brue58ski

Line 6 never did fix the Variax/Helix bug either. So I wouldn't count on it fully working on the Stadium. Maybe change models and that's about it. But I do not really know.

Yes it would work. But if that's all you need, the D10 is a bit smaller , as I'm sure you know. (haha)

There's a bunch of old presets here. I'm not so sure the presets from 1.03 are there but it's your best bet that I'm aware of.

http://benvesco.com/store/line-6-helix/

The first Variax had no mag pickups and that was definitely issue. The second gen got pickups and it still didn't help it's popularity. I suspect one of the biggest issues was not being able to put into any guitar they wanted. And the sounds were adequate for some (me included) but many people thought many fell short. The acoustics and jazz models in particular. I often did not  approach the Variax as a bunch of different guitar brands sounds. It was just a guitar that had a lot more sounds than any other guitar. It wasn't a strat or a Les Paul. It just happened to sound a lot like those. But it was just too frustrating to approach it from the other way. Especially given all of the ways any guitar can be wired. I think that was what the software was supposed solve. But it was a little clunky and didn't integrate perfectly with the Helix. As well as one major bug that was never fixed that rendered pr programming the tone and volume knobs from a patch from the Helix, rendered those functions non functioning. And you NEEDED that function to squeeze as good a sound as you can get out of the acoustics in the Variax. I did anyway. 

There is no equivalent in the Helix. I will tell you that there was a discussion thread on that particular amp. I knew that Eddie turned down the voltage on the Variac to get that sound. But Line 6 person insisted that Eddie turned the Variac up and that's what was modelled.

I just had to say, for me, this has been one of the most informative posts I've read. And enjoyable as well. Wow, an actual informative, non judgmental, mature discussion as opposed to a crappy little argument. Let's be honest. I've been guilty of the crappy little argument myself, but I'm really trying to knock that crap off. This thread has been SO refreshing. As opposed the the drivel that I myself have, unfortunately, been a part of from time to time.

Does it occur with a completely balnk path? Just guitar. No amp, effect or anything else in the path. If it does, then you have an issue. If it doesn’t happen and both paths are equal, then start taking the effects out one at a time until it’s equal on both channels. That’s the effect you need to change either entirely or just the parameters.

On 5/6/2024 at 7:02 AM, boynigel said:

 

Has anyone here had any success in creating the BBE Sonic Maximizer effect with their Helix?  I saw a post on the Fractal forum where a guy used an EQ curve to achieve it.  From his post:

 

For the 'Lo Contour' (bass) knob, enter the following values for each of the parameters in the first band on the first page of the PEQ block:

Freq 1: 50.00 Hz

Q1: 0.248

Gain 1: 1.50 dB

Frequency 1 Type: Peaking

For the 'Process' (treble) control, enter the following values for each of the parameters in the second band on the first page of the PEQ block:

Freq 5: 9000 Hz

Q5: 0.248

Gain 5: 1.50 dB

Frequency 5 Type: Peaking

 

So, I gave it a try using the Helix’s Parametric EQ block, but I wasn’t really hearing it.  The EQ in the Helix doesn’t have the ability to select Peaking as on the Fractal…I’m not so sure how much of a factor that would be (or not).  To a lesser degree, the Helix would only allow me to input single-digit values for the Q values so I just created two different block settings- one with the Q rounded down to  .2, and one rounded up to .3.

Then of course there’s BBE’s claim that their “effect” re-aligns the low and high frequencies w/each other so that they arrive at your ear at the same time.  Perhaps, or maybe that claim is just hype and it’s really just an EQ curve, which is what brought me here.

 

@craiganderton ?

I have one and yes, the claim was ,as the signal changed, one of the frequencies was "slower"  than the others (hi mid lo) so it would dynamically delay a band so the hi mid, and low sound waves were realligned. I do think it sounded different from a plain EQ. I remember hearing that the reallignment thing was just hype. I have not used it since I've gone to Line 6. Here's one of the best articles about how it works that I've seen. It's from Sweetwater but it really is accurate and not a lot of hype.

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-bbe-effective/

On 5/3/2024 at 2:28 AM, Schmalle said:

Use the looper as a first block in a patch when dialing in sounds. This way you get rid of the acoustic part of the sound and can dial in the electric / amplified part.

I use that trick all the time. Put a looper in right after the input and record a lick. Then loop that and start playing with amps. Start with the Fenders and Vox's I guess for what it sounds like you want to do.

That was weird. I'm glad it worked out.

On 4/30/2024 at 3:23 PM, trhx said:

I checked the ground lift the last time it happened, but that didn't make a difference.

 

I can't say for sure it isn't a problem with the mixer. Since I have a feeling it's related to the stereo link, I can test with my stereo edrum kit and report back next week.

The main reason I think it's the mixer is that it happens on one channel only. If it was the Helix then the phenomenon would have switched channels on the mixer when you switched cables. At the very least, I'm pretty sure it's not the Helix.

Are you sure about your output? Like datacommando said, make sure your output is on Multi. Make sure you either need Phantom power and it's on, or if  you don't need it, make sure it is off.

That sounds more like a mixer issue to me. Have you tried using something else in the mixer's inputs to see if it will duplicate the issue? And just to be clear it only happens on one input, not both? If that's true, again, that sounds like the issue is with the mixer.

Ooooops. Here's one using the HD500 looper only. It isn't the one I remember. Nor was the one I originally posted. It was more similar to the first one except it was just him alone and he was using only the HD500.

.

Check this out. If this is the kind of thing you're talking about, it was done on the previous Line 6 modeler. The Helix has the same thing if not a little better. He did say he used a Boss DD-20 delay for some overdubs. I'm not sure how, but I think this demonstrates what  you want to do.

It is a vcery basic looper. Click to start record, click to stop and it starts playing automatically. I started to write some hints but I was just rewriting the manual. It's so basic it only takes up two pages in the manual. Pages 39-40. But if you've used a looper before, you probably don't need the manual very much.

I don't believe the holes line up. Make sure you get one without the holes predrilled.

Check this thread out. May not be easy to find for the 89.

On 4/22/2024 at 4:31 AM, codamedia said:

 

Place two Deluxe Reverbs amps (without cabs) in parallel with each other. Have one block loaded with the normal channel, and the other loaded with the vib channel. Load the cabinet separately after the merge block so it is shared. Sure... that means the power amp is not shared but that's really not that important.  

 

 

There is a reason for that. On most real BF/SF Fenders the two channels are out of phase with each other....  that made them impractical to jump without modding one of the channels so it never was very common. Real Marshalls didn't have that same problem so the jumped sound became part of Marshall's history. 

Yeah, there were articles talking about the out of phase thing but they mostly had certain tone knob settings that supposedly worked. It was those articles that got me interested in this pursuit.

On 2/12/2024 at 11:00 AM, rd2rk said:

 

I WANT MY FREE PONY!

You didn't get one?!? I love mine.

It's just something I was reading about in reference to the Deluxe Reverb. Yes, there are amps that are jumpered but they are mostly Marshalls, not the Fenders. I figured both inputs were mixed before the power amp but, as we all know, the Helix doesn't have separate power amps. Thank you all for your responses.

I'm not getting a straight answer from the internet. I want to simulate jumpering two amp inputs. It sounds like it's essentially the same as having the one guitar plugged into the two inputs so I would just need to use the  two amps in parallel to each other going into the same cab. Like the Vib an Nrm channels in a Twin Reverb. Can anyone confirm this?

I think the problem is he wants to go directly from preset 1 to preset 2 with the desired snapshot ready to go. Otherwise, going to preset 2 and THEN going to the desired snapshot for that preset would be better.

If I'm understanding you correctly, you would have to dedicate a button to each iteration of the preset you wanted. i.e. One button with snapshot X and preset 2 and another one with snapshot y and preset 2.

Helix Manual. Page 45.

I do not really like the acoustics in the JTV Variax. The older Variax's acoustics sounded better. One thing I do is put the Acoustic Sim in the EQ section parallel to the Variax's main path. I will then judiciously mix the two. Not perfect but it helps.