Why can’t we copy real amp and gear settings to the helix?

[willyjacksonjs22]

So I was really upset because I couldn’t get the same tone as other users and also was always trying to copy real amp and pedal settings from artist and nothing worked! So what I did was, do the opposite, and it worked! Lol for example, I wanted to get a break up tone with a fender model and tube screamer and nothing seemed to work. So what I did, I lowered the tone on the screamer model to 2.5 instead of the norm 5.0 or more (where I was getting harsh tones). It worked! Lol. I was like “ wow all these users enjoying their helix and sounding great! Except me!” 
Sorry for sharing this dumb experience lol don’t have band mates to share. I don’t why I didn’t figure this out earlier. It’s been a year! lol

Why is the helix like that? Meaning, if I try to copy a real amp or a preset i get a bad tone?

Man, I’m playing it more today than bias and th-u! And using the stock cabs in double function are working great for hard rock and metal!

[rd2rk]

In part it's because your guitar/amp/cab playback system is not the same as the artist's.

In part it's because you're not playing in the same room as the artist.

In part it's because the amp modeled by L6 is not the amp used by the artist.

Even in the same production run of an amp/cab there are subtle differences. Age of tubes, speakers, etc.

In part it's because what you hear on an album is usually highly modified by the recording engineer in Post Production.

Then you're hearing it through YOUR playback system.

In part it's because no modeling process is perfect.

 

In short, the settings on the dials are never the whole story.

 

Oh, yeah, and then there's your fingers.......:-)

 

[DunedinDragon]

In short, that's why you have those funny little things hanging off the side of your head so you can dial in the tones you want.

 

[codamedia]

Congrats... you have figured out rule #1. 

Don't count on every effect to operate EXACLY like it's real counterpart. Some will, some won't.

 

1 hour ago, willyjacksonjs22 said:

Why is the helix like that?

 

Does it really matter? In the real world I have never found two tube screamers that sound the same, or two AC30's that sound the same, and this list can go on and on! 

What does matter is that when you choose a tube screamer, it sounds like a tube screamer - regardless of how you have to set it. 

 

 

[cruisinon2]

18 hours ago, willyjacksonjs22 said:

Why is the helix like that? Meaning, if I try to copy a real amp or a preset i get a bad tone?

 

Because Helix is not an amp, it's a modeler... and every modeler on earth will exhibit the same problem. You are creating recorded tones... the end result of a mic-ed cabinet monitored through some sort of FRFR output.

 

Go to a studio and mic your favorite amp. Listen to the sound of that amp as you're standing next to it in the live room...then go and listen to what the guy at the desk is hearing through the monitors in the control room. They will NOT sound the same. Ever.

[DunedinDragon]

Better yet.  Go to any concert and sit in the audience.  You will NEVER hear the sound of a real amp....ever....because they're all mic'd.

 

[jbuhajla]

The Helix models are based off the amps and effects in the Line6 labs. You can line up 10 fuzz faces and they will all sound a little different. The model in the Helix is modeled off the one in their lab. That's just one of the 100 reasons your results will vary. 

[Jyda]

On 11/10/2020 at 1:52 PM, cruisinon2 said:

 

Because Helix is not an amp, it's a modeler... and every modeler on earth will exhibit the same problem. You are creating recorded tones... the end result of a mic-ed cabinet monitored through some sort of FRFR output.

 

 

On 11/10/2020 at 11:03 PM, DunedinDragon said:

Better yet.  Go to any concert and sit in the audience.  You will NEVER hear the sound of a real amp....ever....because they're all mic'd.

 

 

In all fairness the OP said: "trying to copy real amp and pedal settings from artist" so the sound he tries to achieve is very probably a recorded/mic'd amp which is what the Helix models.

[CraigGT]

On 11/10/2020 at 10:03 PM, DunedinDragon said:

Better yet.  Go to any concert and sit in the audience.  You will NEVER hear the sound of a real amp....ever....because they're all mic'd.

 

Not always, When I saw Gary Moore way back when, you couldn't hear the PA for his amps :-)

 

Craig

[DunedinDragon]

1 hour ago, CraigGT said:

Not always, When I saw Gary Moore way back when, you couldn't hear the PA for his amps :-)

 

Craig

Back in the day PA cabinets weren't a whole lot better than guitar cabinets in terms of how efficient they were.  Of course back in the day the PA systems were so bad it was just as well you probably didn't hear them.  You probably heard the guitar, but you probably didn't hear much of the voices.

 

[CraigGT]

58 minutes ago, DunedinDragon said:

Back in the day PA cabinets weren't a whole lot better than guitar cabinets in terms of how efficient they were.  Of course back in the day the PA systems were so bad it was just as well you probably didn't hear them.  You probably heard the guitar, but you probably didn't hear much of the voices.

 

No, I didn't hear much for days :-)