ricksteruk

Yeah I agree Al, the 2204 isn't one of the main offenders for the digital grunge - but it isn't totally innocent either :)

So here's a recording. https://soundcloud.com/ricksteruk/helix-v-hk-scale?in=ricksteruk/sets/line6-helix-vs-hk-switchblade I had tried to make my Helix sound as much like my H&K switchblade as possible and try to dial out the nasty noise. I used an 11kHz hi cut. The first riff is my actual H&K preamp (in 4cm), the second is the Helix. Third is real amp on left, Helix on right If you concentrate on the Helix one with headphones, what you are basically listening for is a mid/high frequency fuzz/buzz that just sort of echoes the main notes. This sound is present all the time - it's just this palm muting style playing makes it more apparent.

Fab - and scribble strips will be even better :)

Hi Guys, I've been checking out my Helix's amps today and I've tried to dial in a copy of my favourite H&K crunch preset. Recorded through the Helix's USB - the H&K is in 4cm with the Helix and it's same Helix preset either using the H&K in one of the Helix's Send/Return Loops or the Helix's Brit 2204 preamp (and an extra EQ block to help make them sound the same) I "reamped" the guitar using Helix so it's the exact same guitar playing repeated 3 times. First is the H&K Switchblade 50 TSC combo, Second is the Helix Brit 2204, Third has the H&K on the left speaker and the Helix on the right side. All recordings are going through the 2x12 Interstate Cab as it sounds closest to my H&K combo even though it's only a 1x12. https://soundcloud.com/ricksteruk/sets/line6-helix-vs-hk-switchblade I noticed a bit of a harsh high harmonic / overtone while trying out the Helix amps today and tried to demonstrate it in these recordings. The "scale" riff is deliberately played hard and muted to set off this sound. Even the H&K makes a few nasty buzzes on a couple of notes but the Helix does it on every note. I set a high EQ cut to try to reduce it but this was the best I could remove it without spoiling the guitar tone. I believe this high harmonic is what causes some people to be put off of the Helix's drive tones. The harmonic has too much high frequency content (sounds a lot more like a sawtooth that it really should) - and it also should not happen on every note that is played.

I tried your test and yes I do see what you mean. I have heard that sound before, I think it was from one of the Helix's drive pedals when I was trying to use it with the gain on 1 to just add a little grit to my amp. I am using my Helix in 4cm with my Hughes & Kettner Switchblade 50TSC Combo (great piece of kit) - so I've not really explored the Helix's amps that much up to today - but as you suggested I created a new preset - added the Amp&Cab block and listened through headphones. I tried out all the Amp&Cabs Yes there is a sharp and abrasive tone that is noticeable on a lot (all?) of the Helix amps once you know what you are listening for. You can dial it out a little by using a HF cut block set around 11kHz which is a compromise that reduces that sound without cutting too much treble from the guitar tone overall. This does not really bother me as I use the Helix in 4cm so I am using real tube distortion - but I feel for some of you guys! It would be good to have the ability to go amp less to a tiny gig and get exactly the same tone as with my amp... I made some comparison recordings and will post with my thoughts on the subject in a bit.

I just used the Editor for the first time after having my Helix about 2 weeks. Looks good - it was especially nice to have a the graphic representation of the global EQ. I wanted to back up my setlist having done a successful gig with Helix and 35 unique presets for the songs on Friday night - as I've heard a rumour that a firmware update is on the way soon..... It was an absolute doodle to backup the set list, and I love the way it's so easy to re-order the set by just dragging and dropping. I could probably just do that for each gig rather than typing up and printing a set list on paper. Not sure if I'll use the editor for creating presets as it's already very nice to do on Helix itself, but who knows. I am looking forward to the ability to type in the Preset name rather than using the joystick that's for sure! :) Nice work Line6!

The JC-40 looks like a nice little amp and should give a pretty decent sound. But 40 watts (solid state) is not very powerful.. I wonder if it will cope with loud band scenarios? The speakers in the JC-40 will not be Full response, so acoustic guitar might not sound great - but if you're just using electric you should be ok. Also a pair of cheap monitors like the Alto TS210s look to be £100 cheaper than the JC-40 at UK prices.

Is it too loud.. is it too quiet? Fido083 is on track. SPDIF is not loud or quiet. It is simply a digital signal. The 1/4 in jacks and XLR and SEND outs produce a real signal that has "volume" or amplitude of the waveform. You can set the level of these to mic level, line level or instrument level (depending which you are using.) It is up to you to set up the device that you are plugging plug these into to adjust the level of your XLRs or Jacks, (select wether it's mic or line - turn up the gain knob on the device etc) to match the SPDIF level produced in that device if you need to have them match for some reason. If the device you are using has no input gain controls (which I find hard to believe) - you could even split the output path in the Helix and adjust the "level" control on either the XLR, or jacks. Does that help?

I agree - first thing I did after unboxing the Helix was to install the new firmware

Luckily nobody has stepped on my pedals yet - but at one gig a dancer fell backward and landed on their backside on the floor board of other guy in the band. The pedals and wires all survived thankfully. It must have been an unpleasant and spiky place to land!

Yeah when you press Action the bottom part of the display screen should change from "Press Joystick to open model list" to: Knob 1: Copy Block Knob 2: Paste Block Knob 3: Clear Block Knob 4: Clear All blocks Unless you select an active fx block first with the joystick, knobs 1,2 and 3 will be greyed out.

Hey Joe, Just hit the menu button, hit knob 3 for Command Center, then use the joystick to select the Footswitch. You can then hit Knob 6 to customise the name and LED colour.

If you've tried the obvious: - turn it off and on thing.. - restore factory settings - upgrade firmware then it might be a dodgy switch.. these hardware things can fail.

Wow - nice idea! A simple analog pot in a tiny box could easily be wired up to exp 2 or exp 3 and velcroed onto a mic stand in arms reach. Would cost pennies to make. :)

Sure - but it's not too easy to get to when you are singing and playing. It also looks a bit unprofessional constantly bending over to adjust the volume knob in my opinion.

It worked pretty well. I set up a +5dB max and -8dB minimum as that seemed to be a good range as I was trying it out at home. At the gig it turned out that I only needed to turn up certain sounds not turn any down. On some songs I might need to use the exp pedal to turn up the choruses by 3 or 4 dB and then turn it back down to 0dB for the verses. (as well as pressing a footswitch sometimes). On other songs the whole thing just needed to be louder to match the drums, so I just turned up with the exp pedal and then could leave it and play. It was a little fiddly finding 0dB again when I had to turn up for choruses and back down again for verses - the display was showing the value which helped a bit (probably as the gain block was selected on each patch when I'd just saved them this afternoon). There was one song that needed to be more than 5dB louder - luckily I had one FS set up to give a +3dB boost on that preset so I could do it without having to reach over to my amp I think in the future I might just have the minimum set at 0dB and just use the exp pedal to boost (maybe up to 10dB). If i get any presets that are to loud i might just have a "panic" volume cut Footswitch , maybe -10dB, which I could then use in conjunction with the exp pedal to boost back up to the right level between -10dB and 0dB Having said all that... IT WORRKED! My drummer said - your levels were really good tonight :)

Aha Andy, now I understand :) Yes it might be handy if there was the facility to set certain inputs to "global" so that you could play along with a backing track easily. But having said that, it would be very easy to add it to each preset at phil says - today I just added one exp pedal controlled gain block to the end all of my 35 odd presets for tonight's gig. I just set it up on the first preset with the settings I wanted.. pressed "copy block", then I could just drop it in on every other preset. Took only a few minutes to do.

I just don't understand... Have you got something against a mini jack - twin 1/4 inch jack cable?

I for one do not want a low quality stereo mini jack input on my Helix thank you very much. If for some reason I wanted to connect via mini jack rather than usb I'd just grab a Minijack - twin 1/4in jack cable and "plug and play"

Yeah that would work well for semi clean / blues stuff, but some of the set has a very heavily saturated / driven sound. It would not make the guitar any louder - just even more overdriven. The volume control needs to be after the valve (or Helix) preamp for that situation.

I did that too - started with one patch set up with the correct in / send / return / cab / outputs that I want to use and just add FX as needed from there - just seemed the easiest way to do it to save having to redo that stuff every time. The thing about levels that worries me is I know that some songs are just louder or quieter than others even if they need basically the same tone so need that building in to the presets or need to use the exp pedal.

Nice vid - I just watched the first few minutes. Cool set up! I'm just using my Helix floorboard in 4cm with my Hughes & Kettner Switchblade 50 TSC combo. It is a really good pairing - the Helix can send MIDI to the Switchblade to change it's presets. It's good to be able to use real tube preamp when required.. though I have to say I've got some amazing tones just using the Helix's Compulsive drive in front of a clean H&K tube preset. Yeah your system of 80% minimum that might work well once I have things set up properly... at the moment I worry that a certain preset might be too loud and I might need to turn it down. Maybe I can rig up one stomp to be a "panic" -10dB gain cut in each preset and then use the Vol pedal to fine tune levels as needed.

I love the fact the Helix tuner is so easy to read, but yes it would be great if there was also some kind of strobe arrows >>> - - <<<<< at the top of the display to help us fine tune within the centre of the green bar.

Hi folks, I've got my first proper gig with the Helix tomorrow (did a 3 song spot last weekend) and I've been busily programming in presets for all the 34 songs for our 2 sets of pop rock covers with encore material. We've not had a proper rehearsal at gig volume - only at quiet unmiked vocals and electric drum kit volume levels which is not a good test really. I think I have got all the levels pretty well matched, but from experience with my last rig - at gigs sometime the drums are louder on some songs so even though I may be wanting to use the exact same tone, one song may need to be louder than another. So I've programmed Presets for each song so I can set the right levels per song in time.... SO TO THE POINT....... I've been wondering if the EXP2 pedal can help me balance the volume of my presets on the fly? I could set a new gain block at the end of my chain with say a +6dB Max and a -6dB Min and then save all my patches with the pedal set in the centre at 0dB, and use Preset mode on the EXP2 pedal so each patch starts at 0dB unless I go fiddle with the pedal. Is that a good idea? How do you guys use a volume pedal at gigs? Anyone do it as I just described? I suspect most will use it like a traditional volume pedal Set from 0% volume to 100% and leave it set global?