musiclover7 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Finding myself rather disappointed in the tone of the tube screamer in the helix. It does not seem possible to get that mostly clean, yet highly sustained tone that I usually reach for with it. I have tried lots of knob tweaking, even putting two of them back to back in a chain, but I am pretty much striking out. Honestly, I prefer the way this effect gets translated on my Zoom G5, which is disappointing, as other effects in the Helix, are leagues better than the G5. Still, this is one of my go to's, so it is kind of a deal breaker. Anyone else having difficulties? Anyone figure out how to solve them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watch4king Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Sounds pretty good to me.... actually I just sold mine because it was so close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 The ears have it... And all of them are different it seems ;) I think the TS sounds ok too but Im not comparing it watch4, so thanks for that info... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanecgriffo Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 i haven't had a ts for many years so can't really compare but the one in helix is a nice sounding pedal regardless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_Igloo Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 There have been tons of different Tube Screamers over the years, and even consecutive serial numbers from the same batch can sound slightly different. Our model sounds exactly like our TS808. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHamm Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 ...that mostly clean, yet highly sustained tone... Try the Minotaur with gain really low. Thank me later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris-Beaver Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I have to disagree with the OP, for me the tube screamer sounds very close to my Joyo tube screamer clone and i'm more than happy with it. The Minotaur on the other hand is my favorite drive pedal i've ever used be it digital or hardware. Minotaur is incredible to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHamm Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I have to disagree with the OP, for me the tube screamer sounds very close to my Joyo tube screamer clone and i'm more than happy with it. The Minotaur on the other hand is my favorite drive pedal i've ever used be it digital or hardware. Minotaur is incredible to me The Teemah is amazing, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonkeyXT Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 +1 on Minotaur - that and the Screamer have been covering my bases thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncockerill Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Agreed on the Minotaur -- it's great. If the OP simply has to have an authentic TS808 -- no reason not to procure one and use in the FX loop of the Helix. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zooey Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Love the Minotaur, and somewhat to my surprise, lately the OCD. Also Hedgehog and KWB, Teemah!, Tycoctavia (w post EQ) for some ok-we're-bent stuff. Lots of my patches have a kind of clean base, and at least two levels of OD on footswitches, plus sometimes others not on switches that I'm messing with to see if I want them in too. Guess I'm an OD lollipop :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxnew40 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Did the OP compare it with the real thing or the way it was modeled in the Zoom G5? -Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover7 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 I was comparing to the Original. I had to send my helix back, as my original unit turned out to be defective, so waiting on another to come in the mail. In any case, I will try the Minotaur when it comes and see if I can get the tone I am after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_Igloo Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I was comparing to the Original. Which original? Again, there have been tons of Tube Screamers and they all sound different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnief83 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Which original? Again, there have been tons of Tube Screamers and they all sound different.The green one, you know... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHamm Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 The green one, you know... ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover7 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Which original? Again, there have been tons of Tube Screamers and they all sound different. The Ibanez 808. yeah.. the green one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_Igloo Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 The Ibanez 808. yeah.. the green one. This reminds me of a story about when my buddy went to a conference in Mumbai. He overheard the desk clerk ask the bellman "please deliver these to the American's room." The bellman asked "Which American? There are fifty staying in the hotel right now." The desk clerk replied "You know—the white guy!" :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadlocked Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Ibanez Tube Screamer History musiclover7, you obviously meant the one on the bottom right of that pic, right? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mileskb Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 This reminds me of a story about when my buddy went to a conference in Mumbai. He overheard the desk clerk ask the bellman "please deliver these to the American's room." The bellman asked "Which American? There are fifty staying in the hotel right now." The desk clerk replied "You know—the white guy!" :D Reminds me of when I was in the Navy and people would come to visit the ship or post. They'd ask how they'll spot me and the response is always... "I'll be the one in the white hat" Still makes me smile. But seriously, I have been wanting to say this for a loooong time and I'm just gonna sneak it in on this post so I feel better having said it. We musicians REALLY get hung up on brand names for some reason, even more than bikers. I think a LOT of people are listening with their eyes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Im still going with the green one... :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover7 Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 Well.. that's interesting. I am still like 4 years new to effect pedal world, though I have been playing professionally for about 25 years. Used to be, I would run straight into my 68 twin with reverb, occasional tremolo, and that was enough pizazz for me. Then I started delving a little a few years back, and wound up getting really sucked into the land of digital effects. I knew I was never going to be a guitar player who lugged around a complex pedal board with 10 different pedals attached to it. Way to much to maintain, so the idea of an all in one box has always appealed to me, even if I can just find 3-4 additional tones to tuck into my belt for when needed. My guitar into my vintage twin, is already tone heaven. I have no idea what year tube screamer I played that hooked me. It was one of those green ones though for sure. I liked the effect, cuz it created this amazing sustain with very little 'distortion'. It was almost as clean sounding as just my guitar into amp, and yet I could hang on one note for 2-3 bars, and my tone would not slowly dissolve on me. This was straight awesome sauce, and is a definite tool I don't want to go without. Anyways, I appreciate the education... Makes sense to me that the tube screamer I played may be of a different era, and that the Zoom G5 was closer to that than whatever year/make the Helix is modeled after. All I know, is that for the brief few hours that I was able to mess with the helix, I was unable to achieve that tone I was after. I am definitely, in no way a 'brand happy' player. I go with what sounds good to my ears and could care less what it's called. I'll look forward to trying with the minotaur when the new Helix arrives. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_Igloo Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Oh, it gets way hairier than Tube Screamers. Age, humidity, batteries, power supplies, North America vs. Europe AC, conductive paint, and a thousand other things can notably alter the sound of a pedal. Amps are even worse; the history of the myriad versions of the Vox AC30 (and their countless mods) is encyclopedic. Just goes to show that the specific amp or pedal we choose to model can be as important as how we model it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminjimlp Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Reminds me of when I was in the Navy and people would come to visit the ship or post. They'd ask how they'll spot me and the response is always... "I'll be the one in the white hat" Still makes me smile. But seriously, I have been wanting to say this for a loooong time and I'm just gonna sneak it in on this post so I feel better having said it. We musicians REALLY get hung up on brand names for some reason, even more than bikers. I think a LOT of people are listening with their eyes. uh oh!!! :o you shouldn't have let that one slip buddy!!! you need to start looking over your shoulder and if you see some guys that kinda look like the "The Blues Brothers" B) just pretend you didn't see them and walk fast into a place with lots of people..... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpelzel Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Humidity? So we need a dampening knob? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 We musicians REALLY get hung up on brand names for some reason, even more than bikers. Not even close, my friend. You ever see a guy with a Line 6 tattoo? ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachdanan0121 Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Not even close, my friend. You ever see a guy with a Line 6 tattoo? ;)That one made me chuckle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Not even close, my friend. You ever see a guy with a Line 6 tattoo? ;) True, and you don't have to get "beat in" to join the Line6 forum (although it feels that way sometimes). ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mileskb Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Not even close, my friend. You ever see a guy with a Line 6 tattoo? ;) Not that anyone has admitted to yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarrellM5 Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 "That Pedal Show" on YouTube just put out a new video in which they're comparing 4 different Tube Screamers, along with a few other pedals. Good episode. I don't own a Tube Screamer but I do have a 1985 Ibanez SD-9 Sonic Distortion, which sounds identical to the Hedgehog model in Helix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpdennis Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Not even close, my friend. You ever see a guy with a Line 6 tattoo? ;) Wait, they have a Line 6 Tattoo Choice Book? LOL B) Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpdennis Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 After reading this thread earlier today I quickly put together a preset. Of course I had to expand upon it so you can scratch quickly at this point :lol:. The TS 808 sounds good in my preset; I did add a few other blocks into the mix and made a full "Max the DSPs" preset. I am not sure what the version the OP is talking about but with a few tweaks I get a good tonal response and sustain plus clarity. Of course that is subjective based upon my ears. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsd512 Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Not even close, my friend. You ever see a guy with a Line 6 tattoo? ;) Does this count? :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDaveDaveDave Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 LOL! They wouldn't let the TS7 Tone Lok series into the family photo? ;) Maybe even Analog Man doesn't want one... Ibanez Tube Screamer History Back to the OP: +1 on the Minotaur for low-gain boost. It's incredible! This modelled pedal made me go and buy a Klon clone for my IRL pedalboard! (twice!) Also - it's important that the input impedance in Global Settings is set to "auto" if you really want to replicate the sound of any given pedal. From the perspective of your guitar's pickups, In "auto" the input jack in the Helix "looks" the same as the first pedal in your signal path. Hope this helps! SaveSave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover7 Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Holy crap! The minotaur is amazing! So much fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwinV Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Holy crap! The minotaur is amazing! So much fun!!Don't forget to thank PeterHamm ...😜 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaeger28 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 It all matters not. Tone is in the fingers. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuskey Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Ibanez Tube Screamer History What about the soundtank ts? Lol Sad to say that was the first one I owned. I was young and naive, and broke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 I thinks those green boxes all sound saturated and distorted... :P ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 What about the soundtank ts? Lol Sad to say that was the first one I owned. I was young and naive, and broke. Lol, I had the Soundtank TS5, too... Actually, I think I still have it in my basement somewhere. That and the Soundtank Chorus were the first two pedals I bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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