TheRealTomTom

So I tried using the USB in to Cubase to record and it does what all digital distortion does which is fizz like crazy. I also tried it through my UR22mk2 using the xlr out into xlr in. It was fizzy and digital. I know I am asking a lot with little experience of the product and recording but any advice about what I did wrong is welcomed! Again, it's an unfair comparison but you hear the demo videos of the OwnHammer IRs (and I tried one in this patch) and it is nothing like it. Their version sounds like an amp and cab........mine not so much. Even if you take out those videos and look at what people using the Helix have recorded it sounds great. I'm going to read as much as I can now to look at global EQ and what to do to make it "better" I am aware it is all subjective. hxtest.mp3

Yes the drummer has a speaker he uses for his electric kit. I'm also taking a pa speaker and trying it like having an amp behind me

It may not seem like it but it was a thought process of starting to slim down my pedal board to a pedal train board, then I found out about the helix HX buy from here got told about the LT. Essentially I am going to get the HX to replace the pedal board and gives me all the pedals I might never use too. It was the progression of trying the full beast and amp models first to see where I may go from there.

If only the were true.... She's got shoes but is much more restrained than me and buys cheap practical work clothes more than for pleasure

So I have the bought the LT and have it for 14 days to see what I think and to try it with the band before I have to keep (and sell amp) or return it. My first impressions are quite torn. I both love it and hate it, but hate is a bit strong! Frustrated might fit slightly better. Going back a step the reason for getting the Helix was due to the weight on my amp and pedal board and having a bad back and sciatica. I love my Blackstar but have already sold many of the pedals. I was always keen to own the pedals but realistically I rarely used them in a song (bar a little chorus here and there). So I got the LT on the Sunday (with practice on the Monday although we were sans bassist) and set up a patch that sounded OK through a PA speaker I have at home. I plug in at practice and because of the PA speaker used being old and actually quite muddy I had over compensated on the treble. Not too much of an issue to get it sorted out. It was a very different change in how you approach playing as the other guitarist (lead) was complaining I was too loud as I was in the PA next to him but the drummer wanted more of me as my cab was no longer next to him. We fiddled with panning me about and it was OK but we play a range of gigs. Some where we go through a large desk and would be mic'd up and others where we are just amps on stage. There was a worry about the smaller gigs where essentially I am now in the PA and mic'd up and the other guitar isn't (more of a concern for G1 than me). I think another problem we have is we use 100 or 50w amps and don't get to use them at that volume to drive everything because of space in the venue. So it's knowing how we will all sit going forward. So after the first practice, I have taken another PA speaker which seems much more neutral and made a new patch (and found all the setlists and spaces and it blew my mind). I found a few IR files and made a new patch with them and snapshots and I want to try it again with the band because at home at night I can't push the volume because of the kids in bed. It seemed to sound great and again showed me that it does loads. My wifes concern is I basically find the one patch I like and it's an expensive toy when it is not required. I am torn about if I keep it or not, maybe get a smaller amp to replace what I have that is not so loud for the small venue. It is a great piece of kit and I was impressed with the amp modelling but some of the time it still does have the digital fizz that is part of the problem of modelling and not using the real warm valve amp. It is much better than it used to be and I am blown away with it. I am sure it will be fine in the mix again and I was impressed with some of the feedback and how natural it sounded and how easily it did it reproduced that sound. I want to keep it to invest the time, I am conscious of the cost and the worry that I have to sell my real amp I love, but it's heavy and I don't really use that at the volumes it was designed for. Anyway.....not sure if I am asking a question or looking for a justification to keep it.

I do understand this, however I can't afford to do one without the other. Basically, I'm selling the pedals because in all honesty, I never really used anything more then the chorus and mostly it was just because it read there. If I can keep the Mesa pedal I will. What I'm going to do is put it on the credit card and try the LT but if I don't like it within the 14 days (use it at practice) I will change it for just the helix HX to replace the pedals which I don't think it too drastic a jump. My problem was the weight of the pedal board and my now very poor back!

So I am selling off all my pedals and considering selling my head and cab to get the Helix LT. I am worried about how it will stand up vs drums, bass and a real Marshall stack plus singer through a pub gig PA set up. I am also keen to see if anyone has used the OwnHammer IR's and what they think. I am (if I get this) going to get the heavy hitter 1 pack as it sounds awesome

The problem then is price. £350 vs £800 I just can't stretch that far!

Thanks for the replies! I was looking more for the Helix HX rather than the LT as I love my amp and even though moddlers are great these days (even though it is heavy) I am not sure I part with my true valves. It really was about compacting the pedalboard to have one unit that did it all for me. It looks like it would, but with practice. I think I need to try to get to a store that will let me try one out and see what I think of it. As a side note, I see it switches amps channels as well. Does anyone know it works with a Blackstar HT Stage?

Hello, I just saw the Andertons video on the Line 6 Helix HX. It looks interesting and from the video sounds pretty great. So I am in the position of having back and sciatica type issues and being in a gigging band. My current set up is a large heavy case and board that contains a Mesa Boogie V-Twin (dist) Boss: Phaser, Chorus Ensemble, Flanger, Tremelo, Tuner, a Cry Baby Wah, Ditto Looper, Behringer Boost pedal, and a cheap APE-5 Delay pedal (I think or something similar) that I got for Xmas one year when I had a limited budget and no idea what I want. With that pedal I can't seem to get a good sound. I also have a Sansom Wireless system on it as well. I run it all into a Blackstar HT-Stage 100 head and Artisan Cab. It is all very heavy and takes up most of the stage when you play a pub and small venue. I am in the quandary of do I use my birthday money to just get a smaller pedaltrain board and just fit everything to that as best I can or do I get a good multi FX unit to replace it all (basically sell the other bit for parts, from what I see most pedals are about £40 and the V-Twin is £250/300 as it is discontinued, although mine has seen better days, works fine but can't ready any of the numbers on the dials any more). I have seen the reviews and it looks great. Will it replace most/all of my pedals? As I now use a valve amp my need for the valve distortion is reduced and actually what I wanted recently was a few dirty grungy fuzz pedal and neither the amp or the v-twin get the sound I wanted (which was really just for one song!) Is the Helix a good replacement for all this or an expensive option for what I am actually trying to do? Thanks in advance. Tom (P.S it's the only photo I seem to have of my pedal board is old and changed about since then, some pedals have come and gone but for the idea of size you get the idea. This picture is before the wireless kit. So that now sits where the tremelo and flanger are. The pitch shift pedal (I think was a Boss PS-6) is gone, but actually would like something like that again, which I guess I would need the expression pedal for The delay pedal was my friends that I gave back.)