soundog

Sennheiser HD 600 user here; sounds great through my Stomp!

You need to your pitch shifting on Path B only (use Split, so A and B are both receiving your guitar), and then remix the shifted guitar back in with unpitched using the Merge block.

Yes, good advice. Also, make sure that the levels that are hitting Native are the same between the SAVIHost and Cubase. You can't A/B tones unless those levels are matched....

Try this, especially if you are new to Helix: See which Amp/Cab block(s) are used in the preset. Also, which distortion or overdrive block is used (if any). Create a new empty patch. Play your guitar through it, and try using the Global Settings>In/Outs settings as suggested. Get a feel for how they affect your levels. Now add the same Amp/Cab blocks that were used in the preset. It will load in with default settings. Experiment with adjusting the Gain knob. Then the Master knob (like your amp master). You can leave your channel setting at the default level for starters. If a distortion or OD block was used, now add that, and experiment with how the settings change your tone. After you get a good sense of how all these are working together to distort your sound (both good and bad!), go back to your Plush/Slash preset. You should now have better ears for tweaking the Customtone to get it where you like it. As mentioned, a lot of people overdrive their distortion and gain settings. You need to get a feel for how your guitar and pickups work with the Helix amp and level settings. Then, you should be able to then dial in nice cleans, crunches, overdrives, leads, etc. And by using basic settings, you can compare amp models to see which ones you prefer. I find that Customtone free presets are all over the map, but almost all of them need tweaking to work with your gear.

According to online info, the Catalyst has "Built-in 4-channel USB audio interface with XLR line out for easy home recording." But I have found no further details. There is nothing in the manual. Does anyone have more info? For example, what are the in/out USB channels? Can you record the dry signal on one channel, and mono or stereo wet on other channel(s)? Can you reamp through USB? Is the XLR out wet or dry, or switchable?

Hmmmm. I think if you are really used to your magical AC30 tone and air, you might be disappointed in trying to replace it with a modeler. Maybe. The Helix (and Stomp, XL) do a damn good AC30 simulation. So, get a unit that gives you all the effects you think you might need. That might be an HXFX. But if you think you might want to try a modeler, as @theElevators suggests, you may want to add amp sims via a Stomp, Stomp XL, or Helix. Make sure you get all the footswitches and effects blocks you think you might need. Size might also be a factor for you pedalboard, so consider that as well. And price! How much money you got? Whatever you do, don't sell your AC30!

Hilarious. Below is the whole "Shrinkage Factor" clip for Seinfeld fan's @siddharthsinha Please know I wasn't making fun of your question, which is a good one. I was just having some silly fun with the idea of packages shrinking in cold weather (which has probably affected us all at some point in our lives! ). I trust your Helix is warmed up and working nicely by now... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85MZ4c1EWkM

Similar situation here. I use a StageSource L2T for my PA, but when home I use it as a speaker for my HX Stomp. It sounds great, so I don't think I'll be needing a Catalyst (or similar) for now. If I was starting out and needed a nice practice or stage amp (and didn't need the huge range of effects and amps in Helix), I think the Catalyst would be a great choice. I like the selection of tones and the simplicity. You'd get a trimmed down Helix modeler with an amp and cabinet for an affordable price....

The last time my package was out in cold weather, it shrunk several inches. Thankfully it's OK now.

Good point. Yeah, Logic has a similar function. If you don't need to do any audio editing in other plug-ins that's good enuf.... I prefer having all my recorded tracks at -18 dbFS in case I need to do use the track with other plug-in (or bus) processing, or if I send tracks out. Also, -18 dBFS is the reference level recommended by most pro audio engineers. For me, this level on all my tracks provides the best headroom when mixing or mastering. Helix Native is a bit of a plug-in anomaly, I just want users to to be mindful of the levels you give it. This may be the true for other amp sim plug-ins, I don't know. UPDATE: Just found this interesting article on amp sims and expected input levels. This guy is recommending a -30 dBFS level. In retrospect, I was finding that -26 dBFS was sounding a bit better (and null-tested better) than -24 dBFS for HXN, so I may drop my normalized input level to -30 to be on the safe side. Here's a quote from the article: "Once you find the correct reference level, the [Eleven free] plugin behaves differently. Gain knobs have smoother travel and wider response. The high end of the distortion can be less harsh, a common complaint. So I went looking into other plugins. But finding the answers proved hard. Not owning a UAD box I found the manuals for their guitar system enlightening. They use a lower level, around -30 as well. I discovered the Plugin Alliance releases of the same emulations do too through experimentation. I initially demoed some of them and didn’t like the tone and play. I figured a Dumble or Diezel, amps I hadn’t played analog, should be more responsive and subtle. Once I tried -30 the amps opened up. I suspect the code was a straight port of the UAD version. But Plugin alliance wouldn’t answer my direct questions. At all. It was actually a little disheartening. So the end result of my research was sadly inconclusive. There are many small amp simulation companies doing amazing work and the field has exploded in the last couple years. But try as I might I cannot get straight answers out of many of them. Some have vaguely admitted to a -20 level, such as some Nembrini products, however he’s not as certain as I’d like. Some, like Neural DSP, never answered me at all. Antelope was unable to get that information from the developers of their amp sims I just got informed. However being aware of this reference level discrepancy can be enough to overcome many issues. You now know that it can be a problem and if the plugin you’re trying isn’t quite responding the way you’d expect or like, this may be part of the issue."

If you use your Helix as an audio interface to record your dry guitar signal via USB 7 and/or 8, you have probably noticed the resulting waveform in your DAW is really wimpy. That can be a pain if you need to do any visual edits, or work with pitch or time-align plug-ins such as Melodyne. On the other hand, if you record your dry signal via an audio interface other than Helix (or normalize the Helix/USB recorded waveform to decent visual levels), you'll overdrive Helix Native's inputs. HXN is really really really picky about input levels, so it's easy to overdrive stuff, especially your amp gain. To make things worse, HXN's input meter is (to be polite) lacking. In short, there's a tradeoff between getting levels you're used to seeing in your DAW vs levels that HXN requires .So....here's what I do: 1) I normalize my dry guitar recorded waveform to -18 dbFS. (Use whatever level you are used to, -12, -6, etc). If you record your dry guitar with an audio interface other than Helix USB, you can simply set you level so its not clipping the inputs (no DAW normalizing needed). This step is intended to provide a "healthy" waveform consistent with your other recorded waveforms. 2) Uh oh! Now your nice-looking waveform will overdrive HXN's input and your tone will suck! What to do? I place Hornet's TheNormalizer plug-in (cheap, $5) in front of HXN, set the desired level to -24 dBFS, and play the guitar track to automatically set the level (or just play the section with peaks). You can use whatever plugin you want, or simply use a meter. You can also use HXN's input meter settings, but I prefer to bring the level down before it hits HXN, and I leave the HXN input level set to 0 dB. The main thing is to make sure the peaks you see in HXN's input don't go above -24. The manual says up to -12 is OK, but my experiments indicate that's too high. 3) Set HXN output level as desired for subsequent plug-ins or DAW level setting.

I take two guitars to my acoustic gigs: a regular acoustic (the Alvarez Yairi), and a Variax Acoustic 700. The Variax I use for alternate tunings. And even though it was designed for acoustic guitar sounds (and does a damned good job), it can't beat the sound of the Alvarez.

Nice! Thanks for posting. Psshhhhh!!!!!

All good tips. Keep it simple in the Helix. But the single-most important tone shaping for live acoustic guitar is the pickup. And different guitars work best with a specific pickup. As an example, I use an Alvarez Yairi live, and experimented with many pickups before settling on a B-Band A2.2 double pickup system. For some reason it sounded better than some pickups costing twice as much. Also, don't rule out sound hole magnetic pickups, some of them sound decent. Acoustic guitar "quack" normally from piezo pickups, and is difficult to dial out using EQ. If you can get a good sound straight into an amp, 90% of your tone battle is won. Then you can find a simple, supportive chain of blocks in Helix to give you power into the PA. Also, if your guitar is prone to acoustic feedback, try using a simple sound hole blocker (mine looks and smells like it was made out of old tires!). Then you can turn your pickup up louder (which can improve Helix response), with minimal impact on the guitar's tone.

Ripple and reefer was the downfall of many good kids. ;-)

We used to really enjoy a good bottle of Ripple when I was in college. Ripple modulated our turntable's sound.

The log out helps me with my forum addiction.

Exactly this.

No, not printed officially anywhere that I could find (I'm in the U.S.). I got that info directly from Line 6 support when I was asking them about selling a license. A quote from my ticket: "a license purchased at full value can be gifted...promotional and NFR licenses are excluded or at least our system doesn't allow for such licenses to be gifted." This was from early 2021, so things may have changed since then. If you are planning on selling a "not for resale" or promotional HXN license, check with Line 6 support before making any commitments to a buyer.

Unless you need lots of effects for your bass, the Stomp should suit you just fine. It includes the Busy One amps (based on the Pearce BC-1 bass preamp). Plus, its cheaper, more compact, lighter, has lots of external foot-switch and pedal options, and also includes the Native discount. (BTW, you can't resell the special discounted Native; you can only sell your license for the "full-price" non-discounted version. I know because I worked with Line 6 on a transaction.)

Yes, there is also a Freeze function in Logic. Its a bit of a PITA workaround, but it does work in a pinch. And your suggestion to use one of Logic's built in amps is a good one. Still, I am so used to using other amp sim plug-ins (Neural DSP, S-Gear, etc) that have a Standalone mode that I surely do miss Native not having the same.

@DunedinDragon I just noticed the equation Einstein wrote on the chalkboard. Hilarious!

Let's please cut Sweetwater some slack. Yeah, they are marketing driven so as pushy as any company whent it comes to sales calls and e-mails, but their selection is great, the reviews are handy and not filtered, prices are decent, and their support system is top-notch. As jester700 sez, turn off their marketing e-mails if you like. @craiganderton, the Helix community is lucky to have you as a resource. Many years ago—when I was first getting into DAWs (an Amiga!), electronic keyboards (a Casio CZ-101!), and MIDI (SR16!) — I heard you speak at a convention in San Diego. It was the start of exciting times in the music industry. What a journey....

Glad you got that sorted. MIDI can drive a grown man to tears. Without a MIDI monitor, you can't be sure what is being sent/received. And, yeah, you want to make sure certain commands (especially PC) have enough "space" between them so that the receiving device has time to react. Have you tried other setups for live performance? I've played solo for years (and also use lots of MIDI stuff, though no backing tracks) and used to use Logic, as well as MainStage. I ended up trying and buying Gig Performer. It blew all other live MIDI-based performance solutions out of the water. Very robust, versatile, and stable.

I see these new amps have USB 4 in/out. But the manual seems a little short regarding DAW recording, and what can be sent/received via USB. I especially would like to know if you can record your dry guitar signal in addition to a stereo "wet" amp signal? And how is re-amping and monitoring done?