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Clean sounds


rwinking
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I have a Helix rack that I use live but for FX only as I like my tube preamps. The issue is on my computer when I try to record with the Helix computer version. I can't seem to get  a clean tone. I have a real twin and have owned Deluxes, Vox's etc. over the years and with most amps you have to really have them up pretty loud to get them to break up....like up to five on the deluxe and  the twin? Sometimes it just won't break up. Now i like distorted warm sounds so don't get me wrong. But with the Helix and the clean sounds, there is still a little bit of grit even at low gain settings. I am using an old vintage tele and the pickups are not that hot. Same with my Les Paul or Epiphone Casino. I was trying to do a jazz tone on a 335 and same deal. It is not an unpleasant tone at all but I would love to clean it up. Am I mssing something or has Helix not pulled this one off? And yes, I have tried different speaker emulations...

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I can definitely get clean tones without any grit on my Floor unit with the Fender amps. Your input level into Native is probably too high, if that's what you're using. What are you using as your interface into your computer? That might also be the problem (interface clipping, or again, level too hot).

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I'm using a Zen Studio by Antelope. I thought of the input being too high but it sounds more like tube "warmth/Distorion" rather than clipping. It is hard to get enough level into protools without the gain on the  Helix amp model turned up to at least 11:00. The two cleanest models I am guessing are the Jazz Chorus and the Twin and I am very familiar with both of those amps. I just can't get the Helix to sound like them. Even the deluxe model sounds great when it is doing the down and dirty but I have not been able to do the cclean that I am familiar with. I am pretty sure it must be me as I can't imagine Helix not being able to pull it off as they do everything else so damn well.

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18 minutes ago, rwinking said:

I'm using a Zen Studio by Antelope. I thought of the input being too high but it sounds more like tube "warmth/Distorion" rather than clipping. It is hard to get enough level into protools without the gain on the  Helix amp model turned up to at least 11:00. The two cleanest models I am guessing are the Jazz Chorus and the Twin and I am very familiar with both of those amps. I just can't get the Helix to sound like them. Even the deluxe model sounds great when it is doing the down and dirty but I have not been able to do the cclean that I am familiar with. I am pretty sure it must be me as I can't imagine Helix not being able to pull it off as they do everything else so damn well.

Not sure if this helps, but here's my strat, neck pickup, volume 10, tone 10, using the US Double Nrm and a reverb block. Preset attached. Sounds pretty darn clean to me but maybe I'm not keyed into what you're hearing. This is recorded out of the Helix Floor, so if you're hearing more crunch than this, I'm still guessing your input levels need to come down. With a good interface and matching levels, Native and the hardware units sound virtually identical.

cleansample.hlxcleansample_2.mp3

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Oh Yeah,,,,,computer version means Native. And my interface, the Antelope zen is a really good one. Thanks QWERTY42. I downloaded your clean strat tone and at first it had the same issue.....it sounded kind of overdriven and again, not in the clipping sense. Anyway, I backed off the gain and  it was clean. The odd thing was I boosted the gain on the sample and it stayed clean. Not sure what this means but at least I have a clean tone now to work with. Muchos Gracias!/ I really appreciate your help on this!

rick

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17 minutes ago, rwinking said:

Oh Yeah,,,,,computer version means Native. And my interface, the Antelope zen is a really good one. Thanks QWERTY42. I downloaded your clean strat tone and at first it had the same issue.....it sounded kind of overdriven and again, not in the clipping sense. Anyway, I backed off the gain and  it was clean. The odd thing was I boosted the gain on the sample and it stayed clean. Not sure what this means but at least I have a clean tone now to work with. Muchos Gracias!/ I really appreciate your help on this!

rick

No problem! Yep, that is indeed a very good interface. Glad you're making progress. When you say you 'backed off the gain,' what are you referring to exactly? I think all you probably need to do is dial down the input level in the plugin... the thing I circled below. If that's too high, it's not all that different from running a boost or overdrive at the start of your signal chain. When you played back my sample mp3, that's already rendered as final output, so it should sound the same when you play it back no matter the volume. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you meant, but anyway, it's critical to get the guitar input level set properly into the plugin or nothing will sound as it should. Hope that helps.

level.PNG.293b8c62240df625e3dcff9b1b1616a6.PNG

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