codamedia

I wouldn't look beyond the obvious. He is not as adept at setting up tones than you are, and may not be as good at understanding or interpreting what needs to be done. You are using a better set of speakers to setup your tones... even if they are smaller. Tones setup on a pair of HS5's at moderate to loud volume will translate to IEM's and PA's far better than tones setup on an acoustic amp. They are studio monitors, and are far more accurate at letting you hear what is going on. Read the latter half of my "bullet point #1" above... this type of response is exactly what I mean. FWIW... I setup my tones on a set of studio monitors (6.5" woofer and 1" tweeter) and a set of consumer grade 3 way stereo speakers. When I get my tones sounding great on BOTH sets, it's ready to go live. I also have a small mixer that I use to meter the levels.

IMO: Set the 1/4" outs to INSTRUMENT LEVEL, then assign the Volume to XLR only. That takes the volume out of the equation and you should stay at instrument from input to output just like the HX Effects does.

Even though the sounds may have changed.... you have to look at it from a different angle. I own three "real" Tele's and they don't sound the same as each other if I use the same patch. I need to create a set of patches "specific" to each guitar in order to optimize everything. I'd go crazy (and live in a world of compromise) if I tried to create a patch that worked perfectly with every guitar I picked up. IMO: Save all your old patches in a different bank for the older Variax. Those will be there in case you need to go back for any reason. Now go back to your original patches, and make the tweaks needed for the new guitar... these will now be saved for the JTV. The basic patch will be the same... it's usually just a few tweaks that make a difference.

A few more things to consider.... Do you have the GLOBAL EQ turned on... if so, turn it off. Do you have a "high cut" filter applied anywhere in the chain... either on an effect or in the cabinet. I see this mentioned in above posts, but don't know if you have checked. Take at look at the Helix input "impedance setting". If that is set too low it will limit the high end... AUTO is often a good place to start, but I do like to fine tune it for each of my guitars. BTW: Thanks for posting those clips... it really helps us to zero in on the real problem.

There is no real shortage of gain in those clips... that is sort of what I would expect. BUT - it does sound a little dull and almost lifeless. The tone appears to be rolled off a little... even though you have said you have your guitar full. Personally, I don't trust any cable to be "in good working order" just because it is new, or based on any given brand name. I'm not saying your's is causing a problem... but I still won't discount it either. Do you have a decent "2nd cable" to try that is a different brand. That "lifelessness" that I mention earlier is a side effect of a cable, or something wrong in the guitar as others are questioning.

I have found that when used live I have zero stability issues with the Helix. It has been rock solid (knock on wood) from the time I turn it on to the time I shut it down at the end of a gig or practice. However, when I am connected to the PC (often editing through HX Edit) I have noticed some oddities on occasion that are corrected with a power cycle. That makes me wonder if the problems I experience (however rare) are a communications hiccup (USB connection) more than an actual problem on the unit itself. I am also aware that the problems I experience might be completely different and unrelated to the problems you have encountered.

On the LT there is just an EXP2 input... and it is an Expression Input so as far as I am aware, without any resistance value the FS6 won't do anything. No... but I'll share my use of the Helix LT in case it might help you. I set my home/preset screen to 8 snapshots in the global settings MODE now toggles between 8 snapshots and 8 stomps To access presets I just have to step on the "up OR down" arrow, not both. Once I choose a preset it returns to the MODE I was previously on (snap or stomp) FOR ME, that provides the quickest access (most flexibility) to all presets, snapshots and stomps. YMMV.

IMO - stay with the LT and just don't use the amps when you don't need them The LT can do everything the FX does, times 2 The LT has the expression pedal built in, and a toe switch (really handy if you use wah) Even through you won't use the full amp models in a pedal board setup, the "pre-amp models" make great "amp in the box" pedals to change the characteristics of your tone when going straight into your amp. Or..... as mentioned above.... if your amp has an effects loop you can use the 4 cable method and choose between your amps pre-amp or the several pre-amps available in the Helix. Aside from the advantages in a live scenario the LT still has the Audio Interface should you ever need it, and the amp models may still come in handy for recording or practice situations. Just my 2 cents...

Although that is user error, I can see that you just want to "limit" the opportunities for errors. You say you are using 5 snapshots... that means there are 4 on the bottom, and 1 on the top. You don't accidentally click on an upper switch unless you are reaching for switch 5.... soooooo.... why not copy snapshot 5 into all the upper locations. Snaps 1 - 4 are on the lower buttons, snap 5 is the entire upper row! Essentially... take control of all 8 snapshots even if you duplicate some.

I see you are using a PRS Custom 24... that should not have a problem with gain. There are certainly some amps on the Helix that are not intended to break up, but the majority should with varying degrees of gain. Many of them should be downright dirty as you load the default values, while the Tweed Blues you mention should breakup nicely - just as it does in the video you posted. Here is something you can try.... Plug your guitar into a Return .... doesn't matter which return, just remember which one Insert the return before the amp block, leave it at it's default settings. Make sure the return/loop is set to "instrument level" in the Global settings What that does is eliminate the "GUITAR INPUT" from the chain along with the PAD, GATE, IMPEDANCE that comes with it. If the problem goes away, then you know the problem has to do with your INPUT (physically) or the INPUT SETTINGS. If the problem continues, it could be the unit itself - providing you've eliminated the guitar/cable as a problem. +1 on everything you just said. I am also a STRAT/TELE user and my guitars have vintage spec pickups, nothing hot or even mildly hot about them. I often have to lower the gain on the amps to get them clean enough. A PRS Custom should have no problems driving the Helix amp models into distortion.

That was a bad assumption on my part. I use all the returns and such on the Helix for extra instruments so I've needed to adjust those (and the outputs) regularly... I just assumed the input had it as well. Time to go stand in the corner :)

FWIW.... My Tweed Blues sounds pretty much the same as the video.... other than expected variations due to guitar and user. I never changed anything.... it was just the default settings when I added it. If NONE of your amps are breaking up then it is an input level problem... check the following Make sure your guitar is turned up full Make sure you are using a "known" good cable HELIX GLOBAL SETTING: Make sure the input is set to INSTRUMENT... not line. (very, very important) Ignore #3... it was a terrible assumption on my part since I am always using other inputs on the Helix and need to adjust these things regularly.... false assumption that I assumed this was also adjustable.

They don't say "channel 2" they say "gain 2".... I think it's channel 4 (red) getting modeled, but could be wrong. As for the tone of channel 2 (green), that is darn close to a tone I use a lot... just a gently driven Timmy (Tee-mah) into the Deluxe Reverb normal channel. YMMV.

Did BOSE set up that tonamatch with a HELIX or an older POD such as the X3 or HD? I don't consider the Helix a POD myself... but maybe it still qualifies. Regardless, I would not use a "tonematch" setting on the BOSE. Have you ever used a car stereo with "Classic, Jazz, Rock & POP" as EQ settings. I don't use those either. I set that to flat and adjust the EQ the way I want. IMO tonematch is the same idea... a pre-fixed EQ curve and you don't know what exactly is happening under the hood. IMO.... If there is a setting for FLAT in that tone match anywhere, that is where I would start.

Lucky works two ways. I snuck a Helix into the house and my wife didn't even notice :)

There are many examples of this technique from the past... The EchoPlex into an amp (Page, Beck, VH, countless others) was not always done for the echo... quite often it was the tone and juice from the EP that was used to drive the amp harder. That combo has spawned dozens of "pre-amp" pedals all claiming to be an EchoPlex pre-amp. Randy Bachman used to run a single ended Champ into his amps. Gar Gillies (Garnet Amps) cringed at the site and created the Herzog to help get the tone without the danger. That is the tone immortalized on "American Women" (The Guess Who) and some BTO songs such as Let it Ride. In today's world of recording track counts are irrelevant so we often record a DRY guitar tone in case we want to re-amp later. In the past that luxury didn't exist... you had to capture your tone to tape.. and re-amping the guitar meant running that recorded tone into another amp and mic'ing it again. It's hard to know for certain how many famous tones were done this way... but it's always been more common than you might think. As others have stated... the beauty of the Helix is that you can experiment all you want without any dangers of blowing things up. There has never been a safer way for players to experiment :)

Those settings only take effect when you use amp/cab modeling. IMO... in your case set it to "studio direct" just to make sure you don't engage any "live cabs" behind the scenes. You are plugging into the front of an amp, so you should set it to amp. Not unless you want to get into the 4 cable method... if that sounds foreign to you, just use the POD's output.

Sorry, I don't know of any such resource... although I have seen similar resources for various line 6 products over the years.... eg: if you find an "M Series" resource it would apply to the "legacy effects" in the Helix. I second pretty much everything that @rvroberts has said above. Line 6 has done a remarkable job not only creating models that sound like the originals, but also operate like the originals. The best thing you can do is learn what Helix models correlate to which original models then you can You Tube the originals and come back to the Helix to apply the knowledge. Example: If you try to dial up the ESSEX 30 on the Helix but you have ZERO experience with an AC30 - that would be a lesson in frustration. You need to know how the AC30 works to be able to dial in the Helix effectively. Now... multiple that learning curve to "x number of amps" and "x number of effects". Learning how to use the Helix and get around it is relatively simple and is the only thing unique to the Helix itself. Understanding how each piece of gear works and how to apply it is actually independent of the Helix.

Personally... I would go the "studio route" that I suggested... everything you need is already in the Helix. If you decide to go the "stomp route" then I would prefer a dyna comp style with an EQ after it over the "Blue Comp" I mentioned later. But the blue comp might be worth a try. As for the Dyna Comp options, there is the red squeeze in both the normal helix options, and a red comp in the legacy. Their are also two more derivatives of the Dyna Comp... those being the "boost comp" in the legacy section and the "Kinky Comp" in the normal comp area. It is a Line 6 original... not based on any specific pedal but the idea of a TILT is not new - and has been used by other company's. It's a one button EQ... turn it up (above half) and the high end increases while the lows decrease, turn it down (below half) and the high end decreases while the low end increases. As I understand it, the Helix Version will allow you to set to the frequency center of those curves as well. If this is true, there will be a wide range of practical uses... shaping a dyna comp style comp into a simulated jangle box will certainly be one of them.

In fairness, that is one of the go to suggestions on these forums.... including the 2nd reply in this thread. This isn't because the stock cabinets are bad .... it's because a lot of player don't like the mic position used to capture the stock cabs. Although the stock cabs are remarkably accurate (with a mic pointed at the center of a speaker)... we don't have the option to move that position toward the edge of the cone (like many of us prefer) so we have to resort to 3rd party IR's. However - we have to stay mindful that there are a lot of people that do like that method to mic a cabinet.... and they still get good results, even if we don't. I am hopeful that the 2.8 update might provide a somewhat elegant solution to the problem. It will include a "tilt" EQ... and I'm looking forward to trying that behind a cabinet model.

Really? That attitude (placing blame) would be along the lines of entitlement to me. MESA doesn't owe me anything so why should I blame them for not making a cabinet I like? Others love those cabinets.... should I blame them for loving something that I don't.... thereby encouraging MESA to make even more cabinets I don't like? It seems a lot easier and less stressful for me to just buy a cabinet I do like instead of expecting MESA to fulfill my wishlist... and blaming them when they don't.

Right back to the premise of this thread.... it may be a "short list" but it is also a "subjective list".

I'm in in the middle.... I like his studio playing (for the most part) but have never been a fan of his live work for the exact reason you state. Since we are laying ourselves out to get flamed, don't get me started on my feelings about Hendrix :)

Personally... I don't blame gear that I don't get a good sound out of... especially when quite often I like hearing that same gear when used by others. I chalk it up as "not right for me" and don't use it. Same result, no blame. IMO - that's a great example... and I'm right there with you on the MESA cabinets :)

Understanding the Jangle box and where it comes from is the key. The Jangle Box was created to help attain that jangly tone immortalized by certain recordings such as The Byrds Tambourine Man & Turn Turn Turn. That sound can also be found on the Beatles (Ticket to Ride, Hard Days Night, You Can't Do That, etc... etc...) & Fast forward 15 years or so and that tone was prominent again with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on many recordings. Important distinction. The Jangle Box did not create those tones, it makes it easier for guitar players to re-create those tones. The Studio Way: IMO, the best option for getting these in the Helix is to do it like they did it in the studio Guitar > Amp (often a Vox for Jangle) > LA Studio Comp Set the basic guitar and amp tone without the compressor turned on... you want a normal warm/rich tone at this stage, do not try to simulate the "jangle" tone at this stage. Set the LA Studio Comp for a high peak reduction, then play with the emphasis to bring out the highs and lows as required. It's the copious amount of "peak reduction" and "high end emphasis" from the Studio Comp that creates the jangle from the normal guitar tone you started with. The Stomp Box Way: This may be a simpler approach, especially if you don't have a solid grasp on studio style compression... or just prefer a basic stomp box. Stomp Style Compressor > Guitar > Amp (often a Vox for Jangle) Do not turn the compressor on yet.... start by getting a warm/rich tone on your guitar amp... don't try to get the jangle there. Now... what compressor to use The Jangle Box is a derivative of the Dyna Comp you could just use one of the many Dyna Comp options in the Helix then add an EQ after it to emphasize the highs to bring them out. NOTE: The upcoming Helix 2.8 update will include a TILT EQ... this will be a perfection "simple" EQ option to bring out the HIGH or LOWS as needed. It would be very similar to the "emphasis" control on the LA Studio Comp I mention above. Don't discount the legacy "Blue Comp" or "Blue Comp Treble".... Based on the BOSS CS-1 this comp would behave like the Jangle box in it's "treble mode". IMO... I prefer to have more control over the treble than just an "on/off" state, but that's just a preference. Just my thoughts on the subject... I'm sure others may have a few more ideas for you.