revans

With a 1/4-inch cable, your only option is to manually select Variax models using the controls on the guitar.

Also, in Workbench, there is high gain pickup model you can use in a custom model. It is supposed to have better palm muting.

I have a '69 and use acoustic models all the time, direct to PA and my own powered monitor as well as electric guitar models through my Helix. I hadn't noticed any problems with noise from the springs, but I put some cloth into my springs as a preventative measure. If you plan on doing any Jimi or Eddie dive bombing, be aware that the modelled sounds will get messy when the slack strings lose contact with the piezo saddles. Use the magnetic pickups when dive bombing. When practicing and tone-tweaking at low volumes, be aware that the acoustic volume of the physical guitar will be almost as loud as the amplified volume of the modelled guitar. This is especially annoying when using alternate tunings. Either turn the volume up loud or use headphones when you need to hear the modelled tone alone.

We might have to wait for people to get their hands on a Powercab 112 Plus or wait for new firmware, but... Can someone outline exactly how to configure the Helix to sync Helix presets with Powercab presets, with either MIDI or L6 LINK?

Sorry, I should have included a bibliography. I got the descriptions from the Strymon and BOSS web sites: https://www.strymon.net/bigsky/ https://www.boss.info/us/products/rv-6/

It seems like we will have to use MIDI to sync Helix presets with Powercab presets. As soon as I can do that with L6 LINK, I will buy one right away. Will we be able to sync Helix presets with Powercab presets over L6 LINK with some future firmware updates?

Glitz = Strymon Big Sky Bloom In the ‘90s, more diffusion blocks were added to reverbs to ‘smooth out’ the sound. A side effect of this was the tendency of the reverbs to have a slowly building envelope that ‘bloomed’, resulting in big ambient reverbs that sit nicely with the dry signal even at high Mix levels. The Bloom reverb features a ‘bloom generating’ section that feeds into a traditional reverb ‘tank’, and adds a unique Feedback parameter that expands the possibilities exponentially. Ganymede = BOSS RV6 Modulate This reverb adds modulation to hall reverb, producing extremely good-feeling reverberation. Searchlights = Strymon Big Sky Cloud A gorgeously big, ambient reverb that draws from techniques developed in the late ’70s. Using processing power not dreamed of in those days, the Cloud reverb machine obscures the distinction between reality and fantasy. Double Tank = Strymon Big Sky Plate The Plate machine is a rich, fast-building reverb that creates depth without early reflection cues to a specific environment. The Tone knob and Low End parameter are simple but powerful frequency shaping tools. Plateaux = Strymon Big Sky Shimmer Two tunable voices add pitch-shifted tones to the reverberated signal, for resplendent, unearthly ambience. The voices are carefully created from the reverberated signal itself to generate maximum radiance and beauty. The Amount and Mode parameters allow for a range of shimmer effects from laid-back and subtle to full-blown majestic splendor.

I use the cab's low cut and high cut settings for this. While I reserve the Global EQ for room-specific tweaking, a good sound engineer can do this for you with the FOH mixer. I also set the cab's EarlyReflc setting to zero. Once again, I leave it up to the FOH sound engineer to add reverb if necessary, but it is usually not necessary.

Agreed. I bring my own powered PA speaker to every live show. My powered PA speaker is a Mackie Thump12 which, like many other low-cost PA speakers, does not have a flat response. I have used it's EQ to get close enough to a flat response for me. I create all my presets using a powered studio monitor and headphones and I fine tune them using my powered PA speaker. All my presets are mono. At a gig, if I am working with a good FOH system, I send my Helix XLR output (fixed volume level) to the FOH mixer where it will be mixed into the mains and monitors as needed. I send my Helix 1/4" output (controlled by the Helix volume knob) to my own powered PA speaker as a floor monitor so I hear a familiar tone and have full control over my own monitor level. I use this configuration in the rehearsal studio as well. If the gig has a FOH system that I don't think is good enough, I still connect to it from my Helix XLR output, but I put my own powered PA speaker on a small tripod stand behind me, facing the audience. Most of sound the audience hears will come from my own powered PA speaker, but the FOH will be able to add a bit more volume and cover part of the room that my own powered PA speaker might not cover.

Works great for me as a monitor on the floor beside me or as a backline amp on a tripod stand behind me, with a couple of tweaks. Floor angle: I put a short length of 2x4 lumber under the front edge to tilt it a bit higher. EQ: The Thump12 is bass-heavy with scooped mids. To get closer to a flat response on the floor, I set the EQs to drastically cut the lows, slightly boost the upper mids, and slightly cut the highs, like this: LOW at 8 o'clock, MID at 2 o'clock, FREQ at 1:30, and HIGH at 11 o'clock.

Has happened a few times to me, with earlier firmware and with a Variax, but it hasn't happened often enough to troubleshoot. Luckily the last patch keeps working, but changes can't be made. I've only used my Helix a few times since firmware 2.20, so I couldn't say yet if the problem is gone. I'd like to hear if there are known issues that increase the risk of a UI freeze and if there are any workarounds.

After upgrading to 2.11, resetting globals, changing the input Variax settings back to per preset, and restoring my presets, several snapshots would select a Variax model different from what was displayed in the setting. I tried several things to try to fix the problem but the only thing that worked was changing the input block to guitar, saving the preset, changing the input block back to multi, setting the desired Variax model in each snapshot, and saving the preset again. Maybe this workaround will fix your problem.

I have a single Mackie Thump12. It's plenty loud enough to hear over a loud drummer. But the speaker's vertical dispersion is too narrow. I started with it upright on the floor behind me like a guitar amp, but my head was too far above the horn and all I heard was bass while the audience heard full range. With a small PA and no sound guy, I put my speaker on a tripod stand behind me so the horn is level with my ears. I swivel the speaker just enough to towards the rest of the band so they can hear enough of me. With the speaker in this position the speaker's dispersion is wide enough to be heard across a large area. I used this same positioning with a large PA but the sound guy was hearing way too much of me. So I put the speaker on it's side on the floor (with bass turned down) in front of me. The sound guy puts me through the mains and into each monitor as much as each band member wants. The only problem with the speaker on its side on the floor is that I can only hear the horn within about a two-foot window. In this position the speaker's dispersion is very narrow. When I walk away from my main position I lose have a hard time hearing myself. I get the sound guy to put me through my PA monitor and that helps. I suggest you get a powered speaker with the widest possible dispersion horizontally and vertically.

I disagree. I read in a Crown PA amp manual that best practice is to have the amp either maximum volume or set a bit lower if you are sure you never want the amp's maximum power. The volume of the signal you send to the amp (from the Helix) should set the overall level. The benefit is that your power amp will have all it's power available to handle transient peaks.

My single Mackie Thump12 1000W does well for guitar in loud Led Zeppelin and AC/DC songs with the other guitar player going through a 100 Watt tube amp and a 4x12 cabinet, staying just under the threshold of pain and just under clipping with the Thump12. I'm sure the tube amp would win a loudness arms race against the Thump12 if it came to that.

Not sure how to keep the Helix warm, but you can keep your fingers working by heating your torso with a battery-powered heated vest. Us Canadians have it figured out! Canada wins the war on frozen fingers http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/canada-wins-the-war-on-frozen-fingers/

Love gigging with my Helix and JTV, especially with snapshots. I use the up and down footswitches to select among patches five patches: acoustic, Vox, Fender, Marshall, and Mesa, each of which have matching effects. I use the top row footswitches to select four different JTV models (guitar, pickups, and tuning) along with turning on matching effects. I use the bottom row footswitches and the toe switch to switch effects on and off and to toggle between amp settings: distortion, modulation, amp gain boost, and output volume boost. The expression pedal is volume or wah. I have one powered wedge monitor in front of me, facing me, and I send one XLR out to the front-of-house mixer. Everything is mono. I also run a keyboard through the Helix to use the volume pedal and to share the monitor. I should do like Rush and put something behind me like a washing machine or a chicken roaster. I miss how different guitars each have a different look and feel, but it's a minor compromise for the simplicity, speed, and variety I get with JTV and Helix. As the next song comes up on the set list, I select a patch to choose my amp model and select a snapshot to choose my guitar model. During the song I use might turn on and off effects and boosts. Very easy and very powerful. I don't do any recording, so I have no opinion in that area.

Played my first gig with Helix snapshots and Variax last Saturday night. Wow, it is so much easier and faster to switch on effects and select a Variax model using snapshots! What I used to do to get ready for the next song was: 1. Use a top row Helix footswitch to select a preset. 2. Use some combination of bottom row Helix footswitches to turn on some effects. 3. Use the Variax model knob to select a model bank. 4. Use the Variax pickup selector to select a guitar-pickup model. For alternate tunings, I use custom Variax models to select a guitar-pickup model and an alternate tuning at the same time, saving another step where I'd sometimes have to use the Variax alternate tuning knob. But I did not store a Variax model with each preset because I'd end up with 20 presets to manage. Now, with Helix snapshots, here's what I to do to get ready for the next song: 1. Use a preset up or down Helix footswitch to select a preset. 2. Use a top row Helix footswitch to select a snapshot. I only use five presets (Acoustic, Vox, Fender, Marshall, Mesa). Each preset has four snapshots which each include a different Variax model (which might include an alternate turning) along with turning on some effects. During a song I still might use the Helix bottom row footswitches to turn effects on and off, especially boost and distortion. So much quicker and easier. Now I can spend less time messing with gear and more time enjoying the music. I'm really hooked now!

I'm happy with my move from HD500 to Helix, happy in every way. Great tones with default settings and easy to create multiple variations on a preset now with snapshots. I can really get into a groove and bond with Helix tones, where HD500 often felt like a compromise. And now I finally have a backup. I bring my HD500 to gigs as a backup in case the Helix breaks.

I love using the new Helix snapshots with my Variax. I have the Helix footswitches set up so that the up and down switches on the left select presets. I have one preset per amp model that that I use: Acoustic (no amp), Vox, Fender, Marshall, and Mesa. I have the upper four footswitches selecting snapshots. I have one snapshot per Variax model, and it's a different four models for each preset. Each snapshot also tweaks the amp input drive settings to match the output level of the Variax model. (No effect block needed; does not use extra DSP!) Some snapshots also switch on effects. I have the lower four footswitches selecting stomps. I have different stomps for each preset, although in every preset the fourth stomp is always an output block level boost. (No effect block needed; does not use extra DSP!) Even though my preset display mode can only show four stomps, all my presets have more than four stomps. For the less frequently used stomps I switch to stomp mode to access them. Living the dream, rig.

The fourth knob is above the neck pickup.

When the FOH is too small, I put my single Mackie Thump12 behind me on a pole. When the FOH can handle my sound, the sound guy doesn't like my speaker behind me on a pole; it's too loud. So I put it on the floor, in front of me and to one side. I'm on one side of the stage and the back of my speaker is towards the rest of the band, so I can have it as loud as I like without complaints from the band or the sound guy.

I have a JTV-69 that I use with Helix and previously with HD500. Assuming you like the guitar, one of the best things about the combination of Variax and Helix is simply that the Helix powers the Variax over the VDI cable so that you never have to think about charging the Variax battery. Overall, I like the JTV-69 and use it as my only guitar live and in rehearsal in my busiest band. (In another band I use a Lone Star Strat and a Les Paul Special tuned open-G through a Marshall tube combo, keepin' it real!) I like the ease of switching models and tunings, and the access to Tele, Strat, Les Paul, ES-335, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, acoustic, and acoustic 12-string models. I keep alternately-tuned models as custom selections so that I don't have to mess with the tuning dial, which is difficult to see and takes too long to flip through all the tunings to get to the one you want. I don't use the magnetic pickups, but I have by accident and they sound fine to me. Having no hum with the single-coil models is a dream come true! There are some things that I don't like about the JTV-69, but they aren't deal breakers for me: - The nut has the high E string slot cut a bit too close to the edge of the frets. - The neck is a bit fatter (front-to-back) than I'd like. - The Line 6 VDI cable is stiff and gets in the way, except under the hot sun. I really like the easy switching among different guitar models, but an unexpected drawback is that they all feel like the same guitar. I miss how a Les Paul feels different from a Strat, and how an acoustic feels different from an electric. I miss feeling different gauges of strings and a hard-tail versus a whammy. I've tested integrations like Helix presets selecting Variax models or tunings, and Variax knobs controlling Helix model settings, but I don't really find these necessary for how I play gigs. I used the Workbench software to create a couple of custom models approximating a Keith Richards Tele and an Eddie Van Halen Strat. It was easy to use and did the job. Audition a Variax Standard, and if it feels good, go for it! Otherwise, try the stock JTV models. If you are still not happy, you might want to get a JTV-69 and replace the neck with something that feels good to you.

I was worried about not having a spare when I was using HD500. Now that I have Helix, I've kept my old HD500 as a spare. The HD500 can handle all the ins and outs that I use: Variax In, Guitar In, Keyboard In (FX return), XLR out to front-of-house PA, and 1/4-inch out to my own powered PA speaker.

I've run both my HD500 and my Helix through a number of different PA speakers and all the PA speakers have all sounded different. Fortunately, the differences have mainly been in frequence response and were easy to overcome with EQ. I've come to believe that a FRFR speaker means it has a frequency response that doesn't deviate from flat more than what can be compensated for by EQ. If you get familiar enough with your teaked patches though a PA speaker you use regularly, you should be able to use other PA speakers with a bit of EQ. With an unfamiliar PA speaker and unfamiliar rooms, be prepared to spend a few minutes before sound check to tweak your EQ to make your patches sound right. I keep notes on the EQ settings I use in each situation, especially with my own PA speakers.