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

Helix and H&K GrandMeister 40 Deluxe


spikey
 Share

Recommended Posts

I had the Grandmeister 36 when I bought the helix. They work well together. Midi control of teh head was very simple. I simply realized having something like 8 million possible tones was just a bit much. :)

 

I got rid of the Grandmeister because i wasn't getting used as intended as I had several other tube heads I used the Helix with. Also, while the effects were good in the Grandmeister, they were not as good (or plentifuil, or tweakable) as the effects in the Helix. So they became basically useless as they were never used.

 

In short, It was kind of redundant to have both together. But if you are a tone tweaker, you would be in heaven. I don't think there is a tone you couldn't get from that setup (or even moreso the Triamp, where you can switch up power tubes, but it's about $4k)

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any particular part? Why doesn't the rest of you?

The parts of me that have to pay for stuff, carry it around, and maintain it are not wishing for it. The parts of me that play guitar think it seems awesome, and I liked the sounds I heard on Rabea's demo a lot.
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The parts of me that have to pay for stuff, carry it around, and maintain it are not wishing for it. The parts of me that play guitar think it seems awesome, and I liked the sounds I heard on Rabea's demo a lot.

 

Yea Rabea's demo sold a crap load of GM-40's I'm thinking. Dude can play, but the head sounds sweet too.

With Helix it should be awesome sauce....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm using a H&K Switchblade 50 combo with Helix.

 

I did think of upgrading to the Grandmeister, but like Jugghaid says there are so many options with the combination of Helix plus midi recalled amp presets it is quite mind boggling.   And yes Helix's effect are better than Grandemeister's so that is no reason for me to change.

 

I often find myself just using 6 or 7 main H&K presets as a starting point (very clean, cleanish, light crunch, heavy crunch, lead, heavy lead, ultra) and then shaping the tone from Helix as required by use of gain blocks and eqs.

 

In fact I think I could probably be very happy just with a standard dual channel tube amp - clean and drive and use Helix to add boosts etc.

 

Not to mention of course that sometimes you can just bypass the tube preamp totally and use one of Helix's amps straight into the amp's FX return.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thinking out loud... I bought a Bogner La Grange pedal because nothing in Helix to my ears even comes close. I have it run thru aux 1 and with Helix its just killer! Yes I love the overdrives and distortions in Helix but the LaGrange pedal has to me, better sounding Marshall plexi tones. And, the same goes with a certain tone-mojo with the GrandMeister Deluxe 40. It rears its nasty head (in a good way) with the overdrive/distortion tube goodness in it, versus Helix. Listen to Rabea's tones through one on Youtube (you need to do this), and judge for yourself. Again, I love my Helix (and its tones) and this is only a comparison to my ears, YMMV...  :)  And I'm betting Helix will do a better "Fender" tone, the GM-40 isn't really built for that even if it does cleans well. The rest is fluff, and most would be hard-pressed to hear the difference between Helix chorus and the GM-40's chorus. The point is that with both of them one could achieve great tone with one or the other separately, and even more combined.   Something to add to my bucket list... :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got the GrandMeister deluxe 40 in yesterday eve and spent some hookup time with it and the WMI-1 wireless interface. I had issues at first, but once I shut down Lil Snitch it connected right up wirelessly with my router and iPad editor! So I can now run the H&K editor on my iPad, and the Helix editor on the Mac... I hooked it up 4 cable method with Helix thru (FX Loop) aux 2 and set up a patch in Helix also using aux 1 (for the Bogner Lagrange pedal) and aux 2 ( for the GM-40). So now I can add wah, compression, and distortions when wanted in front, and reverbs & delays in the back. It (GM-40 Deluxe) screams and moans for days on end! Don't let them tell u the GM-40 is a metal amp only. Oh it can, but does a lot more esp. Thru Helix! And...., when I change the patch used for the GM-40 (for just Helix tones only) the FX loop is bypassed and Helix is now back on its own. Best of both worlds!

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
On ‎3‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 7:27 PM, spikey said:

Is that hookup something like this perhaps?

 

qW3E8NY.jpg

(Thanks to one of the guys on the H&K forums)

 

Thanks for the chart.  Could you please made a more complete chart, including:

a) the GrandMeister app and the Helix Edit. I guess there should be an extra link (by USB) from the Midi interface to the PC/Mac.

b) The FSM-432 MK III, between the Midi Interface and the GM-40.

 

In the end, with the right connections, one should be able to (at least):

- Change presets in GM-40 from the Helix.

- Change presets in GM-40 from the FSM-432 MK III

- Tweak the settings in the GM app and save them in the GM-40 amp.

 

I have tried this with no sucess. I'm using the Mio4 as the Midi interface. Leaving aside the use of the FSM-432 MK III, the connection between the Helix and the GM-40 works perfectly (I can change presets) but with the above settings the app is not sending or receiving any midi messages (cannot change from library to amp), even it recognises as OK the midi interface.

 

 

 

 

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...