cglaser68

So I'm just starting to explore using the Helix as an interface to my DAW.  I have a question about the USB 1/2 outs.  Do I assign both to one track in my DAW?  What is being sent though them?  Is USB 1 left, and USB 1 right, or are these just two interfaces that both send the full signal?

Thanks.  The Modulation comment was spot on, it really helped to 'soften' the sound.  I'm getting closer to it.  I think I just need to play with the Master/Gain settings a bit now in conjunction with a distortion stomp to get a distortion with a shorter sustain like it has in the song. 

Our bass player wants to do 'Head On' by The Jesus and Mary Chain.  (Youtube video of song:  https://youtu.be/eGp47YwDZ48 )

When I first heard it I figured it be easy to dial in the tone,  as to me it just sounds like some simple tube distortion and a ton of reverb on the chorus part. and then the same but less verb and then dialed back a bit for the rhythm.  But for the life of me, I can't seem to get something that's close for the chorus.  Everything I try doesn't have that 'softness' to the distortion and sustain.  I can tell there's a lot of reverb being used, but I don't know how to take the edge off the distortion so it's got that softer, fade away feel to it.  Something tells me compression might be in play to take the attack off, but compression is something I don't have a lot of experience with and I'm trying to get the sound to fade off, not add more sustain which is what I thought compression did.

If someone could take a listen and point me in the right direction, or to something on custom tone that sounds close., I'd appreciate it.

I have this issue for two snapshots.  So, I don’t think this is a looper issue per se, but something with command center.  What’s strange is that the double press issue only happen when going from certain snapshots to certain other snapshots.  I.e

Our band does ‘I Ran’ by Flock of Seagulls.  So I have the following snapshots:

Footswitch 2:  Intro tone 

Footswitch 3:  Solo tone

footswitch 8:  verse delay tone

footswitch 9:  verse clean tone

if I I’m on the footswitch 8 tone and then want to go to the footswitch 3 tone, I need to press footswitch 3 two time for the snapshot to activate.  However, if I’m on the footswitch 9 tone, and go to the footswitch 3 tone, I only need to push footswitch 3 once for it to activate.  I can’t figure it out.
 

Ive tried dong a full factory reset and restore from backup, but that did not fix.  In command center all the settings look fine.  This started for me after going to firmware 2.91.

10 hours ago, Bushman2 said:

I do cello/violin tones a lot. I always use a generous amount of distortion to simulate the strings chattering under the bow, volume swell and finger vibrato. It takes a little practice but have gotten lots of cudos...

Would you be able to upload any of these to customtone?  I'd be interested to see how they are built out.

Remember though, having the Powercab processing the IR's means you don't need to use a CAB or IR block in your Helix chain, so it saves you DSP utilization that you can then use for other blocks.  That's a big benefit once you start doing more complex effects chains.  So I would look at it as not just being able to use IRs on it, but also that it gives you the option to offload some of the DSP processing load from your helix.  The drawback to this is you need to have the powercab with you as it is processing the IRs.  But, for me since I always use my powercab 112+ for a guitar-only monitor at shows, it's not an issue.

On 6/24/2020 at 5:53 PM, andymguitar said:

I'm curious what is the extra benefit of the plus? 

The 'Plus' allows you to load IR's into the powercab itself.  I use this for some patches in helix, as it frees up needing to use a cab block in the helix, I can just use a custom IR on the Powercab+

On 4/23/2020 at 8:08 PM, brue58ski said:

This is a variation of an old issue. I keep waiting for an update to correct it. After updating my Helix to 2.9, I created 11 new presets, each with the Variax's tone knob saved at 10, 9, 8, 7, etc. to Don't Force. When I go from one patch with the tone knob at one setting to different patch with a different setting, the tone knob's position remains the same as the previous patches tone setting. For example if I go from a patch with the tone knob at 10 to patch with the tone knob at 1, it stays on 10 even though the Helix Editor indicates the tone knob is at 1. HOWEVER, if I select the patch with the tone knob at 1 again (either from the Helix or the HX Edit) it then will switch the Variax to the saved tone knob position. If the tone knob is saved as Don't force it goes to whatever position the tone knob on the guitar is at. So that does seem to work. This same type of thing appeared to be happening with the Volume knob before as well but seems to be corrected. So, for now, if I have a saved tone knob setting, I have to hit the patch switch TWICE for it to actually switch the tone knob setting on my JTV Variax to the saved setting. Has anyone come across this phenomenon? Apparently it's not an issue with Snapshots. Only going from one preset to another.

Since upgrading to 2.90+  (currently on 2.92), I have two presets that I need to hit twice before they'll work.  So It may not be related to the tone knob as much as related to activating the preset.  My guess is this that issue.  The double-select issue.  Try adding a different amp or effect to one of the presets and see if you need to select the preset twice for the new effect or amp to also activate.  One thing I'm going to try later today is a factory reset and then a restore from backup to see if that resolves the double-press issue for the two patches I have.  I'll let you know if it works.

On 6/23/2020 at 6:36 PM, jesusmiguel said:

2
 Being within the same preset in Helix, it has been impossible for me to change from "emulated" guitar to real guitar from Helix. I have not found the way, only manually from Variax.

When creating a preset in Helix, change the input block from Multi to 'Variax' or 'Varix Mags'.  The 'Multi' input block simply takes what the variax is currently manually set for. If you have the modeling on, it takes, that, if the modeling is off, it takes that.  If you want a preset where you can change between the modeling and the magnetic pickups via snapshot, you need to have two input blocks.  One set for 'Varix Mags' and the other for 'Variax'.  Then use a volume block to control how much mix you want from one or both input blocks.  This method not only lets you switch from magnetcs to modeled via snapshots in a preset , it also lets you mix modeled and magnetics at the same time.

Awesome.  Thanks.  Works great.  

Is there a way to assign more than one action to a stomp?  For instance, I have two snapshots, one clean, one distorted.  I want to create a loop with the distorted snapshot but immediately switch to the clean snapshot once the loop has been created.   So is there a way to assign a ‘play loop’ function AND a change to snap X on one stomp switch?

Is there an effect or technique in helix to introduce Latency to a path?  For instance, if I want to split the signal from the guitar to two amp models, but I’d like one of the amps to get the signal maybe 30ms or so later than the other amp.

Are the new Command center HX Looper options a global setting or a per preset setting?

I.e. What I'd like to do is for each preset that I need to use snapshots and the looper with, is in stomp mode, be able to assign 2-3 switches with looper functionality (one switch for Record/Overdub and one for Play/Stop, and on some presets use a third for 1/2 speed), and then use the rest of unassigned switches under that preset for snapshots and/or stomp settings.  

In the read me though, there is the warning:  

"IMPORTANT! Although stomp mode switches can be assigned to multiple functions, to avoid unintended behavior, we strongly recommend HX Looper commands be assigned to empty footswitches."

This is ambiguous to me.  Does this mean if I assign two switches in stomp mode with my looper functions those switches cannot be used for anything else in any other preset?  Or does this just mean that I should not also have a stomp bypass or snapshot also set the any of the switches I assigned the looper to in that same preset.

On 10/15/2019 at 1:11 PM, chasingMango said:

Not to invalidate your use case, but if you want headphones then why not plug them into your helix and have the helix model the cabinet?  If you want to go back and forth between headphones and no headphones, then put the amp in FRFR mode... won't have exactly the same effect, but if you're spending time with headphones on anyway, maybe doesn't matter as much.

The main reason for me is I have a 112+ and use custom IR's in the powercab.  If i plug direct in to the Helix, I'd lose the IRs.

This is happening to me as well.  I can’t manage variax settings in the app.  As soon as I select the variax block, it crashes.  This started for me as well after upgrading to 13.1.2