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Single piece of advice for newbie learing Helix


mrkphpps
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Hello Helix Forum

 

I've had my helix for a few weeks now, and am getting what I consider to be great sounds from my KRK 6 monitors.  I've been starting with an amp model, adding a couple of cabs in parallel, and largely just tweaking the gain settings to taste and changing the mics until it sounds good to me.  Then maybe a bit of reverb and a distortion box...

 

Thought snapshots sounded interesting, but might be hard work to dial in.  Turns out you just push and turn to set any parameter that takes your fancy!  Real world alternative would probably involve stomping on your tweaking fairy who has to access dials on the stomp box and amp at the same time to deliver your next tone.

 

Short of getting myself booked on a production and mixing course, am I missing anything amazing? 

 

All advice and guidance gratefully received!

 

Thanks

 

Mark

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You know...the most important thing is that you are happy with what you are hearing!  The really interesting part of helix is what people can create without fussing over copying other people.

 

That said, my number one piece of advice is to ensure that your patches are more or less the same volume with all blocks bypassed as when the blocks are active.

 

I dont take this to extremes, but all my "Rhythm" patches/snapshots are set this way and I have my lead patches/snapshots appropriately louder. 

 

I can see how one could easily set up a patch that sound pretty good but is already much higher level than the bypassed level...and then adding any boosts might start risking various glitches (if not actual internal clipping then at least modeled clipping on some FX) 

 

If you are new to complex FX rigs then googling a few artists rigs and attempting to replicate the signal chain might be a good exercise - not to copy their tones - but for insights into how FX can work together!

 

have fun!

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Hello Helix Forum

 

I've had my helix for a few weeks now, and am getting what I consider to be great sounds from my KRK 6 monitors.  I've been starting with an amp model, adding a couple of cabs in parallel, and largely just tweaking the gain settings to taste and changing the mics until it sounds good to me.  Then maybe a bit of reverb and a distortion box...

 

Thought snapshots sounded interesting, but might be hard work to dial in.  Turns out you just push and turn to set any parameter that takes your fancy!  Real world alternative would probably involve stomping on your tweaking fairy who has to access dials on the stomp box and amp at the same time to deliver your next tone.

 

Short of getting myself booked on a production and mixing course, am I missing anything amazing? 

 

All advice and guidance gratefully received!

 

Thanks

 

Mark

Try running two amps (with a Y split or A/B Split) or try running two amps into 2 different cabs, IRs, etc.

 

I like using single amps most of the time and running them into 2 separate IRs and blending them to taste. Snapshots are also a go-to for me.

 

As a Helix NOOB myself, I found this document of value, despite being for the POD HD. Lots of similarities and good ideas for basic patches

 

http://foobazaar.com/podhd/toneGuide/

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Great advice on the loudness idea - everything sounds better just a bit louder!

 

Came here from HD500 - but I do need to learn more about how to get the most from the FX rig (and possibly how to use a spell checker...)

 

I've been interested in the clean plus crunch rig in parallel for a while - two paths = two amps!

 

Checking the tone guide now...

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OK - if you come from the HD500, you might be well across what I'm going to say - also I find that some people are guitar amp purists - they just want it to sound like some amp they love and no more.

For me the big thing is that the Helix is a studio in a box.

So when guitarists go into the studio, the sound tweaking doesn't stop at the amp.

The mic is really important.  Then, I've never been in a studio where extra EQ was not needed to make the guitar sit in the mix.

Then to sit in an audio space there is reverb - there is always some reverb in a studio mix.

That reverb is after the amp and the mic - in stereo.  

So what I think is a really big thing is the ability to treat the guitar, pedals and amp like in a studio with reverb and delay and maybe other effects like stereo flanging applied after the mic.  I've found the Harmonic Flanger used as a post production effect just subtly, gives a really wide spread to your sound.  

Some people call all that type of stuff "too produced".  for me its the biggest win.

I've been getting compliments from traditional guitarists on my sound and they go "you're going direct aren't you?"  What they aren't realising is it's all that extra studio thinking they hear live that's really why they hear a "good" sound.

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Thanks all for taking the time to respond.

 

Keeping simple sounds like good advice.

 

I totally understand that studio thinking is different - that's what I'm trying to understand.

 

Leaving the default amp tone settings alone, tweaking gain and listening to different cab / mic options seems to get me a long way in the right direction.  Two cabs even further.  (IRs are a whole new subject...)

 

However, I realise that my knowledge of eq can be written on the back of a stamp (with marker pen).  How do you make that sound sit right in a mix?

 

Sorry, more vague questions?

 

Ford Prefect knows the answer is 42!

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