craiganderton

Here's an interesting article on the subject of skeuomorphism. For some, images stimulate creativity because parsing images is largely a right-brain function. For others, images are a distraction. For example, with something like a picture of an amp, it can take longer to locate, say, the Treble knob on an amp image than text that says "Treble." Typically, skeuomorphism's main purpose is to create a bridge between a user's knowledge of something in the physical world that can translate to a computer screen. The floppy disk icon is a good example. People could relate to the picture as "this is how I save data, got it." However, as more people become familiar with the virtual world, images can actually get in the way. This is why companies like Apple have gone from a full-on skeuomorphic approach to a flat design. I know, TMI but it's an interesting topic.

You might want to give it another try, you can do quite a lot depending on what blocks you choose. The following all fit into HX Stomp. My current favorite preset is a parallel path: Heir Apparent > Brit 2203 Amp+Cab > Stereo Simple Delay Feedbacker > Studio Comp But I also like this parallel preset: Parametric EQ > Line 6 Voltage Amp+Cab > Stereo Simple Delay Feedbacker > Soup Pro Amp+Cab You can do weirdass creative things with Feedbacker, too. This preset generates ambient background music all by itself: 4 OSC Generator > Tremolo > Tremolo > Feedbacker > Low and High Cut EQ > Mandarin 80 Amp+Cab > Legacy Particle Verb I put it on in the background when I've had a rough day :)

Thanks for the mention! Version 1.4 of the book is just about wrapped up. It covers all the additions in 3.70, and includes 20 new presets optimized specifically for the new amps. Again, v1.4 will be a free update to owners of any previous version of the book.

One of the best options I've found is placing a parametric EQ before the amp. Set the midrange to a narrow Q, create a deep cut, and vary the frequency until you find the sweetest, warmest sound. This doesn't work all the time, but it can do things like make the new Oblivion amp super-smooth. Of course, YMMV.

Yes, but there are workarounds. I've even done some presets where the Feedbacker is in parallel, going through its own amp. It's a cool sound! BUT, I do have to pay serious attention to the processing power of the modules in the presets. Sometimes it's worth dipping into Legacy World for effects that are more miserly about processing power.

In addition to the resources mentioned above, the Helix Native Pilot's Guide 3.70 manual at https://line6.com/data/6/0a020a3f1542654ead6ac7570/application/pdf/Helix Native Pilot's Guide 3.70 - English .pdf includes an updated, color-coded list of all the Helix blocks, including the ones that were just added in 3.70.

I've had this happen too, because I got Helix floor when it first came out and created an account. I created a second account for Helix Native when it came out, which probably wasn't a good idea :) When I update Helix Floor, for some reason Line 6 stays with that registration so when I try to run Native, it says I'm not registered. So I simply sign in to Native using its own account credentials, and everything works. Hopefully there's an equally easy solution for you. Good luck!

Just found a crazy application for Feedbacker that doesn't use a guitar (!). Insert the 4 Oscillator block before it, and insert a Gain block between the oscillators and the feedbacker. Set the Feedbacker trigger to random, then vary the Gain block. When the gain goes up high enough, the oscillators trigger the feedback. Bring the gain back down again, and the feedback stops. Bring up again, and get a different note. You can also use a tremolo instead of the gain block to change the harmonic triggering automatically. Put a Legacy Particle reverb at the end...it's a pretty wild "electronic music" effect. It can even be pretty relaxing if you place two Tremolos in series to randomize the note generation.

Like the previous post, I'm also in the "better late than never" category. Of course, the sound can't give that "snap" at the end of the decay like real backwards guitar, but it's a very cool effect on its own. I'm glad you posted this. Clearly, I need to spend more time checking into the legacy effects :)

I'm having a LOT of fun with it, but I've been distracted by applications other than feedback itself. With Unison mode and a little editing, you can get E-Bow sounds as mentioned in the release notes. But it can also work well as a mono guitar synth (anyone remember the Korg X-911?) if you play cleanly. Going through different amps, I've been able to obtain different oscillator sounds (very much like sine, triangle, saw, pulse, square). Changing Drive changes the waveform, which adds interesting animations. I've also been able to dial in fretless guitar and slide effects, as well as a pretty cool Theremin preset. Of course, there are limitations (e.g., you have to play the "theremin" on a single string, and there will always be at least a 150 ms attack time). However, it's important to note that Feedbacker is a squirrely effect unless you find just the right settings - it takes some effort to make it do your bidding. You really have to understand what all the parameters do, and how they interact. FWIW I'll be including several presets along these lines with v1.4 of The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks. (I'm working on the updated version now, and expect that it will be done in December. Like previous versions, it will be a free update to current owners.)

Just tried it with Native, no problems but I was using Windows. It might be an Apple/Logic thing.

Just to follow up - the update failed, so the updater advised me to turn Floor off and on again, then restart the update. The second time it worked fine.

It's important to remember that the internet is a house of cards built on a foundation of quicksand, using a fractured telecommunications infrastructure. Servers go down or get slow periodically, whether it's in-house, Amazon, Azure, other cloud services, whatever. I use OneDrive for real-time saving of docs. Sometimes it's lightning-fast, sometimes it takes several minutes while the data sits a queue to be saved. However, I updated HX Stomp and Native last night with zero problems, using Windows 10. I'll be updating floor today, and I expect it will work equally well. The new amps are really good, and the Feedbacker effect is wild. It's also great to see more hi-res cabs. Overall, a very welcome update IMHO. BTW I will be updating The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks to v1.4, and it will be a free update to current owners. I don't have an ETA yet, but hopefully before the end of the year.

It would definitely have worked for the sessions I did. If I brought in a Tele and the produce wanted a Les Paul or a Ric, unless the rhythm guitar was going to be mixed up to solo guitar levels and dry, I really doubt anyone would have noticed. OTOH having been bitten many times in the past by the evolution of technology, I've just kind of resigned myself to the fact that a lot of hardware and software is of the moment, and that I depend on it at my own risk.

In case anyone wondered, it's not just Mac - it supports Windows 10 and 11.

That, and not being able to use the Variax concept with "their" guitar. OTOH when I was doing studio work in NY, I would have given anything for a Variax.

It isn't the same thing as hold on a delay, but the Poly Sustain's ability to "freeze" sound is pretty cool.

According to Premier Guitar, all the bright cap does is let through more high frequencies going into the second gain stage. So, it seems to me you could emulate this effect with EQ. As to affecting the attack, the EQ would probably need to be inserted in front of the amp as opposed to after the amp. If someone can provide a spectral analysis of the Fractal amp's frequency response with and without the bright cap settings enabled, I can probably figure out what kind of EQ settings would give a similar, if not identical, effect.

That has always baffled me as well. VST2 sims usually support program changes. Perhaps the assumption is that if you want to change the sound, you can record an additional track with just that sound. But that doesn't do you any good if you use plugins live.

Which is a shame, IMHO. I have a Gibson HD.6X Pro with hex outputs, and used it for a festival gig with Brian Hardgroove from Public Enemy. It was just him on drums and me on guitar. The bottom two strings went to octave dividers, the top four strings went to an Andy Summers-type chorus sound, and I used the magnetic pickups through distoriton for leads. It sounded like a full band with just the two of us. It was messy - an ethernet cable went to a breakout box with six audio outputs, which then had to go into a computer interface with six audio inputs (there wasn't a way to have a direct connection to the computer). But it was worth it. Unfortunately, like most of Gibson's high-tech guitars, it was hated with a passion and abandoned. The new management doesn't even have documentation for the legacy guitars online. Shows how much they care about people who spent big $$$$ on Gibson's guitars in the past. I've often thought about getting the schematics for a Variax and seeing if I could hack a way to isolating the individual string outputs...

I'm with you 100% with that. Some of my fastest, most fluid playing has been with the JTV. As to parts...just try to find acable for the G10 MIDI guitar. Yamaha was of no help. Fortunately, it turned out there's a cable that has the same connectors and wiring as the G10 cable, it's just not sold as such. I don't think we'll have that kind of luck with the Variax.

I've done that with Waves' StudioRack and placing their GEQ in each of three splits. It sounds pretty great, if... ...and only if you want "clean" distortion (yes, I know that's an oxymoron!). It's a totally different type of sound compared to physical amps. I consider the technique a complement to traditional amp sounds, not a replacement. I use it a lot in synth-driven music, as the guitar acquires a sort of clarity that fits better in a mix with synths and electronic drums. This is what I love about Helix - you can find something appropriate for just about any form of music. Although admittedly, I haven't had much luck with Gregorian chants :)

Absolutely! In fact, getting a good guitar sound was never plug and play. In the studio, it could take hours to choose mics and set them up correctly. Then it took more time to use the studio's processors (like dynamics, EQ, delay, etc.) to process the sound further. The idea that engineers used to put an amp in a studio, stick a mic in front of it, and get a great sound is unfortunately a myth. Trust me on this - I remember those $150+/hour studio time bills all too well! Often when optimizing a sound with Helix, I keep trying unsuccessfully to get it to sound right. Then just before giving up I change one parameter and all of a sudden, it's exactly the right sound. Versatility is a double-edged sword.

Thanks for circling back and adding your feedback! I guess the issue is that nothing will have the "it" factor of an actual amp, even to the point where one actual amp won't have the "it" factor of a different actual amp. So really, the question is how close you can come to a particular sound you hear in your head, or have experienced in the past. Placement is part of that, where even the angle of the cab's kickstart makes a difference, as do the materials on the floor and in the room. But there are a lot of moving parts in trying to obtain an exact duplicate of a sound made with one technology using a different technology. When I did speaker emulation with analog filter circuits back in the 80s I could never get the sound right. Then one day for the heck of it, I did everything wrong - chose components that gave phase shift, passband ripples, and other anomalies "good" engineers avoid. Finally, it sounded like a cab :) When I consulted to Gibson, at one point I said that since they made Cerwin-Vega PAs, why not use the guts to come up with a Gibson-approved FRFR amp? I was told that there was no way it would sound the same as a "real" amp. So I set up amp sim software through a Cerwin-Vega PA, and frankly, it sounded wonderful - super-detailed and balanced. The people at Gibson agreed that it indeed sounded fantastic, but it didn't sound like a "real amp." Sounding "fantastic" was good enough for me :) I switched from tube guitar amps to solid-state FRFR keyboard amps in 1968, during my 60s/70s touring days. The goal was to get "my sound" before it hit the amp, so the sound would be the same on stage or in the studio when going through a console. Modelers like Helix going through an FRFR system are like a dream come true for me. And now that I figured out how to make Helix do surround, I can't wait to start feeding it into immersive audio projects with more than two channels! At least when it comes to playing guitar, it's a great time to be alive.

Granted this is an old thread, but it seems the subject never gets old. One factor I don't see mentioned much is that most PA speakers are on a pole, or otherwise more or less at ear level. It may be possible that a lot of the "amp in a room" sound (or more realistically, "cab in a room sound") is due to having amps that sit on the floor. Any bass/lower mids (which are very non-directional) that are headed toward the floor reflect upward, and reinforce what's coming out of the speaker. Simply turning up bass on a pole-mounted PA speaker isn't the same thing, because you're not getting the complex phase interactions from the reflected waves. Also, highs are more directional than bass. When mounted on a pole at ear level, you'll hear more highs. So, more highs, less bass, and fewer lower mids would likely produce the thin, shrill effect that's mentioned - particularly because presets may boost the upper mids somewhat to give more articulation through a cab. That kind of a boost would add harshness if heard directly through a PA system. The reality that's frequently (and I believe, correctly!) mentioned here is that if you find a sound you like, it doesn't really matter how you got there. I have a slightly different take - pretty much any configuration can make the sound you like, but some take more work than others to get there.