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Line 6 Helix Global EQ with Ownhammer Impulses


thenickhill81
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So why use Global EQ?  What happens if you choose to use stock cabs on a different patch?  It seems to me that's why Line 6 advises only using Global EQ for acoustic differences in a room as you could do this same thing through a parametric EQ in the patch itself.

 

 

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You miss the point of that section of Ownhammer manual you cite thenickhill81. This is not your fault - it is simply misleading. What they were trying to explain is -
"This library’s captures were driven by a mostly neutral tube power amplifier.  While the overall frequency response is largely even like that of a solid state reference amplifier, the common tube amp deviation traits are present that both liven and thicken up the sound slightly.  As such they are ideal as-is with accurate modeling platforms and tube amps sent to dummy load + line out devices. For platforms that need the little extra scoop of modestly configured guitar tube amp driven files, this is quickly and easily accomplished by implementing the following simple post processing adjustment:"
What they mean here is: lets say there is a platform that need extra scoop - they do not say Helix or whatever other modeller needs that. The impedance curves are already implemented in amp models. I have a lot of bad impulse responses captured with tube power amps (even comercial ones). Their creators thought tube amp adds some magic to IR. All that "magic" unfortunatelly can not be captured to IR. They seem not to know the impedance curve affects frequency response of a tube amp/cab tandem a lot - there is a peak at cab resonance frequency and hf rise. Harmonic distortion converts to noise and uneven freq response is troublesome to revert. Still some users likes them better because they are scooped. This is why Ownhammer gives some hints if somebody feels "impedance curve treated" IRs are "better" or for amps recorded with resistance dummy load which does not have impedance curve influence. The problem is tube power amps (or their models) are affected different way with impedance curve. It depends of eg feedback or no feedback design so making universal prescription is not possible.

Back to Global EQ - it is meant to fix wedge (frfr) perception. Of course you can use that for whatever you like but not for the reason you claim.

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13 hours ago, codamedia said:

I guess I use my Helix very differently... I don't disagree with the general tip/suggestion, but I would apply it at the patch level as required, not globally so it effects everything I am trying to set up. 

 

I don't get it either. Forget the technical crap, which I freely admit sails right over my head anyway. We're dealing with perception, which is notoriously fickle, and constantly in flux for any of a thousand reasons. That alone precludes any magic "one size fits all" formula that'll guarantee any one particular result...

 

All you can do is start with a clean slate and let your ears tell you what to boost or cut. There are a whole bunch of wildly different amp/cab models in this thing, each with their own default settings and inherent characteristics. Why would I ever assume that they all require the same baseline global EQ adjustments? It's not a stained tablecloth that we're pre-treating with "Shout"...Hell, you're lucky if you can take the same patch and use it in two different mixes without needing to fiddle with something

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Guys, guys, it's simple, this is how I use it and it's the way I interpreted what Ownhammer wrote up. I find this works for me and like I state in the video, I like the result it yields THUS, my sharing in hopes someone can yield some similar result. If you guys can point me to a video of yours that would lead me in a better direction, I am absolutely, open to any help. I'm in this to help and create cool sounding lollipop, not question why someone decided to take whatever road to get there. 

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5 hours ago, thenickhill81 said:

Guys, guys, it's simple, this is how I use it and it's the way I interpreted what Ownhammer wrote up. I find this works for me and like I state in the video, I like the result it yields THUS, my sharing in hopes someone can yield some similar result. If you guys can point me to a video of yours that would lead me in a better direction, I am absolutely, open to any help. I'm in this to help and create cool sounding lollipop, not question why someone decided to take whatever road to get there. 

 

I don't think anyone is questioning what you're attempting to demonstrate nor the results you achieved.  What's really the question here is HOW you got there, specifically promoting the use of Global EQ to achieve it.  Personally I love the idea of someone taking the time to create videos to help the user base understand key hints and tips for getting the tone they want.  But I'm also of the opinion that if one does so they also have the responsibility of educating users on how to do it in an appropriate way consistent with the design of the Helix and not promote bad practices that can lead someone to further problems down the road.

You'll notice it didn't take long for myself and several others to chime in on that subject, and there's a reason for that.  It's because we're constantly seeing new users make that mistake not understanding the importance of why Line 6 specifically warns against using global EQ that way in the Helix manual because they don't understanding the implications of how that might affect them in their long term use of Helix.  Imagine that someone follows your directions and makes that correction in global EQ, then creates other presets that aren't using Ownhammer IRs or are needing to create other presets that are for a completely different style or genre of music which is the flexibility that Helix is designed for.  They could turn off Global EQ in that case, but that's just putting a bandaid on the problem and it's certainly not a convenient way of dealing with it in a live performance.  The correct solution would be to go back and put that EQ correction in each of their other presets that depend on it so they can use it or not use it depending on the patch they're working on.  More importantly is when they turn up at a show and find they need to make corrections for the acoustics of the room, but they now have no pristine tool available to make those corrections across all of their patches because global eq is already being used for something that should have been done within the patches that need it.

 

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11 hours ago, thenickhill81 said:

Guys, guys, it's simple, this is how I use it and it's the way I interpreted what Ownhammer wrote up. I find this works for me and like I state in the video, I like the result it yields THUS, my sharing in hopes someone can yield some similar result. If you guys can point me to a video of yours that would lead me in a better direction, I am absolutely, open to any help. I'm in this to help and create cool sounding lollipop, not question why someone decided to take whatever road to get there. 

 

I don't have a video, but I will offer this suggestion. 

  • Start by turning off the GLOBAL EQ....
  • Now place a parametric EQ block after the IR in the patch, and apply the EQ settings exactly was you did in the global EQ. 

The result is exactly the same but you haven't forced it on to every single patch you create with the Helix... you only apply it when you need it. 

 

It's not the application of an EQ that I question, it's your choice of EQ. IMO, the GLOBAL EQ is the wrong tool for the job.

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The only time it makes sense to use the global EQ for patch creation is if you intend to use exactly 1, DSP-heavy patch forever. Then by all means global EQ your brains out, and save an FX block for something else. Otherwise, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

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19 hours ago, thenickhill81 said:

Guys, guys, it's simple, this is how I use it and it's the way I interpreted what Ownhammer wrote up. I find this works for me and like I state in the video, I like the result it yields THUS, my sharing in hopes someone can yield some similar result. If you guys can point me to a video of yours that would lead me in a better direction, I am absolutely, open to any help. I'm in this to help and create cool sounding lollipop, not question why someone decided to take whatever road to get there. 

 

I enjoyed the video. When I first got the HX Stomp, due to its much smaller block limit, I seriously toyed with the idea of tweaking Global EQ on a regular basis because it would free up blocks. Honestly - I still feel that for the Stomp product Line 6 should do SOMETHING (more than 6 blocks . . . or maybe preset based EQ settings, eh - but if you'd do the latter there would still need to be something to fix complaints on FX blocks gobbling up your firepower). Ultimately though, I abandoned the global EQ idea because I switch too much between acoustic and electric guitar and remembering all the fine tuning for my preferred acoustic settings was a real lollipop. 

 

The advice and feedback you received is obviously useful.  Here's the thing about all of these products - a lot of how important these best practices tips are depends on what you're going to be doing AND on which HX product you have. 

 

A person who only plays to themselves with one style of music can probably global EQ their freaking heart out.  A person recording a lot would probably be better served recording without EQ and adding it later. A person who plays live gigs is definitely better served going preset by preset.  However, if the bedroom player gets used to doing it globally and one day goes live - he may not know why he gets lollipoped so often.  In your case you have the full frickin' Helix. You can pretty much crap blocks at will, so I'd follow the advice of those above and use the parametric EQ block in your patches. It'll recreate what you enjoyed in the video on a preset by preset basis. 

 

Bottom line, I enjoy your videos. Keep them coming, and update for your audience what you learn from time to time as needed. 

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