anything, if you flip the unit upside-down they will all fall and you will not find them. you need a big table with a towel for this job -- can't do it on your lap. I use Tupperware / bowls / shot glasses to store all the parts, like screws/bolts/nuts. Sort all your screws by height, etc. Take a picture of what's inside before you start taking things apart -- that way will know how it used to be. A tablet is very useful for these. When I cleaned micro switches on the Helix LT, I did not have to take apart any ribbons, remove any glue, etc.

In Global Settings (maybe the Preferences area?) there is a parameter named Snapshot Edits that controls whether changes to Snapshot settings (like turning your overdrive block on/off) are retained or discarded when you switch snapshots within a preset. You want the changes discarded, meaning when you return to the snapshot the overdrive on/off will remain in its saved state, not retaining the change you made. However, it is a Global parameter. There is another option that may be useful but you’ll have to experiment with it. That’s the Bypass Snapshots setting available for each FX block. That removes the Snapshot control for the block, meaning that you turn it on/off manually using a footswitch.

Not really but so far that we can do nothing but praying self update over intermet will still work or updatimg with Apple stuff. Last one isn't possible for me. We did everything a customer can do. Now it is Line 6' move.

Hi Jeff, What you have encountered here is not a question of “memory”, but more about how the DSP is allocated. Your Helix LT actually has 2 DSP chips available, which makes you better off than folks using single processor HX Stomp units - one chip runs the blocks on path 1A and 1B, the second does the same for path 2A and B. Some amp/fx models actually use far more DSP than others, but it’s not immediately obvious to the average user. Luckily, forum contributor Ben Vesco (Malhavok) has made quite a study of this stuff and has compiled a list, the latest version is available here:- https://benvesco.com/store/helix-dsp-allocations/ Hope this helps/makes sense.

By default, the snapshots will remember the state it they were in when you last left that snapshot. For instance, if you're in Snapshot 1 and a delay block is ON, then you navigate to Snapshot 2 and turn that block OFF, when you return to Snapshot 1, that delay will be ON. There is an option called "Snapshot Bypass" that will change how the block's bypass state reacts as you switch between snapshots. Double-tap the block on the touchscreen to bring up the menu and at the bottom is Snapshot Bypass. When the switch is to the right, the block's bypass state will be recalled as I described in the example above. When the switch is too the left, the bypass state will be ignored by the snapshots, so if you turn the block off, it will remain off until you turn it back on, even as you bounce between snapshots. In most cases I keep the switch to the right so that when I return to a snapshot it is in the same state it was in when I left it, however there are some cases when I will toggle the switch to the left, such as on a Poly Capo block for down-turning. Once I've engaged the down-tuning I normally want it to stay down-turned as I navigate between rhythm and solo snapshots.

Check the Discard Edits setting in the Snapshots panel. Set it to Off. This will retain the changes to each Snapshot as you move among them until you Save the preset before moving to a different preset. This Discard Edits setting is the ‘clear line’ you speak of between editing Snapshots and simply using them. Yes, the Save button lights up because switching to a different preset is a change to the preset. The snapshot that is loaded (active) with a change in presets is the snapshot that was active when the preset was last Saved. So switch8g to a different snapshot is a change to the preset.

I believe we will have to wait until at least firmware 1.6 for the M3 (MetaMIDI-Mind) interface. In the meantime, the following worked for James McAvoy as Professor X.

For what it's worth, I don't believe this is a conflict with any prior Line 6 app or Line 6 Windows USB driver installation on Windows since I encountered the same issue on several Windows machines none of which had any previous Line 6 software installed. As far as I can tell, Line 6 Central and the Stadium App both provide the same Line 6 Windows USB driver which would explain why Line 6 Central made no difference for me either when I tried that after the Stadium App crashed on Windows with a USB-C cabled connection. It's no longer an impediment for me since working around it by the method I mentioned previously so I'm content for this one to get fixed whenever it gets fixed. Other affected persons are free to feel differently, of course.

TLDR: Don't expect global assignment of a cab-free output in a hurry. Its not stumbling over this, its how its been done with the Helix since the OG. The exception to this is the Pod Go, which has fixed block placement. You will need to adjust your workflow, and quite possibly your approach to patch building (see below). The flexibility the Helix allows (1/4 inch, XLR, Digital, sends and returns) makes a global response near to impossible and, for many, highly undesirable as their needs may vary in terms of how outputs are used and can be managed on a by patch basis. If you want a standardised approach use templates to set-up your master approach and add/change as required. The idea that the cab should or must be the last block is also false. There is lots of post cab processing you may want to apply before going direct - eg compression or patch specific EQ - that you do not want going to your cab. The only consideration for your tap point (to cab) is does it include all the processing you want/need for the cab. Some users have a wetter send for FoH than to onstage monitoring/cabs. Again, why a global setting for no cab on output X is problematic. I can't answer your other question re the Agora amp interaction with cabs - however logically, if you're tapping the signal before the cab, and the cab still exists, the relationship between amp and cab still exists, and should impact all signal leaving the cab independent of tap point.

You don’t need a split path. Place a Send block in your signal path where you want to feed the non-cab signal to your power amp. Place the cab block/model, as well as any other blocks you don’t want to go to the power amp/cab, after the Send block. Connect a 1/4” cable to the assigned Send jack and feed your amp with the full signal up to that point in the chain. Connect the XLR Main outputs (which include the cab model and everything else after the Send block) to FOH.

You can't increase the amount of processing power (DSP) available in a preset. That's the limitation - not memory. There are 2 DSP processors in Helix - one per path. You can maximize your DSP availablity by using both paths/procesors in the preset; using both paths is different from creating a split/parallel path in Path 1. A single preset can easily accommodate two amps with one on each path. Set the Output block of Path 1 to the Input of Path 2. You've immediately doubled the DSP power for the preset. If you're already using dual path presets and block selections remain greyed out then you have reached the DSP limitation of the Helix device. You can't increase that; you have to remove one or more blocks from the preset before adding another block.

The Cab block is automatically assigned for each Amplifier model in the Helix. NOTE: You can turn off this behavior in the global options in the Stadium (see the online manual). I do not know how to assign a Cab block to an Amplifier model when it is not assigned by the Unit (I assume that you can not have more than one separate Cab block assigned to a particular Amp model). The answer to you question... If you see a link symbol when you highlight the Cab block, then that modeling of the impedance, reactions and stuff is also modelled. Otherwise, I do not think that it is. (Line 6 will have to confirm this though).

I learned about the Command Center on the old Helix. The Command Center is far easier to use in Stadium than it was in the old Helix. On the Helix, the Command Center button assignments were unique to each snapshot within a preset, which meant that if you wanted to assign 8 snapshots to stomp buttons, you would need to program the 8 assignments within each of the 8 snapshots, or 64 separate button assignments. It was a total pain in the butt. In Stadium, when you make a Command Center button assignment, it works in each of the snapshots, so its very easy and intuitive to use. I read somewhere that its still possible to program Stadium to have unique button assignments within each snapshot, but I don't know how to do it (and I don't want to know how to do it LOL). In all of my presets, I like to have the buttons I use most often along the bottom row for easy access. This means having a mix of Stomps and Snapshots within the same row, which is an easy setup on the Stadium.

Pod HD 500 is way more limited and complicated at the same time than the Helix! I tried helping a friend dial in sounds on it, and it was very difficult, especially on the unit itself. Helix is way more user-friendly. Snapshots are presets within presets, plain and simple--the octopus picture really explains what it is. You can save what each of your blocks do when you select a specific snapshot: what is on/off, and the various settings of blocks are, if you wish to change them. I only use snapshots for all my sound changes, never use any effects individually (aka stomp mode). In the band where I played, there were lots of sudden changes from loud lead with delay to dry low-gain sound. With snapshots, it's a breeze. With pedals, I'd have to turn on/off 3-4 pedals at once. Plus with snapshots you can also have different tap tempo saved, so your delays can have extreme exaggerated spillover effect when you turn off your lead sounds, for example. I actively use all such tricks to glue different parts of the song together. With 8 different snapshots within each song, you have more than enough different sounds to cover each song, given you save each song as an individual preset. Love it.

It’s very easy to do. I use a combination of stomps and snapshots on all of my presets, so I keep the unit in combo mode with both the top and bottom rows being stomps. When I want one of the buttons to be a snapshot, I do the following: Select the menu in the upper left of the touch screen (three horizontal lines). Select the Command Center icon. Select the button you wish to program from the screen, then select Preset/Snap from the lower left. Select "Command" and then turn the knob to the far right to "Snapshot". Now turn the Snapshot knob to the desired snapshot number and that's it, the button is now programed to go to the specified snapshot. If you would like to change the name and color of the button, select the camera icon in the upper right of the screen, choose the snapshot you wish to rename, then select "Rename/color" from the screen. PS: You might want to edit the title of this thread LOL

I am aware of announced but not yet implemented features. I am fine with it. But this here is a dirrerent story. It is very simple: I want a unit that works as announced. At least Line 6 has to acknowledge this bug and to estimate when there will be a solution. These are fundamrntal rights as a customer. Just an example: I buy a new car and I realize that the front lights do not work. The car dealer says after my compaimt: "Well, but the car works. just don't drive at night or use a pair of pocket lamps from Apple." I am not that obsequious person who is fobbed off so easy by so called workarounds. Acceptimg this in my book is simply cringingness.

You have used your dsp, no room for that effect. Check this, there`s some Pod Go info in the end https://benvesco.com/store/helix-dsp-allocations/

My apologies if this functionality already exists. I'd like to create an amp block (or any effect, really), then create a bunch of presets that use that amp block. But I don't want a separate copy of the amp block in each preset, I want a pointer/alias back to the original block. So if I decide to change that amp's settings, all the presets that point to that amp would also be updated.

I have been using a couple of JTV Variax guitars for years. Sweetwater now says July delivery for a preorder D10 box. For now I am using a strat with bridge humbucker and an SG, but there is so much I did with the Variax that I can't currently do like switch between an acoustic sound and an electric sound or use the Variax Sitar sound for the song Come And Get Your Love. I also miss being able to change the tuning for some songs with a preset. I was a little disappointed that variax and powercab support was not built in and requires a separate hardware box that won't be available for quite some time.

Aha …. I think I’ve sussed this out (I only just noticed this glitch). It seems that when importing a preset the volume pedal doesn’t copy over properly. Try clearing the volume block and then adding it back in! Bit of a nuisance but worked for me. Let me know if it works for you

Hi, I just thought I would share my experience. It seems that the TRS cable cable method work with a HX Stomp, but it wont work with a Helix (I guess the exp pedal jacks work differently). I have a Helix Rack and a Hotone II Press. No matter what type of cable I use, I have the 100 - 0 - 100 problem. This is due to how the Exp jack of the Helix work, and how the Hotone II Press works. I tested the resistance tip - sleeve and ring - sleeve on the Hotone using a TRS cable. When fully down, tip - sleeve is 0 but ring - sleeve in 10k Ohm, and on the contrary, when fully up, tip - sleeve is 10k Ohm and ring - sleeve is 0. Then I found a post explaining how the Exp jacks in the Helix are wired, and this wiring makes that they "kind of" sum the resistance of tip-sleeve and ring-sleeve (Ohm laws, so not quite a sum when in parallel and blah blah blah). Long story short, the Hotone II Press will never work correctly, not with a TS cable, nor with a (fully wired) TRS cable. The trick is: use TRS jacks, but make a cable that only wires tip to tip and sleeve to sleeve, and leave the rings unwired. This way, the Helix only sees the tip - sleeve resistor that goes from 0 to 10k Ohm. I've done it, and it works flawlessly.

Here it is if you don't want to re-direct.

Here is a document I have been working on but is not really ready for prime time yet. It is drawn from a variety of unquoted sources (my bad) and as I mentioned not yet fully edited but in the interests of giving you some general knowledge to work with I will post it up. There are probably other users on the forum who can provide more explicit settings for the compressors on the Helix and there are also user provided presets on CustomTone (good luck sorting through them) that serve as great examples. Anyway, here goes, a completely deranged and disorganized guide to compression that is designed to give you a working knowledge of compressor settings and operation rather than provide you with the settings but may nonetheless shed some light on the subject. There is a great link to suggested compressor settings for a variety of instruments as well as some other sample settings towards the end of this post. There is also a section further down on how to use the Helix 'LA Comp' compressor as well as a general section that applies to the Helix's 'Deluxe Comp'. For those of us who use compressors in a preset, most of us probably have it on all the time (and that is ok), or perhaps have it setup to switch off when we want more dynamics, for instance when we kick in a distortion pedal or heavier sound on a solo via a snapshot or pedal assign. I think however that the compressor is a prime candidate for assigning parameters to snapshots so that you can change the values on the compressor to match your tempo, attack, or song part (intro, verse, chorus, solo, bridge, outro) instead of just switching it in and out or leaving it on all the time. The HX line of devices added a gain reduction meter to the firmware at some point. You can use this by selecting any compressor block and look to see when the threshold you set is being crossed, and also how long it is being engaged until it is released. The gain reduction meter is extremely helpful for setting the threshold and release settings. I have gathered a bunch of notes together over time from various websites regarding compression so this work is the result of others much more well versed on the subject. My apologies in advance for any inadvertent plagiarism. I would be happy to cite sources or remove text if anyone sees their text here. Some notes may be redundant as they came from a wide variety of sources. I hope this assists some folks in getting their heads wrapped around compression parameters and their usage in different scenarios with the guitar and bass but also with vocals, drums, etc.. Why use compression?: Reduce sudden peaks/spikes. Smooth and make levels more uniform and less jarring on guitar, bass, drums, vocals or other instruments As a boost Add sustain, particularly on clean presets, but can also sound great with distortion and overdrive Articulation, dynamics (incorrect settings can squash these) Push an instrument more out front Make an instrument sit better in the mix 'Chicken pickin', funk, and other particular genres or styles Special effects (sometimes pumping or breathing can be a good thing) Suppressing microphone feedback, 'ringing' out a PA Leveling overall recording output in the mastering process Reduce masking of overlapping frequencies between instruments by sidechaining (description further down in document). First a brief description of common compression parameters (the 'Deluxe Comp' on the Helix has all these settings): Note: On some simple, for example two knob compressors, two or more of these parameters' functions may be collapsed into one knob. For example, turning up the ratio may simultaneously turn down the threshold. (contributor: njglover) Threshold is how loud your signal has to get before the compression kicks in. This is essential because you may not want your entire signal to be compressed. Some units have no threshold knob- for them, the threshold may be "fixed" and can only be adjusted by changing the input level of your signal. In other words, increasing the level of your signal by turning up the guitar volume or adding a pedal with a boost, etc. before your signal goes into the compressor. Alternatively on some two-knob compressors, as mentioned above, turning the compression knob may simultaneously raise the ratio and lower the threshold. Ratio is how much your signal gets compressed once it passes the threshold. Ratios are figured in decibels (dB); a dB is a unit of how much a signal increases or decreases relative to where it started. With a ratio of 4:1 for example, the idea is that for every 4 dB your signal goes over the threshold, the output level will only go up by 1 dB. Generally, ratios of 2:1 to 4:1 are considered light or moderate compression, and ratios of 10:1 or higher are considered heavy compression or limiting. A hard "brick wall" limiter has a ratio of infinity:1, meaning that once your signal crosses the threshold, the output will not increase more than 1 dB no matter how high the input signal spikes. Attack controls how quickly the compression reacts to your signal, and Release controls how long it takes to "let up" and stop compressing after it's triggered. These controls are interactive, and the right settings for them will vary depending on the music and your playing style. You'll have to experiment, but for some compressors (not all) a decent rule of thumb is to start with the attack and release knobs in their middle position, and adjust from there. Keep in mind that on most compressors the 'Attack' setting gets longer, aka slower as you turn the knob clockwise. That means when the knob is at its minimum, all the way counter-clockwise, the attack will be at its fastest(e.g. 1ms); this means that the compressor will almost immediately start applying compression to your signal. Somewhat counter intuitively too fast an attack setting on the compressor can actually squash your guitar's attack and dull the transients at the front of the picked note. Turn it all the way up and your attack will be its slowest setting with the compressor taking the longest time possible(e.g. 1000ms) to engage. "So the fastest attack will be the knob at 1, the slowest attack will be the knob at 10. (contributor: optimist)". Extreme min/max settings on either attack or release can cause pumping or breathing. Output Gain controls how much the volume of your signal is increased coming out of the comp, and this is necessary because compression lowers the overall average levels of your signal. Increase gain when using higher ratios and lower thresholds to maintain your output level. Almost all compressors have a booster at the end, which provides "makeup gain" to bring your signal back up to the level you want. This is what accounts for both the increase in audible sustain and harmonics, and also the increase in the noise floor. Knee - Set on hard-knee, the compressor waits until the signal crosses the threshold, then it reduces the signal at the specified ratio for a punchy sound. With soft-knee compression, the ratio gradually increases as the signal approaches the threshold, resulting in a more natural feel and a wider dynamic range. So here goes, some general information and tips on using compression in no particular order: Note: Sometimes 'pick attack' or 'string attack' is mentioned in this document and refers to how fast or hard the string is being plucked. This is not the same as the 'attack' setting on the compressor although 'pick attack' may influence your choice of the compressor's 'attack' setting. Use increased sensitivity(lower threshold) on slow attack times to make sure compressor engages. Use a higher ratio for more pronounced compression. The more compression (higher the ratio) the higher the makeup gain needs to be set. Compression ratio and threshold are related, since both increasing the ratio and lowering the threshold will result in more compression being applied to the signal. Use a fast release for faster return to normal level. Tempo as well as string attack can profoundly affect compression. Set attack and release settings shorter for fast pick attack or fast tempo otherwise you may hear pumping or the compressor may not kick in properly and miss notes that are above the threshold you set and should have been compressed. Slow attack times allow the transient and initial attack of the note to come through. Setting attack too fast/short may cause the initial attack on the string to be squashed and result in a loss of dynamics. If release time is set too long, it may compress a quieter note that rapidly follows an above-the-threshold note. Medium release allows a quieter note that is below the threshold to not be compressed. Longer release times can add sustain and sound more natural on acoustic instruments like the acoustic guitar where a note or chord may ring out for quite a while. Electric guitar ratios are often 4:1 or even 6:1 although lower settings work fine as well. You may want a lighter compression on overdriven or distorted tones as there can already be a fair amount of compression from the amp and distortion effects. A ratio of 2:1 or 3:1 may be sufficient here. Mastering and busses often uses slower attack times depending on the source material. Pumping, breathing, and distortion: Attack time settings affect the sound quality in terms of overall perceived brightness or high-frequency content. If you use very fast attack time settings, the compressor will activate very quickly, reducing gain instantly at the waveform level of the sound. However, too fast an attack or release can cause distortion or unwanted artifacts like pumping or breathing, particularly on bass or low notes as the attack and release are actually faster than the cycle(hz) of the note being played. Since transient information at the front or attack portion conveys brightness character, especially with percussive sounds, immediately reducing it with the compressor will dull the sound. Selecting a slower attack time will allow the transient portion of the sound to pass through before the compressor starts clamping. However, if the attack time is too slow, ineffective and tardy compressor action may result. Low frequencies (e.g. bass guitar, detuned or just low guitar strings) can be distorted by too fast a release time. Super fast release times, along with a fast attack time setting, will distort low-frequency sounds, as the compressor is capable of gain change within the period (the 360-degree cycle of the lowest fundamental frequency) of the sound's waveform. Likewise, over-long release time settings are another form of distortion, since gain reduction is "stuck" clamping the sound down for an unnaturally long time period. "Pumping" and "breathing" are engineer jargon words for obvious compressor artifacts or side effects with maximum compression. Sudden and usually unwanted deep gain reduction is called pumping, while a slower return (release) to operating level with a noticeable rise of the noise floor is called breathing. For a more transparent sound you may prefer a release time that has the shortest possible time that does not produce a "pumping" effect, caused by cyclic activation and deactivation of compression. These cycles make the dominant signal (normally the bass drum and bass guitar) also modulate the noise floor, producing a "breathing" effect. For more sustain you may opt for a longer release time. As previously mentioned, fast release/attack times may create distortion, since they modify the waveform of low frequencies, which are slower. For instance, one cycle at 100 Hz lasts 10 ms, so that a 1 ms attack time has the time to alter the waveform, thereby generating distortion. Compression settings especially for guitar: This is an interesting blurb regarding the Rockman compressor. The problem to solve, when you want to design a compressor for the guitar, is a double problem: Act as a limiter during the first part of the note - a strong peak (think fast attack) Act as a sustainor during the second part of the note - a slow decay (think slow release)" Side-bussing compression: You can side-buss the compressor with an EQ block to selectively compress frequencies or provide both a direct signal and a compressed signal to the mix. Sidechaining compression: You can sidechain the compressor such that for instance a kick drum hit will momentarily compress the bass guitar in such a way as to reduce the masking of the kick-drum by certain frequencies in the bass guitar. Sidechaining is essentially used to cause the trigger instrument to cause another target instrument to be momentarily compressed. Ringing out microphones and feedback in a system: A compressor can be used to aid setting up a system when it is being ringed out, i.e. its main feedback frequencies are being removed with an equalizer or a feedback elimination type unit. The compressor will have a low threshold level and infinity-to-1 ratio with hard knee characteristics. With no signal present, we will gradually increase the volume until the first feedback frequency rings. The compressor will catch it and keep it at a constant safe level, making adjusting the equalization an easier task. The process will typically be repeated until the third or fourth feedback frequency has been ringed out. Sample Compression settings (source citations needed): First a great link for compression settings for various instruments: http://anythingpeaceful.org/sonar/settings/comp.html Note: You may want to try an attack setting of 20ms-25ms or more for electric guitar. This will allow more of the initial transient of the guitar note through and make for a more articulated sound with better attack and dynamics. The recommended value of 7ms in this chart for electric guitar is fairly low although good for fast picking or catching and suppressing loud sudden peaks/jumps. An interesting article on how to set different compressors http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/setup.shtml Helix 'LA Studio Comp' Parameters And Usage Tips Note: The 'Mix' control as on most compressors can help by adding back in the initial pick attack as well as potentially brightness or tone to the signal by providing some of the uncompressed signal in your path, particularly on higher 'PeakReduc' settings. PeakReduc - This will set the 'amount' of compression and also adjust the threshold (how high the input level, or the often related, how aggressive the pick attack needs to be, to trigger compression). These two parameters(ratio, threshold) are collapsed into this single control on the 'LA 2A'. The ratio control being the ratio of dbs being reduced you are used to seeing e.g. 2:1, 4:1 and threshold referring to what input level is required to trigger compression. I don't know how or even if the attack and release are figured into the PeakReduc when it is adjusted. The original 'LA 2A' analog compressor the 'LA Studio Comp' is based on did not have attack and release controls (similar to a two knob compressor pedal) but instead used the "combination of an electro-luminescent panel and a photo-cell to determine the attack and release characteristics of the LA-2A". I am not sure how Line6 modeled that circuitry but that is what would set the attack and release in the original effect. Gain - This is referring to the 'makeup' gain knob you see on most compressors. Generally the higher you set the compression (PeakReduc) the more the signal will be reduced and the higher the 'Gain' will need to be set. "This control does not affect the compression. The gain control should be set after the desired amount of compression is determined using the Peak Reduction control. Once the Peak Reduction control is set, adjust the Gain Control to achieve the desired output level." Emphasis - Use this to have more or less compression on the sparkly high end of your guitar signal. "The LA-2A was designed for use in broadcast applications. The audio signal in FM broadcasting undergoes pre-emphasis and results in a 17 dB boost at 15 KHz. Due to this increase in signal level, transmitters are subject to over-modulation. The LA-2A provides a control (R37) which controls the amount of high-frequency compression. Increasing the resistance of this potentiometer on the original device by turning it counterclockwise will result in compression which is increasingly more sensitive to the higher frequencies." So, to put it another way, this large 17db bump at 15khz in the original LA-2A compressor meant that they built in an 'Emphasis' parameter that kept compression flat across the frequency spectrum but allowed you to apply additional compression to the high frequencies. I suppose in some respects similar to a two band "multi-compressor". I don't know exactly at which frequencies Line6 or the original effect applied that additional compression; on the original maybe around 15khz as that is where FM broadcasting signals were boosted. I am not sure of the answer to that question. It is worth noting that on the original device turning the 'Emphasis' control counter-clockwise (down) actually increased the amount of compression applied to the high frequencies. Type - This parameter will adjust the ratio settings used in the 'PeakReduc' parameter to much higher values, generally you will set this to 'Compress' for guitar. Setting it to 'Limit' will change a 2:1 ratio into for example a 10:1 ratio more ideal for limiter use. A few sample settings for different instruments: If you want to use a little compression to bring the electric guitar forward and give it some punch or sustain, try these settings. You may have to experiment with the threshold setting in particular as various compressor models use threshold differently: Threshold: 1dB Ratio: 2:1 - 3:1 Attack: 25-30 ms Release: About 200 ms Gain: Adjust so that the output level matches the input level. You don't need much added gain. To get a handle on the potential muddiness of the amplified bass guitar use a little compression. Compression can also help control uneven levels that result from overzealous or inexperienced bass players. Remember too fast an attack or release on bass because of the lower hz cycle can cause distortion as the compressor is cycling faster than the note. Try these settings for a start: Threshold: 4dB Ratio: 2.5:1 - 3:1 Attack: 40-50 ms Release: About 180 ms Gain: Adjust so that the output level matches the input level. You don't need much added gain. These are good settings for strummed or picked acoustic instruments: Threshold: 6dB Ratio: 3:1 - 4:1 Attack: Around 150 ms Release: About 400 ms Gain: Adjust so that the output level matches the input level. You don't need much added gain. The release is set very high because of the amount of sustain that acoustic instruments such as a guitar or dobro can have. If you play an instrument with less sustain, like a banjo mandolin, or even a ukulele, you may find that a shorter attack and release work just fine. Excellent video on compression - more general and less guitar-centric: