why are some effects unavailable in some patches?

[PatMarrNC]

Hi everybody,

total HELIX noob here.  So far I'm loving it and finding it to be easy to use... but while customizing downloaded user patches I noticed that not all effects are available for all patches. For example, in a couple of patches I wanted to add an impulse response, but that feature was greyed out in the editor making it impossible to select.  At other times, certain Dynamics options or EQ options were greyed out.  What is the rule that limits what can be added to a patch? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[rd2rk]

Some amps/effcts use more DSP (processor power) than others. The greyed out selections require more DSP than is available.

Attached is a summary of how much DSP the various effects/amps require.

Helix DSP Values.xlsx

[rvroberts]

It's all about DSP - that's processing power.

It is probably exaggerated on a downloaded patch as it is probably already packed with devices.

You have 2 paths (well you don't say which unit you have....) path 1 and path 2.  They both have the same amount of DSP - so if you find you can't add another drive say to path 1, you probably need to feed path one into path 2  and move a few things like the Amp which is generally pretty processor hungry to path 2, then you will be able to add that drive to path 1.

When it comes to IRs, you either use a Helix native cab or an IR, not both, so the very first thing to do is get rid of the Cab. Most likely that will make space for the IR.

Whichever way you look at it, there is only so much DSP and juggling it is part of the art of building great patches.  Mostly it's just a case of getting rid of stuff in the patch you aren't using - it still takes up DSP even if it's not on at the time - that's why there is no delay changing snapshots but there is a slight delay changing patches.

There is no rule - some units use more DSP than others.......it's all about the combination.

 

[PatMarrNC]

thanks rd2rk for the useful spreadsheet and helpful explanation!

 

Thanks rvroberts for the more detailed explanation about DSP, including the IR vs CAB consideration. Very useful information for me at this stage of my learning curve.