phil_m

In some sense, it doesn't matter where you raise the level in the Helix's signal path, really, with the exception that there are some block that are intentionally modeled with lower headroom, so they can be made to clip. With the exception of the Vintage Delay model, though, it's modeled clipping you're hearing, not actual digital clipping. It's actually best practice to keep the level running through the internal signal path pretty low, and then raise it with the output block. It's all still "in the box" at that point, so you're not introducing more noise or anything like that, and you're not compromising audio quality at all by do it that way.

All the delays on the Helix are HX level... They were all made from scratch for the Helix. Actually, of all the effects on the Helix, all of them are completely new except the reverbs and the 6 HD wahs.

You can download and install the Spider V editor app if you want to actually look at the amp models it has - they are identical to the amp models on the AMPLIFi. This "Variax Acoustic Technology" is referring to the "Line 6 Piezacoustic 2" model, though. It's a model that was in the XT/X3 series. Here's how it was described in the X3 model gallery (http://l6c-acdn.line6.net/data/6/0a060b316ac34f0593be902d6/application/pdf/POD%20X3%20Model%20Gallery%20(%20Rev%20B%20).pdf) Line 6 Piezacoustic 2 – This one is designed to work with the piezo output of solidbody electrics that have one of those newfangled bridges with the ‘acoustic’ pickup built in. Since you don’t have to worry about the body shaking itself to pieces with feedback on that type of guitar, we’ve cooked up this model with more low-mids and low frequencies. There's also a model called "Line 6 Variax Acoustic". That was a model designed to work with the Variax Acoustic models. Line 6 Variax Acoustic – One of the great features of the Variax Digital Modeling Guitars from Line 6 are their models of acoustic instruments. These sounds are best appreciated through a full range monitor or P.A., due to their high frequency content. This Amp Model was created in order to allow the Variax’s acoustic models to sound as full-range as possible through the speakers of typical guitar amps. This can come in handy when you’re using an acoustic model from a Variax, and listening to it through a guitar amp’s speakers. Keep in mind that since this model provides a large amount of high frequency boost (to compensate for the natural roll-off of typical guitar speakers) and overdriving a model playing an acoustic guitar is not usually a desired thing, this model will likely appear softer than most of its compatriots. If you need more gain, the Drive knob can be used to add some tube preamplification.

These acoustic amps aren't anything new... They're the same models that were on the X3 series, POD Farm, AMPLIFi and Firehawk. This is a bit like a Tesla owner complaining that his neighbor's Toyota Camry has some feature his Tesla doesn't. I actually much prefer the sound of an acoustic IR versus any of these previous Line 6 acoustic amps, personally.

Nels Cline incorporates a lot of this kind of stuff in his playing, both with Wilco and in his other groups... I'm always impressed with how he's able to pull it off. It's always a controlled chaos.

Did you listen to the sound samples on the product page? http://line6.com/spider-v/

Personally, I think they should probably just disable the comments on the video, not delete the video. There will always be negative comments, regardless of the quality of the demo. It's the nature of YouTube. People have been making fun of the Spider amps, well, ever since I can remember. Line 6 has still sold something like 2 million of them. These amps aren't made for tone connoisseurs... They're made for people just starting, as a practice amp, etc. Not that they can't sound good or even great, but I think the point is that a large number of people playing them aren't even at the place where are thinking in those terms.

Everything can be edited on the amp itself as well.

Helix doesn't send or respond to MIDI sync right now. One workaround would be to set up a MIDI track and send out the appropriate MIDI CC to control the Helix's tap tempo. You could just send out a few beats at the beginning of each song. It's not ideal, but it may be workable for you.

Tuning stability would be something inherent to the guitar, not the tuner, wouldn't it? I guess I don't get it... People complained the tuner wasn't sensitive enough before, but now it's too sensitive. You just have to find a level of "tuning uncertainty" you can live with I suppose. Usually, on the Helix tuner, as long as I have the small little bar light up a few times, I'm good. Chances are, it won't stay there, but that's not really the tuner's fault - that's just the guitar. If other tuners are showing you "locked in", but the Helix is still moving, doesn't it mean that those tuners are actually offering you a false sense of tuning security? I mean this is the reality of tuning a guitar. It's very hard to get locked into a pitch within +/- 2 cents. Download the Peterson Strobe tuning app and set the display to cents... You can see the pitch oscillate like crazy. It never really does get locked in completely.

I've actually come to the conclusion that I like the Helix cabs more than most IRs I hear. Most samples of IRs I hear sound, I don't know, too hyped up or something. It's hard to explain, but there's like a polish I hear on a lot of samples with IRs that doesn't sound realistic to me. It's almost like a guitar tone after it's undergone mastering on an album. I can understand why people like them, but I prefer the raw sound of the Helix cab models. They just feel and sound better to me... It was my impression when trying the AX8 in person as well. That's just my opinion and experience, though. It really should have no bearing on anyone but me.

This wasn't done using a pitch shift effect. This was done by assigning the pitch of the B-string in the Variax in the input block to be controlled by an expression pedal. The pitch of the individual strings can be treated like any other controllable parameter, so you can have it controlled by an expression pedal, a footswitch or with a snapshot change.

You can't change the LED color for snapshots as of now... Just stomp switches.

I would set the input pad based on the output of the guitar you're using. In other words, if you would turn the pad on while connected with a cable, turn it on while using the G30. The G30's output will vary based on whatever signal it's getting from the guitar. As far as the clipping the Helix's input, it's not so much that as much as it is not sending too hot of a signal into the amp models and other effects. The Helix has 123dB of dynamic range, so it's going to take quite a hot signal to actually clip the input.

Did you guys place the transmitter into the receiver base prior to using the units? This resets the transmitter so it can find the best open channel. I've been using my G10 for several months now, and I've only ever had one very brief dropout, and it was because I didn't do this procedure.

I have two L2t's, and I can confirm they are very flat. I don't really use them as studio monitors, though. I do have them at my workstation, and they're sitting on the floor at the moment (standing vertically, not tilted back). That's really why I don't use them as true studio monitors. On the floor like I have them, I get a significant bass boost just because they're on the floor. I don't really have room to have them in the tilt-back position (which is what I do when using them live). So guess the main drawback in trying to use them as reference monitors is simply that they're kind of big for that purpose.

It's pretty much the former... The delay time itself isn't being changed. A chorus effect (or vibrato in some models) is being applied to the repeats (or the wet signal, to be technically correct, I suppose).

Well, no trying to be argumentative, but I just have a hard time understanding how you could hear that much difference... Like I said I've used mine with my Helix, but I've also used directly into a pedalboard into a Princeton Reverb - no lack of chime noticed there. The G10 is sending 24-bit, uncompressed digital audio, so it's not really like an analog wireless system where you get the squelching effects. If anything, some people dislike digital wireless systems because they have too much high end (hence, the cable tone).

I want to say that the high and low cut filters in the cab block have 12dB slopes, but I'd have to look up where I read that. I think DI mentioned it before.

Hmmm... Can't say I notice this with mine. I use mine with my Helix plugged into my studio monitors quite often. I love this little thing. Best guitar accessory I've bought in years. The G10 always has the cable tone feature l turned on, and it's set to mimic a 10' cable, I believe. So if you're using a low capacitance cable, I guess that could account for some difference.

DO YOU SEE MY PANTS? NO WAY YOU MISSED THEM MY PANTS ARE A TOUR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

The Helix's MIDI implementation chart is on page 57 of the latest manual, and, yes, you can call up presets, snapshots within presets, toggle footswitches, and do other stuff on the Helix via MIDI. And, yes, you can change setlists (well, you can call up presets from different setlists - I'm not actually sure if the Helix changes setlists when you do this). As far a tutorial, the MIDI messages the Helix is looking for are pretty clear in the manual... As far as what you need to in your DAW, it would depend on your DAW. If you want to have it timed with a song, you'll probably need to set up a MIDI track and program the MIDI events on the timeline where you want things to change.

In order for parameter values to change with snapshots, they have to be tied to a controller. That can either be one of the EXP controllers, a footswitch, or a snapshot controller. If you only want to change the parameters with snapshot changes, just use a snapshot controller. To do that on the unit itself, you press and turn the knob for that parameter. Brackets will show up around that parameter then. You can do it with the editor as well. It's just a little more time-consuming. You have to go to the Controller Assign tab while you have the amp block selected (or whatever effect you want), select the parameter you want to control, then select "snapshot" from the controllers pulldown menu. When you go back to home tab, you'll see brackets around that parameter in the editor.

You can actually have delays be set to a certain tempo now and still have them change with the tap tempo. You just have to do it in kind a reverse way. Rather than set a specific millisecond value, just set the preset BPM to whatever it needs to be and save the preset. That way your delay time will be what you set it at when you called up the preset, and change when you tap in a new tempo.