Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

Good Presets for the Stomp


b418me
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hello, who uses the Helix Stomp live in front of a poweramp and into a cabinet? I am trying to find some good presets for live use (all different styles) in this combination (my poweramp is a Marshall Valvestate). How do you set up a preset for this live use? Thanks Ash

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just an FYI. Unless someone has exactly the same poweramp and cab as you, someone else's presets won't do you much good. The power amp colors the sound a little and the cab really colors the sound. I'm afraid you're stuck coming up with your own presets. If you really want to try someone else's presets check out the Custom Tone website. But prepare to be disappointed.

 

https://line6.com/customtone/browse/hx_stomp/

 

It will use the same username and password as what you use for this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, brue58ski said:

someone else's presets won't do you much good.

so how do you approach the preset design with this setup (sorry, I am usually a Kemper guy)? do you use just the preamp, or Amp, or Amp+Cab? Do you make the sound at home or when playing with the band?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, b418me said:

so how do you approach the preset design with this setup (sorry, I am usually a Kemper guy)? do you use just the preamp, or Amp, or Amp+Cab? Do you make the sound at home or when playing with the band?

 

I personally use FRFR speakers. I have some bookshelf monitors where I create patches and generally go direct to the board so my approach would be a bit different than yours. Since you already have a cab I would use Amp only. Now I have a Marshall 1960B cab so if I were to create a patch with a Marshall amp that would be fine but if I were to use a Fender amp, it would not sound similar to a real Fender amp since the cab's are different and sound very different. I have a Line 6 Vetta amp and that's what goes into my Marshall cab. One trick that I used to use is, once I was done dialing in a sound using an amp only, I would then add a cab into the preset and just quickly run through them all. To put it simply, you are essentially running through a bunch of different EQ curves and you would be surprised what might come out. It doesn't always work. In fact I'd say about 60% of the time it doesn't work. But it works enough that it's worth doing it since you can run through different cabs pretty quickly. If you can, you always want to make the preset with the band or whatever situation you're in. I currently only make my sounds at home because there is no opportunity for me to do it in a band context.

 

There is a youtube video where a guy takes a Behringer DEQ2496 and a reference mic and uses it to EQ his cab to make it close to an FRFR speaker. The Behringer DEQ2496 is an EQ that can also send a pink or white noise signal out. So you send that reference signal through the power amp/cab that you have and then using the Behringer DEQ2496 flatten the signal coming from the reference mic. so you would run your Helix through the Behringer DEQ2496 before the poweramp/ cab, OR I'm thinking the Helix Global EQ might be able to do the same thing once you figured out what frequencies you needed to bosst or cut on the Behringer DEQ2496 so you could eliminate it. Not sure if this makes sense so here's the link to the video.

Hope this helps.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have a lot of options for how to make a preset for use with your amp.

 

1) Straight ahead - This is a simple preset, similar to using a traditional pedal board, using Pre effects (OD, etc) into a Helix Amp to Post FX (delay, reverb) out the 1/4" (set to LINE in Global Settings>Ins/Outs) into the MVS FX Loop return. In this configuration you're using only the MVS SS power amp and speaker. Depending on where in the circuit Marshall put the Master Volume, it may or may not control the MVS volume, so start with the Helix Output volume low so as not to blow your ears out, then see how the MVS Master interacts.

 

2) Same as 1 but using a Preamp instead of the full amp model. I find that the Preamps sound more raw and trebly than the full amp, so if the full amp sounds muddy, try the preamp.

 

3) Same as 1 but adding a Helix Cab or IR. In this configuration the Cab/IR is essentially a type of EQ, changing the way the Marshall cab sounds. As brue58ski said, sometimes it works, sometimes not. Try it with both the full Helix amp and Preamp.

 

4) 4cm - this is the most complex and option rich configuration, Using an FX Loop Block L between Pre FX and the Helix amp, before Post FX, you take the Guitar into Helix Input, a TS cable from the Helix SEND (TS is the LEFT send on the Stomp, set SEND/RETURN L to INST and set RETURN TYPE to RETURN in Global Settings>Ins/Outs) into the Marshall Input, the MVS FX send to the Stomp L/Mono return, then take the 1/4" L/Mono Out (SEND/RETURN L set to INST because you want that level into the MVS Input and the Send/Return can't be set separately***) into the MVS FX Return. This configuration allows you to use the Helix amp OR the MVS Preamp OR neither (see 1), and you can put a Cab/IR in the Post FX segment assigned to a FS or Snapshot to try the preset with and without the Cab/IR.

 

***NOTE on the S/R settings - It's possible to use both L and R sends, one set to INST going to the MVS INPUT, the other set to LINE going to the MVS RETURN, but that results in TWO AD/DA conversions, which adds Latency, which affects FEEL, which is not desirable, and uses two S/R Blocks out of your 8. The ROI is not worth it IMO.

 

Some folks will say always do this that or the other, but one of the nice things about the digital wonderland is that there are NO RULES! Whatever sounds good TO YOU is right!

 

IOW, there's no one-size-fits-all solution.

 

Have fun experimenting!

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hello again, I checked the presets that one can buy and was wondering if there are any good presets for a live use (using guitar into stomp into poweramp into cab). I think these patches would not need any cab sims or ir's and only use the amp or pre amp? But I think most commercial presets are more for studio use? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, b418me said:

Hello again, I checked the presets that one can buy and was wondering if there are any good presets for a live use (using guitar into stomp into poweramp into cab). I think these patches would not need any cab sims or ir's and only use the amp or pre amp? But I think most commercial presets are more for studio use? 

 

Hoping to rely on someone else's patches, created with different guitars, on a different playback system than whatever you're using, in a different listening environment, and all dialed in at an unknown volume, is a recipe for failure.

 

You need to learn how to create the sound(s) you're after yourself, because a drag and drop solution doesn't exist... there are simply too many variables.  YouTube is overflowing with Helix tutorials... start with Jason Sadites' channel. He explains very clearly and concisely how and why he uses certain things to achieve a given result, and that's what you need at this point... the perfect tonal solution can't be purchased. You gotta do it... and once you understand the device, it becomes second nature.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/12/2020 at 4:00 PM, cruisinon2 said:

 

Hoping to rely on someone else's patches, created with different guitars, on a different playback system than whatever you're using, in a different listening environment, and all dialed in at an unknown volume, is a recipe for failure.

mh, I just start with the Helix Stomp. Using a Kemper for many years I have to say that using commercial (meaning professional made) patches (or rigs as they are called there) work very well in different environments and with just a bit of tweaking. 

 

That's why I asked concerning commercial/professional presets for the Stomp. Maybe there are some that built "ready to live use" with little tweaking. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, b418me said:

mh, I just start with the Helix Stomp. Using a Kemper for many years I have to say that using commercial (meaning professional made) patches (or rigs as they are called there) work very well in different environments and with just a bit of tweaking. 

 

That's why I asked concerning commercial/professional presets for the Stomp. Maybe there are some that built "ready to live use" with little tweaking. 

 

I have no experience with the the Kemper, so I'm in no place to argue that point... but my experience with a number of modelers over the years has been the exact opposite. If I'm going to have to tweak anyway, then why pay for the privilege when I can start from scratch for free?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

I have no experience with the the Kemper, so I'm in no place to argue that point... but my experience with a number of modelers over the years has been the exact opposite. If I'm going to have to tweak anyway, then why pay for the privilege when I can start from scratch for free?

 

to get it right: all the commercial presets for the Helix only use what everyone has got on the helix? With the Kemper you can create your own amp/cab (profiling) and upload it for everyone. Professional made rigs here tend to sound much better since they are done in a studio environment. But with the Helix everyone is using the built in amps/cabs and just "playing around" with the given parameters? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, b418me said:

 

to get it right: all the commercial presets for the Helix only use what everyone has got on the helix? With the Kemper you can create your own amp/cab (profiling) and upload it for everyone. Professional made rigs here tend to sound much better since they are done in a studio environment. But with the Helix everyone is using the built in amps/cabs and just "playing around" with the given parameters? 

I'm not sure I'd describe it as "playing around" as much as experimenting to find what works best.

I've never specifically used a downloadable preset, commercial or amateur.  But when I first began with modelers I have followed someone's directions from a video tutorial to get a good grasp of the basics.  To me that's FAR more productive than simply dropping in a purchased preset without any knowledge of how things are working and then guessing at what you might need to do to get it to sound right for your setup.

As far as professionally crafted, you won't find anyone doing a better job of that than Jason Sadites on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JasonSadites/featured

He also makes all of his presets available for download or for purchase, but at least you know how he did things and why and stand a much better chance of making your own intelligent modifications without the guess work.  I realize it's not the same as dowloading and hoping to hit on the perfect preset, but sometimes knowledge is WAY more powerful than just dumb luck.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...