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DugT

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Posts posted by DugT

  1. If I have Helix Native, can I plug my guitar into a sound card and plug my guitar into the sound card and output from the sound card to my studio monitors? I have a Helix floor and use my desktop computer to edit. If I understand this thread correctly, I could get a sound card and sell my Helix Floor. Is that correct? I only play at home. 

  2. Using the Looper is great for my purposes. I can tweak all the settings while the looper is playing back the music. However, I have a question. When I play it sounds much better than the looper playing back. Why is that? Am I probably as bad as the recording? The live sound is more full and good whereas in the recording it seems my errors are much more conspicuous. By the way, the output is stereo through two good powered studio monitors. Maybe, when I am playing, I am too busy to hear the flaws.

  3. On 11/25/2022 at 5:03 PM, datacommando said:


    Hi,

     

    You didn’t mention what HX hardware you are using, but the solution to anything like this is usually available in the Owner’s Manual for you device.

     

    Helix floor: page 39

    https://line6.com/data/6/0a020a3f041b611d61cac763b/application/pdf/Helix 3.0 Owner's Manual - Rev F - English .pdf

     

    .......

     

    Hope this helps/makes sense.


    That worked! I've become so accustomed to getting tips and tutorials from youtube and other posts, I forgot about the manual. It explained the looper well and I got it working. Thanks for the help! 

    • Upvote 1
  4. On 11/25/2022 at 3:45 PM, datacommando said:


    Hi,

     

    In your original post you said you were looking for a way to switch amps and other effects to fine tune a tone sounds quick and easy way to compare tones”. The reply posed by @SaschaFranck is exactly what you mentioned. Place a looper block at the start of your signal chain and record into that, then you can change as many amp, cabs, and FX blocks as you wish while the loop plays back. Compare away to your heart’s content.
     

    Solved!

     

    If you are looking for anything deeper than that, you really need to follow the advice given by @rd2rk in the post above.

     

    Hope this helps/makes sense.

    That makes perfect sense. Before replying about the looper method, I thought I should try it. Now for the embarrassing part. I can't figure out how to get the looper to start or stop recording. According to my looking into this, I should assign the looper to a stomp switch but that isn't working. Maybe I switched that ability off in Global Settings. I looked in Global Settings and haven't found a way to fix it. Any ideas? 

  5. Using Native to switch amps and other effects to fine tune a tone sounds quick and easy way to compare tones. However, is learning to use a DAW worth the trouble just to use Native? Based on what I've read, all DAWs are difficult and time consuming to learn. I've used Audacity a little and it was a PITA and never sounded good. I'm just a living room player but I do use Helix Edit on my PC.

  6. 2 hours ago, craiganderton said:

     

    FWIW regarding value-for-cost, the reason why it's an 320-page eBook and 230 presets/favorites package was because I felt that if someone never read the book but only used the presets, or only read the book and never used the presets, they'd still figure it was worth $19.95. Even beginners can load and enjoy presets, although I believe the "holy grail" is knowing enough to modify presets for a person's individual needs...hence the book.

     

    Some people thought it was a mistake to do a package that combined a book and presets, and that they should have been two separate products for $19.95 each. But, I felt including the presets added value to the book, because people could read about techniques, load presets to hear the techniques, and learn enough to modify the presets if they wanted to put their own spin on things. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but in retrospect I think the book has taken attention away from the presets. Although some of them are designed specifically to complement material in the book, many of them are intended to work as stand-alone presets.

     


    I knew, or at least suspected, it is a great value.  To tell you the truth, I think $20 isn't much money to most Helix owners. I was only concerned that I might be overwhelmed by all of the presets and the 320 page book because of my relative inexperience.  I was afraid I'd spend hours being overwhelmed by all of it before I realized my time would be better spent learning more Helix or effects basics. Anyway, I downloaded the Multi-Pass Delay file above and the explanation was excellent. Sold. Thank you for the explanation. It sounds like I should start by using presets, maybe a couple of them per day,  and use the book as more of a reference book. 

     

  7. On 1/5/2022 at 10:09 AM, Anderton said:

     

    Cool, constructive feedback is what will guide future updates. For me, this recalls my days as a studio musician, and interacting with a producer who would indicate what he or she wanted me to play.

     

    Of course, I can't take care of all users at all levels and all requests; the book is geared more to intermediate-to-advanced users. Fortunately Helix has been around for so long there's already lots of material available for those starting out.

     

    How would you define Intermediate? I'm not sure I'm there yet. The six presets I made and use are fairly simple and each one is for a different type of music, acoustic, jazz, rock, etc., but I have stereo output to two studio monitors. I've had my Helix for 3 years and my tone adjustments have steadily improved my tone as my knowledge and ears improve. I'm fairly new to electric guitars and I have no experience with the myriad of pedals and amps except what I've learned from using a helix and reading about effects and amps. 

  8. 50 minutes ago, MGW-Alberta said:

    I don't tweak my tones on the computer.  I tweak them on the unit because I play mine through a guitar amp using 4CM.  Most of what I do on the computer is rearranging things, updates and housekeeping.  I will sometimes very quickly build a new preset by inserting all the correct blocks in the correct places and I will quickly adjust some blocks to approximate known settings as I add them in but the actual tone tweaking happens plugged into the amp.  

     

    That said, my computer monitors are Yamaha HS8

     

    By computer monitors we mean the visual display or LCD connected to the computer, not the speakers connected to anything. 

  9. 1 hour ago, MusicLaw said:

    Each their own... I use a wireless Logitech Laser Trackball. The beauty of it is that the unit need not be repositioned to accomplish any cursor repositioning. Simply the balls rotation accomplishes everything I need. Been doing so for years, even before the wireless units were introduced. The red w/ tiny black dot balls works perfectly. This only when not using the laptop's touchpad.... YMMV. 

     

    My trackball is a Logitech M570 and I believe it is a quality trackball. I used it for several months before switching back to a mouse. The mouse is so much faster for me. I can move a mouse with my arm and hand much faster than I can spin a trackball with my thumb and with a mouse I can get it precisely on target faster too.

    An advantage of a trackball is they need less real estate but a mouse needs less than a square foot. That isn't a problem. A trackball is ergonomically better regarding carpel tunnel but I don't use a mouse enough for that to be a concern. Trackballs are all thumb so maybe my thumb doesn't have trackball DNA.

    • Like 1
  10. I tried a track ball and mice are faster and easier for me. 

    I just realized that my Helix is close enough to my desktop computer to connect it to a separate monitor, keyboard and mouse for editing Helix presets even though it is several feet away.  My gaming monitor and keyboard will still be connected to the computer too. My computer can work with 3 monitors at the same time. When I don't want to edit Helix resets I will just turn  off the Helix monitor. Multiple mice and keyboards can be connected to a computer simultaneously so that will be ok too.

  11. 11 hours ago, DunedinDragon said:

    I have two Helix floor units.  One is in my studio and that's attached to a fairly powerful desktop unit with a 23" screen primarily for working with Ableton Live, Kontakt and some other screen hog programs.  I also use that system for designing drum tracks for the Beat Buddy which is used with my live performance Helix.  In my live setup area where I do most of my dialing in of patches, practice and rehearsal I use a 10 year old high end gaming laptop with a 17" screen which I previously used for video editing.  Neither has a touchscreen as I prefer using a mouse.

    The reality is I only rarely use HX Edit on either computer on the Helix.  I generally prefer to dial in my tones using the hardware interface rather than HX Edit since that's what I'd have to use were I to need to make modifications to any patches at a live event.  in the studio I do use the Helix as my primary sound card and audio interface on in my live rehearsal area I typically use the laptop for configuring my Morningstar MC8 MIDI controller setup and managing backups, imports, exports and firmware updates on the Helix but it's typically connected to my mixer through the XLR output directly from my Helix.  I also have the two computers networked together so I can easily share files and printers between the two computers.  Both computers also have Ableton Live and Kontakt loaded and used on them.


    Thanks for the input! Your setup is very impressive.
    You said you used an old gaming notebook. My notebook that died is a ten year old Alienware M18X. Other than that, we are at opposite ends of the spectrum. I just play at home and prefer to use a computer to interface with my Helix. I should get Helix Native for fine tuning tones but I'm not into recording, (I don't even know how to.) so I haven't taken that step toward being able to use Native. I just want to know what monitor works well ergonomically for editing tones. My 18" notebook worked ok but I suspect a bigger screen would be better and the only disadvantage of a touchscreen is cost. But, if the controls are too small for a finger unless I use a huge screen, I shouldn't get a touchscreen. 

  12. Thanks for the suggestions, Waymda.

    I'm considering getting a computer just for the Helix for a few reasons:
    *I play guitar in an area that is away from my desk where I have a big desktop computer that I use for video games and photo editing.

    *Since my 18" notebook screen seemed too small, I think the next step up is a desktop monitor.
    *I would buy another desktop computer because they are cheaper than notebooks and easier to service/repair/upgrade. 
    *A low performance computer would due for me because I don't record. It would just be for communicating with the Helix.  

  13. I'm wondering what I should get for a computer monitor for tweaking my Helix. I was using an old 18" notebook but it died and its screen seemed a little too little. Also, do you use a touch screen or mouse or both? A touchscreen would be convenient but the details displayed are small so maybe a mouse or a touch pen would be better. I'll probably buy or build a small computer just for this.

    Thanks!

  14. It looks like Schecter has a new version of this model. Now they call it the PT SLS Elite. The Controls are a little different. The headstock is 6 inline vs 3x2. There is forearm contour but you can't see it in this photo. The body is tele shaped whereas the earlier ones were strat shaped.

     

    PT SLS Elite

     

     

    Below is a 7 string version of the previous version of the guitar above.

    C-7 SLS Elite

  15. On 2/6/2021 at 11:07 AM, obscurehifi said:

     

    Since the topic is Fishman Fluence, I think I have something to add since I now have 5 guitars equipped.

     

    I bought a used Schecter C1 SLS Elite that came with the Modern set of humbuckers. I then modded it quite a bit to take advantage of split sounds and dual voicings so I could have dual voicings in split or not-split, giving a huge range of sounds.

     

    I then went on to get the Tosin Abasi set for my Schecter Barotone then another modern set for my Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid.

     

    I later mis-matched the two sets of moderns, with both alnico pickups in one guitar and both ceramics in another guitar (the schecter's above). Honestly, that's how they should match them in the first place.

     

    Now onto my American Fenders. I outfitted my 2016 Stratocaster Elite Magnificent 7 (6 string...) with a set of the Fluence single coils and my American Tele Deluxe with the Tele set. Both sound quite amazing but I'm not entirely sure if they sound better or worse than the fender noiseless pickups they came with but it's cool having multiple voicings. Regardless, they sound amazing and are super versatile.

     

    Anyways, long story short, I'm a big fan of Fishman Fluence and they work great with Helix! All five of these guitars have tone controls and I find them very useful.

     

    I have an Ibanez Prestige RG HSS and while it sounds great, I can't stand the middle pickup in it as it always seems to get in the way of my pick. If you like the RG style of guitar, I'd highly suggest the Schecter C1 SLS Elite as it comes with Fishman, has a tone knob, stainless frets, carbon stringers in the neck, really nice neck and neck thru body. It's a crazy high end guitar for a reasonable price, especially if you bought it used like I did. With the modern pickups, they have a crazy amount of options available for sounds. Splits, voicings, low gain jumper, ceramic / alnico, and even a high frequency roll-off. I set the guitar up so that the one push pull is voice 1 and 2 and the other push pull is split / not-split. I was going to put Fluence into my other dual humbucker Ibanez RG 652LWFX but the controls cavity is really small with no option of anywhere to place the battery and the pot holes were too small for the fishman pots, so that's something to consider if you're looking for an Ibanez to swap the pickups into.

    That was really helpful. Thank you!

    The Schecter C1 SLS Elite is a great guitar for the money and it has just about everything I want in a guitar except a single coil in the middle. Middle pickups really annoyed me too until I lowered it enough to be out of the way. If the middle pickup has a ceramic magnet, it can be lowered a lot. Eventually I found I could raise it gradually and get used to it. A lot of the music I play is music I learned playing acoustic guitars and I find a middle pickup replicates that best but I also like flat (Schredder) fingerboards and fixed bridges. That combination is almost impossible to find so I might be ready to settle. The single coils split out of two HH and in parallel sound good enough. I never play anything that need humbucker tones that I can't get close enough to with the Helix. 

    Schecter C1 SLS Elite Pro's

    Stainless frets

    Ebony fingerboard

    Thin neck

    Compound radius 

    Carbon fiber and a seven ply neck = 9 ply neck = STIFF neck

    Compensated nut

    fixed bridge

    Fishman Fluence cold fusion super conducter pickups

    Beautiful guitar

    Great value

    Schecter C1 SLS Elite Con's
    No middle pickup
    No forearm contour
    Not headless

    Have to remember to unplug it.

    You can't alway get what you want, but you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.

    Darrel Braun loves that Schecter. Darrell's review
     

     

  16. 3 hours ago, Doug6String said:

    I've been playing a very long time and a few years ago I put Fishman's in my First Warmoth build because of the versatility.  I love the tone and multiple voices of Fishmans and have them in many guitars.  In fact, I bought 2 ESPs last year that came with Fishmans.  I use a Helix Rack and Native and never had a hum problem so that wasn't why I tried them.  If you want to talk Fishmans, let me know!

     

    Thanks, Doug! I searched for a Fischer pickups forum but didn't find one. Do you know of one?

     

    A. It is my understanding that Fishmans are especially good at no noise high gain tones but they are also excellent at low gain tones. Do you agree with that?  I suspect the pickups have low impedance and the boost from the preamp does the heavy lifting when switched on. It is also my understanding that, to take advantage of this, the gain of the amp or Helix,  should be set high. If I set the gain on the Helix moderately low, could I get some great clean tones and flip the switch to get edge of breakup distortion? The guitar has a Fishman Alnico in the neck, a Fishman Ceramic in the bridge, and a Fishman single width Ceramic in the middle.
     

    B. The guitar with Fishmans that I am interested in has no tone knob. I use the guitar tone control a lot, especially when I switch to a different pickup or switch from jazz to rock, for example. I can't imagine why this guitar doesn't have a control knob unless there isn't room in the cavity for it. What do you think?  This is the guitar:  Ibanez S Iron Label Axion  It is real thin and I love the neck, hardtail, and that is has three pickups. I was on the verge of ordering a custom Kiesel when I discovered this guitar. 

    Thanks again,
    Doug T


     

  17. 9 hours ago, rvroberts said:

    If the noise pickup of single coils is a problem for you, then you need noiseless pickups.

    But Fluence is just one solution.  There are lots of noiseless single coil replacements for your Strat or Tele.

    And yes, the helix has a noise gate, but if you want dynamics in your playing  - especially for low and medium gain, you don't want to do too much with a gate.

    From personal experience on a noisy stage - you know the ones with lots of lighting etc - if noise drives you nuts (it does me), the Helix can't fix all that buzzing and fizzing.

    I use Dimarzio Area 61pickups and am very happy - but there are Kinman and even Fender solutions.

    People will tell you they aren't as good as single coils, but when you don't have to fight the noise, I'd say the freedom to adjust your tone lets you sound better.

    Personal opinion!!

     

    Thanks for your reply. I didn't know that the noise gate affects dynamics. I will check to see if my noise gate is set high enough to make much of a difference in dynamics. I haven't noticed it yet. The most distortion I use is classic rock style, not metal. 

    Actually, noise isn't a problem for me. I'm just a sofa player in a relatively noise free newish house. I have guitars with humbuckers but I prefer the sound of single coils with the noise gate adjusted to taste. I'm no chicken picker but, for some of my music I like to get a tone that is similar to that of acoustic guitars and I like to use a single coil for that especially but everything sounds better through a single coil to me. Maybe that is because of old ears and hearing loss.  

    Here is my real problem. I'm having difficulty finding a good SSS hardtail guitar with a flatter radius. Most SSS guitars have trems and most shredder neck guitars have trems. One exception to this is the Ibanez S671ALB  but it has Fishman active pickups. A lot of people really like Fishmans so I thought I should consider them even though I wouldn't take advantage of their full benefits. I could replace the pups if I don't like them.

    The guitar doesn't have a tone pot. That could force me to use the Helix for that and have presets with the treble adjusted for each song or each pickup. That could be more efficient than finding the right tone knob setting everytime I play the song again. My Helix sits next to me at finger level so it is easy enough to use its tone knobs.  

  18. I'm considering buying a guitar that has Fishman Fluence pickups. Are Fishmans overkill since the Helix has good 60 hurtz hum supression? Another feature of the Fishmans is the gain can be increased by the push of a button but the same can be done with a Helix. 

    While we are on the subject of hum, does anyone even need humbuckers if they have a Helix?

    Thanks

  19. Thanks for the input.

    I replaced some 14k ohm ceramic humbuckers  with some cheap 7K ohm AL2 single coil humbucker size pickups and it made a dramatic improvement but that is a pretty extreme example.  Now it sounds like my other five guitars that all have different pickups but sound similar through my Helix effects.  The humbuckers might have been better at heavy metal but the single coils were much better at everything I play.  However, the biggest improvement in my tone has come from taking advantage of Helix options and playing in stereo.  At this point, the most important thing about a guitar to me is having a neck I like and pickups that aren't too hot. I might try the B+C option if I get real board but I doubt if it will improve anything. Evidence of that is my google searches haven't found any discussions about it. 

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