wafry1975

I just bought a TT for a practice amp at home, and cannot get the audio to come through USB to the PC. I have installed the driver, and it is on the current version... also, is there no PC tone-editing software with it? like HX edit, but for the amplifi? I'd prefer to use the PC instead of the ipad. ipad works, but right now for sound, I'm having to use the headphone out and a small portable speaker, which is weak for a guitar amp tone.

well, I know how my night is going to be spent, thank guys!

ok, i'm sitting at work, and I realized there is something I haven't tried... if I was at home I would just plug in and try it... but since I'm sitting here, I know someone else knows the answer... can one set a looper block at the beginning of the chain, create a loop, then set the other blocks while the loop runs? basically allowing you to turn knobs while "someone else" is playing (the looper) I find that is the biggest slow-down for me, is with so many options, I feel like I need a clone... one to play, the other to tweak... until I find that sound in my head...

so I just recently went through the same struggle as the OP... this is just my opinion, and where I landed... I play at home, church, and live jams... I didn't really consider the kemper.. it's way more $$ and it's main trick is the amps... if you want to keep your current pedals, and have all the amps in the world, and money is no concern... get the kemper. if you like a ton of amps, that aren't quite as great as the kemper, but use a lot more effects... maybe the axe-FXII is for you... my budget was in the sub $1500 category so I had to consider the atomic amplifire 12, AX8, and helix (and LT) I hung out on all 3 communities (lurking) and tried all 3... and decided the Helix LT was right for me- I didn't need the extra routing options, because the LT already had so many, and scribble strips didn't interest me that much... but it left $$ in my budget for PA speakers and other things I needed to make the giant leap from tube amps and pedals to ONE unit up front: ALL of them are great. you cannot "lose" TONE: I'll kinda echo what the others here said... the difference in tone can be tweaked to the point they are almost indistinguishable... the tone is DAMN close. the AX8 might have more effect/amp options, and the atomic has much less... but bottom line, if you can't get a good tone out of any of them, it's not the fault of the unit. all 3 have great tone... I do think you want to keep pedals with the amplifire too.. the effects choices are just not as robust. but it does have great amp models. Updates: fractal is the one with the best record for updates... so far. but helix is a newer product, and seems to be trying to catch up, and they seem poised to continue the line a long time. if you go to the atomic forum, people are very discouraged by the lack of updates and support.. now that they got the fireboxx released maybe it will get better? IDK user interface: THIS is what separates the units. the AX8 and amplifire really HAS to have a PC/MAC connected all the time. otherwise that on-unit display will cause you to go cross-eyed... on the helix, on the other hand, I can sit down with an idea in mind, and a blank patch, and within a half hour I have a usable patch(it may take some tweaking, still, but at that point it's quite usable) and I'm talking 1/2 hour for a "complicated" patch that would be impossible without modelling... that may not seem impressive... but I never owned a modeller before this one, so to be able to dial in something so good, so quick, is a GIANT leap. it is so powerful and flexible... your imagination is the real limit. more: the ax8 has limited output options compared to the helix. the USB is for editing and firmware, it's not a DAW, or re-ampable... the ax8 even needs extra hardware to use headphones neither of the other 2 have an expression pedal built in the helix can also do things to control your real amps(as mentioned above), I don't believe the ax8 can do that at all, and I know the amplifire can't. the only way I can see recommending the ax8 over the helix is if you already have everything you could possibly need (speakers, DAW interface, etc, etc, etc) in an axe-FXII and need a floor unit instead... sorry... the tone is close,maybe even a slight advantage to the ax8 on tone... but the interface and "other" abilities is just not close at all, IMO and I cant think of an honest reason to choose the amplifire12... the tones are good, but a lot fewer options, you probably already have better effects(mod/delay/reverb) than the AA12 and a whole lot fewer abilities... and questionable future/support... it IS cheaper though. so you get a lot of extra dough to spend, and it works nicely in an existing pedalboard. untangible: community: line6 might get ripped by trolls in the youtube channels, but they have a strong, community, and a great way to share patches. fractal's community also seems good, albeit smaller... and the AA community is smaller still, and disgruntled... it might get some improvements soon, IDK the line 6 community seems more respectful to those who choose 'something else'... the other communities seem almost cliquish... if you didn't choose their option, you are wrong :D I'll reiterate what I started with... there is no wrong... you win, no matter what you choose... I don't like the attitude that "my option is superior"... they are all viable. it was a tough choice... but I know, for me, I made the right choice... I didn't give up any tones, and I gained a lot of other options without adding more hardware than I wanted to add.

agreed! even 2 amps fully wet gets kinda lost... my BEST experience has been wet/dry... one amp path clean and wet with effects, and a second path set barely dirty/ edge of breakup, and dry it creates a great stereo effect

so far my keepers are: TC electronic flashback mini - just a great pedal and not worth selling.. in some ways, its delays+effects are on par with the helix, if I ever wanted to add it... way huge red llama "BYOC" clone - nothing similar in the helix, plus since it's a clone, it's worth more to me than it would be to someone else. EHX Glove - again, not worth selling, it's a great pedal if I ever need it, and used market makes it worth keeping... it also pushes tube amps great, so I might try it in a helix loop sometime Boss CE-5 - same. though less useful to use with the helix.. I haven't plugged in a pedal/pedalboard or tube amp since I got the helix... I'm keeping my tube amps for now, and I can use their effects return in, and bypass the cab emulation for that 'amp in the room' thing... I wouldn't say I NEED any of them with the helix... they just aren't worth selling... the red llama is the only one that helix doesn't have something similar to... the pedal can be magical hitting the right amp... if you have an amp you find too trebly/fizzy the red llama is a fixer that makes it thick, maybe even sludgy as needed... but having 64 amps(so far) in the helix, the use for the llama is limited I sold my soul food, carbon copy, tube screamer, noise gate and a yamaha THR10x already.. my 535Q wah, Volume pedal Mini, and compressor are on ebay still.

ok, cool, that's kinda what I thought... but hey, if there ever is a magic bullet, sign me up! :D my live sound didn't need much from the sound guy... he rolled off the lows some and added a little to the mids, and that was that.... even with a stereo rig out of the helix... my output knob (LT model, so no separate headphone volume) was the same, from home to live, too, if that makes a difference. that said, I strive to make sure what I hear in practice at home is what the crowd hears too... but playing at full volume at home, with a toddler is not always feasible. plus the difference in space from an 11x11 office to a much larger room, with different acoustics and materials..

hold on, and I'm sorry if I am hijacking... I'm a n00b and I'm learning new stuff every day here... 1) IEMs can be used to set your live mix, and that translates well? but studio headphones don't? 2) those 215s just look like regular headphones, with an 1/8" plug... how are you using them as wireless IEMs?

Yep. I do this in a wet/dry patch, volume pedal after both amps,

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PowerStage170 another option

my old headphones broke right after buying the helix, so I bought a pair of the Sennheiser HD280 PRO that Sweetwater has on sale... I set my patches up for live, and they only needed a little tweak

I'm DEFINITELY getting a second one. I got to spend time with it while my son and wife were out of the house yesterday, LOUD, live-volume... it sounded glorious!

I agree... you can also look at the tascam VL-S5... you can get a pair of them for the same or less $ I'd say look around and figure out what is best for your budget and needs... I went with a Alto TX10 and a set of studio headphones for my needs...

I think their guitar stuff is generally crap. their PA/studio stuff is better... those church speakers have about 8 years into them, and still work great. we have a small church that we have to set up and tear down every sunday. so those speakers get unloaded/loaded into a trailer over and over... they are HEAVY... and still work great... and imo sound pretty good/natural for music and sound... I was the sound guy on the board until I joined the band. they are a lot of things... tough being one of them. we used to have a behringer mixer though... that thing was garbage. I guess I'm saying I'd use their speakers, and not much else if I had to..

^nailed it... in more simple terms, if a tube amp is non-MV, then the circuit usually has the equivalent of the master hardwired to '10' and the volume knob, like on old fender amps (AB/push-pull) opens up the gain stage more and more.. staying fairly clean-or in the case of a lot of black face amps- VERY clean, until the power tubes start to SAG, basically getting more output in bursts, that it can't keep it clean... a lot of that happens at the PI in amps like a plexi or a tweed. that sag is that chewy crunch we associate with the JTM or bassman... very dynamic.. can be clean with low output, light picking, then turn up the volume on the guitar to get really nasty in these models, the Non-MV amps have the default master set to '10' to mimic that... but can be turned down... we can also dial in the sag and bias... things you don't have control over in a 'real' amp... unless you are an expert amp tech... as for the helix, I'm still learning how to dial all these models in... dialing in one of those old amps can be much easier... if you don't go deaf first :D

not THAT one... but we use the Eurolive 215 and 212 PA speakers at church. I think they sound pretty good, not amazing... they are heavy as all get out though... I don't think I'd even attempt a helix on the 205D... for that $ I'd get a single 8" studio monitor and I'd bet it would be loads better... OR an Alto TS series PA speaker used. behringer studio/PA stuff is not bad... definitely not as bad as their pedals and stuff(which are not HORRIBLE, but not great either) I'd say their PA stuff is good for the $

following because I have a similar question with my 6505MH, which has a total of 4 footswitchable options.

I ordered an alto today, I picked up the tx10 to start with, if it does well, I can easily add a second. I'll report back.

yea, I'm not planning on running amps on stage... FOH +stage monitors (the stage monitors are also the Behringer eurolive PA speakers) I'm just using the amp currently.... the Helix should be here tomorrow. I've heard great things about the alto PA speakers.

you think the Behringer > alto? are there other PA speakers to consider? wise words cruisin, . I'm sure the sound guy is tweaking the EQ. I probably owe him a 6-pack or something, because I never have to re-adjust live. I ran the boards at church before I decided to join the band, and I know I had to tweak things to get the EQ right... the room has a lot of natural reverb/echo from the wood stage and tiles in places... back in college-band days everything was the same 4x12s always at gig volume (no mics on cabs)... then I took almost 20 years off before playing live again... so, back to the question at hand... studio monitors or powered PA speakers? to get "relatively close" at comfortable, old-man volume or, does a quality set of studio headphones yield better results? this is seriously my first time to use a digital modeller in any real capacity, so I apologize if this is completely stupid... I used a POD2 way back in the day for headphone practice, and a behringer version of a POD at one point just for some effects in the effects loop (all amp/cab sim turned off) and really kinda hated both of them, but like the idea... and I have a yamaha THR10x for practice too... all quite different than a helix currently I will use my 6505 and 1x12 greenback cab, turned medium(not ear-busting, but not TV volume), but use headphone out when my kid (age 3) is asleep... it's never neighbors that are the issue... I have a house and I would have to be splitting the walls in order to have them even hear... before we had our son, I would regularly crank 50 watt amps through 2x12 or 4x12... those days are over :)

so do you think setting up one of the PA speakers at home, at the same volume would be best? not always feasible, but surely the closest match to live... but if one was setting up their tones at a normal volume, then turning up for live... what should I expect? would it be as simple as re-levelling the EQ? I never have this issue now, with a tube amp, so I'm trying to get a feel for what kind of "disaster" you are referring to... I practice and set my tone at home, it might be a little darker at home through greenbacks, but low volume... then live it's fine... and I'm going DI from my tube amp(6505MH) to the mixer live... no issue. the sound guy could be tweaking my EQ a tad but not a huge amount. we also have a wooden stage, so our volume is actually not that loud, because we get a natural reverberation it's just me, an acoustic guitar/singer, a cajon+singer and a bass... my metal days in bars were over 2+years ago :)

I just bough a helix LT. it should be here tomorrow... also, assuming it would work, I bought a pair of Presonus Eris 4.5 monitors. later after thinking about it more, and studying the inputs of the speakers, I'm wondering if I made a poor choice. what are you using for home practice+setting up your patches? budget is $300 MAX (I have a helix to pay off ;) ) I mainly play at home, but I also play with the church on the weekends... the idea is set my patches up at home for live use. some ideas that I have kicked about: Laney IRT-X a PA speaker like the Alto TS112 or TS110 Behringer EuroLive Pa speaker (surely not the best, but the same we use at church, this way home sound could be easily matched to church) pair of studio monitors with XLR (this was the thinng I thought I was getting with the presonus eris... but the ones I ordered do not have XLR, so I'm wondering if the patches would require tweaking to go from studio to live) I can also bypass the cab IR, and run into the return on my tube amp, through a 1x12... but same thing as the studio monitors without XLR, I'd have to tweak, and turn on a cab IR for live. what other budget-minded options are there for home? am I sweating the output selection too much?