rzumwalt

Not into two amps, but into two FRFRs for stereo effect. Its simple to do, as it's just running 1/4" cables from the left and right outputs. No reason the same can't be done using the effect loops in a combined 4CM. If my math is right, it would be a "7-cable method."

Perhaps the least helpful subject line possible.

I agree with all of the above. For your Preset 1, I'd also suggest experimenting with the Divided Duo (Div/13), which I've been using like this recently. Since it has two gain controls, it has a very wide variety of tones just by working with those. I think the concept is that one of the gains controls a preamp tube like you might find in a Fender and the other gain controls a preamp that is set up more like a Vox, and you can blend the two. It might not be ideal for your Preset 2, but I've never actually tried to get high-gain out of it, so I don't know how that would sound. You'd probably need a DS2 pedal or something like that for the heavier stuff.

Actually, you probably can. If the last MIDI device in line has a MIDI through, you just connect that to the Helix MIDI in. Edit: I just now noticed that I've responded to a year-old post. But, it might still be helpful.

The link didn't work when I clicked it, but your description of the noise you heard sounds familiar. the sound I'm thinking of was like a brief, sudden static that came on abruptly and almost immediately went off just as abruptly. I don't remember now exactly what the problem was, but I seem to remember it having to do with having two amps and switching between them with a snapshot button. I also think it was a preset where I used to blend the amps on parallel paths, but later moved both amps to the same path, and in some of the snapshots I had forgotten to set the A/B split block to 100% path B. So part of the signal was not being shunted to path B and instead was staying on path A, bypassing the amps. There may have been more to it than that, but maybe that sounds familiar to you.

Guitarman871, You've obviously brought a lot of knowledge and experience with you, which I always enjoy. Welcome to the forum. Having never played through an actual Mesa amp myslef, I'm only familiar with the various Line 6 iterations of the Dual Rectifier I've used (Flextone III, HD500, Helix), Triple Rectifier (Flextone III), and the three Mark IV models on the Helix. There were also a couple of high gain amps in software like Mobile POD that I think were based on Mesas (Cali Crunch and Treadplate?). Despite my lack of hands-on experience, I do feel similarly to what you expressed, especially in your Topic 2. Topic 1: I sort of agree with you about gain saturation from the Mark IV. I like to have a preset with fat, drawn out sustain -- think of the long chords on the verses of For Whom the Bell Tolls. Often I feel like I can get just under the amount of saturation I want, but when I tweak the gain just a hair, it goes way too far and sounds more like distortion than drive/gain. What struck me about your comment though, was that you have both the Gain and Drive settings at 10 and Master at 3. I'm usually toward the reverse of this. However, I've had good results with a simple EQ or Parametric EQ in front of the amp with a slight boost to either Mids or Treble and a moderate boost in the overall Level. I feel like this pushes the preamp without having to rely on turning the Gain as far up, but doesn't leave it as muddy as in your Topic 2. There would also be a Deluxe Compressor or LA Studio Compressor at the front of the signal chain at pretty much the default settings. Topic 2: I run into this as well. My initial observation is that other models, like the Archon Lead, handle the low end much more tightly. Have you tried blending the Mark IV with one of these models to try and get the best of both worlds, so to speak? For example, if you put the Mark IV on path 1A and the Archon on path 1B, you could split the signal between them either by some percentage of volume or using the frequency crossover to send the lows to the Archon and the highs to the Mark IV. You might also just set an EQ in front of each one and adjust accordingly. I haven't experimented much with this, but it might be possible, and someone else may have tried it who might chime in. Also, have you experimented with the cab/mic settings. There is such a world of difference between the different mic models, that I always hesitate to say, "This amp sounds like ___." Many like using IRs and don't use the cab models at all. I use either depending on what I'm going for. Of course this won't help you much in your main setup with the external power amp and cab, but it's worth mentioning. That last thought I have on this is using an EQ at the end of your signal chain to boost treble/high mids or decrease bass. There are so many videos and audio clips of guys who have gotten a variety great high gain tones from the Helix that I know it is definitely possible. Since metal isn't my primary style, I haven't stressed too much about it. And like you said, even with these apparent shortcomings, the models are still really great, and there always seems to be a good workaround to fix any major tone issues.

I would highly recommend the roadcasesusa option if you use any other pedals or peripherals attached to the Helix, i.e., if you want a case that doubles as a pedalboard. It has options for handles and rollers and is designed so that, with the lid off, the lip of the bottom portion is low so you can use it as your pedalboard without taking anything out of it. However, that being said, it sounds like your use may be much different, and a lot of these advantages may not apply to you. I've also used the Gator bag someone mentioned above. It is really good as far as soft cases go. I just know myself well enough to realize that, if I use a soft case long enough, I will eventually knock of a couple knobs off due to my own carelessness. But it does have good padding and quality zippers; I don't want to sound like I am putting it down at all as a soft case.

I tried the MIDI-to-self trick this morning, and it is a very cool technique. I hope I don't sound like that noob that breaks into the room in a huff with, "Ohmygoshguys, did you know about these things called power chords??!!!!" But I don't claim to be a MIDI expert, and I'd just never heard of doing this before. Anyway, I thought I'd share a few pro amateur tips for any novices like me who want to try it. 1. Follow DI's instructions at post #2 exactly. 2. If you have other MIDI devices in the chain, make sure they are set to something like MIDI Through = ON. 3. It looks like Helix is MIDI channel 1 by default, because I've never changed mine. (I don't know whether you can also use the "base" channel because I tried that before I solved the problem in no. 2, above, and never tested it on base channel after that. I'm guessing you can, and that this is the better option to avoid having to update all your patches in case you ever change Helix's default channel, so maybe someone can correct me.) 4. Don't try to get cute by thinking you can use CC Toggle in the Command Center to double the number of Snapshots you can access per button this way. Unless there is an update in the future to change this, once you save a CC Toggle command for this parameter, those are the only two Snapshots you can access, and even the Snapshots view is effectively disabled. I guess you could just want those two snapshots and nine stompboxes, but it would probably be better just to use the Snapshot /\ - Snapshot \/ function and find a way to be happy with only eight stompboxes in that case.

Definitely can be done. If I'm understanding your question correctly, it would just involve assigning the amp block (or both an amp block and cab block) to a footswitch. It works the same as assigning any other stompbox to a footswitch. I'm guessing you'd have to turn the modeled amp block volume way down, but I'm not sure about that, and it shouldn't be a problem if you do. It seems like a lot of people's complaints about it sounding "harsh" or "muddy" in this configuration are cleared up once they tame the amp model to compensate for the fact that they essentially have an amp going into an amp. There are also about a hundred other things you could do with that. You could assign a footswitch to turn up the gain on the amp model, or change its eq settings. The same footswitch could also reduce the master volume so that the extra gain doesn't overdrive your tube amp more than you want. If your tube amp has multiple footswitchable channels, Helix can send that signal with a footswitch as well. You could also just use the preamp model of whatever amp model you like, rather than the full amp. I think this is the main way a lot of people use it when they run through a tube amp. So it sounds like you are talking about a core capability of the Helix.

Thanks for the tip. If you turn MIDI PC Send off, can you still use Helix Editor and Variax Workbench?

Or you actually have a broken speaker. You have to actively try to get broken speaker sound from Helix. Granted, some of the overdrives (the OCD and DOD) are not to my taste, but this just seems silly.

If you are only using snapshots 1 and 2, you could make snapshots 3 and 4 duplicates of 1 and 2 and leave them flexible. Even if you display snapshots by default, you can still have all 10 buttons assigned to stompboxes, you just need to hit the MODE button (FS6, I think) to display them all. So, before a song, you could engage snapshot 3, hit MODE, hit any of your stompboxes, hit MODE again, and go back to snapshot 1. Now, snapshot 3 is essentially just one more footswitch for snapshot 1. And second of all.... ...wait. Wait a minute... So wait, are you telling me I can set the footswitch display to 10 stompbox layout, then have Helix MIDI itself, so that one or more of the footswitches is a secret snapshot button? When were you planning on announcing this to the world? It should be like bullet point 2 on the website. Or is this just something MIDI people are supposed to already know? Line 6 marketing: "Yeah, there are some limitations in footswitch layout...it's too bad nothing can be done about it." Skeptic customer: "What if I own a short length of wire?" Line 6 marketing: "Well, there is also Do Whatever the F You Want Mode, but who would ever use that?"

This question has been a minor obsession of mine for more than a year now. First, keep in mind, your best workflow will probably depend a lot on your personal style, the range of sound you need to get, and the style of gigging you do. I can only speak for myself, so consider this what I think is the best setup for someone with a spotty memory and a weekly gig in which the setlist is usually about four songs that are different every week, and subject to change on short notice (i.e., a church), and a less regular gig that is just acoustic guitar Tom Jones covers. My main need for electric guitar is an easy to memorize setup with a decent range of sounds, and a couple easy to access gain boosts. Until recently I've been exclusively using the 4 snapshots/4 stompbox layout (with snapshots on the top row). I would use a preset with an amp with good cleans, like a Fender Twin, and one with good crunch, like the L6 Litigator, set up in parallel. I would set up 3 of the top-row snapshots to give me different blends of the two amps, generally with more delay and reverb on the cleaner tones. The fourth top-row snapshot would be dedicated to long, ambient volume pedal swells. The four bottom-row stompbox buttons would control effects I might want to hit on the fly regardless of the snapshot in use. Usually, this would be an overdrive or clean boost before the amp, a lead boost after the amp with a bass roll-off, an extra delay, and either a tremolo or an extra reverb. I always tended to have the main expression pedal work like a +/- 4 dB global volume control. I almost always have an external expression pedal set to trigger a wah by movement. The advantage is that you get the best of both worlds, a range of sounds via snapshot with a set of stompboxes that will always be available and do the same thing, and you can do it all from just one preset. I have started working more from the 8 snapshot layout in the last few weeks, though. I found that I can use the Expression Pedal 1 to trigger a post-amp lead boost and an external overdrive pedal in a send/return loop for pre-amp boost. I have always used an Ernie Ball volume pedal, so that is an additional means of controlling gain without using the stompbox mode. I also started setting the level higher in the wah pedal, so it gives a natural boost as well. Also, having 8 snapshots available means I can set one or two of them as boosted tones anyway, although I end up hesitating to use them because I can never remember how much boost they have or if they have any obnoxious delay or flanger or something else I'm not expecting.The advantage here is a wider range of tonal possibilities, and the disadvantage, for me, is that it is harder to remember what I have each snapshot set up for. This last part I try to mitigate with some type of pattern, something like a progression from clean-dry, to clean with delay, to more crunch, to crunch with delay... and so on. That said, if I played the same setlist of 9 songs a night, I might find it better to spread that across a bank of 4 presets, or even one preset per song. I use a JVC EON610 as my main output at home and stage monitor at gigs. It is difficult to get the gig sound to match the at home sound, and nobody on this forum that I have read will tell you they've got it perfectly matched up. But the difference for me is minimal, but I do have to tell the sound guy from time to time not to futz with the EQ too much. The best practical advice most guys seem to give is to use the PA to practice at home, practice at home with as loud of volume as your family and neighbors will tolerate, and don't use headphones to adjust tone. For my electric guitars, I usually play an Ibanez RG, but sometimes I use a Telecaster. For the style I play, I find it easiest to take the preset I use for the Ibanez, make a copy of it and add "tele" to the end of the name, and tweak it to suit the Telecaster's output and tone. Again, now that I've memorized the preset I use mot often, I like to keep it similar between both guitars. I hope that gives you a little food for thought.

Yeah, if you do anything to the preset besides just play your guitar into it, you get the edited indicator. It kind of throws you off if you can't remember whether you tweaked a setting, but you definitely hit a footswitch. Usually, I don't want to save if I just hit footswitches, I want to return to the original settings the next time I recall the preset. And you just ignore it in that case.

I'm 100% with you; but I was afraid I wrote that post too late last night to be intelligible. I guess my fears were correct. I used the word "preset" to mean what you referred to as a "favorite" effect. Your suggestion is a really great concept and I wanted to voice my thoughts and give feedback to DI about the number of favorite effects templates that could be saved. I should have just responded, "very important." But then, I've never been accused of obnoxious brevity. DI's question about how many favorites per effect you would like to see made me think Line 6 was considering something like being able to save one favorite for each effect model, and my fear was that, sticking with the Tube Screamer example, that would mean I could save as a favorite a clean-ish boost setting, but then wouldn't be able to also save a heavier overdrive setting as well. Meanwhile, I'd have the option of saving a favorite Megaphone setting, even though I've never used it, and probably never will. I'd rather be able to dedicate that Megaphone allotment to the Tube Screamer. Your proposal about scrolling down below NONE on the first page of the new block menu is good. I could see it going two ways. 1. At the very bottom of the first page--below LOOPER, I think--would be the FAVORITES sub-menu where you could save any number of favorite settings/templates, including amp models and cab models. And you wouldn't be limited to one favorite per effect model. 2. At the bottom of each effect type within the new block menue--i.e., DISTORTION, AMP, DELAY, etc.--you could save a similar list of favorites within that category. I also though it would be very useful to be able to save favorite AMP and CAB combos (not just combo amps in a single block, but a linked set of two separate AMP and CAB bocks.) I don't know enough about programming to know whether what I'm suggesting is impossible, but nobody's yelled at me yet for fantasizing about Helix possibilities.

For my $0.02, this would be a great feature. I would prefer to see an open bank where you can save your preset effects/amps, regardless of how many of one type there are. Rather than some number of presets per effect, I would rather have fewer overall available slots for presets if I can save as many of the same effect as I want within those available slots. I'm sure I'd end up with ten Tube Screamer presets but no Megaphone presets, so having a preset dedicated to the Megaphone would be wasted memory for my purposes and would artificially reduce how many TS presets I could have. I'm sure I'd be glad either way though. Thanks for chiming in.

I'm almost always down around 85% on the mix. Just like you said, but I like preserving a big chunk of the attack, and I do find myself increasing the compression/sustain more than I would at 100%. But this reminds me, the only compressor I don't like is the Red, which I think is supposed to be an MXR. I've never used the MXR, but I guess it is supposed to really squeeze the attack. So if this is meant for Chet Atkins style country finger picking, it probably does it's job. I just don't play that style (read: I lack the skills to play like Chet Atkins).

I feel like I get good results selecting the mic I think sounds closest to what I'm looking for and then adjusting the amp tone controls or EQ to get me the rest of the way there.Am I doing it wrong?

Are you using full amp and cab models from the Helix going into the front of the Blackstar? You would essentially be playing trough the equivalent of two amps and two cabs in series. You could also check to see if lowering the final output on the Helix helps. You might be giving the Blackstar too hot of a signal. You might also going through the Blackstar's effects loop return. The last thing I can think of would be to ask whether you've played straight through the Blackstar to make sure it is working properly.

The only feature of the Helix that I would say doesn't faithfully model the real thing would be some of the pitch shifting effects. However, I don't really use these, so it doesn't affect the Helix's usefulness to me very much at all. I have a hard time understanding the frequent complaints made about cab and mic modeling. Either some people have platinum coated robotic ears, or I'm missing something. My theory is that a lot of people have already used IRs for a long time and the Helix cabs just sound different from what they are used to from a modeler.

The guys on the Andertons YouTube channel reviewed it and, somewhere toward the beginning, mentioned that Eleven Rack gave or licensed their code to the owner of Headrush. The way they explained their interaction with the owner made it sound like Headrush is a one-off entity with just the one product. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k1EbdNmD4Q&t=1028s My interpretation was that it was someone with a software license who built a hardware solution to sell it in. But that may just be confirmation bias on my part, because this would explain why it seems to be such a Helix clone.

Yeah, you can do this. I think you can also click-hold and drag the block of presets as well to move them.

Sorry to misquote you. Thanks for clearing it up.

This should be helpful. Thanks. Can anyone post instructions like this for different DAWs? Presonus, Ableton, etc.?

Based on this post by DunedinDragon, I assume it is. http://line6.com/support/topic/27548-celestion-redback-irs