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After years of trying to make a guitar (tube) amp work as a stage monitor I finally joined the 21st century (frfr monitor) & cannot believe the difference. When I first got the Helix I used a channel switching amp (clean / dist) straight in, then 4CM (fought the noise) but Friday gigs going straight from work forced me to downsize; started using amp/cab sims to FOH, 1/4" to a Fender Pro Junior because it's small and simple; one vol, tone knob. Never could really get it to sound right, even after using a split block with parametric EQ to notch out the offending frequencies. I also tried: Blues Jr Marshall (straight in & return) Mesa Boogie " " " Blackstar EL34 10W single ended I thought what the heck, for $250 I got a small (8" with a tweeter horn) floor monitor thing and I'm blown away. Everytime I get a new amp I always break in the speaker with two things, Allman Bros Live at the Fillmore and Steely Dan Aja. When I started the Aja CD I couldn't believe my ears - it sounded better than my Stereo! So then I plugged in and played clean then hard stuff- Deacon Blues to Mississippi Queen both sounded amazing, and I haven't even considered mic/line level or EQ! Some of our songs require controlled feedback- that works too! Wish I'd done this years ago. At 66 in a cover band this simplifies my life... TL/DR: Try an FRFR monitor for stage wash if using a "real" amp doesn't work sonically. I've been blessed with some really great amps at home but for Helix this is a game changer.

Hi, I just wanted to post a thread that explains the actual reason why FRFR, PA, and studio monitor speakers typically still require treble cut to avoid sounding fizzy with distortion or overdrive on a guitar tone. THE COMMON PROBLEM I've read through some of the threads on this topic, and while I saw one person post the correct explanation (Without getting the credit or kudos he deserved for it, from what I saw), most people state the problem is that the user is not understanding the difference between guitar speakers and FRFR speakers. I believe users aren't that naive - and many good comparisons exist where users get great sound from helix (without virtual cab) into power amp into real cab, or other ... simpler..... modeller brand (with only virtual cab) directly into FRFR. However most of those "it's simple - guitar speakers have less treble, so you need to cut treble on FRFR" explanations go on to incorrectly state that the problem is that guitar cabs cut the treble a lot because they aren't flat, where as FRFR speakers are, at least in theory, outputting a flat response - therefore putting out much more volume at high frequencies than guitar cabs do. I mean, yes, that is true ... but NO that is not the problem. Again, the scenario is that we ALREADY have a virtual cab or IR in our signal chain - so shouldn't the high frequencies already be cut? Shouldn't the FRFR speaker just output exactly what that virtual cab sounds like, with the already good sounding treble cut baked into the virtual cab since it's a copy of a real cab??? (The end user, and you here, are asking this.... :-) ) Folks state that you need to think like a recording or mixing engineer, not like a guitarist - which is absolutely correct. But stating that with FRFR speakers you need to cut treble because it is brighter than a guitar cab is not logical, nor correct, since the scenarios being discussed invariably have either a virtual guitar cab already in the signal chain, or a cab IR. Since we have a virtual cab in a block, we already HAVE that high cut, so the statement is not correct - not in the simple way most folks tell it on this forum, at least. There is more to it.... The common problem from nearly everybody using a helix is with the end users who are experiencing fizz through FRFR, and questioning why, considering they are using a virtual cab or cab IR which is emulating the sound of the cab. WHAT A VIRTUAL CAB OR IR IS ACTUALLY REPRODUCING The simple description of the problem is that it's NOT emulating the sound of the cab FROM a position that a guitarist would be playing and listening to the tone. The facts of why the virtual cab, or many of the cab IRs available, are NOT sufficient to sound like a cab in a room are with how the virtual cab or cab IR were miked up: - In a virtual cab, and in many cab IRS, the cab was, more or less, close miked, in one mix position, on one part of one cone. That is how many cabs are miked in the studio and live... but is NOT how you get the sound you hear as a guitarist when playing through your amp. IT IS a MUCH brighter tone, and much LESS COMPLEX than the sound of a real cab in a room. The virtual cabs or many of the cab IRs are miked this way for various reasons - technical reasons (CAB IR files aren't really designed to handle the long recording of room reflections and short plate reverb that your cab in a room would require)..... and removing early reflections as much as possible by close miking in a dead room allows you, the player, to configure the rest of the tone after the close miked speaker on the cab - you can eq to mimick various rooms, you can add room or plate verb for the same reason.... etc. You might think... "Ok, so because the guitar cab is close miked, it is much brighter and fizzier, right? like how if I put my ear to it and play quietly with a distortion pedal, it sounds bad.... that's your point? So Why can't I just put my FRFR speaker where my guitar cab would normally go and play and have it sound the same, since it's playing back the exact sound of a guitar speaker in that location, and the room and angle should take care of everything else?" Well, folks, that is an EXCELLENT grasp on the close miked speaker sound, yes it's much brighter and fizzier, but it is missing a couple of important points about the "amp in the room" sound when playing through an FRFR or PA. 1) the FRFR or PA probably has FAR better high frequency dispersion than your guitar speaker, up high, and you always hear the on axis tone (IE: the virtual cab sounds like a close miked speaker, so you get that sound everwhere in front of the FRFR without it changing with direction or distance in the way a real guitar cab does). So where every you stand, relative to your FRFR speaker, it's like having your guitar cab aimed right at, and next to, your ears. 2) the close miked virtual cab response or IR response is on one part of the cone and miked from one direction... it is one aspect of the tone. Dust cap, edge, OR middle of cone, on axis OR off axis, at a specific distance. 3) No matter how bright each guitar speaker on it's own sounds, in a cab with more than one speaker there remains much less high frequency sound once you're a certain distance away from it - due to physics of how multiple speaker outputs work together for dispersion, etc. The real sound from the cab as you hear it is a mix of many radically different tones coming from various parts of the guitar speaker. Guitar speakers are not rigid cones, normally, and the dust cap, edge, middle of the cone, and other areas can truly sound quite different, as can on axis versus off axis tones. This is why some of the best CAB IR libraries include multi miked files... it's sort of a pre-mixed cab IR that actually sound sound much more like the blend you get from a real cab when you play back through an FRFR or PA. A guitar cab with more than one speaker is extra difficult to reproduce when single miked as a cab IR or virtual cab - because the tone in the room is a wild, chaotic mix of the multitude of EQs and tones you get from the cab, all interestingly blended together. So, a MIX engineer in a studio will be accustomed to taking that fizzy close miked amp recording and EQing it accordingly to make it sound great through studio monitors, which are truly FRFR (and likely the only TRULY FRFR speakers you will ever encounter, since they are typically EQed to be as neutral, or flat as possible, in that control room. AT least ONE set of their monitors should be like that, anyhow, in a big studio. They probably mix on something like NS7s though, or other similarly bright and revealing speakers, which also reminds the engineer to cut back on high frequencies and remove the fizz. So yes, think like an engineer, but for the right reasons, and with a little tiny bit more of the full picture than you had before. Saying that guitar cabs aren't as bright as FRFR as a reason to cut treble is simply wrong, since we all know we're placing a virtual guitar cab that, one would ASSUME, must have that same high cut in our signal path. It's actually because our virtual cabs, and some cab IRs, contain much more high frequencies than you actually hear from the real cab when standing and playing... and an FRFR or PA speaker will not result in the same high cut in a room as the actual cab would, due to physical design differences between the transducers and the layout of the speakers. Basically, the original cab IR or virtual cab was probably not setup as a mic in a room standing where a guitarist stands while playing.... it is probably a MUCH brighter recording that isn't anything like how you normally hear your cab... but is great for a studio MIX engineer to work with. SO YOU STILL NEED TREBLE CUT, EVEN WITH A VIRTUAL CAB, or with MANY IRs (but maybe not all IRs) Rest assured - if you have a virtual cab, you still need treble cut (at the very least) after a helix virtual cab or many of the cab IRs you can buy to sound anything like a real cab when you connect your helix directly to a TRUE FRFR cab or to a PA... and honestly you probably need a bit of plate reverb and possibly some low end cut also to really get you there. But what DOES a virtual cab or cab IR do for you? it gets you the true EQ of that cab, in a common, popular recorded microphone position for studio use. Just cut 8kHz, more or less, and up from there, ... probably rather dramatically, and it will start to sound similar to a good cab.....but use your ears, choose eq how you like it. Or, look for an IR library that is a producer blend of mic positions and /or room sound in one cab IR - and you will probably find that you love that sound. Another minor footnote - FRFR cabs you can buy for modelers are not particularly flat response or full range, but they are MUCH more so than most guitar cabs. A PA is often hotter in the highs than a real FRFR speaker is. A REAL FRFR can likely only be found in some recording studios, and even then might not be the speakers chosen by the engineer to work with... for reasons I won't get into here.

Looking for a bit of direction please. We have a small gig coming up that will be my first with my PodGo and my HeadRush 112. I assumed that I would simply run PodGo "out" with cab emulation to the PA, and then PodGo "amp out" with cab emulation to my FRFR(headrest 112) for monitoring/stage sound. I read an article that suggested I should turn off cab emulation for my FRFR. This doesn't make any sense to me as, I would think I want all of the PodGo tone to be heard on stage. I appreciate any insights and tips others may have on this. Thanks.

I have a Spider IV 150. I have enjoyed the amp. I also like to use a Line 6 POD HD500x with it. Someone recently told me about a bypass mode. I don't know if that is what it is called. If I hold the TAP/Tuning buttong down when I power it up, it acts like a simple speaker. I have no effects on it. I can't find any documentation on this feature though. Can I get more info somewhere? Thanks, Dave

I recently entered a little group gigging in bars, every member enters into a mixer then out to speakers to the public, i would like to add my Headrush FrfR 108 to monitor my sound, what's the best connections to be made? Last night i tried Left Out to Headrush and Amp Out to the mixer but i'm not satisfied, the volume knob on the Pod Go worked only on Headrush and for some reason i was too low on the mixer with track on max! I know that i could connect Left out to Headrush and than through the Headrush to the mixer too (PodGO-->Headrush-->Mixer) it's a better option? Some other advices?

Hey group. I play my Helix LT exclusively for my dog in my living room through a pair of Yamaha DXR10’s. There is much ear twitching going on, even though I barely tap the volume they are capable of. I never play out, only at home and that’ll never change. When I purchased these speakers a year ago they seemed like a good idea at the time. They sound spectacular, but their size (even vertically oriented) are seriously crowding my small living room, which has just been re-done. When you are pushing 60 years of age, the dorm look is not a good look. I’ve decided to downsize and sell the DXR10’s to fund something smaller yet still auditorily acceptable to my ear (not the most discerning ear). I’m starting to focus in on picking up a pair of Yamaha HS8’s. They get very good reviews and have a footprint I can deal with. How much of a loss of lows will I hear going from a pair of 10” to 8” speakers? My feeling is it will be noticeable at first, but my ear will eventually adjust and I will be happy with the concession. Yes? No? I’m curious as to the sonic cost of losing 2” of speaker size. Prior to Helix, I played through an L6 Spider 4 with a single 12” celestian. Apples to oranges, but to my ear there was no loss of lows going from that 12” to (2) 10” FRFRs. Not trying to start another FRFR vs FRFR discussion, just looking for confirmation that the HS8 specifically would be a good replacement in my situation. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated. Lastly, if there is another 8” model that I absolutely should be looking at because it is significantly better than the HS8, that’s really why I am here. Looking to pull the trigger with in the next week, if not before. Thanks! PS: I really get a lot of value (helix knowledge, tips & ideas) and enjoyment (entertaining topics / posters) reading this forum. Here, YouTube and experimentation is where I learn. It’s been a steep but rewarding learning curve (still very much a novice), as I have only owned four single-speaker, all non-tube amps prior to helix in my 40+ years of playing. Upon first powering it on two years ago, the names of all the amplifiers, effects and everything packed into it could have been assigned randomly for all I knew. I’d only heard of some of them, and that that only their real mfg names. It’s been a struggle, but it’s also been continually rewarding along the way. My 2 cents.

Hi all, this is my first post. Need some help about my Helix LT. So Last night i had a gig and i used Marshall Tube amp. The sound was nasty, terrible. So i learned from few forums that i need to use FRFR speaker to get a clean authentic Helix sound. So my Question is what is the best FRFR speaker? Does QSC K series consider as an FRFR speaker? I do gigs here and there and i drive coupe. So won't able to carry a big speaker.

Can anyone recommend some small speakers for use with the HX Stomp in a living room? I have a PowerCab I use with a full Helix out of the way but this is too much for the living room. I am looking for some some suitable speakers that could be used with a line in or bluetooth for music as well as connection to the HX Stomp. Thanks.

Hi there. I have a Helix Floor, an sm-58 and an FRFR Headrush 108. have a gig coming up playing some 80's power ballads, with a questionable sound person : we have 3 vocalists in the bare minimum power trio + singer band. I know that you can have parallel paths for guitar/microphone. My question is, from experience, what can I do to simplify the sound person's job, and make my on-stage experience better. For example: 1. Should I mix in my vocals into the signal that goes to the FOH 2. Not mix in my vocals, but run my mic through the chain and out the FRFR 3. In general, what should I provide as outputs: e.g.: left XLR is vocals and right XLR is guitar? Just wondering what works. In theory, I know my options, but in practice, that's another story. Thanks in advance.

Hello, I have been researching this ad nauseam. At this point it just feels like there is just too much information to come to a conclusion, so I am just gonna ask for some advice. I’m playing a helix HX stomp and my guitar patches use 12 inch speakers with 2x12 IR’s mostly, and a supro 1x15 IR for guitar. I also play bass and I play a 1x15 IR, but guitar is more important than bass for me right now. So I don’t play any amp cabs with 10’s but my understanding is the woofer in a 2 way powered cab is different than the drivers in a guitar amp. So will a 12” PA speaker be any better at reproducing / representing the 12” and 15” guitar speakers in the IR’s I’m using or is the woofer size nearly irrelevant. I like to use different IR’s with different speakers, I’m just looking for something to reproduce the IR’s, I know it won’t be amp in the room and that is fine. So I just need a full range flat uncolored speaker right? I play clean and with low gain but I do some thump for chet atkins merle travis picking. I like the weight of a 10” PA speaker but if a 12” would be better then the extra 10 pounds or so isn’t a big deal. For bass I am considering getting a sub to go with the PA speaker if the PA speaker doesn’t go low enough for bass, but for now I’ll just get the FRFR PA speaker. So do you have any recommendations? The ones I am considering are QSC K10.2 K12.2, they seemed the best with the extra options for bass settings. Also considering the Yamaha DXR10 DXR12 or EV ZLX12P. These are the ones I think will fit my needs. This price range is what I’m looking at and open to other suggestions. Thanks

Ok, let me rephrase that.. I could've sworn I remember seeing somewhere here that there are some players out there that have been using the Line 6 Flextone combo as an FRFR solution, either at home or on stage.. could this be?! I guess the second part of this weird question is, can that actually be done? For anyone that actually has done that, how does it sound?

Hi, I just got the Helix floor unit and I am trying to figure out the best setup. Im using a Roland JC-85 as speaker, connecting the Helix in the effect loop. I want to be able to use the fulll range of possibilities of the Helix with effects and amps (not using the 4 cable method). My question is if I should continue to use the Roland speaker or change this into a FRFR speaker?

Hi there, I've ordered a pair of StageSource L2m speakers. My initial intension was to connect them via L6 link to the Helix. However I still want to include my Boss RC-300 in the setup. So I think I have to ditch L6-link and go from the Helix with 2x 1/4" out into the RC-300 L/R instrument ins and from the 1/4" outs into the L2m 1/4" (or XLR) in, right? Or am I missing some cabling option here? Maybe connecting the RC-300 in a send/return loop of the Helix instead? Is anybody using a similar setup with Helix, RC-300 and StageSource FRFRs? Best regards, Ace

Hey, Looking for a little guidance with this one.. So I'm in the process of getting a super-strat made for me (Warmoth body, Charvel neck, German Floyd, Bare Knuckle etc etc), however, it will be a single pickup guitar, which will obviously just be the bridge pickup, which is a Bare Knuckle Juggernaut. Is there a way I can alter a few settings on my Helix so that I can make my bridge pickup sound more like my neck pickup, or a blended sound of both bridge and neck pickup?? I presume it'll be in the amp block.. bumping up the bass/mids and possibly reducing the treble..? Any other hints or tips on how to achieve this? NOTE, I understand that it probably can't really be done, but if I can get close to it, I'll be happy... if this is possible.. Also, FWIW, I use my Helix floor with a valve power amp and FRFR.. Thanks

Hi All, I recently purchased a PRS MT-15 to go with my Helix and I'm really dig the set up using the 4 CM method. It works really well when using just the MT-15 with the cabs. However, I'm having some trouble when trying to go stereo with this. To be specific my basic set up is as follows Guitar --> Helix Guitar in Helix FX loop Send --> MT - 15 Amp Input MT 15-FX Loop Send --> Helix FX loop Return Helix 1/4" Left Mono Out --> MT -15 FX Loop Return In path 1 on my helix I have some pre loop effects followed by the FX loop 1 block and post loop effects with the output channeled to 1/4 inch panned hard left. Next, I'm using a load box to try and create a stereo set up. Additional cabling is as follows: MT15 Speaker out --> Two Notes Captor Amp in Two notes Captor Speaker out --> Guitar Cabinet Two Notes Captor Line out (Dry) --> Helix Aux Input [This serves as the input to Helix Path 2] In path 2 on my helix I'm running a simple delay set to 20ms with feedback to 0 and mix 100% followed by an IR and output to 1/4" panned hard right. Finally, to complete the set up: Helix 1/4" Right Out --> Headrush FRFR112 input Problem: The sound through the Headrush is a fizzy mess. I wonder if what is missing is the power amp emulation? Would I need to route my Captor line out into a power amp before feeding it back into the Helix? Or am I doing something wrong with the cabling? Thanks in advance for your help!!!

Hello everybody, I am thinking about hacking my Spidervalve as follows: 1. Change the speaker with a Celestion F12-X200 (a FRFR speaker) 2. Using a Mooer Radar for cabinet emulation (plugged in the send-return) What do you think? Would it work? I also wonder if I can use the built-in cabinet emulation by plugging the XLR output to the poweramp input (return). Do you think it will work? Thanks, Vincenzo

So I bought a JBL PRX710 from work last week to try with the HX Stomp. It was a silly price so I figured it’d be worth a gamble. On Friday night I fired it up at home, dialled in my favourite HX patch and cranked it to gig level (sorry neighbours!) - and WOW! It just sounds phenomenal!! I would go as far as to say it sounds better (at certain things) than my Suhr Badger 35 and Zilla Fatboy 2x12. I was concerned that the low end may not be represented as fully due to the 10” woofer, but it sounds tight and focused. Everything sounds very articulate and clear – and most importantly, it sounds like a real amp and cab – not at all like a digital reproduction. I cannot wait to get this into a rehearsal with my band to try it out, as this may change once I’m in a room against a Dual Rectifier, bass drums and keyboards – but I’ve already been blown away by first impressions!

My helix direct to my Bose sounds fuzzy and bad. I set outputs to line and tried direct to aux in and tone match pod setting. I have to be doing something simple wrong but don’t know what it is. Thx in advance for the forthcoming help.

Hi! So I'm about to buy an Helix Rack, that I'm gonna use live and at rehearsals with my "modern metal" band (Architects, BMTH, Deftones type of sound..). I'm looking for the best FRFR speaker I could get for this usage between 300€ to maximum 400€. I already looked for the Mackie Thump15, Headrush 112 and ALTO speakers, and heard good and bad things about these but struggle to find good feedbacks from users with a similar situation/need. What would you recommend? Any help would be appreciated! ps: also, what would be the most suited speaker diameter? 10, 12 or 15"?

What do you guys and gals think about this unit for doing bass and guitar? I don’t have any experience with any of thier other products but I often hear good things. I have been wanting a powered cab solution for running both; so, this seems like a winner. http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/powerengine/deucedeluxe.html

Question for everyone here. Can the spider V 120 amp be used as an FRFR cabinet for the HX stomp?

I'm trying to determine the best connection scheme for my Helix to feed the Firehawk 1500 in order to utilize the amp STRICTLYas an FRFR stereo amplifier (i.e., NO Firehawk amps/effects). After researching in this Forum (and the Firehawk 1500 Forum), I've seen & tried several appealing variations on how to do this. However, it still seems that people are still 'searching' for the best way to marry the Helix with the Firehawk 1500 in an FRFR situation. Possibilities include: Scenario 1: Helix 1/4" Stereo Outs -> Firehawk 1500 1/4" FX Stereo Returns, (with an UN-EFFECTED Neutral Patch). This provides a stereo amplified output. Scenario 2: Helix Stereo XLR Outs -> Firehawk 1500 XLR Monitor Ins (which are controlled by the Monitor Gain Level Control). This provides a better/stronger level stereo amplified output, and is not affected by anything AFTER the Firehawk's Stereo Returns (other than a Global EQ). Scenario 3: Helix 1/4" Mono Out -> Firehawk 1500 1/4" Guitar In (with an UN-EFFECTED, Neutral Patch) PLUS Helix Stereo XLR Outs -> Firehawk 1500 XLR Monitor Ins (again, controlled by the Monitor Gain Level Control). This engages use of the Firehawk 1500's mono horn, which apparently is not engaged in Scenario's 1 & 2. Using Scenario 3 - running the Helix both in Mono (Guitar In) AND in Stereo (Monitor In) - seems to have the most promise, but there is an odd behavior with the Firehawk 1500's Monitor Gain Level Control. Rotating from 0% to 50% causes the output to actually DECREASE (sounds like a phase cancellation issue between the Guitar In and the Monitor In). Continuing from 50% to 100% brings the gain back (plenty loud!), presumedly because the XLR Monitor In gain is over-taking the Guitar In gain and making the phase anomalies less noticeable. I have checked my cables (especially the XLR's), and all are wired correctly to maintain correct phase relationships. Has anyone with the same gear had a similar experience, or a better connection suggestion? I'll admit, I've been apprehensive on the whole FRFR thing live (up to this point), but I'm hearing a LOT of promise in getting the Helix amplified with this setup. The Firehawk 1500 is quickly making me a believer, other than the odd behavior I've cited. Having my own amp control is essential, because I do not want to just hand-off the XLR outs of my Helix to the FOH/Monitor guys. I play in many different scenarios and cannot rely on different FOH/Monitor providers for a consistent sound. Consistency does not exist in that realm for the variety of live gigs I play (corner bar gigs where we hire the sound company, to Festivals where sound is provided and there's a 15-minute changeover between bands).

Hi, I was wondering if Helix offers a way to have a cabinet emulation but without any microphone coloration added to it? I am running a frfr scenario and the sound I get is much like what I would get from a monitor as it is "micked" (microphone algorythm in helix's cab block). The problem is that I wan't to be able to put a microphone in front of my frfr speaker in order to send this signal to FOH. I wanna do so because I mainly play small venues as opening act and most often, old school soundmen don't like this "d.i." thing. The problem is if i get a microphone to pick up a sound that is already sort of micked, then the actual mic coloration will add up to the simulated one and enhance some frequencies in an unpleasant way (high mids). Basically, I want my frfr to sound more like a real amp rather than like a micked amp through a monitor. I know I can bypass the cabinet block altogether but then I only have the preamp through the frfr and it sound's like s*** also, would the line 6 powercab remedy this situation? Thank you guys!

It would seem that today is FRFR Topic day. Anyway, my JBL EON 610 has a programmable EQ built in and I'm wondering if those of you that use an active speaker that also has the same feature, have used it to tailor the speaker's sound for your Helix. Or do you just use the Helix's Global EQ? I ask because I think the two methods might have some differences in effectiveness.

Realize many FRFR threads but would like to hear from Mission Gemini users is it worth it? I've been playing my Helix through a pair of Alto TS112's that I bought five years ago for $220 apiece. Didn't feel the sound was all there so for the past year been using Helix as a pedal board via 4CM into my Marshall dsl40c. Seeing these Mission Gemini 2 comments and reviews. Is it worth it for Helix? If you made the leap to a really expensive Mission Gemini solution for your Helix did you feel the upgrade was worth the money. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.