Helix cabinet IR too "dark" sounding

[pettma]

I have a problem that I can't get the sound I want from Helix using impulse responses. Using hi-gain amp, they sound too "dark". The top highs are missing and there's too much high mids around 2,4kHz. I am using the Own Hammer Diezel IR's, and I did an A/B test using the Poulin LeCab 2 plugin. I load the IR to helix, then load the same IR to lecab and bypass the helix Impulse response block and it sounds much better with lecab. The top end is much clearer and the mids sound much better. 

 

What am I missing here?

[DunedinDragon]

It could be a number of things but most likely your mic choice and mic placement which can make a fairly startling difference in the sound of a cabinet just as it does in real life.  Try and MD421 or even a condenser mic positioned  closer to the cap rather than the cone and work your way out from there.  Of course you don't mention what you're playing it through, and if you're playing it through a traditional cabinet you likely will have a darker output simply because you're playing a cabinet through a cabinet.

[pettma]

But the problem is that the same impulse response, the exact same cabin, mic, mic position (the same file) sounds good on Poulin LeCab 2 but doesn't sound so good with Helix IR block. I can post samples if it helps? The IR sounds much darker on helix than with some other IR-plugin used.

[themetallikid]

I agree that the issue is somewhere else other than the IR file, or IR block in the Helix.  I've loaded the same IR's that I had with my original Axe Fx into the Helix and those work fine. 

 

Can you get a good sound using one of the stock cab/Mic combos?  

 

At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to steal something...you could share the IR with someone and see if they get the same result, though if it works in one system I doubt its the IR file itself. 

[zolko60]

Only one IR loader that used to add some eq was Peavey Revalver 4 RIR.
I have not noticed any malfunction of Helix IR loader. I usually check IRs with NadIR before I load them to Hx. No audiable difference. I used LeCab way back in 32bit times.
Check if you accidentially turn Hx IR LPF on.

Some Hx IRs (called Cabs) are playable.

I don't understand your experiment proposal. You are the one claiming Hx IR loader is "dark". I can't confirm that. The burden of proof is on your side.

[codamedia]

On 12/29/2018 at 3:53 PM, pettma said:

But the problem is that the same impulse response, the exact same cabin, mic, mic position (the same file) sounds good on Poulin LeCab 2 but doesn't sound so good with Helix IR block. I can post samples if it helps? The IR sounds much darker on helix than with some other IR-plugin used.

 

Here are a few things to check...

1. Is the IR you are loading one that Ownhammer has recommended for the Helix? Some packages have a HELIX FOLDER to draw from, others just have the sample rates listed. In those cases you need to use the 48k rate... If you are loading a 96k rate the Poulin may be able to handle the full quality, but the Helix will downsample it. I'm not positive on the length.... I think the Helix will truncate a 500ms IR, but I could be wrong about that one. For testing, I'd recommend a 48k / 250ms sample. 
2. Have you checked and verified the HPF and LPF settings on both the Poulin and the Helix? If those differ, that would have a huge effect on the comparison. 
3. It's also important to make sure that there is nothing down wind from each IR (EQ, compressor, expander, etc...) that is having an effect on one, but not the other. 

Out of curiosity, have you contacted Ownhammer about this? Reason I ask is that they will test their impulses on a variety of products.... if the Helix IR loader behaved differently from the others, they would know it. They are not biased to any particular company, they just want their IR's to work.