Line 6 Helix

stratman3142

UnclePsychosis said:

Yeah I'm using it in Native too, but I'd expect it to sound the same on the hardware units.

'tis a strange phenomenon. 

Have you tried backing off the Bias level setting in the Amp block?

monquixote

guitarcookie1 said:

UnclePsychosis said:

FarleyUK said:

UnclePsychosis said:

@duotone it seems to be something in the amp block that causes it. I'm guessing having the channel volume and master volume both at ten, but it just seems odd because in the video where he dialed it in I can't hear the hiss at all. Strange... 

I've learnt by being burnt many times that you can NEVER take the videos or recorded sound as a genuine example of how the patch will sound. This goes for all modelling gear - I've spent a small fortune of patches etc., and only a handful actually sound like the clips.

I get that - I'm just a bit confused as to how a patch by one of the most popular helix patch makers, with ~1800 downloads and a five star rating, sounds really spectacularly hissy when I use it. 

Its not "this doesn't really sound like the video", so much as "have I got something setup wrong somewhere"? 

I've found and wondered the same.

The Britt ones sound fine, but the Sadites and DeLaune ones are overly loud, harsh and have completely mis-matched volume levels between snapshots.

My Helix came with some DeLaune patches on it and some of them are decent, but others aren't set up properly. 

one of them stacks a clean amp and cab into a dirty amp and cab when you change snapshot for example. 

Lodious

UnclePsychosis said:

i'm interested in doing a bit more playing with headphones with my stomp. 

Anyone got any particularly good patches/tips/settings/videos for Vox and Fender clean-ish tones using Stomp plus headphones? 

John Cordy has some nice patches available. 

Jota

I gave up trying to find an amp that could make good clean and drive sounds in the same preset so I'm losing a block on the HX Stomp to put a clean amp. Unfortunately the best drive sound (to my tastes) I could come up with is the Rt. 66 almost clean with a PoT in front! Clean amp is the Bassman. Luckily I just need two more blocks so 6 are enough.

I've been using a tele and the Rt. 66 worked great for clean and drive but I want to use my SG Special (is a lot lighter and I love the neck) and it was hard to get a good clean sound and a good drive sound from the same amp with this guitar.

UnclePsychosis

stratman3142 said:

UnclePsychosis said:

Yeah I'm using it in Native too, but I'd expect it to sound the same on the hardware units.

'tis a strange phenomenon. 

Have you tried backing off the Bias level setting in the Amp block?

Yeah, that helps quite a bit. 

Been doing a lot more playing with it this evening, I'm getting there but annoyingly I think my audio setup is now the weak link in the chain. Weird how something that can sound so good for listening to music on can sound so pants for guitar...

...also, just a general gripe---I do love the Helix as a product, it really is great---but whoever it was at Line6 who decided to call the "poweramp volume" setting on an amp block the "master volume" and what should be the "master volume|" the "channel volume" is not getting a Christmas card from me this year. Or next year either.  

wellsyboy

what about the input impedance - I heard that can have a huge effect on hiss 

UnclePsychosis

wellsyboy said:

what about the input impedance - I heard that can have a huge effect on hiss 

I was using Native. 

chris45

UnclePsychosis said:

Hey guys

Gonna one of you do me a favour and try this patch out? 

https://line6.com/customtone/tone/4207036/

It sounds really good to me but its spectacularly hissy through both my headphones and my speakers and I find it hard to believe Jason Sadites dialed it in like that. I'm just wondering if its something about my setup or what. 

Just downloaded it and it's not hissy for me (sorry probably not what you wanted to hear).  Changing the bias isn't impacting the level of hiss.  I'm  running Helix floor into two desktop speakers via the 1/4 outputs

stratman3142

chris45 said:

UnclePsychosis said:

Hey guys

Gonna one of you do me a favour and try this patch out? 

https://line6.com/customtone/tone/4207036/

It sounds really good to me but its spectacularly hissy through both my headphones and my speakers and I find it hard to believe Jason Sadites dialed it in like that. I'm just wondering if its something about my setup or what. 

Just downloaded it and it's not hissy for me (sorry probably not what you wanted to hear).  Changing the bias isn't impacting the level of hiss.  I'm  running Helix floor into two desktop speakers via the 1/4 outputs

I've done some more experiments.

Firstly with Helix Native
1) It's hissy with single coils but not when I engage humbucker mode.
2) With single coils
    a) Reducing the Amp Bias setting reduces the hiss
    b) Alternatively turning my guitar away from my computer reduces the hiss.

Secondly I tried loading the patch in my Helix LT and got a similar result. That's with the USB link disconnected but I'm sending the audio from my Helix LT to my audio interface and then directly out to my monitor speakers.

In my case I think it's single coils picking up noise from my PC (possibly the display monitors). 

rossyamaha

2.92 just dropped. Go get them pesky bugs fixed. 

wellsyboy

rossyamaha said:

2.92 just dropped. Go get them pesky bugs fixed. 

cheers for this

paul_xt

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/

Any idea what happened to this? I’m guessing there’s a copyright issue somewhere but it’s been taken off his site...

guitargeek62

paul_xt said:

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/

Any idea what happened to this? I’m guessing there’s a copyright issue somewhere but it’s been taken off his site...

Possibly! It'd be a shame if someone still had the files and was willing to pass them along...


FYI - I can't remember if there were different ones for Win/Mac, I only use the latter.

jellybelly

It was just some Java script files with some text names replaces - easy to replicate if you have the originals I think? I plan to change the reverb names and shorten some others when I get chance. 

Anyone after those Ben Vesco files pm me and I'll send them over

Jota

jellybelly said:

It was just some Java script files with some text names replaces - easy to replicate if you have the originals I think? I plan to change the reverb names and shorten some others when I get chance. 

Anyone after those Ben Vesco files pm me and I'll send them over

He also changed the icons.

shuikit

They're on his website and he's made a YT video about it

duotone

Interesting new article by Joe Gore.
https://blog.line6.com/2020/05/18/breaking-the-analog-model-why-surrender-to-hardwares-limitations/

Breaking the Analog Model

“Amps, speakers, and stompboxes are physical objects that must conform to physical limitations. You can’t plug into a speaker on its way to an amp head! But modeled amps, speakers, and stompboxes are simply digital “descriptions” of how those physical objects process sound. <SNIP>

That means you can arrange blocks in any damn order you want. Many of those arrangements sound horrible! But experimenting with virtual signal flow is a fantastic technique for uncovering cool new sounds.”

Will be trying his suggestions out later.

JohnCordy

I made this video for @Mark1985 but it might help one or two other people looking for a Rotary kind of thing or TC Mimiq kinda tones?

guitargeek62

Spotted a nice trick online earlier for anyone wanting to protect the screens on their Helix a little better without paying a chunk for those thick acrylic ones.

Get a couple of these and cut them (with a scalpel/stanley) to fit:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233337744536

Just make sure they’re the plastic ones, not tempered glass!

Jota

guitargeek62 said:

Spotted a nice trick online earlier for anyone wanting to protect the screens on their Helix a little better without paying a chunk for those thick acrylic ones.

Get a couple of these and cut them (with a scalpel/stanley) to fit:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233337744536

Just make sure they’re the plastic ones, not tempered glass!

That's what I did after I noticed my HX Stomp screen was showing some scratches after a few months of use.