Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

kenmac1

Members
  • Posts

    76
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by kenmac1

  1. Thank you. I'll give I'll give all this a go. I have a feeling I am gonna love using the rig in this manner far more than amp modelling through the Helix, into a desk / flat monitor.
  2. Hey guys n girls, has anyone used the Helix / DT / JTV combination like the old school Dream Rig concept yet within 2.8 / 2.81? can you please explain in simple step by step terms how to do this, or better still link a video showing how this is achieved, and what exactly can or can't be done? It would be great to see for example how to not only make the Helix control the DT, but also send some of the fx within a snapshot to the front of the DT, and others into the fx loop, which I assume is pretty simple, I can't find any videos on how to do this, no tutorials of any kind, no information on how to make the Helix act purely as an FX unit, channel switcher / controller, allowing me to bypass all the internal amp modelling, by using the DT to give me actual valve amp sounds. The online manual does not go into using the Helix with the DT (JTV) like the older Pod Dream rig system, as this is a new feature, but this can apparently now be done with 2.8. How in depth do the Helix control capabilities of the DT actually go? Can I for example make it so that when I switch a snapshot or patch, as well as changing amp channels on my DT, it can also alter the tonal settings, and Gain levels accordingly, (i.e., if I use the Marshall or Bogner for example for both lead and rhythm, but need the gain levels or tones changed for solos, can the Helix do this within a snapshot without adding any external / helix distortion pedal to achieve the extra kick? Output differentials and reverbs can obviously be controlled by using a modelled reverb in the Helix and setting the final stage of the Helix to appropriate volume levels as we have been doing up til now.
  3. I specifically want 12 string acoustic split, so once again I have a suggestion that the Line 6 gurus should maybe consider, especially since the Nashville tuning is so prominent on modern acoustic recordings, so this would be something I'm sure many of us would utilise. I'm actually surprised there is no way to do this, since the system is emulating the 12 string tones anyhow, and the acoustic tones, so to me taking it that one step further and allowing those sounds to be split into stereo tracks doesn't seem to impossible. Having said that, I know nothing about programming, only what I want / need to achieve. They can emulate a hundred different bodies, pickups and even some more obscure instruments inside the JTV / Helix gear, but they can't stereo split one of those creations. That to me seems much easier than all the other stuff they have done combined.
  4. Finally got around to re-reading these responses, yes it has been a while since I logged in. The idea about being able to pick and choose between models, and swap them in and out to me seems like the most logical /workable solution, but I am still at the mercy of Line 6 really, because unless their geniuses provide the core sound of a nylon string to begin with, someone like me who is still very much an old school player with less than zero programming skills at all, would never be able to create that sound myself. I had someone else program all my sounds as I have neither the patience or understanding when it comes to the Helix. Yep I took my main old valve amp along, an A/B box and kept changing back and forth from my favourite amp, to the Helix rig, and he dialled in pretty well perfectly the tones I was getting from the amp. (My main amp is not one that is modelled, but he was able to use the PRS clean and get very close to my clean, and a couple pedals to get very close to my crunch / gain tones). I am impatient at the best of times, i want to be able to just plug in and play, not scroll through a hundred menus to create then balance out the sounds. It was always so easy with old pedals and amps. As rewolf stated, I'd also be happy to dump out some of the sounds I will never use, in order to get others in that I will use, and there are several I would happily remove to get a nylon string sound. At the end of the day we all have certain sound we use in the studio, certain key tones we rely on live, and in my case as someone who writes and records, I need to be able to faithfully replicate the tones I recorded with, without having to change back and forth between instruments. And Yes Barkerm, I'm not against the idea of mixing gear to get the sounds I need, so if the only way to achieve the perfect blend of sounds I require on stage were to combine various items, then... as long as it does not mean changing instruments mid song. I used to have a stand on stage that held my acoustic at playing height, and would swing my electric behind my back, before the Variax gear became available, (I grew up watching videos of bands like Bon Jovi, Vandenberg..., as soon as I saw those acoustic stands I ordered one) However there are definite limitations to that sort of thing, especially if you are self mixing the band from on stage. I'm still not impressed that L6 decided not to keep the Dream Rig happening with the Helix. The Bogner series valve amps are brilliant, the JTV guitars (in spite of lacking a Nylon string sound), are fantastic for 95% of the stuff I write / play, and the Helix itself, is great, but to me since you ideally need to drag a FRFR monitor system to a gig anyhow, why not just make it work with the Bogners again? It is not like we are really carrying any less if we are now dragging an FRFR system along to monitor our sounds.
  5. I'm not sure if it is better to put this in the JTV or Helix section, so I will post it to both. I'm recording at the moment and want to know if anyone has a way to use the JTV / Helix set up for a Nashville Tuning type idea? Ok so what I mean by that is... Ordinarily to do Nashville tuning we grab two acoustic (or even electric guitars) and split a set of 12 strings over the pair of guitars. So the normal tuned strings go on one instrument, and the higher set go onto the other. Then you play the same passages twice, (One on each instrument), and pan each track left / right to give the effect of a 12 string guitar with a very wide stereo field, because the coinciding pairs of strings appear on opposite sides of the stereo field. This is great for simplistic strummed rhythms, or if you play a song one way every time, but if like myself you humanise a song each time you play it, (on some songs I like to free time the feel), it is not ideal at all. So what I want to achieve is, using one of the 12 string sounds available inside the JTV / Helix rig, I want to record the sound into stereo, so I will run each of the output leads of the Helix into separate tracks, and pan them hard left and right, but I do not know if the Helix and JTV set up can be set to give this effect? I'm pretty sure there must be a way to achieve it, and I am guessing someone has probably already done this in the past, since Nashville tuning, particularly on acoustic recordings is becoming more and more common. If anyone has a patch set up to do this, please attach a link, as I am terrified of the entire programming side of these things. (Yes I still prefer plugging pedals into an amp and going old school, because I know what I am doing that way).
  6. I'm not sure if it is better to put this in the JTV or Helix section, so I will post it to both. I'm recording at the moment and want to know if anyone has a way to use the JTV / Helix set up for a Nashville Tuning type idea? Ok so what I mean by that is... Ordinarily to do Nashville tuning we grab two acoustic (or even electric guitars) and split a set of 12 strings over the pair of guitars. So the normal tuned strings go on one instrument, and the higher set go onto the other. Then you play the same passages twice, (One on each instrument), and pan each track left / right to give the effect of a 12 string guitar with a very wide stereo field, because the coinciding pairs of strings appear on opposite sides of the stereo field. This is great for simplistic strummed rhythms, or if you play a song one way every time, but if like myself you humanise a song each time you play it, (on some songs I like to free time the feel), it is not ideal at all. So what I want to achieve is, using one of the 12 string sounds available inside the JTV / Helix rig, I want to record the sound into stereo, so I will run each of the output leads of the Helix into separate tracks, and pan them hard left and right, but I do not know if the Helix and JTV set up can be set to give this effect? I'm pretty sure there must be a way to achieve it, and I am guessing someone has probably already done this in the past, since Nashville tuning, particularly on acoustic recordings is becoming more and more common. If anyone has a patch set up to do this, please attach a link, as I am terrified of the entire programming side of these things. (Yes I still prefer plugging pedals into an amp and going old school, because I know what I am doing that way).
  7. If you have already assessed the sound as not quite being there, then I will trust your judgement. I was hoping someone would say, "Man this one is exactly what you are looking for..." If it is close but not quite on the podium, well nobody ever remembers, or cares who came second.
  8. I also have an 89F in blood red and a 69, (Helix, DT50, an old XT Live Bass Pod and other Line 6 toys) and I have songs where i go into Sitar mode, as well as six and 12 string acoustic sounds, then crossover back and forth to harder driven electric sounds, or split guitar sounds (Harmony mags on one side, and a different guitar on the other with different amp settings inside of the Helix). The possibilities are almost endless, but the distinct lack of a decent nylon sound is in my view an oversight of mammoth proportions, because that sound as an added texture on recordings is invaluable. It is like adding a layer of acoustic under a hard rock recording, most people never do it, and just layer in the high gain, but a nice lunch acoustic in the mix adds so much harmonic richness to the tapestry.. Mind you, the fact that Line 6 dropped the integrating abilities previously afforded to the Dream Rig HD series with the JTV and DT amps, when they brought in the Helix is also a poorly conceived move, because for old schoolers like myself, regardless of how convincing a digital sound into an FRFR rig might be, I still like having a valve rig behind me pushing out air. We might be somewhat placated by the fact that we have a million sounds at our disposal, and some of them are impressive as hell, but even a true convert still relishes plugging into our valve rigs with old school stomp boxes because as close as the sounds may be, I guess there is something primal about valves creating "that sound" the way we have always used them. As for how Fender got ahead of Line 6, I think it was possibly more the work of Roland in this case. Fender as far as their digital amps go are terrible at best, but the Roland models seem very convincing. If Fender / Roland had made it so you could integrate their rigs with a good floor pod type idea and amp, I may have gone down that path, purely for the convenience of a nylon string sound, but sadly they did not take their designs in that direction, so Line 6 still have the edge.
  9. Ok, I know for some reason Line 6 have not been able to produce a decent nylon string sound for the JTV guitars as yet, (Fender and Roland did), so I am curious if anyone has written or discovered a decent IR for a nylon string guitar that can be either programmed into the JTV or maybe into either the Helix / HD500X systems. The sort of tone I am looking for is similar to the one used by Steve Stevens on the Vince Neil disc when he was strumming the nylon string, so I am not so much chasing a good nylon string sound for individual notes / leads parts, more the chunky, but not to bright attack of the nylon string for playing a fairly percussive latin style of rhythm parts live. In the studio I used an actual nylon string, layered with a steel string acoustic on opposite sides of the track.. Obviously live I would rather not have to change instruments when the JTV is capable of doing just about anything. What is out there groovers? Cheers.
  10. How hard could it be for them to write it into a patch / update? and make the Helix workable with these monster amps? That is what I figured, and yes extremely short sighted. Old school guitarists want to hear / see a decent valve rig on stage. Whether it is purely a placebo or what I am notes debatable, but when I spent the money buying all this stuff, and the previous models were totally integrated, I think dumping the idea is retarded at best. So basically I have the choices of going back to a HD rig, or getting rid of the DT..., and after they spent so much time and money convincing us how this Dream rig concept was really the best of both worlds. The amp itself is fantastic, and I guess I could just try to connect one of my midi controllers to it and use it that way, but then I lose all the Helix gizmos. They definitely dropped the ball on this one, because having all the Helix sounds available through the DT would pretty well blow any other rig out of the water I think. They obviously think we all have money to burn, "Oh they can afford to throw these expensive toys in the back room, and buy the latest FRFR system, to accommodate our newest (probably also short sighted) direction." We use valve amps for a very good reason, we crave that warmth and the feeling we get when the air is thumping out at us. Sure we might be able to get a similar experience with a FRFR system, but you can't gig with just an FRFR, you need the Helix... to go with it, where as I can walk out the door with just a two channel amp and not be worried about the lack of fx.
  11. I can't say what version is on the machine, I do not have it here with me, however tunings are not an issue, I always use standard tuning, so while it may cause issues for people who have various tunings saved, it is not one I will need to deal with. Thanks for the other information, I will check it when I get home and see if that is how tit is set. I am doing a screenshot of your answer, as I am a complete no hoper when it comes to anything remotely technical, but I have seen he screen you are on about, so I am sure I can find it again. (Did I mention I have no clue when it comes to technical stuff?). I love the fact that I can do so much (potentially) with the Line 6 gear, in regards to being able to switch actual instrument sounds on the fly, (acoustic, 12 string, clean and dirty electric....) but the whole programming part of that totally does my brain in. I'd much rather pay someone to program my presets, at least then I know it will be done right. How would that "per reset" thing have been able to change itself without me scrolling through windows? It is something that could have occurred when I was changing through sounds via foot-switches? I literally avoid going into the menus at all costs. I know most of you guys love doing that, but I prefer to dodge that bullet completely if ti is at all possible. Cheers.‹
  12. G'day groovers, I had a guy program in a heap of snapshots for me a while back because I have no freaking clue with this digital stuff, in spite of owning Line 6 gear for over a decade now. Sorry some of us just are not hardwired to program when we were raised with stomp boxes and valve amps. I had not trouble getting my head around the JTV guitars, and their predecessors, the original series of Variax guitars, but the digital amp simulators ... ie the Helix and HD... you might as well be speaking to me in some alien language, as I would have more chance of deciphering it. Anyhow he did a fantastic job when he programmed the snapshots, other than a few slight level issues, which were sorted out the next time I got together with my band, the whole thing seemed to be running brilliantly, then a couple of weeks ago for no apparent reason it decided to dump the 12 string portion of the snapshot. I was not editing or playing with any f the buttons, I simply changed between sounds and the 12 string acoustic sound was no longer where it was supposed to be. What I had was a simple set up that allowed me to transition between acoustic, 12 string, clean and dirty electrics, sitar, lead tone and harmony lead. It is used with my JTV guitars, but now when I hit the 12 string switch, it reverts to an electric sound. I have manually selected the 12 string sound on the guitar with that button activated on the Helix, and then saved it, but it instantly reverts back to the default electric, in spite of every other sound still being where I want them. I'm sure it is just my total utter cluelessness at fault here, probably a button I am not pressing or some really retarded newbie issue I should know by now, but as I said, programming digital gear and me are not the best match. Any advice in total newbie terms would be appreciated. If need be I will upload my snapshot grid thing onto there, and let you guys play around with it, as you might be able to work it out faster that way, but it will need to wait until I get home, as I do not carry the Helix with me, but I always have one of my MacBooks, so I figured while I was surfing the net, I would write this post and see if anyone could tell me how to make this go back as it was programmed. Cheers. I have just located an older backup from January, so I will try and install that when I get home, and hope it resets back to what I had previously, but I am not sure whether that backup was from before or after the snapshots were programmed in any case.
  13. G'day groovers, I know the older HD series controllers could be used /integrated with the DT amps and JTV guitars into the so-called Dream Rig, can the Helix work in place of the HD series Pods? I have a couple of JTV models, a Helix floorboard and a DT50, and I want to use the amp itself to generate the valve tones... on stage rather than digitally emulating them, which I believe is exactly what the older HD Pods would allow, but nobody seems to be able to tell me (I've asked the guys that sell this gear in the big smoke) how or if the Helix will integrate in the same manner. I can not imagine that Line 6 removed that capability with the later generation of foot controllers, and of they did, I would think it is just a matter of them writing a patch to allow it to work int he same fashion. As much as I have tried for years to get my head around the various Helix, HD and previous model Pods, I still find I need to hear and feel a grinding amp behind me moving the air as only valve amps seem to do, so does anyone here understand how to make this happen please? I'd only be running into the valve amp for actual electric guitar sounds, clean and dirty, if I am simulating acoustic, 12 string, Sitar.... I will be wanting to divert the sound direct to the desk and monitors, to keep these sounds as pure and close to the original as humanly possible. Cheers
  14. G'day groovers, This one is a lot more technical than something like "How do I get this sound..." I need a special lead for my JTV/ Helix rig, but not the typical Cat5/6 cannon lead we all use, (although it is at the same time) Along with my Jtv/ helix rig, I also run a POSSE Audio in ear monitoring system, and that is cable connected from the floor box to my belt pack, using a Midi cable. The Posse is awesome if I am gigging with an acoustic, as only the one lead is needed to the floor unit and it carries the in ear signal up as well as the guitar signal down, but obviously using a JTV / Helix rig, this is more of a logistical nightmare to overcome. Currently i have both the Midi lead and JTV leads taped side by side, it is bulky, annoying, will not lay flat, wraps around everything (feet, fx units, mic stands...) so I need to make a two headed snake basically that will allow me to run both the canon style JTV plugs and Midi plugs inside the one lead, preferably not too thick / bulky. So my question, which of the pins / wires inside the Cat5/6 cable are actually used to transmit information between the units? Are those canon style cat5/6 connectors available somewhere or do i need to cannibalise the leads I own? I'll be asking POSSE the same questions regarding their Midi connections, as it is possible that only a few of the cables are being utilised in each connector for each unit, in which case I may be able to par the thickness of the cable (number of cores) down accordingly, and lighten the load. Has anyone seen a cable with these connectors at either end? Does anyone know of somebody who could produce them, without charging an arm and two legs?
  15. Cheers guys. I will try Pete's idea first when I get back in. At the moment everything is in my car as I am about to head out the door for a quick jam at a mate's place. His idea of dropping it to instrument level sounds like it may work. If not I will go to the one above that. I believe you can actually use the Helix as an in ear monitoring system, but sadly I don't have any grunt left in the unit to run my mic into it, otherwise I may go that way, but it has run out of herbs powering the various snapshots I have set up inside this thing, so running a mic into it is not gonna happen. So much for never being able to run out of power. A friend who also runs both the Helix and POSSE system says he runs the Posse out of the Headphones socket with a splitter and adjusts the volume via the phones pot. That is another option, guess. As soon as you start running different monitoring rigs and multi fx units... there is always going to be some teething problems. Thankfully there are guys more geeked up on these things than myself who have solutions for my problems.
  16. I am now running a POSSE Audio in ear system out of my Helix for my own on stage vocal, band and instrument monitoring. I have the standard XLR outputs of my Helix plugged directly into the desk, which is fine, and I am running the 1/4 inch outputs into the POSSE interface. However the 1/4 inch outputs clip badly, so I have turned the main huge volume knob down to eliminate the clipping, but that also turns down the XLR outputs, meaning I need to crank it at the desk, which adds unwanted noise. Yes it eliminates the clipping, but it is clearly not the solution. I'm sure there must be a simple way to adjust the 1/4 outputs independently of the XLR outputs, so I can kick the XLR's back up to 1/2 - 3/4 and have the jacks down at around 1/4 so they do not clip the in ear monitoring system. I keep the main output at 1/2 - 3/4 live purely so if the sound guy is not making my sound loud enough in the stage mix I have room to move on the floor. Can someone please explain the simple way to get into the appropriate menu in the Helix and rectify this, either directly from the floor unit or using the Mac interface?
  17. kenmac1

    Weird glitch

    You sir are a genius. had no idea what you meant but found the tab you mentioned and seems to have fixed the problem.
  18. kenmac1

    Weird glitch

    I have my Helix doing something really strange. (Story of my life) I have it set in eight snapshot mode, however when I press the expression pedal toe forward to activate the wah, it switches out my dirty amp, and my clean volume boost, (unless I am on a clean amp sound, in which case it switches the amp in) at the same time. Now I have checked the controller assignments, and not one single effect block anywhere in the entire snapshot series is set to any buttons including the toe expression toe, so as far as I am aware there is no logical reason for it doing this. The only things that are set to operate through the expression pedal are the volume/ wah, which should switch each other off. Other than that, they are all set to snapshot, so I have no idea how or why the unit is killing (or engaging) the dirty (Engl) amp and the clean boost. Has anyone else encountered this. Happy to demonstrate it via skype if this description makes no sense, because the problem makes bugger all sense to me.
  19. kenmac1

    Upgrade failing

    Cheers mate. I did have to completely uninstall the interface from my computer and start over. Was a pain, but it worked.
  20. kenmac1

    Upgrade failing

    I picked up a replacement Helix on Monday since the other one kept crashing., dumping patches, basically screwing up... (These things love me) I have tried several times with this one to update the firmware, but it fails each time. The package opens (mac) download into my macbook completes, but then when it switches to screen two, "Verifying", nothing happens. The little bar which should move across showing progress / completion does nothing, and it just sits there like a dead mullet. So I have now downloaded the package three times off the site, and attempted multiple times with each package, same problem continues. Has anyone else had this? How do I get past this? I have my band due here literally any minute to rehearse, in fact bassist is pulling in now, and no Helix. Until the upgrade installs, the helix controller thing inside my computer will not interface with it, so I can't reinstall my presets from the last unit. PS I f---g hate these things. I have had three so far, and each one has been a pain in the butt for one reason or another.
  21. Cheers Phil, Theoretically I guess that makes sense, but I have no idea where to even begin with that dual input idea, which to me seems like the most logical of the two options offered. One day they will make these pedals with three rows of buttons instead of the two, and I won't need to minimize on my patch sounds, as i will have enough to get every sound I want without compromising.
  22. Can someone please explain step by step, in the most basic manner possible how to change the input sound on two of the snapshots within an eight snapshot set from the JTV models to using the Magnetic Pickups inside of the JTV? I need to know exactly which buttons to press or turn (or both) how many times they need to be pressed... What will be displayed, in what colour (white, grey...) on the screen to show me that it is where it needs to be. Every single step of the way, since I am sick to death of this thing freezing up, or locking up my macbook pro, or otherwise doing it's own thing rather than what i need it do achieve. On six of the eight patches within the snapshot set, I am using JTV sounds, Acoustic 4 and 5, Reso 2 (Sitar) Tele, Strat and Les Paul... However for the two solo patches (Lead 1 and Harmony Lead) i want to use the magnetic pickups, so I can switch using the blade switch between neck, middle, and bridge, humbucker or single modes... I know it can be done, but have no clue how to achieve this. The input is set to multi, so that should allow the Helix and JTV to jump from emulated sounds to pickups. Cheers Groovers and Gurus.
  23. kenmac1

    Snapshot problem

    It started working. Not sure how or why, it just suddenly did what I wanted it to do, after freezing up a few times and being turned off, on, (almost thrown at the wall by that stage). So I got the patches I wanted sorted. May still fine tune them later when my ears have had a few hours to recover from the marshmallow fuzziness I now have, but at this stage I have it set with six and 12 string acoustic, clean electric, crunch rhythm, overdriven / phased electric, Sitar, Lead and Lead/harmony sounds in the one set, and all the guitars seem to be switching from between models instantly, flawlessly. Cheers groovers.
  24. kenmac1

    Snapshot problem

    I managed to work out how to change individual patch names last night before you replied, because I saw another post where several guys had the same problem and somebody told them how to do it on a computer screen, so I did it that way. But thanks. As for the brackets, as I select each instrument (Acoustic 1, Acoustic 2, Lester...) they definitely have brackets around them, and that seems to be how it sets as default. I just rang the store I got it from, but nobody there really knows anything about this gear, since they are old school players, guitar, stomp boxes, valve amp... So they are now calling the Australian rep for the company to see if he can work out why this is not working. I have been selecting the sounds by having the JTV plugged, in, and when I want patch 1 for example to be a Strat, I dial that in on the JTV, and it automatically corresponds on the screen of both the Macbook and the Helix, and the brackets seem to be automatic. However when I save it and move to the next bank, that has also adopted the same input.
  25. kenmac1

    Snapshot problem

    I can't see any way to attach a screenshot of my computer to the forum, that way you guys can see exactly what I am seeing, and might be easier to identify where this thing is screwing me up. Is there a way to attach photos?
×
×
  • Create New...