Line 6 Helix

Drew_TNBD

dindude said:

Drew_fx said:

Cabicular said:

Then you could stencil a fractal logo on it and call it an Ax8ix
TBH I didn't like the X/Y settings and the Scene Settings in the FX8 when I had one of them
It's just not how I work ..
There are a couple of buttons on the Helix I set to Multi function (I.e. They switch off one drive and engage another two) but the rest I prefer just to dip on and off as required

Are you preferring the Helix to the FX8?

When I had modellers, I preferred the Kemper to the Axe FX. But the sorts of sounds I'm getting with a reactive loadbox and my Laney amp... I seriously doubt if I'll ever use a modeller again!

I think after getting my DD500 (when Helix's were thin on the ground, and so was my cash!!) that kind of sealed the deal for me. Single pedals for the next year or so at least, and with a kid on the way, I doubt I'll be able to splooge on a Helix any time soon! So gonna work on my pedalboard a bit more and then call it done.

What reactive load box are you using Drew?

One that Randomhandclaps built me.

Cabicular

Drew_fx;1048134" said:

Cabicular said:

Then you could stencil a fractal logo on it and call it an Ax8ix

TBH I didn't like the X/Y settings and the Scene Settings in the FX8 when I had one of them

It's just not how I work ..

There are a couple of buttons on the Helix I set to Multi function (I.e. They switch off one drive and engage another two) but the rest I prefer just to dip on and off as required





Are you preferring the Helix to the FX8?



When I had modellers, I preferred the Kemper to the Axe FX. But the sorts of sounds I'm getting with a reactive loadbox and my Laney amp... I seriously doubt if I'll ever use a modeller again!



I think after getting my DD500 (when Helix's were thin on the ground, and so was my cash!!) that kind of sealed the deal for me. Single pedals for the next year or so at least, and with a kid on the way, I doubt I'll be able to splooge on a Helix any time soon! So gonna work on my pedalboard a bit more and then call it done.



Still interested to see where the Helix goes though.

Sounds are much of a muchness .. The presets on the FX8 were to my ears set out slightly better which I think accounts for people saying they are higher quality but I really don't believe they are. The drives in the FX8 I found particularly ordinary (although some of the delays and reverbs were very good)
In terms of workflow though ... It's the difference between grabbing an iPad and flicking through the apps and having a console window and typing in the commands yourself
Unless you are using the laptop editor the FX8 is a bit of a pain in the arse. Menus , sub menus, tabs, pages, parameter values etc
If you are into that kind of thing then great. I'm too busy and impatient. Also editors are nice but if I feel I NEED them to edit the device then it's already back in the box.
The Helix I was unconvinced about for about 3 rehearsals and one gig
Then I disabled the cabs and ran it into an amp power section and it all came alive. Some eq tweaking and it is now the best I've ever had.
This FRFR stuff they are pushing doesn't suit me. I'm used to hearing valve response and guitar speakers behind me. I feel really disconnected if I'm relying on essentially getting my FOH mix back to me through the monitors. It sounds ok but it doesn't feel ok.
Light eating a posh dinner with a plastic knife and fork.
In summary it's great and flexible enough to use it however suits you. For me the FRFR dream of completely changing your rig at the press of a button is very jarring. I get used to a tone onstage and while I like to vary and modify it.. It's still the same core tone
If I change my core tone too often they all start to sound a bit shit until I get used to them

Sporky

Drew_fx said:

What I'd like to see is a scenes mode where every single parameter is exposed, meaning you could have one scene with a bunch of pedals enabled and their settings at one point, and another scene where you'd have some pedals enabled and some bypassed, and all their parameters are different. So no block or model re-allocation, just automation changes. That should be fairly quick and provide lots of the things you'd want from an entirely different preset.

Yes. Exactly that. Given just how many effect blocks you can fit in a preset I think that'd cover almost every need.

Cabicular

How much of that do you think you could do with midi?

Sporky

Some, certainly. I think you can have 32 controllers per patch in total.

John_A

Can you set up a patch with 2 amps and switch one in and one out without a delay?

Sporky

John_A said:

Can you set up a patch with 2 amps and switch one in and one out without a delay?

Yes. Or fade between them with the expression pedal.

Digital_Igloo

Sporky said:

Some, certainly. I think you can have 32 controllers per patch in total.

64.

Sporky

Oooh - that's even better. Thanks!

Time for some more experiments then.

John_A

Sporky said:

John_A said:

Can you set up a patch with 2 amps and switch one in and one out without a delay?

Yes. Or fade between them with the expression pedal.

Thanks for that, so the 'gap' on patch changes would only be an issue if you loaded an entirely different patch rather than switching stuff around in the current one? I could live with that

Sporky

Yes - exactly that.

Changes in-patch are instantaneous. And as has been mentioned you can have a LOT of stuff in a patch - I have one with:

Wah
3x compressor
Pitch shifter
10-band EQ
Amplifier
2x speaker cab
3x different dirt pedals
2x phaser
2x tremolo
Tape delay
Reverb
Looper

And it's not (quite) maxed out.

John_A

It sound like I could certainly gig with one patch and still have more flexibility than I do with my amp and pretty big board. Thanks for the info

Sporky

I'd think so - that one patch replicates my last pedalboard and amps and does it just as well. Better in places.

Amps and cabs seem to eat up a lot of DSP so some planning is required for monster patches.

The other thing you can do is have a patch per song/track...

John_A

I currently get through a gig with one amp/cab 2 overdrives a compressor and a delay, dont think I'd stress the helix too much

fretmeister

So far the only thing I really can't do in the Helix is get a good synth sound like my Digitech Bass Synth Wah. The tracking on the pedal is far better than the helix, and there's a weird unwanted overspill in the helix models. When I stop playing the sound continues for half a second and then hard cuts.

I've also tried an old fashioned approach with stacking octave, envelope filter, verb, but I can't get anywhere close.

I usually end up playing keys parts when there is no keys player so a good synthy sound is needed. My physical board blends a synth with drive and clean for Muse stuff, and uses synth alone for a sort of "Deeper Underground" sound.

I may have to buy a pedal drawer for my rack after all.

rossyamaha

I've just been dreaming up a couple of ideas for rigs. I see one of these in my future at some point. ;-)

http://i.imgur.com/GycyoPZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/R8tJ88k.jpg

digitalscream

rossyamaha said:

I've just been dreaming up a couple of ideas for rigs. I see one of these in my future at some point. ;-)

http://i.imgur.com/GycyoPZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/R8tJ88k.jpg

Here, I can help with that:

guitarfishbay

I'm not entirely sure the layout for the real pedalboard is going to work - are you planning to velcro on to the switch of the Micro POG, Phase 90 etc

rossyamaha

guitarfishbay said:

I'm not entirely sure the layout for the real pedalboard is going to work - are you planning to velcro on to the switch of the Micro POG, Phase 90 etc

It would be similar to what I'm running now which is a 2 tier board routed into the Gigrig. The ones on the top tier are what I would need access to with me feet. 

rossyamaha

digitalscream said:

Here, I can help with that:

Yep indeed it will cripple me. But I'll be an awesome cripple with all the toanz. ;-)