craiganderton

I'm running into more and more programs, like web browsers, that require macOS 11 (Big Sur) or higher. That was the first macOS to support ARM processors, so the implication is that if you're a Mac user and not running Apple Slicon, Apple wants you to buy a new computer. And since there's such a push to force encourage people to buy a new computer, there's not much incentive for companies to update older software for an ever-diminishing user base. Do I like that? No, nor do I like that Apple promised FireWire devices could always work with Thunderbolt adapters. But if the OS doesn't support FireWire, it doesn't matter if the hardware does. With music industry companies like Line 6, if Apple or Microsoft sneezes, Line 6 catches a cold. Remember all those emails from companies a few months back, urging users not to update yet to the latest macOS because the companies needed to test and patch their plugins? It happens a lot, and that's time not spent on developing new products, providing support, or giving their employees raises. Just sayin.' /rant

I think it's highly unlikely that Line 6 would reveal any unique, "special sauce" features that would tip off the competition as to what was coming next.

Well...maybe there's a solution, but my sense is that ARM Windows has still too new. It has few native applications, and drivers may need to be re-written to be compatible. It's like when Apple Silicon came out, and ReWire died because its library wasn't compatible with Apple Silicon and Propellerheads didn't think it was worth the effort to re-write it. I took a serious look at getting an ARM laptop but most everything I'd want to run would have to run under emulation. They're fantastic machines for running native apps (Adobe, Office, etc.) all day with high speed and excellent battery life. But for DAWs and music software in general, I think it may be a while before ARM is ready for prime time. Sorry...I hope I'm wrong!!!

Thank you for mentioning the book! I'm working on an update that covers the 3.80 firmware. It will be free to anyone who owns a previous version of the book. There's no ETA yet. The backstory on the book was that I simply wanted to write something that explained what the parameters did for the various effects...but then the book took on a life of its own, and ended up having major scope creep :)

Don't give up yet... I may be missing something, but I think there are some possible workarounds. The simplest is to feed the Helix S/PDIF output into an audio interface with a S/PDIF input. Then the Helix will show up as an input to your interface and transfer audio digitally. Note that in that case, the Helix becomes the master clock so the interface needs to sync it. If the interface doesn't have S/PDIF, then go old-school and connect the Helix analog outs to your interface. Granted, it's comforting to stay in the digital domain, but a preset with distortion and effects processing almost certainly won't have any degradation you can hear compared to going in digitally. Also, it's not well known that Windows can do audio interface aggregation (for at least as long as I can remember). The catch is you need to use Windows' native drivers, which have had a checkered history. MME drivers are useless for audio because of their latency, but the Helix drivers can do WDM. I'm not sure if it's WDM/KS (kernel streaming) which is almost as good as ASIO, but if your interface can also use one of the lower-latency Windows drivers (like WaveRT or WASAPI), then you should be able to aggregate them using Windows native audio instead of ASIO. The latency won't be as good as macOS but depending on the drivers, it can come close. Another option is to run Helix as a WDM interface, run your main interface with ASIO, and use a virtual cable to connect the Windows audio output from Helix to the interface's ASIO audio input. I think VB-CABLE might do the job, it's a free download so you can check it out. I hope one of these helps. Unless you have needs I'm not taking into account, I think running S/PDIF or audio outputs into an existing ASIO interface would be the simplest option.

I like LFOs and envelopes, but there are effects with LFOs and envelope followers, so I assume you have some other application for these types of modulators in mind. If what you want is a synth-like matrix modulation architecture, that would be cool but I don't know how easy it would be to shoehorn that into an architecture that wasn't designed to do matrix modulation. But maybe that's not what you mean. For guitar, I use the Helix almost exclusively for multiband applications. In that context, the more amps, the better. The amp sound is more defined and distinctive because there's so much less intermodulation distortion. Under those conditions, you can really hear the significant differences between amps, especially when they interact with each other and you change the bias/sag/ripple parameters. Pulling drive back to get clean sounds also highlights the differences. Of course, if you put wideband audio through a single high-gain amp and turn up drive, that blurs the differences quite a bit. But, Helix is flexible enough that I don't need to do that. I can create "Frankenamps" with an AC30 and drive pulled back for the high end, WhoWatt for the upper mids, Mandarin for the lower mids, and German Mahadeva for the lows. Each amp has a distinct individual sound that contributes to the overall mixed/collective sound, as well as a stereo image. If I want to modulate parameters with LFOs and envelope followers, although the following isn't applicable to live performance, at least I can do that in a DAW using MIDI controllers. Several DAWs allow creating periodic modulation envelopes, which you can stretch and shape. [On a completely different topic, since you sound like you're into modulation, you might want to check out Bitwig if you haven't already. It's more like a modular synth than a DAW, where anything can modulate anything. It's pretty cool. It also supports the DAWproject format, so you can start a project in Bitwig and then import it into Cubase or Studio One.]

Well, they just did update the current generation of devices. If you look back over the update history, some have been major and some have been minor, and they happen at different intervals. They can't do something like the cab revamp with every update. As to whether there will be another update, and whether it will be major or minor, no one here knows. But Line 6 may not even know. Some of the past updates seem like someone figured out something they hadn't figured out before, or assumed wasn't possible until they found out it was. Or they may be developing a new flagship model, and in the process, discover a technique that could apply to Helix that they'd never considered. For all we know the new amps are the result of research into something else entirely...or not. So I think it's unlikely (but not impossible) Line 6 will make a statement like "massive amazing update coming up" or "okay, that's it, no more updates" because the Helix's history so far has included different types of updates at different intervals. Let's also zoom out and look at what's going on in the industry these days. Industry changes, which happen quickly, necessitate changes in strategy. I have no idea whether any or all of the following affects Line 6, but it sure is affecting a lot of other companies: There are lingering supply chain issues that complicate planning. All you need is one missing proprietary part to screw up a production line. There's an overabundance of used gear. People who bought gear during covid because they thought it would be fun to make music now realize that music is a discipline and no, just pushing buttons isn't very satisfying. So currently, there's a glut of used gear on the market. Because of the glut of used gear, manufacturers and dealers are finding it difficult to sell new gear. This provides little incentive to launch new products when there's already too much product in the marketplace. There's a threat of major tariffs being levied on Chinese goods. Companies have to decide whether to tie up a significant amount of capital now on Chinese parts that they don't need (yet) to (maybe) forestall paying a lot more starting in January. And of course, that requires really accurate projections of what the market will be in the future for parts currently sitting on their shelves gathering dust.

Some USB cables do not include data lines, only power lines for charging and operating from USB. I'm 99.99999% sure you don't need an original Line 6 cable, you just need a high-quality USB cable that's designed to handle data and power. USB cable quality varies considerably. A generic one might simply be not that good. Remember too that USB cables, even the good ones, are not immune from going bad due to being bent, stepped on, pulled out by the wire instead of the connector, etc. Also, the USB port you use on your computer matters so when testing, always make sure you're using the same port. The front-panel USB ports are often on a different controller with lower specs than the ports that are closer to the power supply. And of course, never use a USB hub. Hope this helps!

I certainly do consider what Line 6 has done: 10-year-old technology (based on the even older technology available during development) has received multiple updates, including two that I consider truly major - global oversampling and reworked cabs. The reworked cabs update was only two years ago. And you have the massively improved pitch transposition, feedback effect, and significant new effects like the auto level control dynamics. It's easy to forget that snapshots, impulse responses, favorites, and other useful features we take for granted now were updates as well. As far as I'm concerned, Line 6 delivered on their promise of a platform, not just an effects processor, with multiple significant updates over the course of a 10-year product life. That's rare, and all the updates were free, too. I can think of very few companies with a similar track record. I don't judge a product by what it doesn't do as much as I judge it by what it does.

Try Native on vocals. You can get unique sounds you can't get with other vocal-oriented software. I also use Native with synths, drums, strings, brass, and piano. Native has effects that other plugins don't offer, especially the delays and reverbs. Some of the dynamics are cool too, like the automatic level control. I understand why Line 6 doesn't push the "you can use it on other stuff" angle, but I have a setlist in my computer called "Not Guitar" that gets a lot of use.

I also should have mentioned there's contact info in the book for suggestions and comments. So if the book doesn't include something you want to see, or if something isn't clear, let me know and there's a good chance the next update will accommodate what you want. Many changes in the updates are the direct result of reader feedback. Some readers have even been kind enough to point out the occasional typo so I could fix it.

And we can never say it enough, right? LOL I liked the original POD. When I first tried the 2nd gen POD, it sounded horrible. I wondered how Line 6 could have lost the recipe so badly. Then I remembered I had dialed back drive to about 60% on the original POD because I use thick strings and a thumbpick. Dialing back drive on the 2nd gen one made it sound wonderful :)

I'm the author. I wanted to give a heads-up that the book has been through four free updates, but there will be another free update after the next Helix firmware becomes available. To obtain the update, all you need to do is download the book again. Whatever you download will always be the most current update. Updates cover the features from new firmware, but they also include more applications for new and existing features. To find out what people think, check out the reader reviews on the Sweetwater site. They've all been extremely positive except for a couple people who expected it to be a "Helix 101" book for beginners. It is not. It's written to cover what's not in the manual, describe applications (e.g., virtual "Nashville tuning"), and provide technical information about the blocks that isn't available anywhere else. The original reason for writing the book was because the manual didn't describe what the block parameters actually do. The only other caveat is the presets. Not all are meant to be "plug and play." Some are simply designed to show a particular technique, so you load them to experiment with something described in the text. Then using what you learned from reading the book, you can modify them for your specific needs. Scroll down the book's landing page and you'll see the contents toward the bottom. The topics that are covered will help you decide if you want to go deep into maximizing the Helix's potential, or need something more introductory.

...unless you're using the same strings, pickups, guitar, playing style, pick, control settings, cable, amp input impedance, preset input level, and musical genre. In that case, presets can work quite well :)

Blue Cat Audio's Re-Guitar has a little lock symbol for their acoustic guitar emulations so you can keep the same basic settings when you try different acoustic guitar models. Seems like the same idea would work here.

There's also an historical precedent. In traditional recording studios, delays and reverbs were often placed in parallel buses. Part of that was because multiple sources fed them, but even so, it did indeed seem easy to dial in good sounds.

Also sounds like a good plan for those with Rickenbacker guitars that have Ric-O-Sound wiring.

The 3-Band Comp is a highly versatile equalizer if you defeat its dynamics processing. There's a bunch of info about this in version 1.4 of The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks. Page 489 describes how to use the 3-Band Comp as a Targeting Equalizer. You can get up to +36 dB gain and -120 dB attenuation. The TL;DR summary is turn the Thresholds up to 0, specify the hi, mid, and low bands you want to EQ, then use the associated level controls for the desired amount of boost or cut. (FYI as a Helix Native user, the 3-Band Comp sometimes solves problems that other DAW-oriented EQs can't.) Page 481 has info on using the 3-Band Comp as a focusing EQ for bass. Page 402 describes how to use the 3-Band Comp to do "Combi-Band" processing. This delivers some of the benefits of processing three frequency bands—low, midrange, and high—with only two paths, like HX Stomp has. Page 403 describes why the 3-Band comp is the most accurate way to split frequencies. The Free Files folder also has some presets that use the 3-Band Comp. Overall, the 3-Band Comp may not do exactly what you want, but it's an extremely powerful EQ when you defeat the dynamics processing. Check it out! It's a great complement to the other EQs.

Just circling back to let you know I've already written the extra material on diodes for v1.5, so thanks again for bringing this up!

Thanks for bringing up this topic, it seems many guitarists are confused about the difference between germanium and silicon diodes. This is why I love being able to update books - when people have questions, I just answer them in the next version (v1.5 of the book is slated to come out later in the fall). Please note the eBook includes a tech support email address that I check every day. Several of the revisions in my books come directly from reader feedback on future topics they'd like to see covered. Anyway, you can pretty much assume any distortion uses silicon diodes unless stated otherwise. Germanium diodes were first used for radar during WWII. Silicon diodes have many advantages over germanium (stability, manufacturing cost, better specs, etc.), so these days germanium diodes are used only in niche applications, mostly involving radio frequencies. There's a description of the three different types of diodes used in distortion, and how they affect distortion characteristics, on pages 55 and 56 in v1.4 of the Helix book. Page 65 covers LED vs. silicon-based fuzz in the Pillars OD. Also note that diodes of the same type can give different distortion characteristics, depending on how they're configured. See page 66 in the section on the Vita Dist. It's important to remember that the only significant difference between germanium and silicon diodes is that germanium diodes clip at a lower level (0.3V for germanium, 0.7V for silicon). There's no significant difference in tone between the two types of diodes themselves. So, preferring one distortion over another has more to do with the design elements that aren't diodes. Furthermore, virtual distortion is not like hardware because clipping isn't "baked into" the hardware. With virtual distortion, if you want something to clip at a lower level, just put more gain in front of it. I hope this clears things up!

Most (all?) VST3 amp sims don't respond to program change messages, but sometimes VST2 versions work as expected. For more information, please check out my article Avoid Frustration with Program Changes and Amp Sims in the library section of craiganderton.org.

The Waves Graphic EQ is highly underrated, especially the "modern" option. I think people tend to dismiss it as "oh, a graphic equalizer." They probably should have called it a "customizable multiband frequency AI engine," LOL. That's a really, really good line!

31-band EQs are used primarily in studio and fixed installation room tunings. If you want to go to that level of detail, more power to you! But in reality, there are really only two ranges that are going to cause problems with guitar: Bass frequencies, especially in small rooms, and high frequencies, where hard/soft acoustic surfaces affect frequency response. If you're trying to flatten a PA that's reproducing a band's frequencies from bass to cymbals, that's a lot more critical than guitar, which is pretty much a midrange instrument. Cabs (and virtual cabs in presets) shave off everything over 5 to 10 kHz or so, and guitars don't generate much low frequency energy. Granted, there may be resonances in a room that you'd want to tune out. These will be different in every venue. So, record your guitar on your smartphone, play it back through the FRFR system, walk about the venue, and listen for whether there are any nasty resonances. If they exist, one or two parametric stages should be able to take care of those. Low-shelf and high-shelf EQ can likely handle anything that sounds wrong in the low and high frequencies. While I admire/respect people who pursue perfection, I recommend being careful not to overthink things. The sound will be different in different parts of a venue, and you can't make the sound equally good everywhere. Also, consider that if it's winter and everyone walks in with jackets but then they get hot and decide it's worth paying for the coat check anyway, the high frequencies will change as the surfaces become less soft. As with so many aspects of sound reproduction, all you can really try to do is deliver the best sound to the greatest number of people that you can. I'd also add I'm not saying I'm "right," so you should ALWAYS find out what sounds best for you. All I'm saying is that it's not too hard to take a system from 0% to 90% of its potential...but trying to achieve that last 10% can drive you crazy :)

Bingo. I can't think of anything I'd want less than an AI thingie that could generate guitar parts for me. Creating guitar parts makes me happy. So does creating Helix presets.

Few marketing blurbs differentiate between Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, so it's hard to know exactly what they're doing. For example: Machine Learning could go through all the presets you use in live performance and balance their levels. It would "learn" what level each preset uses, compare them, and edit them for the same perceived value. Artificial Intelligence could go through all the presets you use in live performance, and generate new presets which meet the same general criteria as what you seem to like. Companies are finding out that AI isn't generating much $$ yet, and there are also legal issues involved. AI has much potential - I used it to generate two recent book covers. It could also be tremendously helpful in reducing repetitive work in the studio. But, so far, practical applications for music that truly use artificial intelligence don't seem to be very common. Presonally, I'm a fan of artificial stupidity. Some of my best sounds come from making mistakes and thinking "y'know, that actually sounds kind of cool."