Line 6 Helix

Cirrus

duotone said:

Has anyone found useful tones from the Line6 Customtone website? Would be good to know what ones you have success with.

I’ve been testing some out (Fender cleans - Crunchy Classic Rock tones) with mixed results.

I've never understood the point of presets outside of a "first encounter and no idea how it works" scenario. It's just too guitar / playing style dependent even before you bring taste into it.

Real life example: When I first got my Gretsch w/filtertrons, the settings of my actual pedalboard and Vox AC30, which I'd arrived at which worked for gigs with both my Strat and Explorer sounded rubbish. That was my "preset" and it was just nothing with the new guitar.

I don't see why a modelling system would be any different unless it's imposing a sound on the input that reduces the differences between guitars.

kennedydream1980

Heartfeltdawn said:

I had a good tinker with LT today after using Native almost exclusively recently. Been playing so much on the laptop with the KA2 interface and AT-M50X headphones and I'm very happy with Native. 

Using LT with headphones, the sound and level changes depending on whether you set the output to Multi, 1/4", and XLR. 

Why is that? 

You can assign which outputs are controlled by the big volume knob. 

hubobulous

So is the latest release and minor bug fix all stable now?

Jetfire

Id say so yes 

duotone

Cirrus said:

duotone said:

Has anyone found useful tones from the Line6 Customtone website? Would be good to know what ones you have success with.

I’ve been testing some out (Fender cleans - Crunchy Classic Rock tones) with mixed results.

I've never understood the point of presets outside of a "first encounter and no idea how it works" scenario. It's just too guitar / playing style dependent even before you bring taste into it.

Real life example: When I first got my Gretsch w/filtertrons, the settings of my actual pedalboard and Vox AC30, which I'd arrived at which worked for gigs with both my Strat and Explorer sounded rubbish. That was my "preset" and it was just nothing with the new guitar.

I don't see why a modelling system would be any different unless it's imposing a sound on the input that reduces the differences between guitars.

A few users say which guitars they used creating the tone and sometimes which pickups they use. They also have categories like Jazz/Classic Rock/Metal + a rating system so users can vote on what tones sounds the best.

Point taken on your Vox AC30 example, looks like I’m better off just using the ones I’ve tried as templates and adjust them to taste. 

You are right @Cirrus there are some clever/complicated looking tones some people have set up.  The busiest I’ve seen my screen looking!

UnclePsychosis

colourofsound said:

UnclePsychosis said:

In all the excitement about the Red Llama i missed that there is a Small Stone. Need to get on that tonight! 

I have an early 90’s big box Small Stone, and compared the model in Helix Native to it yesterday.

it is *very* convincing. Was impressed.

I had a quick play the other night, it seemed to massively increase the bass frequencies. Does the real one do that too? I don't remember, it's ten years since I played a Small Stone. 

menamestom

Nice update.  Mine went straight to 2.91 without issue.

I like the tuner update.  The Pebble phaser is nice, sounds cool.

Red Llama is cool too.

colourofsound

UnclePsychosis said:

colourofsound said:

UnclePsychosis said:

In all the excitement about the Red Llama i missed that there is a Small Stone. Need to get on that tonight! 

I have an early 90’s big box Small Stone, and compared the model in Helix Native to it yesterday.

it is *very* convincing. Was impressed.

I had a quick play the other night, it seemed to massively increase the bass frequencies. Does the real one do that too? I don't remember, it's ten years since I played a Small Stone. 

Yeah I’d say so. It’s not a subtle phaser - why I like it. Turning colour off will dull that effect a bit 

Heartfeltdawn

Loving the Deluxe Reverb amp in Native the last few days. 

nick79

I'm questioning whether the Helix is for me, at least for amp modelling. I've always struggled a bit getting it sounding right to me, some amps better than others but even then it leaves me not feeling satisfied. 
I've watched youtube vids, such as Jason Sadites but it all seems a bit long winded - High and low cuts, compressors, etc etc.

Yesterday i tried out a demo of Mercuriall's Reaxis (Mesa Triaxis), and i was blown away - Just so easy and quick to get a sound i liked. I also used to us Amplitube and from what i remember i liked that too. 

For playing gigs i always prefer my real amp, and for home i can use software. I'll keep my Stomp as i like the effects. 

Don't get me wrong, i think Helix is awesome and i know people out there can and do make it sound great, i just cant seem to gel with it. 

NPP

nick79 said:

I'm questioning whether the Helix is for me, at least for amp modelling. I've always struggled a bit getting it sounding right to me, some amps better than others but even then it leaves me not feeling satisfied. 
I've watched youtube vids, such as Jason Sadites but it all seems a bit long winded - High and low cuts, compressors, etc etc.

Yesterday i tried out a demo of Mercuriall's Reaxis (Mesa Triaxis), and i was blown away - Just so easy and quick to get a sound i liked. I also used to us Amplitube and from what i remember i liked that too. 

For playing gigs i always prefer my real amp, and for home i can use software. I'll keep my Stomp as i like the effects. 

Don't get me wrong, i think Helix is awesome and i know people out there can and do make it sound great, i just cant seem to gel with it. 

I think it depends on your general approach. If you do not use many effects and complicated signal paths with your real amp and pedals, then it would be a mistake to try and switch to over-the-top signal processing at the same time as switching to modelling - try and replicate your normal settings first. I always start with an amp, IR and (as I'm using headphones mostly) a little room reverb. And most of the time I get what I want fairly quickly. I then add further effects only if they are important elements of the tone I'm aiming for in their own right - say a drive in front of the amp, a tremolo, or a slapback delay or a bit of compression for clean funk sounds. 

I found it very important to get to grips with bias and sag controls. I find most of the Helix amps too stiff and gainy for my liking but after watching a youtube guide to these settings (it may have been by Sadites) I realised I had to increase sag and bias to 7.5 or more to get the amps to sound more 'vintage' (for want of a better term). The effect can be quite dramatic. 

On the other hand, I don't have hi or lo pass, always-on compressors, multiple delays, or millions of IRs (though getting the right IR was important for me, I now have two or three go-to ones and that's it)

chris45

nick79 said:

I'm questioning whether the Helix is for me, at least for amp modelling. I've always struggled a bit getting it sounding right to me, some amps better than others but even then it leaves me not feeling satisfied. 
I've watched youtube vids, such as Jason Sadites but it all seems a bit long winded - High and low cuts, compressors, etc etc.

Yesterday i tried out a demo of Mercuriall's Reaxis (Mesa Triaxis), and i was blown away - Just so easy and quick to get a sound i liked. I also used to us Amplitube and from what i remember i liked that too. 

For playing gigs i always prefer my real amp, and for home i can use software. I'll keep my Stomp as i like the effects. 

Don't get me wrong, i think Helix is awesome and i know people out there can and do make it sound great, i just cant seem to gel with it. 

I agree with @NPP s comments - start off with a really simple layout and get that right first, then add in the rest of the effects.  I've spent ages getting my Plexi sound just how I like and I really love it - but it's just amp and IRs.  Will post up a clip in the next day.  Re High and Low cuts they make no difference if you are just playing around on your own but if you record yourself you immediately see the benefit especially of the low cut.

TTBZ

nick79 said:

I'm questioning whether the Helix is for me, at least for amp modelling. I've always struggled a bit getting it sounding right to me, some amps better than others but even then it leaves me not feeling satisfied. 
I've watched youtube vids, such as Jason Sadites but it all seems a bit long winded - High and low cuts, compressors, etc etc.

Yesterday i tried out a demo of Mercuriall's Reaxis (Mesa Triaxis), and i was blown away - Just so easy and quick to get a sound i liked. I also used to us Amplitube and from what i remember i liked that too. 

For playing gigs i always prefer my real amp, and for home i can use software. I'll keep my Stomp as i like the effects. 

Don't get me wrong, i think Helix is awesome and i know people out there can and do make it sound great, i just cant seem to gel with it. 

Mercuriall stuff is just awesome. I'd be happy if they just released a pedal that has Spark built in. Don't even need to use IRs with it, their cab sim is great. So easy to get a great sound out of it with no faffing, it's all intuitive and requires no "tricks" with EQ, compression etc to get the right sound and feel. The best tones I got using my Stomp where when I used it as an interface for Spark.

Where Helix wins out for me is latency, ease of setup/pack down (I don't have the luxury of being able to leave my stuff set up) and flexibility/ability to integrate into a live amp rig. Works great as a usb interface too and recording without any latency from the pc is a nice thing to have. These are reasons why I'll probably end up getting one again eventually. 

nick79

Yeah i keep things pretty simple, put it this way, i never hit the 6 block limit on the stomp. Usually a boost pedal, amp, reverb and an ir or stock cab. 

I've spent all weekend just playing guitar (which was nice), going through Amplitube (had it on the pc already from years ago, just forgot about it), Mercuriall Reaxis (caved in and bought it, its just too damn good) and the Stomp. 

The Mercuriall triaxis is to me is much easier to get an instant solid sound, and the Amplitube isnt far behind. I should add ive got the Mesa collection for that, which is what i've been mostly using. 

As @TTBZ says though, the stomp is an awesome interface/soundcard, no latency, i cant believe i've waited so long to try it like this. 

The only downside now is i want a real Triaxis....

stonevibe

Want the real pedal and amp names for your Helix and POD Go? okay...

https://www.gearnews.com/ben-vesco-has-a-mod-that-shows-you-the-real-names-behind-line-6-amp-and-effect-models/

Heartfeltdawn

stonevibe said:

Want the real pedal and amp names for your Helix and POD Go? okay...

https://www.gearnews.com/ben-vesco-has-a-mod-that-shows-you-the-real-names-behind-line-6-amp-and-effect-models/

Excellent, it works for Native as well now. 

stonevibe

Yeah, which is well handy.

rossyamaha

Sometimes I get complacent with Helix. Yes it sounds amazing does loads of stuff blah blah blah. Then I get inspired and try to dial in a sound and it's pretty much perfect. It sounds fu$*ing massive in the room!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ross Bailey (@rossbailey) on May 5, 2020 at 10:20am PDT

UnclePsychosis

Today has left me really confused as to how the Hx Stomp works at the input/output inpedance level. 

My Caroline Kilobyte was being really noisy in the FX Loop of my Stomp (FX loop configured to be instrument level send and return). The Caroline team suggested putting a buffered pedal after it, and lo-and-behold putting a TU-3 after the Kilobyte removes the noise. Putting both of those in front of the Stomp and not "in the loop" improves the noise further. 

Now, naiively I'd assumed that the Stomp FX loop and the Stomp itself would behave like buffered pedals but they clearly don't. Anyone got an explanation? Is it because of the way the auto-impedance thing works? 

nickp

nick79 said:

I'm questioning whether the Helix is for me, at least for amp modelling. I've always struggled a bit getting it sounding right to me, some amps better than others but even then it leaves me not feeling satisfied. 
I've watched youtube vids, such as Jason Sadites but it all seems a bit long winded - High and low cuts, compressors, etc etc.

Yesterday i tried out a demo of Mercuriall's Reaxis (Mesa Triaxis), and i was blown away - Just so easy and quick to get a sound i liked. I also used to us Amplitube and from what i remember i liked that too. 

For playing gigs i always prefer my real amp, and for home i can use software. I'll keep my Stomp as i like the effects. 

Don't get me wrong, i think Helix is awesome and i know people out there can and do make it sound great, i just cant seem to gel with it. 

as a suggestion - a lot of the pros that I know (including the team on Guitar Techniques etc) really like the M Britt patches for a great starting point as they like his ir's.

I did that and to me the strat blues and tex blues sound really good - as does the plexi crunch which I was using as the basis of a gigging rig

These patches revolutionised the helix in one quick go.

I still struggle otherwise - I find Jason Sadites and the other guy - Glenn De Laune to be a bit processed for my taste and a bit boomy (I use a yamaha monitor and it's about not letting the bottom end get too much and lost in the bass frequencies)

I'm trying to get a santana mooonflower esque tone at the moment because (once I finish my SRV fetish) I'm going to learn a few santana tunes and it would be nice to be in the same ballpark and |I'm back to struggling but it's probably becasue there's too much choice as much as anything else

The matchstick also seems to get a lot of love (again with the britt ir)