roscoe5

If you are looking for a great amp to go with Helix and want to keep a traditional guitar cab, I highly recommend a Fryette Powerstation or one of the Matrix class A/B (not digital) amps, like the VB800 (my current rig) or GT800FX. If you need stereo, consider the Fryette LXii, Synergy SYN5050, or GT800FX. The Mesa 50/50 and 2:90 stereo amps are great too, they just are not flat and color the sound a bit (not always a bad thing) and a bit heavy. All of the small digital amp solutions were harsh sounding to me. Heck, my old Marshall Valvestate 8080 or Peavey CS200 (about $150 on eBay) 1u SS rack amps sound better than the digital power amps to me. The Fryette Powerstation + Helix and your favorite guitar cabs will keep you closest to Triaxis + 2:90 sound and feel though. IMO I think I can get better sounds now with Helix + Fryette PS than Triaxis + 2:90 now that I know how to work Helix. Plus there is a lot of value in keeping it simple. Can't beat a single 1/4" cable from Helix to Fryette PS. I really love my Triaxis + 2:90, and spent tons of $ on it. I could not let it go and was bound and determined to integrate it with Helix...with a 10 cable method if I had too (exaggerating). Anyway, good luck

From re-re-re-reading the manual for the Two Notes Cab M+ (TNCM), I just discovered that the TNCM line in is TRS and will take a stereo cable. I am able to connect the Helix 1/4" phones out to the TNCM line in with TRS cable and have a dedicated global output to FOH or headphones. This was significant to me as I REALLY don't like using Helix FRFR live, or even just jamming with friends. After trying almost everything available (Line 6 Powercab + - harsh and speaker models are weird standing in front; Line 6 Spider Valve - big but sounds good; Fryette Powerstation - still like this one; Seymour Duncan Powerstage 700 - harsh and least favorite; and all the traditional guitar amp options) I FINALLY really connected and got along with Helix into the power amp in of a 4lb Matrix VB800 (fits in Helix backpack, class A/B power, not digital/harsh) + 30lb NL212 Neolight cab (most versatile 212 I've ever played - Mesa Recto, Marshall 1936, Orange, Bogner, Carvin, Peavey). AND I can walk into a gig or jam in one trip. Of course this requires me to turn off cab models and any IR's in Helix. But now I can just add on the TNCM to Helix via phones jack when needed. This gives me that global cab model/IR "on/off" I always wanted in Helix. The phones level control on Helix is VERY useful, using the TNCM frees up some Helix processor power, and I do not have to mess with my Helix cab-less presets anymore. When I first got the TNCM, I had visions of using Two Notes BlendIR to capture my Matrix NL212 and just popping the TNCM into and effects send/return block for live use. I'm a one cab-to-rule-them-all type of guy (BTW you can't switch cabs in TNCM via Helix or MIDI...come on Two Notes!), and used to drive myself crazy messing with all different cab models, mics, IR's...(IR-PTSD just kicked in). I liked the Two Notes cabs WAY better than Helix cabs or IR's anyway. But the TNCM with Helix send/return block was more wiring to mess with and I did not want to put Helix on a pedalboard. So I shelved the TNCM and would just miked up the cab live, or turn on some cab blocks or IR's if required. Anyway, this was a huge deal for me and I thought I would share.

Ummmm, I just got a nice double bass sound out of my PRS (neck pickup with coil tap on single coil) with Poly Pitch feeding the Acoustic sim, Jumbo body...WTF

I would love a mix control on all distortion pedals. I like to run tube screamers and drive pedals in parallel with a straight signal path in the input of a dirty amp. Way more depth and you retain more amp sound. Plus when I do this, I can't have parallel cabs on path 1A. I have to map to Path 2A and put my cabs down there. I know I can do a single dual cab block, but I like to put a little verb on the "room mic" cab Upvoted and commented

@codamedia thanks for the video timestamps! I hear what you describe. Yeah, i think something may be up with the IR capture or processing on CLN2. Man, it really would be cool if Line 6 would model this thing. Is it an amp model? Effects model? Both and we piece them together in a chain? This Rockman X100 is the 80s-in-a-box!

Well @codamedia I wasn't able to make that IR really any louder. I amplified it as much as I could, but it barely made a difference. When I look at the waveform, there just doesn't seem to be much there to start with. I also notice that when I play/loop through it, is very lo-fi with some high end hiss. Nothing like the other 3. Is it possible there was an issue with the capture, or is it really the way the Rockman X100 CLN2 sounds?

I'll take stab at bumping up that CLN2 IR to match the others tomorrow.

Ha! @codamedia. There were definitely the easy-button to Boston tones! I even learned a new song, today More Than A Feeling. A preset with two amps and snapshots with drive pedal, amp, and IR changes gets you through the whole song. snapshots and IR changes are very handy. I did try the plain Brit Plexi Brt, which was pretty true to the sound. But i ended up on the German Mahadeva (Bogner Ecstacy). Drove it with a light Valve Driver distortion in a parallel path to the input of the amp. Then I got crazy with the Placater Dirty just because I likes da gain. Pretty amazing that guitarists and engineers have been trying to ditch cabs and make analog and digital models for decades. And watching that video posted by @sweetpete above, Tom Scholz was a Mechanical Engineer from MIT, as am I (not from MIT though)!!! Wow, the Rockman system was SO ahead of its time! They even had a full range guitar cab and amp! I bet this stuff was expensive in the day. Someone (eh hem, Line 6) should model this stuff. That was fun, thanks again!

3 more IR's added...Extreme (Xtr) versions. I think these simulate mic'ing right up on the grille near the center of the dust cap. More highs and more thump. R5_MesCC_Closed_Xtr.wav R5_MesCC_Open_Xtr.wav R5_MesCC_Vintage_Xtr.wav I think it's a pretty good set now and blend well together too, mix and match.

Oh, and if you keep two truly separate paths with amp and cab models, one variax models panned left and one variax mags panned right, you get a nice double track guitar sound. There is just enough lag in the variax models signal over the variax mags to make that double-track delay effect. Sounds better than trying to use a delay block to me. I posted this preset and clip, image file back in 2018. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wr9syefoainvcdj/AACdGsgryvKhy7vA9PYOwWPAa?dl=0

1) How do you feel about your new Helix? Love it! Helix floor is a central swiss army knife to my home studio and guitar and bass rigs. The interface and routing flexibility enable efficient configuration, sound development workflows, and control that were not easy in the past. SO MANY CABLES (the stuff of nightmares)!!! 2) What would you like to see changed or improved about it if it was at all possible? HX Cab models. I have bled so much time and money in IR's and external gear trying to compensate and supplement this Helix shortcoming (IMO of course). I learned a lot out of necessity though, including how to make my own IR's. 3) How would it be then? Near perfect, all in one ecosystem.

An IR generally replaces the guitar or bass speaker. BUT there are a few WizIRds around here that make imprint type IR's to try and get much closer to artist and song tones. These are often designed to work in conjunction with say Helix HX cab models and/or cab IR's. Here's some that an new fellow IR friend just posted.

Very cool @codamedia I'll give them a try next time I am back at the command center. Never even heard of a Rockman X100, so will definitely be cool to learn a little tech history. See if I can get more than a feeling out of them :)

oh dang, sorry. Missed that. Maybe you can look at the image file of the preset I posted and get what I was suggesting

Ha, it was fun, and I REALLY believed the Cab Clone could sound good if used as Mesa intended with a reactive load or speaker cab connected to the speaker thru jack, which bypasses the built-in resistive load. That built-in resistive load is great and convenient for some quick setup and jamming, but it certainly does not enable the Cab Clone's best potential sound. I went ahead and made 3 "Enh" versions of each are me tweaking the Fryette PS-2 switches and knobs to my personal taste. R5_MesCC_Closed_Enh.wav R5_MesCC_Open_Enh.wav R5_MesCC_Vintage_Enh.wav

I uploaded a preset to Dropbox for you to try, Parallel Rm IR.hlx. There is PNG image file of it in HX Edit in there too. I was using a room mic IR in the bottom path with a reverb block after. They top IR is just a dynamic mic of the same cab. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uy2j658cwqfdtkp/AACL-N75BLenz4BzCQSp_FgLa?dl=0

Room mic IR's are nice to mix with the close mic'd IR. You can do this with two parallel IR blocks. Now Helix truncates IR's to 42ms, which is not long enough to retain any reverberation from the room IR capture. So on the path with the room IR, try a light reverb block after the room IR block. This will give you kind of a wet/dry setup. I like to put a mono gain block after a dual cab or dual IR blocks to merge the panned stereo signal back to mono. Personal preference though. Now this will eat up some DSP. You may want to route the output of the op signal path down to Path 2A (the second processor). Then put the IR blocks and reverb on that bottom Path 2A.

Well the COVID distancing and isolation has me tinkering around with Helix and gear again. Also, it's late and I can't sound like a 80db+ space ship beaming livestock up, messing around creating cab IR's. So here are some IR's that I don't think exist anywhere else. These are IR's made from my Mesa Cab Clone analog cab sim and Fryette PS-2 reactive load/amplifier. They are from the 3 switch positions on the Mesa Cab Clone; Closed Back, Open Back, and Vintage Cabinet (see MesCC_Info.pdf in the Dropbox folder). https://www.dropbox.com/sh/svamsbh5j3xs6tu/AAB6IzpibfXWKYmzWY0HjPXRa?dl=0 R5_MesCC_Closed_Flat.wav R5_MesCC_Closed_Enh.wav R5_MesCC_Closed_Xtr.wav R5_MesCC_Open_Flat.wav R5_MesCC_Open_Enh.wav R5_MesCC_Open_Xtr.wav R5_MesCC_Vintage_Flat.wav R5_MesCC_Vintage_Enh.wav R5_MesCC_Vintage_Xtr.wav Why did I do this? Bored. It's late. Never seen anyone else do it. Because I can :) Backstory The Mesa Cab Clone got REALLY bad reviews I think due to it's built in resistive load. By itself, it sounds thin and stale. I almost returned it myself when I bought it. It has sat in the drawer for a couple of years. Mesa recently made a couple of CAB Clone + IR boxes with reactive loads. Honestly, I think they should have made an analog Cab Clone again with reactive load too, but oh well. BUT if you read the Mesa Cab Clone instructions, Mesa refers to using the speaker thru jack with a reactive load/speaker... The added top end a reactive load (speaker) may impart on the sound is nicely balanced by the fatter, tuned response... Using a live speaker imparts a more reactive, dynamically transient response and may often be brighter as well, depending on the speaker’s inherent EQ and sensitivity characteristics. With the Fryette PS-2, we are getting the most neutral tube amp I have had experience with along with the tube + reactive load impedance curve. So armed with that info, I performed a wedding ceremony with my Mesa Cab Clone and my Fryette PS-2 reactive load/amplifier and made some IR babies. The 3 "Flat" IR's should have a tube-like feel with almost no tube amp coloration. The 3 Enhanced (Enh) versions of each are me tweaking the Fryette PS-2 switches and knobs to my personal taste. The 3 Extreme (Xtr) versions I think simulate mic'ing right up on the grille near the center of the dust cap. More highs and more thump. I think they all mix and match in parallel together well too. Two MCC IR's in parallel are a trip. Digging it. I tossed a preset out there on Dropbox. You will have to adjust your IR slots of course. MCC IR Parallel.hlx One thing I am digging about these is that they don't have quite the coloration a microphone imparts on an IR. I know many are always asking about neutral IR's of just a speaker, no mic. I think these have that vibe and and leave room for amp model controls, guitar tone knob, distortion models, and EQ (kind of a prerequisite for me these days on IR's). I think a live sound guy would like these. But in the studio on your DAW, traditional mic'd cab IR's may be preferable. Anyway, enjoy and stay safe, distant, masked, and healthy!

Renamed the title to include some V30 IR's, my original loves Added a 3rd 412 Greenback IR, R5_412_GB_Smedgy.wav 3 Helix tested IR's per cab: Edgy, Smedgy, Smooth

You might check out the Celestion F12 X200 also that they made for their impulse responses. It's coaxial as well, but the crossover I think is built in. With the Eminence, you have to buy their crossover too. https://celestion.com/product/200/f12x200/ They even publish plans to make your own cabinet per their specs. https://celestion.com/speakerworld/irs/220/BUILD_THIS:_F12-X200_1x12_Cabinet_Design/

Fixed levels and updated the files on Dropbox. They work at -18db now.

Oh geez. Dur. I totally forgot about normalize to -0.3 db! I have fixed and updated the ones on dropbox. They now match the level of the IR's you fixed and attached to your response. Thank you! Honestly it's been about 2-3 years since I made any IR's and I had to reinstall and update all of the software. I just forgot that step.

Oh, and I ABd the SV100 and PS2 by running each through the PS2 reactive load and setting up an effects loop block in helix that I kicked in and out. Had headphones on too. The goal was to see if either one changed the sound at all when kicked their loops in and out of Helix. PS2 won the neutral shootout, but not by much. I was able to dial in the SV100 presence know to around 2 o'clock and be nearly transparent too. So while the PS-2 was indeed more transparent when switched in and out of the loop, I still highly recommend Line 6 SV head for those that want to spend half the money. And the SV100 head just looks cool. i definitely recommend the SV100 with Helix full amp models over the Line 6 DT50 with preamp only models.

Hi! Yeah, been travelling around for work the past few years until COVID this year Honestly didnt even really play guitar/bass much. Now working from home and have setup the home studio again. Just broke out Helix for the first time in a while and did all the updates. Something interesting about the Line 6 SV amps. The SV100 100w head is WAY more neutral than to SV112 50W combo. The head is really close in neutrality to the PS2, but the PS2 is truely neutral. Fun fact, I emailed Fryette support about using the PS2 with Synergy modular preamp. Steven Fryette actually replied and said they originally used the PS2 as the reference amp to develop Synergy modules due to its neutral nature. Now they have the SYN50/50 amp.