Line 6 Helix

Drew_TNBD

Final video for reverbs. I explore quite a bit with this one:

John_A

rossyamaha said:

Just messing around with mine and found something out by accident. I loaded a JTM preamp and ran in straight into an impulse response. Sounded fantastic. Fat but present. Didn't expect that at all. More noodling required! 

You would hope it would, I use a few patches that are just amp and cab or IR and they sound great, proves Line 6 got it right

rossyamaha

John_A said:

rossyamaha said:

Just messing around with mine and found something out by accident. I loaded a JTM preamp and ran in straight into an impulse response. Sounded fantastic. Fat but present. Didn't expect that at all. More noodling required! 

You would hope it would, I use a few patches that are just amp and cab or IR and they sound great, proves Line 6 got it right

Thats the thing though. I'm not using the amp model. Just the preamp section of the amp. 

welshboyo

For me, the IR transforms the Helix, I find the onboard cabs to be a bit lacking, my own opinion obviously but I couldn't get it to sound right without a 3rd party IR

Teetonetal

welshboyo said:

For me, the IR transforms the Helix, I find the onboard cabs to be a bit lacking, my own opinion obviously but I couldn't get it to sound right without a 3rd party IR

I'm the opposite, I found the on board cabs to be far easier to dial in then trawling through IR's. Key for me has been to setup stereo cabs on parallel paths (not line 6 dual cab option). Sounds huge.

welshboyo

Teetonetal said:

welshboyo said:

For me, the IR transforms the Helix, I find the onboard cabs to be a bit lacking, my own opinion obviously but I couldn't get it to sound right without a 3rd party IR

I'm the opposite, I found the on board cabs to be far easier to dial in then trawling through IR's. Key for me has been to setup stereo cabs on parallel paths (not line 6 dual cab option). Sounds huge.

IR's are so much easier though surely?

Just load a batch in via the Helix Edit and then scroll through them until you find a flavour you like? You can even do it using pedal mode - this is how I decided on a bunch - I seem to favour the SM57 flavours, probably as it's what I use and am used to in the real world.

The Stereo cabs thing does work yes, but I find that live the whole dual cab nuance thing is lost much like Stereo Imaging really...

Sporky

welshboyo said:

IR's are so much easier though surely?

Just load a batch in via the Helix Edit and then scroll through them until you find a flavour you like?

That sounds like more effort - the inbuilt cabs are already there.

I'm not knocking anyone who's tried both and prefers IRs, mind. But when I had a go with them it seemed like a lot more faff than using the ones you get with it.

Sporky

welshboyo said:

IR's are so much easier though surely?

Just load a batch in via the Helix Edit and then scroll through them until you find a flavour you like?

That sounds like more effort - the inbuilt cabs are already there.

I'm not knocking anyone who's tried both and prefers IRs, mind. But when I had a go with them it seemed like a lot more faff than using the ones you get with it.

Cabicular

I got slated by some wee internet dobber on the Line 6 forums for saying the in built cabs were perfectly servicable
(Willjrock)
Most of my sound is via the back line just re-enforced by the PA. I can make any adjustments I need to via the PA eq so all I really need is a reasonable cab emulation
also since I run both my backline and xlr outs in stereo I don't have enough paths to split for 2 IRs. The dual cab block is a life saver (he can't wait for me to explain that one)
its amazing how people who know nothing about me decide to sarcastically lecture me on IRs and amps
i probably have more of the original amps than that wee fudd has even dialled up in his Helix
if he came up to me after a gig and started spraffing away like that I'd pull his arms off and hit him with the wet ends

Sporky

At least you're not letting him get to you.

Cabicular

Lol

Cabicular

I had to vent somewhere at least here I'm amongst friends and colleagues

Teetonetal

Cabicular said:

I got slated by some wee internet dobber on the Line 6 forums for saying the in built cabs were perfectly servicable
(Willjrock)
Most of my sound is via the back line just re-enforced by the PA. I can make any adjustments I need to via the PA eq so all I really need is a reasonable cab emulation
also since I run both my backline and xlr outs in stereo I don't have enough paths to split for 2 IRs. The dual cab block is a life saver (he can't wait for me to explain that one)
its amazing how people who know nothing about me decide to sarcastically lecture me on IRs and amps
i probably have more of the original amps than that wee fudd has even dialled up in his Helix
if he came up to me after a gig and started spraffing away like that I'd pull his arms off and hit him with the wet ends

It's amazing how some people don't understand that often the best option is simply the one that works for you, not what someone else tells you is correct. There are so many other issues that can adjust the end result, that there really can be no hard or fast rules.

IR's were not for me, I saw no real sound quality gain, it was a bit of extra faff (downloading, installing, setting up) and a few extra pounds to get to where the on board cabs already got me. As above, it's not that IRs are in anyway wrong, it's just an extra thing that didn't appeal to me. Maybe the cabs simply work with my gear? who knows. But I'm very happy with them

professorben

Cabicular said:

I got slated by some wee internet dobber on the Line 6 forums for saying the in built cabs were perfectly servicable
(Willjrock)
Most of my sound is via the back line just re-enforced by the PA. I can make any adjustments I need to via the PA eq so all I really need is a reasonable cab emulation
also since I run both my backline and xlr outs in stereo I don't have enough paths to split for 2 IRs. The dual cab block is a life saver (he can't wait for me to explain that one)
its amazing how people who know nothing about me decide to sarcastically lecture me on IRs and amps
i probably have more of the original amps than that wee fudd has even dialled up in his Helix
if he came up to me after a gig and started spraffing away like that I'd pull his arms off and hit him with the wet ends

I have literally no idea who you are, I just read a post saying you supported AC/DC? 

Cabicular

AC/DC UK ..... less impressive ...  
im no-one special I've just been doing it for 30 plus years both behind and in front of the console
maybe I'm being too sensitive, after all it's not like you post a resume on a forum. I just hate that passive aggressive overly sarcastic way of posting. It just assumes the other person is to be ridiculed. 
Why would anyone get into a conversation or try and share ideas with anyone who behaves like the comic book guy in the Simpsons

Drew_TNBD

The stock cabs are good, but I do prefer the Ownhammer. He just seems to mic up a cab the way I would do it. I just bought his Ampeg bass cabs pack and they are stellar - you get loads of different options, and mixing say one of his ribbon mics from the 'cut' category, with one of his sub mics... you get a massive fat bass tone.

sgosden

Cabicular said:

Why would anyone get into a conversation or try and share ideas with anyone who behaves like the comic book guy in the Simpsons

Our singer had the nickname 'Keyboard warrior' as his hobby seems to be arguing with random people on the internet.

"Arguing with other idiots on the internet is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what you do, the pigeon will knock over the pieces, shit on a board, and strut around like it's won anyway" - said by someone more poetic than me

guitarfishbay

.Teetonetal said:

IR's were not for me, I saw no real sound quality gain, it was a bit of extra faff (downloading, installing, setting up) and a few extra pounds to get to where the on board cabs already got me. As above, it's not that IRs are in anyway wrong, it's just an extra thing that didn't appeal to me. Maybe the cabs simply work with my gear? who knows. But I'm very happy with them

The Helix cabs are IRs though.  As are the Fractal ones etc...

If you like the ones that come with a unit then use them.  The goal is to get the sounds you like with the gear you have.

What aftermarket ones can give you is access to stuff that isn't in a unit - for example my most used IRs are Mesa 2x12 ones, as that's my real life cab of choice.  There aren't any IRs of that included in Fractal gear so buying them got me way closer to what I actually wanted.  I think the same goes for @welshboyo and the Bogner 2x12 IRs he uses, I don't think you get that in the Helix but that's the real cab he's used to using.  You don't always need to reinvent the wheel with digital, especially if the amp modelling sounds like the real amps you like.

If you pull up a cab (stock or aftermarket) and it sounds right then you're done.

I think where people get lost is when they've not got much experience with cabs and mics (so don't know what a given chain might sound like so have to try a lot), or when they don't know what they want (and therefore also don't know where to start).  If you don't know what you want then 500 options is a certain way to lose a lot of your day.

If you do know what you want, then of the 500 options you already know it'll be one of a couple that you need at that specific time and you can bypass the ones you know you're not interested in.  For example if I want an IR for distorted rhythm I'm personally going straight to SM57s and MD421s, they just work for me.

--

It just comes down to knowing your gear - just like knowing when you'd use a Telecaster instead of a Strat.  Sure you could probably use either, but most guitarists would know their preference after a while with each.  Likewise some people like the stock pickups in a guitar and some people know they want to change them for something they know they like better, or maybe they just want to experiment...  Having a preference for speaker cabinets and microphones is really no different.  

Cabicular

The thing about that is a lot of the IRs are just variations of mic placement 
I know the type of cab I like and I know the type of mic I like but live it just needs to be close enough to a miced up cab
Recording is a different kettle of fish entirely though. To be honest I don't use the Helix for that. I have a multi cab amp head switcher that lets me switch between 8 heads and 4 cabs
one of the options is a reactive load that I use Torpedo wall of sound to load IRs into
I have some favourite cabs I've done my own IRs of

Cabicular