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Formant sounds with Helix?


DannyMcO
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Anybody have any success creating formant (vowel) sounds from the assortment of Helix wahs and/or filters?  Any tips and tricks to share so I don't have to fork over more dough on an EHX Next Step or something similar?

 

As a sidebar to this - has anybody figured out a way to route a Talkbox through the Helix in such a way as to keep it totally contained?  Given the mic inputs, I'm wondering if the guitar can be routed out to the Talkbox (tube), then back in to the Helix (maybe at a custom location in the signal path/effects chain?), ultimately going out through the 1/4" to the amp instead of the traditional guitar->effects->amp->talkbox->mic->PA.  Is this possible with the Helix?

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This seems to currently be an area where Helix is lacking. I would wait to see if the next firmware update will include any new filters. Hopefully.

 

Can't really answer the second part with any certainty whatsoever as I'm not familiar with your sort of setup or with a talkbox, but have you tried just inserting the talkbox into one of the effects loops? Doing that would allow you place it anywhere in the signal chain by using the send and return blocks or an fx loop block. Unless there's something special about a talkbox that I don't know about?

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...

As a sidebar to this - has anybody figured out a way to route a Talkbox through the Helix in such a way as to keep it totally contained?  Given the mic inputs, I'm wondering if the guitar can be routed out to the Talkbox (tube), then back in to the Helix (maybe at a custom location in the signal path/effects chain?), ultimately going out through the 1/4" to the amp instead of the traditional guitar->effects->amp->talkbox->mic->PA.  Is this possible with the Helix?

 

If you have something like the Heil Talk Box where the input to the talkbox is actually coming from the speaker output (not the send/return loop) of your amp, it might be safest to use something like the Pro Configuration setup diagram in the Heil manual with an A/B switcher where the Helix would be represented by the box labeled as "Rack FX". At no point will the signal from your amp's speaker output be going into any input on the Helix! The signal coming from your guitar amp's speaker output is post power amp and is not the same as the line level output that comes from a guitar amp's send/return loop which is post preamp. I don't think any of the inputs on the Helix are built to accommodate a signal coming directly from a power amp's output. I would ask Line6 before hooking anything like that up directly into the Helix and my guess is they will probably advise against it.

 

If you have something like the Danalectro Free Speech Talk Box which uses its own built in amplifier and does not require input from a power amp, then I think you could use that in a Helix send/return loop with no issues.

 

Heil Talk Box Manual

http://www.jimdunlop.com/files/manuals/HT1HeilTalkboxManual.pdf

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My assumption would be that if you do two identical chains in parallel with the only difference being that there are the wahs or filters with high resonance on each channel are slightly offset from each other in frequency.  Because a formant is usually made up of two "peaks" in the eq that simulate the peaks in the human voice. That should get you in the ball park.

 

 

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It's a Rocktron Banshee - basically treats a vinyl tube like headphones out. Mount the tube next to your mic with velcro, and when you activate the box, put the tube in your mouth and open it towards the mic with the tube sticking in. 

 

The chain is guitar -> effects> Banshee -> vinyl tube -> side of your mouth -> mic -> PA. 

 

Not looking at the box at this moment, but I believe you have the option of cutting off the signal to your amp or using the regular guitar sound out of your amp as a double to the talky bits coming through the mic

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It's a Rocktron Banshee - basically treats a vinyl tube like headphones out. Mount the tube next to your mic with velcro, and when you activate the box, put the tube in your mouth and open it towards the mic with the tube sticking in. 

 

The chain is guitar -> effects> Banshee -> vinyl tube -> side of your mouth -> mic -> PA. 

 

Not looking at the box at this moment, but I believe you have the option of cutting off the signal to your amp or using the regular guitar sound out of your amp as a double to the talky bits coming through the mic

 

Looks like the Rocktron Banshee could be used in a Helix send/return loop. Just don't connect the "External Speaker" jack on the Banshee to the Helix.

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I have the Rocktron Banshee 2 (used to have the MXR talkbox). I run it as a S/R block and have it assigned to a footswitch. Basically, whenever a Bon bloody Jovi song is requested, I press the footswitch and stick the pipe in my gob and get playing.

Very very easy to use and sounds great! Just make sure you don't drool.

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  • 4 months later...

I've noticed a lot of folks looking for a way to integrate a talk box into the Helix. I'm sure there are a few other ways to do it, but this is what I did, and it worked out rather well.

 

1. Plug a mic into the mic input on the back of the Helix. Set up your Talk Box hose at that mic.

2. Connect Send 1 to your Talk Box input.

3. Select a new preset on the Helix.

4. Set 1st Input to MULTI. (left side of top row)

5. Set 1st Output to SEND 1/2. (right side of top row)

6. Set 2nd Input to MIC. (left side of bottom row)

7. Set 2nd Output to MULTI. (right side of bottom row)

8. Place a PREAMP Studio Pre Tube on the bottom row.

9. In Global Settings I/O set MIC IN GAIN to a level which best matches your mic's characteristics.

 

Push the footswitch on the Talk Box to make it active and Voila! Start yakin your Sambora Frampton speak. The audio will be coming out of all the necessary outputs. So, if you're running direct to FOH out the XLRs, or to an amp or monitor out the 1/4 in. outs, the sound will be present. Good Luck and Enjoy!

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  • 1 month later...

I've noticed a lot of folks looking for a way to integrate a talk box into the Helix. I'm sure there are a few other ways to do it, but this is what I did, and it worked out rather well.

 

1. Plug a mic into the mic input on the back of the Helix. Set up your Talk Box hose at that mic.

2. Connect Send 1 to your Talk Box input.

3. Select a new preset on the Helix.

4. Set 1st Input to MULTI. (left side of top row)

5. Set 1st Output to SEND 1/2. (right side of top row)

6. Set 2nd Input to MIC. (left side of bottom row)

7. Set 2nd Output to MULTI. (right side of bottom row)

8. Place a PREAMP Studio Pre Tube on the bottom row.

9. In Global Settings I/O set MIC IN GAIN to a level which best matches your mic's characteristics.

 

Push the footswitch on the Talk Box to make it active and Voila! Start yakin your Sambora Frampton speak. The audio will be coming out of all the necessary outputs. So, if you're running direct to FOH out the XLRs, or to an amp or monitor out the 1/4 in. outs, the sound will be present. Good Luck and Enjoy!

Hi there, being sort of a newbie with Helix, would you mind posting a short video on how you did this? Thank you for your time! :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

The only thing i really miss from my Axe-Fx II is the formant block, apart from that I have no regrets ;0)

Awesome to have you aboard. What about the tone matching? Im not really one who likes to copy other sounds but it just seems like that could be such a killer feature. My buddy almost has me talked into trying the Axe II XL ( not that im unhappy with helix) but i have never tried it, heard it, nor care to. Just want playing to be as fun as possible. It really meant a lot to read your quote....or saved me $2200 i guess :) i owe you. will half do? :)

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I have a rocktron banshee. All you need to do is set up a path that utilizes the microphone input and then just set up the rest like you normally would. I personally like to put my talk box last in the chain so I can Taylor the sound coming through the tube.

 

I use an Alto TS112a, which has two inputs, and have used that second input for the mic without even having to use the Helix for any DSP heavy presets

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  • 10 months later...
  • 10 months later...

@AdminTeam - How do we get the Helix team to take some of the above into account when updating new models?

 

It seems silly to me that a Pod XTLive should have any sound at all that Helix lacks. And there are no shortage of formant filter boxes out there.

 

 

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1 hour ago, DannyMcO said:

@AdminTeam - How do we get the Helix team to take some of the above into account when updating new models?

 

It seems silly to me that a Pod XTLive should have any sound at all that Helix lacks. And there are no shortage of formant filter boxes out there.

 

 

What about the Legacy effects that came with v2.50?

 

  • Filter > Voice Box
  • Filter > V Tron
  • Filter > Q Filter
  • Filter > Seeker
  • Filter > Obi Wah
  • Filter > Tron Up
  • Filter > Tron Down
  • Filter > Throbber
  • Filter > Slow Filter
  • Filter > Spin Cycle
  • Filter > Comet Trails
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On 10/23/2018 at 7:20 PM, DannyMcO said:

Thanks for pointing that out. I had no idea so many filters were added in 2.50. I really need to read these release notes better. 

 

Trying Filter models out this evening. Hold please.

Those were legacy effects from the M series. Some are quite good. A lot of the legacy stuff from the M line was implemented in the 2.50 update. 

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On 6/18/2016 at 2:31 PM, DannyMcO said:

Anybody have any success creating formant (vowel) sounds from the assortment of Helix wahs and/or filters?  Any tips and tricks to share so I don't have to fork over more dough on an EHX Next Step or something similar?

 

As a sidebar to this - has anybody figured out a way to route a Talkbox through the Helix in such a way as to keep it totally contained?  Given the mic inputs, I'm wondering if the guitar can be routed out to the Talkbox (tube), then back in to the Helix (maybe at a custom location in the signal path/effects chain?), ultimately going out through the 1/4" to the amp instead of the traditional guitar->effects->amp->talkbox->mic->PA.  Is this possible with the Helix?

 

I like the V-Tron among the recent legacy effetcs. Even if it is not as extreme as the talkbox at all, imho it is very musical in a band mix.

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