garybradley

Helix LT Screen: Horizontal lines Flickering White out - fades to white then comes back a few seconds later Footswitches, one fails to make/break intermittently Expression Pedal: Sticky/stiff from new.

Solution to Helix Ext amp switch turning off FX when switching channels. Problem: When I first used the Helix Ext Amp to switch DSL20 channels, the FX loop was 'on' when the Ultra Gain channel was activated. When the clean channel was activated the FX loop switched off. The following solved the issue for me i.e. the FX loop is on all the time, which is what I want. Explanation: DSL20 footswitch uses TSR sleeve-tip to switch channels on/off, and sleeve-ring to switch FX loop on/off. Helix permits only the use of either tip or ring or tip+sleeve connected at the same time ergo switching the amp must common the channel and FX loop (at least I think that's what's happening!!??). Solution: Send additional logic (using the 'Instant' function) to switch to 'fool' it into switching on the FX loop: 1. Connect a TRS-TRS cable from Ext Amp to DSL footswitch jack. 2. Set the ext amp channel switch: In Helix Command centre set Footswitch (choose a number 1-12) to: Command = Ext Amp, Select = 1(Tip), Type = Latching. 3. Create the additional logic: Select an 'Instant'. Set Command = Ext Amp, Select = 1(Ring), Wait time = 0 ms. Note: the Instant command only takes effect when a patch is changed as it is a global command. This is not a limitation (I think) as if the FX loop is switched on all the time, FX can be switched on/off as normal. To change the FX loop state, change the Instant setting. Hope this helps. G

Hi y'all I have also experienced the DI fizz when connected straight to a PA. Here's 11 tips. Change the amp. Try a Cali Texas Ch2. They're a really brown sounding amp and take an overdrive pedal really well. Change the cabinet. Different speaker makes a big difference! Change the mic type and placement. A 160 ribbon @ 1" off centre can calm fizz nicely. Dial back the distortion! Too much distortion creates too many nasty digital harmonics and isn't musical. Filters: Roll off high frequencies (low pass filter) to about 7-8 kHz. There are several places to do this: cabinet, EQ block, global EQ or the mixing desk. Tilt/10 band EQ all give different 'flavours'. Add an IR before the amp! Loading an IR after ther speaker can remove the fizz (but sounds muddy to me). Loading before seems to improve the fizz but retain the character. Use Controller Assign (CA)... to create a simple 2 channel amp: Add a high gain amp, use CA to program the Drive parameter for minum and maximum drive levels and assign to a Controller (footswitch). Also set the master volume, treble, presence etc to min/max levels to compensate for higher drive. DI (My personal preference): I use Palmer PD1 03 JB (Joe Bonamassa) DI between the Helix and the mixer input (with pt 6.). Set 1/4" jack line output to instrument (not line). Helix out at line level gives a level drop which is normal for a DI. Setting 1/4" out to instrument level gives a 1:1 ratio. Compensate level drop by increasing the Helix output and/or mixer pre gain. Mix and match with the above points. Listen at a reasonable volume to get the full effect. At low volume levels speakers will not produce as much body so you'll hear more fizz! (it's all perception!) and then diall the top end down too much. BUT, make quick decisions and rest your ears every 20 minutes as you won't hear the differences after that. My personal approach: Do 1 to 6 first. Listen. Play. Get to e.g. three amp/speaker + modifcation combinations that get you close to your sound and tweak these. DON'T keep changing stuff at random, you're wishing your life away! Most important!!! Play you chosen settings IN CONTEXT. Context is i.e. with backing tracks, jamming or rehearsal. The sound of your room and your mood or health status in that moment matters too. Isolated tweaking (absence of contect i.e. without playing to tracks or with others) is ok up to a point but context ALWAYS changes how you perceive your sound so just deal with your frustrated emotions and learn to compromise! Disclaimer: These options work for me. The sound you prefer is determined by your preferences, context etc. Tweaking as in points 1-7 seems to work for a lot of players. It's a process of experimentation but you have to start with knowing what sound you are looking for. Happy playing muchachos! G

Hey Levenso! I have this in my set. Great fun to play. In reality, it doesn't pay to get too obsessed with recreating a sound. Performance i.e. timing, feel and balance accounts for a lot and the sound it will always be affected by how it needs shaped to sit in the the mix, live or studio, and how it sounds throught the PA and then in the room. I got reasonably close with a Vox/Matchless/Two Rock type of emulation + Tube Screamer and a lot of low end and presence dialed down to give it separation in the mix. Gentle flanger adn compression to tighten the sound. I'll switch between single/humbuckers depending on whether the audience likes it light or heavy. Using b-tracks, I produce them in my studio and then play live. Always remember, the audience doesn't care about an exact sound match, only if it's wildly different and distracting because they are connecting emotionly with the music and the artists, rather than critically. Same reason why they either fail notice mistakes or only register them temporarily. Recently I reconstructed a mix from midi of Kylies 'Can't get you out of my head' and then AB'd it with some friends. 'Perfect' copy they said. Played the original and they were gobsmacked at the difference. The moral of this story is, just approximate the sound and get on with the real job which is being the the best performer you can be! PS listen on Tidal, the increased quality makes it so much easier to pick out sonic nuances! Hope this is of some use to you! Kind regards Gary Brief bio: 35+ years in music, pro musician + studio owner, former lecturer in music production and performance, PhD in Psychology.