Questions from a potential purchaser

[Steveyal]

Hi all, 

 

My Fractal Axe FX Ultra took a dump a few weeks back and I am considering a Helix LT. But I have a few questions after reviewing the Helix manual online. One of the things I could do with the Ultra and an FCB1010 foot controller is to blend between my dirty and clean tone within a single patch using the expression by introducing a mixer block that would allow me to smoothly change from one signal path to another. Can this be done with the Helix? I see that each patch has two independent signal chains, is it possible to blend between them or to otherwise use the expression pedal to go from one signal path to another? 

 

Secondly, the way I set up my FCB1010 controller was to have the BOTTOM switches to serve as stomp boxes to turn individual effects in a patch on and off, whereas I would use the TOP ROW to select between different patches. Can I assign these functions in the same way using the Helix LT? 

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[codamedia]

Yes, yes and yes. 

 

There are many ways to morph between clean and dirty tones with the expression pedal. The mixer, volume/gain blocks, adjusting amp volumes etc... 

As for the independent signal chains.. it's the same answer. They are many ways to accomplish what you are asking with the expression pedal. 

 

You can layout the footswitches in preset mode in any of the following ways....

• Presets alone
• "Presets up / Stomps down" or "Stomps up / Presets down"
• "Presets up / Snapshots down" or "Snapshots up/ Presets down"
• "Snapshots up / Stomps down" or "Stomps up/ Snapshots down" 
  (to access presets from this mode, simply press either bank button to display the presets until you choose one)

Regardless of the preset mode you choose you can access all 8 stomps with the mode switch, and all 8 snapshots by pressing the bank up/down at the same time.