Do I sell everything and buy a Helix?

Sporky

BintyTwanger77 said:

I played a Helix into an amp & cab for 30 mins, and it didn't do anything for me, BUT it was only for 30 mins

I suspect that into an amp and cab is probably one of the harder approaches to set up.

BintyTwanger77

Sporky said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

I played a Helix into an amp & cab for 30 mins, and it didn't do anything for me, BUT it was only for 30 mins

I suspect that into an amp and cab is probably one of the harder approaches to set up.

Yes, that was how it was set up in the shop for me, but I'm guessing it's far easier using the Helix amp/cab sims and going directly into a couple of Yamaha speakers or something?

Bridgehouse

BintyTwanger77 said:

Sporky said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

I played a Helix into an amp & cab for 30 mins, and it didn't do anything for me, BUT it was only for 30 mins

I suspect that into an amp and cab is probably one of the harder approaches to set up.

Yes, that was how it was set up in the shop for me, but I'm guessing it's far easier using the Helix amp/cab sims and going directly into a couple of Yamaha speakers or something?

That's what I have at home and I think it's reasonably easy to dial in a good sound

Digital_Igloo

guitarfishbay said:

One common way to do it is one amp for your lows (usually clean) and the other for your high end, often overdriven to cut through. EQ filters can be used to define these so there's not too much overlap (low passing the highs from the clean, and highpassing the lows from the overdriven amp).

If you're happy with the filter slopes, you can also just use the Split > Crossover block. Saves some DSP and block locations.

TimmyO

fretmeister said:

Watch some Billy Sheehan rig explanations on YouTube.

I often run 3 signals.

1: super deep and low. Lots of compression. Almost a reggae sound.
2: clean highs, compressed. Cut the low end of the signal, to be mixed in parallel with
3: drive and other fx. Turn in or off as needed.

The reason for 3 is that sometimes the drive settings won't Mix well with the super deep. Not enough bite on a reggae sound so adding drive to it is muddy.

1 goes to 1 cab
2 & 3 go to another cab, blended.

No amp EQ compromises for a cab then either.

Sometimes I run 4, adding something in the low mids or a separate super low FX path.

But I use outboard gear as well for that, with an Ampeg SVP-BSP next to the Helix. Im hoping the incoming Pearce models will let me do it all internally if I can manage the DSP enough.

Bass goes PONK 

welshboyo

BintyTwanger77 said:

Sporky said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

I played a Helix into an amp & cab for 30 mins, and it didn't do anything for me, BUT it was only for 30 mins

I suspect that into an amp and cab is probably one of the harder approaches to set up.

Yes, that was how it was set up in the shop for me, but I'm guessing it's far easier using the Helix amp/cab sims and going directly into a couple of Yamaha speakers or something?

Same Here!! I knew what it was capable of so wasn't too fussed, I was more interested in the UI.

PMT's demo in shop consisted of a rack Helix plugged into the front of a Supersonic...all sims on etc, running FW1, sounded like arse!!

John_A

The key is a bit of patience and some decent ears.  I spent a day A-Bing my helix with my real rig to get a starting point that I could gig with and tweaked from there, there's a lot going on in a Helix, if you bought 2 new amps and 20 pedals it would take a lot more than 30 mins to get them sounding great and ready to gig with. It would with me anyway

put out some time in and it's more than capable of producing some amazing sounds, best thing I ever bought

stickyfiddle

Well the Gretsch sold easily. I'm now working up the courage to order a big bit of gear unseen from very far away!

markblack

I play only at home, sold all my pedals and haven't looked back to be honest. I play so much more after i got the helix. and no messing around with 'my board' (which I enjoyed, but it took over playing at times).

The Helix is still great for people who like pedals IMHO - you can build some crazy 'pedals' as well as set ups and do things like use expression pedals to control the 'knobs' it a really creative tool.

I did buy a pair of HD600 headphones which sound great with it, but cost a few £.

I can't say is the Helix is better vs. this or the other. But it's really good, and does a hell of a lot for the cash. The mic input for example makes it great for recording guitar and vocals - I just plug it into my mac and I have record a demo in no time.

I think if you LOVE your pedals and your amp you may never come to love the Helix It's not the same experience as sitting beside an amp with pedals - it might sound exactly the same but it's a piece of tech. Personally I grew up with computers and samplers so it bothers me less. Add to that as I mentioned above I never spend half hour seeing what patch lead has died for no reason.

One other thing to add was how liberating it was to have one thing to use, not be on the FX forum ever 30 minutes to see what I could buy to improve my board. I also seemed to buy pedals that I new I could resell so I didn't really buy what I wanted more what I knew other people who want. Which was handy when I flogged it all, but it's kinda mad...

Whatever you choose enjoy!

Vaiai

So keen to get mine - may have to just get it on 0% deal and sell my FX8 at my leisure lol
I took my own amp into the shop and used it in the FX Return so I could hear the modelling - also tried it thru some Fender PA speakers direct into a wee mixer - was a huge sound!
My plan was to just use it in 4CM for FX but I was really quite impressed with the modelling - and that was not even on latest firmware - Snapshots were not even in it.

andyoz

After having a Katana as my first stab into this world I've decided I want to wait until all this tech is part of a more traditional head/cabinet with all the pre/power amps built it.

I just need say 5 core sounds that I settle into using all the time and these are edited on a tablet a few times a year (or never) and you then tweak them with actual knobs on the head/combo.  That's what Boss have got right IMO...reduce the option son the actual physical controls..

I'm not prepared to move from my traditional values to something with a full on screen and flashing light show...I've already got too much tech distracting me from actually playing.

John_A

Petty much how I use my Helix - a few core sounds and a bunch of FX, rather than distract me from playing it does the opposite, it sounds so good there's no need to continually tweak it, I haven't even tried half of the models in there.  The advantages of not having a traditional head/cab is I can turn up at a gig and be set up in 5 minutes with one trip from the car.

I've owned a Katana 100 for a short while as I though it might be a decent grab and go option, the trouble was the Helix sounds 100 times better, so the Katana just sat there doing nothing.  Not a slur on the Katana, if the Helix didn't sound better I'd be hacked off