codamedia

I don't see the Helix on sale here in Canada, but sometimes Long and McQuade runs specials with value adds. When I got my LT I got the Helix Gig Bag for free, a $50 L&M gift card and the financing was interest free. There is often a lot of talk about the full Helix having the scribble strips and the LT doesn't. That makes some people think with an LT they have to rely on their memory and colored switches to remember what effects or snapshots they put where. NOT TRUE! The LT has something the full version doesn't... it's called Performance View. The entire screen takes on the duties of the scribble strips and it is very nice! Some prefer the scribble strips, but I also know people that prefer Performance View (including moi) so it does come down to preference in that regard.

A tube pre will not hurt and often can help. IMO... I would place it in a loop then include it on any patch you want, in any position your want, regardless of the input used. Simply adding things before or after the Helix will limit the opportunities. Not that it won't sound fine in those positions, I would just prefer the flexibility. The same applies to the compressor, although I would keep it on a different loop so I could place it independently. The only thing to keep in mind is that if these are MONO units and you place them in the effects loop(s), the loops have to be inserted prior to any stereo effects.

You are aware that the next Helix update will include DT integration... to the delight of many DT owners?

It sounds great as a pedal board in front of an amp just stay away from any AMP/CAB models in the POD. "Amp in the box" pedals are fairly popular these days... and you can experiment with the PRE-AMP models from that POD to achieve those, but you still need to make sure the cab/mic modeling is turned off. IMO, I would place the overdrive pedal in the effects loop of the HD... leave it on all the time and control it's on/off status in the chain by turning the FX Loop on/off. That way it can be programmed into patches as you want it. This always seems to become the way of thinking once we move to modeling... but very few gave it any thought prior. The vast majority of guitar players still plug a pedal board into the front end of an amp, and I'd say the majority of those boards have delays while a lower percentage will also have reverbs on them. Not many players with pedal boards take the time to setup a 4 cable method to make sure their delays and reverbs go in the loops yet with modelers 4 cable method is a hot topic. In a look back through history most of our guitar hero's used to run an echo plex, space echo, memory man, etc... into the front end of their amps. Even those old classic Fender Reverb Units (stand alone) used to get plugged into the front end of amps. The biggest impact on delays and reverbs is whether it is pre/post overdrive. If the amp is used as a clean platform it won't have a big impact providing those effects are after the overdrives on the board. If you run overdrive on the amps then the delays and reverbs take on a very different flavor and will need to be adjusted accordingly... like they had to in the good old days :)

Why take the word of a you tube video or try to decipher it? There is a sticky at the top of these forums. 2.8 will be released in the spring of 2019, and everything listed in the thread will be included. https://line6.com/support/topic/18284-helix-firmware-280-available-spring-2019/

I like the stock cabs, and I like some IR's... For my live tone(s) I found an IR that reminds me a lot of my old Fender Deluxe I used live for many years. Since I am comfortable with my tone I have little desire to change. Techs like my tone, crowd likes the music, musicians like my tone... why mess with it? For my studio tones (home studio and full studios) I prefer to experiment with the cab blocks more than IR trial and error. The cab blocks get what I am after every time.

You may have EXP set to 2 with a volume, but EXP 1 is still present at full value. I don't know for certain, but I suspect the "Pitch Wham" will automatically connect with EXP1 (like a wah does). Make sure that connection is completely removed so you don't get any unexpected changes with snapshots. Either that, or roll through every snapshot in that patch to make sure they are all set appropriately.

IMO... the Helix works great in front of old school amps.... and there is no reason why it wouldn't work great in front of the OP's JTM 45. A Helix will work into the front end of a JTM 45 just as well as a pedal board full of effects would... IMO, better than a pedal board full of effects would with a lot more flexibility. Here's the trick. Just use Helix as "effects only"... stay away from full amps and cabinet modelling. You can experiment with pre-amp models as "amp in the box" style effects if you want, that could add some flavors to your JTM 45. EG: A "who watt" preamp may be similar to placing a Catalinbread RAH in front of your amp while an Essex 30 preamp may be similar to a Wampler ACE30. The vast majority of guitar players still run a pedal board into an amp. They do not worry about effects loops and 4 cable methods... they just have a board loaded with x number of pedals, their guitar plugged into one end and the amp into the other. Modulations can sound great in front of amps, so can delays, so can reverbs. Just because you have every option of flexibility open to you with a Helix that doesn't mean you are forced to use them all when you take it out of the box :) The HX Effects is a great product... but why limit yourself if you want the full processing power of the Helix... which also has a built in expression pedal. Here are some benefits to buying what you really want from the start instead of compromising. As I already mention... it WILL work great as a pedal board in front of an old school amp... an extremely flexible pedal board at that. You can still use the amp modelling at home, either with headphones, studio monitors, hooked up to a computer, etc... etc... If you want to do any home recording or studio work... you will find many uses for all the features of the Helix. If you ever add an amp with an effects loop, you can take a shot at 4 cable method if you want If you ever decide to get an FRFR cabinet, you are ready! Just my 2 cents on the subject!

There are many ways to do it, but in the scenario I would place a "GAIN" block at the very end of the chain and set it to +3. Set your tone up with the block on (which is the loudest setting).... when you turn the block off it will decrease by 3db... use that for your regular parts, and turn the block ON for solo's. If you are feeding a PA system, make sure the input level at the PA is set with the block ON (the loudest setting). Any difference you hear in effects will be "perceived", not real with a 3db cut. With a volume pedal I can see it interrupting the tones through the sweep, but not a basic 3db drop.

Wouldn't that be two button pushes - LOL! Thanks for the reminder on that one.... I don't use it myself because although that clears the blocks it doesn't reset the entire patch. Any changes to the I/O blocks or Command Center are not cleared with that method. That's fine if you have never set those differently to begin with, but it's still something to be aware of. Since I don't use that method, I'm not entirely sure how it deals with snapshots either. My fear of just removing the blocks would be unpredictable results when adding blocks back in. Maybe that fear is unwarranted... but in the meantime I'll just overwrite patches with a clean template.

I leave it off... but I have a gain block at the front of every path and adjust the input with that. I find the gain block gives me more control (up or down) than a fixed pad level. EDIT TO ADD: Later in the thread... posted April 26th 2019.... I have changed my approach to this.

I would have thought I had all the firmware updates, but NO, I just have the Monkey and Workbench Updates. The only download they offer now for the 300 is version 3.1. Since that was released in 2006 I likely never had an option for an older version. Can I ask why you are looking to downgrade to an earlier version that won't have the bug fixes? I'm almost afraid to ask, in case I want to do it myself and can't :)

I thought it was just the older models of Variax it couldn't support (for updates), I stand corrected. Thanks for this bit of info... it's good to know. If I ever buy a used JTV or Standard I'll have to make sure it comes with it's dongle. That is something I definitely would have overlooked! I guess that is what surprises me... even if Monkey is not supported, why wouldn't they build an update function into Workbench HD? Oh well, it is what it is & at least now I know!

A lot of people don't realize this, but the preamp models also include cab and mic combinations unless you set that to NONE... they are just missing the POWER AMP section. I'm on a Helix these days, but most of my tones on the HD500 were setup with the PREAMP models along with the appropriate cab/mic combo's. I found them easier to tame through the system. It may have been a placebo effect, but I always found the full amps on the HD to lack low mids and punch on a stage. I don't experience that with the Helix... and I didn't experience that with the preamp models on the HD. YMMV.... that's just my experience.

. Rule number 1: Setup all your tones at full volume, then use the pedal to back those off when needed. Cutting almost always has less side effects than boosting. In this case, you have learned that you do not like the volume pedal in front of the EQ, therefore, run it after :) I always run mine after any gain/drives/wah, etc... etc..., but before any modulations (chorus, tremolo, etc...), delays or reverbs. I may place it just before the amp block, or just after it.... EG: Guitar in > wah > overdrive pedals > any other effects before the amp > Maybe put the Volume Block Here > AMP BLOCK > or Maybe put the Volume Block Here > Modulation Effects > Delays > Reverbs That's just a general rule... not the only way it can be done.

Create a blank preset then copy it over top of anything you want to clear. I know that is not the answer you are looking for, but that's how I get it done :)

For the record... The HX Effects can do it via A/B path but of course doesn't have the amps. You can still separate the dry and wet thought. The HX Stomp can also do it via A/B paths, but you will likely run out of blocks and/or processing power before you reach your goal. The nice thing about the Helix (Floor/LT/Native) is that it has TWO INDEPENDENT paths, each capable of it's own child A/B path. This patch doesn't even expand into those child A/B paths :)

IMO... separate feeds for wet dry can help the sound man... maybe a mono dry feed and a stereo wet feed. Then he can do what he wants with the effect portion. But... if you are just sending a stereo feed with a dry signal up the middle and stereo effects, IMO - you are still in the position that the audience may hear different things based on where they are sitting. I will say...the @DarthHollis post above is solid! That is someone that understand the pitfalls, and knows how to work with them and around them.

Strictly talking about a live setup: I'm not interested in hearing a glorious stereo tone that the audience will never enjoy unless they stand at the optimal listening position. My live tones are mono & If I'm in the mix the audience hears my tone the way I hear it, regardless of where they are sitting/standing! That's just my 2 cents.... If others want to hear themselves in stereo on a stage I would never try to stop them.

I just called up the preset in Helix Native.... it's just a wet dry setup. The top row is the dry tone with a couple of overdrives and a compressor into the front of an amp. The bottom row is the wet tone. There are two delays to choose, two reverbs to choose and two modulations. I can't tell from the Native version... but I suspect the volume blocks at the front of each chain allows you to blend the two as desired with the expression pedal. If it isn't setup automatically that way, it would be easy to do so. In the real amp world people run a wet/dry setup all the time. This is no different. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Gilmour ran a setup very similar to this at some point.

That should be a sticky at the top of the forum! I can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain this to people, but never quite get it right :) I visit the TDPRI (telecaster) forum on occasion, and in their amp section I often see the complete opposite problem. People are always wondering why they can't get the sound of their favorite guitar tone - even though they have the same guitar/amp. They fail to understand (or accept) they are missing the entire studio chain from their tone.

Never said that and never will. FYI: My post was not directed at you... I purposely never quoted anyone, I just read a whole bunch of posts in this thread that I found very odd and decided to lend a general comment.

I don't understand how a You Tube Demo that is well put together is irrelevant just because most cannot play like that, or don't have the knowledge in producing a good looking, great sounding demo. There are three things I get from videos like that.... (regardless of the product they are promoting.... Helix, Kemper, AXEFX, etc....) It shows, without a doubt, that the "tool of choice" is more than capable of getting the job done If I want to accomplish that, I need to put in the time to LEARN how to use it. (Optional) If I want to play like that, I need to practice more! IMO: Too many people want to be spoon fed great tone and if they aren't willing put the effort into #2 (or in fairness, just don't have the knowledge or ability to figure it out), they may attempt to discredit #1 to justify their failed attempt. Good carpenters never blame the tools!

I used the HD500 to record bass parts for years. I don't play bass live so I never invested in the Bass Amp pack... I just used the Flip Top model for pretty much everything I did and it got the job done without fail.

TIP: Insert an EQ block (one with filters) after the amp/cab/ir and set your LPF and HPF there. Now, change you cab block or IR all you want and your default filters are still in place.