How do you guys place a boost in your chain?

[Rocco_Crocco]

I am new to the Helix and, since there's more than one way to skin a cat, I was wondering how each of you add a solo boost to your patches.

 

I am coming from the HD500X and I would always add a studio EQ at the end of the chain and turn the master gain up to +5dB, then assign that to a footswitch. Easy peasy.

 

There seems to be many more options for the Helix.

 

-EQ -- Which one suits this application best?

 

-Gain block -- where in the chain?

 

-Volume block -- where in the chain?

 

-Multiple parameters assigned to a switch, such as a boost to an amps mids and a reduction in bass along with a channel volume increase plus some delay?

 

-Are there any ideas I am missing?

[Digital_Igloo]

I don't bother wasting DSP on a new block just for boost. Instead, I'll assign either the Output block's Level parameter or Amp block's Ch Vol parameter to a footswitch:

1. Press AMP to jump to the Amp block's tonestack.
2. Press and hold Knob 6 (Ch Vol). Helix jumps the Controller Assign page for that parameter.
3. Press Knob 6 (Learn Controller) and then the desired footswitch.
4. Turn Knobs 4 (Min Value) and 5 (Max Value) to set the amount of boost required.
5. Press HOME when finished. You'll see the footswitch is now labeled "Ch Vol," but you can rename this "Boost" or "Louder" or "DI's My Hero" instead.

[klangmaler]

 

I don't bother wasting DSP on a new block just for boost. Instead, I'll assign either the Output block's Level parameter or Amp block's Ch Vol parameter to a footswitch:

1. Press AMP to jump to the Amp block's tonestack.
2. Press and hold Knob 6 (Ch Vol). Helix jumps the Controller Assign page for that parameter.
3. Press Knob 6 (Learn Controller) and then the desired footswitch.
4. Turn Knobs 4 (Min Value) and 5 (Max Value) to set the amount of boost required.
5. Press HOME when finished. You'll see the footswitch is now labeled "Ch Vol," but you can rename this "Boost" or "Louder" or "DI's My Hero" instead.

 

 

Thanks, again - something for the shortcut list (or trick box)!

Please somebody add it to

http://helixhelp.com/pmwiki.php

[gunpointmetal]

All my footswitches are labeled "DI is My Hero"

[Rocco_Crocco]

All my footswitches are labeled "DI is My Hero"

[Rocco_Crocco]

 

I don't bother wasting DSP on a new block just for boost. Instead, I'll assign either the Output block's Level parameter or Amp block's Ch Vol parameter to a footswitch:

1. Press AMP to jump to the Amp block's tonestack.
2. Press and hold Knob 6 (Ch Vol). Helix jumps the Controller Assign page for that parameter.
3. Press Knob 6 (Learn Controller) and then the desired footswitch.
4. Turn Knobs 4 (Min Value) and 5 (Max Value) to set the amount of boost required.
5. Press HOME when finished. You'll see the footswitch is now labeled "Ch Vol," but you can rename this "Boost" or "Louder" or "DI's My Hero" instead.

 

Awesome shortcut, indeed. Thanks for the tip!

[DarrellM5]

 

I don't bother wasting DSP on a new block just for boost. Instead, I'll assign either the Output block's Level parameter or Amp block's Ch Vol parameter to a footswitch:

1. Press AMP to jump to the Amp block's tonestack.
2. Press and hold Knob 6 (Ch Vol). Helix jumps the Controller Assign page for that parameter.
3. Press Knob 6 (Learn Controller) and then the desired footswitch.
4. Turn Knobs 4 (Min Value) and 5 (Max Value) to set the amount of boost required.
5. Press HOME when finished. You'll see the footswitch is now labeled "Ch Vol," but you can rename this "Boost" or "Louder" or "DI's My Hero" instead.

 

 

Well that went straight into my large OneNote Helix Tips file. Thanks!!!

[HonestOpinion]

I am new to the Helix and, since there's more than one way to skin a cat, I was wondering how each of you add a solo boost to your patches.

 

I am coming from the HD500X and I would always add a studio EQ at the end of the chain and turn the master gain up to +5dB, then assign that to a footswitch. Easy peasy.

 

There seems to be many more options for the Helix.

 

-EQ -- Which one suits this application best?

 

-Gain block -- where in the chain?

 

-Volume block -- where in the chain?

 

-Multiple parameters assigned to a switch, such as a boost to an amps mids and a reduction in bass along with a channel volume increase plus some delay?

 

-Are there any ideas I am missing?

 

I assign a footswitch to the output "block's" volume parameter and set the max +3db higher than the min.

[amsdenj]

It depends on what you want the boost to do. If it's pre-distortion, then the boost is probably going to add more distortion. In this case you might need some bass and treble rolloff to voice the distortion in order to limit bass mud and treble ice pick. I use a combination of a studio tube preamp and the amp's drive control for this - to simply add a bit more drive to the front of the amp, using the high pass and low pass filters in the tube preamp for the voicing adjustment. If it's just a volume boost, then you can do that with a switch that changes the level control on the amp or on the output.

[spikey]

 

I don't bother wasting DSP on a new block just for boost. Instead, I'll assign either the Output block's Level parameter or Amp block's Ch Vol parameter to a footswitch:

1. Press AMP to jump to the Amp block's tonestack.
2. Press and hold Knob 6 (Ch Vol). Helix jumps the Controller Assign page for that parameter.
3. Press Knob 6 (Learn Controller) and then the desired footswitch.
4. Turn Knobs 4 (Min Value) and 5 (Max Value) to set the amount of boost required.
5. Press HOME when finished. You'll see the footswitch is now labeled "Ch Vol," but you can rename this "Boost" or "Louder" or "DI's My Hero" instead.

 

Thanks for this...

 

On the KPA (with version 3.x) Boost is added to a switch to help "boost" a lead part. But with Helix it seems there are lots of other ways as shown above.

[Digital_Igloo]

On the KPA (with version 3.x) Boost is added to a switch to help "boost" a lead part. But with Helix it seems there are lots of other ways as shown above.

 

And they all sound different, depending on what you're trying to accomplish. Boosting the amp's channel volume increases level into any downstream pedals, which drives them a bit differently than boosting the Output block's level parameter.

 

Also note you can assign up to eight parameters (or other things) per footswitch. So your "BOOST" switch could increase the Ch Vol by 0.5db, increase an EQ's Mid Gain by 1.2dB, increase the Gain on the Klon by 2.1, and five other things. And remember, to tweak any of those boosts, all you have to do is touch the switch repeatedly until the assignment appears on the main LCD.

[spikey]

Is that one foot switch per patch that u can do this to , or multiple foot switches per patch?

[Dshow]

I am new to the Helix and, since there's more than one way to skin a cat, I was wondering how each of you add a solo boost to your patches.

 

I am coming from the HD500X and I would always add a studio EQ at the end of the chain and turn the master gain up to +5dB, then assign that to a footswitch. Easy peasy.

 

There seems to be many more options for the Helix.

 

-EQ -- Which one suits this application best?

 

-Gain block -- where in the chain?

 

-Volume block -- where in the chain?

 

-Multiple parameters assigned to a switch, such as a boost to an amps mids and a reduction in bass along with a channel volume increase plus some delay?

 

-Are there any ideas I am missing?

 

I like to use the minotaur as a boost pedal:

[Digital_Igloo]

Is that one foot switch per patch that u can do this to , or multiple foot switches per patch?

 

You can have up to 64 controller assignments per preset, but each footswitch is limited to eight assignments (block on/off, parameter adjust, and/or Command Center message). So eight footswitches could each have 8 assignments, but then you'd run out. Or ten footswitches with six assignments, EXP 1/2/3 with one each, and the 64th could be via MIDI or something.

[Rocco_Crocco]

I like to use the minotaur as a boost pedal:

Noice! I will be trying that fo' sho'!

[jpdennis]

 

I don't bother wasting DSP on a new block just for boost. Instead, I'll assign either the Output block's Level parameter or Amp block's Ch Vol parameter to a footswitch:

1. Press AMP to jump to the Amp block's tonestack.
2. Press and hold Knob 6 (Ch Vol). Helix jumps the Controller Assign page for that parameter.
3. Press Knob 6 (Learn Controller) and then the desired footswitch.
4. Turn Knobs 4 (Min Value) and 5 (Max Value) to set the amount of boost required.
5. Press HOME when finished. You'll see the footswitch is now labeled "Ch Vol," but you can rename this "Boost" or "Louder" or "DI's My Hero" instead.

 

 

OK, I'm naming it DI's my mentor.  Darn it, I wish I would have read this before I stayed up all night tweaking my very first Helix patch ... Yep, it came to my door yesterday!

 

Dennis

[spikey]

You can have up to 64 controller assignments per preset, but each footswitch is limited to eight assignments (block on/off, parameter adjust, and/or Command Center message). 

 

Thanks DI !