DunedinDragon

Whether you need a real bass is dependent upon what you're doing with it. For example, if all you want to do is a create a demo version of a song you could likely be fine using a pitch shifted guitar. It wouldn't sound real enough for a production recording or live performance and would be something listeners would notice in those situations.

Yes. Three different modelers one for bass, one for acoustic guitar, one for electric guitar lead plus a BeatBuddy all going directly into the mixer, and we do it every single week when we perform. There's no problem with it as long as you understand the basic concepts of how to gain stage your channels on the mixing board which appears to be your main problem. Since you're dealing with an analog mixer you'll need to depress the PFL button on each channel when you want to gain stage it in order for the signal level for that channel to show up on your signal meter. While someone is playing normally, adjust the gain/trim knob on that channel until the level is reasonably below the unity mark at 0db. Turn off the PFL for that channel and do the next one. Once you're done turn off the PFL btton on all the channels so you can monitor the final output of the mixer based on the faders. If you're going to run your own mixing board I'd strongly suggest you watch some YouTube videos on gain staging a mixer to understand what you're doing.

Each and everything you are describing are normal behaviors depending on how you defined the pedal, how you defined global aspects of the pedan and how you saved your preset. I could go into explaining all of it by I'd just be repeating everything that's in the manual. I suggest you read the manual.

It doesn't surprise me in the least. You have two guitars using the same HX Stomp through a single signal chain and you're surprised they're distorted??

And the world of Helix users are all better off for it..... NOW THAT is what would be correctly identified as "rude".

It really comes down to how involved do you get in your recording? I have a Helix floor dedicated to my studio and a separate Helix floor for live performance. I could have gone with just a Helix LT for the studio but the biggest factor for me was the floor unit had more connections including a Mic input. This allowed me to use the Helix as the core input and audio input for my recording efforts and greatly simplified my work flow. My studio Helix floor is always plugged into my PC with the DAW and my studio monitors are directly connected to the Helix. I also have my electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, electronic keyboard, mic and headphones all simultaneously plugged into that Helix unit so I have a very easy and quick recording workflow. I have a dedicated preset for each instrument so recording is a simple process of arming the track in the DAW, selecting the appropriate preset for what I'll be recording, and press record. Because the floor has a separate volume control for my headphones it's very easy to monitor and manage the level of playback of the previously recorded tracks while recording a new track. The ability to do that was what ultimately convinced me to go with the floor rather than the LT.

In other words...confirmation bias??? LOL

You're probably better off posting these sorts of things in IdeaScale if you want Line 6 to consider them.

Quite frankly, after having played hundreds of shows with my Helix using a pretty wide range of different amps on my different presets I can't really say limiting yourself to a couple of amps is necessarily a perfect answer either. The same amp can produce a variety of different output results depending on other blocks it may interact with in the signal chain such as compressors, modulations, multi-band EQs, and of course distortions. Having a consistent approach to gain staging presets is about the only way you can somewhat guarantee consistency. Ears are good, but that's only going to really give you a measure of sound pressure levels the same as a db meter whereas it's signal levels that will ultimately cause clipping if left unheeded. Both are related but for myself I'm a big believer in paying attention to both which aids considerably in keeping consistency and staying out of trouble regardless of your amp model or what it may be interacting with in your signal chain. Over the years it's amazing how often the behavior of my signal level has pointed me to other areas in my signal chain that really need to be adjusted to give me a more polished and realistic sound.

Balancing the output signal is FAR more complex than just balancing the output of the amp, cab, IR or changing an amp to something that doesn't match the behaviors of the amp model used for that preset. The output level of the channel volume is unique to each model as it is in the real world with real amps and interacts with a number of other elements that may be in the signal chain such as compressors, for example, which would likely involve some correction to the settings for the lower or higher signal level being fed into it in order to maintain the appropriate feel and sustain. Not to mention the impact different guitars might have on that signal chain. This is why as rd2rk mentions, it's something that occurs in every modeler. That's because modelers are NOT samplers. They are simulations of actual physical circuits in mathematical equations and simulate how those physical circuits respond to inputs and outputs....and all amps are different, as are all effects, and all have some level of interaction with other elements in a signal chain that you can't possibly predict what the user is trying to achieve. Instead of imagining it's just a simple algorithm and easy to do, what's REALLY easier to do is to learn how to gain stage the output of your presets regardless of amps, cabs, IRs and their interactions with other components in the signal chain so they achieve a consistent signal level output while maintaining the character you want. It's really not that hard to do and has been done consistently in studios and live performances for decades, so I'm betting you could master it. Line 6 has even provided you with a nice simple signal meter and gain reduction meter you can use within your presets to help you.

I don't think the question is about snapshots versus stomps. It's about board layout and access to either, which is why the discussion centered so quickly around the Command Center.. Command Center isn't just about "wormholes": to jump between presets and it certainly doesn't enforce any limit on using snapshots. In fact it enhances the concept of snapshots with the introduction of instant commands. It's more about versatility in how your preset is organized rather than enforcing any tradition layout such as snaps/stomp or all snapshots which was the concern of the OP.

Command center is not a part of global settings. It's a separate thing and it applies at the preset level. If you have snaps/stomps set up in globals, just press the snaps/stomp button on your Helix and you'll be in all stomps. From there you can assign stomps anywhere you want. Select the menu button and press the command center button at the bottom of the page and you can setup anything you want on any of the buttons. Watch the video that was posted above and he gives a quick overview but there are a ton of command center videos on YouTube.

Honestly, the more I use command center the less interested I am in using the default snaps/stomps setup. It can be a little daunting at first because of the way it's laid out, but once you understand it, it's pretty easy to get whatever you want.

It's really a very straightforward setup. The mixer in the picture is the actual mixer we use for the PA which consists of the QSC TM-30 mixer, 2 Yamaha DXR12 main FOH speakers, 2 DXR12 stage monitors and the one QSC K10.2 stage monitor. We also have an additional DXR12 stage monitor that we use on some songs when we incorporate 3 additional backup singers. We have no amps on stage and all connections to the mixer are XLR connections through preamp devices such as the Helix or specialized preamps/modelers for bass or acoustic guitar along with an XLR connection for the BeatBuddy (controlled through the Helix) along with 4 mics for band member vocals and an addition 3 mics for backup singers when we use them. We monitor solely through the stage monitors fed from the mixer and each of the stage monitors has it's own individualized mix depending on what part of the stage it's serving. I personally use the K10.2 as my stage monitor.

What's been very interesting in this journey with the Helix over the last six years, is I'm not sure I ever expected it to result in the level of technical capabilities that you can take advantage of to completely re-imagine the way a band works. There was some of that with the HD500X, but it's kind of deceiving because with the Helix the range of capabilities is hidden behind a relatively simple workflow and interface. Of course it's not just the Helix but it's also the general advancement in all other supporting live performance products. Once you begin to overcome your natural aversion to doing things differently from how you've done things in the past, it becomes a whole new ball game for creating consistent live performances that can rival large and expensive concert production quality. It takes a bit more planning and execution up front, but if the entire band buys into it, the results can be incredible. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to live long enough to experience this transition given the number of old rock and rollers that haven't make it this long.

Given your previous setup the only thing that would make a difference in what you're hearing (assuming you're using the same cab, mic, and mic placements as in your reactive load box) would likely be in the extended amp model parameters that generally simulate tube amp behaviors and can affect certain dynamic and articulation aspects of the tone such as Sag, Bias and Bias X. These defaults are set to replicate the perfect conditions of the specific amp model, but comparing it to an amp model that's different, or one that may vary in tube types, older tubes and circuitry differences may sound more like what you're used to if you adjust them.

I've been playing my Helix for over 6 years and analog gear for 5 decades and for the life of me I still can't figure out what anyone means by the phrase "sounds digital". I'm assuming the person making the claim can easily identify when a live performance is going through a digital mixer versus an analog mixer without seeing the mixer. Of course the reality of any phrase that starts with "sounds...." has nothing to do with the electronics and more to do with what kind of speakers or headphones were used to bring it into the world of analog sound.

I'm generally in the range of 90dbSPL when I'm dialing in my presets or rehearsing and I tend to stand about six or seven feet away from the speakers. The K10.2 is usually on the floor under the workbench rather than sitting on the chair as in the picture. I typically don't use both speakers at the same time. The DXR12 is on the Main output of the mixer and the K10.2 is on the Aux2 output of the mixer so I typically switch between them. This just lets me hear it from the on stage perspective or from the audience perspective.

In my experience you don't really need a huge variety of boost or overdrive pedals to get what you want. I think most people adopt a handful that work for them and pretty much stick with them. Over the last six years of owning my Helix I've pretty much stuck with the standards like the Teemah, Minotaur, and to a lesser extent Deranged Master, Scream 808, Heir Apparent or Tone Sovereign. But not all presets really even need a distortion pedal depending on the style of song. The same tends to hold true for reverbs, delays, modulations and compressors. Everyone's going to have their favorites so you might as well try them out and see which ones you tend to favor because your list will probably be pretty unique to you. I will say there are some amp models such as the WhoWatt which I usually turn to when I stack distortion pedals (one always on and one for leads), but that's because the WhoWatt was specifically known in it's heyday for it's ability for easily incorporating such things. I'd also say that more often than not I can get the level of crunch I need much easier just using the gain on an amp model rather than a pedal. This is especially true with more modern amp designs like the Matchless, Cartographer or Archetype. For myself I've only found distortion pedals to work well before the amp and I've only stacked distortion to get very specific and identifiable tones such as those by Joe Walsh (in conjunction with a clean WhoWatt) or Brian May (which is used in conjunction with an overdriven Vox amp model). Ultimately it comes down to what sound you're after and what best suits your ears.

I thought some of you folks might get a kick out of this. This is my new, updated setup at home for dialing in, testing, gain staging presets for live use. Pretty much what I've had for a few years, but I added a QSC K10.2 in place of my CP8 floor monitor. The Sideboard keeps all my accessory components and cabling in one place to simplify setup so it takes about 10 minutes to load in and setup for performances. The BeatBuddy is controlled from the Helix via MIDI and is synchronized with my presets so I never have to touch anything on the Sideboard during live gigs. The Yamaha DXR-12 allows me to hear exactly what the audience will hear, and my new K10.2 allows me to get my personal stage mix dialed in the way I want it, and I can switch between the two easily with the mixing board using my actual live setup. A very handy way to get everything right for performances.

The IN-Z parameter only applies to guitar inputs and relates to how it interacts with pedals. If the mic is working that's all you need to worry about.

I use a variety of instruments and patches as well using a wireless. I customize my patches for each guitar, even if it's for the same song. I don't really see any way around that since each guitar has a different sound and performance characteristics. I'm not sure I'd just use a simple compressor because that will certainly affect the volume, but also the tone and performance. And a preset that works for a Gretsch Silver Falcon hollow body is going to need different blocks than an acoustic on the same song. I suppose you could come up with a shortcut, but it will always be a shortcut... Really the only way to give the mixing desk a consistent level is to create the patch at a consistent level. I always send my signal to the mixing board through the XLR output set to Mic level and disconnected from the Helix volume knob. I measure my signal level through a mixing board signal meters to ensure each patch is at the same signal level. That way, anyone running the sound board simply has to gain stage one of my patches and all patches will perform at that same level.

Be aware if you do this you probably want to only target the 1/4" outputs you'll use for the headrush so that you don't affect the tone that will be going to the FOH for the audience which probably won't need the same correction.

Forget everything you ever knew about speaker cabinets, power amps, and specs because none of it applies to modern powered speakers like the headrush. First, it's not an amp, it's a bi-amp which gets allocated separately between the horn and speaker as determined by the programming of the DSP chip in the speaker to establish a specific response profile and projection characteristics. These aren't off-the-shelf speakers but are specifically built to work with the DSP bi-amp system and the moulded design of the cabinet. Unless you've got a masters degree in digital electronics and acoustical engineering, I'd leave it alone...or get a different set of powered speaker with better built-in contouring options like the QSC K.2 or Yamaha DXR series.

I just this morning came across a really nice setup with the WhoWatt. I generally use somewhat the same guidelines mentioned above on the amp setup, but by accident I stumbled across using the Matchless G12H30M25 speakers in a Redwirez IR using a Neumann U47 2 inches off the cap edge with my Strat Elite which uses Gen 4 noiseless pickups. What a GREAT dirty blues sound!!! Sometimes you just never know where you'll find gold!!!