lou-kash

Have you followed the procedure as outlined here? (in Knowledge Base > Effects/Controllers > Helix/HX > Helix/HX 3.80 Release Notes)

On a quick look in Helix Native with a random clean sampled guitar MIDI loop in Logic: The cab has the "160 Ribbon" as a mic profile which sounds rather muddy for a guitar. At least as far as my taste is concerned. Try the "57 Dynamic" instead. For a rock guitar, you can't go wrong with that. That's what the vast majority of sound guys would place in front of your real cab anyway. Well, I did for s(h)ure while I used to work as a sound guy in the 90s… Also, you may want to rise the Low Cut a bit. E.g. my guitar presets are usually around 150 Hz. (Me being mainly a bassist, I know how it feels when guitarists or pianists dig in my frequency range. ;) Also, I'd switch the cab block from the "Legacy" type to the new type which allows for more fine tuning.

input ---- [any effects…] ---- AMP block ---- < ---- CAB block ------------------- MAIN OUT >>> FOH \ path B: \-------------- parametric EQ ---- SEND >>>>>>> my combo power amp input ^ That's how I do it, be it for bass or for guitar.

I'm using a similar setup since years, but rather than wasting a block on FX Send, I'm simply splitting the path by dragging a parametric EQ to path B, and routing the latter to the Send jack directly. The Cab remains on path A after the path split. That means: global EQ affects Main out, goes to FOH headphones still have the Cab the Send output to the (power) amp on stage has a separate EQ block for fine tuning Works for me with bass as well as with guitar. Only recently, while doing multitrack recording with our bands using Logic and my multiple audio interfaces in the Aggregate Device mode, I have used a modified preset with FX Send and Return, so that I could monitor the others' instruments via my Stomp headphone output while hearing my bass with an amp/cab sim as well (the actual recording of my bass was just DI via USB, to be processed in the mix via Helix Native). It was relatively complex to set up, because of shuffling analog – and thus latency free – signal between multiple interfaces, but it worked… :)

“Helix as a digital drumset?” Well, yesterday, after a somewhat related private discussion on talkbass.com, I had the thought if it's possible to use an HX Stomp as a drum sound generator. It is. (Nope, no Looper involved!) A few weeks ago I have already set up a rudimentary "drum machine" or "extended metronome" preset (also: no Looper involved!) but I didn't like its sound yet. So today I came up with the following block sequence: 3 Note Generator Dynamic Ambience Harmonic Tremolo 3-Band Comp (optional Dynamic Hall for some space) This is on Path B. Path A still has 3 free blocks for instrument processing. More than enough for my bass guitar or upright bass. The Split is at the very beginning, with all input going to path A. The Mixer is at the very end as we don't want the drum machine run through instrument fx or amp blocks. Separate outputs can thus be used. FS1 turns the Generator block on/off. FS2 doubles/halves the tempo via Harmonic Tremolo's Speed. FS3 default taps set or change the preset tempo. When turned on, the "drum machine" plays a simple "kick / snare" beat. I was aiming at a snare sound that has a slight "brush" feel. Essentially I only wanted to emulate what I'm usually playing with my feet on my self-made electrified plank stompbox, which is something I cannot do when I'm standing, especially when playing upright bass. The Generator parameters are causing a gentle phase shift in relation to the given tempo, making each individual beat slightly randomized in sound, attack and velocity. At very high tempo, this shift may occasionally cause a missing beat. Duh. Alternatively, by using Asheville Pattern rathern than Harmonic Tremolo, the drum machine can play a couple of more complex beats, rather than just "boom-ts-boom-ts". Two more hints: The 3-Generator sounds likely best with a combination of Sinus, Square and Saw Down. The Tremolo requires Square to act as an auto-gate. I'll leave it at that for the time being, so that you folks can have some fun trying to figure out the parameters in detail yourselves… ;)

Having got a (used) iPhone SE3 without a headphone jack just a few months ago, one of the first things I checked was if the trusty old iRig 1/4"-to-1/8" works via Apple's 1/8"-to-Lightning adapter. It does. No idea if it also works with any 1/8"-to-USBC or Lightning-to-USBC adapters, however.

Well, let's try this, nonetheless: Paging @Line6Tony: Please fix the broken "HERE" link in the "ideascale Retirement" popup!

I don't do Fecesbook, hehe. And while I'm watching the TGP Helix thread since quite some time, contributing occasionally (even been quoted by DI once!), it's rather boring reading overthere.

Yeah. If only the link to https://line6.com/company/contact/productfeedback/ in the sentence "You can connect to our new Product Feedback Form HERE." weren't broken… :D Because a link like "https://line6.com/support/forum/90-helix-native/- https:/line6.com/company/contact/productfeedback/" ends up in an endless loop to the page you're coming from.

Also interesting is to use the Asheville Pattrn envelope filter instead. It allows for a wide variety of "true" drum patterns. It has quite an "electro pop" flavor. Save various patterns and voicing levels as snapshots and you can switch between different drum grooves. Amazing!

Good idea! Make sure to post it on Ideascale! Which just got me thinking because it may take years until this request would eventually be implemented, if at all. And why wait so long, right? So I just turned on my HX Stomp, and I turned it into a drum machine right away: 4 OSC Generator → Legacy Plate → Harmonic Tremolo → LA Studio Comp Experiment with voicings and settings until you get the sound you like. Key settings for Harmonic Tremolo: Wave Shape = Square, Duty Cycle = very low Legacy Plate is optional, but it can soften the harsh synth sounds before the tremolo cuts them into (drum) pieces. My goal was something that resembles jazzy kick & brush snare, and I got there after about half an hour of experimenting. For me it turned out much better than what I was expecting. Put them all on Path B and route all input signal to path A, with whatever other blocks needed for your instrument (in my case mostly bass guitar or upright). To turn the drum machine on and off, simply turn the 4OSC on and off.

The Stomp by itself doesn't "lack" anything in this regard, unless your actual hardware device is broken by some means. Everything else is a matter of multiple factors in series, starting with the input impedance, over the parameters you've applied to all the blocks on the signal path, over the headphones or speakers you're using to monitor the signal, up to the acoustic factors of the room you're in. So in fact it's likely the other way around, in that some of the other external components in the signal chain may lack low end. If that's the case, the Stomp actually provides various tools to compensate for these deficits: EQs, compressors, you name it. Been there done that, many times… ;)

Bassist with an HX Stomp here. On the Helix side, the headphone sound is the least issue of all. You can dial in whatever you like, as long as your headphones will correctly "translate" it directly into your ears. So e.g. for practicing, I like the no-name fancy headphones from the collection of my late father which are so bass-heavy that I found them absolutely unsuitable for almost any other "normal" music listening pleasures. But for practicing, their bass sound is very "pronounced". Whereas when I need accurate sound, e.g. when recording with our bands, I'm using my trusty AKG K271. Those are very linear, but in this scenario it's a good thing because me usually being the sound engineer at the same time, I need to hear everything clearly.

Does your Helix device run MacOS, Windows or Linux? No? Well, then someone would have to write a plugin for the "HelixOS" first. My gut feeling is that it will be faster and cheaper to find a vocalist who can actually sing in tune in real time… ;) That all aside, the appropriate place to post feature request is here: https://line6.ideascale.com

Hm… then it should actually work out of the box.