HonestOpinion

A rehearsal or practice seems like it would be a prefect place to find out what works and what doesn't if you haven't already discovered that practicing on your own. Testing all 40,320 combinations you cite is to say the least a highly unlikely scenario. Just a wee bit of exaggeration there. Nobody is concerned about their '40,000+' configurations. I hear the concern about being blindsided during performance and it is a legitimate challenge to address. There are ways to mitigate that with DSP usage indicators and there would be nothing stopping you from getting a healthy number of configurations tested and ready to go ahead of time; much as you do when you design a preset with snapshots now.

Very helpful post! I might add the words "(given the same compression threshold 'and ratio' settings)" to the "Slow Attack - Fast Release:" section. Slow release is also helpful with instruments like acoustic guitar where a note may sustain naturally for a while. :)

I'm not sure what you mean by "Line6 not wanting to deal with issues that come up during a performance". There will always be issues in a performance if a user is unaware of how their equipment operates. I don't think that is necessarily a good reason not to make a device more flexible although I suppose there is a point of diminishing returns where you are confusing more users than helping them. There is still latency between presets and trails don't work between presets so I don't think using multiple presets is an ideal alternative to what I am proposing (being able to populate all blocks but not have all active). If they could lower the latency between presets and allow trails to operate between them I would agree the feature I am proposing would have substantially less appeal although I could still see it being useful. It would be a nice capability to have this added flexibility on the Helix but the current state of affairs is certainly not a showstopper. The Helix is plenty powerful and flexible now. I would have to say that not only are you probably correct it is not a priority for many users but it is not even a priority for me. Still, I think it would be a great way to leverage snapshots and the low latency and the spillover capability that exists already within a preset by providing a whole lot more options of what could be done within a single preset. By making every block available, even if you could not use them all at the same time, you would be able to populate a preset with a significant number of permutations of amps and effects. Any combination of these would be usable as long as you did not exceed the DSP limit. I think many, especially anyone currently using snapshots, might ultimately come to appreciate how powerful this feature could be, and I could see it being useful for those who use multiple assignments on stomps as well. Again though, the point may be moot if it is not technically feasible given the current hardware. Think of the potential if you could have the 3 OSC synth, a couple of Auto-Wahs, several choruses, several overdirives/distortions, several delays and reverbs, multiple wah models, and assorted other effects all set up in one preset. Not to be used all at the same time but assigned in different combinations to snapshots available with the benefits that come from operating within a single preset (low latency between switches, trails).

Kind of a cool idea. Essentially using the power amp section of your guitar amp to amplify not just the Helix's effects and the signal from the guitar amp's preamp but also adding in essence a second modeled preamp (amp/cab) from the Helix. The difference in your scenario being that the Helix's amp model would not be colored the way it would if you fed it through the guitar amp's input jack which would then process it through the preamp section of the guitar amp. I wouldn't be surprised if there are good sounds to be had there if executed properly. I wonder if you will run into any phase cancellation issues due to the Helix's modeled amp/cab being out of phase with the signal from your guitar amp's preamp due to the two signals hitting the power amp section of your guitar amp at slightly different times.

Absolutely true and a good point. And the thing to remember as well is as you increase the attack time's millisecond value, which is slowing the attack time of the compressor, you are actually counter-intuitively potentially improving the attack of your guitar as the compressor will be taking longer to kick in and reduce volume after a string is plucked. This can make the initial transient from the string clearer and prevent the compression from 'dulling' or squashing your guitar's attack and sound. There is a point of diminishing returns however where too long an attack setting may cause notes that should have been compressed to peak unpleasantly before the compressor kicks in or the compression may kick in on the tail end of the note for a rather strange effect. In a way there is an inverse relationship between the attack setting on a compressor and the actual attack of your guitar which I believe is the point you were making. The slower the attack and the longer the compressor takes to kick in, the clearer or snappier the attack sounds on the guitar, so generally you want to find the fastest attack time you can without squashing your sound. As DI points out, keep an eye out for the occasional unconventional compressor or model design that decreases the attack time's millisecond valuse as the attack dial is turned clockwise (towards '10') instead of the more typical increase of the attack's millisecond value when the knob is turned clockwise.

Have you set the Global Settings --> EXP Pedals --> 'EXP 2 Pedal Position' parameter to 'Global'? I have not noticed any issues with the volume pedal not working.

I can see this as a valid concern but easily addressed, particularly for people who use only snapshots. If you are only using snapshots each one of them could be clicked through before-hand to make sure all your combinations work. If you are using stomps as well then you could also test which ones could be active together ahead of time. I don't see this as being dramatically more arduous than going to add an amp/cab or effect while designing a preset and finding everything grayed out and then having to go back and juggle and carefully choose what you are going to put in your preset. Perhaps a bit more hassle but a whole lot of flexibility in return. It would be nice to have a percent (%) readout anyway on the Helix to see how close you are getting on maxing out the DSP. That would provide a visual indicator as you got close to the edge. Just spitballin' here, not a crusade of any kind. As I stated previously there may be technical reasons this can't be done anyway.

I have not had a chance to test CabIR.EU impulses extensively but judging by the sophisticated look of the guides that come with them if these guys are half as meticulous with producing their IRs as they are with their literature they should be top notch. The accompanying brochures that come with their IRs are the most sophisticated, professional, and well put together I have seen. Looking forward to testing their IRs.

I agree that I would want to know my combinations would work. This is just the kind of thing users would be concerned about. A simple 'Out of DSP' type message when you hit too greedy a block combination would be sufficient warning, but the benefit of the flexibility to dial up different combinations within a preset would be immense. You would test your switches ahead of time to make sure your combination of block assignments were working. I don't really see this as a showstopper. Testing snapshots would be particularly easy.

I'm not surprised to hear this. If you find the quote directly from Line6 indicating any information on this, please post a link. I would love to see what they said.

Lots of good suggestions here already. I have not seen an answer yet about what you are playing the Helix through? One thing that strikes me about your post is that I am not sure whether you are mentioning the Vetta and Flextone simply to cite your prior modeling experience or whether you are feeding the Helix into a clean preset on your Vetta or the clean channel on your other amps. Although good sounds can be achieved that way they may take more work then only using the power amp section of an amp by coming into the send/return loop on the amp or by using some kind of powered PA speaker or FRFR solution. If you use a Helix amp and cab and then send the Helix into a preamp (front jack) of a guitar amp you are putting a modeled amp and cab into an existing amp and cab. This is not in my opinion an ideal way to implement the Helix and can definitely require more work with EQ to make it sound right. You sound like you have some experience and may well not be doing this so the first thing I would start experimenting with is a high cut anywhere from 4-9khz in the cab or in an EQ block. I do agree with one of the prior comments that 'grainy' is one of those adjectives that does not immediately reveal what exactly you are not liking about the sound. Some more descriptors regarding the sound you are getting would be helpful as well as what other equipment you are using with and how you are connecting the Helix. Are you using 'mic' or 'line' level for the outputs? Where do you have the large volume knob positioned? Here is a post on how some folks go about setting up a preset from scratch. The Factory presets may just not be your cup of tea. http://line6.com/support/topic/24408-how-do-you-design-a-preset-from-scratch/

You could be right on this point. This could well be true depending on how and if blocks are cached or which data is pre-loaded/pre-fetched in some way in the DSP chip. I don't think we know enough about how Line6 uses a preset in tandem with the small amount of memory available on the DSP chip to determine how much or which data they require pre-loaded into the DSP. The literature on DSP chips does say they are optimized for fast access to external memory but I don't know if that is fast enough to not introduce significant latency if they had to access blocks from memory external to the DSP. Even if all/part of the block data does require being pre-loaded to the DSP to prevent latency, for all we know there could be enough memory on the DSP to load the necessary data for all 32 blocks. As usual I find myself completely in the dark on these finer technical points without Line6 chiming in and shedding some additional light on the subject. I find it difficult to believe that the programmers at Line6 didn't already consider this approach (allowing all 32 blocks to be selected but not all activated) and reject it for sound technical reasons but you never know unless they explain their rationale.

First make sure you are using the version of the Editor that matches your firmware version. I would do the following. You can be as thorough about it as you wish. Generally most people here recommend restoring setlists or individual presets as restoring a bundle overwrites everything including all the new Factory presets as well as the Templates. I backup two versions of everything in this list and I do it to two different PCs for good measure. Back up a bundle using the 'Export Bundle' link. I do this just to be thorough, I never restore from these. Back up each setlist using the 'Export Setlist' link. Highlight all presets in each setlist and export them using the 'Export' link to separate directories. If all the presets are highlighted they will export all at one time into separate files named for each preset. I use a separate directory for each setlist I am exporting from. Export your IRs

Although some people have achieved some interesting results feeding one amp into another a more common reason to have multiple amps in a preset is to switch between them. One comes on while the others are off. It does often require some creative juggling of effects or even minimal effects depending on which amps you select. Some of them are more DSP intensive. One use of multiple amps is when using snapshots or assigning multiple amps to a single footswitch; you can turn one amp on while simultaneously turning the other(s) off. I often have this kind of setup where there I may use three different amp models, one for each 'channel' of the amp. The 'Matchstick' and 'Cali (Boogie)' amp models are an example of this. By putting all three 'Matchstick' models/channels in one preset you create an entire virtual 'Matchstick' amp within one preset. Other times I mix & match different models for clean, crunch, and lead. If I had a suggested change to make in reference to DSP it would be to allow as many blocks (max of 32) as can fit on the four paths. Instead of calculating the DSP for all blocks I would just have the Helix calculate DSP for activated blocks. When the DSP limit was reached simply don't allow any additional blocks to be activated. This would add a whole new realm of possibilities for multiple footswitch assignments and snapshots and would allow for all sorts of permutations within a preset that cannot be achieved right now because DSP is calculated as if all blocks are active. There may be good technical reasons why the DSP is being calculated this way and it might well be confusing to people to only calculate active blocks. Users might not understand at first why a block was not activating (DSP limit reached) but once they learned the rules of operation it would provide a great deal of flexibility in preset design.

You home doesn't sit across the equatorial line by any chance, does it? :D

Voted! Hadn't spotted that one before! :D

Thanks and I would keep working on tweaking the Marshall models including/especially the 'Line6 2204 Mod' and the 'Brit 2204'. They are actually some of my favorite go-to amps on the Helix. I'm also getting great sounds out of the new PRS Archon model.

I keep my setting for the expression pedal set to 'Global' so that is not an issue for me.

Totally agree! Vote for it here http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-graphical-representation-of-Parametric-EQ-curve-to-Editor/831163-23508

I was so disappointed when I found out that the Helix's amp and effect modeling was only virtual. I wanted an amp 'modeler' that connects to a 3D printer and actually creates the amps and effects I select. Some raw material and 30 minutes later you are the proud new owner of an actual PRS Archon amp and a Univibe. :D

Thanks for the responses. It is really interesting seeing how different people go about this process. I don't always do it the same way although the method I listed above seems to be the prevailing one for me right now when I am not designing a preset that is intended for only one cover song or original. When I am going for a preset to cover a specific tune I think my method is somewhat similar to the one DunedinDragon describes although I almost always include a compressor. Hmm.. going to have to examine that practice a bit. I do turn the compressor off sometimes for high gain tones that may not require it due to the level of gain on the amp and perhaps a distortion block. I have experimented a bit with using the Tube Pre before and after the amp/cab blocks but I don't use it consistently. I also did not mention IRs in my method which I have been using more frequently of late. With IRs I assign the IR number to a snapshot or a pedal so that I can switch IRs between snapshots or even within a snapshot. This is similar to assigning the mic type (and other parameters) to a snapshot using the Line6 built in cabs in that it can profoundly change the whole sound of the preset.

I thought various people might describe their method for designing a preset from scratch. This is, at its most basic, the way I am currently doing it for general use presets. These are the kind of presets that you might be able to play 80% of your set with depending on what kind of music you play. You will have a different method for a preset designed for a specific song. I will probably end up forgetting some details. I am hoping that other people will add their own methods which I can learn from. There are lots of permutations on routing, and finer points to the process but they would cause this to be a Herman Melville length document. So here goes... I have a preset that I use as a jumping off point for my 'general purpose' presets that has the routing and most of the effects and EQ blocks I use already set up. I generally set up four snapshots for general use (Clean, Crunch, Lead, and Mega(Super Lead) I use the looper to design my presets. I have different guitar parts I play that are best suited to designing a Clean, Crunch, Lead, or Mega snapshot. This is a lot easier than trying to play while you are tweaking a snapshot. I change/select my amp(s) and cab(s) and start by designing the 'Clean' snapshot I turn off all blocks in the preset other than the amp and cab. First I get my amp settings in the ballpark of a decent clean sound. If I will be using that amp for other snapshots as well I will assign most of the settings to snapshots by using the Alt-Click method in the Editor, nice and fast. Once I have the amp sem-dialed in I go to the cab and adjust the mic type, and distance, I may or may not assign a low/high cut at this point. Picking the right mic model is definitely one of the most important parts of the process as it has a profound influence on the EQ curve. I usually assign all the cab parameters to snapshots as well so they can be altered across snapshots. Once I have the cab dialed in I go back and fine tune the amp settings. I generally have at least two EQ blocks set up in a preset. Often a 10 band or Cali (Mesa EQ) before the amp/cab and a parametric after. I assign my EQ parameters to snapshots so I can change them for each snapshot without impacting the other snapshots. I go through now and fine tune my EQ settings on the 10 band before the amp/cab. Afterwards I use the sweep method on the parametric after the amp/cab to dial out or in any frequencies I find that require adjustment. Usually I dial out frequencies. I now turn on and adjust the Delay settings. Usually I assign at least the mix and the time to snapshots. If the time is assigned to the tap tempo button I don't assign this to a snapshot. I then turn on and adjust my Reverb settings with the mix assigned to snapshots so I can alter it across snapshots. I make sure the Tails are set to on in the delay and reverb blocks as I will be switching snapshots within this 'general purpose' type of preset and want the tails to function between snapshots. I turn on my Compression block and adjust its settings. Now I move on to my effects one by one adjusting their parameters to taste. I generally have at least a chorus available for clean sounds although I don't use it very often, and an overdrive/distortion block of some kind . I have various other effects set up depending on the preset. I almost always have a wah and I always have a volume pedal block set up as I frequently use it to adjust my volume on the fly during a performance depending on how loud the rest of the band is. I assign a 3db boost to a pedal on the output block for a clean boost that does not alter my tone. I go back and fine tune everything with all the assorted blocks activated that will make up my core tone for that snapshot. I repeat this entire process for each snapshot (Clean, Crunch, Lead, Mega (Super Lead). I usually just copy the 'Lead' snapshot to the 'Mega' snapshot and tweak it to be hotter than the 'Lead' snapshot.

Some have reported that deleting the volume block, adding it back in, and then saving prevents this but I don't know if that has been confirmed.

A point many of you who use a Variax are probably already aware of but perhaps worth mentioning. If you need to use the Helix tuner to tune up and you are using a Variax preset that has an alternate tuning you will have to tune to the alternate tuning for that preset (or the current tuning set on your Variax, if you don't have it forced in the preset). The Variax does not 'revert' back to standard tuning while the tuner is on. So for instance if you are in a preset with a 'Drop D' tuning you will need to tune your low 'E' string to a 'D'. It might be nice to have a global setting for this that either allowed the tuner to override the Variax setting and work in standard tuning, or Variax preset alternate tuning mode, but I suppose there are enough global settings already. This tuning behavior can actually cause you to mis-tune your guitar if you do not remember you had an alternate tuning set up on a Variax preset and tune it to standard(E,B,G,D,A,E). The behavior is not necessarily a bad thing, it does allow you to fine-tune your alternate tuning, it is just something to be aware of. If you are using an alternate tuning and need to tune but don't know the notes that constitute the alternate tuning you can always check the individual string settings in the Variax input block in your preset, or alternatively, go to a Variax preset that is in standard tuning and tune there first.

The ones attending the annual 'Inuitpalooza' in the 'Land Of The Midnight Sun'. Seven days of fun, food, vendors, music, and constant darkness... ;)