Line 6 Helix

welshboyo

Didn't 2.0 get canned because it caused sound problems? - are you deffo at 2.01??

sweepy

Check the guitar input impedance setting 

welshboyo

sweepy said:

Check the guitar input impedance setting 

Very good Shout as well!! 

Fiftyshadesofjay

Cheers for the suggestions guys but I've been through all this, checked impedance, it's at 2.01 etc. I really think in this case it needs to be looked at unfortunately.

Here's a lower gain sample, Supro & Plexi Normal - https://www.dropbox.com/s/w7j9ngwwtzndaju/Helix Test 2.wav?dl=0

Drew_TNBD

Have you got the input gate activated? How are you recording these clips? If digitally, what is the digital output gain set to in the options menu? Is path 2 muted in these clips?

Fiftyshadesofjay

Drew_TNBD said:

Have you got the input gate activated? How are you recording these clips? If digitally, what is the digital output gain set to in the options menu? Is path 2 muted in these clips?

Gate on, but sounds the same off.  Recorded digitally. Not sure how the output gain is set but I'm sure it's not that as it sounds the same when directly monitored and also through the headphone jack. Path 2 is muted.

markblack

Hello all - I'm looking for a small (ish) monitor or speaker to use the the Helix. I'm quite happy to use it mainly with headphones but now and again it would be nice to have a break from them. Anyone have a similar set up they'd recommend? Only for home use, with a budget of around £300 (is that possible?)

Ideally a single cab, rather than a pair of monitors, not really bothered about stereo.

I've hit Google hard, but haven't really managed to find a clear answer.

Any opinions much appreciated. 

fretmeister

I've used my Mackie SM150 with pretty good results. It needs an EQ tweak here and there, but it's perfectly acceptable for home use.

rossyamaha

@markblack the new Spider V fits the criteria. Well within budget too. 

Yes its it's got loads of stuff in it but everything can be bypassed and just used as an frfr amp. 

welshboyo

rossyamaha said:

@markblack the new Spider V fits the criteria. Well within budget too. 

Yes its it's got loads of stuff in it but everything can be bypassed and just used as an frfr amp. 

oooh really?!!

Hmm, now then....

markblack

@rossyamaha cheers, I'll give ti a look.

I actually hooked it up to a THR10C on the flat setting and it sounded pretty good. so I 'might' be sorted.

Digital_Igloo

I'd never go so far as to say the Spider Vs are "FRFR" speakers. They have a tweeter, but that's more for accommodating acoustic modeling and amplifying the built in drum loops/metronome and your mobile device's music library/backing tracks.

John_A

Digital_Igloo said:

I'd never go so far as to say the Spider Vs are "FRFR" speakers. They have a tweeter, but that's more for accommodating acoustic modeling and amplifying the built in drum loops/metronome and your mobile device's music library/backing tracks.

I don't think many things really are FRFR. The new spider, with its tweeter will certainly have an extended range over a standard cab, maybe ERER is a more accurate term for most PA type speakers too. 

Digital_Igloo

John_A said: I don't think many things really are FRFR. The new spider, with its tweeter will certainly have an extended range over a standard cab, maybe ERER is a more accurate term for most PA type speakers too. 

I'd argue that no more than maybe 15, 20 boxes ever made are worthy of the term "FRFR", and they're all pretty much made by Mission, Matrix, Atomic, Friedman, and Line 6.

John_A

I'd argue that there's probably less than that, tried a few and they all sound different, if they were really FRFR they surely should sound the same.  Not that it really matters as long as they all sound good

a comment from from the Matrix FR12 demo says it all, 'the FR12 has more bass response than the FR10'. If this is the case which I'm sure it is, they can't  both be FRFR

Drew_TNBD

Signal flow thoughts? Here is what I want to do:

- Hook my Helix up to my 5150III-50watter in 4cable configuration so I can have my regular effects in the mix.
- Run the poweramp output of the 5150III into a loadbox.
- Run the loadbox line output into the Helix.
- Have a switch where I can flick between the real 5150III and a modelled amp.
- Run an IR block after both of them for my modelled cab.
- Run the main output to the left side of the SPDIF output into my DAW.

Trying to get my head around it... I think I just need to run the line output of the loadbox into one of the FX loop returns on the Helix, and assign that and the modelled amp to a switch, but with an inverse relationship?

Sporky

I think you'd treat the 5150 as two external things.

So send/return 1 has the preamp in it (ie send1 goes to amp in, amp FX send goes to return1), and send/return 2 has the poweramp and load box in (ie send2 goes to amp FX return, loadbox output goes to return2).

And then yes, assign the modelled amp and send/return2 to the same footswitch for bypass, but as a toggle.

Drew_TNBD

Yep, that does it. I just needed to put an isolated transformer between the loadbox and the Helix, it was creating some sort of high-pitched feedback loop type of thing. Not sure why, but isolating it fixed it.

welshboyo

That's it...my amps are officially retired, took the big step Friday and Saturday night to go direct, I had the amp in the car as a comfort blanket on Friday in case it all went horribly wrong, but last night I left it all at home and put all my trust in the Helix.

We are fortunate as a band to have a full-on IEM system together with a hefty PA and apart from dialling back some Hi Cut (sound was too dark) that is the only on the fly tweak I needed to make - what I was hearing back in the IEM's and the Out Front sound ( I had a guitar playing friend come along to give me an honest opinion!!) was great!!

That monitor mix - the Helix sounded and felt like an amp under my fingers very very impressive.

Had a slight pre-gig wobble with IR's (see my other thread) but all credit to @guitarfishbay for mentioning the Ownhammer stuff - as good as the on board Helix stuff is, I'm convinced the OH stuff finally clinched the deal for me.

Now need to wean myself off the Mahadeva sim as it's what I'm used to in real amp world and start exploring the other models...I think next stop is Soldano...

rich75

I used the Helix without a guitar amp for the first time at last night's gig and I'm really impressed. We only put vocals through our PA so for the Helix I used a Yamaha DXR10 on stage where my amp would usually be.

Really simple to set up and use and I had some good comments about the sound. To me it didn't in any way feel or sound inferior to using a regular valve amp but the flexibility makes it so much more gig-friendly than my previous pedalboard and amp rig. 

So so far so good