Helix question

Pittster

hi all,

am new here, first post so please be gentle!

The one thing that always makes me nervous about multi fx is the change in volume levels between patches. e.g. you program 3 or 4 sounds for one song, and every time you switch across there is a drop or gain in level.

Is this easy to manage in the Helix, or have I just been dumb in the past with multi fx!!

thanks

Andy

fretmeister

Dead easy. Channel output for each patch and amp block.

Pittster

many thanks for the quick reply.

apologies for sounding like a dullard! could you elaborate a little on your reply. 

thanks again,

andy

darcym

do you actually have a helix ? or are you asking about generic multi effects ?

kjdowd

You can set the level of your patch in the channel output to normalise them. In extremis - as in rehearsal last night - I've found that the volume knob is big enough to be moved by your foot!

Pittster

darcym said:

do you actually have a helix ? or are you asking about generic multi effects ?

am thinking of getting one. so asking specifically about the Helix

Sporky

It's pretty simple in the Helix, and there are a few approaches.  Overall level per output per patch, or add a gain block at the end of the chain to tweak each. Lots of effect blocks have level control too, and the interface makes it easy.

Cabicular

Pittster;73191" said:

hi all,

am new here, first post so please be gentle!

The one thing that always makes me nervous about multi fx is the change in volume levels between patches. e.g. you program 3 or 4 sounds for one song, and every time you switch across there is a drop or gain in level.

Is this easy to manage in the Helix, or have I just been dumb in the past with multi fx!!

thanksAndy

It's really your issue rather than the devices
There is always a way to even out the patches but you do need to try them at volume
On the helix I give myself and extra 7db from the heel to the toe of the exp/Volume Pedal which I use for solos but also to push patches I've made a little quiet by accident. It's then just a matter of remembering to go back and sort them
There are so many ways to control level on the Helix you just have to be careful and consistent
But it's all about user management

fretmeister

Pittster said:

many thanks for the quick reply.

apologies for sounding like a dullard! could you elaborate a little on your reply. 

thanks again,

andy

Each amp has the usual amp controls including a Master. However the Master is more about controlling the amount of power amp drive. There is also an Output control that sets the volume of that amp, effectively after the Master.

So set your sound and then the output. Then using, for example, another amp model, do it again and set the output in relation to the 1st amp vol level. That means you have set the relative volume levels of your virtual channels.

Then there's a massive great vol control on the top to set the overal unit volume. It will affect all sounds equally.

As said above you can then use another control for a solo boost or cut. Either a simple gain block (that's what I do) or an EQ block if you want the tone to be a bit different when you bump volume for solos, or the expression pedal.

The UI is simply brilliant. I printed off all 50 pages of the manual and I haven't looked at any of it. The 2 page Getting Started sheet is all you need.

I've had it a week and I've got a couple of guitar patches I am really happy with and I'd gig them now, and my mental bass patch is coming along nicely.

The best bit is a lack of tap dancing. I used to use Mesa Dual Recs and I still love them but swapping from clean to drive and then hitting the almost compulsory tube screamer to tighten up the metal was a pain. The Helix can turn off 1 amp, turn on another, and activate the tube screamer (and more) all in a single button press within a patch.

I love it!

Sporky

What'd be nice (and I'm sure it'll appear) is being able to assign the same parameter to multiple switches. Or bundling that into something like the Fractal's scene thing.

benmurray85

This thread may be of considerable interest to you http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/43521/line-6-helix/p1

fretmeister

Sporky said:

What'd be nice (and I'm sure it'll appear) is being able to assign the same parameter to multiple switches. Or bundling that into something like the Fractal's scene thing.

That would be ace.

I'd like it to, for example, allow 3 f/s for 3 different preamp gain settings.

Or say make sure a single footswitch causes a set state in what is it controlling rather than just switching it.

So if I have a clean sound but I've manually added a TS, and then hit my filth channel of Dual Rec with TS, I want it to recognise that the TS is already on and not turn it off because it was on.

Cabicular

I do a version of that with the KOT in a loop I toggle between KOT crunch and OCD full distortion. But I have another button that sets the KOT mix to 100% dry effectively bypassing it. So I can toggle between OCD and clean or OCD and KOT depending on what is toggled .... Make sense?

Sporky

Cunning!

fretmeister

I've been looking at Glenn DeLaune YouTube channel. He's got some great ideas for 3 channel set ups. He sells patches. I might spend $3.99 so I've got the pathway and control settings and then swap block types in the same spaces.