GenoBluzGtr Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Anyone using something in front of their Helix as an "always on" to add life and airiness to the overall tone? When I used my tube rigs, I had an EP Boost set mildly (about 9 - 10 O'Clock) and it made everything in the chain after it (amp, pedals, etc) smoother, and more natural sounding. Anyone have anything similar that has the same type of effect on a Helix? If not, have you tried and it just doesn't have the same effect as it does on a Pedal Board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I smell an opti-trem discussion on the horizon...;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbatts Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I haven't tried it. For me and my old analog board, it was an EP Pre. For me, right now, with the Helix, it's the Opti-Trem. I'm hoping for an EP Pre in a future Helix update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StruckingFuggle Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 This question has come up a couple times. Some people love the optical trem, some people love the minotaur. Lately I've been using an actual EP Boost going into Helix. Especially for single coil patches. It helps smooth out the volume differences between my humbucker and single coil patches. I've been doing a lot of A/B'ing of the Minotaur and the EP Boost. I can get close to the EP sound, but there is a just a little something in the mid-range that the Minotaur just doesn't quite match. The board I've built for my helix has some room for extra pedals (mobius, drop, polytune, HOF reverb, and the EP), so i'm ok with having the extra junk. If I needed a very small rig, I'd be ok with just Helix and using the Minotaur block. My Mobius has a vintage trem patch that is just barely thicker than the Helix optical trem, and I've really enjoyed putting that at various places in the chain. It fattens things up much like the EP, but in a different way. Again, if I had to use a smaller rig, the optical trem gets the job done for less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanecgriffo Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 usually i dont run anything in front at home (i run a digitech trio after tho 😉) But if i'm playing out, i run the bogner/neve ''harlow" pedal in front of helix for some tone sweetening and quick eq adjustment if needed .. it has compression, boost and tilt eq as well as some neve transformer sparkledust 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbuhajla Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 There are some good options within Helix giving you a similar effect. In many of my preset, I use the LA Studio Compressor as an always on in front (AOIF), thickens things up a bit before the signal hits the overdrives and/or amp model. I have used the Microphone Tube Preamp model an AOIF, and liked that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenoBluzGtr Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 All good to know. I do use the OptiTrem block and the end of all my chains, never thought about putting in front? I would much prefer NOT to have an extra cable and pedal and power supply on the floor, but I do love that EP Pre in front of my pedals and amp, so I thought it might make the Helix sound more natural... better, though, if something intrinsic to the Helix would do the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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