agbiggs

I think I found a solution: a program called Bandicam (www.bandicam.com) which allows for the camera to have multiple audio inputs, so you can record your guitar from Helix along with any backing track and have it all go to the webcam's video file output. I just tested it out and it works fine. It's geared toward the video game crowd who like to record themselves, so you have to change in the settings to record from a camera rather than from your computer's screen, but that was easy. You need to balance the two audio signals by ear first, but that's not a big deal if you're looking for a rough-and-ready video capture rather than something super-professional. It costs $39, though there's a trial version you can try out. For me, it seems like a pretty good plug-and-play solution for making guitar videos against a backing track. Thanks to everyone for their help. I hope this is helpful to anyone else looking for the same solution that I was.

I may be wrong here, but: In most cases with the DTs, the pre-amp modeling is fully digital and the power amp modeling fully 'real'. The DT50 has a pre-amp tube that's used alongside the digital modeling (or it can be turned off using editing software), but it's still mostly digital. There can be some modeling on the power amp side if the DT is put into low power mode, where there's simulated power amp modeling to capture the sound of a loud tube amp at lower volumes. Again, this can be switched on or off. Overall, the DT is a VERY versatile amp; you can go from super clean to mid-gain to high-gain really easily. And it all sounds good too.

THIS is the way.

It probably is for a formal video, but for something simple I'm hoping to find, well, something simple. This article may have an answer, though I haven't tested it yet: http://www.howtogeek.com/217348/how-to-record-the-sound-coming-from-your-pc-even-without-stereo-mix/ 

Set your computer audio output to Helix channel 1/2. That will get your backing track from your computer to the Helix through USB. You can adjust the level of USB 1/2 in global settings ins/outs. 

 Thanks! Do I set this in Control Panel? (As I said, I've never done this before!)

I've never really recorded anything before, so please bear with my ignorance!

I've just signed up for Artist Works online guitar lessons, one part of which is that you send videos of yourself playing and the instructor (in this case the amazing Paul Gilbert) views it and sends you suggestions. 

I'm using Helix as my soundcard. I can call up my Logitech video camera and if I play the video picks up my guitar through Helix just fine. However, if I'm also playing a backing track -- say, through Windows Media Player or Audacity -- I can hear it just fine through my computer speakers, but the video camera doesn't pick up that audio, so it sounds like I'm playing by myself.

Is there an easy workaround for this? Any help appreciated -- thanks!

For me, the biggest advantage of Helix over the POD HD's is simplicity of use -- both can create great tones, but it's much easier for ME to create the tone I want in Helix than it ever was with the HD500. It's just much easier to use.

So in thinking about DT integration, simplicity matters more to me than being able to deep-dive into every parameter. I'm not going to say not to deep-diving if it's offered. But since Line 6's time and resources are limited, I'd say that simple, easy-to-use Helix-DT integration matters most. Say, being able to use just the L6 Link cable rather than adding a Midi cable and use Midi commands, stuff like that. 

It's too bad to have fewer effects options on the Helix than on the Pod, which did a nice detune tone -- although I assume they'll eventually catch up.

In my HD500, I used the Pitch Glide effect to get a slightly detuned tone -- think mid-period Van Halen, a slightly chorusy tone without the whoosh. The Pitch Glide had two 'zero' settings -- one in which the tone wasn't altered at all, and a second in which you got a detuned effect. After that, the actual note would change in increments of 0.1%.

I haven't been able to figure this out with the Helix. I wasn't able to find that second, detuned 'zero' setting in the Pitch Wham effect. Is there somewhere else to do this? 

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks -- I'll check the virus/firewall issues. It's not a killer, but figured I'd see whether I can make it hook up.

I'm using the updater with Helix on Windows 10 (ugh...). Helix is working fine and a fantastic product -- really. But the updater program won't connect me to Line 6, telling me I've got a wrong password. I've logged into my Line 6 account and changed my password to be sure I have things right, but still no luck.

I can work around by downloading firmware manually, but just figured I'd raise this issue.

I know DI says he doesn't believe in nickel and diming, but that's exactly what I'd like to see. Not in the sense of ripping people off,but of Line 6 knowing they can allocate a man-month to model a new amp (which, all in, probably costs them close on $10k) knowing they can recoup the costs. Sure, I'd love my new Helix to give me everything for nothing. But I'm an adult and know that they've got mouths to feed, too. If users being willing to pay makes Line 6 more likely to produce cool new stuff I'm all for it.

I have the HD500 and I believe the pitch shifter in the Helix will be similar/identical to that. I don't think you could do a user-assigned scale in the HD500's pitch shifter, but maybe someone else has tried it.

Um, dumb question, but how does it sound?? If you're mostly focused on tone, rather than the  complicated MIDI-switched multi-scene polyphonic pitch-shifting stuff (I have no idea what I just wrote), how does the Helix compare to the HD500, which I really like? 

Ideally the EVH detuned sound has both a pitch raise and a pitch drop (a dual-detune, I guess). With the HD500 you can have both running at the same time, but with the HD400 you can have only one.

I use the pitch glide to get the EVH detuned tone, but I've also found that the Dimension chorus can do it very well -- perhaps better, and it's easier for switching than having two pitch glides running at one.

I did a request a while back on Idea Scale to make the pitch glide adjustment go to two decimal points to better catch a detuned sound. But I didn't know then Rewolf48's point about the two click points at 0.0. I'll have to check that out.

RipperShred: I take your point, and probably most people wouldn't pay $50 for one amp model (given that many are complaining about paying $50 for a bunch of models). I just wonder whether it only makes sense financially for Line 6 to do model packs -- where, to be honest, I'm buying a bunch of amp models I don't really want/need -- versus individual models at a somewhat lower price. I guess it's like how the cable company prices the channels: if it paid to sell them one at a time, they'd probably do it...

For myself, the cost of the add-on packs seems perfectly reasonable. Leave aside how much it would cost to get the actual amps - assuming you REALLY want to get those tones - just compare to the cost of pedals to match those sounds - say, a Wampler Pinnacle for the Plexi tone or an AMT P2 for the 5150 - and you're looking at a couple hundred bucks no problem. Plus, models integrated into the Pod are much less hassle than running pedals through the loop.

But I do have one question that maybe Digital Igloo can answer: is it cost/time effective for Line 6 to offer single amps (or for that matter, effects) as an add-on? Say, I'd LOVE a 5153 model and would pay $50 for that alone (again, think how much a clone pedal - if it existed - would cost). I don't know how tough it is to HD model a given amp, but single amp/effects add-ons could be a cool way to keep the hardware relevant and interesting.

Time to upgrade, it seems!

Will firmware 2.6 work for all HD models (say, including HD 400) or just the ones mentioined above (500x, 500, HD Pro and HD Bean)? In any case, glad to see the model packs -- a great way to keep the franchise going. Maybe look later at effects packs?

Thanks!

So I'm setting up an EVH Balance-type tone with my HD400, which requires a fair bit of fiddling with the effects. But if I then decide to switch to a different amp model -- say, from the SLO Overdrive to the SLO Crunch channel -- it resets all the effects to the defaults for that amp model, so I've got to reconfigure all the effects again. Total pain in the lollipop. 

Thanks to you both -- much appreciated! 

I've been trying to dial in a EVH tone similar to this Line 6 video, which uses the Spider IV. You'd think it would be pretty straightforward, but my tone just comes out really muddy. I've tried dialing down the bass, pushing up the treble and presence, but it just doesn't sound close to the Spider IV tone on the video. You can tell that the underlying tone is similar, but it's like it's playing underwater. In trying to match the video's tone I mostly used from the Flextone's Insane mod, but also tried out the Solo and some other high gains. The Plexi mod doesn't seem to have nearly as much gain, even if it's trying to more or less catch the early VH tone. 

Any help appreciated!