jpdennis

So this isn't the year 2525? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQfxi8V5FA Darn it wrong thread again! I think Line 6 is recoding me … Good Morning Dave

Where's the other half? Over kill? Naw! LOL

Hmm, is this the wrong thread to share how I really like the latest Helix Firmware 3.02.13454.23.000.123.2c? Drat! ;-)

Spikey, you know the answer. They are them. Now about that QOSP value … :-)

I'm going to be mostly general and rarely specific since I find my opinion is usually qualitative based upon my ears, style, guitars, & likes in balance and sound. And this has been a labor (long and tedious but in the end satisfying for me, the band, and my soundman) of love but to the point … My take on this is based upon venue. Inside small club and/or on small stage in large club I have a great sound with my Helix itself. Outside (and sometimes on a large stage in a very large enclosed building venue) I use guitar in to a split path - A goes to the mono XLR out with complete Helix effects using the most talked about way of running those FX blocks going before the Amp block to FX between amp to speaker IR to after speaker to XLR mono to PA channel #x1; Path B is four cable with no amp or speaker IRs going to one of my Boogies based upon my mood and sometimes with a slant Marshall (either way SM57 on the speaker of choice). As far as "unity" I set the path A & B gains, Send/Return (loop) FX block(s) gains, XLR & 1/4 OUT gains, and line or instrument setting(s) based upon what I am using the S/R FX block for (mostly the Amp send/return and sometimes a legacy or digital outboard FX pedal); it is here I set my Helix Vol pot to between 12 and 2. I have to add I spend a lot of time with my sound man and level software to do what I call "normalizing" the output volumes of my patches coming from the XLR mono out. I then use my headphones (in my case some DT 990 pros 250 ohms) to come close to similar sound(s) for the path to my 4CM to Boogie. I have also standardized on which Helix Amp I like for my specific guitars (several solid bodies 6s, a solid body 7, and two acoustics for those rare times) I use and my speaker IR of choice; the why could be a whole other thread though there are many threads in the Helix forum that address this. My soundman likes the Helix by itself in most small to large clubs as a rule. Outside he likes me using my Helix and the live amp since "... it does something outside that the Helix doesn't by itself outside" … his words; he does say the Helix inside small clubs does it by itself - go figure ;-). I have used many of the tips and tricks I have read in this forum over the past several years and it has been amazingly helpful. The people who constantly contribute are veritable fountains of knowledge. And the new comers who are like we all have been early on can come up with some amazing insights that turn my thinking upside down and really help me immensely. Oh yea, the point … for me the Helix is not a "drop water and expand to excellent stage sound" mechanism. It is a tool just like our fingers, mind, ears, individual imagination, and the "analog" amps and FX devices as well as the other digital devices we choose to incorporate into our dreams and musicianship. Just a vehicle to somewhere we want to take the audience/listener. For me I have a sound I want and I do not let just one train of thought limit how I want to express myself. On the other hand it can be painful wanting to play more while I am stuck in the "realm of finding the sound locked in my headphone sound chamber world". But I have found the Helix is just as satisfying by itself as it is with my amp based upon venue. Of course watch some newbie come and blow my mind with some thought or setting that turns what I just shared into hogwash. Either way - read this forum to use what works for you & discard that which does not, dream big, and play well my brothers & sisters Just plain (jp) Dennis PS: for me I didn't pick up the guitar and instantly played Mozart. It took me a couple years of training and practice before I played OK. Then more until I become proficient. Then finding the right amp took a while as well as getting the darn thing to emulate what I heard in my head. The Helix has let me get from point A to point B in a relatively short time compared to the years I have spent getting my sound. And it really is like a studio when I think of how the recordings I've been on are engineered. Go have fun … you'll get it! YMMV

I do not have your unit. However, as a test you would first do a backup of any of your custom presets then preform a factory reset. If this odd preset comes back the next step is to either wait for a response from someone who can verify it is a bad preset or not. Or call customer support. Even a question like this should be a quick reply from CS.

Hmm, try this. Set EQ block to the off (bypass) by using the bypass square button. Make sure the Distortion is on (not bypassed). Just touch (don't press) the FS that these are set to. See if every time you touch the FS just once if the color changes AND note the block that is highlighted. If it is the same thing I have seen you should at some point see the ring as Bright Red. Then save. Now, press the switch with something like a sock over your hand so the touch response doesn't get in the way of this test. If it is what I have seen you should now have the color on the FS ring in the color and state you want based upon the Distortion being on or off. If I am reading this correctly, you are using a single FS for the "switching effect" and want the Red lit when the Distortion is on and red dim when the EQ is on; I apologize if I am misreading your post. FYI - If I am correct it may take some practice to get the "only touch" and "color state" you want down correctly. This will happen even if you manually set the color of the ring by customizing the darn thing. It took me a while to get this down.

I am not near my Helix however there is a stock patch for Dreams. I've taken that and adjusted it to get close to this. It is a lot of trial and error. It uses the auto vol before the amp and the autoswell after with the LA Comp behind that if you want to normalize any trails.

Outstanding. I will try this this weekend as well.

Nice. Thanks. Now I have to go back to the drawing board! ;-)

Wait, there is a built in coffee maker. I missed that! What about the motorized retractable awning? Oh crap … I just became a Beavis. Forgive all! ;-)

I set it up for emails about the end of the first year of Helix ownership. And yet, I still look - don't look - that's was the other voice in my head!

I'll double check when I get to the Helix this evening

As phil_m said you can use just one block. Select the SV Beast you want (I think there are two) then page to the right until you see the speaker choices.

I am using the same Y cable as you though it took me two times to decide the one I wanted activated when switching the channel and I place my hum eliminator at the final stage - the footswitch jack on the amp. I do not have any hum. I am using instrument. One caveat is all my equipment runs into a single well grounded circuit via a power conditioner as well; in addition I always have a three light receptacle tester with me.

Great point!

Well, basic question I need to ask; What is the amplifier? And show your cabling; I am not saying you got it wrong though I did the first few times. When I use the 4CM it is with one of my Mesas which have series send/return effects loop circuits and haven't had an issue with the 4CM once I understood the cabling. Dennis

Same here. At the end of the show/night/day it is really my ability to set the mood with my playing and receive a few accolades during the performance makes it worth it. The Helix is just a tool to get the sound to the audience; it is my worth as a musician that really tells the story. Dennis

Gunpointmetal, In the beginning [where have I heard that] … I started with a 1967 100 watt Solid State Silvertone amp that was loud then went to the dual double stack Marshall 100 stage setup (late 1960's - early 1970's). At that time I was being influenced by Blue Cheer, Blodwyn Pig, Nazareth, Led Zeppelin, and other "cover the stage and kill your neighbor's grass with 'loudness'" groups. If we could vibrate the audiences' bodies it was good; good thing we didn't know about microwave principles. And I had hair which helped cover my ears. Then I went though my disco & lounge lizard phase along with the Clapton Beano hair style and even Elvis impersonator backup guitarist phase - don't judge me ;-) - moving to some Mesa Boogie equipment with a few pedals I had screwed to a 1" x 6" pine board using galvanized hanging strap. Next came the big hair and lets produce the sound phase still with the Mesas. At that point I was learning (OK being dragged while kicking and screaming) to trust the sound engineers for the FOH sound; and the sound engineers wanted a better produced and balanced stage volume. At some point it changed my whole attitude as I came to realize music is the silence in between the notes. Fast forward to the NOW and I really do trust the sound engineers; and my hearing for some reason is still good though it shouldn't be. The point is I have become comfortably numb (forgive me PF) with a small stage volume for me and using the Helix couldn't have become part of my musical arsenal at a better time than two almost here years ago; and I am using my iPhone based monitor control app for stage wedges or the in-ear system we are using based upon inside or outside venues and stage foot print. It is the combination of everything that gets the sound perfectly in the mix; room design or lack thereof, stage setup, each & every Helix FX block and global setting, board engineering settings, inside or outside FOH speaker layout, power state, and the list goes on. The keyboardist still uses an amp, the bass player is still using a dual stack, and the drummer is not digital. With all that the only thing I have found that drops me from the mix is when I fail to work with the sound engineer to make sure my Helix EQ and the LA compressor I use on most patches now isn't in conflict with the board EQ (normally flat for my Helix channel) & board compression if and when used. Don't get me wrong there are still times I will use a Mesa and Marshall slant bottom with SM57 with my trusty old M13 or the Helix as an effects only unit but that is only when there are grips available to setup and take down my back breaking rigs; and the real amp setup is usually only for show for the most part as the stage volume is still under control; side note even that rig can get lost in the FOH mix if not produced correctly. There are many dynamics to get the sound to cut through the mix and in the end it is personal taste I suppose that determine one's satisfaction with the use of real physical amplifiers on stage or modelers; it seems to me it may very well boil down to what the musician needs to hear to be in the mood while playing. And there are no right or wrong answer when it comes to personal choices as long as we play well and the audience is engaged. For me - I really really dig the Helix when the universe is well aligned Dennis

Wait, there is an alternative to the stick shift? ;-) I have been A/B'ing my tube amps to the Helix in the hopes to conceive an "amp in the room" fullness using my Mackie with FOH system. I find this to be the only way I can really tell if what I do in the creation of the presets is what I want coming from the PA since we produce everything through the PA. I am 98% spot on after some help with my wife's ears and feedback; I have to leave at least 2% or more to "not quite the same but close" due to my experience with the 100% reports I always hear about. I do agree with the use of studio monitors for the stock presets and out-of-the-box settings. However, I have heard other digital units sound extremely close to the physical tube amplifiers and feel the Helix is being constantly evolving to provide both OOTB and Live Stage performance. I do see the real challenge concerning the type & quality of mixing boards and PA gear I have to put it though from time to time. But again this is just my opinion. Dennis

DunedinDragon, Quite helpful due to its informational content. I had wondered about something and found similarities in what you have described concerning how and where I place my parallel path amp choices for that "fuller in the room" sound I have been able to achieve. Thanks to your post in this thread I am going to rework my patches over the next few days. More to come, Dennis

I cannot say this is what happened to you, however … I did have this happen at a recent venue due to the Sound Engineer compressing my mix at the board level. However, now I wish I would have asked which specific type of compression he had applied or was he trying several types so I could give a quantitative answer and not a qualitative one. I started to think it was some hardware piece of my gear until he told me; it was during sound check so I had the luxury of stopping and asking if anyone else was hearing what I was hearing. Dennis

You both cannot say that enough

Yes it is. I actually had been modifying several of my patches last night using the Parametric EQ. I tripped over it by accident because of a patch I had made for Dreams and for the life of me couldn't tell why the base patch for Dreams stood out more in the mix more than my other base patches. I was going a little OCD when I noticed the Dreams patch had the Parametric EQ after the speaker. So I added the Parametric EQ to most of my other patches using a FS to activate upon request. And the guitar(s) and amp/speaker setting(s) I use demand level and frequency adjustments. Thanks again for pointing this out to the group Dennis

Phil, great point. I had a recent experience during sound check at a newly remodeled venue. I going through a sound check for a solo mix and I am hearing my solo cut in and out. I start to think I have a hardware problem; Helix, cords, FX external pedals, guitar components .. you know all the freaky little things that can go through one's mind when this happens. I stop and ask other members and some guests already in the house if they heard my guitar cutting in and out. After three times asking the same question the sound engineer for the venue says he was applying compression. Considering how I create my patches I was wondering how an external compressor would have such an effect. I didn't ask the why; it was if I had a very slow roll tremolo going up and down from 50% gain to 0% gain rolling every 1 or 2 seconds. The engineer did turn off the compression he had applied and I felt much better. Yep, I used the word felt since the discussion of volume and my perception is still qualitative not quantitative. I'm not an engineer I am merely a player. And as always Phil, you have some very outstanding points. Now about those columns on your home and DI thinking about charging more . LOL Dennis