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New Helix owner - Need input on practise all / speaker to use


uktivo
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Hi All,

 

Brand new Helix owner. Still getting to grips with the unit and it's abilities. Never used a modeller before, so as you may appreciate... information / learning overload. 

 

Let me preference this thread by stating that I am not a professional player, in fact, after nearly 40 years of playing the guitar as a hobby, I've only played on stage once and that was a LONG time ago. 

 

This is literally a hobby for me. I play in a small practise room. I have a tele standard and Gibson SG. I play all sorts of stuff, mostly rock.. dare I mention Status Quo? I know,I know.. but I'm old.... give a guy a break....

 

Now my question:

I have this fabulous Helix floor kit.... I can dial this, dial that, sound like this sound like that.... by the way.. none of that makes me sound any better. lol... I need practise and lots of it. 

I really need a new amp to practise with. Currently using a Blackstar value amp HT-5 running at 3/4 with the Helix plugged into the input.. don't want anything too powerful.. really don't have the room to crank it up. But I also need to be able to drive it enough to give me the crunch etc... 

I've looked into FRFR stuff, but everyone I've looked at is rated at 200/400w min.. 

I think FRFR cab sounds interesting for the geek in me but would I get the most of it when all I really need is a plug and play option.. 

 

So.. open to ideas and suggestions. Budget up to, maybe just over if I had to £600

 

Which amp / FRFR cab would you guys and gals suggest please. 

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help.....

 

 

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Running straight into the front of an amp is definitely not the best way to get the most from your Helix, unless you're using Helix purely for FX... but even then it leaves a bit to be desired. With that setup, if you're using amp models in Helix, the amp's tone controls are further coloring everything... you're effectively daisy- chaining two amps together.

 

If you don't plan on playing outside the house, look into a decent pair of studio reference monitors... good ones will be FRFR (or as close to it as anything actually gets in the real world), they'll provide all the volume you need, allow you to play along with songs, plus the added bonus of allowing you to use stereo FX, which can be glorious when used properly. There are a number of options that will work quite well in the $200-$300/ pair range. My personal vote is for the JBL LSR305's... or the 308's if you have a bit more room for slightly larger speakers. 

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We sound similar in our ages and interests except that I actually do play weekly at my church.  Definitely not a professional - just a man-cave guitar hero of my own imagination with expensive tastes.

A) As the previous post suggested, you need to stop plugging straight into the front of your old amp.  Search Youtube on how to use "4 cable method" and do that if your amp facilitates it.

B) I would recommend that you keep using 4 Cable method with your existing amp a while longer until you can increase your budget just a little.  They're around $800 US but I highly recommend the new Line 6 Powercab Plus.  A second choice would for me would be the LIne 6 Statgesource L2 (the "T" version if you can afford it and especially if you also play acoustic guitar).

C) Also note that "wattage" on FRFR is not the same thing as your tube guitar amp.  The Stagesource speaker I mentioned is 800 watts but not the same meaning as the wattage in your guitar amp by any stretch of the imagination. 

D) If 4 Cable method until increasing your budget is not an option I'm sure there are lots of other less expensive FRFRs out there but be careful.  Opinions of sound quality is all over the place (different kinds of construction effects the sound greatly but even the term FRFR and reality are two different things) .  Typically anything I know of that sounds better than what I've recommended will cost you more - not less.  It's 'all' too much money to make a mistake and have to spend twice.  You're definitely half-way there though with the Helix. 

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3 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

Running straight into the front of an amp is definitely not the best way to get the most from your Helix, unless you're using Helix purely for FX... but even then it leaves a bit to be desired. With that setup, if you're using amp models in Helix, the amp's tone controls are further coloring everything... you're effectively daisy- chaining two amps together.

 

If you don't plan on playing outside the house, look into a decent pair of studio reference monitors... good ones will be FRFR (or as close to it as anything actually gets in the real world), they'll provide all the volume you need, allow you to play along with songs, plus the added bonus of allowing you to use stereo FX, which can be glorious when used properly. There are a number of options that will work quite well in the $200-$300/ pair range. My personal vote is for the JBL LSR305's... or the 308's if you have a bit more room for slightly larger speakers. 

Thanks for the input. I will investigate

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You should also consider getting a small mixer and running the Helix alongside your PC audio (if you have that setup) - nothing more fun than dialing in a tone (Even Parfitt!) and playing along with a track or finding a cool backing track on YouTube and just noodling. Plus, stereo! 

 

Other than the volume issue (I rarely get my monitors above 30% volume), that's the main reason I'm sticking with 4" monitors.  If I ran a FRFR cab or traditional amp I'd still have run monitors for my PC (and would have to manually adjust 2 volumes).

 

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12 hours ago, uktivo said:

Thanks for this input.  

I've considered the line 6 power cab plus but was worried about the high power/driving of the unit to get the best out of it..

 

 

You don't need to be concerned about such things.  This is 2018, not 1978.  Things have progressed significantly...  LOL

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1 hour ago, DunedinDragon said:

 

You don't need to be concerned about such things.  This is 2018, not 1978.  Things have progressed significantly...  LOL

Ah, you have met the neighbours then? lol 

 

Ok thanks for the inputs. Going to look at monitors and the line 6 powercab plus. 

i will come back and tell you what I did and more importantly, why and my impressions... 

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3 hours ago, JimDiGritz said:

nothing more fun than dialing in a tone (Even Parfitt!) and playing along with a track or finding a cool backing track on YouTube and just noodling.

 

Parfitt's tone is really very basic, Marshall JCM800 with a Roland GP8 giving analog chorus and a bit of drive from the amp itself. He also uses a VOX AC30 that is packed away in a flight case behind the back row, mic'ed to the front to give him the thud.. 

 

I've tried my best to replicate it using the Helix and failed every single time.. but I suppose thats the whole fun of the Helix

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Quote

If you don't plan on playing outside the house, look into a decent pair of studio reference monitors... 

 

Was gonna agree, And then I read abt your purchase-  Power Cab Plus is very nice and from your OP overkill for you- so enjoy!!! 

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12 hours ago, spikey said:

 

Was gonna agree, And then I read abt your purchase-  Power Cab Plus is very nice and from your OP overkill for you- so enjoy!!! 

Who knows. If my day job fails I may have to turn to my guitar playing to earn an income.. lol.. Wish me luck because I would need it.. 

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On 9/27/2018 at 7:21 AM, uktivo said:

Who knows. If my day job fails I may have to turn to my guitar playing to earn an income.. lol.. Wish me luck because I would need it.. 

 

Good luck with that- I think the old saying "don't quit yer day job" was invented for that exact thought process (by many a musician way before you and I).  ; )

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