BBD_123

As I've said, it's not there at all if you set up your patch properly. So this becomes a non-issue at that point. And an earlier commenter pointed out - correctly - that it's better to have some high frequency headroom than to lack it. Since your experienced ears should be able to tell you where to cut without pruning your higher gain tones, it's really getting difficult to understand what the issue is here.

The careful choice of frequency cut and EQ or other block to make it won't prune overdriven tones in undesirable ways. It's a different situation for clean tones, where you don't normally need much if any high cut. The high end fizz problem occurs when you put overdrive or high gain into the signal and shove a dynamic mic right in front of the cab. It's less of an issue with most clean tones as they are fundamentally tonally different from overdriven tones.

Alternatively, the high end fizz is coming from the choice of microphone and what you hear is high fidelity modeling of what the equivalent real-world signal chain would sound like unless you make a high cut and / or alter the mic setup. Sometimes it's helpful to think about Helix like a recording engineer might, rather than strictly as a guitarist. What may seem like 'faults' turn out to be the consequences of accurate modeling of the original elements of the signal chain, right up to the mic in front of the cabinet.

^^^^ This. I often use the basic Low High cut EQ block. Sometimes the PEQ. Whatever sounds right. The key thing is to dial in the cuts with your ears rather than based on frequencies you have used in the past.

This? Ben Adrian: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/21490814/ On the EQ thread, 'Guitardave' said (my bold): https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/24647474/ Wise words.

There's a really good post by 'benifin' at TGP about the advantages of using the EQ block, complete with audio clips. Rather than repeat what was said, here's the link. Hope this helps.

Then don't make cuts in the cab / IR block! Use an EQ block - just the basic Low High cut EQ is fine. The frequency slope in the cab / IR block is very shallow compared to the EQ block so you end up pruning your tone if you make cuts in the cab block. [EDIT: actually, I was mistaken about the slope, but not that the EQ and Cab/IR blocks are functionally different - see the linked Ben Adrian quote below] Not necessarily. Guitar tone mostly happens below ~8kHz and fizz happens above 8kHz. And if you make your cuts with an EQ rather than in the cab block, you should be okay.

What everybody else said... When I first plugged in my Helix - it sounded disappointing too! But not anymore. Playing dynamics are spot on using the JTM45, Trem and Plexi models typically at middling settings, not dialled to melt. Main guitar has low-wind boutique PAF clones and Hx captures every nuance. There is a learning curve, but the payoff is as advertised. I may be perverse, but I actively enjoy tinkering with Hx and mining ever-better tones out of the thing. It's a gift that keeps on giving and no mistake.

The fizz is the result of not setting the patch up right. You can set up excessive (unrealistic in real-world) levels of gain very easily and it will sound crap. You can not cut the HF quite right and it will sound crap. The fault isn't in the unit.

...have too much gain in their signal and also haven't dialled in the high cut properly :-) What worries me is that these common complaints are better addressed initially by learning to dial in the patch better rather than by a major tonal change in the cab block. Once you've got the basics nice and tight, then it may be time to make an informed foray into IRs. That said, and to be clear about this, of course there are some fantastic IRs out there that are very much keepers once found. BUT, they will always sound even better if the rest of the patch is set up optimally - and shortcutting straight to IRs won't teach you how to do that.

The 'HX cabs are crap' meme is unhelpful, really, because they're actually fine. IRs offer more, not necessarily better. Maybe it would be preferable to let people decide for themselves what works best for them rather than preload them with the idea that IRs are a must-have for good tones.

There's an awful lot of it about.

Something else that's fun to play around with is separate cab blocks with a split path. Try putting your verb and echo on one path and leaving the other clear for (IMHO) considerable improvement in tone on some patches.

Yup :-)

Worth a try. The issue may arise from changes in Line 6 privacy policy arising from EU data processing legislation that have now become active. [EDIT:] Well, I deleted cookies and it's still happening.

Which brings us to the non-audio pros and cons. HxLT has an expression pedal and is less expensive.

Yes, I'm having that plus getting signed out randomly when reloading the page.

It's also possible that the sound in your head isn't actually achievable by any means. Since you have never provided an example of what you are trying to achieve, it's impossible to know whether or not it can be done, or if it can, to assess whether or not you are going about it the wrong way.

As I've said before, you need to read harder. Let's try again: Nobody puts a real Rat in front of a real 5150, presumably because it sounds dire. Maybe what you are trying to do neither works with real kit nor with a good quality model of real kit. Therefore you may need to try a different pedal. Do you understand now?

Pedals like the Timmy work best when the amp is breaking up a bit, not crystal clean. Or stacked with another pedal like the Klon.

I think you misunderstand. When I said IRL, that's what I meant - nobody puts a real Rat in front of a real 5150, presumably because it sounds dire. If the Helix is modelling the Rat and 5150 with fidelity, then it too will (and does) sound dreadful when you put the one in front of the other.

Yes, of course, it was a throwaway remark. Sometimes you want it live, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you get it from the sound guy, sometimes you don't. No idea why Willjrock downvoted me on that. Downvoting is for when people say something really objectionable or seriously contentious. Weird.

That explains a lot. I think I'll leave you to it, at this point. IRL nobody seems to put a Rat in front of a 5150. Perhaps because it sounds dreadful?

A miracle. My screen name has finally changed. Presumably as a result of the recent alterations to the forum software. From the note on my profile page here: Hopefully I will be BBD_123 from now on. And once again, sorry for any confusion caused.

You are a bit of a lone voice in this and other respects then. And it isn't supported by the evidence, as I and others have tried to explain and you yourself agree: Most of Ola's Hx patches sounded bad to me. On the *evidence* I'd say he hasn't cracked dialling in decent high gain Hx tones yet. Just try the LA Comp instead. Ears for the win.