Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

Can I load HD500 tones in HELIX


csy5fr
 Share

Recommended Posts

Not directly. The best you can do is reconstruct in Helix what you have in the HD for a starting point. But then you'll likely have to start changing things to get closer to the HD tone, because generally the same amp/effects/cabs with the same arrangement won't sound the same in Helix. It might be close, but not close enough without further tweaking. It also could depend on how complex the preset is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why put the engine from a '72 Pinto in your new Ferrari?

Exactly.

 

I will not be trying to build the same exact patches I have in my Eleven Rack with the Helix Rack once I get it.  I will just try to build/tweak even better patches!

 

That being said I can see where touring musicians would want a close tone to what they have already recorded via Pod HD or whatever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What makes the HD a '72 Pinto and Helix a Ferrari? Is the block selection and arrangement on an HD inferior in some way I'm unaware of?

 

You have to start somewhere when making a preset, so why not use prior knowledge and experience with the HD as a starting point. In the end, it may be that that starting point will have been a mistake. Or maybe not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never hurts to duplicate most of the chain... then just leave space to try combined and separate amp/cab models...

 

Love my Helix better than the old HD, though. Hehe. Not that I didn't tweak like a madman to coax some good tones out of the HD.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What makes the HD a '72 Pinto and Helix a Ferrari? Is the block selection and arrangement on an HD inferior in some way I'm unaware of?

 

 

Take yer pack off and stand at ease..  I think that Cruisinon2 was just stating how much more powerful (2 Sharc processors) the Helix is versus the older HD. What some will do when you insult their ride....  :P   :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm interested in this question also, as I have 30+ patches in pod HD 500 that I use on my gigs. I have put a LOT of time into creating my patches and with a Helix about a week away, I'm looking forward to getting a better engine but not all the tweaking and learning the architecture I'll need to do before I can gig with it. Hoping the amps I like in HD are the same ones I like in helix.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

stating how much more powerful (2 Sharc processors) the Helix is versus the older HD

 

This is true from a pure DSP perspective that Helix is more powerful. From a "number of fx" perspective it is often less capable than HD500X and about on par with HD500. Throw two Plexi models on a patch and you've already consumed one entire DSP. You can then use the other to add a few effects blocks. In fact, with two Plexis and one Tile reverb there isn't even enough DSP power left on that path to add a simple Gain block.

 

The "pinto vs. ferrari" comparison is much less accurate than "pinto vs. mac truck" since the mac definitely has a bigger, more powerful engine, but that doesn't mean it accelerates or corners faster. Each is made to do its own thing and appeal to a different market segment. Some will like one better than the other. Neither is a clear winner in all situations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you took two patches and loaded the same models of everything in, several of them need to be set so much differntly in Helix to sound like HD that it would not be worth it if you COULD easily just translate the data.

A few notable examples?

 

The Orange amp. It's great for some things, but I can't use it for my tone on Helix like I could on HD 500. It doesn't work for me at all. 

 

The Dr. Z and /13 work WAY better in Helix in terms of "cleaning up" than they did in HD 500 and are way way more useful to me now.

 

And some delays and verbs work very differently. Some FX are so much better (U-Vibe) but have to be set totally differently to work for me.

The short and long answers are both "no". Don't even try.

Make new patches from scratch. It's easy and fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sold my HD500 a while back because the AxeFX II just killed it tone wise. Then I sold the Axe FXII because to me the Kemper sounded much better for what Im doing musically (esp. non-metal tunes). Im expecting Helix (because of the multitude of youtube videos and many praises for example) to be on par with my KPA tone wise. Maybe even surpass it. As far as Helix being a "mac truck" tone wise, that made me giggle. You don't get better tone by cornering faster, or cutting corners period. Maybe you just haven't heard or read the same things I have. Either way The HD falls way back from the front of the pack in my studio now as well as the Vetta, ToneLab and the Digitech 2101 etc etc does... As always YMMV...  ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...