Helix snapshots

[Downpop]

Anybody out there not as thrilled about helix snapshots as me? Not saying they don’t work great. Just saying I see a lot of people on here who are sitting in their studio showing snapshots. I am a performer who does not choose to look down at little tiny pedals to make my changes. I think that using  expression pedals is a way more effective way to utilize the helix.  At least in a live scenario.

[phil_m]

Snapshots were a game changer for me as far as using the Helix and HX Effects live... I think they’re the most powerful feature on the Helix.

[rd2rk]

1 hour ago, Downpop said:

I think that using  expression pedals is a way more effective way to utilize the helix.  At least in a live scenario.

 

Aren't you glad Helix lets you do that? And, you can use snapshots to change exactly what your expression pedals control within a given preset. BRILLIANT! :-)

[codamedia]

I get the impression that the full benefit of snapshots has not kicked in yet. 

[SteveFrance]

I'm not a studio guy and use a lot the snapshots.

At rehearsal and gigs, i've got some presets that i only use the stomp mode to activate or not some blocks.

But i've got a lot of presets i use on snapshots mode. I've seen some poeple configuring the pedal to tweak some parameters (gain increase and volume decrease)

I have many presets in which there's an amp in the intro and i change for another one for the solo, etc... I really find snapshot awesome, you change your amp, you add your delay, modulation, reverb, comp just on one click. I'd liked to know how you do so with expression pedals (i laugh when i see the other guitarist in the band clapping and and switching everywhere !)

I even find the snapshot mode more precise in some cases. we've got a song on wich i begin alone. I've done an intro (snapshot 1) with the volume at 80% and SNap2 ; vol 100%. I find it easier than trying to find the precise volume position to start the song when i'm alone with the voice.....

[DunedinDragon]

10 hours ago, Downpop said:

Anybody out there not as thrilled about helix snapshots as me? Not saying they don’t work great. Just saying I see a lot of people on here who are sitting in their studio showing snapshots. I am a performer who does not choose to look down at little tiny pedals to make my changes. I think that using  expression pedals is a way more effective way to utilize the helix.  At least in a live scenario.

 

I think your impression is most likely flavored by HOW you use your Helix.  For example, I'm a preset per song kind of user.  That's because the genre and feel of one song can be quite different from the previous song or the next song.  In some cases changes in the dynamics or sound of a song can be quite different within different areas of the song involving a number of changes in effects and amps, or even in the way the signal chain is being used.  Snapshots are a HUGE advantage in achieving those things with a single foot switch.

[silverhead]

1 hour ago, DunedinDragon said:

 

I think your impression is most likely flavored by HOW you use your Helix.  ....

 

This is very true for me. I use presets and snapshots differently depending on the situation:

 

1) Cover songs where I'm looking for a very accurate tone. Here I typically will not use snapshots - just a highly customized and targeted preset where I use stomp switches to turn individual FX on/off. These presets will generally be pretty simple - relatively few FX and plenty of unused DSP but painstakingly tailored. The brief audio dropout when switching presets is not an issue because you're only doing it between songs. A preset is a song and named accordingly.

 

2) Artist-based situations where I do multiple songs of the same band/artist. Here I use the artist's name as the preset name and I set up the preset with the basic amp/cab that gets me the closest to the artist's basic tone. Then I add a variety of FX blocks, often a large number until little or no DSP is left, and I use snapshots to turn multiple things on/off together and control their parameters to reflect individual songs of the artist. Tweak till you drop, which normally happens before everything is exactly accurate but the audience really can't tell and doesn't care - close enough for rock and roll.  In essence a snapshot is a song and named accordingly. I can still use the stomp/snapshot mode to turn individual FX on/off within the song. Great for playing artist medleys - no audio dropout during the transitions.

 

3) My own sound/tone. Here I will use a preset for a genre of tone (e.g. blues, rock, jazz, (never metal for me :-)....) and then use snapshots to flavour the tone within the genre (e.g. clean, crunch, lead, delay, mod ...). DSP utilization is highly variable between presets. Again I use the stomp/snapshot mode to turn individual FX on/off as desired.

 

Works for me. YMMV.

 

Edit: Credit where credit is due: I was first inspired to explore situations #2 and #3 above from some of our great preset creators like Glenn DeLaunne and Fremen. I know there are others but these two in particular provided great examples of preset architecture for the above situations. I've adapted their models for my own purposes. You can find their stuff in the Promote Your Patches sub-forum.

 

 

 

[DunedinDragon]

39 minutes ago, silverhead said:

 

This is very true for me. I use presets and snapshots differently depending on the situation:

 

 

This is the defining factor I think.  Some of us are more situational users, so depending on the situation, we'll use different capabilities offered by the Helix.  There's another set of users that tend to play the same or similar type of stuff all the time, so those capabilities might not be as relevant.  It's great that the design of the Helix doesn't lock you into only one way of working.

 

[Kilrahi]

Everybody's different. I initially resisted snapshots because I worried it was complicated, and I was kind of set in my ways. 

 

However, with the Stomp's minimal buttons, there was a natural desire to try to see how to do more with less. 

 

Once I did that . . . ummm . . . I don't know how a person could NOT be impressed with them. I mean holy lollipop what else out there offers so many control possibilities?  Line 6's octopus analogy is spot on. 

 

Doesn't mean you have to like them or use them . . . but my hell the possibilities are insane. 

[Jugghaid]

Add in the Variax guitars and soon the DT50 control (PC as well) and itt's ridiculous what you can do with the press of 1 button.

 

Change from a Sitar with chorus through a JC120 to a resonator in open G through a fender twin to a les paul tuned to drop C through a PRS Archon with multiple effects available.

 

It's stupid good.

[brue58ski]

On 4/3/2019 at 9:44 AM, Jugghaid said:

Add in the Variax guitars and soon the DT50 control (PC as well) and itt's ridiculous what you can do with the press of 1 button.

 

Change from a Sitar with chorus through a JC120 to a resonator in open G through a fender twin to a les paul tuned to drop C through a PRS Archon with multiple effects available.

 

It's stupid good.

 

Amen to this!!. Why couldn't this have been around about 20-30 years ago!?!?!? Nevermind, I know why.