Is "The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks" at Sweetwater worth it?

[guitargrinder]

Is "The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks" at Sweetwater worth it? 

[silverhead]

For me it certainly is.

[rd2rk]

First, RTM!!! First, RTM!!! First, RTM!!! Did I mention, First, RTM!!!

Then, if you want to dive deeper, get the BBHT&T.

[kduck]

Worth it for the presets alone. Add to that the deep dives on each effect/amp/feature and I'd call it a bargain. 

[datacommando]

On 11/3/2024 at 6:13 PM, guitargrinder said:

Is "The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks" at Sweetwater worth it? 

What a very strange question to post here. 
 

Buy it, read it, and then you can tell us what you think.

[somebodyelse]

A Helix costs over a grand.

The book costs $20. If you can't afford to waste $20, then you need to rethink your priorities.

[craiganderton]

I'm the author. I wanted to give a heads-up that the book has been through four free updates, but there will be another free update after the next Helix firmware becomes available. To obtain the update, all you need to do is download the book again. Whatever you download will always be the most current update. Updates cover the features from new firmware, but they also include more applications for new and existing features.

 

To find out what people think, check out the reader reviews on the Sweetwater site. They've all been extremely positive except for a couple people who expected it to be a "Helix 101" book for beginners. It is not. It's written to cover what's not in the manual, describe applications (e.g., virtual "Nashville tuning"), and provide technical information about the blocks that isn't available anywhere else. The original reason for writing the book was because the manual didn't describe what the block parameters actually do.

 

The only other caveat is the presets. Not all are meant to be "plug and play." Some are simply designed to show a particular technique, so you load them to experiment with something described in the text. Then using what you learned from reading the book, you can modify them for your specific needs.

 

Scroll down the book's landing page and you'll see the contents toward the bottom. The topics that are covered will help you decide if you want to go deep into maximizing the Helix's potential, or need something more introductory.

[MusicLaw]

@guitargrinder, the answer to your question is: Absolutely Yes! You will discover things that about the gear that will astound you! 

[craiganderton]

I also should have mentioned there's contact info in the book for suggestions and comments. So if the book doesn't include something you want to see, or if something isn't clear, let me know and there's a good chance the next update will accommodate what you want. Many changes in the updates are the direct result of reader feedback. Some readers have even been kind enough to point out the occasional typo so I could fix it.

[mlwinnig]

On 11/3/2024 at 12:13 PM, guitargrinder said:

Is "The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks" at Sweetwater worth it? 

 

ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT! 

 

Thorough explanation of features / tips / tricks. Tons of useful presets and how created and how to use and tweak them. Free updates when SW changes.

 

PRICELESS ACCESS TO THE AUTHOR HERE!

[TLF2007]

I think the book was worth it. It had some interesting sound design topics that made me think of some things differently. The content is all relevant. I was a long time user of the Helix before I got it and a mentor on Facebook for it, etc, so I understood the unit well but still got some great insights from the book. I also got the Studio One book Craig Anderton wrote and had a similar experience.

 

However, the Sweetwater update process for new book editions -while is pointed out by the author in this thread as free-there is NO cohesive process or links to do so and @craiganderton and others shouldn't be trying to sell you on that point.  His point on going and "downloading the book again" via the links/process doesn't work as there is no obvious process to do so. To be fair, it hasn't meant enough for me to do any Google searches or reaching out to Sweetwater to figure that out, because the base material, in both cases, has given me what I needed from it but they don't make updates easy at all.  

[carlosvladi]

V 1.5 is online !

[stapani]

Thx for info, carlosvladi

 

And thx Craig Anderton for keeping Helix wheels rollin!

[craiganderton]

Hmmm...I haven't been told it is, and I don't see it on the site yet. But I sent them the book a couple weeks ago, so if it's not up now, it will be soon!

[silverhead]

I don't see it yet either - but glad it's coming!

[stapani]

I downloaded it yesterday

[silverhead]

It just appeared in my browser now. A search showed v1.4 but clicking on it shows v1.5.

[silverhead]

btw... I find the download procedure to be a bit cumbersome. I have to go into the confirmation email I received when I purchsed the original version, copy the activation code, and paste it into a browser window. Then I can see and activate the Download button. I just did it  successfully for 1.5

 

[craiganderton]

On 1/7/2025 at 1:47 PM, silverhead said:

btw... I find the download procedure to be a bit cumbersome.

 

Unfortunately, that's what makes the free updates possible. As I understand it, apparently when the system was set up, it was a real challenge to have it "sell" something for $0.00. The workaround was to reference the sale of your original purchase. Even if Sweetwater had charged $0.01 for the update to get around the $0.00 problem, it would still have needed to reference the original purchase since free updates are available only to people who have bought the book (regardless of which version they bought). 

[silverhead]

Thanks for the background info. Amazing sometimes how difficult it can be to make something free!

[datacommando]

On 1/7/2025 at 6:49 PM, craiganderton said:

Hmmm...I haven't been told it is, and I don't see it on the site yet. But I sent them the book a couple weeks ago, so if it's not up now, it will be soon!

Hi,

 

Downloaded my v.1.5  copy this afternoon, after seeing the comment from @carlosvladi in the post above - no issues, simply clicked on the link in the original conformation email, as all previous updates.

 

Thank you for all your work. 

[craiganderton]

Okay, it's officially out. Here's the link for the landing page. The book now has 551 pages and over 330 presets that showcase the techniques described in the book. Most are HX Stomp compatible.

 

As always, there's a support email given in the book if you have questions, something isn't clear, or you have suggestions for future versions. Quite a few of the additions are a direct result of user feedback (thank you!). 

[KaylaRussell]

On 1/9/2025 at 12:11 AM, craiganderton said:

Okay, it's officially out. Here's the link for the landing page. The book now has 551 pages and over 330 presets that showcase the techniques described in the book. Most are HX Stomp compatible.

 

As always, there's a support email given in the book if you have questions, something isn't clear, or you have suggestions for future versions. Quite a few of the additions are a direct result of user feedback (thank you!). 

Thank you.

[arislaf]

For me not at all. Was not what i was expecting. 

[craiganderton]

I'm sorry to hear that, let's see if we can fix it. First of all, was including the contents for all the chapters on the Sweetwater site not sufficient? I did that so people would know what topics to expect. 

 

But second, and more importantly, these books are updated frequently. If you can describe what would make the book more helpful, that could provide guidance on additional material to include. The book isn't going away any time soon, there will definitely be more updates. Many reader suggestions have gone into the updates since v1.0. Note that I try not to include material that's already covered in the manual, or is well-represented in videos on YouTube. The goal is to supplement the manual with more details about effects, and more applications.

 

However, the reality is if there's something you think it missing, then it's probably missing for some other people who didn't take the time to write in. This is why I solicit feedback. I am committed to making this book at helpful as a possibly can, but I can't always guess what people want.  If for some reason you don't want to do a public reply, you can use the contact email provided in the book.

[KaylaRussell]

On 4/3/2025 at 7:57 AM, craiganderton said:

I'm sorry to hear that, let's see if we can fix it. First of all, was including the contents for all the chapters on the Sweetwater site not sufficient? I did that so people would know what topics to expect. 

 

But second, and more importantly, these books are updated frequently. If you can describe what would make the book more helpful, that could provide guidance on additional material to include. The book isn't going away any time soon, there will definitely be more updates. Many reader suggestions have gone into the updates since v1.0. Note that I try not to include material that's already covered in the manual. The goal is to supplement the manual with more details about effects, and more applications.

 

However, the reality is if there's something you think it missing, then it's probably missing for some other people who didn't take the time to write in. This is why I solicit feedback. I am committed to making this book at helpful as a possibly can, but I can't always guess what people want.  If for some reason you don't want to do a public reply, you can use the contact email provided in the book.

The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks at Sweetwater is handy if you're diving deep into tone crafting. But honestly, just like needing quick expert help for schoolwork—like in the https://customwriting.com/forum/threads/need-to-pay-someone-to-do-my-homework-asap.3/ thread—sometimes you’re better off investing in guidance when time’s short and quality matters. 

Thanks, I will keep it in mind. 

[msilvacoelho]

Craig, I stumbled on this post while looking for info on optimizing my Helix / DT-25 setup after finally upgrading the head to the 2.0 firmware. I bought your Electronic Projects for Musicians when I was a kid in the 70's at my local mall music shop where I took guitar lessons. It may still be lying around here somewhere. I wish I had made it up to Moog to see you recently. I'm about 2 1/2 hours from Asheville in Charlotte. I have visited the Moog factory in the past. I just purchased The Big Book of Helix Tips and Tricks from Sweetwater and am excited to deep dive into it. I've had Line 6 gear forever, POD, Vetta, POD HD500, Helix, DT-25 and Helix Native, but there is always more to learn. 

[craiganderton]

Just to follow up, I never heard back from the guy. But to prevent anyone else from being disappointed, it's important to look over the description, which says it's not "Helix 101." Nor does it duplicate what's in the manual, for example, it doesn't really cover MIDI because that's all in the manual. The contents section lists everything the book covers, so if you don't see a topic listed, it's probably not in the book.

 

However, again, let me emphasize that despite all the 5-star reviews I'm always up for hearing what people would like added to the book. That's how it got to be 550 pages, LOL :) In fact, earlier this evening I was handling a question from a reader about how to have consistent levels going into Helix Native so his presets would always sound as expected. That's a great topic. I'm explaining it to him and if he says the explanation makes sense, it will be cut and pasted into v1.6 

[mlwinnig]

Not surprised! 

 

BTW... I thought your response was AMAZING. Over the top, actually.

 

Shared it in a Studio 1 Zoom Meetup with someone who was thrilled to have met you in person (and other attendees). All were impressed. None were surprised.

 

You rock!

[craiganderton]

On 4/11/2025 at 12:25 PM, mlwinnig said:

All were impressed. None were surprised.

 

Hey, thanks for the props! But realistically, it shouldn't be surprising that finding out what people want is the fastest way to give them what they want. Being able to shape book content interactively with readers is like having a team of engaged consultants to help with the book.