Verne-Bunsen

I'm keen on the Teemah and the Minotaur, but for the transparent-est of transparent boosts you can also use a gain block.

I find that the Early Reflections on a single cab sounds a bit artificial. However if you tun two different cabs in parallel (which I reccomend over using a double cab block), then adding some Early Reflection to one of them adds some depth and space, very nice. In moderation though, too much and it begins to sound un-natural.

Since the master volume has a big impact in tone, I avoid using it as an "overall volume" adjustment. I adjust drive and master to get the sound, then the channel volume to get the overall volume set. If there isn't enough on tap there, there's lots more available in the output block. A gain block after the amp is also a good option. In some cases where I have to run the amp settings really low to get it clean, I'll use a compressor after the amp to smooth things out get the volume back. Lots of options! As far as getting all of your patches at the same level, I'd recommend plugging into your DAW and using your input meter. There is no clipping indicator in Helix, so use that to make sure that your signal strength isn't running away with compounding gain. I set all of mine to hit the DAW at about -12db.

I find myself prefering the stock cabs over 3rd party IRs in most cases, but the Helix Fenders I find kind of flat with the stock cabs. Using Ownhammer or Red Wirez IRs (probably others too, but those are the ones I've used) really wakes them up.

Sounds pretty straight forward, I was not aware of IR Utility in Logic. Oughtta be a fun experiment, thanks!

Hello all, I have a couple of questions for those of you with some experience capturing your own IRs. I've been using the stock Helix cabs extensively of late and I've got some configurations that I'm really liking. Mostly they are varying combinations of multiple cabs in parallel with different mics and the like. Nothing groundbreaking there I know, but it's rather DSP intensive and also soaks up my parallel-path routing options, limiting me in that regard. I'm wondering about the feasibility of capturing those configurations as an IR and then being able to plug them back into the patch as a single IR block. My goal is to maintain the sound, reduce DSP consumption and eliminate some parallel-path routing. Sounds kind of lofty when put like that... So my questions are: 1) Is this worth pursuing? Which is to say, can I expect to accurately capture the sound I'm getting from multiple parallel cabs in a single IR? I am using some Early Reflections on some cabs, max 30% or so, which is a consideration. 2) Can you please point me in the direction of the necessary software for making such a capture? I'm running Logic Pro X on an iMac for a DAW. 3) Most (all) of what I've found in researching capturing IRs has pertained to capturing a physical environment or cab; I've not found much (anything) on capturing a simulated environment. There is much discussion on how to generate the impulse, what kind of amps to use for driving a cab, but how would I approach this within Helix? Will external hardware be required or can it all be done within the digital realm? It's a lot of questions I know; I generally like to figure out the basics on my own before asking for guidance but I'm really not sure where to start on this one. Thanks in advance for any input! -VB

Bummer! Thanks for posting this, I've been considering a G10 myself.

Well, I'd say that in this corner, we have Glenn, Scott and Fremen. This sounds cool, I'd sure watch!

I find this kind of interesting. I have a pretty healthy library of IRs from Ownhammer and Red Wirez and, honestly, find them to be a bit overrated. More than half of the time I prefer the sound I'm getting out of a stock cab configuration (typically two cabs in parallel) over the same patch with IRs. Often I find the IRs sound very "boxy" or have a "playing in a tin-can" sort of hollowness about them. The stock cabs sound more "open" to me, more like hearing a guitar amp and less like a recording of one. Interesting how we can all have such different experiences with the same stuff!

I think it's a good indicator that you've done pretty solid work when you create amp/cab/effects modeling platform as powerful and complex (although impressively intuituve to operate) as Helix and the most persistent and active thread on the forum is about the particulars of the built-in tuner. At least thats how I'd look at it.

I toyed a lot with the pad and discovered that it could play very nicely with humbuckers, even moderate output passives, but that it had a dulling effect on my single coil cleans. I can make my humbuckers work without it, but I can't get happy with my single coils with it. Like you, I don't relish the notion of having to remember which preset had it on/off and change it every time I change presets so I eventually settled on leaving it "OFF" and I'm doing just fine. If it could be assigned per-preset I would happily employ it, but as a global setting I find the negatives outweigh the positives.

Just read your post again and it seems like maybe your difficulty is with how to actually assign parameters to the expression pedal? If that is the case, press and hold the knob for the parameter in question and an assignment menu will come up. Select the correct expression pedal and set the parameters you want to move between. Done! Again, hope that's helpful!

Not sure what you're trying to get it to do as opposed to what it's actually doing, but in general I'll say that the "Mix" parameter is key. At 50% you'll get the harmony side of the Whammy, where you hear your natural guitar signal and the pitch shifted signal together in equal measure. Set to 100% you'll get the Whammy side of the Whammy pedal, where all you hear is the shifted signal. Hope that can help!

Interesting.

This is kind of a timely discussion for me, as I've been playing a lot recently with my Classic '57 equipped Les Paul into the JCM800. I've been getting some tones that I've been really pleased with, but what I haven't been able to capture that the tone in the video DID capture is that top end clarity and punch; what Scott appropriately refers to as the KERRANG. I shamelessly stole his settings and captured them as a snapshot in the patch I've been working on. It's quite tasty. I played some classic riffage into the looper and recorded it with the following cab configurations: Stock cabs (4x12 1960 T75 with 1x12 US Deluxe in parallel) https://www.dropbox.com/s/w6tnxylqfyfklx3/JCM800%20Stock%20Cabs.mp3?dl=0 Ownhammer IR (4x12 1960B loaded with G12-50GL "Lynchbacks") https://www.dropbox.com/s/jklqj9egieotz39/JCM800%20OH%20.mp3?dl=0 12H65 IR linked above by bshaw92 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qg3llxs4dxjg3vh/JCM800%2012H65.mp3?dl=0 There are things I really like about each, but for my ears I think the stock cabs sound best overall. I know, sacrilege.... Should anybody want it for any reason, here is the patch: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v727fqijtzw867q/GTLP%20JCM800.hlx?dl=0 If anyone has the secret to the KERRANG, pass it along!

Pretty much word for word what I was going to say. I've never managed slapback that tasty. Good stuff across the board!

I've been having great results with assigning the cab hi/low cuts to Snapshots. I set them pretty generously for sparklier cleans, then move them in tighter as needed to tame fizz with increasing gain.

I don't think it would be fair to expect the factory presets to be perfect, ready-to-roll tones. Differences in guitars, pickups, playing styles, output devices and physical environments as well as personal tastes and preferences all factor in. I do, however, think they demonstrate a pretty solid foundation and by digging through them there are things to be learned and applied to your own presets. Likewise with the Fremen stuff. I purchased the bundle and really like what's in there, but they are not the presets I'm using on a day-to-day basis. To be very honest they are a little TOO pristine for me. I have learned a ton about tone crafting from analyzing and de-constructing them though, and my own presets are getting better for it. Worth every penny of the price just for that. As for the "drifting ear calibration", I encountered that with the use of third party IRs. Most noticeably with the Ownhammers, actually. When I would listen through one for a long period, like while putting a preset together, my ear would dial into its particular EQ signature and I'd get it sounding perfect, and then if I moved on to something else it would suddenly sound like I was playing in a tin can. So I'd work with that and get it dialed in more to my liking and then going back to the previous one would sound like I was in a tin can again. It became really apparent when I started using snapshots to switch the IR assigned to a block: going back and forth like that made everything sound weird all the time. It was driving me nuts and took me a while to figure out that it was actually my ear that was changing, acclimating to the EQs inherent in the IRs. I've currently switched to using the stock cabs exclusively and my ears are no longer drifting like that. And I'm learning that with a little craftiness and effort they can sound really good. I'm not saying I won't ever use an IR again, but when I do I'll know a lot more about what I'm listening for. So long story short, I immediately dismissed the factory presets and stock cabs as rubbish when I got my Helix and now here I am 6 months or so in, using the stock cabs and learning from the factory presets. There's probably a lesson in there somewhere for me.

I must admit that, prior to reading this thread, I hadn't spent much time at all with the factory presets. But I suppose I should thank you for the impetus, as there is some really good stuff in there! I'm a sucker for simple and really liked the New Jimmy and Rebel Yell tones. For far-out stuff, I rather enjoyed Space Cadet, I could spend all afternoon throwing notes out the airlock! Probably won't get much sleep tonight, thanks!

I can totally relate to this. Minor pentatonic plus a b5 can take you far, but if the song calls for something more structured then sticking to it sounds a bit haphazard and unguided, without direction. On the flip side, playing something overly complex or sophisticated can sound really out of place on top of a simple blues. The example that always jumps out at me is Van Halen doing Ice Cream Man. The song is a simple catchy blues, but the first part if the solo comes along and sounds like a Van Halen solo and just seems to me to be a bad fit for the material. The second half of the solo still cooks, but is simpler and fits much better.

As long as you are physically in its presence you can. If not, a microphone is necessary. Like seeing something with your own eyes as opposed to in a photograph. If you want to see what The Pyramids look like without a camera lens, you have to goto Egypt.

MArnold, thanks for taking the time to post that! It's a bit reassuring to know that I'm not losing my mind, as I was starting to question that... At the same time, kind of a bummer to know that it's inherent in the system. I think what's happened here for me is that at some point, I heard it. And then "what is heard cannot be un-heard" kicked in and now it jumps out at me whenever I try to utilize moderate gain. And it's always there. I simply can't use broken-up-amp tones because it's covered with crackle and fizz to the point of distraction. I've been using the Input Pad, but not only does it not help the fizz, I don't like what it does to my single coil cleans. So I think I'm going to go back and take my chances with it off. I've been heading down the "subtractive EQ" path and haven't had any progress to speak of. I dunno. I'm going to try to make the best of it for now, but it's making it hard for me to really connect with what I'm doing. I haven't settled on "disappointed" yet, but certainly frustrated. I can still get really nice clean tones, so that's where I'm spending my time for now.

Many times I've pondered this, never have figured it out. Good question and I hope someone has a good answer!

Everyone knows Hitler struggled to get his guitar tone right. If only there had been a Helix in the bunker!

I use Logic Pro and it is super easy. I plug Helix into the computer via USB, then open my DAW and when I open a session I select Helix for input/output. Thats it. Hit record.