Adjusting volume of multiple snapshots

[vinny199]

Hi,

 

So, I bought Helix last year, sold it as I couldn't get on with latency in preset switching mode, but now bought it again as the snapshots do just what I need to do.

 

I've never gigged with a Helix yet, and one thing that worries me is:

 

It's common when I soundcheck, depending on the room, the amp I may plug into etc that I need to adjust the balance between clean levels and distortion levels.

 

Super easy to do with pedals, you just turn the volume of your drive pedal up or down, same thing for Fuzz and you get your clean / distortion level balance as you need for the room in seconds.

 

Now... how do I do this with Helix?

 

Say I turn up at a venue and despite my snapshots having been poerfectly balanced for previous gig / rehearsals (I will use 8 snapshots  per bank, no individual effect assigned to footswitches), the FOH engineer tells me "turn your distortions down" (hate when they do that..)

 

How do you do it??

 

Do I have to adjust each and every snapshots individually? (I'll have quite a few banks for different songs)

 

What's the quick way of tunring all overdrive sounds up or down?

 

Is there a trick? I would love to know.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Vinny

[Digital_Igloo]

1. Find the Level or Volume parameter that you normally use to level presets. It might be your Amp block's Ch Vol parameter or the Mixer or Output block's Level parameter.

Press and turn that knob. The value will turn white, show brackets, and now be remembered per snapshot.

[vinny199]

Thanks for the reply.

 

OK, so let me make sure I understand this:

 

Let's say I have 4 snapshots for clean sounds on the top row of footwitches, and that I have 4 overdrive types snapshots on the bottom 4 row of footswitches.

 

Now I need to turn down the overall volume of the 4 overdrive snapshots in one go.

 

The method you suggest allows me to do that (not affect the 4 clean snapshots levels, but globally change the volume of the 4 overdrive snapshots?)

[franz]

add a gain block near the output only to the distorted snapshots and turn that down in one go

[vinny199]

OK! Thank you!

[HonestOpinion]

Thanks for the reply.

 

OK, so let me make sure I understand this:

 

Let's say I have 4 snapshots for clean sounds on the top row of footwitches, and that I have 4 overdrive types snapshots on the bottom 4 row of footswitches.

 

Now I need to turn down the overall volume of the 4 overdrive snapshots in one go.

 

The method you suggest allows me to do that (not affect the 4 clean snapshots levels, but globally change the volume of the 4 overdrive snapshots?)

 

There is no way that I am aware of to change a parameter simultaneously for a limited subset of snapshots e.g. only the overdrive snapshots. Snapshot assignment, at least for right now, is an "all or each" proposition. There is currently no way to designate that a parameter value change only affects one subset of snapshots and not another.

 

The method DI suggested is for assigning, for example, a volume parameter to all snapshots (press & turn method).  This allows you to set a different value for that parameter in each snapshot. For example, you can assign the Amp block's 'Ch Vol' to snapshots which enables you to set each snapshot's volume differently so you can level them up to each other.. If you want to be able to change a parameter to the same value simultaneously for all the snapshots in a preset, then don't assign the parameter to snapshots.

 

Parameter not assigned to snapshot = Parameter change affects all snapshots simultaneously.

Parameter assigned to snapshot = Parameter value can be set differently for all snapshots. All snapshots will have the initial value when the parameter is first assigned to snapshots but can now be changed in each snapshot independently of one another.

[CraigGT]

Why not just turn the gain down on your distortion block just like a real pedal? Assuming you're not using snapshots to change that then it will reduce on all snapshots.

 

Craig

[jbuhajla]

Why not just turn the gain down on your distortion block just like a real pedal? Assuming you're not using snapshots to change that then it will reduce on all snapshots.

 

Craig

^this^

 

The Helix operates just like real pedals, with the added function of snaps. If the pedal volume is a parameter you are changing with snapshots, just save the snap before going to the next snap. If it is not a parameter being changed by snaps, then it is "global" within the preset and nothing else has to be done. Just tweak, save the preset, and you are good to go. 

[zooey]

This. Except that if you have different distortion volume settings for each snapshot, you'll still have to tweak them separately.

[LaurentJoulzy]

And doing this for all snapshots of all presets is a lot of (complicated and boring) work ! I just wish you could share blocks between presets, so that when you find the right spot (for volume or any parameter), you don't have to go through all your presets and paste this block.

 

This is the main reason why I don't use Helix distortions and amps. I stick to  external drive pedals in the loops and go into a clean amp, so that my distortion levels are the same for all presets. And I still have troubles with compressors, split pickup level drop... and the fact that you cannot play the same volume all the gig long :) 

[jbuhajla]

And doing this for all snapshots of all presets is a lot of (complicated and boring) work ! I just wish you could share blocks between presets, so that when you find the right spot (for volume or any parameter), you don't have to go through all your presets and paste this block.

 

This is the main reason why I don't use Helix distortions and amps. I stick to  external drive pedals in the loops and go into a clean amp, so that my distortion levels are the same for all presets. And I still have troubles with compressors, split pickup level drop... and the fact that you cannot play the same volume all the gig long :)

You can copy/paste blocks between presets. I have a preset saved not for playing, but for saving all my "favorite" blocks in so I can copy and paste them in other presets. 

[LaurentJoulzy]

You can copy/paste blocks between presets. I have a preset saved not for playing, but for saving all my "favorite" blocks in so I can copy and paste them in other presets. 

 

I know you can, I use it a lot. I'm still new to the Helix, and I always find a lot of things to improve in my presets. And it often means updating them all.

 

The thing is loading and pasting a block to 40 presets takes a lonk time. Using a dedicated preset is a very good tip to remeber yor prefered settings (thanks !), but it still takes the same time when you have to apply a modification everywhere.

 

I really need linked blocks and a propagate button ! :)

[zooey]

Be aware also that copying and pasting blocks doesn't work well if the block has different settings across snapshots. Ideally, maybe, the settings for each snapshot would come with, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

 

OTOH, that makes no sense unless you have the same snapshot layout in the source and destination presets.

 

OTOOH, maybe only the current snapshot's settings should paste into the current snapshot in the destination preset. PITA though if you actually do have the same snapshot layout in both presets and mean to copy all 8 snaps worth of settings.