Is Helix/Helix LT for me?

[Fuzzbluesmonkey]

Hi guys, I'm new here but have been thinking about getting a helix for a while but never taken the plunge so it were.

 

I play in a 2 piece band and play guitar with faux bass and organ tones.

My current set up is

Tyler Variax

Morley ABC switch

Channel A - tremolo, fuzz, pog 2, overdrive, box of rock, delay, guitar amp

Channel B - EQ, Octave pedal (sub n up), tech 21 blonde with speaker sim off to bass amp

Channel C - Bit commander, ehx C9, ehx lester k, guitar amp

 

When gigging I take a head, 2x12 cab, bass head and a 1x15 cab. It's all very heavy and not the quickest to setup. I recently picked up a yamaha dxr15 and I'm getting some great guitar tones from it using my pedalboard into a speaker sim.

 

Would I be able to replace the majority of these pedals with helix or helix LT. I know helix does 4 paths simultaneously and I think the Pog and organ pedals could be put in the loops and incorporated into the correct path. This would hopefully allow me to turn up at gigs with the variax, pedal board and yamaha dxr15.

 

Is Helix for me? Given that I'm unsure Helix has always been too expensive for me but helix LT looks like a much more realistic solution. I need to replicate what I have above and be able to switch those paths on and off.

 

Hopefully you guys can help.

Cheers

Fuzzblues

[FlyingsCool]

Hi guys, I'm new here but have been thinking about getting a helix for a while but never taken the plunge so it were.

 

I play in a 2 piece band and play guitar with faux bass and organ tones.

My current set up is

Tyler Variax

Morley ABC switch

Channel A - tremolo, fuzz, pog 2, overdrive, box of rock, delay, guitar amp

Channel B - EQ, Octave pedal (sub n up), tech 21 blonde with speaker sim off to bass amp

Channel C - Bit commander, ehx C9, ehx lester k, guitar amp

 

When gigging I take a head, 2x12 cab, bass head and a 1x15 cab. It's all very heavy and not the quickest to setup. I recently picked up a yamaha dxr15 and I'm getting some great guitar tones from it using my pedalboard into a speaker sim.

 

Would I be able to replace the majority of these pedals with helix or helix LT. I know helix does 4 paths simultaneously and I think the Pog and organ pedals could be put in the loops and incorporated into the correct path. This would hopefully allow me to turn up at gigs with the variax, pedal board and yamaha dxr15.

 

Is Helix for me? Given that I'm unsure Helix has always been too expensive for me but helix LT looks like a much more realistic solution. I need to replicate what I have above and be able to switch those paths on and off.

 

Hopefully you guys can help.

Cheers

Fuzzblues

 

Yes, it sounds like it would be good for you.  Given Helix doesn't yet have a POG model, and the organ may be easier with a pedal since it is used simultaneously with your guitar path, it sounds like you may want to go the full Helix route.  You could likely regret not spending a couple extra hundred dollars later.  Reverb has a few new and used units for around $1200 with free shipping in the states.  Plus you save $100 I think (or is it $200?) on Native with Helix over LT, which, given your setup might be useful for you even in a live scenario.

[Fuzzbluesmonkey]

Thanks for the info. I think the LT might be enough for me, I should only need the two fx loops.

How would I configure helix to switch on/off each of the paths.

[FlyingsCool]

Thanks for the info. I think the LT might be enough for me, I should only need the two fx loops.

How would I configure helix to switch on/off each of the paths.

 

You'll create send / return blocks in your path, and then assign these to buttons on the helix to switch them on and off.

[Fuzzbluesmonkey]

So the first block in each path should be a send/return so when switched on it kills the signal as the return wouldn't be configured to anything

[rzumwalt]

There are multiple ways of doing it; FlyingsCool gave you the easiest way to do it for most circumstances. But it sounds like you are thinking of the Send/Return block as a separate Send block and Return block, rather than one block that handles both the Send and Return. (You can choose to split into use two separate Send and Return blocks, but ignore that for now.) When S/R block is off, the effect is bypassed; when it is on, the effect is looped into your signal chain wherever the block is positioned. That is, it both leaves and returns to the same place in your signal chain.  I could be reading it wrong, but it sounds like you are thinking you would program just the Send block but not the return block, thus sending your signal to nowhere and bypassing the Helix entirely.

The easiest way to do it is probably to program your Helix signal chain something like:

[EQ] > [Tremolo] > [Fuzz] > [bit Crusher] > [s/R 1 (POG 2)] >  [s/R 2 (C9​)] > [Delay] > [Amp model or out to your amp] 

You could turn off EQ, Bit Crusher, and S/R 2 and you would have your current Channel A. Turn those back on and everything else off, and you would have your current Channel C. There are probably a dozen different ways you could do it; but ultimately, you will plug into the Helix, ignore everything I or anyone else has told you, and intuitively set it up however you like and get something like your current setup in about 10 minutes. It's easier than you think.

[Fuzzbluesmonkey]

Perhaps I just need a bit of time with one for an afternoon.

[Fuzzbluesmonkey]

The Pog and the C9 need to be in separate chains and I need to be able to switch the effects in and out individually as well as the individual paths. is this possible?

[GDan]

I'd consider the helix rack as an option. If you're using you're octave pedals you could stick them in a rack tray then for convenience. Then you could save even more on weight if you were willing to replace both heads with single a two channel solid state power amp like the matrix.

 

Also I've seen more discounts at stores for the rack than the floorboard.

[PeterHamm]

The Pog and the C9 need to be in separate chains and I need to be able to switch the effects in and out individually as well as the individual paths. is this possible?

There are two mono loops on LT, so you can keep your POG and C9 in their own loops.

 

That said, you are totally filling all your I/O, so I think you really would be better off with Helix than LT. Otherwise, next time you want to add something or change the routing drastically, you're hosed.

[bradlake]

IMO, the generous I/O of the original is what really makes it special as a hub for other equipment and loops, so in your case, it would be best, methinks.

[rzumwalt]

The Pog and the C9 need to be in separate chains and I need to be able to switch the effects in and out individually as well as the individual paths. is this possible?

You can easily do this, you could have two separate chains:

    -- [input path 1] > effects, etc. > [s/R 1 POG] > [output path 1]

    -- [input path 2] > effects, etc > [s/R 2 C9] > [output path 2]

 

To do what you are wanting to do, I would assign a footswitch to toggle output path 1 and 2 so you can switch between them (or an effect pedal to fade between them). Then assign S/R 1 and S/R 2 to separate footswitches. You could also do 3 separate paths, but I've never done it. You wouldn't have a single footswitch to toggle between the paths, but you could assign each to a different snapshot.

But yeah, you just need to sit down with it for an afternoon, and you'll figure it out. 

[Fuzzbluesmonkey]

You can easily do this, you could have two separate chains:

    -- [input path 1] > effects, etc. > [s/R 1 POG] > [output path 1]

    -- [input path 2] > effects, etc > [s/R 2 C9] > [output path 2]

 

To do what you are wanting to do, I would assign a footswitch to toggle output path 1 and 2 so you can switch between them (or an effect pedal to fade between them). Then assign S/R 1 and S/R 2 to separate footswitches. You could also do 3 separate paths, but I've never done it. You wouldn't have a single footswitch to toggle between the paths, but you could assign each to a different snapshot.

But yeah, you just need to sit down with it for an afternoon, and you'll figure it out.

 

I'm not convinced helix can do what I need. With my current pedal setup I can switch each of my paths in and out as well as turn each of the effects in and out. I could setup individual patches but I'm concerned that there will be some latency switching.

[PeterHamm]

I'm not convinced helix can do what I need. With my current pedal setup I can switch each of my paths in and out as well as turn each of the effects in and out. I could setup individual patches but I'm concerned that there will be some latency switching.

 

 

You can do an amazing amount of that kind of switching with snapshots and gain or volume pedal blocks. Give us a detailed description of what goes on and what goes off when you switch your paths and I'll bet I can replicate it in Helix and even add in up to 4 of your pedals (in mono) with the loops if need be.

[Fuzzbluesmonkey]

You can easily do this, you could have two separate chains:

    -- [input path 1] > effects, etc. > [s/R 1 POG] > [output path 1]

    -- [input path 2] > effects, etc > [s/R 2 C9] > [output path 2]

 

To do what you are wanting to do, I would assign a footswitch to toggle output path 1 and 2 so you can switch between them (or an effect pedal to fade between them). Then assign S/R 1 and S/R 2 to separate footswitches. You could also do 3 separate paths, but I've never done it. You wouldn't have a single footswitch to toggle between the paths, but you could assign each to a different snapshot.

But yeah, you just need to sit down with it for an afternoon, and you'll figure it out.

 

So within a patch I can have up to 8 snap shots? If I assign a snap shot to each path that leaves me 5 snap shots for POG, tremolo, delay, fuzz and my EQ pedal. That could work actually.

 

Cheers dude, food for thought.

[rzumwalt]

So within a patch I can have up to 8 snap shots? If I assign a snap shot to each path that leaves me 5 snap shots for POG, tremolo, delay, fuzz and my EQ pedal. That could work actually.

 

Cheers dude, food for thought.

You could do that. You could also set up the foot switches to display four snapshots and four pedals (don't worry, you'll still have access the other four snapshots if you need them). Among the four pedals, you could turn on and off the different effects, independent of the snapshots. But you listed five effects, and I mentioned four pedals. You can assign two effects to one pedal. For example, if your POG and fuzz are on different paths, the same footswitch could work for both and it would never interfere.

[PeterHamm]

So within a patch I can have up to 8 snap shots? If I assign a snap shot to each path that leaves me 5 snap shots for POG, tremolo, delay, fuzz and my EQ pedal. That could work actually.

 

Cheers dude, food for thought.

 

 

That's not really the strength of snap shots, as rzumwalt mentions above.

 

Imagine this. You have a 4-verse song that needs:

POG and delay in verse 1,

Trem in vs 2,

Trem and Delay in vs 3,

and fuzz and EQ and POG in verse 4.

 

You also need the amp to change settings and the delay to be a different mix level and feedback in vs 1 than in vs 3... and you need the Trem's speed to change between 1 and 2...

 

You can do THAT with four snapshots.

 

If you're just looking at turning FX on and off, you can do that without and, btw, in ADDITION to snapshots.

 

This might explain it a little more.

 

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=4vjBa02dZQE