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"Master" volume and "Drive" should be on same page


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Should "Master" volume and "Drive" be on the same page? I submitted this suggestion to Ideascale and it has only been getting a moderate response. I am wondering how others perform the balancing act between the "Master" volume, "Drive", and "Ch Vol" parameters. Is my understanding of these parameters incorrect? I thought this suggestion would get quite a few votes: http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Put-Master-volume-on-the-same-page-as-the-Drive-in-amp-model/788502-23508

 

To dial in the right amount of grit/distortion on any amp block you need to have the "Drive" and "Master" knobs on the same page just like a real amp. "Drive" and "Master" are highly interactive and require tweaking the two together. The "Ch Vol" is where the "Master" should be. Right now you have to page over every time you want to change the "Master" volume. This is akin to having to turn your amp around and adjust the back of your amp to set "Master" volume. It is the "Ch Vol" that should be set on the second page, and the "Master" volume should takes its place on the first page, so that it and the "Drive" can be adjusted together. The "Ch Vol" is the parameter you tend to "set and forget" once.

 

The only reason I can see for leaving the "Ch Vol" on the first page is if you spend more time adjusting the "Ch Vol" as various effects and other blocks in the signal chain impact overall channel volume.  Even if that is the case, having the "Drive" and "Master" volume on separate pages still causes dialing in the right volume to grit/drive ratio be a tedious process.

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In the HD Channel Volume controls the amp model signal output

To prevent clipping one has to turn Channel Volume down as Drive is raised.

I'd assume it works thesame way on Helix (don't have one).

Master Vloume is really more a control intended to adjust your output Volume to your Venue (or control headphone volume).

Helix owners chime in ...

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In the HD Channel Volume controls the amp model signal output

To prevent clipping one has to turn Channel Volume down as Drive is raised.

I'd assume it works thesame way on Helix (don't have one).

Master Vloume is really more a control intended to adjust your output Volume to your Venue (or control headphone volume).

Helix owners chime in ...

 

He's talking about the master volume control for the amp block, which is in with the DEP parameters on the HD series. On the Helix, these parameters aren't really considered "deep editing". They're just on the next page. I imagine a big reason the channel volume is on the first page has to do with the fact this kind of lines up with the way these parameters have been on virtually every other Line 6 device.

 

I do think it's a good point regarding the interactivity of the drive and master volume control. I have no idea if Line 6 would consider making this sort of change or not.

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Well, if Helix had seven knobs below the screen, Master would certainly be on the same page. Historically, the Channel Volume knob is extremely important in leveling presets against one another, but now that Helix has per Output block level and pan, this is less of a big deal (except in multi-amp tones). Master Volume has always been considered a deep amp parameter, and the knobs on page 1 have always been considered "tonestack knobs" in Line 6 parlance.

 

That said, I'm not married to parameter order. The vast majority of people would have to agree to the swap, however; I'm not too fond of adding global preference settings that aren't absolutely necessary, especially when they may confuse someone, as in "What? Where did my Channel Volume knob go?"

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I personally use the channel volume a lot more than the master. Once I've dialed in a decent amount of grit, I rarely go back to the master, especially on the vintage models that had no master volume. But the channel volume is the best and most accessible knob to level volume between presets.

I set my volumes by singing and playing to backing tracks and recording to make sure the guitar volume is just right. I can kind of tell from doing it so much how much I need to adjust the channel volume to sit better in the mix. The master volume is far less predictable and impacts the drive and tone.

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I personally use the channel volume a lot more than the master. Once I've dialed in a decent amount of grit, I rarely go back to the master, especially on the vintage models that had no master volume. But the channel volume is the best and most accessible knob to level volume between presets.

I set my volumes by singing and playing to backing tracks and recording to make sure the guitar volume is just right. I can kind of tell from doing it so much how much I need to adjust the channel volume to sit better in the mix. The master volume is far less predictable and impacts the drive and tone.

agreed - when writing tones I usually tweek the "master" and gain along with EQ to match what I am going for, then just use the channel volume to balance against the other presets I am using. I rarely (if ever) adjust the "master" after that point, but I'll tweek the channel quite a bit depending on other factors

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Well, if Helix had seven knobs below the screen, Master would certainly be on the same page.

 

Chuckle, certainly would make the solution simple

 

I personally use the channel volume a lot more than the master. Once I've dialed in a decent amount of grit, I rarely go back to the master, especially on the vintage models that had no master volume. But the channel volume is the best and most accessible knob to level volume between presets.

I set my volumes by singing and playing to backing tracks and recording to make sure the guitar volume is just right. I can kind of tell from doing it so much how much I need to adjust the channel volume to sit better in the mix. The master volume is far less predictable and impacts the drive and tone.

 

agreed - when writing tones I usually tweek the "master" and gain along with EQ to match what I am going for, then just use the channel volume to balance against the other presets I am using. I rarely (if ever) adjust the "master" after that point, but I'll tweek the channel quite a bit depending on other factors

 

I can see how given the way you and probably many others are using the Helix you would want easy access to the "Ch Vol". I still find that adjusting the "Drive" or the "Master" tends to impact the amp's overall tone. The "Ch Vol" does not provide an adequate substitute for the "Master" as it adjusts the volume for everything (amps, effects, etc.) in the chain and not just the sound of the amp block. I guess in a perfect world I would love to have seen either seven knobs for parameter changes or better yet a separate knob dedicated to "Ch Vol". Always thought that a separate knob would be the best solution for changing the volume on the fly when playing live. No menus or selecting the proper block, just straight to the "Ch Vol". I guess the "Volume" knob sort of provides this as long as the preset is somewhere in the ballpark, but a knob dedicated to "Ch Vol" as well would be nice. Anyway, I am into wishlist territory for Helix V.2 now, so turning back to reality I am just hoping for the most intuitive and usable interface possible on the Helix I have.  The closer the first page on the amp block is to the controls on real amps, and more importantly, the more access I have to interactive controls (Master, Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence) on the same page, the easier I find it to use.

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