Helix & Powercab+ & Strat

[GeoPolitan]

Just bought Helix and Powercab+ to use with my Strat (at home). Loving the combo so far, but looking for others who have a similar set up and who want to share ideas, patches, etc. 

[JLondon]

Congrats on the new purchase.  As a fellow Strat lover, the PC+ was the final missing pc. to tie this whole technology into a nice neat bow in a way that actually works.  I consider it to be reminiscent of the morph between film and digital photography and the day when the tech reached the point when it was actually a workable substitute.  I'm completely on-board with the whole amp/cab/effects mod thing now and feel it's just a matter of time before analog joins film and buggy whips in a special place.  Anyway, I did NOT buy the PC+ to use as another FRFR monitor (already have Stagesource speakers) and at first I was leaning toward the "raw" mode on the PC+ and then adjusting my Helix tone to taste which for me is that dynamic buttery clean on the edge of breakup that can be crisp with light picking and dirty if you dig in or up the guitar volume knob.  Not easy to get on digital OR analog equipment.  It's just that with the Helix/PC+ I can finally get that cranked amp sweet-spot sound and dynamics at a lower volume without sounding sterile.  Now with the new updates, I'm really digging the Dino cab on PC+ instead of raw.  I typically mess around between a Litigator, DrZ, or Div/13 amp mods on the Helix and adjust so that 'very' little else is needed in the way of boost or OD when playing on neck pickup.  I loving the new King of Tone sims for higher gain play.  Lastly, I have recently decided that if I want to use an IR and FRFR mode, that I prefer the Redwire IRs that I've installed on the PC+ itself (not in the Helix chain).  My "Redwire" opinion is specific the PC+ only.  I had completely different preferences when I used my Helix with my Stagesource L monitors and had the IR placed within the Helix tone chain.  As far as "patch" sharing is concerned,  there are a LOT of really great patch makers out there and I've bought and/or downloaded a bunch, I repeat ... a bunch ... of them.   I will most certainly continue to do so - I cant help it.  But I have never, I repeat ... never ... found one in my 4 year Helix history that, on 'my' rig, sounded anything like what I heard on the awesome demo.  A patch is simply too specific to the individual rig being used and, in my opinion, is only good as a chain 'structure' example that will be in need of a great deal of tweaking.  That said, I have to say other's Helix patches created and their demo's with the PC+ are the closest to sounding the same on my own rig that I've ever come.  Probably simply because it's one less difference between our rigs.  And if you haven't already discovered Marco Fanton's patch demos on YouTube, you're in for a real treat AND a guitar lesson or two regardless of what style you play!

[GeoPolitan]

J, thanks for your amazing post. A lot to digest. Reminds me of how much I have to learn. :-)

 

My initial goal is to approach an SRV type sound, then flavor to create MY sound. I won’t stop there, but it’s a start. 

 

Thanks again for your post. Looking forward to learning more from you.