I'm going to do it

timmysoft

When i get back from my holiday, i'm shitting doing it......

 Going 100% modeller! 

 So just over a month ago, i picked up a Pod X3, mainly with the intention of using it for silent rehearsal and demo recording, but the difference its made to my playing, writing and work flow is unreal. I've written and recorded three songs in 4 weeks, just because its so much simpler to record. I spent a few hours making up 4 patches, but since then i've not really had the urge to create more tones, just an urge to play more and come up with new ideas for the band. I've also been using it direct to the PA at rehearsals and in a one guitar band it just sounds excellent, it doesn't do the whole touch sensitivity thing and it lacks dynamics but then so does my playing.

 I think the best option for me will be the Helix LT, although i do like the look of the Boss GT1000. All i'm looking to do is set up a clean (Atreyu Crimson style), low gain (FSF Snowbirds Style), mid gain (Have Mercy Drive Style), high gain (FFTL - H8 Meh style)
and then have switches set up to bring in a boost, verb, delay or phaser. Probably overkill using a helix for this but for the options i need, it actually seems a pretty economical way of doing it.

Yours sincerely,

Someone who hates modelling tech.

Roland

You might think a Helix is overkill, but you only have to use as much as you need. The AxeFX has hundreds of Amps and Cabs, but I only use one Cab a couple of Amps. You real investment is in the time it takes to get to grips with how to use it.

There's often a Helix of some sort in the Classifieds.

bingefeller

I've doing the same.  I'm just playing my Boss GT-1 into my Cube 10 and am currently selling all my pedals.  Modellers are so handy, especially for recording and home use.  

meltedbuzzbox

bingefeller said:

I've doing the same.  I'm just playing my Boss GT-1 into my Cube 10 and am currently selling all my pedals.  Modellers are so handy, especially for recording and home use.  

Tones that would make the baby jesus cry

TTBZ

Think I'm going to dip my toe with the X3 after hearing the track you sent me. If it's successful I'll probably end up with an LT as well. On YouTube clips the axe FX and Amplifire do kinda seem to sound better to me but the helix definitely wins for customer support and ease of use.

timmysoft

@TTBZ  glad you enjoyed it mate! My x3 will be up for sale when I get my helix next week! 

sweepy

You’ll be back to the Valve and pedal side  

timmysoft

sweepy said:

You’ll be back to the Valve and pedal side  

Thanks for the support 

octatonic

I have the Helix, Axe FX, FX8 and a Kemper.
They are all capable and useful in the right situation.

The Helix is actually the most useful if you are going to just have one.
Axe FX required a floor pedal to gig, so does the Kemper.
The FX8 requires an amp of some sort.
The Helix will either integrate with an amp, or go direct to a desk or a DAW for recording and being an all in one you don't have to mess about connecting different devices.

Consider the full Helix- the dynamic labelling is one of the best features about it.

That said, I still gig with a tube amp most of the time.

UnclePsychosis

I'm all on board with what you're trying to do, but why are you selling the X3?

It clearly works for you. Keep it and forget about getting on a different gear-go-round. 

timmysoft

So I took the plunge. I went for the rack version of the helix as I prefer racks to floor stuff.

ive only plugged in for 20 minutes so far, just a quick flick through the presets. Not blown away, but I was the same with the X3, after a few weeks with that I was much happier. 

Thursday night I’m going to have a proper rip into it! 

Wazmeister

timmysoft said:

So I took the plunge. I went for the rack version of the helix as I prefer racks to floor stuff.

ive only plugged in for 20 minutes so far, just a quick flick through the presets. Not blown away, but I was the same with the X3, after a few weeks with that I was much happier. 

Thursday night I’m going to have a proper rip into it! 

Mate, congrats !

Ignore the presets - they are average, but create your own and the Helix will come alive

Teetonetal

Oh dear lord, the helix presets are awful.
Experiment a lot with stereo cabs (not a dual cab block) and different mic types.

It takes some dialing in, but there are excellent sounds in there.

neilg

Just watch Jason Sadites video's on youtube.

timmysoft

Wazmeister said:

timmysoft said:

So I took the plunge. I went for the rack version of the helix as I prefer racks to floor stuff.

ive only plugged in for 20 minutes so far, just a quick flick through the presets. Not blown away, but I was the same with the X3, after a few weeks with that I was much happier. 

Thursday night I’m going to have a proper rip into it! 

Mate, congrats !

Ignore the presets - they are average, but create your own and the Helix will come alive

The packaging and presentation of the unit is so good, it does feel like a premium consumer product.

i think I need to do the firmware updates, I think it’s quite far behind 

timmysoft

It’s good, that’s my review 

Sporky

timmysoft said:

i think I need to do the firmware updates, I think it’s quite far behind 

I liked mine when I got it, but the firmware updates have completely transformed it (and very much for the better).

Alnico

 My outdated GT100 is still so awesome to me. It's my first decent modeller.

*Some* of the presets are ok with a small tweak (Usually it's the EQ that's the only thing wrong with them) but my God, it's like being let loose in a pedal shop, it's just incredible and the amps are frankly amazing.

It's the old model, only got one loop which I use for 4cm and no XLR output but it's going nowhere.

COSM is great when you're playing at band volume and this thing is built like a tank. I don't have the skill to concentrate on my board while I'm actually playing and adjusting things "On the fly" is something I'll never really do but even my old model thing will still allow me to assign the treadle to adjust things like drive, delay time, chorus depth... pretty much whatever I want so I can have some caveman type expression.

There is maybe one or two pedals I would use with it if I could afford them but even just totally on its own, it's just amazing.

I'm not running it in 4cm and MIDI controlling a Katana 100 head and I can program a patch you either include the Katana preamp and disregard the modelling in the GT or vice versa and run into the FX loop, bypassing the Katana preamps.

I went from a Blackstar S1 200 with a V30 cab, to this.

I still haven't regretted it yet.

Whether you go for Helix or not, the quality that's out there now belies the past efforts and in a band mix, NO ONE will care whether it's a Valve amp or not. It sounds right, it feels dynamic and you never have to bend down to adjust things, which frankly just looks unprofessional on any stage.

I have 4 patches available per bank so I can easily have all 4 of one bank dedicated to one song:

 

1 - Comfortably Numb Rhythm

2 - Comfortably Numb Solo 1

3 - Comfortably Numb Solo 2

4 - Comfortably Numb Solo 2 + Ring Mod (Try it for the last part of Solo 2, it sounds awesome!)

I can save setlists and load them as and when I need for each gig, I can send and receive patches via email and generally everything feels accessible through a PC interface that my 9-year-old Niece can use.

The only downside I can see is that if you compared my effects to say @ThorpyFX you would find mine lacks in many ways and the same can be said for many standalone pedals but for ease of use and especially gigging, this is a one-box solution that doesn't cost £thousands and sounds *really* good.

"Option Paralysis" is just another way of saying "I haven't read the instructions properly" so don't give in to that. It's far more like having all those options to hand when they're needed. Just because you ride a 1200cc sports bike doesn't mean you *have* to ride everywhere at 180mph! Some of my patches are quite simple and sound brilliant.

Whatever you get, good luck and enjoy yourself.

Spend time with the EQ, putting the looper at the beginning of the chain so you can play a riff, put your guitar down and concentrate on getting the EQ right.

peteri

I took the full modelling plunge last summer, sold my Carr and G2 pedalboard and went Fractal

I now have the Axe FX III and a DXR10 - best sounds I've had and I'm loving playing.

There's a learning curve and I enjoy the programming side, but the sound is the main thing and for having a sound which motivates and moves me at home volume and still translates without tweaking to a loud band situation - never been happier

Enjoy the ride!

timmysoft

What are people using for IR's, i'd love to try a few out, especially the Creamback ones.

 So far i'm very impressed with the JTM45, Jcm800 and the Recto emulations, they're all very close to the actual amps. I'm convinced the onboard cabs aren't going to be as good as the aftermarket IRs, but i'm willing to be wrong. 

 I've barely scratched the surface of what the Helix can do, but its already changing the way i play, write and approach the tones for the band.

simonk

I’ve tried a fair few IR’s and remain most impressed by Ownhammer’s offerings. Their ‘GnR’ pack knocked it out of the park for me and that’s all I use now... link