cornerstonetom

B.B. used Fender Twin Reverb amps before the Lab 5.  On the Helix I use the "US Double Vib" amp+cab model, the "421 Dynamic" mic, and a touch of "63 Spring" reverb. 

 

Having a dual humbucker semi-hollow body guitar is essential.  My solid body guitars through the same patch don't sound anywhere close.

Tweed based amps (as well as certain JM style and Dumble) tend to play better with humbuckers than Blackface amps. What's cool about Helix is that, for the most part, if you know what's going on in the real world of music production, you can emulate that with the Helix.

If you're talking about reverb for live performances, some venues have that on the board. Depending on the room, you may not (as previously mentioned) want to add reverb.

If you're talking studio recording, a professional studio will have you covered. If it's home recording, then maybe the external loops will serve you well and you can plug in your 'verb of choice.

I wanted the Helix to eliminate my need for my pedals... but some I just want to keep and some I just need.

For live though... I really doubt the audience will know the difference... they just want to hear music.

Unless you are in a sterile, controlled listening environment... just sayin'

Here's another thread that might apply:

outboard geareffects pedals analog pedals pedal boards pedalboard 

When you say, "tame the hollowbody" are you talking about feedback? Or, are you talking about different frequencies being accentuated?

If it's feedback, typically the frequency to attenuate could be within the range 125 Hz up to 250 Hz. It's often referred to as a "notch" filter.

If it's certain frequencies, it could be related to either pole piece heights on the pickups or the body of the guitar itself. If it's related to the body, you could try running your guitar through an EQ (either an external pedal or internal to the Helix) before anything else in the chain. Strum each string individually and see if you have an even frequency response across the strings.

And then there's the type of cable and its length which could have an impact, but that is not likely an issue here.

I hope this helps. You'll need to play around with a few things as it could be a combination of factors of feedback and hot frequencies..

Best of luck.

Tom

Well, maybe it's just not that what you are looking for. There are many people who prefer other brands, nothing wrong with that. But I don't understand why would you like it better if it would cost half the price? If you don't like it, you don't like it - no matter if you get it as a present or you pay 1Mio Bucks - right?

 

Just look for other divices. Happily enough there's a big choice out there these days :-)

Precisely! +1

I did. I'll do the uninstall/reinstall thing.

 

Thanks for getting back to me. I'll let you know what happens.

Reinstall worked. Thanks for your reply.

Have you installed the "Helix Editor" application on this computer? It will automatically install the Windows driver necessary for the Updater to see your Helix and do the firmware update. It will also install the latest Updater version as well as the latest Editor.

I did. I'll do the uninstall/reinstall thing.

Thanks for getting back to me. I'll let you know what happens.

I'm stuck. Since my computer won't recognize the Helix, I can't do the 2.0 FW update.

Any suggestions on how to get this digital mess sorted out?

Thanks

Interesting trick, what mix level and how many milliseconds are you setting the delay for? Also, are you using another delay somewhere further down in your signal chain as well?

It's really subtle. The difference between the two ODs is very slight and the delay is only a few to 30 milliseconds or so... "season to taste." You just need to play around with the delay and the differences between the two ODs. You really just want to fatten the sound... Just draw things out a bit. It will also boost the sustain and make things tend to sound more "violinish" just like Santana!   :)

Finding myself rather disappointed in the tone of the tube screamer in the helix.  It does not seem possible to get that mostly clean, yet highly sustained tone that I usually reach for with it.  I have tried lots of knob tweaking, even putting two of them back to back in a chain, but I am pretty much striking out.  Honestly, I prefer the way this effect gets translated on my Zoom G5, which is disappointing, as other effects in the Helix, are leagues better than the G5.  Still, this is one of my go to's, so it is kind of a deal breaker.  Anyone else having difficulties?  Anyone figure out how to solve them?

I use Carlos Santana's trick, two ODs or distortions with a delay in between. The first OD is really there just to add a little grit and tone. The delay (very slight) thickens the sound and the second delay is where the tone, sustain and EQ happen. The other question to ask is which TS808 are you using for a point of reference? These boxes have changed over the years.

Having a "Plan B," while theoretically unnecessary, is always wise.

When nothing is plugged in and it's just you and your guitar, what does your ear hear?

??? Not sure what you mean by this.

 

Either you are saying that:

 

You indeed can get what you need from what Helix has to offer, but it doesn't mean you should be satisfied with that?

 

or

 

You know that Line 6 will reveal more with Helix but that is not something one should be satisfied with?

 

So you like what you get from Helix but you are not satisfied and you know that more is coming and you are not satisfied?

 

hmmm,

 

Would 50,002 work?

Ummm... what I said was that I'm able to get what I need. Just because I'm able to do that doesn't mean that you're getting the things out of Helix that you need. I also said that Helix will be receiving more upgrades. I don't see how that implies any level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. It is what it is. I think you're overthinking this.

I've never been using the popular IR packs, RedWirez or Ownhammer, although I use cab sim all the time for hobby recordings.

So far I've just been using cabs from GuitarRig. 

 

I've often been tempted by the IR packs though, and I know they sound killer. But the thing that has kind of scared me away so far is the amount of files you get per speaker/cab. Like, it's not just a matter of picking a Marshall cab... you also have to decide on mic, which angle, which distance etc. Feels a bit overwhelming to be honest. And going into the Helix I guess you would have to pick one of the files, or mix them in a DAW like suggested above.

 

So any tips on how you guys approach a new IR pack? Where do you start? Any particular angle/distance/mic that you always pick as a starting point?

The best way to avoid "overwhelm" and to avoid having to "reinvent the wheel" is to look at the way amps and cabs are recorded in the real world, both live and studio environments. Look up recording "tips and tricks" and that should get you well on your way. While equipment selection and basic recording fundamentals are important, play around and find what sounds best to you. Remember, the same setup with two different players can sound completely different.

As to mic selection, there are basic guidelines. Different mics are used to enhance certain frequencies. Also, from a physical recording standpoint, it's not a good idea to use a high end condenser mic inside a kick drum. It won't end well! A lot of general recording is accomplished by surprisingly few mics, mostly of the dynamic type.

Being able to use EQ well is also important. Just read up on some basic recording set ups and you'll accomplish a lot in a short time.

Hmmm... Need vs. Want

Third Party IRs...

No one device will be perfect, in part due to intellectual property laws, so no one manufacturer can just copy and paste the best aspects of other companies' products into their own. It would be nice if licensing agreements could be in place to allow this.

Personally, I can extrapolate what I need with what the Helix has to offer. And I know, "More will be revealed." That doesn't mean you should be satisfied, however.

I'll just go stand in front of my microwave and shout, "Hurry up!"  :)))

Certain combinations of components tend to sound better, or worse depending on the combination. It doesn't matter if we're talking about guitars and amps, amps and speakers... whatever. Some things just tend to get along better with certain things.

Also, our ears WANT to hear certain frequencies boosted and attenuated.

FRFR tend to sound "wanting" for lack of a better term, but that is the best landscape for providing an objective starting point for EQ purposes.

The only way to tell if your "tried and true" headphones are serving you well is to really know what their Frequency Response Curve actually is (not what's put down on paper by the manufacturer) and if there is any "weighting" involved. "Weighting" is where a restricted portion of the device's FRC is highlighted as being the true output of the device, when in fact, it could be just a small portion of the overall output.

Like someone stated earlier, your headphones may be just fine, just not for this application.

I guess a good test would be to A/B the output of your speakers against the headphones to see what the differences in EQ actually are. It sounds like your FRFR system might be more objective, from an audio perspective, than your headphones.

Also, regardless of headphone quality, the low end will tend to be lacking. It's a simple physical restriction due to the size of the drivers.

One other point mentioned earlier, program material, whether music, sound effects, etc., will sound better, up to a point, at higher sound pressure levels.

What has worked for me is a used set of Sennheiser's HD600. For some reason, the newer version doesn't sound as good, to me, with the Helix. And yes, the low end is a little lacking... it's a driver thing. But I know to expect that and can EQ accordingly.

Best of luck.

Tom

Eh couldn't wait, gonna try this. Found it on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/221861734747

I have that same case on my watch list!

I also use a Gator Mixer case (12x24)... it has wheels, extendable handle, fits the Helix like a glove, provides excellent protection and is lightweight. It's awesome.

Helix works great with GarageBand, with one caveat—GB doesn't support multiple outputs, so there's no way to reamp. If you don't care about reamping, you're golden.

I'm looking at getting PreSonus Studio One 3.2. Ed Nystrom (a guitar player) at Sweetwater said that Helix works really well going into a DAW. I'll have to see if this particular software supports multiple outs.

I have a Harmony Man... I'll have to see if plugging it in to the external loop would work.

OK, well fingers crossed. This will either be another blank page or hopefully the rig helix replaced.

 

Is there anything from this beast that is being used with your Helix?

Imperfections and impending improvements notwithstanding, thank you, DI and thank you to all involved.

What if, when setting levels at the venue, you leave your guitar volume knobs at 7 or 8? That way, you have a little left in reserve and can adjust accordingly on the fly without having to mess with the Helix's settings...

the million dollar question is...

 

If line6 pushes this with more frequent updates like fractal does for its customers. so far they have fallen flat with this.. imo

 

i find staying around 30% mix with the reverbs works best.

When you take a look at the update section of Helix, they've actually been averaging more than 2 updates per month. I have no experience with Fractal. However, you also contradict yourself later on saying it's not how many times updates are issued... Perhaps you should put your requests on IdeaScale. That might be more effective and far less annoying.

If I read one more time about how we should get something because we had to pay 1500 I'm gonna puke... You did get something- Helix.

LOL!!!

For some, separating finely ground pepper from fly droppings is a worthwhile pursuit...

well 4 years in the making with no editor at launch..lol

 

still limited amp sims, cab sims not very good compared to 3rd party IR's , no upgrades to speak of since matchless amps and channel switching issues with lots of user amps including both of mine,and zero support for a correct fix from line 6 for this.

 

I am starting to wonder if I made a mistake buying it. at least my fractal gets upgrades, has strong support, and tons of great amp/cab sims.

 

Its true the helix is very easy to use and has some great features like routing but is failing in a lot of other areas, support and cab sims noted in the above post included.

 

Just my opinion take it as you will.

I don't know what your idea of support looks like exactly. I do know that there have been 19 various updates/fixes posted on the "Downloads" section for Helix (Win10), not including the Beta version of the desktop editor, from 7/23/15 to present. 20 updates over nearly 9 months. That's an average of just over 2 per month (2.222222222 to be exact). It could also take quite some time to deliver on all the "best" requests posted on IdeaScale.

I would like to see more versatility in the cab/mic department along with a few other things posted online.

I do know this device is better than the X3 Live I had.

I have a feeling more will be revealed. I also have a feeling that what will be revealed will take some time. While I would have liked it to have been perfect/complete from the start, I realize that this is a fairly complicated device. I expect there to be a whole bunch of updates and incremental improvements.

I still have my analog pedalboard however... but overall, I'm pretty satisfied.