rwinking

Not sure what I mean exactly......Sorry. Perhaps accessing the Boss guitar tones via MIDI or another way using a Variax? Or combining certain guitar tones in order to fatten them up a bit. Many of the Variax tones were lacking and sterile and it would be cool to use a Variax/Helix in conjunction with the Boss stuff in order to warm up some tones, I have not played the Boss but as it is years ahead of the Variax I would think that they might have some improved tones.

Boss seems to be doing well with this kind of technology. I was just wondering if there are ways to combine the Variax/Helix stuff with Boss' tech. It would be cool to pull it off somehow as I sense that Boss is going to stay up with it.

Yeah. The solution is in an earlier post. It is kind of bulky but it works. As stated above, I used a Cool Switch Pro while doing 4CM putting the unit between theamp and the Helix. It only doews the ground loop on certain Randall/Egnater amps and not on others. I also did get the Ebtech Hum Eliminator and it works the same way. I have an Egnater M50 which is MIDI and I can switch amps that way. For some reason it only does the hum with the RM50 amps. I have had the amps looked at and nothing is wrong. Apparently it is just a quirk with some amps.

I meant Variax.

I have an 1962 Epiphone Casino and the model is not even close. It would be great if they could redo them with the newer technology and get closer but I don't see it happening. They are done with the Helix.

Is there a manual for the Amplifi? Usually companies have legacy manuals but I can't find one. I brought out my trusty ol" Amplifi 75 and had some questions but no manual.

Man, I really appreciate all of the research you have been doing and before my next gig I will try going into the interface in my studio like you did. So another thing I might try is lowering the output on each patch and then making that up with the PC volume knob, since as you suggested, that would have no impact on the XLR out Here is my signal flow: Guitar(with the Dimarzio black angel sytem which has a piezo and magnetic pickups) stereo out into a Grace Felix (with each channel having separate EQ) -> the Quad Cortex )using an API modeled preamp,Verb, DDL and then another EQ. Coming out of the PC+, it sounds like God and if not for the clipping, it should sound pretty close in the PA. YOu have given me plenty of ideas to trouble shoot before my next acoustic gig which is this Thursday with another on Friday and then Sunday. The PA that I had the problem with is for my Thursday night gig. I'll hopefully have tried out everything you've suggested between now and then. Thanks again and I hope that I can pass your kindness forward, although sometimes it is hard to find someone who know less than me! rick

Yeah, as an owner of Quad Cortex and a few Helix devices, they are pretty much set up the same. And yes, I was talking about going from the PC to the board. Going from the QC to the PC, there is no clipping. So I will check and see what the XLR output on the PC is set for. I'll bet that is the issue. thanks!

I have been using the midi commands to change speakers for a while and that way I can go from the FRFR when I am doing acoustic to the creamback which is my go to speaker for electric. I also have the 212+ but it is too heavy sometimes. I did an all acoustic gig last night and the sound from the PC was wonderful. I did use that HF trim and it was exactly what I wanted. There was one issue still.....So I used my Quad Cortex into the PC. I then used the XLR out to the FOH but it kept clipping. Was I wrong in assuming that the XLR output would just send the same thing out as I was sending to my PC+? Should I have just sent a signal out from the QC? Or is there a way to attenuate the output on the PC+ in the globals somewhere? No matter what I did there seemed to be way too much signal. thanks rick

Thanks for the tip on being able to adjust the HF trim! I never knew that was possible. I am using the Quad Cortex lately as they have a model of an API mic pre that is really good. I have to be careful getting into the globals on the PC as I am starting to use an acoustic and an electric on the same gig. What sounds good on one doesn't sound good on the other. anyway, thanks again! rick

So is anyone using the PC for an acoustic guitar amp? I have been for two years and was wondering what people are doing as far as FRFR, LF or LF Flat? Which one is working best for you and why? I am lately finding the FRFR a bit harsh and would like to tame it. I am using a Quad Cortex or a Helix. Thanks rick

I would never need to use my Variax in the studio as I have most of those guitars, I do use it live as the sitar is great. Also using the tunings like the open G for slide is cool for live. I still maintain that there is a kind of squank to the guitar models that I have never been able to EQ out. I do believe that Craig Anderton could do this but I just don't have the knowledge. I also think that in the years since they stopped developing the Variax, a lot has changed and they could have made it impossible to differentiate the "real" guitar from the modeled. much in the same way Helix, Quad Cortex, etc, have been able to do that with amps.

I guess what I am saying is the plugin is not relevant to live playing. I don't have any trouble with getting great tones in the studio. I use my Helix and the Quad Cortex and both are great for that. I just started trying to play with the Helix and QC live and it is an entirely different animal. I am using models now for all of my acoustic gigs along with the Powercab. I did some electric gigs with the Powercab and QC, or Helix and it is a weird thing to dial in as using my Synergy/Egnater stuff is more of a plug and play deal. Thanks for all of the explanation on using poweramps. I am not settled on that yet. The Rocktron Velocity does add a little color but it is a tube-ish color. When the modeling stuff first started getting good I had this great Carvin tube poweramp but it was so heavy. It sounded great and warmed up the early models but now that the models have developed their own kind of warmth I am still experiementing. Thanks again for all of the info! rick

Thanks everybody. TheYoulean Loudness meter plugin would only work with Helix native, right? Still a little confused about power amps. So, back in the day, the old Fenders and Marshalls had no gain knob or master volume. That would imply that the power section was always maxed, right? Most Helix models have a drive knob, a channel volume knob and a master knob, although a couple don't have a master volume. So does the master volume of the amp model have any effect on the tone? Or are you saying that the channel volume affects the tone but not the master volume of the model? I have an Egnater MTS amp that uses the synergy tube preamps. I am trying to compare the helix to that and maybe that is unfair. Each preamp has a drive and a Master and then the amp itself has a master volume. Would that be similar to the Helix models? It is weird that there is a channel volume and then a master and then the Helix itself has a master and then the power amp also has a volume. I am just struggling to get my head around all of these volumes so please be patient with my questions.... rick

Thanks everybody. TheYoulean Loudness meter plugin would only work with Helix native, right? Still a little confused about power amps. So, back in the day, the old Fenders and Marshalls had no gain knob or master volume. That would imply that the power section was always maxed, right? Most Helix models have a drive knob, a channel volume knob and a master knob, although a couple don't have a master volume. So does the master volume of the amp model have any effect on the tone? Or are you saying that the channel volume affects the tone but not the master volume of the model? I have an Egnater MTS amp that uses the synergy tube preamps. I am trying to compare the helix to that and maybe that is unfair. Each preamp has a drive and a Master and then the amp itself has a master volume. Would that be similar to the Helix models? It is weird that there is a channel volume and then a master and then the Helix itself has a master and then the power amp also has a volume. I am just struggling to get my head around all of these volumes so please be patient with my questions.... rick

I have used my main helix rack for years just for FX and have been hesitant to use the models in a live situation.. Recently I did some gigs with my stompXL and a powercab. It is nice and I can see myself using it more as I dial it in for live use. I just remembered an old Rocktron Velocity 150 power amp from my old Digitech GSP 1101 days and wanted to try it out with a Helix. My question is about setting the various volumes. Do I run the power amp full on and the Helix full on and then dial it back with the amp models? Or is it best to pull the power amp back and dime the Helix? Or power amp back, Helix back and models run with the master dimed? I’s kind of cool as I hooked it up stereo to an old Carvin VAI Legacy 2X12 stereo speaker cab. Massive sounds and all but just want to make sure that I am utilizing it in the most efficient way. Thanks in advance! rick

I just tried the Flat/Raw and it sounds nice. I have one other question on this. The cab models have a high end edge to them, almost like the horn is on. When you are in cab sim mode, is the horn completely off? If not, is there a way to turn it off?

Cool.Thanks! rick

Sorry....different terms here, If I use a flat response it will sound awful to FOH. So, if I use no cab sim on my helix but use a speaker sim in the PC, will the FOH get my speaker sim from the PC? I will try to clarify a little....I have a preset on my Helix that does not have a cab sim. I go from the Helix into the PC and the PC will be using the creamback speaker sim. Will the FOH get the creamback speaker sim from the PC?

I use midi to change speakers with each preset here in the studio, but for simplicity's sake using the PC for the first time live, I think I will just use one speaker. Thanks for everything. I usually like the 160 or 121 ribbons so it is nice to know that I can send that to FOH. I am assuming that this will work the same way for either the Helix or Quad Cortex? If I am not using a cab sim, I just send the left mono out XLR to FOH and whether it is Helix or QC, he will get a cab sim? That really makes it easy. I will mess with the other stuff like getting the patches levelled tomorrow. It's kind of weird to be doing the digital gig. I have been doing session work for a few years with the Helix and now the QC. I was just holding out on the live gigs and am ready to take that leap. thanks for all of your help! rick

I am a little confused about using the powercab live. I am doing my first all digital gig on thursday and not sure on what to give the sound guy. Whether it is my Helix or QC, I finallly surrendered and now the digital models are just that good. I have been using them in the studio for a long time. Just never live. I looked on page 20 of the manual and it says that I just give him an XLR out and the PC assigns a speaker model with a 57 to it automatically. Not sure whether I will use a Helix or a QC for the gig but either way it will be the same issue. I will not be using a speaker model on the modeler as I like the sound of the Creamback in the PC for the amps I will be using. So page 20 is saying that I don't have to send out a second path with a speaker model to the front of house? Is there any control about which speaker model it sends out or is it the model I choose but always with an SM57. Sorry, just a little confused.

I don't do a lot of palm muting but I do noticed that the elctric 12 string models really warble a lot. I have come to the conclusion that it is the nature of certain models to warble. I am not a sloppy player. I can be very precise but I still get the warble on the electric 12s. Are you implying that if I lower the magnetic pickup this might get rid of it?

I do love how the Helix and Variax work together. I never need a battery and I also never use the knobs on the guitar as the Helix does all of that for me. That is probably the biggest reason I have not moved on to something else.

So I downloaded Powercab edit and did not find the relevant settings. I then tried my StompXL with HX Edit but still can't find anything in the output block. Even without HX Edit, the choices on the StompXL are limited to Pan and Level, which is set at 0.0 db. On my Helix Rack I have more output choices with the ability to page over to more settings including Powercab settings. But the XL doesn't seem to have this feature unless I am missing something. The issue here is that it also does the with my Quad Cortex, always at higher volumes. I am not talking full on 100W MArshall stack vlume but a nice Deluxe type volume. All of the tutorials mention running the modeler really hot. If I do that, meaning running the volume on the XL wide open it will turn the PC knob red. The noise I get is when everything looks fine....green and maybe a little yellow. I am thinking that I might need to accept a volume limitation on the 112+? Maybe I am just pushing it a little too far or hoping for it to do more than I had hoped? rick

Thanks for the response Paul. I am a little unsure of what you are saying here. Are you talking about HX edit on my StompXL? Or is there an HXedit for the PC+?