efrati

Well, it depends. Anyway I also like a little reverb to avoid a very dry sound, but just a little to avoid a muddy sounding guitar. I'd also suggest to use very narrow frequency cuts, for example using almost the maximum low cut (about 400-500Hz) because you don't need lows in the reverb, and about 1.5/2kHz as high cut. About mix you could try between 15-25%. If you use 50% it means you're using the maximum reverb level, and more than 50% it means you're cutting the dry tone keeping only the reverbered sound. Adding reverb to a sound means also changing a little the frequency curve of your sound (because reverb will always add/remove some amplitude somewhere) and hiding a little the attack or transient of your sound. About the attack anyway you can get a little help if you use the "pre-delay" option with some 20-30 ms, so that the reverb will start later, leaving more time for your mind to hear the transients of your notes. With the "reverb" block effect (and many other fx, too) it isn't necessary to use a parallel line because the "mix" parameter will do just that, keeping some dry tone directly and adding some effected sound. A separate parallel reverb line can be anyway interesting if you want to add other effects to the reverb sound only (for example a compressor before reverb, and some delay and modulation after the reverb fx). In that case the "reverb" block will need 100% mix, because you will control the dry tone level from the splitting and mixing blocks.

This is also my reason to use the 8 Snapshots configuration. Anyway, when I play live (well, in the future, maybe again!) I just use snapshots, and then I use the stompbox mode when I want to "experiment" or at home.

I suppose it is very simple, but I can't find out how to do it. If I use a volume pedal block: how can I adjust the minimum volume? I mean I don't want to start from zero, but I'd like to go for example from 50 to 100%. Is it possible? Or do I have to link the amp channel volume (for example) to the expression pedal to get this effect? Thanks for any tip!

Yes, good info from everybody here. I mainly use IRs so that the hi-cut is already included, or sometimes I even modify the IR with a DAW (or just Audacity) so that I add my own lo-cut and hi-cut. In the Helix, with its own cab/mic sims, I also use extreme hi-cut (from 3.5 to 5kHz), and some low cut (100-130 Hz). You will find that there is a difference if you use the lo/hi-cut in the cab block or in a separate EQ block. The separate EQ (with just lo/hi cuts) block has steeper eq curves, that you may prefer (or not), and you may need slightly less extreme values. Anyway, in the Helix, I use just the ribbon mics (specially I like the 4038) because - imho - they offer a better tone for performance level (high volume) when the highs (and lows) are even more annoying.

Unfortunately you're right. It works that way, and it's awful and very unpractical! I hope that Line6 will change this in the next firmware revision.

The main point (that I think someone already mentioned): what about listening to cd music, that you are already familiar with, through this speaker? If it is good enough for you, and similar to what you hear from other sources, then the speaker is not the (main) problem. If not, the best way to test (and to compare) a speaker to be used as FRFR for guitar modelers is always to play CD music (or even MP3) that you already know.

After checking if everything works properly as it was suggested above, it seems to me that it is more a matter to find the best cab/mic sim (for you). The Helix offers many (good) stock cabs, but trying them can be frustrating because there are many options, and what's more the editing is not arranged well (for example every time you change the speaker, all the other parameters change into the default values!). In my case, I prefer to try some IR files because at the end it is easy and quick. I add some hi-cut and lo-cut, and in the Helix often even some extreme values are good (for example something like 110Hz low cut, and 4.5kHz high cut aren't that weird with Helix!). Without trying thousand IRs, you could start with these very good FREE impulses from some commercial sites, such as: http://valhallir.at/en/shop/valhallir-at-teaserbox/ and https://www.ownhammer.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=181&products_id=411 (just use the "quick start" folder) You'll have about 50 impulses that are a good starting point imho. I'd add that it is even easier to find a good IR, and then later to try to get close to it using as alternative the stock cabs and mics of Helix, because at least you have a reference tone. By the way, did you try my own IR that I linked in a message above? If using Impulse Responses isn't your target, try to focus on just few single stock cabs and mics in the Helix, so that you have a smaller choice that often gives a good result, such as for example: MICS: 4038 or 121 (ribbon mics) CABS: 2x12 Blue Bell, 2x12 Silver Bell, 4x12 Greenback20, 2x12 Match H30, 2x12 Match G25 EARLY REFLECTIONS: zero Lo-Cut: around 100-130 Hz Hi-Cut: between 4kHz and 6kHz Distance: generally I prefer close to the grille (1" or 1.5") As to the hi/lo-cuts, you could place an additional fx block after the cab/mic sim, using an eq block with the low cut and high cut. This way it will be fixed, while you test the other combinations of speakers and mics, and what's more the cuts in the separate eq blocks are steeper (and may be more pleasant) than the ones you get in the cab block.

It is something that many users note, and it is more obvious with some amp models, not all of them (imho). You'll find some threads and discussions about this characteristics (or problem, but anyway some real amps and od pedals have this problem). It is difficult to remove that fizzy decay. Maybe a little less power amp ("master") volume may help, as well as some fine adjustment of the sag, bias and bias x. And it helps also if you don't overload the input (I always like the "guitar in pad" ON in the global settings for example) and the gain in the chain is under control. But anyway it is undeniable with some amp models. If this is really audible in a band mix context on the contrary is another matter...

Hello Colmac2000. I'm afraid that your speaker could be slightly weak to be used with a band, specially if the drummer is "standard" rock loud and you want to use it not only as a monitor for you, but also to let the other band mates hear your guitar. But I think you can get good tones anyway from it. I checked your monitor data sheet, and it does not have any low-cut filter unfortunately (or some lows adjustment). Even if it could be not very practical, my first suggestion is to put your speaker on a pole or anyway not on the floor, because on the floor the bass frequencies will be enhanced too much, so that you will adjust your tone trying to cut those low frequencies that depend on the placement (specially at performance volume level). Even in the rehearsal room, putting your speaker in a taller position (just a little higher up than your heads) will get you a more balanced tone, and it will help a lot to make your mates hear your guitar, too, without having to increase the volume too much. As to the tones for rock, if you like, you can try my own custom tone, that I use with my band (at the rehearsal room and live): http://line6.com/customtone/tone/3232147/ You will need also my own IR that I use in this patch, and you can download it from here: http://ge.tt/1MT9wem2