HELIX/HXN - Dark and muddy tones

[AndyT94]

Hello everyone.

I really want to enjoy the HELIX world, but I’m struggling with an issue I can't seem to resolve. I've read countless posts on similar problems and tried every possible solution, but to no avail.

In short, my problem is that on any amplifier, as soon as I increase the gain slightly (even with low gain and adding pedals like the Klon or TS808), I get an awful sound. I would describe it as a "buzzing, dark, grey noising, clipping". Especially on low frequencies, it sounds like a fuzz. It's as if a synthesizer is playing alongside my guitar, dirtying the sound. It is impossible to achieve "definition".

The issue occurs across all amplifiers and is particularly noticeable in edge-of-breakup tones. While it might also be present in high-gain settings, it tends to be masked. Some amplifiers exhibit this effect more prominently than others. To illustrate the problem, I have exaggerated the effect in a sample recorded on a VOX AC15 with only the amp and cab. The first part features the bridge pickup, followed by the neck pickup, with both volume knobs fully open. Despite varying the settings, I cannot achieve a "defined" sound unless I remove all the gain, which is not the desired tone. Another sample with MATCHLESS amp is provided (maybe on this it's much more evident).

Please listen carefully to the samples before you comment.

 

My setup:

• Epiphone Les Paul Standard (standard pickups, correct height, open tone pots)
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 (gain at 0, input set to “instrument” – input level is okay, never in the red)
• HELIX Native in REAPER (please notice, in recent past I owned Pod Go and Helix LT and faced the same problem)
• ALTO MS8A speakers on proper stands in the correct position (I also tried with Edifier R1280T studio monitors and headphones, but the result is the same)

 

1st Sample - AC15

AUDIO SAMPLE VOX AC15

 

 

2st Sample - MATCHLESS

AUDIO SAMPLE MATCHLESS

 

I have tried everything:

• Cutting low and high frequencies in the cabs
• Trying different combinations of cab, amp, and microphone positions
• Equalizing before and/or after the amplifier
• Lowering the input (though I was already below -18db, so that's not the issue, even at very low levels I face the issue; the output volume is also low)
• Gain at zero on my audio interface
• Different buffers on the audio interface
• Different cables
• Different DAWs
• Lowering the bass in the amp’s EQ
• Lowering the gain and/or master on the amps

 

Nothing has solved the problem.

Listen to this at 08:28: [MEDIA=youtube]6Gqy-p0kKZ0[/MEDIA]

Yes, I know… different guitar, amp, cab, but I've also tried with a Stratocaster and a Telecaster which I own, and the issue is still there, even if it's more evident with the Les Paul since it's a "darker" guitar.

 

The key concept to me is that I find it impossible to get that “clarity” with only an AMP plus CAP (like my samples are made, and yet like the video from Whorship Tutorials).

I really hope you can help me!

Thanks in advance to all of you.

[rd2rk]

It's hard to tell what's going on from a screenshot. Attach the actual preset.

You can't do that over on TGP where I also saw this post (file type not allowed), but here you can!

[DunedinDragon]

First, your two audio samples are both the same file which is the AC15, but it's pretty much what I would expect from an AC15 with the settings you have on that amp.  To my ear It's not terrible and there is some clarity to the tones until you dig in hard or play bigger chords, but it's a bit muffled to my taste lacking some high end (sparkle) but that may be due more to using an SM57 rather than a condenser or ribbon mic which is what I tend to use.  Looking at your amp settings you have a decent drive level but the Master level is pretty high which forces amp stage distortion.  I personally rarely mess with the Master Vol parameter once I get the effect I want with the Drive.  I just adjust the Ch Vol to get the signal level (volume) I want without affecting the tone as the Master Vol does.

 

For what it's worth I'm listening to the samples on my Yamaha HS7 studio monitors.

[datacommando]

On 6/7/2024 at 4:46 PM, AndyT94 said:

Please listen carefully to the samples before you comment.

Hmm… listened carefully to the same sample?

 

Both examples are the AC15.

 

I’m in agreement with @DunedinDragon about the sound quality, and as suggested by @rd2rk, please supply a copy of the presets to check, rather than screen shots.

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.