Should I make the move from “real� gear to a Helix?

[jwoertz]

I'm still trying to dial out the harshness. Sounds great until I add ANY overdrive in front of ANY amp. Frustrating!

[DunedinDragon]

I'm still trying to dial out the harshness. Sounds great until I add ANY overdrive in front of ANY amp. Frustrating!

I think we'd need a bit more info on this to give you any advice.  I doubt we have anyone in here that doesn't do such things and we're all getting great tones, so maybe a bit more info about how your signal path is laid out and what effects/settings you're using.  Also how your physical equipment is connected (FRFR, 4CM, etc.)

[jwoertz]

I think we'd need a bit more info on this to give you any advice.  I doubt we have anyone in here that doesn't do such things and we're all getting great tones, so maybe a bit more info about how your signal path is laid out and what effects/settings you're using.  Also how your physical equipment is connected (FRFR, 4CM, etc.)

 

 

OK I have the full Helix going into two QSC K10.2 speakers using one balanced out for each speaker. I have the speaker EQs off and have my Helix global EQ off per some notes I have seen. I'm using low and high cuts in my patch instead (in the cab settings I think). It's getting close and sounds great clean but as soon as I add any OD, it sounds really bad.

[DunedinDragon]

I'm assuming what you consider to be "bad" as harshness.  Some of this could be related to the way you have your K10.2's setup.  If you have them in a floor monitor situation you likely need to specify that in you mode of operation for each of the speakers.  That helps to get rid of bass build up when they're positioned on the floor.  But harshness may have more to do with how you have them positioned relative to you.  These type of speakers are designed specifically to focus and project sound over long distances, so unlike traditional cabinets they will always sound harsher close up.  The same as a PA speaker sounds harsh up close due to the separation of the horn and main speaker not having adequate space to mix together.  You can position them further away, or what I do is position them behind me as I would a normal backline.  That gives me a better feel for the sound they're producing.

 

Another thing to look at is what kind of amp you're choosing.  Some amps, like the HiWatt, are specifically designed to work well as a clean amp driven by OD pedals.  But the biggest issue I've seen in this regard is trying to get too much drive or dirt.  I guess my question in this regard is have you tried using some of the basic provided presets that come with the Helix to see how they sound through your system?  This might help to isolate whether your problem is in your patch, or the setup of your speakers.

 

My personal guess at this point is it's likely in the setup of the speaker since ALL of your patches seem to be affected.  The most typical arrangement for these types of setups is to use a 1/4" line output (non-balanced) to each of the speakers, no modification to the EQ on the speaker other than setting the DSP mode such as Monitor, Studio, etc.  If you have no DSP mode set on these speakers I'm not sure what the default response is.  Read through the documentation and try out some of the modes to see if that helps.  Generally those DSP modes make some pretty big differences in the frequency response characteristics of the speakers.

[zooey]

I'd do the legwork to figure out how to set your speakers more or less flat. Anything else isn't giving you an accurate picture of what you're sending to the PA (if that's even a thing for you).

 

If the amp(s) you're using are running clean, you may have them set up for "sparkly", meaning lots of highs, which may not work well with an overdrive in front. If you want, you can change the amp tone controls (and/or a separate pre- or post-amp EQ) with the same footswitch that turns on the overdrive. You can do the same thing, and a whole lot more, with snapshots too.

 

Also try the tone controls on the overdrive, some have more than others.

 

It is possible to get both clean and dirty sounds sounding good in the same preset. Pretty much all of my presets are built that way, whether it's with an overdrive or just more amp gain.

[ric1966]

Or more than one amp block in a serial path. Only one is on at a time, per snapshots. I use a US Double Nrm for clean tones, but I don’t really like the sound of it with an OD in front (kinda bright). So I use a Brit Plexi Brt model that sounds great on its own for a crunch tone and great with a Scream 808 in front for a higher gain tone.