What is the best way to use multiple very different guitars with the Helix Floorboard.

[RobBaartwijk]

I use a Helix Floorboard with three guitars that have a completely different frequency spectrum. That means that when I program a patch for the 335-style guitar it will have WAY too much high when i plug in my Ibanez Strat-style guitar. The differences are so big that I cannot correct it by using the tone control on the guitars, which is what I want to be able to do.

I know all about eq in the Helix but I do not want to tweak all the time when changing guitars. I do not want to turn on/off specific settings per guitar and I really don't want to make three patches for every sound! The global EQ obviously works for all of the Helix so that is not the solution.

For now i have made separate banks for the guitars but that means that improving a patch means doing it three times.

I have just bought an eq pedal to put in front of the Helix so I can set that and turn it on when using a specific guitar(so off = 335, on = Strat).

So my question is "What is the best way to use multiple very different guitars with the Helix Floorboard?"

All useful input will be greatly appreciated.

[PaulTBaker]

I have different patches.... yes, fixing one means(sometimes) fixing 3... but that's just the way it is.

 

I guess you could have an eq block(s) that you could turn on/off?

[cruisinon2]

Beyond keeping different patches for each guitar, the only real solution would be using one or more EQ blocks within a patch that you toggle on or off depending on which guitar you're using.

[Schmalle]

As a first attempt try the Tilt EQ as a first block to equalize between guitars. It can act as an amp like treble control to darken or brighten up the resonse of an amp. Start with Center=1 kHz, adjust Tilt, then fine tune Center and use Level to adjust the guitar output levels if needed.

 

[DunedinDragon]

Since day 1 when I received my Helix 10 years ago I've always had separate patches for each song and all my patches are exported to a single directory with the type of guitar used on it to the end of the file name.  For the vast majority of my presets there's just one guitar exclusive to that preset.  That's always made sense to me in that my guitars have generally specific uses as far as where they work best for certain types of songs.  When I change guitar on stage it's because that song will only sound the way I want it to sound for that song.  There's really no other reason to change guitars in my opinion unless the song dictates it.  This also ensures the output volume of all patches match across all songs regardless of which guitar is being used.

 

The only downside to this is in how you set up the order of your songs to minimize guitar changes, but that's just takes some additional planning.

[silverhead]

I understand that Variax users are a small minority among guitar players,  it for those who, like me, do use a Variax this issue disappears. You store the desired Variax model in the Helix preset. I’m often not sure what guitar model I’m playing but I know I have previously tailored the preset for that model.

[theElevators]

If you have completely different guitars with completely different outputs, then the only way to make them all sound the same is to use an EQ to compensate for the differences.  That's what ZZ Top tech did--he dialed in different EQ patches, so every guitar sounds like Pearly Gates. 

 

In practice, it's a good idea to use similar guitars, for example Strats/Telecasters, and compensate for some differences.  Every guitar does its own thing.  I find that the Helix is not as forgiving when it comes to these guitar differences, as a real analog tube amp would.

 

 

 

In my case, I play gigs with 2 Brian May guitars and a Strat.  Strat and one BM guitar have the same output level, but the other BM guitar has weaker output.  I figured out how much I need to boost the signal for the weaker output guitar to make it match the others, and I do one of these:

 

1.  If I decide that my main guitar will be the one with weaker outputs, I just add a gain block to boost the signal by 3 db in the beginning of the chain in every preset.  For my backup guitar, I know where to put the volume knob, so the output would be the same.  For example rather than putting the volume knob on "10", I'd have to put it on "9"--problem solved.

 

2. If I decide that my main guitar will be the one with the more powerful output and I'm on a wireless, then I don't have any gain block in the beginning of the chain (obviously), and in case I need to swap guitars, I can just boost the signal level on my Shure wireless unit. 

 

3. Or I keep several copies of my presets: one for the weaker, the other one for the stronger guitars.  They are all identical except the first gain block.

 

4. There is a way to create a preset that will work with several inputs.  Watch my video to see how to get that to work.  

 

It all depends on your workflow, but it becomes a giant pain if you have to go through 20+ presets in one show, and you are deciding on a whim to use one guitar vs. the other one.  You may want to invest in an external EQ pedal, since the Helix does not have such a thing as a "global gain/EQ".