Suddenly thinking I might sell up and go Helix LT in 2018

digitalscream

gearaddict said:

I don't know why you can't seem to buy a simple, cheap EL84 power amp.

I seem to recall that when Mooer showed off their digital pedal preamps at NAMM, they had a very small (physically) 20W valve power amp sat there - they were asked about it, and said they may consider releasing it. Maybe this NAMM?

In any case, I use a Rocktron Velocity 120 - it definitely has the headroom, and it sounds absolutely great. If you can find one, it's a dirt cheap way to get a fantastic sound out of a Helix and a cab.

Musicman20

Megii said:

Just FWIW, my Helix LT did arrive today - all I really had time to do was get the thing registered, download the appropriate software, update the firmware (from 2.12.2 to 2.30 version) and have a bit of a try through the presets using headphones - on some of the patches, I did try swapping in different reverbs, modulations etc also. Anyhow, I still have work to do to get my sounds programmed in and get a working, giggable setup - which initially will be using a solid state combo amp. After I've got to that stage I can figure out if FRFR is route I should go down. If I was a betting man I'd say yes, probably, but it's not a certainty yet.

But I do find the thing to be very impressive - the build quality seems excellent, I love the screen, love the lights that change colour around the switches, love the design of how the interface works in general - it does feel way better than the MS-3 in that respect. Trouble with the MS-3 for me was, if at a gig, I found there was, for e.g. too much feedback on a delay in a patch, then I'd just avoid using it for the gig, because it was too much hassle to change. With the Helix, it's simple stuff - the whole thing is much better for fine tuning sounds in real-world situations where you don't have time to waste. Re the sounds - all I can say at the mo is that I was impressed using headphones enough to think there is serious potential there - the modelling seems very detailed and "real" to me.

I must admit despite selling my Helix the quality is fantastic. They really have gone for the high end market with quality. Everything feels and looks superb. If I was a musician as a job I would have one. But, as it's a hobby I don't get much time for, fiddling with pedals and amps is all I get time to do ahahah.

Megii

digitalscream said:

gearaddict said:

I don't know why you can't seem to buy a simple, cheap EL84 power amp.

I seem to recall that when Mooer showed off their digital pedal preamps at NAMM, they had a very small (physically) 20W valve power amp sat there - they were asked about it, and said they may consider releasing it. Maybe this NAMM?

In any case, I use a Rocktron Velocity 120 - it definitely has the headroom, and it sounds absolutely great. If you can find one, it's a dirt cheap way to get a fantastic sound out of a Helix and a cab.

@digitalscream - any good? Just thinking this plus a couple of 1x12"s might be good for a smallish stereo gig setup? Of course, still not as easily portable as one or two FRFRs, but not bad maybe.

https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Palmer-MACHT-402-19-Stereo-Power-Amp-for-Guitar/1QZG?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=81628d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=127201563919&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI46nt3MW72AIV6LztCh1xow4yEAQYASABEgLO-vD_BwE

digitalscream

@Megii - it really depends what impedance the cabs are. That amp will do 400W into 8 ohms bridged, but only 100W (ish) a side into two 8 ohm cabinets and 50W a side into two 16 ohm cabs.

To be honest, though, stereo is overrated for live stuff unless you're the only guitarist. Most of the crowd will only be able to hear one of the cabs, and not very well if it's just a 1x12" with no PA assistance. Even with everything running through the PA, only a tiny portion of the audience will get the stereo effect. You've also got phase issues to content with.

The exception is if you're running something like the TC Mimiq, so you can get two entirely separate signals going (the Double Take effect in the Helix is really a poor substitute for the Mimiq).

You're probably better off getting a decent 2x12" and running that Palmer amp into it. Or get a Jet City 20W head and use that...fairly similar price, really.

guitarfishbay

digitalscream said:

gearaddict said:

I don't know why you can't seem to buy a simple, cheap EL84 power amp.

I seem to recall that when Mooer showed off their digital pedal preamps at NAMM, they had a very small (physically) 20W valve power amp sat there - they were asked about it, and said they may consider releasing it. Maybe this NAMM?

In any case, I use a Rocktron Velocity 120 - it definitely has the headroom, and it sounds absolutely great. If you can find one, it's a dirt cheap way to get a fantastic sound out of a Helix and a cab.

You could look for a used rack poweramp on eBay.  They can go quite cheap these days, though most are stereo so check the particular model you're looking at can be run with just one side if you only use one cab.

Cabicular

digitalscream said:

@Megii - it really depends what impedance the cabs are. That amp will do 400W into 8 ohms bridged, but only 100W (ish) a side into two 8 ohm cabinets and 50W a side into two 16 ohm cabs.

To be honest, though, stereo is overrated for live stuff unless you're the only guitarist. Most of the crowd will only be able to hear one of the cabs, and not very well if it's just a 1x12" with no PA assistance. Even with everything running through the PA, only a tiny portion of the audience will get the stereo effect. You've also got phase issues to content with.

The exception is if you're running something like the TC Mimiq, so you can get two entirely separate signals going (the Double Take effect in the Helix is really a poor substitute for the Mimiq).

You're probably better off getting a decent 2x12" and running that Palmer amp into it. Or get a Jet City 20W head and use that...fairly similar price, really.

I always run in stereo but I've started taking a 3rd out to the desk with a dry in the middle
Makes a big difference with no impact to the cpu

Megii

So, don't laugh, but I've been trying the second bank of factory presets just going guitar-helix-amp, with my Roland Cube 80XL on the clean channel (which is itself a JC120 amp model), but anyhow, a very clean, fairly bright-sounding amp. Everything sounds fairly good to me, including the presets with amp and cab models (although some of presets probably wouldn't be to my taste whatever they are put through). But it's surprisingly good to my ears anyhow, and does feel like I've made a very obvious move into a totally different, higher class of gear.

With the amp/cab models, I love that you can have delays, verbs and stuff after them in the chain - I hadn't realised what I was missing with that possibility. And getting subtle amounts of breakup kind of amp tones - it seems awesome for that, again something I previously did not really appreciate the benefit of, I suppose because my setup couldn't do it very well.

I really am going to have to set up a few simple patches of my own, just typical kinds of tones I use for some gigs - these may not use the full capabilities of the Helix at all, but will at least make sure I have the sounds I need there, and will be a familiar starting point to improve on. I'm probably still in the initial "wow" stage anyhow, but was this purchase a mistake? - erm, that's a no...  

Cabicular said:
I always run in stereo but I've started taking a 3rd out to the desk with a dry in the middle
Makes a big difference with no impact to the cpu

  Cheers, appreciate the tip/idea @Cabicular, something to keep in mind.


guitarfishbay said:

You could look for a used rack poweramp on eBay.  They can go quite cheap these days, though most are stereo so check the particular model you're looking at can be run with just one side if you only use one cab.

  Certainly a thought @guitarfishbay , cheers.


digitalscream said: @Megii - it really depends what impedance the cabs are. That amp will do 400W into 8 ohms bridged, but only 100W (ish) a side into two 8 ohm cabinets and 50W a side into two 16 ohm cabs.

To be honest, though, stereo is overrated for live stuff unless you're the only guitarist. Most of the crowd will only be able to hear one of the cabs, and not very well if it's just a 1x12" with no PA assistance. Even with everything running through the PA, only a tiny portion of the audience will get the stereo effect. You've also got phase issues to content with.

The exception is if you're running something like the TC Mimiq, so you can get two entirely separate signals going (the Double Take effect in the Helix is really a poor substitute for the Mimiq).

You're probably better off getting a decent 2x12" and running that Palmer amp into it. Or get a Jet City 20W head and use that...fairly similar price, really.

Happy to accept you're right about the issues with stereo live @digitalscream - I have no experience of trying such a thing to draw on. I do think I will want some sort of stereo rig capability all the same though. I will set up some sort of rig to test the stereo aspect of some of the presets later anyhow - I have a hunch I'll like this. Maybe I'm naive, but I do wonder if FRFR speaker(s) is possibly very good for my purposes, just based on the fact I'm liking the sound straight from the Roland Cube so much, which is perhaps a fairly un-coloured amp, as far as guitar amps go. Could be a useful thing to have, and especially if it worked for bass also.