amsdenj

This is exactly how I use Variax alt tunings. I have my usual amp setup and I use snapshots to quickly switch between regular electric, open-G and acoustic tones in the same patch. Its really very convenient. No, the tones aren't what you would get with a real guitar amp, multiple guitars, some preset to specific open tunings, and a specific acoustic setup. But for club gigging, there's nothing else even close.

I tried it and yes, that seems to be how it works. When the Volume Knob Controls is set to 1/4", the XLR output is set as if the knob was set on Multi or XLR and turned all the way up. So the output block controls the output - or better yet, the input gain of the PA channel strip and the channel strip fader. This is just what I wanted.

No, this is not what I'm seeing. What you described is essentially a patch edit, just like any other edit and is working as intended. A similar thing happens if you change the guitar model. What I saw is that the patch would not change the Variax tuning unless the tuning knob was on Model. Then later on, that issue went away. So there's a bug somewhere.

I want to send a fixed output to FOH being fed by the XLR outputs and use the Volume Knob to control my stage monitor through the 1/4" outputs. If the "Volume Knob Controls" global setting is set to 1/4", then what is the volume output to the XLRs set at? Full volume? The value it had when the global setting was changed to 1/4"? Something else? I can try it and see at the next gig, but I'd like to know as much as possible before I get there.

It will likely be difficult to carry on a Helix and a guitar. If the Helix is adequately packaged, it should be OK to check. But I'd only carry on the guitar, any guitar. They won't make it through baggage. If I were traveling, I might consider using an iPad for an amp model. Check out ToneStack. I've been experimenting with it as a backup for my Helix. So far I like the amps as much or more than Bias FX, and the effects are definitely better than Bias FX. I'm still experimenting with the cabinet models - that might be the weakest part of ToneStack, and maybe Bias FX too. You'll need an interface, a Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard, and make sure your Variax has a fully charged battery. Not ideal, but maybe a good option.

Actually string height could effect tone independently of the magnet pick to string gap. There are two reasons. One is the angle the string makes with the piezo pickup. Raising or lowing the string will change the string angle a little bit and that can effect tone since it may change how the piezo pickup sees the string pressure. The second is string fret buzz. Lowering the action to a point were you have acceptable levels of string buzz for the magnet pickups mignt not have the same impact on the piezo pickups. This is because the piezos are pretty sensitive to fret buzz and tend to make it stand out more. I don't think a Variax should be setup the same way as other electric guitars. Rather I think they generally benefit from a bit more relief and a bit higher action.

Now here's an odd thing - last night custom Variax tunings on Helix input blocks started working like they did before - if alt tuning is set to Custom on the Helix input block, Helix controls the tuning regardless of the setting of the Alt Tuning knob on the Variax. I made no changes to any patches. Now we have a bug. This isn't something that should change between one power on and another. It is not unique to the JVT, as when I had to set the Alt Tuning Knob to Model, I had do do the same thing on my Variax Standard.

Line6 may have made a useful compromise with the Cab models. Different mic choices and positions require sampling and storing different IRs. That takes time and memory space in Helix. A compromise would be to capture the speaker IR with the mic positioned at Cap so it gets the maximum amount of high frequency content, and then use high cut to adjust from there. That will sound different than the same mic and speaker IR captured at cone or cone-edge, but maybe the difference isn't that great and the engineering compromise is good enough. Luckily we have the choice with Helix. I tend to use blended IRs that are pretty warm, ribbon mics and positioned at cone or cone edge. Then I don't need much high cut. But I can easily see taking the opposite approach: SM57 positioned at cap or cap-edge, and then use high cut to taste.

@psarkissian, can you explain the use of the JVT/Standard Model alt tuning setting with respect to custom tuning setup in the Helix Variax (or Multi) input block? My understanding of the alt tuning Model setting is that it switched to the tuning stored with the Variax model if any, and had nothing to do with custom tunings in Helix. I use snapshots to switch to different tuning in the same Helix patch. In the past I don't remember ever using the JVT alt tuning knob set to Model - I always left it at Standard (unless of course I was using a tuning on the guitar) and let Helix snapshots control the tuning. Last weekend my Open-G snapshot stopped working - a bit of a surprise when I started a song thinking I was in open-G but wasn't. At first I though something had happened to the patch since I've had trouble with Helix patches that use Variax setting on the input block before, or that somehow the snapshot controller went missing on the string tunings. But that was not the case, everything was fine in Helix. The only way I could get Helix snapshots or even just the Variax custom tuning parameters in the Variax input block to work was to set the JVT alt tuning knob to Model. Then it worked fine - switching to whatever tuning I had in the Helix snapshot. That's fine, now I know what to do. But I don't remember having to set the alt tuning knob to Model before and don't remember anything changing in 2.20 or 2.21 that would effect this. So I'm confused.

Yes, Input block is set for Variax Per Preset and Global Variax Tuning set to Custom in Helix as always. It makes sense I suppose that the guitar tuning knob should be set to Model for the Helix model to change the tuning, and for the tuning to always be standard when the tuning knob is set to standard. I just don't remember having to do that in the past. I seem to remember that Helix would set the tuning no matter where the tuning knob was set. But maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

I my acoustic band I play mandolin, acoustic guitar and some electric guitar. The mandolin goes into return 3 (since it has a higher impedance than Aux and matches the K&K pickup better), my Strat Deluxe uses the guitar input and I use a Variax 700 Acoustic through VDI. I have also created setups with a Martin 00CEA for acoustic using Acoustic body IRs I captured from my Fishman Aura. I have also used the Fishman Aura as an insert device, but found it simpler to just capture the IR I use most of the time and use it in a Helix IR block. I've used a Jamman too, for longer loops. But basically Helix has everything I really need and its very convenient to have everything in one unit, especially one that can easily handle three very different instruments with no problem at all.

Same experience here. I use a JVT-69S almost exclusively for gigging and my 90's Strat Deluxe is my backup guitar. My '67 Less Paul stays home. I don't love the modeled tones, but they're ok and functional for club gigging. However the magnetic pickups are just fine and is mine is a very playable guitar. Its also quite a bit lighter than my Strat, and that helps an old guy like me. I'm sure its not the greatest tone, but I have to wear ear plugs anyway, so I'm not going to hear that tone one way or another. And the audience probably wouldn't know the difference.

Its not that sampling a speaker somehow creates frequencies that aren't there. Its that where the mic is positioned on the cabinet is in a place that picks up frequencies you don't usually hear because that's not where you listen to a cabinet.

Helix cabs and IRs model the sound of a speaker, cabinet and mic combination. The mic choice and where it is positioned with respect to the center of the cone (Cap, Cap-Edge, Cone, Cone-Edge are typical) and distance from the speaker will make a huge difference in the tone. The reason high and low cut are needed is because you generally don't listen to a guitar speaker with you ear 1" away from the center of the cone. That would likely sound way too bright. Guitar speakers don't have a very high frequency response, and have a very narrow dispersion. So listening to a cabinet in the room will be very different that what the mic hears. The best approach is to start with a mic you know and like. Then start with the mic position relatively close and at cap or cap-edge. This will pickup the broadest range of frequencies from the speaker. Then move toward cone edge to reduce high end, and move the mic away from the cabinet to reduce low end (reducing the bass boost caused by proximity effect and adding a bit more room). This is how guitar cabinets are mic'd in the studio and with live sound, and we can follow a similar process with Helix and IRs. You can also close mic at cap or cap-edge and then use high and low cut to adjust the overall tone. Both approaches will produce similar results, but will sound different. You can also combine the two, getting close to the tone you want with mic choice and position leaving it a little too bright, then make smaller adjustments with high and low cut. Note that we don't put the mic in the room where you would be listening to get the amp in the room tone because it would pickup too many room reflections that would get doubled on playback and sound bad. And we need to close mic in live situations to minimize bleed from other instruments. These are all compromises, but its the compromises that sometimes result in the most loved tones.

On a JVT or Variax Standard, I don't recall having to set the Alt Tuning switch to Model in order for to control the alt tunings from Helix. But that seems to be the case now. Has something changed, or am I just not remembering? Summary: Setting Helix Variax Input block to Custom tunings and setting the alt tuning for a string has no impact unless the Variax Alt Tuning selector knob is set to Model.

If you have the amp block set so that it is just beginning to clip, then there won't be any gain left in the amp to provide a volume boost when you turn on an OD pedal in front of the amp. All the OD pedal can do is change the color of the distortion. If you want to also control volume with the OD pedal, you need to run the front of the amp a bit cleaner.

I have Variax settings in all my common gigging patches, even if I'm using my Strat or Les Paul. So in my case I'd guess probably, yes.

That gave me a laugh! But I accept the criticism in the spirit in which it was expressed. Basically I don't mind imperfections I can address myself. My wife says I always buy the bruised fruit because I feel sorry for it. Anyway, a few repairs help me connect with an instrument. I like that.

Better the devil you know...

My Helix UI froze during a gig this weekend. I had just switched to a new patch that had a Variax model. The patch switched and I had audio, but the Helix interface was frozen, it wouldn't respond to any inputs, footswitch presses, etc. Nothing was connected to USB. This was more than 1/2 way through a 3 hour gig. Using 2.20. I had to reboot to recover. This is not a good thing for a performance device. I've had it happen before at rehearsal once, and a couple of times at home when practicing and setting up patches. This is the first time it happened on a gig. Hope this isn't a common occurrence.

I use one or two JBL EON610s. But note that a FRFR worth playing Helix through won't be that cheap. Its actually a lot to ask for a speaker cabinet to be FRFR and clean at high volumes. With Helix you have to be sure there's no distortion in the amp, it has to all come from Helix.

My Variax JVT-69S has a few issues: the nut is not well setup and was not glued in. The high E nut slot is wide and sloppy creating tone issues on the open E string. The nut slots are too deep and this can create loss of tone and additional friction. The pick guard has a bulge on the bottom, looks like there was at one time a wire between the body and pick guard that warped it. The bridge slips off its posts when all the strings are removed - be careful of this. And the bridge edge near the high E string looks like it got damaged, possible from slipping over the post. The neck is not well aligned with the body, there's quite a bit more gap on the high E than the low E. Now that's easily fixed - but I've found I actually like it that way, so I'm leaving it. There's less risk of the high E slipping off the fretboard, and its easier to fret the low E with my thumb. Otherwise I'm really happy with this instrument and use it almost exclusively at gigs because of playability coupled with convenience.

The Variax piezo pickups are very sensitive to pick attack, more so than magnetic pickups. So the choice of pick composition, thickness, point shape, and how hard you pick can make a lot of difference with Variax models. For acoustic, you might find lighter, rounder picks will give a more realistic tone. The lighter pick helps keep the pick attack a bit more natural for acoustic. The rounder pick shape keeps things from getting overly bright and unpleasant. Re the Jazz III, to me that's too sharp and stiff and doesn't create a warm acoustic tone. I like VPicks, Tradition Light. Also consider turning picks on their side to get a different tone. But I like pretty warm acoustic tones. I also often use some cut at around 900Hz for Variax acoustic models, just to warm them up a bit more. Its a challenge to get good acoustic tones from light strings. I have a Variax Acoustic 700 that has acoustic guitar strings, and of course different models. Even though its older generation models, I like it quite a bit and use it exclusively as my goto acoustic guitar for live gigging. I have less success with my Variax JVT-69S, but its ok of accasional acoustic sounds in an overall band setting. I wouldn't try to do any close intimate acoustic guitar/vocal performances with it though. The 700 is ok for this, not great, but reliable and predictable.

Drive, Master, Chanel Volume, Helix output level and the input volume of your FRFR/PA/guitar amp make up the gain staging of your tone. Drive impacts the level into the amp model's preamp and effects preamp distortion. Master is the level controlling the output of the preamp into the amp models power amp section (which are also controlled by sag, hum, bias and bias excursion, especially when driven hard). Preamp and power amp distortion sound different, so you'I'll need to experiment to see what you want. Channel Volume has no impact on the tone, it is only used to balance the levels between patches. I should be set relatively high to send a strong signal to the output stage to maximize signal to noise ratio. All of the impact of the Drive, Master and Channel Volume happen in Helix. The connection between Helix and your FRFR, or whatever means you use do amplify the Helix output, are controlled by the Helix output level control, and the gain or input volume of your amplifier. Generally it is best to ensure there is no potential for clipping here, and that you maximize signal to noise ratio. You might get amplifier clipping for example if the output of Helix is set very high and overdriving the input stage of your FRFR amplifier. Often you'll have a clip indicator or gain meter here. Keep it as far from clipping as you can so that all the clipping happens in the Helix pedals and amp models. At the same time you'll want to keep Helix output volume as high as possible to ensure there is good signal to noise ratio between Helix and your FRFR.

There's really three basic options. The simplest is to use Helix as a front of the amp pedalboard. Do this like you would any pedalboard. Jeff McErlain has a nice course on guitar effect pedals for front of the amp. I highly recommend it for a lot of good ideas. In this case, there will usually be no amp or cabinet models, that's what your amp is doing. Also, depending on your amp and channel setup, you might use quite different configurations for gain staging and distortion. At the other extreme, if your amp has an Effects Return or Poweramp input, you can bypass your's amps preamps altogether and use Helix for your whole signal chain - except for the cabinet. This is different than the previous case because you are using a Helix amp model and have more choice about where you put effects before the amp/distoration and after the amp. Your guitar amp is still providing the speaker model. Then there's the 4CM hybrid approach where you are using Helix for front of the amp effects, using your guitar amp's preamps and distortion channels, and putting other Helix effects (after preamp distortion effects) between your amp's preamp and power amp. This is very flexible and makes the most use of Helix and your guitar amp.