Karis_shem

Just love the sunset. Really versatile. Really convenient (for example the led change color to remind you the position of each knob/toggle). The addition of MIDI made it perfect for me. The range goes from clean boost to heavy distorted sound (OD is the main focus). Also, it works really well with the HX stomp (sound-wise). In fact, it's perfect if you want to do some gain staging (which is my prefered method) cause you've got 2 pedals in here plus what you add in the Stomp... I made quite a lot of changes in my board, but the sunset is still there and i don't plan to change it soon. If you chase versatility (and gain staging), you may also consider Chase Bliss Brothers (more on Fuzz). I'm not really convinced though i love what they do : more complicated, and i prefer the Sunset sounds (as i don't use fuzz often, i do it with the stomp). Also, the Boss OD-200 (even more versatile, and once again mùy personnaltaste goes to Sunset). For a cheaper price the L.A Lady (Source Audio) might be a great choice.

So today i tried to plug the stomp on one Ojai output only (the other 4 outputs being plugged to low demanding things). Apparently it works fine this way. Do you think it's fine phil_m ? No bad surprises ahead ?

The total weight is around 6kg (Helix one was 12,5kg), and the size is way better for travelling, so now i think my Helix will stay at home for recordings and the HX Stomp board will travel with me ;) Of course this is a crazy project. The Helix alone is capable of doing all of this for maybe half the price, but this was not my point here. I’ll be happy to answer your questions if you’ve got a similar project.

So the chain is like this : Guitar>G10>Buffer>Pitchfork>H9 Pre>Sunset>H9 Post>HX Stomp>Nemesis>Ventris>Out Initially i planned to use the HX loop somewhere, but it’s one block less and i found it noisy anyway… Everything (except the Pitchfork) is commanded by a Morningstar MC6 Mk2. You can select a preset (switching all the pedals like you want them) and the go directly to a page with all the controls for that given preset (snapshots, effects, link to another preset). Up to 16 messages per button, so you can just control everything. The Pichtfork (despite being a great pedal) is out of my « MIDI reach », and i plan to replace it with the upcoming C4 from Source Audio if it sounds well (which is probably the case). Or maybe i’ll go the Arduino way, but that’s a different story. The Strymon Sunset is now MIDI, and it’s a great deal since i can have different OD’s according to my snapshots. Wonderful OD’s The Source Audio pedals are connected to the Neuro Hub (under the board). The H9 is the « all around » thing. To be honest i would have prefer to integrate the Strymon Möbius, but as the plan was to keep things compact, i choose the Eventide option. All of this is (perfectly) powered by 2 linked Strymon Ojai. These things are small, not noisy and really convenient for smaller boards. For the G10 (which is 5V) i use a 5v>9v converter. I spent a lot of time choosing the perfect board, cause i don’t like to have gaps between pedals. So i made a lot of tests with Photoshop, testing the different sizes and pedal orientation. In the end, i found the Rockboard Tres, which is perfect for my needs. Built like a tank, really convenient, and you can add a module (3 different models) for power plug, expression pedals and audio outs. There are a lot of flat cables, to save space. The midi flat cables are done by Rockboard and the audio cables by EBS. As you can imagine, it’s pretty crowded under the board (37 cables) but here’s the result :

Hi guys, Just wanted to share you my new board, based on the HX Stomp. Used to have an Helix, and it is a fantastic machine, but the HX Stomp made me want to create something new, lighter, compact and maybe even more powerful. Actually, i saw the main drawback of the stomp (only 6 blocks and limited DSP power) as an advantage (or maybe an excuse). I love pedals, and this was an opportunity to build something new with the Stomp in the center and great stuff all around. Here’s the result :

I use Morningstar MC6. Small form factor, nice screen, powerful (up 16 messages sent per button). You program it with a web app. Definitely recommended...

Interesting, thanks. I thought the 5 outs were isolated.

The weight of my board is 12,5kg. Just add the weight of the case (10,2kg). Pretty heavy ;)

I power my HX stomp with two outputs of the Ojai, so i guess the power usage is a bit under 1A.

That said, with the MC6 you can probably "mimic" more snapshots. With one single press you can send up to 16 midi CCs. Enough to control 16 different parameters on the HX stomp, and so create a "fake snapshot"...

Sorry for the delay. No idea, cause 'ive got a gigbag, but it's really enough this way...

1) Don' t know but quite heavy. That's the reason why I'm trying this HX stomp board now. The board itself is not heavy but the helix is. 2) EBS flat patch cables (gold). And for midi I can't recall. 3) line 6 relay G10. Wireless solution.

I made this some time ago with a temple Audio Board (perfect fit for the Helix). Now i'm working on a more portable solution, with the HX stomp and a few pedals.

At home, i have a small acus one 8 amp. Great little amp, 200W, lightweight, really flat (image below). For stage and rehearsals i use two Friedman ASM-12 (usually only one for rehearsals) : it's quite expensive (but less than an amp anyway), really heavy, but it has this amp in the room feel that i love (or just in my head cause it's written Friedman on it ;) Before the Friedman i used some Atomic CLR, but the sound was too clear and clinical IMHO. Friedman are darker for sure but that's something you can handle easily with EQ....

I totally agree with this. There's one new comment a day. Not agressive, but blaming the Helix for fizz/harsh tone. Some of them may be true but some other are clearly not. And a lot of "weird" problems to solve I think line6 should take a look to the IPs. Something weird is going on...

Apparently, the input source is too powerful. It could be an idea to test your Helix with another guitar. Another cable too...

In fact "mastering" (big word) the helix also depends on your "gear background". Personnally i went the FR/FR way a long time ago (first with a VG8/88/99/GR55 until i bought an Axe FX II just before the Helix). If you have followed this path, it's easier to quickly find good tones IMHO. 4CM, 7CM are possible of course but let's not lie : it's probably better and easier to model the whole chain directly than to rely on a single cab (with cables everywhere). For example Greenbacks are obviously great speakers but maybe not the real best choice if you're planning hi gain. The Axe is a wonderful piece of gear but was a tweaking rabbit hole. In comparison Helix concentrates on fewer amps/fewer parameters and is easier to dial, especially if you've got a few IRs. This is an important matter : i don't mean Helix cabs are crappy, they are just harder to dial in a really good way (you need to find the right mics, the right distance,...). Using an IR is easier and not really expensive for a quick result. You just need to load the IR and adjust Lo and Hi cut (100 and 5000 is ok for 99% of the cases). Note : IRs can be a rabbit hole too, so it's better to stick on a few choices (i actually use 3Sigma, because they are sounding good and you only have a limited choice. Believe me, you don't really need 100 different mixes for your cab, especially if the plan is to dial quickly). So for a quickstart "good tone" i'd suggest : - FRFR - A few IRs (One good Greenback for Marshall, one good V30 for heavier stuff, alnico if you plan to use the Ac30 and so on...) with basic lo and hi cut. That's it ! Then you can dig deeper. For example : - I like (my taste) to put a Tube screamer with 0 gain before the amp. The color of the sound is different and really interesting. - You can watch the (great) Jason Sadites serie to learn a lot about Helix and sound tips. These videos are truly wonderful. you'll learn a lot of things even if you don't use all of them. His "light compressor at the end of the chain" trick is a great idea.

Just realised i still have the exact same rig than before (well except for Helix improvements). Thank you line 6 !

Although the editing of the footswitches is not as deep as some other controllers (but much simpler too, which is a plus) like LiquidFoot or Gordius, you can do many things by combining snapshots and switches. For example in my main patch i control three different things (Volume/Whammy/Wah) with the single built-in EXP pedal. And i could control way more. That said it could be an idea to add a feature for stomps to add 2 different one on the same switch (i mean not merged) with short/long press. With the scribble strips, and the interface i think it won't be too hard to manage, but on the other hand, i'm quite happy with the 4 Snap / 4 Stomps...

I'm currently working on a set around the AC30, so i agree with you. The whole dynamic response is there and you've got access to a lot of sound just by varying the gain and your play. On the other hand, i think simplicity is the strenght of Helix. Had an Axe-FX II before. It was a great machine with a lot of possibilities. Some may say it sounds better, but it's only a matter of % anyway (meaning that the audience will never tell the difference) and the learning curve is steep. The possibility to build a playable patch in a few seconds without tweaking hundreds of sub-menus is invaluable to me. With the Axe i used to tweak a lot, with the Helix i just play a lot and when you think about it, playing is just the main purpose ;)

Helix Firmware 2.30 When i try to swap 2 presets, the screen turns black. The sound is still there but no screen at all.

You can do this of course. Instant Midi CC and PC are PER Snapshot. So when you select a given snapshot you may send 6 different PC/CC (in the Command Center) to change patch on an external device or change a parameter. Each device should have a different midi channel (Helix =1, Mobius=2, etc) and you have the list of CCs on the manual of your device. With Strymon you can change almost everything.

It's a Templeboard Duo 34. The Helix fits perfectly (an expression pedal too). There is a Hog 2 indeed, A mobius and the G10 (modified to accept 9V). H9 is controlled via Midi, and i edit it with my bluetooth laptop (i've got no iphone). Everything is powered by a strymon Ojai under the board. I wanted something compact and clean and it was the best board for me. It is light, has a dedicated bag and offers more connections on the sides. I had to find some very flat cables, but Google helped a lot. If you're curious I've posted some other pics in another thread : http://line6.com/support/topic/28764-post-pics-of-the-pedalboard-you-use-in-addition-to-the-helix/?do=findComment&comment=223034

I used a Temple Audio Board. Comes with a bag. No extra expression pedal here (i don't use it that much and so i have a special jack for this on the side, just in case). But as you can see there's plenty of room... I've got a H9 too, but it's...under the board.

By the way i tried this morning with "trails off" and the noise is still here with the fx loop bypassed. Doesn't matter with this mix workaround anyway.