modelation

Thanks for the feedback codamedia. I changed to stereo chorus and delay as you recommended and removed the reverb. I was able to tweak the bucket brigade delay to get the reverb like sound my X100 is generating. The new preset is here:  https://line6.com/customtone/tone/5461651/

Thanks Paulzx, I will be interested to hear what you think. Keep in mind that this is strictly an attempt to tone match with my Rockman X100 and not any album or song. I agree about the distinctive sound and I found that it was more difficult to match the EDGE and DIST settings.

I've had a Rockman X100 since the early 1980's, but it's been sitting in a drawer. I recently learned about the renewed interest in this unit since it was used by Boston, Def Leppard and Joe Satriani. I put the X100 in my Helix effects loop, creating a snapshot of just the X100 where I could quickly do an A-B comparison of my new preset snapshots with the original X100 tones. Just like the original unit, there are four snapshots representing the four X100 settings: CLN1, CLN2, EDGE, DIST. I used a Rockman signal flow block diagram I found on-line to build up the preset in the same way the X100 is designed. I spent many hours swapping blocks and tweaking parameters in an attempt to tone match by ear. I wanted to make it easy to use without requiring any special IRs. Just like the original unit, you can also bypass the chorus, delay and reverb using stomp switches.

A few interesting things about the X100:

* The Boston sound was based on Marshall amps, so that's what I decided to use

* The X100 uses what they call a gated reverb, so the delay is more like a echo/reverb

* I used the Helix Bucket-Brigade delay which is what the X100 uses

* I found that there is not a lot of difference between the X100 EDGE and DIST settings

See: https://line6.com/customtone/tone/5460830/

Thanks CraigGT. Yes, it turns out that I needed to go in and change the "Instant MIDI Command" in the control center. Without changing this, my old setting was sending a CC MSB/LSB followed by a PC message 0 on channel 1, then a small delay followed by the PC messages that I programmed. In the new Helix Edit, I needed to use the new pull down menu to select PC message. Now only one MIDI message (PC) is generated with no delay.

Thanks for the info. Do you change to a different drum track dynamically during a song or just start a new drum track for a new song. It it's that later, you may not notice the small delay increase.

I have a programmable tube amp that will change presets when receiving a MIDI PC message. Since this tube amp has a built-in reactive speaker load following by a line level direct out, I can use it in the Helix effects loop. For some of my Helix presets, I simply replace the Helix internal amp model block with the Helix effects loop block (real amp in the signal chain) followed by a cabinet model or IR block. When I change a Helix preset, I configure the Helix to also send a MIDI PC message to the tube amp.

I have noticed that with the new 3.1 release, there is now a noticeable delay between when the Helix preset changes and when the Helix sends a PC message to the external tube amp. This can cause loud glitches between presets. Since I am mainly a home studio player, I can deal with it, but for live use, this would be annoying for anyone using outboard MIDI effects. Has anyone noticed this behavior? Is there a way to reduce the MIDI PC output delay on the Helix? Thanks.

I really like the fact that you can build custom guitar rigs with the Variax and Helix and select them with a preset. I built a custom guitar model for The Rain Song using a Rick body with a Tele neck pickup and using 12 strings with the octave strings set to 25% volume for a hint of chime. Also use EADADE tuning. I also used a modified preset on the Helix that I also use for the Variax acoustic guitar models. Here is my interpretation of the Rain song. I included the presets below as well.

https://soundcloud.com/user-694337995-267309659/the-rain-song

The Rain Song.whd

The Rain Song.hlx

4 hours ago, spikey said:

I don't think you can do both a "Global" and "Per-Patch" setting on the same control.

 

It's either one or the other IIRC.

 

Somebody correct me if needed- thanks.

Yes, that makes sense.

It would be nice if on the presets where you are not forcing Variax parameters, the Helix could tell the Variax to just configure itself using its current control knob positions.

This seems to be fixed with the new 2.0 firmware release.

I have just installed 2.8 on my Helix rack and 2.0 on both of my PowerCab Plus cabs. I also use a Variax with the latest firmware.

I decided to start setting up one of my presets to control both the Variax and PowerCabs. I can select this preset and it will change the Variax model, the Variax tuning and the PowerCab speaker model. Now when I select one of my other presets, it would be nice if the Variax and PowerCab would go back to default settings, but they don't. So, if you have 30 existing presets and you only want to force Variax tunings on only one preset for example, you will have to go and force Variax to standard tunings on all 29 other presets. Same with the PowerCab. Some questions:

• Can you somehow set Variax and PowerCab as a global setting across all presets but then as a per-preset setting on just a few?
• I couldn't find a way to use snapshots to select the PowerCab speaker model. Is that possible?

Yes, it's great how modeling has improved since I bought that Vetta over 16 years ago!

I dusted off my old Vetta combo that was in the closet. At first it wouldn't boot until I opened it up and disconnected/reconnected everything I could hoping it was a corroded connector and it worked. I plug the HX Stomp into the Vetta effects loop return with the effects loop as the last block in the Vetta chain. The Vetta is set up in half power mode with the volume knob at 25%. The HX Stomp volume is at 50% making the entire chain about 6% of maximum volume, and it's very loud but sounds very good so far.

Looks like its back. Lots of clicking and popping with sound cutting in and out for about 30 seconds after power on and then it works fine from then on.

I don't have MIDI connected. Recently the problem seams to have gone away. No idea why, maybe there is some sort of link training involved with L6 Link. I will keep monitoring the situation.

I daisy chain the cables:

Helix L6Link out -> blue L6 link cable -> L6Link in on left PC+ -> L6LInk out on left PC+ -> DMX cable -> L6Link in on right PC+

I am running a blue LIne 6 link cable from my Helix Rack to the left channel Powercab+ and then a 10 foot DMX cable from the left channel Powercab+ to the right channel Powercab+, all using Line 6 link. I use a power conditioner that first turns on the Helix and then the Powercabs after a few seconds of delay.

After the Powercabs turn on, they click and pop for a while and the sound turns on and off randomly from each cab. After maybe 30 seconds of this, they stay on and work fine for the rest of the time I am playing.

Anyone else experience this?

I agree that this is much like a typical amp with FX loop setup. But an ideal setup would be like a concert hall where the delay and reverb would come after the speaker cab IR. Probably doesn't make much difference though.

Yes, the global setting solved the volume expression pedal issue. Thanks.

But I did notice that it has trouble detecting expression pedal positions for other effects. For example switching to a preset using a wah expression pedal that is in the toe position starts out very muted-bassy like the pedal is near the heal position. Move the pedal back and forth to the toe position and it sounds like a normal wah in the toe position.

Thanks. I will try this setting out.

I couldn't figure out why my sound was randomly cutting out on certain presets and then I tracked down what was going on. Apparently the Helix does not sense expression pedal positions when changing to a new preset. When I switch to a preset using a volume expression pedal and the pedal is in the heel down position, the preset comes on at full volume. When my guitar cord lightly brushed up against the volume pedal, the volume would cut out until I rock the pedal forward. Maybe something to fix on a future release.

I was using the Aux input for my bass guitar that has a built-in preamp and it worked fine. Then I tried some of my passive pickup guitars and the tone was terrible. Then I read the manual: "AUX IN (10kΩ) Connect a secondary, active-pickup equipped guitar or bass here". The low input impedance sucks the tone from the passive pickups which typically have an output impedance of 5-10K ohms. I assume the effects return may be similar but I never tried those. I use the front panel input (high impedance) with much better results.

This may have been discussed before and I missed it (sorry) ,,,,

It looks like using an IR only in the Powercab is the same as using an IR only in the Helix but with the IR as the last block in the signal chain. This seems non ideal as the optimal signal chain would be something like Amp->IR(cab)->Reverb->Delay. Using an IR in the Powercab, this would be Amp->Reverb->Delay->IR(cab). Does it make sense to use two IRs: Amp->IR(cab)->Reverb->Delay->IR(PC)? Has anyone done a comparisons between these signal chains? Maybe there is not much difference? Two IRs in series of course could be problematic.

I put a tube amp with DI output in the effects loop of my Helix followed by multiple cabinet IRs I can select with snapshots. I follow this with delay and reverb blocks before sending it to the Powercab plus running in FRFR mode. I previously tried this using studio monitors, but the PC+ makes it sound much more like a real guitar amp/cab. This is one of my go-to presets. I think you could do something similar with the AX8.

Here is my Helix setup. Variax guts transplanted into a Warmoth Guitar (love the neck), Helix rack plus controller, Powercab Plus. I also put a small MIDI controllable tube amp head in the effects loop of one of my presets. Sounds great with multiple IRs (scenes) and the Powercab.

I designed and tried to sell a 7W MIDI controllable tube amp about 10 years ago. I wasn't using it much myself after getting into first the Axe-FX and now the Helix. Plus it's lacking an effects loop, but it does have a line-level out with a built-in speaker load.

I put the amp in my effects loop after wah, compressor, chorus and distortion and followed by an IR block, reverb and delay. It sounds great, especially the cleaner tones.

The great thing about the Helix is that I can use the control center setup to send MIDI commands to the tube amp to select pre-amp drive, control various parameters and select the output tube type. Then I can use the snapshots to select among 8 different cabinet IRs.

I am loving the number of tonal choices I can get with this setup on a single preset. I think there are several other low wattage tube amps with line-level outputs that could be used in this configuration.

Let me know if you have tried this.