How Do You Prefer to Control the Volume in Your Patches?

[victorloher]

 

I am beginning to get into programming patches on the Helix. I am curious how others control the volume

on their patches. I see advantages and disadvantages to expression pedal vs volume control within the patch

itself.

 

From what I can see if you don't control volume within the patch then some will be quieter and others much

noisier but can be controlled by the volume pedal. You can certainly see instances of this in the factory

patches where you switch from one to the other and get blasted out. But, of course, you can quiet it down, after

you've been blasted by using the exp pedal.

 

If you control the volume within the patch then you lose the ability to control the volume if you wish to

turn it up or down, but you get come consistency when you switch from one to the other, but don't have the

ability to change it with the pedal.

 

Can you share how you control the volume as you build a patch and why you prefer the way you do it?

 

Thanks.

Vic

[mkornell]

Vic,

 

I build my patches so that at full volume, they sound the same level. Approximately, I'm just going by ear.

 

For those patches which I want to use the pedal for volume control, I set the pedal at 100% when I match the volume level.

[jpdennis]

Read down and you will see the answer coming to the question.

 

This depends on what I am accomplishing.  The Helix is sounding very authentic to my ear.  What I mean is the amp models seem to respond as close to my physical amps as I have yet to hear in a modeller. My Floor Pod Plus was OK, and my HD500X was good, but the Helix is really on top of the concept.  So much so that I have several patches without any volume pedal and I use the guitar controls to roll down for a clean amp sound then add some attach by moving the guitar pickup vol to full or close to full.

 

ANSWER ...

 

I used a few patches to setup my version of templates for amps I like to use.  I use the Volume at 100% when adding in a Volume Pedal.  Once I have the amps set I use the various "templates" for copying and pasting into my primary "go to patches/song lists".  I also use the correct input/output that I am using all the time.  For me it is guitar In (not all the ins) set at the ohm I use and XLR out (not all the outs) which allows me to use my headphones at 100% for matching volumes at a comfortable ear level.  To date I have not had to put the output to more that 50% going into the mixer.

 

NOTE ...

 

I did find that if I set the EXP pedal for the Volume Control at any specific percentage when saving the patch then that is the level I get when I change to that patch so I always save with the EXP at full toe down [for me 100% on].

 

Dennis

[ricstudioc]

Pretty much as above, try to get the patch levels balanced then use a volpedal for stage level control, always sending the FOH max levels during checks.  I put the volpedal after the amp/cab to let me swell full drive into delays - use the guitars vol to vary amp drive.

[jpdennis]

To date I have not had to put the output to more that 50% going into the mixer.

 

 

[ADDENDUM]

 

I work with several groups. One is REALLY LOUD and I have yet to need more than 50% out.

 

Dennis

[victorloher]

Thank you for your responses. I really appreciate them. Have to give it a try.

[phil_m]

I don't really use the volume pedal as a way to regulate patch volume, really. I use it to mute patches when I'm playing, but I use it for volume swells a lot. That's why I typically put the volume pedal as the first thing in my chain. I like having the delay and reverb tails ring out with a volume swell.

[victorloher]

Thanks Phil.  Do you think that it matters whether you put the volume pedal first thing in the patch as opposed to last or somewhere else?

[sdsingle]

Like others have said you generally want to get them approximately even from patch to patch.  I'll often add a gain block at the end of the chain so I can easily even out the volume differences between patches.  Since we are adjusting gain and level at the amp/pre/overdrive/other blocks to color the tone as desired, having a gain block at the end gives some flexibility to boost or cut the volume without affecting the tone you have worked so hard to tweak.  This would be adjusting what the 100% volume is independent of any volume pedal you may have earlier in the chain. You can add/cut level in the output block too but I find I like having additional degrees of adjustment, and then you can also include this block as part of a "solo" switch that triggers additional volume as well as overdrive/distortion, etc.

[phil_m]

Thanks Phil.  Do you think that it matters whether you put the volume pedal first thing in the patch as opposed to last or somewhere else?

 

It matters in the sense that if you put it after your delay and reverb, those trails will affected by the volume pedal. Sometimes you want this, and sometimes you don't. The other thing is that if you have a volume pedal before the amp model, the tone through the amp model will change as you adjust the volume. Backing the volume pedal down will cause the tone to clean up. Again, it just depends on what you want. Between the amp and the delay and reverb is good place to put it you want to maintain those trails and also have your amp tone remain consistent.

[Digital_Igloo]

Before a set, at stage volume, I do this:

1. Select preset, press AMP if necessary, turn Knob 6 (Ch Vol), SAVE, SAVE.
2. Repeat step 1 for all presets in the set.

It might be a bit more transparent to control preset volume from the Output blocks' Knob 2 (Level), but I don't freak out about driving any post-amp effects harder/softer. I can see how many might, however.