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Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
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IRs can be a rabbit hole so try and limit yourself to speakers/cabs that match those you know or will be a suitable match for the Helix amps. I just have a few IRs that I like to use.
IR packs come with many files, which are the speaker cab captured using different microphones and/or different mic placement. You should load a batch and scroll through them to see what one you prefer. This can be done easily on the Helix within the IR block.
I need to have a big think, try all my gear with the Badcat and work out what I really don't need. I have a feeling I have pedals I've even forgotten I have, and definitely have a couple of fuzzes I haven't plugged in in probably 2 years.
Being a pedal head also a non issue. The rate they update it means lots of new stuff... plus those 4 loops means pedals are always an option.
For home use not much is better
I hear of lots of people that get one, give it an hour or so then declare it's crap and overrated and send it back.
Until you have built your own patch and tweaked all its parameters to get it right then you don't know whether Helix will suit. After 6 months I'm still finding stuff out that improves my sound and it's a joy to find out that it can get even better. However, I found some of the stock patches uninspiring.
Oddly though I find the out the box bass ones to be pretty good - I use them a lot, and I can't wait for the next update with a stack load more...
i was sure the AX8 couldn't do 2 separate paths with 2 amps etc.
https://soundcertified.com/speaker-ohms-calculator/
https://soundcertified.com/speaker-ohms-calculator/
Bass?
Pls expand on this...!
It is a good way to do things but then you could plug into a Darkglass/other preamp and use the blend knob and get most of the same result in one place.
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.
https://soundcertified.com/speaker-ohms-calculator/
There's a lot that can be done to help a bass be more audible across it's range - just a plain clean bass sound doesn't always cut it against guitars while keeping a solid low end, hence splitting the signal.
But it has loops - so keep the synth pedals and weird noise boxes and bit crushers that the Helix doesn't emulate.
Here's a quick overview of how Doug from Kings X gets his bass tone with his signature amp, which is basically two separate channels to do the clean lows distorted highs thing. He does play each sound in isolation to give an idea of how each individual part works.
So many people on TGP are making the transition to the Helix and raving about them, my first guess is it requires a lot more tweaking work, or at least another chance.
The best thing about the Helix seems to be the sheer versatility and ease of use.