Simon268

Thank you ... very inspiring article!! But: Craig mentions 'audio expamples" .... and i dan't find them enywhere. Am I blind? Or did I misinterpret? ...

Hi and congrats to entering the Helix world! It's full of fun and wonders. :-D ... unfortunately the user interface is completely overloaded with all those kind of 'shortcuts' - where simple commands would be a lot easier (not only regarding paths). But don't lose hope: You get used to it and/or switch to using HX Edit (the client software for pc/mac) :-D I personally use A) the Helix's interface for 'sound parameters' of the blocks (choosing the block, setting up gain, delay time, compression, eq, ...) because it is very self explainatory, quick and 'reality like'. It's easy to play your guitar and turn a button at (nearly) the same time. B) For all the other stuff ('routing', controllers, in/output configuration, ....) i use HX edit. Great that you can use A) und B) at the same time! Rock on .... it's worth it! Simon268

Thank you! :-D :-D i just bought the Strat and the Teller pack and am impressed, how 'stratty' my ESP-LTD can sound! As with everything I realized it needs a little experimenting and experience, but even right out of the box I got cool sounds. Also there is a 'manual' delivering valuable tipps.

My everlasting nemesis is trying to (re)assign controls. I NEVER succeed with less than 4 tries - even with browsing through the manual. And i am really used to handling digital equipment (different sound and lighting consoles, dsp controllers, various multi effect devices, ....). But the logic, when to hit, turn, touch, ... which button or switch and what to select (in the flow diagram) and where to position in the menus, .... remains to be hidden to me. Our grandMA Ultralight is easy compared to that part of the Helix .... IF (!!!) there wouldn't be the HX Edit - which is the absolute game changer. That software speaks for itself. Also: The 'live editing' concept of the block parameters (with the small turn buttons under the screen) is really good end effective. Compared the the tcelectronics g system i owned beforehand, managing - the block parameters is a 'walk in the park' and - managing the controls is a 'bad day in Bosnia'. ;-) Because of that i usually tune in my sound with the physical interface (much faster then fiddeling with mouse and keyboard) and assign the controls via HX Edit. And at the bottom line: The Helix is still an excellent device (for my purposes) .... with some smaller road bumps.

.... what i am also miss from the samples: - These 'electric impulses' really cry for an A/B comparison (unaltered guitar vs IR) - and generally mentioning the used guitar at all.

Nice approach! I'll think about it. What about DSP load? Does that mean that one has a) to use path A and B always and b) all 'after-cab-effects' must be placed in path B if you also want to use a 'cab-IR' ?

That's a great solution!!! I never really liked switching wah on via the toe switch (even on 'physical wah stomps') and preferred to activate that effect the same way as all the others. A little unfortunate is that there is no 'internal Midi loopback' in the Helix, but i can live with that.

Hi, i also installed mine (Floor) a few days ago ... and it immediately paid off, because as i connected the cables again, my SM57 fell from the table directly unto the Helix. :-O :-O :-O It would've crashed right on the main display - if it wasn't protected - and probably caused some damage. So it only lead to a tiny scratch on the protector. But i have to admit: Maybe the Mic wouldn't have fallen at all if i haven't removed and reinstalled the Helix for the installation of the protector. ;-) Bye Simon

hmmm, to my ears the 'not_so_hairy-mix' sounds just completely muffled and dull. Just as sent through a low pass filter (as malhavoks frequency response suggests) and nothing i would aim at. I also had problems with an effect i would have named 'hair' - described and solved in ... ... but it sounded way different.

HI, i also ordered one - just irrational kick of the new Helix. ;-) To be honest I have no idea what the production costs are but i'm also irrated by the price, esp. because a) i have paid 160USD (because of international shipping) ... and maybe local customs will charge me additional 20% and b) at this price the 'protection' itself defies it's purpose to soime degree - when you start to fear that the cover itself will be damaged. It's like buying a 10.000-USD-Safe to protect 100 USD .... ;-) But in the end: It's a hobby and 'rentability' is a somewhat minor point in hobbies. :-D Bye Simon

Sounds like mainly a lot of 'FOMO' (fear of missing out) to me. ;-) it's not forbidden - and since both option differ only little understandable and no real problem. So i would strongly suggest to just try both for yourself. Finally nobody can decide it for you. There are people who are perfectly happy with a 10'' Box but obviously - since they are being sold - other who prefer 12''. I just wanted to point out that also the 12'' box has drawbacks in certain settings and its not always the 'if you can afford it do it'-solution. ;-) Also i dont have something like '..my cabinet...' between my monitor (= what i hear) and FOH (= what the audience hears). Maybe that made my decision easier. (Further i usually play in locations where lower volume and clearer sound on stage are mandatory). just my 2ct Simon

Hi i think it's crucial for what you want to use the FRFR box. For personal monitoring - too much low end (even if you like the feeling) will pollute the stage sound (esp. on medium and small stages) - it's not unlikely that your sound guy will ask you to tone it down, - 'feeling palm mutes' is not really crucial and - weight is a topic - dragging 2,5 kg around that you don't need is no fun. Together with the sound that i really like - that were the points that made me decide fot the TS 310 (instead of the 312). Bye Simon

Hi, I know this is a internet forum and unfortunately in those it is rather common to discuss a little sloppy on the logical end. Consequentially also in this discussion there is a lot of a) out of context * i never argued about '... good ...' equipment [even less 'blamed' it for anything] * but about how significant a good sounding YT-example is for MY experience at home b) and overstating * i never stated 'irrelevancy' or 'lying' * but 'a little skepticism' [as in 'not necessary translatable' and 'not proof beyond any doubt']) In essence: That's correct. And that's not madness but really logical. The opposite (what you seem to be stating) is: '...[the first time you heard a REALLY good player play a Les Paul guitar you] HAVE TO BE SURE THAT [Les Paul WAS a good guitar]...' Or in short term: One Example is (unconditional) PROOF. How is that true? Never said that and never will. Nightynight Simon

I think what you are trying to say is: The machine will produce the same output WHEN FED WITH THE EXACT SAME INPUT. On this i could agree. But as you put it yourself: Meaning: The input of different players (esp when using different guitars) WILL be different .... and so will the output of the machine. And THAT's why i say: Hearing e.g. Marco Fanton playing (HIS guitar) via the Helix is nice ... but only has little weight for me for how I will sound playing (MY guitar) via the Helix. Also I am skeptical about comparing the Helix with the Axe FX3 by comparing the (Helix) videos of Marco Fanton or Pete Thorn with the one (FX3) of Cooper Carter .... Coopers Video doesnt convince me that the FX3 is better than the Helix (as MarkJarvis seems) - and the Fanton+Thorn-Videos doesnt convince me on the other hand that the Helix is at least as good as the FX3. But that's only my opinion and '.... everybody has one.' ;-)

Never said that and never will. ;-) 'YT-professionals' != 'guitar pros' Different expressions meaning different things ... and here it's about somebody who professionally creates and sells sounds.

So you think if Steve Vai would play through David Gilmours stuff, he would sound like him? No 'sound from the fingertips' or similar? Then my experience is different... and heard a lot of others sharing it (incl. Gilmour and Vai).

Hi I think, you missed my crucial point: It wasnt about IT (!!!!!) - it was about ME (!!!!) I dont put the Helix on stage and let it do the job - it's me (first difference) on the stage with my (Next difference) guitar there with the Helix. And even with the exact same Helix settings we three together will sound differently (not to mention sound guy, room accoustics, repertoire,...) or like codamedia put it: ...and that's way more than 50%. My point isnt that the Helix would be bad (its not) or that the man in the video would be cheating (he isnt) ... its just that i dont give such videos great weight in my decision to buy (or skip) certain Equipment. Those guys are YT-professionals and would never upload a video with other than great sound and playing. (usability is a completely different thing: Seeing the workflow of such devices in action gives me a good insight) My decision to try the Helix on my own was more triggered by a friend - who i rate as a not better guitarist than me and with a very similar taste in music and sound. He has the Helix for 1-2 years and considered it the best (musical) decision in his life. i hope i could ease sone of the confusion. :-) thx Simon

hmmmmyeahh... Although I like it, I am always a little bit skeptical about those videos. I enjoy them, but they are the result of a wide combination of gear AND Skills: The Player chose the right guitar and playing style for the sound .... AND has both a good and fitting guitar and playing skills. Those videos show, what this combination CAN sound like .... but not, what I WILL sound like;-) Bye Simon

@codamedia I played around with your examples and landed at some really nice sounds. :-D :-D .... even with my 'LP-alike'. ;-) Thank you very much for sharing!

:-D Can you tell you 'drive' setting(s)? Master on default? You don't happen to have some experience with LesPaul-like guitars by any chance? ;-)

Thank you codamedia for the explaination! :-D :-D ... and then there ar sag, hum, ripple, .... *hmmmmm* ;-) Until now i never touched those parameters - and played much more with compression, reverb/delay and mod effects. But now i am trying the 'first get amp+cab right'-approach (involving the power-amp-parameters). Specifically i don't need 100 different amp+cab-sounds - just some bluesy clean to crunch maybe based on one or two models. Should be possible with adequate effort. Bye Simon

Hi, for me it was an easy decision: - 1200Eur vs 2800Eur (+Pedalboard) - My limits are never set by the equipment (as long as it is not really cheap&lollipop) but my abilities to use it - I don't rate the sound based on Youtube ... too many tampering factors. - I use my gear mostly live ... with differing sound guys. That has much more influence on the end result than the last 20% of my gear. So: GO HELIX! :-D Bye Simon

... addition: Tried it and succeeded! :-D Bias does the trick. ... and i had a lot of fun playing around with just a few amps and their settings. THANKS A LOT!

That's a nice thing for you to say. Thank you :-D :-D I think that's because i have a) very little experience with real (and different) amps - because i had my (preamp+power amp+cab)-combination for 30 years (only changed multi effects from time to time) and b) a lot of experience with not getting things (esp. complex ones) right on the first few tries - because i am 50 years old. ;-) Thank you for sharing that experience (that i lack completely). I've noticed that i have to develop 'an ear for this' first. A lot of these amps and cabs and parameters sound a) either strange ('who would use a sound like THAT? And for what?') b) or very similar (esp. sag/hum/ripple/bias(X)). ... but then i see you guys discussing in elaborate detail the differences between IRs, where i only hear 'more boomy' and 'more harsh' - and know: It's me. ;-) Also as a 'bring your gear and plug it in'-type of guy i had no experience with setting up microphones on amps. The last 8 years i played with a fixed cab sim directly into FOH and my sound guy knew what to do :-D :-D... What really helped me: Someone on this forum explained the difference of 'hearing what the audience hears' (through a mic'ed cab) and 'standing next to my amp' ... highly plausible. I am really excited to learn more about all this and very grateful for all the advice on this forum. Thanks .... now i have to vanish into my basement. ;-) THX Simon P.S.: Yes, i am a fan of structuring texts by lists. ;-)

Yes. Correct. Mostly the decaying part of the sound is distorted Once you've heard it, it's hard to 'unhear' it. ;-) Not all amp models seem to affected in the same way .... some more than others. Thank you very much for your worl and advice. I'll try that. So you assume it's normal behaviour of the helix (and just wrong handling by me)?! Bye Simon