codamedia

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.

I get the impression that the full benefit of snapshots has not kicked in yet.

IMO... those were some of the worst examples of AC30 tones I've ever heard... they all sounded thin and brittle to me. I never setup my AC30 (including my real one) to sound like that. That aside... I quickly jumped from tone to tone and also guessed wrong. I wasn't looking to pick out the Helix, I was looking for the real amp.... and still ended up picking the Helix. What these videos do is take away the "amp in the room" sound. Once you do that, modelers (Axe, Helix, Kemper) are all pretty much dead on the money!

For the most part I am with you on that, but I can't say never. At least a half dozen gigs a year has me setting up on a stage with a "vocal only" PA. Those gigs usually pay just as good, are equally as fun, and the crowd still has a great time.

That's pretty harsh... Please export/share your Helix Native patch (or a couple) so others can take a look and make a suggestion or two. It's a lot easier than trying to guess at what might be the problem. Many of us have no problems getting great tones out of the Helix. Why some people struggle with it as much as they do is a mystery, or we would have those same problems. Native and the Hardware should sound the same, however there are many variables with computers/interfaces to consider. As for latency, it is a non issue with the hardware unit. IMO this is the biggest limitation in the Helix... the mic models all "appear" to be taken from the center position which certainly highlights the bright/shrill tones. This is quite an oversight on the part of the modeling personnel.

Interesting... the 300 should be the same as the 700 but I have never had any luck getting a nice "strat quack" out of it. Thank you for the insight and idea's to try, I greatly appreciate it. Hmmmm, will HD Workbench load without hardware attached? I never thought to try but certainly can! Thanks.

Yes - the latter part of your comment would be accurate, but there is absolutely NO PROOF this is the problem of the HD500 itself (or it's drivers) or we would ALL be facing this issue. It doesn't help you... but I don't have this problem :) Just sayin'. These are user forums, not the best place to get "company driven" results. We are just a user base that's the intent of forums. Submit your problem to Line 6 through their ticket system with as much details as you can possibly provide about your system, including every peripheral attached to it.

Maybe it's just me... but this back and forth seems odd to me. When I see a modeling discussion that suggests there is no PA I don't take it so literal.... my thought is that it means the PA is for VOCALS ONLY and we can't plug the modeler into it for volume reinforcement. In those cases, we need our own solution to be loud enough for the room. House parties, legions, small clubs or halls... this is common!

@arislaf I use an older Variax 300 so I can't load up any of these to see what you are doing, but can you give me an idea of the change you made to the "Strat Quack" position (pos 2, bridge/middle) to make it more realistic? That is one setting I struggle with most on my Variax so I'd love to approach it differently. I do know the HD models are different from the legacy models and they won't be the same... I'd just like to know the approach you were taking.

Just to expand on this a little.... aside from breaking the general rules there are also different tools for different jobs. It all depends on what you are after. For instance, an echo plex is a commonly used echo in front of an amp, while other delays are often applied after. Stomp style compressors generally go before an amp to add some snap/pop/sustain, while the 3-Band or LA Studio is more of a studio style comp that is really effective (in a subtle manner) near the end of the entire chain. Again - those are just more general rules that can be easily broken :)

Absolutely... the loops (on the Helix) can go anywhere in the chain that you want to put them and your V-Twin will go in one of those loops.

There are many ways... but this is what I suggest as the basics. Guitar > Helix > Pedal Board Effects > Loop 1 Send to V-Twin Input > V-Twin Output to Loop 1 Return > Studio (Post) Effects > Helix Output to Carving Input.

The standard approach is to setup the Helix like you would setup the following... Pedal Board Effects > Amp/Cab/Mic > Studio (Post) Effects The nice thing is, there are no rules with the Helix, you can put anything your want, anywhere you want, without damaging anything. That opens the door to a lot of experimenting if you are so inclined.