Gigging with the Helix

[surista]

I often play smaller venues with no house audio (ie mixer) - usually we’re just plugging into a guitar amp.

 

My general method up until now has been to simply go through the fx loop on the amp, instead of plugging into the front (guitar in) of the amp.

When I make my preset, I use whatever amp I want but do NOT use a cab. Since I’m obviously using the speakers of the amp (fx loop).

 

Upside: I can use whatever amp I want.

Downside: Means -zero- control over any of the amp settings. Moving the amp knobs will do nothing, including volume.

This can be quite annoying at times – having to bend over and do things with the Helix – sometimes on a darkened stage.

Because there’s no volume or eq control available on the amp itself, when you're only using the fx loop.

 

 

Am I correct in thinking that those are my options? Use whatever amp sound from the Helix I want by using the fx loop (using any amp model in the preset, no cab, and with no other physical amp controls available).

Or use the Helix basically as a big pedal board – either going straight into the physical amp’s guitar in, or 4CM for pre- and post- amp effects, but I’m stuck only using the physical amp.

 

 

[silverhead]

On 1/8/2023 at 10:01 AM, surista said:

I often play smaller venues with no house audio. Usually we’re just plugging into a mic’d up guitar amp.

....

If there's no house audio, where does the mic in front of the amp go? Have you considered using the full Helix amp and cab modeling, removing the mic and amp, and connecting the Helix outputs to wherever this mic goes? You could then use an FRFR speaker (not a guitar amp) as your stage monitor, unless wherever that mic goes also supports stage monitors. But then I'm confused, 'cuz there's no house audio....?

[surista]

On 1/9/2023 at 12:07 AM, silverhead said:

If there's no house audio, where does the mic in front of the amp go? Have you considered using the full Helix amp and cab modeling, removing the mic and amp, and connecting the Helix outputs to wherever this mic goes? You could then use an FRFR speaker (not a guitar amp) as your stage monitor, unless wherever that mic goes also supports stage monitors. But then I'm confused, 'cuz there's no house audio....?

 

Sorry, not mic'ed up - just a guitar amp.

[silverhead]

OK - that makes sense now.

 

You're right - those are your basic options, but 4CM offers you the use of either a Helix amp model or your physical amp if you set up your presets appropriately.

[denitronik]

Just plug-in to the instrument input of your amp but make sure you have the Helix output set to instrument. I do this all the time because my amp does not have an effect loop (old Fender Bandmaster) and you have all the controls you need both amp and Helix.

[SaschaFranck]

In case the amp itself sounds nice, you could consider using it as a clean pedal platform and don't any amp modules in the Helix. Would not give you *that* much more control, though, just a tonestack (which you could get globally within the Helix, too, via the Global EQ, if that is something you're after).

I would likely not go for any 4CM setup in case you've got no time to properly check things out.

In fact, I would just continue to run things as you do already - I mean, one of the things you've got to deal with as a modeler user is the menu-driven, floor-crawling culture coming along with most units. And yeah, I totally agree that both aspects are annoying. Which, fwiw, is why I stepped back from a Helix-only setup. Still crawling but at least no menu-diving anymore. And my next all-in-one modeler will offer mobile device remote control for the very same reasons.

[codamedia]

On 1/8/2023 at 9:01 AM, surista said:

Means -zero- control over any of the amp settings. Moving the amp knobs will do nothing, including volume.
This can be quite annoying at times – having to bend over and do things with the Helix – sometimes on a darkened stage.

 

Save your Helix preset with the AMP model highlighted. The small encoders become your amp controls.... gain, bass, middle, treble, etc.... everything you need for quick adjustments. Your volume will be the big volume control on the Helix. If you need to save any tonal changes you made, just double tap the save button. (volume changes are global)

 

IME... using the Helix like this has always been easier and more convenient than attempting to adjust an amp 5 - 10 feet behind me on a stage. 

[surista]

On 1/9/2023 at 12:21 AM, silverhead said:

OYou're right - those are your basic options, but 4CM offers you the use of either a Helix amp model or your physical amp if you set up your presets appropriately.

 

OK, this is what I suspected, but I haven't been able to get it to work. How exactly are you setting up the presets for 4CM?

[surista]

On 1/9/2023 at 11:36 AM, MGW-Alberta said:

You can if you make it idiot proof like I did.

Fast, no guessing, never a wrong connection.

Some custom length cabling.

Some coloured heat-shrink.

Some coloured nuts.

Took me about 2-1/2 hours to fabricate once I got all the stuff needed to make the snake.

 

 

This is brilliant...

[surista]

I've played around with 4CM. Kinda cool, but I am wondering about potential pitfalls, if within my preset I sometimes am going through the physical amp, and sometimes going through the amp's Fx loop. Worried that I'm going to end up with unexpected volume shifts moving between presets / snapshtots.

 

So I think I may just stick with going from the Helix 1/4" out in to the amp's FX return. Simpler - just one cable from the Helix to the amp, and I use a wireless setup so i'm wireless between my guitar and the Helix - and I know I always 100% do everything via the Helix. 

 

Appreciate everyone's ideas tho!

[silverhead]

On 1/12/2023 at 10:51 PM, surista said:

.., but I am wondering about potential pitfalls, if within my preset I sometimes am going through the physical amp, and sometimes going through the amp's Fx loop. Worried that I'm going to end up with unexpected volume shifts moving between presets / snapshtots.

 

..

Such pitfalls would only happen if you don’t pay attention to the preset design. You can get dramatic volume shifts between presets using only the Helix, too, if you don’t pay attention to matching volume levels during preset design. Using 4CM is no different; you need to balance preset levels and make sure your signal is routed through either a Helix amp model or the physical amp, not both. Once your presets are properly set up you don’t need to worry about it.

 

I’m not trying to change your mind, just saying that random volume shifts won’t occur spontaneously after things are properly set up.