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I was trying to reproduce Matt Schofield's tone with my Helix and JTV-69S. I got close with the magnetic pickups, but could never quite get there. I switched to the Spank model and bingo - much closer. I'm guessing the modeled Strat just happened to be closer to the Strat he uses. So I ordered a set of Amalfitano SVL Daytonas to put on my JTV-69S.

I have been using a JTV-69S as my main gigging guitar for almost a year. I did make some changes in the models - mostly string balancing and some different body models. The models don't sound as good as the real thing. But I have no problem getting them close enough for club gigging. I doubt anyone can tell the difference or would care. Your Variax may be stuffing from clang tone issues. If that's the case, you can try some of the documented, but unverified remedies.

This is also a great video to see why you need to use hi-cuts on IRs and speaker models. Notice the big difference in how much brightern and harsh the close mic'd speaker sounds compared to the distant mic that gets the amp in the room sound. This is caused by listening off axis to a very directional, low-fidelity speaker. Now when you listen to your FRFR cabinet (not through headphones), you're also listening to an amp in the room and likely off axis from that too. But most FRFRs have horns that provide much wider dispersion of the high frequencies than a guitar speaker. So you're still going to hear those bright harsh tones. So its not uncommon to have to use mic selection and placement, and put EQ and compression at the end of your Helix signal chain to warm up the tone of cab models and IRs.

Digital audio interfaces have limited dynamic range and there is no such thing as "good" digital clipping. So you need to make sure your guitar is not overdriving the inputs of your audio interface - whether its a Pod HD500, Helix, or your typical computer audio interface. Many interfaces provide input level meters or clip indicator lights and a gain control so that you can adjust the gain to provide a good signal level while avoiding any clipping. The Pod HD500 doesn't provide level meters or clip indicators, so you have to use your ears. The input level switch plays the role of a simplified, two-state input gain control. When in doubt, use the lower gain setting and makeup the gain in the amp drive setting. That will ensure you're getting the proper kind of clipping.

An easier option is to mix your own IRs using samples from vendors that provide different mic choices and positions on the same cabinet. Redwirez BigBox provides a lot of options. Redwirez also provides a mixing tool you can use to create your own IR mixes. Once you create the IR mix, load it into Helix and you're ready to go.

Excellent analysis, and a great story. I love the detail. Really like your approach to analyzing what your tone is, why and how to reproduce it with different configurations.

You might have to lower your action. Gypsy guitar tone is often acoustics with quite a bit of fret buzz.

I've recently been trying to reproduce Matt Schofield's tone with my Helix and JTV-69S. See The Pedal Show interview with Matt Schofield for great information on how Matt approaches amp and pedal tones. I got close with the JTV-69S mag pickups, but not really there. When I switched to the Spank model it was actually closer. That was unexpected. Guess the modeled Strat is just a bit closer to his Strat. This is another example of the value of a JTV. Anything close to Matt Schofield's tone is good tone.

You know I tend to agree. The Pro 40 sounds dull to me too. I have an Apogee GiO which I think sounds better (but my ears aren't so good). Again I suspect its because the GiO's input is specifically designed for guitar, and its Apogee... I wonder if mic pres are one thing, and Hi-Z inputs another. Maybe the Focusrite optimizes for the mic input and has some compromise for the instrument input. Hard to know. I don't use my Helix for an input because its usually packed for gigs.

Its not clear exactly how to use the Helix Native input level control. The signal path from you guitar to the first block in Helix Native is: 1. The physical gain control on your interface 2. Possibly a software gain control provided by the device driver - this usually is a software version of the physical gain control and interfaces won't have both 3. Gain into Helix Native. You want to set the gain into your interface to be sure there's never any digital clipping, but keep the level high enough to minimize noise and make sure you're pushing the Helix Native blocks with their expected input. This is where I think the Helix Native input control comes in. All audio plugins have a sweet spot where their input is being driven at some optimal point for that plugin. This will be somewhere between off or low signal too close to noise, to clipping. I'm guessing Helix Native will probably like its maximum input to be somewhere near 0 dB. This minimizes the noise, provides the typical level into the blocks, and gives some headroom to avoid digital clipping. On the other hand, if the Helix Native input is in the digital floating point domain, then you don't need to worry about digital clipping and can use the input gain control as a gain boost for weaker pickups, or to provide more drive from your guitar into the following blocks. Anyone know where the Helix Native input gain is in the signal chain? Now to your question, if the input gain stays constant, then the output meter should be able to be used to level balance different patches.

How the knobs and switchs are mapped to MIDI depends on the DAW. For Logic Pro X, you switch the Helix Native plugin to the Controls view and you'll see the configured knobs and switches with sliders and check boxes. You can use this view to create controller assignments, or use the controller assignments learn mode and click on these knobs and switches in the plugin Controls view to learn the parameter. Other DAWs have similar capabilities for creating MIDI mappings to track parameters.

I have a Saffire Pro 40 that I'm using with Helix Native and S-Gear. I think the major difference is that Helix guitar input was specifically designed for electric guitar. It has the right impedance and sufficient dynamic range. Saffire Pro 40 has an "Instrument" input that as greater than 1M Ohm input impedance, but its dynamic range is 109 dB compared to the 120 dB of Helix.

File > Project Settings > MIDI... Uncheck Control Change 7/10 controls Volume/Pan of channel strip objects.

I use two EON610s for live gigging and run stereo. I have to back off the high end a little as those speakers can be a bit bright and harsh. But overall they sound fine, are quite light and seem pretty reliable. Good value for the money.

I have found that sometimes the VDI cable doesn't snug all the way in. The Variax powers and works, but I had problems setting the models and alt tunings. If I make sure the cable is plugged all the way in, then no problems. It takes a bigger push then you might think.

Helix Native noise is likely because you are sitting close to your computer with a guitar with single coil pickups. Computer put out a lot of noise. Moving away might significantly reduce the noise.

It might be the headphones. Try using monitor speakers.

I use the VDI cable with Helix to get full control of the Variax. I haven't had any problems with my JTV-69S playing outdoor gigs at high or low temperatures. We do a number of outdoor club gigs each year where the outside temp is in the low 90s in the evening. We also did an outside gig at the end of March where the temp got into the low 40s. No problem with JTV or Helix in either case. I did have some neck stability problems with my Variax Standard in really hot, humid conditions. Might be that slightly thinner neck.

I'm just guessing, so this could be way off. There are three major components to a Variax: the physical guitar and pickups, the Variax hardware and the models. I'm ignoring the power supply for this discussion. The physical guitars span a range from the old Variax 1.x 300, 500 and 700 models to the JTV models, to the Variax Standard and the Variax Shuriken. This is a reasonably wide range of instrument selections, quality levels and styles. Its not clear further innovation here would significantly increase the Variax marketplace. So I'd expect this to be slow changing. The Variax 2.0 hardware addresses some of the DSP limitations that resulted in compromises in the Variax 1.0 features and model resolution. Its hard to know what DSP headroom remains for future features and models, but it possible that the current hardware is no longer a bottleneck for at least some level of innovation. That might mean there's little demand for hardware innovation at this time. So that leaves the models. We don't know how the models are created, but I suspect it has to do with capturing impulse responses of the guitar bodies, magnetic pickups and piezo pickups, and then phase aligning and combining these in algorighms that can efficiently convert the output of the piezo pickups into the sound of the modeled guitar. I'd guess accurately capturing this information in a repeatable way with available select instruments is somewhat costly and time consuming. There may also be limitations to the process that cannot easily be addressed in order to provide more accurate or improved models. These limitations could involve the ability to get accurate, consistent samples, availability of instruments to model, and algorithm limitations to provide sufficient processing speed to avoid latency. So innovation and change here may be difficult too. So where does that leave us? Well first I think it leaves us with a pretty fantastic choice in gigging instrument. I have a 67 Les Paul and an early 90's Strat Deluxe with Tom Anderson pickups. These are really nice instruments. But my gigging instrument of choice is my JTV-69S. Its light, easy to play, sounds great, provides the flexibility I need to be able to do things other bands can't do, etc. But looking beyond this, I hope Line6 eventually opens up the Variax technology to third parties for customization. This would mean providing the hardware for 3rd party purchase and installation into other guitars, and opening up the software for custom guitar models. Making the hardware available would be easy enough, but that could result in fragmentation of the Variax market and reduced higher margin instrument sales for Line6. Opening up the software would require exposing Line6 Intellectual Property to at least the 3rd party vendors and that's a significant market exposure. So these innovations maybe won't happen too soon if at all. Bottom line, I'm enjoying what Variax currently is and I'm not too worried about future enhancements.

This was also very useful: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/band-geek/id882131842?mt=2&i=1000373031890

If you do use the multi-input for the tuner, make sure the volume controls are turned all the way down on instruments you aren't using. Note also that if you're using a Variax, be aware that if the modeling switch is engaged, switching to a patch may turn the guitar volume all the way up. This can cause feedback if the guitar is on a stand and not being played. This has happened to me twice. Make sure all guitars sitting on stands are turned all the way down and will stay that way when you change patches.

Good digital coax cables are often expensive, stiff and short. Otherwise you can get a lot of dither and digital errors. You'll also need to match the Helix with whatever the PA provides for digital input: bit rate and depth - that may not always be possible and is one more place where things can go wrong during setup. Also the coax RCA jacks aren't really gig hardened for cables that are going be stepped on, moved around, plugged in and unplugged often, etc. They're more appropriate for fixed, stable installations. I'm not sure what your application is, but it might be that you want your vocal mic, electric guitar and acoustic all running into Helix (no problem) so that you can use the Helix Headphone output as your local personal monitor mix. Then you need three to five (depending on what needs to be stereo) separate outputs to individual channels in the PA for the FOH mix. This could work if you use the two XLR outputs, one for vocal and one for either guitar. I'm assuming you don't need both instruments at the same time. Different patches would control what goes out the guitar XLR output. The other option is to try to get a personal monitor mix from the PA. Most modern digital mixers make this pretty easy, and you can often control your own mix with your phone.

Also if your amp is in another room, you'll have a hard time making adjustments and might be living with compromises a lot of the time. You're going to need a monitor in any case.

My approach to used gear was that if I could get something a bit nicer than what I could afford new, and was willing and able to work on it if there were issues, then I'd go for used gear. Not sure that applies to Helix.

Actually you could use snapshots or a footswitch to change the key/scale mode if there were only a few in the song.