njglover

The state of the switch is determined by the state of the "active" effect in that group. Let's say I have one switch that controls both a distortion and a delay. When the distortion is on, I want no delay. When distortion is off, I want delay. Maybe I name this switch "distortion" and so, for me, I want the on state to indicate that distortion is on. If the last of those two effects I edited was the distortion, then it will work as intended. However, if the last one I touched is the delay, then it's going to follow the on/off state of the delay. If you're using touch switches, it's really easy to change. Just keep tapping the switch until the effect you want the switch to follow is active. Otherwise you'll have to navigate around with one of the knobs. Hopefully that made sense. Basically, there is no separate control for what on and off are on a switch, it's controlled by the state of the last effect edited that that switch controls.

It does have that. It has global EQ so you can tweak it yourself. So, for example, set your tones to work with your speaker, then set the global EQ to sound good in your headphones. When you practice with headphones, turn on global EQ. When you play live, turn it off.

It's possible that works as a parallel path as suggested above. This allows you to keep 100% dry while just increasing the amount of wet signal. In that case, you would split the signal before the reverb. One path would stay empty, the other would have the reverb on it set to 100% mix. You combine again at the end and use the reverb path's volume control to adjust the mix instead. That should get you closer to what you are looking for.

Yes it should. It's a mix control. As you increase it, you are losing your dry signal in favor of the wet (reverb) signal. Basically, you are hearing more of just pure reverb, which is generally super muddy. Reverb is, at it's core, so many delays in a short span that you can't distinguish them from each other. Certain reverb tones may be less muddy than others, but generally speaking a pure reverb sound is not going to have much clarity to it.

While I can see where you all are coming from, and I agree that it would be nice to have better distinction between types of modulation effects (and, now that legacy effects will just be legacy effects, will they all share one icon regardless of type?), I don't find it to be particularly necessary 99% of the time. Plus, how does one visually represent reverb or chorus and how are we supposed to remember what icon is meant to represent that? For example, I don't agree with Line 6's color choices for what represents what - I typically associate blue with reverbs as I think of reverb as a "sky" sort of effect. So that always confuses me. I don't even use the actual effect names on my scribble strips because I don't really need to know that it's a Rat when I am on stage, I just need to know that that button is distortion. So I name it "Distortion" or "Fuzz" or "Verse" or something usefully descriptive. Once that preset is built, I couldn't care less what the actual pedal is supposed to be so long as I know what buttons turn on the sounds I want. Honestly, I don't really even need the big screen when I am performing except to know that I am on the right preset. Scribble strips are all I look at. So, for me at least, the icons are not super useful past the initial preset creation stage.

All of the Pedal Power line, AFAIK, have an additional standard power jack on them, so that is effectively the same as what you are looking for. Plug the Pedal Power into the wall, plug the Helix or the HX Effects into the power out, and then use the 9v jacks to power your extra pedals. Ta-da.

I use the Mesa 400+ model, I think the ch. 2 version. For the cab, I think I am using one of the 15" models, but I can't recall off the top of my head. It is practically identical to the actual 400+ I had running into a 1x15" Markbass cab. I play mostly heavier music, but it depends on the song. For some (or metal songs) I go very heavy, using the Obsidian drive pedal to get a bit of distortion; for our more classic-rock inspired tunes, I just have a bit of compression and that's it. Keep in mind that the bass you use will have just as big of an effect on your tone. I am using a Stingray because it gives just the right amount of growl.

I use Helix for guitar in one band and bass in another, though I primarily got it for guitar. At this point, the only time I use a real amp is at our practice space (since we don't have a full PA) and at shows where they do not have a full PA. The bass amps on the Helix are truly wonderful, enough that I felt no need to keep my real Mesa 400+. The fuzzes are still a little lacking in their usefulness for bass, IMO, but I can tweak them to get close to what I want. I also really enjoy being able to do subtle things like have, say, a bit of reverb and chorus on one section, then switch to a distorted dry tone for the next. I have a lot of sonic possibilities that I could not do live before. Plus, as above, sound guy gets a DI signal that sounds exactly how I want it to sound (instead of like the lame facsimile of my tone that comes out of the DI out on the amp).

I haven't found any of the fuzzes to get quite what I am looking for. I can't entirely fault them - true fuzz heads all have that one specific, weird fuzz they love, I think - but it is a little frustrating. For bass, I think I ended up having to do a split path so I could blend clean with a Muff (that has an EQ after it). It gets me pretty close to the Malekko Plus Ultra, but still not quite there. For guitar, there is a modeled Fuzz Factory but that is an effect that really can't be modeled very well and it just isn't there for me. The point is that you will likely have to experiment with a more complicated signal path than you would with real effects, at least until they give us some more options.

You first need to set the output of the DI track to outputs 7 and 8 (if you bothered to record in stereo, just 7 if you didn't). That way you are sending the direct signal from Reaper over USB to the Helix. This then goes through your patch and back out USB 1/2 to your computer. You do not need anything plugged in to the physical inputs of the Helix to reamp.

I don't think any sound guy I have worked with has put that much effort into mixing us. I just let them know that I use a lead boost from time to time and to just leave me a little extra headroom so they know it is an intentional volume boost. It's not that uncommon - some tube amps (like the Roadster and other Dual Recs) have the feature, too. The exact method I use varies depending on the song, but I usually just do a 3 dB boost. Sometimes I kick in an OD pedal instead (which usually adds mids AND volume). The point, really, is just to make sure it's heard. Do that bit of mixing on my own. In regards to the mic level thing, there are two things you want to do. The first is to set your output level on the XLR outputs to mic level instead of line level. This way you don't risk overloading the board. The second is to change your settings so that the volume control does NOT control the XLR output level. I usually set mine to control digital only, which essentially means it does nothing. That way, I always output a consistent mic-level signal to the board. Alternatively, if you run your 1/4" outputs to an FRFR for monitoring, set the volume control to only control the 1/4" output level. Then you control your monitor volume with the knob but don't touch the main mix.

To continue your hijack, lead boosts shouldn't be a problem. I generally boost by about 3 dB and when we play live, I do soundcheck at my normal levels and just ask the sound engineer to leave me a little extra headroom. That way I can kick in the boost without distorting the preamps on the board and it still gets louder like it's supposed to. They don't need to touch the fader and they aren't freaking out because I'm clipping suddenly. To the OP's point, I generally just play in headphones, but for practice we run through a QSC K10. Between practice and live shows, I can generally get a feel for when one particular setting is too loud or doesn't have enough mids or whatever and tweak from there.

I think you misunderstand me. My point is that even tone snobs will find a lot to love with the Helix and should not find as much trouble moving over. It actually took me less time to dial in the tones I wanted on the Helix than with my real gear. It was months before I finally found the settings I like on the real Roadster. That thing is a complicated amp and very particular about how you set it. By contrast, I had my tones more or less figured out on the Helix within probably a week. Granted I was basically just matching my tube amps, so it was a little easier, but the point I am trying to make is that the Helix is both very easy to use and sounds really good - sometimes better than the real thing. If nothing else, it absolutely trounces real amps for convenience. I will probably not even bother recording with real amps anymore. I literally only have my tube amps because I have an emotional attachment to them, not because I actually need them.

Yup, I just set mine on the floor. I power the receiver with a USB battery pack and connect it to the Helix with a short cable. No issues and I've been doing it that way for probably a year now.

I tend to agree with what most others have already said, but I will add my thoughts as well. I have been something of a tone snob for a while, but always wanted the convenience of modeling gear. I could never justify the expense of Axe FX or Kemper, but the Helix hit a sweet spot and had a lot of really cool features (scribble strips are the greatest invention ever) that enticed me, so I picked it up. I have not used either of my expensive tube amps since. For record, I own both a Rockerverb 100 and a Mesa Roadster. I still own them because I can't bring myself to sell them, but I haven't actually touched them since. The Helix has replaced my entire guitar rig and my entire bass rig (except when I need the bass amp because there are no subs). I have zero regrets. It is the single best gear purchase I have made. I haven't even looked at amps or pedals since I bought it. No, it is not perfect. The fuzz options are still sorely lacking, IMO. But it does everything I need it to do as well as everything I always wanted to be able to do and it sounds really, really good. No, it is not an exact match for my real amp, but, after pitting it against my recorded tone of my real amp, it is practically identical if not actually a little better in some respects. So... I don't think you will regret getting a Helix, but only you can make that decision.

Maybe it's just me, but I've always felt the reports to be a bit inflated. I have owned the thing for a while now, it lives in the bag with my Helix that has tumbled down stairs, I use it at least once a week for practice and have taken it to several gigs, including outdoor gigs, and haven't had any problems yet. I think the key is to not leave the cable plugged in while transporting it unless everything is secured down - like on a pedal board that is then put in a case so neither the receiver nor the cable are moving around. Not so different from any other piece of gear in that sense.

I suspect it is a file system limitation, so it may not be possible. How many of these IRs are you actually using? I find that I only actually use 2 or 3 of them, so I just name them things like "Mesa412." That's really all I need to know about that IR when it comes to selecting a cab for my patch. It's not so useful for finding the original file I suppose, but I can't say that I've ever actually needed to do that. But maybe that's just me. I guess my point is, how much of the info you are putting in the file names is actually information you need to know when choosing an IR? Do you actually need to know it came from Ownhammer? Do you need to know it used a 57 and a U87 at 2" away at a 30 degree angle? Or do you just need to know that this is the only Mesa 4x12 IR you have on the Helix?

I also unchecked the factory set lists when I restored, but I didn't actually check to see what was there as I never use those. The master volume control global setting did not seem to be preserved and the USB setting (can't remember which one...) was a little odd, displayed "5" instead of "Multi" or something else. Minor things, but the bigger issue I have been having is oddities with the screen. This seems to happen every time I adjust the high cut on an IR block and possibly also on regular cab blocks. I adjusted the cut, then went to change an effect and my entire screen went blank. The footswitches also seemed to become unresponsive, or at least the LED rings did not reflect the actual status. Sound was still passing through though. I rebooted and everything was fine until I adjusted the high cut on another block. The arrow on the far left of path 2 (a down arrow that indicates the signal is coming from path 1) got cut off, like the right half of the arrow head disappeared. Saving the changes did not restore the arrow head. However, I switched presets rather than try to edit any additional blocks and this time I successfully switched and the screen fixed itself. Very odd. Suppose I should've waited to upgrade until after I record my parts for the album we are working on... oh well, should still work fine for that.

Re: #5 THANK GOD. This update does not actually seem as exciting as L6 led on but that has been a huge pet peeve of mine, so I am glad to see it is fixed. The vastly simplified update process is also nice, not having to remember global settings was another annoyance. I suspect that the doubler will be a nice way to get a wide guitar sound without eating up DSP with a second amp, so that is also pretty cool. Nothing super exciting, but several handy improvements. I'll take it.

No, reverb IRs are much longer than cab IRs. I have just been using the Ownhammer free pack for the most part. This limits my choices since not as many options are included, but there are still a lot. In my case, I was trying to mimic the sound I was used to from my actual amp and cab (when recorded, that is), so I picked the cab that most closely aligned with what I had and the mic options that I thought were the most likely to line up with what I had used and loaded all of those up. As I found ones that I definitely did not like, I removed those until I had just a few and kept auditioning between them until I found one I liked. In this case, I was auditioning them versus my recorded guitar tone from my real amp. It was a long process, but I wound up with something I really like, so it was worth it.

Which is totally doable, but another thing to have. If you've got the rack system (which it sounds like you do not), you could have everything always hooked up, but then you have a cable running from the floor controller to the rack, so... always something to be plugged in.

For me, I use a G10 to get my bass into the Helix. I power the G10 with a USB battery pack (which works great). The Helix then goes direct to the PA via XLR, typically, so the only wires I have are that one and the power cable for the Helix. Technically, there are cables between the wireless receiver and the Helix and the battery pack and the receiver, but it allows me to set up just about anywhere with very little hassle.

No, my argument is to EQ for the audience, who are ALL standing in front of your cabinet. You (the performer) are the only one who is not. By the time the sound gets to the audience, there isn't much difference between off axis and not. They do not need to be standing directly in front of the cab to hear the same tone.

When I was using a real amp/cab, this is exactly how I would check my tone. Since I was using a 2x12, it pretty much always sound dull and generally not great at ear level, but it sounded fantastic through the PA. To the argument that "that's what sound guys are for," no. That's what your EQ is for. No one but you is going to hear your amp at the position you hear it. If you are miked up, they are hearing it through the mic, and yes, a sound guy could EQ it, but you've also got to think about the people up front who are going to hear the unfiltered sound of the cab blasting at their ears. If you are not being miked, then there is no sound guy to apply EQ to your awful tone. So, do you EQ to work for just you or do you EQ to work for everyone else in the venue? Thinking it is up to the sound guy to fix your crappy tone is a good way to irritate every sound guy you work with. Which, in turn, will make you sound awful because they aren't going to want to help you out. Edited because apparently the forum likes to change it to "lollipop off every sound guy." Which is amusing but also frustrating.

That worked for me before, but strangely also made the LED ring stop working correctly. Eventually sent it to L6 for repair and they replaced the switch and fixed the LEDs, so now we are all good. I haven't had any issues with any other switches, so I suspect it will be fine. Always keep in mind that actually using the switches is the simplest way to prevent oxidation :) In regards to the quality of the switches, I'm not sure how else they could have made them. I used to build pedals, so I am familiar with the higher-quality types of switches that go into standalone boxes, but what L6 does is essentially the same as what Boss has been doing for years and everyone agrees that those things are pretty indestructible. On top of that, remember that each of these footswitches are two types of switch AND can be touch activated. That is, any switch can be a toggle or a momentary switch (which, I think, means that each switch is actually a momentary switch that reacts differently depending on programming) and there is also a conductor triggered by touching the switch. If you look at how it is designed, that basically necessitates that the actual part of the switch you can touch has to be electrically separated from the actual switch itself. That is, the metal that sticks out of the top has to be electrically isolated from the actual switch to prevent false triggering of the switch or other issues. This means that it has to be a two-part switch, just as L6 designed. Now, they could potentially have used a different part for the actual switch, maybe a slightly nicer/more expensive part, but no matter how much you spend, you'll always wind up with at least a few bad ones. So I don't know that it's fair to say that they are just using a poor-quality switch or design when the failure rate does not actually seem to be that bad.