davidb7170

You don't have to do it only with snapshots, I set it up with a foot switch control in the stomp screen, then had it change state with the snapshots. I set a banjo in drop Db with my acoustic fx, then changed to a drop Db on the lester model, turned off the acoustic stuff & kicked in the Uber in a heavy distortion setup. The banjo is just for the intro. Used to have to use two patches side by side. Much easier and seamless now. Dave

I'm sure you did this, but didn't state it, the battery is charged up and in the guitar, right? You said you had the volume up and plugged in the guitar - I assume you meant plugged a 1/4" cord into the guitar jack (turns on the JTV electronics when on battery and volume turned up). I CANNOT wait for the Helix team to make it useable for updating and using HD Workbench for the Variax line! You are apparently using the USB interface. I have kept my HD 500 and 500X around for using WB and updating the 300 & 2 JTV's I have. If you have the XTLive, X3Live, or 500, those work for the first generation Variaxes, and JTV's prior to FW 2 and HD WB. 500X ONLY works for updates and HD WB for JTV's and now the Variax Standard. Wondering when they'll get Helix able, and whether they'll address the first generation Vax's.... Dave

Also want the HD Work Bench to work with Helix sooner rather than later. Also want to be able to update the Variax firmware via Helix (hoping they keep advancing the ball on Vax FW). Everybody vote it up in Idea Scape! Dave

I get really good acoustic tone with my JTV's and the Helix, also with my 500(X). Found a patch on Custom Tone a few years ago for it. I reproduced it in the Helix. Has the LA studio compressor, parameteric eq, hall reverb. I set up a patch for the Martin 6 and one with the 12 string, with the mags on the other path so I can switch between acoustic and electric for a lead. Have gotten complimented by the sound men on it. Dave

Yeah, the digital artifacts with the CPB are due to the amp not filtering them out. It's a Class D amp, just like my Crown and Quilter, but they have better filtering and have no artifacts at all. I wanted to go FRFR for the acoustics, and it stuck out like a sore thumb. For electric guitar and electric guitar speakers that roll of above 5 kHz, it's not too noticeable, especially with the rest of the band going. I have 2 CPB's that I used with 2 Tonkers when I needed more volume. I ran them bridged mono each for 150 watts apiece - the Tonker can handle that. Dave

I don't have the 89(F), but think the idea was to have the ability to use the alt tuning with the sound of the native pups. Plus, the 89 pup models are available in WB for the 59 & 69 users... Dave

I used a Crate Power Block for many years, but found it has digital artefacts that were accentuated by speakers with tweeters (approaching FRFR). I tried multiple different speakers with it, and found it plays well with the Eminence Tonker that rolls off sharply above 5 kHz. My acoustic guitar and acoustic models of my Variax 300, then JTV's didn't sound too good. When I switched to a Crown XL1000 power amp, I picked swapped the speaker to an Eminence full range speaker, and it was better with no artifacts. I switched to a pair of Yorkville NM35 PA speakers from our sound guy who was getting some other Yorkville powered speakers, and it was better, but had to mess with eq to lessen the vocal midrange peak. My HD500X finally got global eq, and I could do ot across the board. The Helix had that, but could assign to only my stage amp. Now, I'm using a Quilter ToneBlock 200 to my Yorkville on a speaker stand - happy as can be... Point is, had to find what works for you. So far 10 years in from XTLive to X3Live to HD500 to HD500X to Helix. Combo amp to Crate to Crown to Quilter. It's been a journey... Dave

No, the VDI powers the guitar, but does not charge the battery. I hate batteries, but keep a charged one in my guitar case. Had to use it one time when my VDI cable wouldn't plug in. Must have stepped on the end of it. Replaced the cable. Had my 59 since 2011, and my 69S since 2012. Dave

I don't have a problem with it as it is. Dave

Huh... I guess go with your gut. Had mine since last fall and loving it. Dave

My 69S was purchased in 2012, when they first were offered, and they had fixed the tremolo issues by then. I'm not a trem user, so the quality of the action is not really a factor I can say much about. The issues about it, as I recall were to do with the wiring getting in the way of the action. I have seen replacement trems at fullcompass.com for 69's. On the SC noise, it wasn't terrible with the stock pu's, just as I'd expect with a strat. It was fine at my house, but had issues at some bars where they had neon beer signs, etc. It was totally my decision to go with noiseless SC's to see how they were. The stock pu's sound was fine. I'd been used to my strat for years, but I'm probably going to replace those as well when I get around to it. Personal preference is all. Dave

I agree with cruisinon2, they sound good, but aren't noise free. Neither is my Strat. I had been so spoiled by my lowly Variax 300 since 2005, then picked up an EPI LP, then the JTV-59 with HB's that when I got my 2nd JTV the 69S, the familiar strat tone was back, but so was the hum. After about 3 months, I swapped the JTV's single coils for a set of DiMarzio noisless. NOW it's even quieter than my humbucker guitars. I use my mags on the JTV's probably 80 - 90% of the time. Dave

Just used it "out of the box" put it in as the first block in front of the screamer for some extra bite on a snapshot to kick in together for that phrase. My use was -2 semitones for my patch, but tried it with-1. 100% mix. Worked fine. Dave

Actually using both the drop D and Db with high gain patches, the Uber, I believe. Sounds fine. Dave

I consolidated 2 patches into one. A drop Db banjo intro switches to a drop Db heavy distortion guitar using the snapshot and switching the JTV and tuning. Works great. Dave

After your post, I checked mine. I have a patch with a full step down using the simple pitch shifter, and it was good, so I tried a half step for Eb, it was also fine on mine. Don't know what it all means at this point. Mine actually sounds good with chords. I normally shift tune with my JTV, but tried it on this patch because I only needed it for one phrase in the song it's set up for. Just another data point for the trouble shooting cause. Dave

I must be lucky... I've not had any issues with drop D, or drop Db on my 59 or 69S. Have both set up in patches in my 500, 500X, and Helix. Dave

You didn't say if you updated the Helix app. If you didn't, you should, or it won't work right... Dave

I didn't have any issues with my update, and used the front usb 3.0 ports on my homebuilt pc with Windows 8.1, so don't know about the usb version problem noted. Dave

I don't see the 59P anymore, nor the 69, but do see the 69S. I got my 59 TSB right away, then got my gold 69S when it was first offered in the fall of 2012. Love them both. If 69's (hss) are still being made, I noticed the last ones I saw were the blue color - I never cared for that color. I would consider the sunburst of that model... Both colors of the 89F are still available, but not the 89 without the Floyd trem. Not my style of guitar, but thought it odd that one didn't have a Floyd to begin with, so there was some evolution going on. I hope (and think) they aren't done with the JTV'S. To me, the Standard is the lower price point unit, like the 300 was (my first Variax in 2005). Just about the time I started considering a Gibson Traditional Pto, they came out with the JTV line... Like I said, I think it'd be a shame at this point to drop the line, and hope they don't. Dave

Same here, have not had a problem being out of tune with other members of my band or with recordings when learning a song. There are some recordings that are detuned, either on purpose or because they were pitch shifted due to tape speed issues - usually older songs.... I usually drop them in my wave editor on my pc and adjust their pitch rather than trying to detune my tuner... Dave

I use an On Stage I got on sale at GC on one of their holiday sales for $30. It's fine for my non powered FRFR PA speaker, think it would be fine for a powered speaker. Think it stated 150 lb rating. I rarely raise it from it's lowest position. Puts the speaker at shoulder height for me, I'm 6'6". Dave

That's what I do - volume & eq only on my 1/4" out to my pa "FRFR" speaker that isn't really flat, so I global eq it to take out the vocal mid peak at around 3kHz. I would like to get my hands on an RTA to adjust it more, but just by ear, I have it much better than before. Then with the volume knob, I adjust my stage volume to suit without messing up my levels to the FOH system, and the sound man is very happy with my sound out front. Are RTA's horrendously expensive? I'd like to investigate those... Any reasonable ones around? Dave

I put my FRFR on a speaker stand. I found if i put it on the floor, my stage volume climbs... I'm 6'6".., The FOH system puts the sound out to the audience, so the FRFR is just for the stage. I eq and volume control that to the 1/4" outs only, the XLR is at mic level to the sound man. Played last night,and the sound man was having problems with the other guitarist's sound - Marshall amp. I asked how mine was doing, and he complimented me on it, had nothing but good to say. Dave

If you want the mags on a particular preset, go to that one, turn on the mags with your JTV and save the preset. When you choose that preset again, it'll come up with the last way you saved it (mags on). You can set a separate input on the 2 paths - one for mags and one for models then mute them and choose with a foot switch. I do this with an acoustic model on path 1, and my mags on path 2. That way I can have an acoustic intro and switch to my mags for electric leads. Dave