My Helix sounds terrible

[lamtop]

I wonder if my Helix is defective. I made a short clip (helix.ogg) comparing the sound of a certain youtuber's Helix to mine. The first sample is from a YouTube video while the second one is me playing through my Helix. Both are recorded with the signal chain only containing ANGL Meteor amp+cab block. I recorded mine using Helix's USB interface and the sound is equally bad when listened to through headphones; the sound is even worse when playing through a Powercab 112.

 

Is my Helix broken or is there some setting I haven't noticed? I updated to firmware 3.01 and did a factory reset but that didn't improve the sound quality at all.

[rd2rk]

It doesn't sound bad to me, just different. Learn to use the amp's Tonestack and HX EQ blocks, as I'm sure that "certain YouTuber" knows how to do, make sure you're using the same  guitar and HX cabs/mics or IRs that the YouTuber is using, apply the same POST processing that the YouTuber might be using (a link to the YT video you're referencing would be helpful - don't be afraid of lawyers) then apply the same sort of compression that YT adds to EVERY video.......

 

Eventually, you'll find a sound that's BETTER than the one you're referencing.

[lamtop]

Thank you for your reply.

 

This is the video I'm referencing to:

 

  The clip I borrowed for comparison is at 11:41 on the video. There are no other blocks than ANGL Meteor (no EQ or anything) at that part of the video yet the sound is way brighter and richer than mine (I basically did what they did on the video). They started with an empty patch and put ANGL Meteor there getting a somewhat usable tone right away, after which they started tweaking the sound. I asked Music Gear Network if they applied any kind of post processing to the audio recorded from the Helix for the video to which they answered no. My guitar is a Duesenberg Starplayer TV which is said to have very bright tone. I have tried with a couple other guitars too. I'm slightly confused here...

[DunedinDragon]

I agree with RD2K that your clip doesn't sound awful at all...just way over modulated which makes it sound harsh.  Especially in comparison to the video you posted where the output appears to be much more controlled and managed.  I'm listening to it on my studio monitors which are Yamaha HS7's.

Of course the main difference once I turn your clip down to a comparative level with the video, is the brightness of your guitar compared to his.  I don't know how your guitar and pickups compare to what he's using, but there's clearly some difference there.  That, of course can be remedied by either EQ or possibly just a different  setup on the cabinet/mic/mic placement used in the amp model.

[rd2rk]

Yes, yours sounds comparatively thin. Your guitar is loaded with P90s. Single coil pickups.

Eric is a metal guy, and while I don't remember what his favorite guitar is, he's an EVH fan, and I guarantee the guitar he's using in that video is loaded with humbuckers, probably hi-output if not active. Your guitar is NOT going to sound like that.

 

Bottom line here. There's nothing wrong with your Helix. If you're set on duplicating a sound from a record or a YT vid, you're setting yourself up to be disappointed. Even if you have EXACTLY the same gear as the guy in the video, you won't get the exact tone. If you want to be even close, you at least need to use a similar guitar with similar pickups. For instance, I have a PRS Custom 24 (set-neck, double cutaway, mahogany with carved maple top, HFS (ceramic HB) bridge PU) and an Ibanez ARX140 (set neck, double cutaway, mahogany with carved mahohany top, Duncan JB (a hot wound Alnico V HB) in the bridge). These are similar guitars, but sound totally different. I used to have a PRS with P90s. Not even close to either one!

 

You REALLY need to learn to use the tonestack and EQs to compensate for everything from your fingers to the room you're in.

 

There's a saying - "A good craftsman never blames his tools".

 

The sound you're looking for is in there, like a statue waiting to be carved from a block of stone.

 

NOTE: Hitting your Helix with a hammer will NOT help!

 

Lastly, I recommend that you watch some of Jason Sadites' Helix videos. Don't try for his exact tones. Apply his methods to getting YOUR tones.

[lamtop]

Thank you. I don't intend to replicate anyone else's tone. I was only exploring Helix tutorials on YouTube, came across this video and noticed the guitar tone on the video is way brighter (more stuff in the higher frequencies I think) than what I had heard from my rig. So I suspected there could've been a hardware defect in my Helix that prevented it from outputting those high frequencies that make a tone sound bright. Therefore I set up an identical patch and recorded a sample so that you could compare the two tones and help me decide whether I should've RMA:ed my Helix or not. I didn't know active pickups are the reason for the boosted high end frequencies on the video and that the difference between the frequency response of active and passive pickups would be so radical.

 

I'm glad to hear my Helix is fine.

 

P.S. The bridge pickup on the Starplayer TV is in fact a humbucker (the neck pickup indeed is a P90 single-coil).

[rd2rk]

7 minutes ago, lamtop said:

I didn't know active pickups are the reason for the boosted high end frequencies on the video.

 

 

I didn't say that, I said  "...I guarantee the guitar he's using in that video is loaded with humbuckers, probably hi-output if not active."

 

But I think you got the point. Different guitar, different pickups, different sound.

 

[codamedia]

16 hours ago, lamtop said:

The first sample is from a YouTube video while the second one is me playing through my Helix.

 

Why does his sample (in your clip of him) sound so different than when I listen to the actual You Tube post you are referencing? It's lacking low mids and sound like the key has been raised a semi-tone. 

 

His actual video is in Ab and has a very similar (at least within the ball park) tone as you do. 

 

It needs to be asked.... how are you monitoring You Tube?  If that clip is what you actually hear on your end, it is not accurate to what his tone really sounds like. 

 

EDIT TO ADD: When watching the original video I notice he is using Firmware 2.7.1.

In Firmware 2.8 Line 6 updated most (if not all) default amp settings in a response to people complaining about FIZZ. This would "contribute" to the change in tone I hear between YOUR CLIP and HIS ORIGINAL YOU TUBE CLIP.

[Joepeggio]

Upon listening on my computer (15 in macbook pro, sound not too bad), I Like the your recording better.  The first half sounds fizzy and no mids.  Just saying

[lamtop]

2 hours ago, codamedia said:

 

Why does his sample (in your clip of him) sound so different than when I listen to the actual You Tube post you are referencing? It's lacking low mids and sound like the key has been raised a semi-tone. 

 

His actual video is in Ab and has a very similar (at least within the ball park) tone as you do. 

 

It needs to be asked.... how are you monitoring You Tube?  If that clip is what you actually hear on your end, it is not accurate to what his tone really sounds like. 

 

EDIT TO ADD: When watching the original video I notice he is using Firmware 2.7.1.

In Firmware 2.8 Line 6 updated most (if not all) default amp settings in a response to people complaining about FIZZ. This would "contribute" to the change in tone I hear between YOUR CLIP and HIS ORIGINAL YOU TUBE CLIP.

 

I raised the key one semitone for the sample I took from the video to bring it to a comparable level with my recording. That might have affected the tone a bit though, and I probably should've had left it untouched and re-tuned my guitar to Eb for the comparison instead (because open chords). Thanks for the info about version differences.

 

54 minutes ago, Joepeggio said:

Upon listening on my computer (15 in macbook pro, sound not too bad), I Like the your recording better.  The first half sounds fizzy and no mids.  Just saying

 

Thanks, I'm feeling more confident about my Helix now. I might have overreacted a little to the tone difference because I've been having a little bad luck with faulty products (in general, not meaning Helix or other Line6 products) lately.

[codamedia]

1 hour ago, Joepeggio said:

Upon listening on my computer (15 in macbook pro, sound not too bad), I Like the your recording better.  The first half sounds fizzy and no mids.  Just saying

 

That's exactly how I felt when I listened to the OP's clips... 

When you listen to the original You Tube video he references later - the tone in the video is actually more similar to HIS clip. Something was really lost in that conversion...

 

35 minutes ago, lamtop said:

Thanks, I'm feeling more confident about my Helix now.

 

FWIW: I dialed in the ANGL amp on my LT and my sound is pretty much the same as yours. The only differences would be slight, and likely just guitar related.