Helix Sounds Great, So Why Does It Sound Bad Recording?

[musicmanD123]

Hello Helix Community,

 

HELP! I love my Helix LT and have spent many hours learning how to build tones that I like. What I can't understand is why it sounds so great with my Beyerdynamic Pro 770 (250 ohm) headphones and so bad when I record into garageband. Clean tones sound ok, but anything with gain and high gain, especially hard rock and metal driven tones sound totally shrill, weak, flabby and dull. I've researched and watched too many YouTube videos and tried many of the suggestions about low and high cuts, parametric EQ placement in the signal chain, turning down gain and on and on...but when recording, it always sounds like s**!. I have also tried changing the amp models but it seems to make no difference. I build patches with Revvs, PV, Bogners, Cali's, Diezels and it's the same sad sound every time.

 

Has anyone else experienced this and have a technique to fix this problem?

 

I record with USB direct into my MacBook Pro. I play a PRS Custom SE 24 and was wondering if it was an issue with pups...

 

Thanks for your guidance. D

[Klaim]

Can you try to see if there is a difference if you record with Audacity?

Or any other cheap/free DAW like Reaper?

There should not be a difference but it's a basic check to do.

 

Also you record through USB, are you sure you are recording the right channel(s) in Garageband?

[DunedinDragon]

Quite honestly recording should be a no brainer with the Helix.  If your preset sounds good it's just a matter of hooking it up to your DAW via USB and pressing record.  Very little should need to be done other than getting the right signal level and, assuming your listening with the same headphones through the Helix when you play it back, sound the same.  Or have you left out some details about how you're playing it back?

[cruisinon2]

6 hours ago, musicmanD123 said:

Hello Helix Community,

 

HELP! I love my Helix LT and have spent many hours learning how to build tones that I like. What I can't understand is why it sounds so great with my Beyerdynamic Pro 770 (250 ohm) headphones and so bad when I record into garageband. Clean tones sound ok, but anything with gain and high gain, especially hard rock and metal driven tones sound totally shrill, weak, flabby and dull. I've researched and watched too many YouTube videos and tried many of the suggestions about low and high cuts, parametric EQ placement in the signal chain, turning down gain and on and on...but when recording, it always sounds like s**!. I have also tried changing the amp models but it seems to make no difference. I build patches with Revvs, PV, Bogners, Cali's, Diezels and it's the same sad sound every time.

 

Has anyone else experienced this and have a technique to fix this problem?

 

I record with USB direct into my MacBook Pro. I play a PRS Custom SE 24 and was wondering if it was an issue with pups...

 

Thanks for your guidance. D

 

If you've got direct monitoring turned on in GarageBand, turn it off...if memory serves, it's on by default when you enable a new track. Otherwise the signal is piggybacked on top of itself and you're hearing it twice... once directly from Helix, plus the output from the DAW, which includes whatever inherent latency your setup has, as the signal goes into GB, and then back out again. The result is sort of a "poor man's chorus" effect, which is why you can get away with it on clean tones. But with any amount of drive it'll sound muffled and $hitty, as you've already discovered.

 

If that doesn't do it, and you're monitoring through the same headphones, then something else is going on in GB that's mucking with the output.

[soundog]

Also, you mention cleans are OK but higher gains suck. Hmmmm. All the advice here is excellent, but do pay special attention to your levels throughout the signal path (audio interface, Helix input and all blocks, Garageband levels, etc).  Make sure nothing is being over-driven, and better to boost levels at your final output if needed.

[tmingle]

Split the signal before any cabinets or IR's.  Record that to a separate track & add IR's in your DAW.  It definitly sounds different from the internal Cabs/IR's inside the Helix.  Not necessarily better or worse. 

[musicmanD123]

Hi everyone and thanks for the feedback. Its not monitoring, already made that mistake lol...I tried two things that seem to have helped. 1. Placing a low cut in front of the amp and 2. Running the big volume knob on the Helix at the 3:00 o'clock position (75%) and adjusting the preset volume down accordingly. Also removed any gain staging throughout the signal chain. It still needs further tweaking but it seems to sound much better. Thanks Soundog for that suggestion.

[theElevators]

I recorded a ton of stuff from the Helix in the 1.5 years of owning it.  With almost no adjustment, I take my sound exactly as it is, and record it into Logic using the USB connection.  I get stereo tracks of all my guitars, and most of the time I just adjust the volume and that's it.  If your recorded sound doesn't sound like your live sound, maybe you have some weird global EQ that is responsible for the difference in the sound.  Global EQ should only be used to tweak your sound for specific FRFR, amp, or monitor.  Your sound without Global EQ should be dialed in in such a way that i can go to the Front of the House pretty much unaltered, or recorded without any tweaks. 

[soundog]

I've used a separate low cut filter with a steep roll-off (separate plug-in) in front of Native at times .... it really does help clean up some tones. You could do the same with a Helix block, I suppose, but I just like to do it that way. I figure its like having a really good bass knob on yer geetar.

[phil_m]

Remember that the Global EQ isn’t applied to the USB out, so if you have that on, what you’re hearing over the analog outs is not what’s being sent to the USB audio stream.