Tomasz4791

Not Reaper, but for those using Ableton - there's another way to do it, which I've just learned yesterday, you have to "group" the track with HN and map it's chain to a macro virtual knob. Then you can map this knob to range of notes - this way I could map the 8 pads on iRig Keys I/O to be my snapshot buttons. Works like a charm. Just need to make sure pads are using different midi channel than keys and don't interfere with each other. I can now switch instantly between snapshots just by tapping the corresponding pad.

I'm using HN with old GuitarPort that I've had since 2004 and it works like a charm. Yes, there's no adjustable input impedance and I still prefer my Helix Floor as interface, but I need to travel around the World and HN+GP is about 7kg lighter than HF!  

Just like per DI's advice, input level never goes above -18 / -15 dB and there's no issue with noise floor as long as I'm not using really heavy distortion. Interestingly, I've tried the same with the latest iRig Keys I/O, which supposedly has similar dynamic range to that of GuitarPort (around 100 dB), but to my ears GP sounds cleaner... Must be Line6 thing... Sensing family perhaps  :-)  

For those using Mac - probably the simplest way to run HN is by using little app called Hosting AU http://ju-x.com/hostingau.html  Works like a charm and it's free!   :-)

You don't have to install them. I've been using Helix without them for good few months on El Capitan, but you'll have no access to 96kHz sampling rate and no volume control from the computer (and that was the big one for me as I didn't need the 96kHz...). Personally I've found it worthy install. And also... it's no longer beta  ;-)

...and it's only going to get better    :-)

Glad you found your way to enjoy Helix. Make sure you follow the update instructions to the letter and have fun with 2.20.

Glenn - you ARE doing great service to this community and don't let Inerzia's principles take you down. He's got the right to have his opinion and so does everyone else. Personally I didn't buy any patches from yourself (although... now that I think of it... I might have, for POD HD500...   :)  ), but only because the  patch I was interested in you've kindly explained step by step on YT (D.Gilmour's SOS) and for that I'm extremely grateful.

As long as there are customers willing to pay for stuff, there will be providers willing to sell stuff. Nobody forced anybody to pay for anything (except for the Helix itself, which I did feel forced... as in - there was this irresistible Force pulling me towards buing it... GAS some folk call it... but it may be something far more dangerous...  :D  ) 

As the old proverb goes - cheap (or free), quick and good very rarely exist together. You either need to put some time in learning/creating patches (or anything else), or be prepared to pay for the service. CBTL is giving his great patches for free, but that's his choice and I wouldn't hold it against him if he decided to start selling them (especially now that he's proven many times over that they're top quality!).

As for the sense of community - I don't think one excludes the other. Mankind is one big Worldwide community and so far we've come quite long way while paying for stuff in one way or another...   ;)

   While it's a valid point about powered studio monitors or FRFR's, let's not forget that most people enjoy listening to their favourite music on on one or another type of Home Cinema/HIFi systems and they do sound good! Yes, not like studio monitors, but good enough to fall in love with you guitar hero's tone, right?

   Any half decent system does have "stereo" preset and most of them have "source direct" mode where internal EQ is bypassed. I've had my helix connected to my Yamaha Home Theatre system and yes, id did sound a bit off at first. But then I've connected it to monitors and it still sounded off! Different flavour off, but still off. Then I've gained some knowledge on proper gain staging and such as DI mentioned above, studied some great patches from CBTL, Glenn DaLaune, Marco Fanton and Freman and you know what - my Helix now sounds awesome regardless whether it's connected to monitors or my living room's Home Cinema. In fact, it sounds more like the tunes you hear on the radio when it's connected to Home Cinema.

   There's no magic here - it just requires a bit of learning. There's no single Golden IR, or "best patch available from..." it's all matter of finding best combination that work for your gear and your playing style. I do believe you can make it sound good on your current system, but it takes quite a bit of tweaking. Putting Looper block first in your patch will allow you to record raw guitar and then tweak it to taste (with both hands free!), but it will not show the difference that Guitar In-Pad makes or different Impedance settings. For that you just need to keep playing/recording separately. Personally, I've found that unlike other modelers, Helix really does react fantastically to my guitar's tone knobs and I find myself using those far more now.

   And just like DI said - you don't need an audio interface. Your Helix already is a fantastic one, that allows you to listen to sounds from your guitar, from your computer, any external sources that you can connect in FX loops AND re-amp at the same time. Just make sure you monitor from the Helix and not from your computer, or else the Evil Latency Demon will cause you age too early...  :-)

   Stick around this group as there's ton of collective wisdom, visit helixhelp.com and go through helix tips documents, analyse some good patches (there are awesome ones from CBTL for which he also provides YT videos, watch the one Glenn did about David Gilmour's Sound-on-Sound, or buy some if you have money and wish to do so). Try how it sounds through headphones, and you can have good Sony or Sennheiser ones for relatively small money (just pay attention to how is the headphones output configured in Global Settings - it can sound harsh and clipping, there's whole thread about it). Try building your own patches from scratch with good gain staging (watch Scott on his YT Helix Channel - ton of good practices to be learned). Be patient and results will come!

Cheers,

-Tom-

...and don't mind Steevo - he's almost as old as me and just a bit tired of defending our favourite toy. He means no harm to good people. But yes, Helix IS one of best sounding once mastered...   :-)

Good to know. Thanks Zooey!

:D

Thanks a bunch CBTL. Haven't got acces to YT, but will download the patch. Your Floyd patches are excellent BTW!!!

EDIT: OK, so I took your Eric Soldano patch and then duplicated the EQ block (exact same parameters), linking them both to Mid Boost FS2 and now I have the sound and all sustain I was after. Don't know how accurate it is, but it sounds so good that I don't care at this point...   :-)    Thanks again!

jbuhajla - that was my line of thought as well. Just wondering which of the eq boxes would give me similar 'Q' / curve shape as the original circuit. I appreciate that "if it sounds right it probably is", I'm just probably bored enough to try to get as close as I can - hence my search for actual Eq curve. Small pet project for the weekend if you like. I might end up Eq matching the quitar and generating IR in Logic just for that purpose as it's fun thing to do... And yes, I shoud've spend more time playing the guitar than playing with the software but what the heck!  :D

_{Thanks snc6. That's a sound advice (pun intended)!  :-)}

_{I see my fault - should've specifed that I'm after "Helix-centric" solution. Partially because it's about 3 thousand miles to the nearest grocery store from where I'm just now (not to mention guitar shop) and partially because why not - surely Helix can do something like this...}

_Cheers.

Hi all,

As per the subject - how would you go about replicating (sort of...) the mid boost used by Fender in Eric Clapton's signature axes? I've tried to search for frequency characteristic of this in order to set 10 pt Eq in similar fashion, but can't find any substantial info on the interweb. I realise the Eq goes only up to 15 dB, but thought that I can stack two of these.

.

...or go with custom IR that would provide required Eq only (i.e. not used for cab response)?

Thanks for all hints. Collective wisdom of this group is what makes this product really shine!  (and no, this is not another bottled bacon enquiry  ;)  )

-Tom-

I've known about the impedance matching rule long ago and was concerned a bit about it, but seems like this may not be an issue - I'm using Helix with Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless, which are only 28 Ohms in passive mode (i.e. connected with cable and NR off). Helix sounds simply amazing through these. I did find that I have lot less leeway when gain staging patches - those cans are unforgivable and will show every bit of digital "clipping" (yes, float point means no real clipping, but you can still drive block too hot and get this fizz of sorts). The tip above with global settings may also help, but I'd suggest you try Guitar In Pad - didn't realise how much it affected my guitar until I listened through headphones (Strat fitted with EMG's DG-SA set. No pad required for DiMarzio Area pickups as they're lower output).

Of course it may also be something else altogether...   :)

Anyway, my first post in this forum after months of being actively passive reader. Thanks to all for wealth of knowledge - I'm sure OP will find solution with your help!

Greetings from middle of nowhere on the Indian Ocean!