uburoibob

And it’s now nearly 2023. It’s amazing to me that this hasn’t been done. I’ve now sold my LT but still have a backup that I’d like to bring into Native. But no… that can’t be done. How hard can this be?

A big thanks from me for the 2.8 factory presets. I didn't want to do a complete restore and then another restore just to get these. There are some lovely ones in there. Bentique is my fave right now...

So, you are using an amp and a cab (or IR) in 4cm to a guitar amp, if I understand you correctly?

Nope. House of Guitars was one I didn't work at. Back then, it was Six String Sales, followed by T. Rizzo Music (which is now Northfield Music.) But I love all the folks at the HOG!

Billy was a western NY legend back in the 70s, with Talas. Yep, that's a great endorsement. I worked at a guitar store in Rochester, NY back then and he's always been very hands-on with his gear. Bob

I bought a Helix just to see what it can do. I am 1.5 weeks into my 30 days, if I want to return it. So far I've gone back and forth a few times. The deeper I dig, though, the more I like it. I've still got my pedalboard - TC Small Polytune > JRockett Small Blue Note > Strymon Riverside > EHX Soul Food > Barber Tone Press > Source Audio Gemini Chorus > Source Audio Nemesis Delay > Strymon Flint > Strymon TimeLine > Strymon Deco. The first order of business was to try and simulate my effects. The Helix falls a little short when it comes to things the TimeLine, Deco and Nemesis can do, so I hope they really beef up the delays in it. It's also a little flat in the reverbs department. Halls are kinda not up to snuff compared with Halls on other platforms. The drives in the Helix though are wonderful. I am not a FUZZ user, but do like overdrives and distortions occasionally. I primarily play clean, though. I am not as concerned about modeling amps as I am about finding something that sounds good to me. I now play through a Quilter MicroPro200 Mach2 8" combo which is great. That's the right side of my stereo setup. A Carr Raleigh is the other side. I have found that simply playing with amps, cabs, IRs, and room Reverbs can get me several amp sounds I like that are different enough from each other as to merit using them. I've not used Helix live yet, having just moved to the Chicago area. I don't really have a situation that would work. But I plan on programming the Helix and taking a thumb drive with me to my old home city to sit in with my old band, renting a Helix and a pair of FRFRs, and using that wherever I play. That way, I just have to carry a guitar. Hopefully, that plan will work! Bob

Strymon pedals, and others, give you the choice of using true-bypass or buffered operation. If we are to try and actually simulate the real world in the Helix, then the idea of giving the option of true-bypass vs buffered on pedals is reflective of many pedals in the real world.

What would be the best way to achieve a Timeline-like effect where the repeats are 'smeared' or 'swelled'? Also, is it possible to program more than one parameter to an expression pedal so that I can bring up, say, both the MIX and FEEDBACK for a delay using a second Expression pedal? Or am I limited to only a single parameter per pedal? I am still in my first 30-days with the Helix, and am trying to make it sound good enough to replace my physical rig which leans heavily on a Timeline, a Nemesis, and a Flint... I am finding the auto-swell on the Helix is a little difficult to get under control. The same guitar through the Timeline has a much more predictable attack across the board, whereas on the Helix it's touchier - the higher strings sometimes don't trigger where the G string may not get squashed. The threshold seems not as forgiving as my old Line 6 Echo Park pedal... Any advice would be appreciated.

FWIW, I just hooked a pair of ZT Lunchboxes I had lying around up to the HELIX, into the 1/8" AUX jacks in stereo, and it sounds pretty dang good. A GLOBAL EQ with a lower mids and high end drop and it's giggable. I am comparing it to a pair of Tannoy 8" Reveals powered by an Ashly SR-120 Power Amp.

C'mon Frenchie! Snap it!