mikisb

You already opened the Helix? Had the same problem with my HD500 and it was not an easy job to me to change the USB socket cause of all the smd parts around its solder points. No idea if the Heliy is easier to maintain in this point.

well, regarding the frequency response of a typical guitar speaker as the Celestion G12M Greenback (measured by celestion), there ist a lowpass behaviour at about 4 KHz with 24db/octave (on axis). Perhaps this information can help finding a base for EQ settings. It also shows a peak of about 5 db between 2 and 4 KHz. If using FRFR or PA type options without cab simulation, the reason for the fizz is clear: There is no "equalizing" as a typical guitar speaker does and even more, the high frequencies are spread in a wider angle than a single 12" speaker. Try to power a FRFR speaker directly with a good tube amp and listen directly in front of the cone middle - won't be much better ;) Maybe, the interaction between poweramp and speaker is an additional influence - i can't judge this.

In fact, it's pretty simple: Who wants to use speakers only for electric guitar and wishes a certain speaker sound will be happy with a guitar amp or guitar cabinet. Who wants to use the Helix 's flexibilty to play electric guitar, bass, acoustic guitar... will use a (so called) FRFR amp or speaker with - if needed - speaker/mic simulation. The second way is certainly more flexible and the resulting sound probably will match better the sound from a PA but at the end of the day, it's a matter of taste. Of course there are differences in FRFR (and PA), as there are differences even between premium class speakers for home hifi, wich all should be FRFR. It's not only linearity that counts, but also distortion, resonances, dissipation... Some are more linear than others and i did even see 12" speakers without tweeter labeled as FRFR :rolleyes: . They are certainly not what i mean with FRFR and still get worse if measured/listened off axis. There could be another advantage for FRFR speakers: I allways was a bit pissed on that my amps/combos had a completly different sound on and off axis, wich is the nature of a bigger speaker driver. With a 2- or 3way speaker, the range/angle of higher frequencies can be much wider due to the smaller drivers (midrange/tweeter), so the sound can be more even over different angles. With the right cab sim, this would be my way. As there are a lot of so called FRFR speakers on the marked wich aren't really FRFR for my definition, with their weight and their form factor, i decided to build my amp/cab by myself: 12" coaxial (useful for nearfield use), 2way poweramp, fully configurable dsp in a classic combo form factor and a XPS/Carbon sandwich baffle should mach my needs. All this with less than 10 kg/22 pund and i will be happy. The linearity is'nt a problem with good drivers and a powerfull dsp. As a gimmick, one could rebuild the frequency response of a guitar cabinet as a preset in the dsp (tweeter off, "big mountain" around 2-3 KHz, highpass at 100 Hz) to have the same angle dependent dissipation as a normal 12" speaker. But who should want this? To do the inverse (even dissipation and a wide frequency response) with a 12" or 10" guitar speaker is out of reach ;)

Things that helped me to use every highly sensitive tuner better: - As Klangmaler said - using a single input on Helix - carefuly dampening all strings except the tunded one (i use foam rubber when it comes to intonation adjustments) - dampening long string overhangs as the e string on a Strat-type. - Using the neck pickup - not at all bending the neck during tuning, as this can cause extreme variations (try it!, i coluld'nt believe it the first time i tried. Even a bit pressure on the gear while adjusting causes floating the frequency away) It seems to me that the Helix tuner is extremely sensitive wich is generally a good thing but causes logically jumpyness when the conditions are not perfect, as the tuner reports each small change imediately. When it comes to adjust the bridge or compensate the saddle, a really stable environment is a must. Therefore, the results seem to be pretty precise.

Hi Peter, thanks a lot for this detailed answer! :)

Could you please explain what could go wrong and what do you mean with "that environment"? I'm just building two ultralight active 12" Coax FRFR cabs, where i choosed Hypex 2channel moules as poweramp. They each have have a freely configurable DSP for each of the two channels and a digital in (XLR as well) I bought them hoping to use he digital link Helix-DSP to avoid multiple DA/AD conversions: DA in the Helix for analog out, AD in the amp before the DSP and DA in the amp after the DSP. Using a digital link would avoid 2 of 3 conversions wich normally should'nt be bad. Unfortunally, the cabs are'nt ready to test yet, but in home hifi or car hifi environments as well as using a personal computer/DAW, i never experienced any problems using digital connections. Should'nt a digital link provide some advantages as less cnversions, less noise receiving cables....? Of course, sample rates and bit depth sohould be compatible ;)

for me too, logged in or logged out.

Hi, great idea, i wonder how you managed this But wich file to dowload? Perhaps i'm blind but i can't see one :(

Switching off the crossover does'nt make a linear speaker or a instrument speaker out of a woofer ;) Subwoofer drivers are usually designed with other aims, so i think you will miss a lot of the high end and usually you will get a lot of coloration in the midrange. So just the opposite of FRFR.

Shure? I think, there's a bit more behind ;) Often, an ideal acoustic cab is FRFR, and that's what's often used behind the Helix. Following yout theory, choosing "no cab" should get a sound wich tends to acoustic. But it doesn't. As i understand, an IR represents a complex impulse response of the first milliseconds of an acoustic signal. This response is containing informations about frequency response, attack, the first decay and phase. Even if intended to simulate a speaker response, it could (and i'll bet ist is) used to simulate a part of acoustic guitar characteristics. Simulations of other electric guitars should be possible to. The problem could be, that every pickup/circuit/cable has it's own frequency response defined by resonance frequency and Q. First you had to eliminate this to get a clean base, but you have to know these values of your pickup first. With this flat line, you could add characteristics of the desired guitar sound as (another) resonance frequency an Q, some attac and decay, where the decay is limited to some milliseconds. The main problem in doing this will be the unknown characteristic of your magnetic pickup.

Hi, no real advice from my side but the same target. And i want it small and really really light. I think, a modern machine like the helix and usual speakers (wooden enclosure) is a bit like a F1 engine powering a tank ;) It works, but is it smart? So im planning and just starting to build powerd cabs for myself, but 12" as i don't belive that 10" stands for punch where 12" does not - don't see a physical relation in this therory. I'm going to a pair of 45 liters (inside) vented housings made from a XPS-carbon sandwich - weight about 2,0 kg each. Inside a 12" coax - first try with Emience Beta12CX + ASD1001, but i have a look onto the new FaitalPro 12HX30. Both coaxes are about 4.3 kg. Both deliver a reasonable Xmax for bass and PA use (not needed for guitar), both seem to be pretty linear FRFR with a DSP. OK - the Faitalpro wil probavly cost 4 times the Emi - we eill se if it's such better. Each unit will be powered by a Hypex PSC2.400 Module, delivering 2 chanels 400 W RMS (but "only" 500 W RMS togehter) with a powerful and fully configurable DSP. The module is 1.1 kg. So i'm at 7,4 kg for each 500W RMS 12" DSP-powered Coax and some grains for corners,cables and handle. The DSP tuned for FRFR should give me more than enough power and flexibility for guitar and bass at 15 kg and a small PA down to about 60 Hz. In case of emergency, t think about building an aditional 2x15" Sub in the same way but with a 1200W RMS Module for about 17 kg. That's the plan, the first compoments should arrive next week :) I just think that the Helix could match better such a construction than a ton of wood, but that's just opinion and taste ;) I got some ideas from the fractal forum, the talkbass forum, Xitone cabs, flitecabs, some expieriences with the building of my full carbon guitar. Plus some ideas from airplane construction, some composite-forums..... So the idea is perhaps not new but a way for me to get what i want when others does'nt sell it ;) And i'm not shure if there's a comparable concept on the market - i did'nt finde one. And i'll bet real carbon housings will look more cool than vinyl with a Helix :) And i want a orange glowing powerswitch on the front - nearly impossible to find on powered cabs and one of the first reasons to think about buildig it by myself.

Alternativly, co could put a old sock (or a fresh one if you have) in the reflex port. No kidding - this could work for guitar use ;)

behind all the technical details we will see in later hand on's, tests and comparisons, the headrush seems to be an pretty interesting thing. The touchscreen is one more detail to make Helix usability still better. About the sounds - we will see. But: Even if i would like some things different in the Helix - they defintivly spendet a lot of time, work and brain in the usability concept wich i've never seen before in a unit like this. Did'nt nobody notice that in the main aspects, the headrush seems just to copiey the Helix? I tend to support the inventors, not the copyshop people ;)

Pehaps this discussion is a bit difficult cause we're talking about two different aspects? - tuner is jumpy in detail: Yes it is :) The more accurate the tuner ist, the more it's jumpy just because a guitar is jumpy and this is shown by the tuner ;). - tuner is jumpy in common: Sometimes - Yes. I feel that the global tracking of notes ist a bit nervous. It seems so me, that the helix reacts more sensible to any disorder of the base frequency and it gets more sensible the lower the input signal is. So sometimes it needs time to recognize the note and sometimes it looses the note as the signal gets weaker. A good software tuner for smartphone does indeed a better job by the build in microphone, so i use this for settig up an instrument. In both cases, some points help to get more stable values, where the helix tuner ist still more sensible to these points: - don't bend your neck while tuning! (at least not the guitars neck :D ) - carefully damping all other strings and even unused parts of the tuning string makes tuning more stable - Helix reacts extreme sensible to this point -more than other devices - Using the neck pickup helps a bit and even turning tone on the guitar (if available) down makes things better as it seems to reduce the signal as far as possible to the base frequency.

How do you realize tuning with 0.1 ct accuracy? :o All my stringed instruments vary minimum 4 cent from attac to release, basses even more. I can withour effort change the tuning by 11 to 15 cent just by beding the neck a little bit, bass even more. With normal tuning heads, it's not possible to me to adjust with more than 1 cent accuracy. Even setting up the bridge or (compensed) saddle for intonation does'nt require this precision. And i work a lot with this things. The only instrument i have with a bit more stable behaviour is my full cabon electric (called "tank towing bar" by some people ;) ) and even for this, 1 cent is quite enough. At guitar E 82.4 Hz, 0,1 Cent is about 0,0049 Hz. Shure you need this? We talk about a more or less flexible instrument where strings vary their tension while swinging while the neck vibrates....... I would rather like to have a bit less nervous behavier of the tuner instead of 0.1 ct.

If the statement "tube amps are fizzy and this is represented correctly by the Helix" is true, a tube amp powering directly a FRFR speaker should sound the same as the Helix powering the same Monitor but without cabsim and microphone or IR. Is it really like this? I never got the idea to try this while i still had tube amps, now i've no more possibility :( too late :D made about the same proposition nearly one year before https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Helix-Please-add-Microfone-angle-to-cab-parameters/817573-23508 But for the most people, still more amp and effect models seem to be more important. :unsure: I did'nt search but i hope wo don't have 50 same ideas and each one has just a few votes, while the voters for the 3546th boutique amp are united in one idea ;) Voted up your idea anyway ;)

I did'nt know these IRs and just bought it. Thanks a lot for this hint, they seem to work fine for what i want. Otherwise, i don't like IRs to much due to their limited flexibility compared to models and the limited number of storable IRs. As a lot of comercial patches use certain IRs wich must be placed on certain slots, my IR banks are alreadey full. I won't need them all, but reorganizing everything wich concerns IRs would be a lot of work and i'm al lazy guy. So i still would prefer at least a vew Speaker models recorded off axis. Anyway - i like the sound with my FRFR monitor AND my headphones with this IR pack and that's way more than i had before. So thanks again!

In my younger days we had a record in a studio of a big radio station, where they normally recorded symphony orchestra, jazz and chamber music. The engeneer had no touch with rock music. My amp sounded good to me as well on stage and in the studio (it was an Acoustic G112T with EV 12L) but listening to the records made my ears bleed. I suppose the mic was placed on axis of the 12L, but i don't remember anymore as this was 34 years in the past. So I understand the explanation for the fizz but not the reason why all amp/mic models should only have been modelled on axis? Are we shure that's the point or do we just suspect this? So after all, i understand when line6 models cabs and mics on axis but please - not exlusivly :(. If there's no parameter to change the microphone angle (Position edge/center) i would prefer to have the choice between let's say 3 positions. Tweaking with the high cut comes sometimes close but it's not the same, as the radiation pattern of a 12" speaker is a bit more complex than this.

sorry, perhaps i did'nt understand the discussion right. I agree that the discussion about the headphone sound is important and a reason why i asked for a headphone out dedicatet global EQ in ideascale long time before. But it seemed to me that the impedance could be seen as the most important influence. As there are pros and cons for both low and high impedance in this thread, so this could indicate that the impedance is just not such an important factor. ;)

hmm - as there are reported good and bad sounding headphones (with the Helix headphones out) with low and high impedance - so - is'nt this impedance discussions senseless?

perhaps it seems like this thanks to online dictionaries :D and the possibility to describe in another way when i don't know the right expression. But imagine to search for a certain information in this huge forum when you have to google 2 words of ten :o Seriously, even in german forums, i cannot read every post in an interesting thread, i'm still not retired ;). So i fly with my eyes through the pages and am still able to find what i'm lookong for. In english or french: No chance :wacko: I think to remember a post where was said only to post in english to avoid multiple threads for the same topic. Therefore my question 'cause i'm not even shure if it was here at Line6

Hi, while my english hopefully is'nt to bad, i admit to have a problem: Still in my mother language german it is'nt always easy to find desired hints and informations in the huge amount of posts and topics, so it's still more difficult for me in a foreign language. So would it be allowed to have threads in other languages (of course not only german)? I know that a lot of questions will be postet more than once this way, same for the answers. But i think, better an answer twice than just once while 80% of the world does'nt understand it ;)

hey - this was a proposal for cowboydunnit. For myself, there are rather too much possibilities in one unit, therfore the smilies in my post ;)

did look for this option too and did'nt find. But you can import an empty setlist to the place of the one you want to delete ;)

why not linking two helix? ;) Doubles the dsp power, place in the paths, second pedal. And you can touch the two sreens (even if there's nothing happening) :lol: