Helix suggestions

[sebashoning2]

I'm thouroughly loving the Helix at the moment, but as I like to push the boundaries of my equipment I wonder if we can stretch those boundaries even more by adding some suggestions!

 

If there's a better place/topic to do this, please excuse and tell me.

 

1: Seperate Power Amps.

In my rig I run the Helix direct from the XLR to the PA and the 1/4 jacks to the poweramp inputs of my Peavey Bandits for monitoring. The power amps are quite essential to the tones of the amp so it would be ideal if you could pick a preamp, send 1 path direct to the jacks and feed the other path through a power amp and cab. Using the pre+poweramp blocks through another poweramp seems to make things quite harsh sounding.

 

2. Custom quick edit menu.

Most of the time all I want to edit on the fly is the channel volume of the amps or the mix of the effects. Best case scenario would be if you could customize the functions of the 6 knobs under the screen to whatever parameter of whatever block in a 'main' menu for that preset. It would make for a little less menu-diving.

 

3. 7-band parametric EQ with display.

As a Pro Tools user I would love to be able to use it's stock 7-band EQ in my presets. And while we're at it, lets use the giant display to show the EQ moves in the spectrum. Although I do think you should listen to what you're doing instead of seeing it, I find it much quicker and easier to point out certain frequencies when looking at the diagram. This diagram thing would also work great with compressors and gates btw...

 

4. Trails from preset to preset.

When I switch to a different preset my delays and reverbs get cut off. Probably has to do with the 2 processors giving everything already, but if there's an option to make them spill out over the next preset: yes please!

 

5. More amps!

I love the fact that updates carry some new amp or effect options with them, so here are a few more suggestions:

-Victory Silverback

-Victory Kraken

-Marshall JMP-1

-Peavey Classic series

-Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+

-PRS Archon

 

So these are my current thoughts about.

What I really like about the list above is that nothing is really essential as most common fx processor issues are solved within the Helix. I used a G-System before and it's been a massive upgrade! The only thing I kinda miss from that unit are the delay spill-overs.

Ah well. Dare to dream. ;-)

 

Greeting from The Netherlands!

Sebas Honing.

[pb00067]

I have a suggestion regarding scale-based harmony effects as the Twin Harmony.

There's a lack in producing triad centered voicings / harmonies like Brian May for instance uses so often in Queen songs as 'Killer Queen', 'Born to love you'.

But also multi-voice-solos of many other guitarists are triad-centered instead of always shifting the same interval.

If I put for instance

Key: C

Scale: Major

Voice: 3rd

 

and play following notes:

C, D, E, F

then the produced shifts are

E, F, G, A.

 

So far so good.

But if I play now a G (as 5rd in context of a C-major chord) then it produces me a B which is out of context (unless we are in a Cmaj7).

Correct in this case would be a C instead of a B.

The Digitec HarmonyMan (discontinued product) solved this Triad-Centered voicing problem very efficiently with a simple mapping,

see first table https://www.manualslib.com/manual/380763/Digitech-Harmonyman.html#page=21-manual

LL stands for -6th (-5th on pos/row 5)

L    stands for -3rd (-4th on pos/row 1)

H    stands for +3rd (+4th on pos/row 5)

HH stands for +6th (+5th on pos/row 1)

 

It would be very helpful if Line6 could implement something like this in a future firmware of the Helix, thanks!

[jasperfish]

For what it's worth . . . . I use 2 outbound effects pedals; Wah and Whammy.  The Helix can replicate the sounds of both well, but I like having immediate access to the pedals so chose to keep them.  I have them rigged up to the effects loops.  All of this works great, but my pedalboard is still too big, a problem that I wanted to solve when buying the Helix.

 

I had a 3rd pedal which was a volume, but I predominantly have the Helix expression rigged up for volume on Ex1, and Gain on EX2, which gives me more than the old volume pedal gave.

 

What would help me is to include either 1 or 2 additional expression pedals on the Helix.  I know that sounds like a lot, but I would imagine there are more people like me who need access to pedals immediately and without having to switch around to gain access.  This would give me 2 different wah's + 2 different pre-loaded whammy/pitch bend effects.

 

Oh, and at least 1 of the expression pedals, where you include 2 or 3, should be spring loaded.  My current wah is the Morley Power Wah, and I love the face that it springs back to the off position.  I'm sure there's some fancy engineering technology that allows the springs to be engaged/disengaged.

 

Thanks.  I guess it depends on how many others have asked the same . . . . . .