d0stenning

As I said in the OP - he isn't using a PA or FRFR system He is using a 2 x 12" guitar cabinet - driven by a Seymour Duncan Stage 170 power amp. Which is designed specifically for pedalboards and modellers. https://www.seymourduncan.com/power-amp/powerstage-170

He's not using a FRFR speaker. As i said in the OP - he is using a normal 2 x 12" Matamp guitar cabinet. The same cab he uses with his Matamp tube amp or Two Rock tube amp.

I finally managed to persuade my friend to splash out on a HELIX. He wants the "cab-in-room" sound so purchased a Seymour Stage 170 to power his Matamp 2 x 12" cabinet from the HELIX. we went to one of the biggest guitar and amp stores in the UK in Birmingham - where he got to try both the above solution *and* some FRFR and PA type options. He has of course removed any speaker model block in his presets. He's currently new to HELIX but a long-time blues and tube amp player/owner - currently with a Two-Rock. He messaged me recently concerning fizz. An old subject here. But one that has to be sorted. I had my own thoughts - which are here in blue - but i'm not sure whether my analysis is correct and was hoping some of the Line6 team on the technical side might be able to provide some illumination on this. Here's what my friend wrote - "Been playing with assorted 'almost' clean models. Arch, soldano, boogie, matchless. Think I've settled on the matchless with a bit of grit in there. But that fizz on some models is driving me round the bend. Can cut it with a high cut around 3k but then you are losing a lot of the high end. And it just shouldn't be there in the amp models. Real amps don't have it. Actually my two rock had it when it had a broken reverb valve. It's not part of the tone, it's an overlying fizz, like they added some loud dithering on top. I played with input impedance. Also played with adding a compressor in front and cutting the gain going into the amp. That seemed to help but... you can go hot into a valve amp." "It's like an overtone Almost like if you hit a hard clean chords it fades in as the chord fades out. Yes through cab. I had it when recording with USB with cab models one time too." "I did watch a video on fizz but all the examples the guy played were from metal sings Anyway I think some models are fine and usable. Matchless seems very good." He has misgivings about simply rolling of the HF frequencies because he feels he'd lose some of the top end tone. This got me thinking along the lines here in blue.... which may or may not be erroneous :) i suspect that since youre using a transistor clean power amp, maybe the "connection" from your cabinet to the modelled power-amp isnt taking into account the load and inductance and impedance etc of the amp output transformer that is there in a real tube amp. Which would naturally give you a HF roll-off. So when you say you might lose some of the HF content by rolling off the high end - the reality is that this happens naturally when the speaker gerts connected. So you shouldnt worry about cutting off the high end. A transistor - and class-D power amp presents a much lower output impedance into a speaker - than a power stage that has an output transformer in it..

where are your backing tracks coming from ? a laptop ? iOS device ?

correct. if gain levels etc are the same.

Afraid the patch doesnt work in the HELIX. It comes out empty. Maybe u need to upload again ?

Lovely tone and execution. And will def try out the patch since I hail from the lands of "jazz-clean" Might also now have to try a custom workshop thing with my JTV - using an LP model but with those P90.

What would be mega - cool is if the effects in the HELIX rise to such a quality that other makers of mult-fx units and DSP-based pedals are forced to come out with copies of original HELIX effects ! I can't think of a good reason why HELIX effects couldn't be the best-in-class possible for those effects that begin as DSP algorithms.. ( or analog for that matter )

SPACE ECHO ( BINSON too ? ) A FEEDBACKER And better reverbs ? ( why not push the boat out and produce reverbs that are better than any competition ? we have the DSP power - why not ? - license the best algorithms if necessary )

Imagine if Line6 made an iPad/iPhone looper app along the lines of GroupTheLoop or Quantiloop (but better) that had the added USP of being able to communicate two-way with the HELIX - so that by going into a special "Looper App Mode" the HELIX scribble strips behaved like an improved version of the built-in looper- but in a way where the labels would synchronise ( using OSC etc ? ) with the iOS app. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/902705

Damn..... no Lagavulin for me :(

Here's my calculation and explanation/guess for the delay for when HELIX Native getting released: It is due to the HELX Editor gaining a new look and features which will be in all respects but the DSP and audio engine - almost identical to HELIX Native. Why ? for the simple reason of keeping software consistent, in sync- ensuring as little duplication of effort - and of course to minimise software maintenance issues. But my other prediction is that - since we normally see the HELIX editor updated for every firmware release - L6 are going to make the occasion of the release of HELIX Native also the occasion of the release of whatever the next release of HELIX firmware contains. I also predict that the next firmware release will be....... Version 3.0 :) Anyone want to send me a bottle of Lagavulin if I prove to be correct ? :) Now as to what is in the next FW release I have no clue or ideas. Only my own ( IdeaScaled ) wishlist ;) ( MIDI-CONTROLLER Block where all footswitches become MIDI pedal ) https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/802355 Presets for each effect type block https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/870115 HELIX Editor: Show every snapshot as 8 separate buttons - not a drop-down https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/864575

to be frank though - playing guitar thru the helix on cans - wired or not... is a little like making love to a woman with not just one condom on but two. hate using cans.

it does sound like quite a lot to me. I love my G10. if a decent v low latency wireless headphone solution arrives - i'm in though.

[I have tried many years (40+) to get a decent sound from a nylon string guitar from a pickup] buy the IK Multimedia iRig Acoustic Stage and throw away your piezo.

USB 1/2 input TRIM is awkward to get to. For anyone who regularly uses an iPad or iPhone over USB with their HELIX to play backing tracks, use a looper etc etc this is a pain. If there was an option that let us somehow adjust this volume level without so many button presses it would be great.

Just one thing : the way assigning and sending out MIDI controller or note data to the stomp switches is implemented. This could be such a useful feature for controlling other external pieces of kit such as loopers, sequencers, iPads etc if done right. Of course I have an IdeaScale for this. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/802355 Currently it is done A ) per preset - which means controlling say an external looper or iPad becomes a pain because one has to set up the same thing for any preset one might want to use. B ) MIDI messages get sent out for the stomp switches in the same mode as the effect blocks get switched on/off. This can both be confusing and limits the number of pedals that can be used to control effects, stomps etc. Far better would be to have a specific mode that one enters - just for sending up to 8 commands of MIDI - independent of how a patch has been set up for controlling effect blocks. What is the solution ? well here is mine: A ) Create a new kind of block type specifically for just sending MIDI Messages in a "MIDI Control mode". The way this would operate would be similar to how one enters Looper mode when pressing a stomp assigned to the LOOPER block. In this mode - once activated all of the pedals would operate to send out MIDI only and not control any effect blocs assigned to the same pedal. Optionally it would be possible to also sign a snapshot to any spare stomp - so that while in MIDI Control mode one can do a little changing of sound if needed. B) Allow the user to create several GLOBAL "MIDI Control mode" presets ( for different things - i.e. to control different pieces of kit ) at a GLOBAL level - so once a set of assignments for the 8 pedals has been created these can be REUSED for any patch one wants to use the assignments in. This would let one for example - easily use the same MIDI mappings for any preset one wants - simply by adding a MIDI Controller block into an effects chain in similar fashion to how one adds a LOOPER block into a chain currently. C) One would EXIT MIDI Control Mode in the similar fashion to how one exits the LOOPER mode.

Thats interesting to know. Maybe more reason to come out with something more special and with added value - namely my "HELIX Dock" iOS music making gets more and more capable every year - some amazing apps and truly amazing and fun synths. I wouldn't myself use it as a DAW at all. Don't think the iPads are good for in depth midi/audio editing. But used in live improv or performance situations similar to something like or even better than the Ableton SESSION page - to trigger clips and scenes etc.. yes. Fine for that. They add so much value. Plus we now have loads of interesting ABLETON LINK enabled iOS apps like Gadget, Patterning, LumBeat .... and GROUP THE LOOP and other iOS loopers far more powerful than any pedal. In fact these days i'd say all the new ideas for live performance - including worship - are happening in iOS land not on laptops. More reason for a HELIX Dock :)

I really don't want to take my expensive and vital for work macbook to venues unless i really need it ( for Ableton ) The device I propose has the advantage that it can not only be used with a much cheaper and portable computer - an iPad - but could also be used without the iPad by itself. But also because of the DSP - it could be used with a much cheaper iPad - maybe even an iPad 2 because one major DSP task has been relieved of the iPad. In addition there would be ZERO issues with latency - whether monitoring during recording - or just in live performance as we get with the HELIX. Regardless of whether L6 ever did produce a unit like i suggest I could really benefit from owning a second HELIX - but one much much more compact, limited in features - and of course cheaper than the LT - which isn't compact and only costs around 25% less than the original HELIX. I would have a hard time ever thinking that HELIX Native running inside a laptop ( with of course some kind of interface box plugged into the laptop ) would be - for me - a satisfactory, stable and reliable solution for playing electric guitar in a live situation. Too many gremlins. Studio recording ? fine. But for me - not live.

A suggestion for a new HELIX form factor: something like the Focusrite iTrack Dock but with internal SHARC chips so it can operate independently of iPad as a "HELIX Pod" as well as acting as an iPad/Guitar/Mic/USB interface and charger for an iPad when using an iPad. This would also relieve the iPad from DSP burdens so the iPad could be used better for other tasks such as DAW/Synths/effects etc etc. https://line6.ideasc.../idea-v2/898750 I recently got a Focusrite iTrack Dock. Been playing around with Bias FX along with Group The Loop etc. The iTrack works beautifully. Bias FX - good tones but no HELIX. I bought the dock because chances are ill mostly be using an iPad in live situations and wanted a way to lug minimum gear to open mics/jams etc instead of always lugging (or risking) the HELIX and tons of related gear. There are so many situations these days where an iPad might be used in live or home music situations. And being able to operate as interface to an iPad - control HELIX sounds from an iPad app - yet not place any DSP processing burden on the iPad CPU - would be really useful. The unit could be easily lugged to studios for session work, used in combination with iPad apps for added processing or looping or some other creative scheme. Win Win. So of course I made an IdeaScale for this.

A suggestion for a new HELIX form factor: something like the Focusrite iTrack Dock but with internal SHARC chips so it can operate independently of iPad as a "HELIX Pod" as well as acting as an iPad/Guitar/Mic/USB interface and charger for an iPad when using an iPad. This would also relieve the iPad from DSP burdens so the iPad could be used better for other tasks such as DAW/Synths/effects etc etc. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/898750 I recently got a Focusrite iTrack Dock. Been playing around with Bias FX along with Group The Loop etc. The iTrack works beautifully. Bias FX - good tones but no HELIX. I bought the dock because chances are ill mostly be using an iPad in live situations and wanted a way to lug minimum gear to open mics/jams etc instead of always lugging (or risking) the HELIX and tons of related gear. There are so many situations these days where an iPad might be used in live or home music situations. And being able to operate as interface to an iPad - control HELIX sounds from an iPad app - yet not place any DSP processing burden on the iPad CPU - would be really useful. The unit could be easily lugged to studios for session work, used in combination with iPad apps for added processing or looping or some other creative scheme. Win Win. So of course I made an IdeaScale for this.

full Helix Scribble Strips baby !

SCRIBBLE STRIPS ! WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY FOR THAT ALONE. The visual feedback makes it worth it. Personally I don't think a device ought to count as a HELIX without scribble strips. Cut out other features - inputs/outputs etc even the swell. But without the Scribble strips you lose so much benefit. IMO

wireless IEM systems eh ? Peter ? If its possible for IEM ought to be doable for cans. My guess is that the compromise needed to reduce latency is a reduced bandwidth - namely the frequency response might tail of quite a bit below 20Khz. But considering guitar overtones are way way below that - and most adults > 50 hearing is around £14,000 kHz i'd say a lower frequency response in return for lower latency is well worth having. Engineers could even incorporate a switch to select between full frequency and reduced freq+low latency in such a product aimed at ..... us... One can dream.....

Anyone know or have a list of all the new factory presets in 2.20 that demonstrat the new models, effects, features etc in the latest release? Ta