Interesting 'DUH' moment...strange behavior though - sorry so long....

[themetallikid]

So I had a post a few weeks ago about a few patches that I've been struggling with getting a dynamic/percussive thump out of compared to other presets.  All using the same basic template for the presets, all using the same 2 IR's mixed, and generally the same EQ settings (minor tweaks, but being all presets are based on the same amp...pretty similar)....Though these 2 presets (and the lead versions) just sounded 'off'.  

 

So I finally get a chance to dig in and fix whats going on......play with different amps, eq settings, and nothing is getting me there.   

 

THEN I make a discovery....

 

when I go to try a different amp, I turn off the Parametric EQ I have running before the LA Comp at the end of the chain (Sadites style)....and as soon as I turned it off, changed amps the sound I needed was there.  Needed to adjust some things (my usual EQ tweaks) and I turn on the Para EQ and, BAM!!!, my tone is gone.  WTH!!!  I do some trouble shooting....step 1, I turn off my EQ boosts/cuts....no change....Step 2, I go to the low/hi cuts and tweak those....I can hear changes, but still not getting what I need....no thump/chunk and no high end bite.  Step 3...try a different EQ....I change to the 10 band...and bam the tone is back.  ok...I switch to the Para EQ, and the tone is back....Hmm....I go to make the low/hi cut adjustments, and as soon as I adjust the HI cut from 'off' to 20khz (I think thats the first frequency it shows)....there is a major loss of tone.  I reset it to off...and try adjusting the low cut....I get to about 60hz and the tone is gone.  I'm beyond baffled...I get that there could be frequencies up around those ranges (unlikely, but whatever)...but not enough that it should be choking my tone/dynamics as much as it was.  

 

I debate about posting the preset to see if others have the same issue, then the DUH! moment occurs to me.......in all my presets I have my chain splitting for Reverb/Delay purposes then rejoining before hitting the Sadites Compressor at the end.  What I notice is that my Para EQ block is on the chain with the Reverb, but its after the Reverb block.  I moved it to pre-signal split for the Reverb/Delay and I now have control over the frequencies without the drastic tone sucking effects I was having.  

 

Simple sequencing error on my part chainwise.....however, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around why it was such a drastic tone shift when placed after the Reverb, with nothing more than minimal cuts at 60hz on the low side and literally just one notch from Off > 20khz on the high side.  

 

Lesson learned for sure, and I'll have to make a quick run through my presets now to adjust them after I reset my chains on my presets....but thought I'd share...sometimes its not a Helix problem, its the user for sure!!!