marvio

Hello again everybody! :) I've owned the HELIX for close to an year now but only recently have I put it to the "band test" :) Had not played live for a while so I never came across this issue, and I'm going to put my hands up here and fully recognize this is probably something I'm doing wrong! So, I have my helix configured with what I think should be a snapshot for live playing, 4 super simple patches, 1 for acoustic (I have a Variax as well) with no amp, just some verb, light chorus and EQ, 1 clean for guitar, AMP+VERB+DELAY, one for rhythm, DIST+AMP+EQ+VERB, and one for solo (same as crunch with some delay and a bit more saturation). You probably have heard this a million times before from noobs like me, and are sitting there smiling to yourselves (all good, I deserve it), but when I change "patches" I have this split second "drop in sound", even in between the crunch and solo ones which use all the same amp/cab/dist/eq/verb, only adding delay on the solo. Could I live with it? Sure! Is it a deal breaker? Absolutely not! The only thing that bothers me is that I KNOW this is my fault for not knowing how to configure the hardware, and not the HELIX itself :) Would a good soul out there help me rectify my own shortcomings? LOL

Hey Bryanblackburn, Just thought of giving you a suggestion on your problem... Maybe the bug is limited to Win8? I have HX Edit running on 4 different Win10 machines, with completely disparate software/hardware with no issues... The update to Win10 from Win8 is free, maybe you should go that route? Just type "Windows 10 media creator" on a Google search, just make sure the link you are picking belongs to Microsoft, download the tool and run it :)

David, I know this is an older post, but I'm starting to think the power cab is the way to go... I haven't used one yet, but it seems to me that the connection between the HELIX and DT was an afterthought, to my ears the POD HD actually sounds better than the HELIX. IT's not like you can't get pretty good tones with the HELIX+DT, but they sounds too processed? Which defeats the purpose of lugging around a full tube amp, you know? I can't see the power cab sounding worse than the DT, and it weights about half, not even that?

Scott, Absolutely, tubes would not prevent the AMP from powering up, it would just not make any sound... Also, as far as the power cabs playing nicer with the HELIX, other than the Line6 link being an afterthought between the helix and DT, that is NOT what is killing your amp, there is no power being send through that cable (the only thing that could kill it, and even then, I would think the HELIX would die, not the amp). It's a coincidence, but your amp is just dying, period, sorry man.

HEy, thanks for answering that man! :) Yeah, in my experience it was much easier to get some really awesome tones out of the POD HD + DT than it has been with the helix + DT, I guess it's because the POD and DT were made to work together, and it seems it was an afterthought with the HELIX? Not sure... I play heavier rock, in my new band, it's not quite metal, but definitely "guitar driven" music, put it that way :) The tone "in my head" is definitely classic 80's metal derived, but a lot "cleaner" sounding, I want to hear all the notes on a 7th/add11th/suspended/diminished chord, but with enough "heavy" for some occasional "chugga chugga" too , if that makes any sense!? :) I had it down pat with the pod HD and the DT, I was using the JCM800 "special" DT pre amp, with the blue compressor in front (to push and give clarity), and some super light EQ on the rear, just pushing less than a DB on some mid to high frequencies, it was really perfect :) My patches tend to be that simple, especially for live playing with the DT, maybe I should think differently with the HELIX?

Alright, like many of you I was "surprised" that the HELIX did not have native control over the DT (in my case 50 2x12 combo). I've found some OK tones, but they sound too processed? IS that the word? Tried using just the pre amp models, but they don;t sound good, it sounds like midway between not having a cab and having one (if that makes sense), using the "full amp" is what gave me the best results, never really tried to use the amp+cab (that seems crazy to me). So, after reading the thread, I'm now confused! :) How should I set up the HELIX to best match with the DT (over line6 link)? Just the pre amp? The full amp? Also, what is it that you guys were talking about setting the topology on the DT? ( I know what it is, and how to set it on the DT itself), but how to set it on a patch from the HELIX? Do I just choose the topology I want on the DT, load the patch on the HELIX and hit save, and HELIX somehow remembers it? I gotta say, I liked how my POD500X sounded a lot more than the HELIX. I really hope, as someone suggested, that Line6 could create a sub section of the amp models for the DT users, and make those work like the POD did

Cruisionon, Not quite sure I get it? I'm trying a similar thing with an ADA-MP1 I have, and if I do that it sounds like absolute crap, much like plugging the ADA directly into my interface. I understand there is no real anything, it's all modeled, sure, I get it, but just for sake of the argument... In the real world I would either use the ADA through a Power amp or on the effects return of a tube amp, I would do that to get what the tone shaping of the power amp and the end result of this set up is that the sound coming out of the speakers was what ADA intended you to hear. What you suggest here, in real world terms, it to connect the ADA right into a cab, which you can do, and sound comes out, but putting aside actual loudness for a moment, the sound coming out of the CAB directly connected to the ADA is, much like the modeling counterpart, crap, because it doesn't have a power amp to shape the final tone... On the POD HD there were stand alone power amps just for this purpose, but unless I'm missing something I can't find a power amp on the HELIX? Is there a way to put the ADA on the "effect return" of a modeled amp?

Regardless of genre, that's an example of an extremely "round" sound to me, like I said, that's way too much on the other extreme, I just need some "hair" off, not almost all of it like this guys :) Coda, Tried the PAD trick, and it definitely helped, also, tried my 30+ year old "lollipop" Kramer, and helped even more! LOL Do you guys find that the guitar affects the tone this much? I've been using a Les Paul standard throughout, but I though :"What the hell, I have all these guitars hanging on my wall..." The ones I liked the best were the Kramer and my N4, both of which have Bill Lawrence L500XL's on the bridge. HUmm, maybe the helix likes those pickups for this mythical round sound I'm looking for?

Coda, YES! That's exactly what I mean! :) It's the extra "stuff" at the "edges" of the note I will check that thread out for sure, thanks again man! As an example of the "round", "modern metal sound" I'm talking about? Just take any of the youtubers who do gear reviews, no matter what they play through it all sounds the same! LOL :) Like I said, that is on the other extreme of "round", those sounds are "round" to the point of being boring... Let me see if I can find something quick... This for Example :)

Coda, BBD I'm a very pragmatic guy, and I hate for people to miss understand me, that's the only reason I'm posting again. I wasn't trying to fix my "hairy" sample, that tone is just the way I wanted it, super hairy! :) I only posted that sample to exemplify what I meant by hairy, not to try to fix it :) I don't dislike hairy tones, in fact I quite love them, there is something more "real" , "vintage" about them, but sometimes I need a very round sound for modern metal, that is what I wasn't seem to be able to get from any models on the HELIX, I tried a recto, for example, and the "hairiness" was still there... If you think about the current "standard" metal tone, which seems every metal guitarist uses these days, that's more what I'm talking about, "non hairy" that is, now that is way too much for my tastes, as I think the "modern metal tone" is too round, to the point of being boring, but that would be the other extreme from the "hairy" sample I posted Makes nay more sense now? (brain explodes) lol

That is another very good suggestion sir! Have lots to do when I get home today :) Thanks Coda And thanks everybody! Rock on!

Yeah, maybe the Engl was a bad example, but absolutely, you a right on with the Mesa/SLO, have not tried an EQ before the amp, I've traditionally have put them on the FX loop of real amps and I was trying to replicate that, old habits die hard :) I'll try it when I get home today, thanks Gunpoint

Coda, Thank so much for taking the time to do this, you guys are awesome, but I guess I cannot put into words what my ears are hearing? LOL In your example I hear as much "hair" in the beginning as I do in the end, like I said on my last post, "hair" to me is not an EQ thing, it's a gain structure thing, and "hair" is not a bad thing at all, I expect to hear "hair" from a plexi, that's how the gain structure is set up :) The settings on the valve driver were intentional, I wanted a very bright tone, and in that case i did want a very "hairy" tone, I'm not trying to fix that example, I only put it up as a sample of what I meant, my "problem" is that no matter what amp I choose I always get "hair", even on amps that are supposed to have a much rounder/tighter tone, like an Engl , for example. Again, I don't dislike "hair" at all, I use hairy tones all the time to fill in a mix, but I also need something very tight/rounder for fast metal riffage, where that tone in my example would not work 100%, like I said, gain structure not EQ :) Sorry everybody, I feel like I'm being a pain in the lollipop, I swear, I'm a really laid back guy, I'm just not smart enough to translate to words what I'm thinking/hearing I guess! LOL

Coda, Hey, thanks man :) The patch is super simple, really nothing to it, this is what the chain is Noise gate (thres -22db, decay 60ms, level 0db) > Valve driver (gain 2.9, bass 0.7, treble 6.5, level 9.8) > Amp - brit plexi jump (brt drv 7.6, nrm drv 7.2, bass 6.9, mid 9.0, trb 7.3, chvol 6.7, pres 7.8, mstr 10, sag 4.4, hum 5.0, ripl 5.0) > IR - Ace marsh 1956V 5a (L-cut 68hz, H-cut 19Khz, mix 100%, lvl -18db) > Hard gate (O Thresh -47db, C thresh -60 db, H-time 10ms, decay 10ms, lvl 0 db)

One more try for the guitar only non hairy tone (now shorter, so you don;t have to endure the terrible playing!)LInk to non hairy just guitar because the forums won;t let me upload anymore!

Wow! Thanks so much everybody! Lots to think about here! :) I hear you all when you are talking about EQ, and their curves, it can definitely have an effect, and it's true the "not so hairy" sample has a lot less highs, absolutely, but if I may try to explain myself a little further? :) 1- I was by no means saying the "hairy" sample was bad, quite the contrary, I love that tone 2- When I think of "hair", I'm not listening to EQ at all, in my ears at least, one can have a very "hairy" tone which is very dark. Hairy, to me, or at least what I'm referring to, is the very gain type structure of the amp, regardless of how the EQ is set, again, obviously some of it can be helped by EQ , but the gain type/structure itself is still there. That's why I mentioned an Orange as an example of a Hairy amp, that gain structure has a lot of little "tentacles" sprouting off the original harmonics of the sound, if I had to visualize it, if you drew a perfect black circle, filled in, so in the end it's basically a big dot, the non hairy tone would be just that, that big black dot, whereas the hairy tone would have minuscule grey lines coming off of it. Gah! need visual aid! Google to the rescue! So if the perfect non hairy tone is a pure sine wave (which I know it's impossible with a driven tone), a hairy tone would be a super saw wave PS> I don;t know why I posted the whole mix of the non hairy example, sorry , my bad, tried to rectify it on this post but now itown;t let me upload anything more than 64k for some reason?

Alright, I think I got this :) The Hairy file was recorded from the Helix, direct into my DAW, I'm using a plexi model with a Hiwat IR. Obviously I expect this to be very "hairy", it's a plexi for crying out loud, but like I said, even choosing amps which are not supposed to be hairy I end up, pretty much, with this result The second "not so hairy" file was recorded with real amps, a blue voodoo 300, a JSX, and a dual rec As I understand it, when I hear "Hair" what I'm hearing are odd order harmonics, and the rounder/less hairy the sound there are more even order harmonics, does that make sense? PS> Go easy on the performance, especially on the second one, those guys couldn't play in tempo if their lives depended on it, and I was always trying to play it in the middle to kinda try to "make it work" Hairy.mp3

Thanks for all your replies! I probably should explain it better :) Hair, to me anyway, is not a bad thing at all, it's not high end fizz, or I guess it could be, but not in a bad way... If I had to pick a real amp which is super "Hairy" but also great... The Orange Amps, for example. In contrast with an modern high gain tone like the engls , in general. Know what I mean? Can we upload sample here? Let me see if I can do it....

Thanks Everybody for your response, I didn't have notifications on so I didn't know anybody had :) Returning the guitar huh? I bought it at Sweetwater, not the easiest thing to do.. I found a certified tech near me, talked to Line6, I think I'm going to take it to him? But just before I do, where would the Piezo's be on a Floyd guitar? Again, thanks everybody!

Hello everybody, I have recently purchased a Helix, two of them in fact, one floor board for my dream rig, and a rack for my studio. Absolutely love the sounds, but just one thing.... I've gotten some really great overdriven tones out of it, but no matter what I do, which amp/OD stomp?cab/IR I choose, all my tones have a lot of hair on them! Don't get me wrong, I still love them, but sometimes I need some more rounded tones, I've heard them "out there" on Youtube, etc.. Of all things that was not a problem I had with my HD500 (which I still have and love) Any tricks I'm missing? I have also tried to cut the Highs on cabs/IR's put an EQ at the end to no avail Help!

Hello everybody, got possibly a newbee question here... I just got a new JTV89F and in all the models there is this terrible "clanging" noise, it's a ringing clang, it's worse on the wound strings, the low E being the worst, between frets 1-7 on the low E being the absolute worst, it's so bad there that the actual note the string is making i barely audible. This only happens on the models, the magnetic pickups are absolutely fine, either from the 1/4 inch or the CAT5 link cable. Tried raising the bridge as high as it would go to troubleshoot if maybe the strings were fretting, though it sounded just fine with the mag pickups, but nothing, the "clang" is still there. PS> this is not the same "palm muting" issue people talk about, like I said, the noise is so bad that the note itself is barely audible

Thanks everybody :) Guru, I totally get what you're saying, but even then the tone should be in the "ball park", right? Maybe I should upload a sample so you guys can hear? Can we do that in this board? What I'm talking here is really quite awful sounding not even in the same universe of good , HA! I figured I had to be doing something stupid/simple wrong, because after several sessions of hours trying to build a good tone I was completely unsuccessful, tried shaping it before/post amp with the para EQ's, regular EQ's, nothing.. Never mind just the amp by itself... Also what I meant by FX's was just the EQ's and maybe a dirt box in front of the amp... . Power user, . I will check that site out... . Just Startin', Ha! That was one of the tones I copied from youtube, again, super tin can sounding when I play it, it makes no sense! ;) So you guys know, I have tried an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, my old 88 Kramer (with a super distortion on the bridge), my N4, and a couple of others, they all sound basically the same Thanks again guys! . PS> Also, just want to "put it out there", because I was starting to read the link that Power user left for me.. I'm no newbee in crafting a tone for a guitar, been playing for 30+ years and recording for at least 15, it's just that everything I know about the physical/real world doesn't seem to work... Not that much is needed, really, grab a screamer put it in front of a JCM800 going through a 4X12 loaded with V30's, maybe GH12's if you want something creamier, stick a 57 a little off center, and BAM, tone done! :)

Hello all, Throughout the years I've had a the original POD/XT/LIVE , and now I have a POD pro HDX, and when I tell you I could never get a decent sound for recording out of any of them you wold think I'm crazy for keep buying... Well, I was considered it a nice tool for quick sketches and such, but here is the thing, I go on youtube and I hear these really great tones, and for the life of me I cannot reproduce them, even copying all the settings in the Video! Let me explain the problem... It's not so much the Gain structure, that's fine, but the actual EQ of the tone, no matter what I do I always get this tone which sounds like it's being played from inside a soda can, there are a narrow frequency range there which is just not pleasing at all, and this has been the case since the original POD I had. I have managed to record/mix good tones before, but the sheer amount of EQ'ing I had to do in post is crazy, and time consuming, and again I do hear tones I like online, so I must be doing something severely wrong here, outputs? Chain of effects? Using the internal mixer wrong? I don't know! What am I looking for? Well, I guess "you kids" :) Would consider a medium gain tone? If you think about most of the 80's heavy metal/hard rock tones? This is something I can achieve in seconds through any of my amps, but after years of trying with the POD I just can't get it.... I even bought the "Metal Pack" for the POD pro, because people always say how bad the original JCM800 model is, well, the new model has the exact same problem (for me), those frequencies that sound like a can, and if I manage to get rid of them I also get rid of the good for some reason, and the tone sounds like a scooped mess... Please help! :)