BigJayBrian

Floor for the whole package, including integrated headphone amp control. Since the helix can act as a good sound card for your pc, the mic in is very usefull too

 

If your primary concern is space (and you use simple signal paths), stomp is the way to go

 

Imo LT isn't worth it, even more so if you have to buy additionnal gear to compensate for it's "lack" of features (like a separate headphone amp, a soundcard for a mic, etc.). 

Running the helix in an fx return is a perfectly fine way to use it. You can even send a signal directly to the PA by adding an IR to your preset (just make sure it doesn't affect your amp. I have a send that goes to it right before the IR. You could also use 2 paths)

 

It requires a small compromise: you need an IR close to your amp (you could even shoot an IR of your amp) and you have to make sure both paths sound good.

The helix floor is the only one with a mic-preamp, wich is usually required to get a mic signal with enough volume and low noise.

 

I don't own the stomp and don't know if there is a workaround, but it isn't surprising that it doesnt work

23 hours ago, codamedia said:

Not to pile on... but the Helix is not the only multi effects unit to suffer from this audio gap when changing presets. They all do it to varying degrees. It's one of the reasons the Helix has "snapshots" while others have "scenes". 

That's not really true, many multi effects have a "usable" preset switching (aka no noticeable gap)

 

I started on the zoom g7, then used a boss gt100. Both had no (noticeable) gap. 

Kemper and atomic both "merge" the sound of the preset into the newly selected one, which gives you a seemless switching too.

 

Snapshots are great, preset switching would be even better. But it is the price we have to pay for the 100% parametrable signal path we have in the helix

On 5/27/2019 at 2:07 PM, brue58ski said:

I wold suggest the HX Stomp. Same modelling, just less resources. The HD500X (my current backup) is definitely adequate but you will have to completely recreate your patches. There's no way to port them over.

This

It is also a huge advantage in relation with the complexity of modelers. When I bought the helix, I kept my gt100 as a backup. After 1.5 years, I took it out of it's case..  And coulnd't use it. I didn't remember how to programm the beast, where the menus were, and so on. 

Having the same interface on your backup solces that problem (I sold my gt100 and will buy a stomp).

 

On 5/19/2019 at 5:58 AM, steelstringer said:

This is cool, and it got me thinking...why would he go this route? I know why I did it with the Helix — it simplified my set up/tear down. I cannot go back now; I’m converted forever. But a world class musician doesn’t really deal with that issue, I would assume. So, why are some big time artists going this route when they have techs who can and will run complicated analog rigs? 

Even with techs you have to compromise at a certain point. Maybe he wanted to have a different amp for each song? Maybe amps that can't be brought on tour?

Mind you he probably didn't use standard amps like most of us do, but profiled his favorite tone out of his personal collection of amps.

That's a variety that can't be achieved with analog gear

At the end of your path, split it, on bottom path put a send/return with the looper, then a send (goes to the drummer monitor), then merge the paths back together and that goes to your monitor

 

Will only work if your looper has a "wet only" signal, otherwise your drummer will hear both the loop and the lead

Take any preset, put a send just in front of the IR. Use snapshots 

Snapshot 1 = send volume +0db, through volume -60db

Snapshot 2 = send volume -60db, through volume +0db

Connect the amp to the send and the HR to the helix output

 

You can also do it by splitting the signal at the end in two paths and using snapshots to control the a/b split

Happy birthday ;)

 

I purchased your big pack and synth pack. I have 4 days off work starting tomorrow, this will be a fun weekend !

 

I saw you speaking about your "double whoooper cab" IR and would love to try it, but i have no real use of the "big pack add on" he is part off. Is there any way to get this IR as a standalone? 

Had this issue once, in my case it was because I had updated the helix but the hx edit was still on the old version. Maybe check that

Many ways to do it:

A clean amp, with a distortion pedal in front for dirt

One amp that does both clean and high gain, where you switch the gain parameter with a footswitch (not mamy amps can do that)

Two amps that you turn on/off alternatively and a separate cab

Two complete chains with 2 amp/cab/effects that you A/B switch (or mix)

 

I think you can even have only 1 cab efffect and switch the ir number with snapshots?

 

I personnaly have 1 looooong effect chain with everything in it: 1 of every effect I need, 2 amps, 1 cab. I use snapshots to only have 1 amp on at the time and switch between them. I use only one IR, it is more concistent and makes things easier (and I would have used only one "real" cab too anyway in a live situation)

Very easy to setup and doesn't use too much dsp.

 

Making separate patches doesn't work for me (except at home), the gap when switching is too long.

I play/monitor myself through a power amp which ads some grit and color... That the xlr signal that I send to the pa lacks.

Having a separate pre- and poweramp and the possibility to put a "send" in between could very usefull in that case, and I'm sure there must be many more uses for it

Let's hope the powercab line will also get the "get low" update just like the helix did ;)

 

In the meantime I'll have to buy a headrush 112. to my knowledge it is the only FRFR solution aimed at both bass and guitar (even if by definition every FRFR should be able to do it!)

Does the variax allow you to send individual strings to different/multiple paths?

 

Say string EAD to path 1 and GBE to path 2?

Or EA to path 1 and EADGBE to path 2? (For those playing without a bass playee in rheir band ;)

13 hours ago, kylotan said:

Maybe that's what BigJayBrian is alluding to - take 2 lush stereo performances, pan them hard left and hard right, and you may as well have had 2 mono performances (which would have had less chance of frequencies being cancelled out during the stereo->mono summing).

yep, this is what i meant, sorry if it wasn't clear.

 

And when playing live, you kinda get the same problem. (From what i've been told) venues mostly play mono-tracks since they don't want each side of the scene to sound different.

 

It means that the audience only gets to hear the guitar as a mono-track. I'm not sure it is a good idea to build stereo tracks... 

I do it only for the presets that I use at home only

Does it really add anything for recordings since guitars are (mostly) double tracked?

On 4/30/2018 at 5:46 AM, rd2rk said:

Also... I'm actually a bass player. The Headrush sounds GREAT with both an ME50B plugged straight in, and the Helix bass presets, which didn't impress me thru the TS210, sound really good thru it! I'd been looking for a lightweight Class D amp, and not being impressed by what I was hearing at the ridiculous prices that are being asked. The Headrush and the Helix just might do the trick.

how does it handle the low lows? I've been wanting to go FRFR for a long time, but i was afraid to lose that "woof", chest vibrating feeling that you can get with bass speakers (even my unexpensive 412 peavey)

 

On 5/7/2018 at 10:03 PM, HonestOpinion said:

I would think most consumers would expect the Headrush to be something other than just a feature impaired version of something else Alto sells at exactly the same price.

it is actually worse than that, down in europe the headrush is sold for a (slightly) higher price than the alto. At least in the few regular online shops where i usually buy my stuff.

 

I will probably buy the headrush anyway since I don't want to take the risk of that mic preamp coloring my tone. Now, if it can be bypassed, that's another story

 

 

Ps: i just read that e-mail exchange... It feels like they either have reading comprehension problems or purposely tried not to clearly answer your question (like the last one)

As always, very nice sounds

 

Having seen a few of your videos, i wonder why you don't share the presets? It doesnt look like you want to sell them either

The helix is not there yet (mono pitch shifting). I ran almost the exact same setup as you do (gt-100 - H&K guitar amp + nanopog into zoom b3-bass amp) and switched to the helix floor.

 

The helix cant handle the pitch shifting, I have to run the nanopog in one of the effect loops. Line 6 apparently hired a team to improve the pitch shifting of the helix, but we dont know when it'll be arriving.

 

I also keep hitting the DSP limit, but only because i replaced my guitar amp with the helix preamps

 

PS: the helix was a big step up for my gear. Having all sounds and levels coming from one unit has made my setup so much easier. And the sounds of the helix are amazing, I actually prefer them to my tube amp (which I still use as a poweramp, so maybe he he still adds some magic there)

On 20/03/2018 at 7:23 PM, DunedinDragon said:

Apparently it can handle it as I do it all the time in numerous presets and have ever since snapshots became a feature.  As phil_m points out it's more than likely an abrupt and overwhelming change that's not being handled well possibly on the output side from too wide a range of differences.  I use a DXR12 as my stage speaker and QSC KLA12s on the FOH.  Most of the time when I do this I'm using two different amp and cab/IR setups and they're smooth as silk and absolutely quiet.

"it can handle it"

"not being handled well"

You need to decide whether you think it works or not ;)

Anyway, I'd enjoy trying one of your one amp preset to see if I can use your solution. Right now I am running two amps in my path in order to make the switching smooth, but I'd love to use only one amp (and save some precious dsp Haha). All my attempts with the cartographer have failed so far

On 16/03/2018 at 8:03 PM, DunedinDragon said:

Snapshots are doing exactly what they're supposed to do in this case with is switch with no delay.  If you want to blend the two back and forth you'd probably be better off doing a split between the two amps or effects arrangement and manage the amount of the split between the two with your pedal if you want the changes to be more gradual.

It looks like the switching actually has a " delay", by which I mean that each parameter is being changed one after the other. The sound doesn't "cut" but the delay between the different parameters can result in very loud "pops"

I managed to get a smooth transition between two amps, but if you are trying to get high and low gain sounds out of a single amp (amp only, not disto pedals), the helix can't handle it apparently (I have read a few threads about it, nobody had found a solution) 

Any restrictions on the video? Youtube says I can not access it.

Same,can't see them

I don't think you and I are watching the same video if you think that's what he was doing most of the time... He actually does relatively little of that.

Not what I was implying, he only does it in the last minute of the video to demonstrate how powerful it is. It just made me wonder how far we can push technology before reaching a point where it isn't "live" playing anymore and where you'd lose the satisfaction of playing an instrument (it was not so far from just pushing a button and letting the backing track play the song)

 

It is a crazy technology and I've been thinking about buying one for months. I definitely would have one if I was playing live more often. When playing at home, you can take the time to switch guitars and tunings, variax loses much of its appeal.

 

But if I see a uses one on the market, you can bet I'll buy it ;)

This is a cool video that Line 6 posted on their Youtube channel yesterday. Interesting seeing all the crazy things Stevic is doing as far as alternate tunings and muting strings.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axQCWkBCN-s&sns=fb

Watching the video I thought "with that technology, I could actually just ride an open string for the whole song and let the variax play the actual notes"

 

Sure enough, that's what he actually ended up doing (almost)

 

I wonder at what point it stops feeling like your playing a "real" instrument

Path1 guitar as input > guitar effects > Send path 1 to 3rd line (sorry, can't remember the 2a/b names)

 

On path 4, mic only as input > vocal effects > merge with path 3

 

Put the looper + reverb after the merge on 3Rd line