themetallikid

If you scour the forum quite a bit, you can find lots of free IR's and free presets (some just amps some full presets). A lot will have to do with your monitoring situation, and your gear you play through with it as those are variables that will dramatically affect the end result of any preset you download. Of course you can pay for presets and IRs as well, I haven't really liked a lot of the paid presets I bought, but I do typically retain the presets for referrals back if I like a certain amp sound or something. With the Boss series (I came from there and Fractals) you can save your amp settings as a 'user' setting. THe Helix can't, but I hope it will someday....but what I have done is create a 'setlist' where I save presets that I like certain things on and then rename them. So if I find a David Gilmourish style amp sound, but I don't like the rest of the preset, I will save it as David Gilmour OD or something as a reference for when I want to create my own stuff to save time.

on an added note, I generally have my presets pretty well dialed in volume-matching wise, there are occasionally the random ones that fly under the radar...and looking to try and control those in the simplest matter quickly. Once I trust everything live is good, i probably wouldnt need it.

I didnt see a way to do this in HX Edit, maybe im not thinking outside the box enough.... In my Fractal years ago, on my midi footcontroller I could assign 2 buttons to function as 'stomps' (to use Helix language) that would allow me to increase/decrease the 'Master Preset Volume'. I think this can be done with the Helix's 'on the fly' editing, but its a few too many buttons for me to try and think/play/sing/edit at once. I'd rather just pause for 3 seconds and do it manually (thank you Helix for being that easy to adjust by hand).... ...However, I was thinking how Stomps are used, is there a way to assign a stomp to my Lead Boost Gain block at the end or the Master preset volume in the output and assign a button each for increase/decrease?

I've been fighting my own input signal issues, but wonder if turning the pad on would help as well. Is there a way to find typical JC120 settings that someone would use on the real Amp? I know that is a fave of Metallica's clean tones....I'm curious where the gain knob is on the real thing for those tones vs where I have it set. I definitely have 'headroom' to turn the gain up if I put the pad on....I just typically leave it off and keep the gain lower. I do like the 'tone' on the crunchier presets with the pad on, but the amps tend to lose some of their bite then.

I apologize, there is just more traffic here than over on the wireless forum... Considering the G10S, however I'm worried about how the transmitter plugs into the guitar for a couple reasons: 1) Does it get in the way when moving around on stage? I'm worried about breaking it off or it becoming 'loose' and dangling/swinging around.... 2) I've read about issues with wireless's not playing nice with EMG/Active pickups....I don't know much about that, but it was all the talk with the Boss wireless that came out awhile back....does that concern apply here? I never considered it when I bought my last wireless Sennheiser EW172 (about 10 years ago) 3) Is it worth going up to the G50 if I want the battery pack...what else would I really be gaining? Thanks in advance...I've recently determined that my Sennheiser is killing my input signal and affecting how I dial patches in on my Helix

Considering the G10S, however I'm worried about how the transmitter plugs into the guitar for a couple reasons: 1) Does it get in the way when moving around on stage? I'm worried about breaking it off or it becoming 'loose' and dangling/swinging around.... 2) I've read about issues with wireless's not playing nice with EMG/Active pickups....I don't know much about that, but it was all the talk with the Boss wireless that came out awhile back....does that concern apply here? I never considered it when I bought my last wireless Sennheiser EW172 (about 10 years ago) 3) Is it worth going up to the G50 if I want the battery pack...what else would I really be gaining? Thanks in advance...I've recently determined that my Sennheiser is killing my input signal and affecting how I dial patches in on my Helix

Yeah I think I've found that trick as well, I (for myself) like a very narrow boost at 125hz (helix only has 120 available, but it works)....but to counter act some of that boomyness I do usually usually find something between 300-450 depending on the amp/cab combination.

hooked up to the mixer...into the EV Wedge...and it sounded great....for the sake of creating my patches I took the mixer out of the equation and actually lost some low end lol....not enough to matter. In the mixer I had the low cut on my channel just to help clean up the boomyness of the guitar...the frequency was at 95, but there is some rolloff above that frequency a touch and it sounded good there. Im thinking the loss of low end may be from using the Low/Hi cuts on the IR blocks as opposed to a PEQ block as I think those have the steepest slope....so I may just have to tweak them a bit to get the same response I had before....but that saves me an EQ block as well.

yeah I went over last night and plugged in direct to main speakers and it sounded pretty exact to my EV wedge, so once I get some time later today, going to hook up to Xair mixer and from there into my wedge and see how it sounds....that should be the final piece of the puzzle...we'll see.

ugh so annoying, please nevermind I'm 6 beers in, lol....but I plugged in and our new speakers sounded exactly like they should have....so...that only leaves the Xair18 mixer as a culprit or my ears....which its looking more and more like my ears that night.....although logical, its annoying, lol.

Yeah I agree...we really have tried to not 'abuse' the abilities of each channel, on every channel. We have some stuff setup for the drums/bass channels to help them punch and not 'ring' where they shouldnt. But both me and the other guitar player run direct with stuff, and he needs to adjust his a touch as well, but his seemed more ballpark than mine did. The Xair series allows for presets to be applied per channel, but I have left our channels for guitar 'naked' if you will. I only used them as a template on the channels that need it. The ones I went with were ones from a soundguy that runs at the Whiskey in LA, so I figure they probably know what they are doing, lol. It was a great starting point, but we still had to adapt to all the variables that we add at the input stage. Anyway, sounds like I'm heading over to his place tonight to spend about 20 min testing my EQ Snapshots out....We'll see. Thanks for the help Duned, CHeers as always.

Yea the bass coupling effect is something i'm 'aware' of, and thats something i've accounted for with the 'current' PA situation....I do have an extra pole stand here at home, maybe I should get that setup and mount the speaker...maybe that will help. I've always just mentally adjusted where the tone needed to be....but it makes sense. I'm hoping to take my helix over to my guitar players house and set it up to run through those presets I setup with the EQ Snapshots to see what makes sense.....but I agree with your other post about they should be pretty in the ballpark of each other and shouldnt need to much additional tweaking. The only other factor I can't really A/B test is the difference between the mixer channels (like I mentioned)...I can't imagine the mixer preamps between the x32 and xair 18 would be that much different they would sound that drastically different....but thats the only variables I can't experiment with. I'm sure I can find settings to get where I need, but was just shocked between what I heard and what I thought I'd hear. With setting everyone else up though, I'm sure I was mentally distracted and maybe not listening fully too....who knows.

Yes, our configuration in the new PA will be a powered top/sub on each side, with a pole between them. The ELX is being setup as full range (no sub), that is really the only option I have with it. Our PA consists of the DSR115/DSR118w per side. There is a contour switch, but it is not on.

I think one point you missed Duned is that my 'soon to be' past sound guy was running the Behringer X32 mixer, we are running the smaller Xair 18. Basically the same thing, just some minor differences we shouldnt run into. The wedge I have at home is the EV ELX 115p, i've been using this as a vocal monitor, and made a swap with him for my IEM's as i could not survive with the IEM's and my guitar. I need that 'live' sound.... I believe the tops we are using are a pair of Yamaha's....I'll have to ask the other guitar player tomorrow.... right now I'm reeling from another disappointing night of bowling....damn hobbies

And this is the reason we are choosing to go the route we are. Among other reasons, he mixes more like a cd/jukebox mix, and not a 'live' mix. I don't want to get into ranting about details but we get comments on how we sound as a whole. The bass/kick isn't punchy, its more like a bad sub in a ghetto car you hear driving by...the guitars aren't 'in your face' they are mixed 'polite' (2 guitar band playing 80's90's rock covers, we should be more guitar driven for a sound...I'd think), and generally you can't really hear the 2nd guitar much out front, even though we play complimenting parts on a lot of songs (Anyone really hear Izzy on Appetite for Destruction? its like 80% Slash in the mix unless you pan the audio) and the other guitar is the only guitar sometimes when I'm singing. People say his sound is a little harsh, I don't hear that necessarily but others make a comment on it. There just isn't any reason for us to get those comments when he has the gear he has, and refuses to listen to us regarding how 'we' want to be mixed. Our vocals (although he swears they aren't) are being compressed/limited in a way that when I sing 3 Doors down I'm at say a 6 on my voices volume, when I sing Metallica/Rob Zombie etc, I'm usually more like a 8 or 9, however the monitor mix is only giving us about a 7.5, and that 7.5 isn't enough to get through cleanly. Again, don't want to lose point of the original questions, but you get my point, this change is necessary at this point, lol. This has been my goal as well. If we have a new sound guy (next week we have one filling in) I want to be able to tell him to run me flat and adjust from there....I usually like hearing my guitar through other systems flat as it gives me some better feedback on what could be wrong in some other scenarios. I get minor adjustments for the mix/room or whatever....but generally I'm pretty much a set it and forget it tweaker. Yes that is where I'm going, I just need to get some time comparing A to B and then I'll have a better reference... Specifically what I meant by 'stiff' before...I'll try to describe it....at home and the 'current' PA situation, my guitar has an openness in the mids...a fuller Marshall/Slash type sound, I typically low/hi cut at 120/12k and am happy with only a slight boost in the 800-1k range to cut through a little more. Sounds good to my ears....with the limited time I've had on the new PA...it seems like the mids are very 'tight' or thin sounding....like its not a very open sound. I have the channel EQ 'off/flat' right now per my thoughts above on that...But when I cycled through my sounds a bit so we could start setting a band mix, and I listened to my guitar on its own, it was not what I was expecting...I know I need more time to fully evaluate it, but given how easily and good we got the drums/bass/rhythm guitar and vocals sounding...my guitar was a shocker when it didn't hit that same mark of awesome. lol. I'll check my wedge and get the powered speaker set models and maybe I can draw some comparisons...thanks again I appreciate the conversation/thoughts...I sometimes have to go through this process outloud to get it....you guys are awesome! CHEERS!!

I'm at work, but I'll clarify a few things....as I don't have all the information your referring to Duned.....but I do appreciate the help.... 1) the new pa is being run by us, so far everything sounds great. 2) I haven't spent a ton of time on my guitar with the new pa, as I'm the most cpu savvy one in the group, and I bought the mixer, I've been the one deemed to set it up. 3) I know enough about sound to get by, but am by far any sort of an 'expert'. we do have the main EQ set in a way that everything else (first tweaked with several MP3 sound examples being played through it, then with setting up channels, for the most part avoiding EQ except for some obvious channels.) 4) I don't know which exact model I have at home, I'll have to check, its a powered 15 and works great, sounds great at home....the little bit of time I've had with my guitar at practice has been more of a rush to check signal level, and establish general guidelines, and what I heard sounded just different than what I recall from my powered wedge and the little bit I heard from previous sound guys system. 5) I have not had a chance yet to A/B directly our new FOH vs. EV wedge....but that's what I was hoping to minimize time required with my original question. If I compared specs between the two, could I get in the ballpark just based on that, or if (as I expected) its a 'set it up and tweak' thing....which I'm ok with, I'll just need to set aside time to do it correctly.

I would take a picture but he is using the X32 series which is all run on a tablet he uses....so not as easy as an analog board. He has been our soundguy for about 7 years, but we are shifting to running our own system. So if I ask it will begin to rock the boat and we haven't told him yet, and we aren't ready to do that yet...however once we do, we are about 85% sure he will take his ball and go home. Which I understand in a way..... The issue for me is time....we have 2 remaining practices before I go on vacation for 2 weeks and I get back the day before we have 2 shows for st. patty's day weekend. At least my base presets are set from an amp/effects/volume standpoint, I just need to worry about swapping IR's and adjust EQ's which once I find ones that work, is just a copy/paste exercise in HX Edit.....its just hard to find time to spend with the system all hooked up. The other guitar player owns the speakers and I own the mixer (Xair 18). I did setup a few test presets with a typical Amp sound, and a few different IR's that sound good at home, and then setup snapshots with different EQ Low/HI Cuts of 1) no cuts 2) 100/12k 3)120/8k 4)150/6k That should help me find a speaker IR that sounds good, and then go through the snapshots to find the best EQ starting point for the low/high end. Also added a gain block at the end of 3db so I can get my lead boosts set right cause I'm sure the mixers channel gain will be different between what he has it set (he is stuck on keeping the fader at unity gain if possible, ugh don't get me started)...and with him I was having to use +8db boost at the end of my chain on the gainier presets.

Other than just spending time (which is limited in the short term) are there any specs I can compare between two speaker systems to know how presets will sound from A>B? My current powered wedge (EV) is pretty close to my sound guy (soon to be ex sound guy), however our new system seems to be on the brighter/stiffer side of the spectrum. Now, I don't know what my current sound guy is doing at the board, but he raves about my current presets...and generally trusts my ears for what I bring to the table. However, he is unwilling to share his information so I don't know if I'm being run flat or other stuff is happening. Any specs I can use to compare models/brands to have an idea of how to adjust things....other than just logging hours between the two units?

I wouldn't feel comfortable discussing the details of the exchange, only because I work in a similar field of customer service and don't want to set an expectation that every scenario would be like mine....however, I will say it was not the full price difference between the 2 models. Also, I've only had my Helix for just over a year, it was replaced pretty early on for the same issue, and this one was great but then start exhibiting the same response issues with it reading the pedal travel ranges.

I get your points... however, at the end of my chain, I still prefer to have an EQ (usually parametric) where I adjust the low/hi cuts as I run direct to the board. With my last presets I was hovering around 120-12k, but with the new PA we are using the 12k seems a bit high as I get lots of shrill bite and am thinking I may 'globally' on the board want to roll that down to around 8k or something, that way I can save one extra block in my chain if possible. I don't use the stock cabs, I'm using some IR's I prefer. I typically blend 2 of them (please give us a stereo IR block so we don't have to use the parallel option for this) one is the typical front of the cab, the other is a 'rear' cab sound which I blend in just enough to give it some more depth and resonance in the low end. Works well for me....

ahh, much thanks, I couldn't remember if it was here or TGP that I saw something like that. Thank you, I can't view that forum at work, so I'll have to check it out when I get home.

Does anyone have any sort of graphs using some fancy equipment i can't afford that shows the rolloffs of the low/hi cuts of the various EQ's? We have moved to a new PA system and I'm struggling with getting the right high end bite without shrill/ice pick 'noise'. I had it dialed in pretty well with my 'current/ex' soundguy...and as much as he raved about my latest presets being my best....I do not know what he was doing in the mixer. I've setup a few test presets with different snapshots....each one with increasing/decreasing low/hi cuts so I can hear which sounds best with the current speaker setup, however.... If I find a rolloff range that works well in my preset, I'd like to set that as the range on the boards low/hi cuts. NOW....I know some will frown about that, but it would save me a block in my chain, and if all my presets sound good at 120/8k, then I dont see the issue with setting a 'global EQ cut' at that range. Sure there may be some that require more/less of a cut, but as long as the global on the lowest/highest setting of whatever I decide is where it sits, it shouldnt affect anything more than it should. Just looking for something that shows me the visual curves of those low/hi cuts as our mixer is the Behringer Xair series, and I can see the EQ curves for my guitars channel. any help?

Yeah saving custom settings with custom names would really open up the Helix for me....as far as saving time when trying to create new things. I don't get a ton of time to really tweak. I have my core sounds, and then usually have to go off that....however, if I want a new sound, I have to start from scratch amp/IR then add a preEQ, then add a post EQ, then add, and add and add....and with each 'add' you have to tweak from scratch each time....where as if I want a clean sound with a dirt pedal mixed 60%, I can just recall my fave clean amp settings, and then drop in my saved 'Sparkle Drive' pedal in front, and maybe adjust something, but that should get me more ballpark than starting from scratch. even having a 'template' saved, still means I have to disable what I don't need right away, then turn things on.....tweak....remove blocks I don't want/need etc..... DI talked about his pet peeve, this is one of mine. I don't need 200 amps like some other boxes have, just let me save the different sounds I get with the amps that are here and I can get more sounds that I need to quickly with ease. (sorry to hijack on a tangent there, lol)

The actual effects/amps cannot be renamed. I've been waiting for the ability to save 'custom' settings for effects, and if that was the case you could save that setting as whatever you like. The Fractal/Boss units I had...had that ability and it was nice. I could save a "Rhythm Tubescreamer", "Lead Tubescreamer" as well as a "Gritty JCM800" and "80's JCM 800" without having to copy/paste from a different preset....after I remember what preset had the settings I wanted.

Ok, so again L6 customer service comes through and goes above and beyond my expectations....I have a full Helix inbound to me (arriving Tuesday). With that said, I doubt with the time of the day (friday evening), that I'll get a response to my support ticket before Monday....which I will have to do a bulk of my work over the weekend.... Is it possible that that the issues I'm having with the exp pedal not reaching the full 100% consistently in the travel (to allow auto engage to work correctly) is an effect of a corrupted preset? I doubt it, but before I start copying things over and creating my song specific presets....I just want to eliminate that possibility. I can' t post a preset currently, maybe later once I get it setup....but any technical Helix gurus able to chime in with their thoughts?