helix Idea for Helix based Knowledge that I want some opinions on

[PhilDuggan]

Hello Everyone,

Firstly, before I begin I would like to preface this by saying that if such a resource exists that I am about to propose please by all means link it and have a moderator or admin shut this thread down I would rather be told I haven't looked hard enough than to waste both your own and my time.

 

From my own experience as a Helix user I have realised I have barely scratched the surface of what this device can do and for me going through articles and forum posts can be a bit of a drag while also intimidating. As a result I have been sitting on the idea of creating video based content to help users learn more about how to get the most out of the Helix, but I wanted to ask the community as I am just one person and my opinion is subjective. I know of the likes of Jason Sadites who puts out some amazing content and Helix help that already do a lot to help the community learn so that may already defeat the purpose of what I am asking.

To Flesh out the idea:

- A video based resource that provides detailed information on a stock helix set up

- Deep dives into individual effects, amps and cabs etc. so that option paralysis is reduced and people can understand best what to use in a certain situation e.g. If someone were to ask how do I create a smooth Blues tone for lead and rhythm then there would be a video available that details the blocks that you could use and how certain amps/cab combos will give a different flavour to the general sound and some effects that you can use to further your soundscape.

- Making all of this content centralised so that it is readily available to everyone

- A view to expanding the content beyond stock Helix e.g using Impulse Responses, which ones work well for what purpose and more

 

I have seen there are quite a few videos out there for the Axe-Fx and when you search that exact term in the likes of Youtube you will get results on generating presets or information on different amps quickly. While searching "Line 6 Helix" will primarily bring up reviews, first impressions, opinion videos, comparisons and you will have to make a more specific search such as "Line 6 Helix blues presets" to find more information on that side of things. I fully appreciate, if you are looking for a tutorial on Blues tone you are probably going to search the more specific version.

The ultimate goal is to create a centralised platform/resource that will help people to master the Helix so that they will no longer worry about how to use any of it's features. If it is something people want I would be looking for help from the community to learn more(my selfish intent) and represent the information as best as possible so that it is effective in it's approach and purpose. From University I learned that there are different types of learners and am looking to appeal to the visual learners, those that find it difficult to run through a purely text based information.

 

I merely ask for your feedback and opinions! Again to repeat myself I am happy to be proven wrong and linked to an article/website/forum that already does this!

 

Thank you for your time,

Phil

 

 

 

 

[cruisinon2]

Youtube...;) No snark intended. Everything you're asking for is there... in triplicate. 

[DunedinDragon]

I think a deep dive into the various amps and effects and how they differ could be useful to some people, but the research could also be exhausting and take LOTS of time to pull together.  If you were to put it into the context of "what do I need for a good blues tone", then you're certainly jumping into the same type of content that Jason Sadites covers.  I can conceive of a 2 topic areas that appear to be underserved.  One is what you're talking about as far as deep dives into the various categories of amps, compressors, delays, reverbs, etc.  But that would have to be a HUGE effort to be of any value.  The other area that appears to me to be underserved is a very basic understanding of what modeling is and where/how the Helix fits it and gets configured and setup.  We run into this all the time with people that are coming from traditional amp setups and are completely lost when they enter into the modeling world.  Even the Helix manual itself doesn't really address this in any significant fashion.  I'm talking about very basic stuff such as what is DSP and how does it get applied, or signal chains, their usage, and why, very basic navigation stuff, patches, presets, and snapshots..where they all fit in, cabinets, IRs, mic'ing and mic mixes.  There's a ton of potential areas that newbies to the modeling world struggle with and could be useful.

[PhilDuggan]

@DunedinDragon I fully appreciate your comment and thank you for the feedback. The two major points you had are what I would be looking to do as a main content. I want to make it so if I am a ten year old with my father's guitars and Helix that I can learn just as much as the sound engineer who has extensive knowledge of how the Helix with all of its features work and how to use them to your advantage such as using a snapshot over changing presets, parametric eqing for taming harsh frequencies and the ins and outs of reverb and delay.

 

The whole point in my mind is a centralised learning/teaching platform that rather than people thinking it's just plug and play like it may be with some amps that they see the Helix as a very different beast. After all you don't know something until you understand it.

Now on the point of generating content centred around the amps, effects, cabs, mics and everything else, while it would be a major effort it would be where I would call on the community to help. I personally would love to learn about all of these things, but I am sure I could gain a large amount of useful information from members of the Helix community.

 

Again thank you for the feedback!

 

[PhilDuggan]

@cruisinon2 Thank you for the feedback and the comment!

Taking your point into account, can you provide some form of reference to material you feel would be beneficial or demonstrates the lack of a need for what I have suggested? I fully appreciate where you are coming from that the information is already there and just want to again re-iterate that I want to be proven wrong if possible. But in doing so I do ask that you then present a resource that may help either myself or others.

[codamedia]

2 hours ago, PhilDuggan said:

I want to make it so if I am a ten year old with my father's guitars and Helix that I can learn just as much as the sound engineer who has extensive knowledge of how the Helix with all of its features work and how to use them

 

Well... this just won't happen :) You might as well put that 10 year old in the cockpit of a Cessna and wish him luck! 

 

Sound engineers don't gain their knowledge out of the gate... it's an accumulation of knowledge gained over a large number of years. Their knowledge is universal, not Helix specific. They know what they want, and they dig in to find a way to do it. 

Learning the Helix is specific. What do the buttons do? How do I insert an amp? How do I insert an effect? How to I move those around? How do I adjust the amps controls, how do I SAVE, etc... etc...  ALL OF THAT is relatively easy to learn. It's like figuring out a new smart TV, Phone, or Tablet.

 

Next comes the general knowledge (this is what the engineers know... and guitar players know to varying degrees)....

NONE of this is specific to the HELIX, the HELIX is just a tool that allows you to do all of this in one box. 

• What do the different amps sound like
• What do the different cabinets sound like
• What does each microphone choice sound like
• What do different mic placements sound like
• What effects do I need... and where in the chain should I put it
• How should I route the guitar
• <this list never ends.... it just goes on and on and on.....>

1 hour ago, PhilDuggan said:

Taking your point into account, can you provide some form of reference to material you feel would be beneficial or demonstrates the lack of a need for what I have suggested?

 

• For basic HELIX knowledge, check out the "IDIOTS GUIDE TO HELIX" video series on You Tube. 
• For GENERAL KNOWLEDGE and how to apply it with a Helix.... JASON SADITES videos on You Tube will give you months if not years of training. 
• For GENERAL KNOWLEDGE not specific to the Helix.... look at videos of the real gear.
  EG: If you don't know what a VOX AC30 sounds like, or how/when/why to use it. Look it up! Then apply that knowledge to the AC30's within the Helix. Repeat for every amp and effect the Helix offers. 

[codamedia]

2 hours ago, PhilDuggan said:

Now on the point of generating content centred around the amps, effects, cabs, mics and everything else, while it would be a major effort it would be where I would call on the community to help. I personally would love to learn about all of these things, but I am sure I could gain a large amount of useful information from members of the Helix community.

 

Line 6 provides a pretty decent "knowledge base" already that most people don't realize exists.

From this very forum... in the above menu click on "knowledge base", then under "effects/controllers" choose Helix.

 

Here's a short cut to get you there.

https://line6.com/support/page/kb/effects-controllers/helix/

 

One of example of an item in that list above is this article. 

https://line6.com/support/page/kb/effects-controllers/helix/helix-tutorials-by-jason-sadites-r891/

 

 

[cruisinon2]

2 hours ago, PhilDuggan said:

@cruisinon2 Thank you for the feedback and the comment!

Taking your point into account, can you provide some form of reference to material you feel would be beneficial or demonstrates the lack of a need for what I have suggested? I fully appreciate where you are coming from that the information is already there and just want to again re-iterate that I want to be proven wrong if possible. But in doing so I do ask that you then present a resource that may help either myself or others.

 

Jason Sadites' channel is excellent. He has numerous Helix tutorial videos... really gets into the nitty-gritty of how he builds his patches and why. Might even be a little too much detail at times, lol. Pete Thorn has a couple also,  though his are more "product review-ish" than a genuine how-to... but still useful. 

[MusicLaw]

Richie Castellano also has several exceptional YouTube videos about how he use the Helix products, Native and HX Edit. Check 'em out!