Helix FX presets to Helix LT?

[vkinetic]

Tried to find any posts re this with no success.  I have recently bought a Helix LT after selling my Fractal AX8.  I have two hardware setups for live depending on the band/scenario.  The first is my original AX8 setup where I go directly from the (now) Helix LT into a pair of Yamaha DX10s.  The second is going from the LT directly into my Genz Benz Black Pearl.  I am preferring to go into the Genz Benz for rehearsal and smaller gigs.  When I disable the amp and cab blocks in order to go into the Genz the sound sounds like crap - I have to tweak the preset further in order to get the sound I want out of the Genz.  I downloaded a pile of free Helix FX presets and I'm also looking at buying some commercial ones just to help me get my head around writing good presets (for either scenario).  But I'm concerned that my LT my not like importing Helix FX presets into it.  Is this OK to do?

 

I'm also having trouble getting my guitars to interface properly with the LT - for example the signal is too hot for some of the compressors (reducing sensitivity or threshold even to zero still results in too much compression) or feeding the input into a distortion block is still too hot.  I have read about the impedance setting and I am about to change mine from Auto to 1Meg to see if that helps.  Also I'm going to turn the guitar pad ON as recommended by Alex Strabala to see if that improves things.

 

Any help or comments will be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks

[MGW-Alberta]

There are no rules that you absolutely must follow.  HX sim blocks are all digital and all they do is modify the guitar signal.  Doesn't matter what kind of blocks they are; they're just subroutines (or whatever else they might be technically called).  There's no rule that says you have to disable any particular blocks just because you're running into an amplifier.  If it sounds better with the amp block enabled then play it with the amp block enabled.  It's not like you're going to hurt anything and I don't know why some people insist you have to disable them or even run them into the f/x loop rather than the front of the amp.  Just try it and see what works.   I run my Helix Floor into a Mesa Boogie Mark V and some of my presets do contain amp blocks.  I don't usually use cab blocks because personally I find they usually just make the tone muddy sounding but an amp block can be a great shortcut to a particular sound you might be striving for.  Sometimes I will try just the preamp block and sometimes I will try the regular amp block that includes a power section because the power section also influences tone.  If I want my Boogie to sound more like a Fender Deluxe Reverb then I use a FDR amp block.  All it does is shape the tone.  It's not like it's actually an amplifier.   Whichever one works best is the one I use and in the end it's about 50/50 (amp/preamp) on those presets where I do choose to use an amp block.  As previously mentioned I try not to use amp+cab blocks.

 

Again ... there are no rules.  It's just a guitar effects processor.  It's not dangerous to your amp or to your device.  Every block HX in existence is really just another effect.  One makes it sound more like such and such an amp, another makes it sound like a Tremolo or whatever.  Experiment.  There's nothing to lose (except your time) and quite possibly everything to gain, especially your understanding of how the device works.

[vkinetic]

Thanks MGW-Alberta - I appreciate your comments and your time making them.  I'll try what you suggest!

 

But I would still like to know whether it is ok to import HelixFX presets into the Helix LT.

 

Thank you

[silverhead]

The HX Edit manual describes its preset compatibility and translation capabilities (beginning on pg 4). I believe this will answer your question. It’s quite lengthy and detailed, and includes a table that likely won’t cut/paste very well here.
 

[datacommando]

On 3/6/2023 at 12:38 AM, vkinetic said:

I downloaded a pile of free Helix FX presets and I'm also looking at buying some commercial ones just to help me get my head around writing good presets (for either scenario).  But I'm concerned that my LT my not like importing Helix FX presets into it.  Is this OK to do?

Hi,

 

I’m a little confused about exactly what you’re asking here, because you say you have an Helix LT and downloaded a bunch of freebie Helix FX. Furthermore you intend to buy some more commercial presets - and that is where my confusion arises! Hmm… if you own an LT why would you download presets for the HX Effects which doesn’t have any of the amp and cab blocks that are in all the other Helix family of products?
 

I guess you actually mean you have presets that were designed for the Helix floor model? If that’s correct then your freebie, and any future commercial purchases will simply load into your LT, with the caveat of - if the preset requires an IR file from a commercial supplier, you will have to purchase the IR needed. Presets designed for use with the Helix floor, Rack of LT are interchangeable. The differences between those 3 units are in the hardware. Your LT has less Send/Return options, and no Mic input for example.

 

One other point - you mention using the presets which you have, or hope to have, to “help me get my head around writing good presets”. Well if those presets have been downloaded from CustomTone - be prepared to be disappointed. You might find the the name and/or description are far from what you may have anticipated. If you ‘re not rigged up with the same guitar, strings, pick technique, monitors and listening environment as the guy who put it together - it will sound completely different, but hey it’s somewhere to start.

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.

[vkinetic]

Thanks to all who replied.  To datacommando - perhaps you didn't read my original post fully or perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough.  The reason I want to import Helix FX presets into my Helix LT is because I want to run my LT into my amp (Genz Benz 30 watt combo).  Therefore I don't want or need the amp and cab blocks.  When I turn off the amp and cab blocks in my own presets the guitar sounds like crap.  So I wanted to try presets (both free and commercial) that were written solely for the FX so that the final sound relies only on the FX blocks and not affected by amp and cab blocks.  But thank you for pointing me in the direction of the Helix Edit manual - I found the answer in the table on page 6 (HX presets can be imported into the LT via Helix edit with some caveats).

 

I have had some experience with buying presets for my now sold Fractal AX8.  Despite differences in what guitar was used etc etc I nevertheless found them very useful and formed the basis of some great presets with a little tweaking.  So I imagine the same would apply with commercial presets available for the Helix.

 

Once again thanks very much to all who responded - greatly appreciated

 

 

[datacommando]

On 3/7/2023 at 1:03 AM, vkinetic said:

To datacommando - perhaps you didn't read my original post fully or perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough.  The reason I want to import Helix FX presets into my Helix LT is because I want to run my LT into my amp (Genz Benz 30 watt combo).  Therefore I don't want or need the amp and cab blocks.  When I turn off the amp and cab blocks in my own presets the guitar sounds like crap.

Hi,

 

That’s intriguing.
 

Using only HX Effects presets in a Helix LT will not sound any different from a full LT preset without an amp and cab in the signal chain - the HXFX firmware is identical apart from the amp and cab modelling. If you create a preset in the Helix LT without an amp or cab it’s the same other than the fact that an LT has a second DSP chip which doubles the processing power of the HXFX. 

 

If you have a preset in your LT, and as you state, when you “turn off the amp and cab blocks in my own presets the guitar sounds like crap”, there is something very wrong in how you have things set up in the signal path. 
 

If there is a hard way of doing things, you have found it, if you think that using a preset specifically created for a HX Effects unit, is going to be any different to simply not having an amp and cab in the signal path of an LT device.
 

This is more than weird - Bizarre! Why invest in an LT  if you “don’t want, or need the amp or cab blocks” 

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.

[codamedia]

If you have both units... connect both, open 2 instances of HX Edit and drag/drop the blocks from the HX Effects to the LT. 

If you have Native.... load the HX Effects presets into that and copy/paste the blocks from there to the LT. 

 

If you can't do either, I don't think you will get the HX Effects preset to load in LT. Maybe you can ask someone here to convert the HX Preset to an LT preset in Helix Native.  

 

On 3/6/2023 at 9:05 PM, datacommando said:

This is more than weird - Bizarre! Why invest in an LT  if you “don’t want, or need the amp or cab blocks” 

 

Line 6 doesn't make a dual DSP version of "effect only". IMO, that's where the LT fits nicely. 

 

The LT is an incredible effects board into an amp. I save a copy of my working presets with the amp blocks off for the rare occasions I need to use an amp on stage. It is better & more versatile than any other effects unit I've ever used. 

 

 

[MayPRS]

On 3/8/2023 at 12:36 PM, codamedia said:

If you have both units... connect both, open 2 instances of HX Edit and drag/drop the blocks from the HX Effects to the LT. 

If you have Native.... load the HX Effects presets into that and copy/paste the blocks from there to the LT. 

 

If you can't do either, I don't think you will get the HX Effects preset to load in LT. Maybe you can ask someone here to convert the HX Preset to an LT preset in Helix Native.  

 

 

Line 6 doesn't make a dual DSP version of "effect only". IMO, that's where the LT fits nicely. 

 

The LT is an incredible effects board into an amp. I save a copy of my working presets with the amp blocks off for the rare occasions I need to use an amp on stage. It is better & more versatile than any other effects unit I've ever used. 

 

 

 

I second @codamedia: I move from HX Effects to LT and it's so much more than a HX Effects + amp/cab. It's a totally different unit and the input impedance on the LT DOES MAKE A LOT of difference in dynamics. Even with the same blocks, same chain, the LT sounds way better to my ears.

[datacommando]

On 3/8/2023 at 12:36 PM, codamedia said:

Line 6 doesn't make a dual DSP version of "effect only". IMO, that's where the LT fits nicely. 

 

The LT is an incredible effects board into an amp. I save a copy of my working presets with the amp blocks off for the rare occasions I need to use an amp on stage. It is better & more versatile than any other effects unit I've ever used. 

Hi,

 

Yep, I understand that, which is why I mentioned the extra processing power of the LT in my post.

 

My real point is about why bother messing with porting FX presets across to the LT, when all that’s required is to use a preset created for the LT (which may already be taking advantage of that 2nd DSP), and then simply turn off, or discard the unnecessary amp and cab.
 

The main thing is, the OP states: “When I turn off the amp and cab blocks in my own preset the guitar sounds like crap.” That prompted me to say that there must be something very wrong how he has his LT and his Genz Benz setup together. Rather than finding presets specifically  designed for the HXFX, just use what you have correctly.

 

Hope this makes sense.