codamedia

On 9/21/2023 at 6:11 PM, supertonic_jack said:

The Helix Inputs definitely need an update for a proper Input fader like in Helix Native. That is a basic must have for proper gain staging!!

I would love an input level control... but I quickly found a work around that works fine for me.

Every one of my presets has a GAIN block in the first position for this very purpose. It may not work well for those that utilize the "auto impedance" feature, but I always use a fixed impedance so it doesn't affect me. 

On 9/6/2023 at 6:24 PM, km06ore said:

The thing I'm having trouble with is they sound fizzy or ice picky when playing leads, should I be using eqs to cut the high end more or finding certain frequencies and trying to cut them?

Example of a signal chain I have tried would be the 5150, scream 808 in front and either the stock cab that comes with the amp or an ownhammer ir.

In this example... if the rhythms sound fine then the "scream 808" should give you the basis for the lead.. but be careful of the settings. You don't often want to add more dirt with a tube screamer, you want to hit the amp a little harder. Keep the gain levels low on the 808 and dial back the tone control to get a creamy lead tone while adjusting the level to keep the volume a little louder than when it is off. 

The end result when engaging a tube screamer should be a thicker/richer mid range (great for leads) that doesn't wander too far away from the core amp tone. 

IMO, the cab blocks were the weakest link in the Helix. The result was many people resorting to steep high cuts & radical EQ settings, or simply finding some IR's they preferred - which is what I did. 

The new cabs are a huge improvement.... again, IMO!

On 9/13/2023 at 8:35 AM, silverhead said:

Sounds cumbersome to me, and not worth the downside - giving up a footswitch in all presets that is assignable to other purposes.

I agree... but the OP asked for a way to do it. 

On 9/7/2023 at 3:16 PM, Goyen said:

I think it would be useful if the tuner is selectable as a block, so you can add it within any preset to an effect chain.

Try doing it via command center & midi, providing you are not using midi for something else already.

1. Place a midi cable between the midi In/Out... creating a loop.
   • Set "Global > Midi Temp > Rx MIDI Clock to OFF
     and
   • Set "Global > Midi Temp > MIDI PC Rx to OFF
2. Set a stomp pedal to the midi command that engages the tuner  (I think it's CC#68, but you should verify that)
3. Side benefit... this uses a footswitch, but not a block! 

I do a lot of stuff like this with my Helix LT... I haven't tried it with my Stomp, but it should work. 

IMO.... global EQ should not be part of your sound. I'd recommend keeping it off, and save it for those times it is the only solution... even then, it should only be temporary.  

I'm kind of old school.... I commit my core tones when recording. EG: If the track calls for a tremolo guitar line... I track a tremolo guitar line. 

The only things I don't track are reverbs and delays (with the one exception of syncopated delays), and I always track mono. I like the give the engineer and/or producers room to do what they want for position, space and depth in a mix.

On 8/23/2023 at 7:30 AM, katerlouis said:

What would you guys think about a slim, trimmed down user interface? Just select your amp and choose between a few effects in predefined slots.

That's what the POD GO is. The Helix tones, with limited slots, many of them pre-defined. 

What I love most about the Helix is the LACK of pre defined slots. I have no desire to return to the days of set layouts and limited options in each block. 

On 8/22/2023 at 2:37 AM, titchyblackcat said:

Having gone through different presets I'm thinking it's the Helix sounding as if the amp is too far back.

I think your problem is more about recording/engineering that it is about the helix. Any instrument can be placed forward or backward in a mix... up front and immediate or distant/ambient & everything in between. 

The only time you cannot get something up front is if the tone captured is already far too wet... if you are only playing with stock presets, that is a possibility.  That's not a helix problem, it's a preset problem. You need to roll your own tones, just as you would with a pedal board and amp. 

Well done... not my tone/style but you can clearly hear what is happening to the tones during the changes, regardless of the platform. 

Any thread debating radical EQ and filters should be directed to this one. The most important EQ is the "cab>mic>position". Get that right and the rest gets a lot easier.

On 8/15/2023 at 12:49 PM, NC870 said:

Are the benefits of the Helix LT dramatically better?

I own an LT and an HX Stomp.... I would say the Helix LT is dramatically more flexible.... which leads to better for some people, including myself. 

At the prices you gave... the LT is well worth the extra dollars for the features it brings. 

If the footprint size of the LT does not bother you... treat yourself.

On 8/15/2023 at 2:31 PM, MGW-Alberta said:

I suspect what happens is the person decides at the time of purchase that they can get away with a cheaper model because they don't envision needing any more capability than that but then once they get into it and start learning and paying closer attention to what other people are doing with their HX device they decide they want to try a few new things for themselves ... but they can't because of the limitations of the device they chose.

I hear ya.... I bought an HX Effects thinking I'd just plug it into my existing HD500. I upgraded to the LT rather quickly and have never regretted that move - and it's now 5 years in. 

On 8/14/2023 at 8:56 PM, adagosto said:

The Vox seems like a different amp to get "right".

Yes it is... 

On 8/15/2023 at 11:02 AM, adagosto said:

I have only played regularly with just one Vox AC30 CC2.

Which would not be the model/era that resides in the Helix - hence the difficulty you initially had in attempting to dial it in. This doesn't even account for the many slider/microswitch options found on the CC2.

The FAWN is the classic AC30 tone & operation... the ESSEX is a TOP BOOST model. 

On 8/12/2023 at 10:53 PM, jcksnmusic said:

When I listen through my amp the presets sound good but when I turn the amp off and try to use headphones, I get a really crappy low end that almost sounds like its overloading and the sound breaks up a bit and leaves me with a crunchy mess.

The first question is.... are you sure the headphones are set to hear the "CAB SIM" signal chain? The live amp is obviously out of the question, so the cab sim is critical.

If you are 100% certain that it is... don't try fixing it with more effects, you already know the main difference is in the cabinet. Experiment with various cab/speaker/mic/placement options until you get as close to your live amp sound as possible. 

Never underestimate the impact cab/speaker/mic/position has on the overall tone of the sound.

On 8/5/2023 at 10:14 AM, Euripide said:

I place the fuzz face in the FX loop 2 out and then in the FX loop 4 return.

Pick one loop, insert it, and use those send/return plugs. If you must use separate send/returns, insert them as send/returns, not loops. 

On 8/5/2023 at 7:26 AM, mrmapatton said:

The reason for no config changes is, 

1. I’d have to undo them. I only have about 60 seconds to get off stage. 
2. if I leave them, it may mess up other peoples patches. 

1: It takes seconds to insert/remove cables from a loop

2: If it messes with others patches, it's because they are using the loops. And if they are using the loops they are also inserting something into them. 

On 8/6/2023 at 6:56 AM, mrmapatton said:

You can turn the dials anyway you want, but no, you cannot put KT88 tubes in the JTM45 that has 5581s in it now.  

Sorry... that's just a silly comparison. There is a big difference between swapping tubes in an amp and inserting a single cable in an effect loop 

On 8/3/2023 at 4:13 PM, mrmapatton said:

Like this

You can get close on a Helix LT.... but you won't be able to merge back to include the PITCH & FILTER at the end. In my example I move those after the amps, in a serial path. 

NOTE: The upper DSP is set with a serial path, the lower DSP is set to a parallel path. Depending on the block choices, you may push the upper DSP to it's limits and may need to make a sacrifice.  

KEY NOTES

• Insert SEND 1 just before the chorus and reverb
• Set Path B input to RETURN 1
• Insert a 4"-6" Pedal Patch Cable between SEND1/RETURN1 - If the venue lets you! 
• Set both outputs to the same location

I know if I played a gig where the fractal was a house rig... I'd bring my Helix. Nothing against the Fractal, I just wouldn't bother attempting to turn the Fractal into a Helix. 

The Fractal does things the Helix can't do and vice versa... that's the beauty of purchase options. 

On 8/4/2023 at 8:16 PM, mrmapatton said:

Sorry, I’m an not allowed to make physical configuration changes to house gear.  

You can't plug an A/B/Y into the loops... but you are allowed to load your own presets?

IMO, take your Fractal! Those people are unreasonable. 

On 8/2/2023 at 6:12 PM, fazz1977 said:

The HX tuner is NOT accurate... not even close, it's sharp, hence why my pitchblack stays on my bass board.

My Peterson would disagree with your Pitchblack ... I have no discrepancy between the Helix and Peterson. 

As stated in another post you've contributed to... check your calibration. While you are at it, make sure offsets are not set or just turn them off completely. 

One forum member here has been pushing for something he calls "global blocks" which would allow this to happen. However, even if it did exist you would have to use it sparingly... and I doubt a tremolo would be it's best usefulness. Think about it... if every change made on every block snowballed into every preset the entire purpose of a preset would become pointless. 

If I find a new setting I would prefer to use... I approach it the way @datacommandomentions above. I save it as a favorite, then just go replace the block in each preset with the new "favorite".  

Sounds like the tuning dial is misbehaving. Like any encoder or pot I'd attempt a cleaning first... failing that it may need to be replaced. I'm sure our resident Variax guro will jump in to make a suggestion or two. 

How is the power provided to the widi jack (or widi master) at the Variax? Do you need a power bank. 

Also, you keep saying PM me, but this forum does not allow PM's :) 

The opening harmony riff is over an F chord.... the song is actually in Am IIRC. 

• Set the scale to C major 
• Set the harmony to be a third below (eg: -3)
• Play the riff starting on the E note....

The starting E note is the 5th fret on the B string. 

E... d/e/d C G... E... d/e/d C...

That will toss this underneath ... 

C... b/c/b A E... C... b/c/b A....

(HINT: If you set the harmony as a third up instead, play the lower riff starting on the C note and it puts the higher part on top)

Here are the settings I used... there may be a better harmony block to use, I was just sketching it out to make sure it worked. 

You will see that voice 2 is turned right down, so it is not used. 

On 7/10/2023 at 8:51 PM, AugustoSeoane said:

My brand new Helix LT has the same problem....

Brand new should = warranty. I wouldn't try anything beyond a factory reset. 

On 7/5/2023 at 4:41 AM, Blumi_guitar said:

Could anyone please confirm or deny that this is not a bug but standard behaviour?

That's standard behavior as far as I know...

If you really want to know, open a support ticket and ask the good people at Line 6 what their intent is/was. 

To each his own I guess... my experience was the complete opposite of the OP.

Maybe it's I/O settings, maybe it's the method of monitoring, maybe it's just preference. Dynamic range was never an issue with each modeler, and they both have "hit & misses" in terms of amp models. I just know I get way better tones from my Helix than I ever did from my HD500.