rockcop222 Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I just got my Helix and so far, I love it. It’s got so many pre-installed sounds! What are some stock metal sounds that would be good for rock/metal? Thanks! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themetallikid Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 My go to is the Badonk Amp....cab choice is going to be biggest factor, but Badonk has the angry sound I like. I pair it with the TS808 or SD-1 in front to tighten up a bit. Also low cut with a pre-eq around 100-120hz. THat allows you to turn the bass on the amp up without getting extra flubby. If your a deeper parameters tweaker. I like to turn the Sag up 1-1.5 from where it starts, the Bias up 1.0 (depending on the Master Volume settings it may not matter) and then the Bias X down from 5 to between 4-4.5 to help 'stiffen' the amp a touch. Just going off memory....not sure its 'metal', as that varies...but its what I use for my bands heavier stuff Metallica/Godsmack....again, cab/speaker choice will make the biggest difference as well on the above stuff. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codamedia Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 Keep in mind that the stock tones were not created with your guitar, in your listening environment. At best, they will only get you in the ballpark. Be prepared to tweak them to your liking... don't expect it out of the box or you will be disappointed. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caledoneus Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 Revv Generator amp model. You are welcome. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themetallikid Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 Yes this seems to be the next one, I have spent time with the amp a bit, just not enough with different cab choices as there is something with the stock cab I can't quite get right yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ric1966 Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 The Revv amp model with stock settings, a Celestion Redback 4x12 mix IR at LC=80 Hz and HC=9000 Hz, the double tank stereo reverb and tape echo. Pure high gain bliss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 23 hours ago, rockcop222 said: I just got my Helix and so far, I love it. It’s got so many pre-installed sounds! What are some stock metal sounds that would be good for rock/metal? Thanks! John 10 hours ago, codamedia said: Keep in mind that the stock tones were not created with your guitar, in your listening environment. At best, they will only get you in the ballpark. Be prepared to tweak them to your liking... don't expect it out of the box or you will be disappointed. If you go on CustomTone and search on "Metal" there are a ton of presets. You can also sort them on number of stars to start with the highest rated ones. What codamedia said applies tenfold over in CustomTone. Be prepared to customize them to your own rig and preferences. Starting with an amp known for its heavy tones and adding your own selection of pedals and settings is where you will probably find yourself ultimately though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGordon Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 One of the few actual "rules of thumb" for multi-effects you can count on is "don't rely on stock patches". You'll do much better building your own sound once you learn the basics. That being said, there are a LOT of amp models and overdrive/distortion pedal models that can help you get what you want. First off, though, make sure your input block is either set to auto, or the highest value; otherwise, you might find the gain underpowered. Then, if you are focusing on just a general metal tone that's not based off a specific album/song/band, maybe try to create a bunch of very basic patches, each with a different amp with a parametric EQ and a graphic EQ block afterwards, followed by a speaker cab block, and then a very basic reverb that won't thin out the sound (try a room verb under the Legacy reverb categories, set just high enough to give a touch of ambience, but not so high that it thins out the sound). Then experiment, and figure out what each amp model is good at , and what the EQ frequencies accentuate. Keep in mind that the Brit 2204, which is the Marshall JCM800 model (a major player in metal/hard rock that a lot of other amps were inspired by), is actually higher gain than most of the real life JCM800s out there, so you might need to keep the drive level a bit lower than you think. There are a lot of pretty good higher-gain models in the Helix; about the only one in that category that disappointed me was the Elektrik, as it felt like it sputters out sustain-wise too quickly. The Cali Texas model is a pretty good jack of all trades for AOR hard rock sounds, as is the Cartographer. If you wanna go more metal, the Archetype is a real unsung hero. For mushier, more liquid lead guitar tones, the Soldano ("Solo") and Friedman ("Placater") can hit that sweet spot. There's just a ton of potential in there, and you shouldn't be afraid to experiment with non-obvious things, like using the Tone Sovereign with both boost and distortion modes active at the same time, with a slightly dirty "cleaner" amp. This unit demands you put in the time.......but hell, that's what the fun is about here, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockcop222 Posted August 22, 2019 Author Share Posted August 22, 2019 Jim, thank you so much for all the in depth info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGordon Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 No problem. BTW, when I said make sure the input block is set to "auto" or a high value, I actually meant the impedance setting. A lower setting might be better if you are using a fuzz pedal for a more lo-fi sound, but most metal tones won't use fuzz pedals as part of it (except maybe some gnarly stoner metal sounds). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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