Paulzx

Really? The old Zoom stuff, I remember it. Steve Stevens is using Fractal now obviously, you might be able to get the actual patches? Interested to see how close you get with the Helix though

Yep know what you mean, just assign the blocks you want to foot switches in the normal way, go in to stomp mode then use command centre to move the snap shots around. The only weird thing that did happen was that on the upper row of foot switches, the first three snap shots are okay but that last switch just has a chorus on it - the chorus won't switch on, I have to hold the switch down to turn it on, then it goes off again after you take your foot off. None of the other switches do that. I know in command centre there was an option to change switch behaviour, but you can't access those options when there's only a block on the switch, I think it only works if there's a preset or snapshot on there. Strange though because i've never had any of my footswitches set to hold down

Interesting.. what gear where you using before then? Codamedia is probably spot on with Plexi or JCM 800 for the original recordings, I think you might struggle with the Helix Plexi though as it's not the best. Let us know if you crack it!

I'll add to the above by saying if you're playing high gain stuff like Whitesnake (similar to what I play), you may be unsatisfied with the Helix high gain models, depending how fussy you are. If you're okay with a reasonable high gain tone, you'll be fine. The Helix has a lot of versatility so you'll cure the pedal problem easily enough. If you are fussy about the high gain sound, I would consider a Fractal FM3. I know it's not popular to say it but truthfully, it does high gain better than most amp modellers. Helix does everything else pretty well, it just lacks a bit in the high gain authenticity, but as I say, it depends how fussy you are on those types of tones.

Interesting project.. Quite surprised anyone is doing a dedicated STP tribute band, they were one of the better grunge bands, but not the type of high profile band you expect to see done as a tribute. I'm impressed you're researching and learning to play the songs of a band that you're not really a fan of - that takes a bit of dedication I reckon! Be interesting to see how it goes

Agreed.. that would be useful

Ah okay maybe that's where I was going wrong, I need to be in stomp mode. I didn't see an option to assign a block, only a preset or snapshot

Thanks for confirming Phil..

Just trying to get more into the command centre features and thought I would like to customise my foot switch layout by combining some snaps and stomps amongst the 8 foot switches I have available. I don't want the 4 snaps / 4 stomp setup, I want to put a different mix of blocks or effects on some switches then five or six snaps on the other foot switches but using the 8 foot switch mode. I don't think you can do this because command centre only let's you assign snaps or presets to each foot switch I think.. not actual effect blocks?

If you want cheap and decent - yamaha HS5, or HS7 if you want a bit better sound. I can vouch for both of those and they're probably the best low cost solution that I came across. If you're talking cheaper than that, I don't know but no doubt there is something out there.

Welcome to my world mate.. Only difference is, I've had the Helix for years but did quite a lot of research on the Fractals recently. The basic upshot is that if you have the budget, An Axe III is the best unit you can get. That is rather reinforced by the long list of stellar performers who are using it - regardless of what anyone says, there is a reason people rate it so highly. I was considering an FM3 but the release of the FM9 muddied the waters a bit, both of those units are producing very high quality sounds, just less power than the Axe fx. The Helix loses out a bit on the sound quality, but I still believe it to be the best all round unit for the price because the versatility is un-matched. It's just down to how much you value the extra quality the fractals are delivering. Naturally you're going to get people defending the Helix, including me.. I am really enjoying my Helix and getting improved tones now I understand it better and the speaker output options better, so I've delayed my jump to Fractal, but it will come eventually. I've spoken to a lot of guys who were Helix owners who went over to Fractal, they all liked the Helix but say the Fractals are so good out of the box, it was a no brainer. Some people have said all modelers can sound identical. I would dispute that. I know I can get my Helix to sound similar to the same type of patch on a fractal, but ultimately the amp models, especially high gain, are just better. If they weren't, you would not have so many people move over to them. There is a reason many people go from Helix to Fractal, they never go the other way! In summary, I would say if you want to do the best job possible on the lowest budget, get a Helix, no contest, it still is a great piece of kit. If you have an unlimited budget and just want the all out best thing, then it's the Axe III, followed by an FM9.

I'm not totally clear on what you were asking, but if it is to do with how to change the snapshot values in each parameter in HX Edit.. You have to press S on your keyboard to put the parameter into snapshot brackets, as opposed to on the unit itself where you just push the dial in and turn.

You could go on forever with different IR's. They were a revelation when they came on the scene, now it's just another tweaking mission to add to tweaking mission we already had before lol, always searching for that perfect IR, or one that sounds maybe a bit better than what you had. I don't know how similar each vendor's IR's are for the same cabinet's, but so far in my experience, the fremen marshall stuff is pretty good. The guy from Tonewars on youtube had two IR's based on a Diezel I think, foe sale on the marketplace. Those, and the fremen's are the best I've used so far, although they are for heavier tone than the video above I expect

Nice job Nick, as always! Can you tell me what your favourite high gain ownhammer IR's are so I can pick some up? I seem to have some from everyone except them..

Yep sounds like there's a bit of chorus on that opening riff doesn't there, but also they way they tone shape that sound is by dropping the mids a bit, dropping the treble and cutting some of the highs, opposite of what they used to do. It's a darker thicker tone now but still based on that Marshall JMP

Same experience here. You can learn how they set things up but I always end up pulling it apart and virtually re building the preset

Being brutally honest, no amount of tweaking made them sound right lol. I actually requested this from Scott and shortly after, he decided to make one an sell it, but I've done closer matches myself. I like Scott's channel and I try and support these guys work where I can but I wouldn't recommend buying this particular preset. I didn't think it sounded brilliant even when he did the demo video. Trouble is I'm a huge Leppard fan and I've analysed the guitar tones for many years so if somethings a bit off I can hear it straight away. I'll revisit the preset and see if it can be modified. Maybe with better IR's etc. One of the problems with this hysteria album tone matching with the rockman IR's of course is that the distortion tones sound like Boston but when Leppard used the unit they had it to bits re wired it, re eq'd it and so on their recordings although you can hear some of that rockman tone in the distortion tones, it doesn't really sound like,e the X100 unit, they changed the sound so it wouldn't, which makes it very hard to get those tones with a dedicated rockman IR. The cleans do sound a lot more rockman like, compressed, pingy shimmery etc but very full sounding

Nice one, I'll be interested to try these too

I bought these from Scott, to be fair, there have been much closer attempts by others since he made this. One guy came up with an IR that was really chasing that compressed Hysteria clean sound and it's damn near spot on. Of course this is the album sound though, not the live sound

You're in my world now with this one, forget all the rockman stuff, that was Hysteria & Adrenalize album tone, the live sound has evolved over the years with different gear, ultimately to right now, which is Axe FXIII and the fractal guys have actually given some info on the settings for that. Some of the info stated above is correct, it was always based on the JCM800 but they also had the Palmer speaker simulator in that rig which did influence the sound quite a bit. If you listen to live stuff over the last ten years or so, the guitar tones have changed quite a bit. They always favoured cutting the low end right out of the tone at one point, to more of a tuned down growly marshall processed tone more recently. I'll try out some of the stuff above too, I've got a tone for this dialled in using the modded 2204, you have to EQ it quite a bit so it's not fizzy though - do you think you've cracked it then?

Yep that's the main issue, getting a sharper, bitier distortion but you want clarity in that so I think those tips are the right way to go, I'll certainly have a go at backing those settings off a bit. I do find with the amp sims and IR's that you end up with quite a fizzy tone a lot of the time and I'm always trying to dial that out for a more authentic crackle break up type of distortion. You know when you've got something good because it sounds good all over the neck, not just on certain riffs or positions but its not easy to get out of the box so to speak

I don't want to sound dismissive chaps but I think my original point has somehow got lost or sidetracked. Some of what has been said above is interesting, but I'm afraid quoting silly comments like 'it will either sink in or it won't ' shows me that it hasn't sunk in for some of you. If you guys had read my posts properly you would know that I was never trying to match my tones via different output devices. I wasn't unhappy with my tones through my speakers. I don't even use headphones regularly! My point was simply that the character of the distortion was very different, that's all. That's what I wanted to know about, not how my presets sound from one device to the next, I had no desire to change that. I just wanted to know about the distortion character within the preset. Somehow this discussion has become an in depth lecture (quite often in a patronising sense) about how to operate a modelling device for different scenario's. All very interesting but not what I was saying at all.

That's not the reason I've changed my speakers. I've changed them as an upgrade for my overall preset tone. I wasn't expecting to match the headphone sound doing that. What you've said above, I know all that, that's basically what I've been saying all this time!

Yes.. lowering right down sounded weird but if you take it down to about 80 per cent it sounds rather good, almost rockman like actually and this is very useful, definitely a little trick I'll be using on some patches

Haha yep sounds about right lol. I am going to keep trying though because I do want my Helix to sound as good as it can particularly in the high gain, I've already discovered some improvements. I'll be on my third set of speakers later this week!