When to model?

[Oshara]

Hello,

 

I've had my Helix for about 5 months and PC+ for a little under two, and don't have a great grasp on when to use a cab in the helix, vs. an IR, vs. the PC models. 

 

I've watched / read tons of info, and feel I have some decent patches.  I'm not a professional and don't have real-world experience miccing up speakers in a recording environment, and feel this is the area I'm still struggling to understand. 

 

Any tips/guidelines on when to use an IR vs. Helix Cab. vs. PC model would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Also, a related question.  Do people generally stick with one route or use a mix of all three? 

 

Thanks in advance!

Oshara

[Belew01]

There are really no rules of when to use any of them.  It's just whatever sounds best to you and what works best for your situation. 

 

For instance, I got tired of fishing for IR's that I liked, so I tried the PC speaker sims.  They are all I use now.  If you use the speaker sims, you can mic your PC for live use, or run direct from the PC. 

 

However, if you just want to use your PC as a monitor only, and run direct from Helix to FOH, then you would want to us IR's or Helix cabs.  IR's and Helix cabs are basically the same thing, it just that the Helix cab models allow for more tweaking (mic type, distance, room reflection, etc.).  Each IR you use (3rd party) has all these values fixed.

[Oshara]

Thanks, makes sense.  I'm a home player that only plays from helix to headphones, or into the PC. 

 

So since I do use the headphones, sounds like I want IRs / Cabs in every block.  As I get more experienced I guess I can bypass the IR/Cab when I'm using the PC if I'd prefer a model or something specific I set up in the PC. 

 

Appreciate the insight!