NGPD!

smitty_p

smitty_p

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New Guitar Processor Day!

Y'all already know what to expect from my mystery New Toy thread, but here it is:

Line6_Helix_sm.jpg

This shot shows the Helix with the extra pedal I intend to use and the three-way switch I made, though they are not connected, yet. I will be building a board to mount all of this to, like a big pedal board. I gotta figure out the best way to mount the Helix, though.

I'll have to modify the pedal to use it as an expression pedal. I'll need to replace the pot with a 10K Ohm pot and rewire some things. I already have the schematic, so as soon as the pot and jacks arrive, I'll get that done.

Right off the bat, one thing I like is that it takes a regular IEC power cord instead of a power pack. Also, it is heavy. This is not a flimsy unit at all.

I have plugged it in and sampled some of the pre-loaded patches.

This thing is NICE!!! I mean, it sounds really good. It has no digital artifacts that I could notice when playing higher gain patches. It is very quiet.

I'll add more info as I dive into it more.
 
smitty_p said:
New Guitar Processor Day!

Y'all already know what to expect from my mystery New Toy thread, but here it is:

View attachment 92917

This shot shows the Helix with the extra pedal I intend to use and the three-way switch I made, though they are not connected, yet. I will be building a board to mount all of this to, like a big pedal board. I gotta figure out the best way to mount the Helix, though.

I'll have to modify the pedal to use it as an expression pedal. I'll need to replace the pot with a 10K Ohm pot and rewire some things. I already have the schematic, so as soon as the pot and jacks arrive, I'll get that done.

Right off the bat, one thing I like is that it takes a regular IEC power cord instead of a power pack. Also, it is heavy. This is not a flimsy unit at all.

I have plugged it in and sampled some of the pre-loaded patches.

This thing is NICE!!! I mean, it sounds really good. It has no digital artifacts that I could notice when playing higher gain patches. It is very quiet.

I'll add more info as I dive into it more.
Click to expand...

So, into an amp or just direct into a board?
 
Clockworkmike said:
Nice! Tried any of the software plugins with it yet?
Click to expand...

No, not yet. It just arrived.

I'll probably use it this weekend, so I'll be focusing on building a few patches.

But, let me tell you, this really does sound very good. I gotta say, I think I'm set on actual guitar sound processing gear. I do want to get an FRFR speaker, though. I want to get the same kind we use in the band, so as I build patches, I'll be able to hear exactly what it will sound like coming from our PA.

I almost feel like I'm at the end of a long road. It's almost like my tone quest is finished. I just need to explore what I can get from this.
 
smitty_p said:
New Guitar Processor Day!

Y'all already know what to expect from my mystery New Toy thread, but here it is:

View attachment 92917

This shot shows the Helix with the extra pedal I intend to use and the three-way switch I made, though they are not connected, yet. I will be building a board to mount all of this to, like a big pedal board. I gotta figure out the best way to mount the Helix, though.

I'll have to modify the pedal to use it as an expression pedal. I'll need to replace the pot with a 10K Ohm pot and rewire some things. I already have the schematic, so as soon as the pot and jacks arrive, I'll get that done.

Right off the bat, one thing I like is that it takes a regular IEC power cord instead of a power pack. Also, it is heavy. This is not a flimsy unit at all.

I have plugged it in and sampled some of the pre-loaded patches.

This thing is NICE!!! I mean, it sounds really good. It has no digital artifacts that I could notice when playing higher gain patches. It is very quiet.

I'll add more info as I dive into it more.
Click to expand...
Nice acquisition!
 
One thing I've been learning as I work with this is just how flexible the workflow is. The Snapshot mode is pretty cool. It's like a preset within a preset. Each preset can have up to eight snapshots. So, let's say you build a preset with a certain rig, Snapshot mode allows you to further customize actions within the context of that preset. You could have one snapshot that only has the amplifier. Then another snapshot that turns multiple effects on with a single button push. In another snapshot, you could have only one effect on, and so forth. It's a really powerful feature.

I've been building patches using the HX Edit software on my computer. It works quite well. Visually, it takes a different approach. It doesn't give you graphic representations of the actual pedal, as if you're looking at a picture of the actual pedal, as you may get with other platforms. It does provide all the controls, though. The editing software looks very professional, which is nice.
 
syscokid said:
Congrats on what looks like a fine piece of gear... :cheers:. If you ever do run the Helix through a power amp and into an FRFR speaker, I would be supremely interested in your opinion.
Click to expand...

I should clarify. Although I said, "FRFR", I won't really be comparing response curves of speakers to determine the one that has the fullest range and the flattest response.

The real goal is the get the same kind of speaker that we use in the band.

Currently, we are using these, in addition to subwoofers:

www.fullcompass.com

Yamaha DHR15 15" Powered Speaker, 1000W

Buy the Yamaha DHR15, 15" Powered Speaker, 1000W at Full Compass Systems. 0% Financing and Free Shipping on thousands of items!
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These have the advantage of being powered speakers, so I won't need to get an additional amplifier.

So, when I build my patches and listen to them through this, I will hear exactly what my patches will sound like coming from our PA. Being an actual PA speaker, this will also be fairly close to what I could expect at other venues, too.

My experience in using a processor running to the mix has been quite positive, whether I've used my X3 Live or the iPad rig that I put together. What I've noticed consistently is that the sound coming from PA speakers does differ from what it sounds like when using headphones to build patches - duh! When we do sound checks, I often go out in front of house (I use a wireless) to hear what I sound like. Then, I may make some EQ changes to the patch. Sometimes, I'll hear a patch through the PA and decide that it actually sounds good in the mix just the way it is, and I'll leave it alone.

I've gotten so accustomed to running direct to the mix that I think I would feel rather handicapped if I had to do otherwise.
 
Inspector #20 said:
So, into an amp or just direct into a board?
Click to expand...

Honestly, getting something like a Helix and running into a physical guitar amp would be a huge waste of money. If a person wanted to do that, the more economic approach would be to get a multi-effects unit that doesn't provide amplifier, cabinet, and microphone emulation (yes, in a modeler like the Helix, you also pick the type of "mic" that you want to pickup the sound of your "cabinet" and the distance and angle from the cabinet. I usually use the default mic options, but you can change it).

There is an amazing amount of processing power in something like a Helix or Kemper or Axe FX or Quad Cortex. A great deal of that processing power focuses on amplifier emulation. You don't want to pay for that just to not use it. This is because you ALWAYS want to make sure you aren't using any amp or cabinet models when running into a real amp. The resultant sound will be rather bad, otherwise.

So, yeah, if that was the route a person wanted to take, getting something like a Helix would be dropping a lot of money on capabilities that aren't being used.
 
smitty_p said:
Honestly, getting something like a Helix and running into a physical guitar amp would be a huge waste of money. If a person wanted to do that, the more economic approach would be to get a multi-effects unit that doesn't provide amplifier, cabinet, and microphone emulation (yes, in a modeler like the Helix, you also pick the type of "mic" that you want to pickup the sound of your "cabinet" and the distance and angle from the cabinet. I usually use the default mic options, but you can change it).

There is an amazing amount of processing power in something like a Helix or Kemper or Axe FX or Quad Cortex. A great deal of that processing power focuses on amplifier emulation. You don't want to pay for that just to not use it. This is because you ALWAYS want to make sure you aren't using any amp or cabinet models when running into a real amp. The resultant sound will be rather bad, otherwise.

So, yeah, if that was the route a person wanted to take, getting something like a Helix would be dropping a lot of money on capabilities that aren't being used.
Click to expand...


I wasn't aware of how they work. Only "guitar processor" i ever used was a DOD VGS-50.
 
Inspector #20 said:
I wasn't aware of how they work. Only "guitar processor" i ever used was a DOD VGS-50.
Click to expand...

One of the classic mistakes that is made by a person who is new to processors is to create a patch - complete with amp, cabinet, and effects sims - and run it into a guitar amplifier. The exact results are unpredictable, but it almost always results in a messy sound.
 
smitty_p said:
One of the classic mistakes that is made by a person who is new to processors is to create a patch - complete with amp, cabinet, and effects sims - and run it into a guitar amplifier. The exact results are unpredictable, but it almost always results in a messy sound.
Click to expand...

I feel good ablut how my pedalboard works, in that the order of fx was changed around until everything works properly. The noise gate slams shut on the front end, but allows the delay tails to keep echoing.

I doubt ill be changing anything but the amp...

But, its interesting to see what you are doing.
 
Inspector #20 said:
I feel good ablut how my pedalboard works, in that the order of fx was changed around until everything works properly. The noise gate slams shut on the front end, but allows the delay tails to keep echoing.

I doubt ill be changing anything but the amp...

But, its interesting to see what you are doing.
Click to expand...

Totally get it. If you are happy with your rig and it is doing what you need, don't spend any money to change it "just because".

I certainly don't want my approach - and my excitement over it - to be interpreted as if I think this is the "correct" or "best" way to do it!

Sure, we as musicians may tease one another good-naturedly from time to time, but ultimately it comes down to what helps you make your music the best way - for you.

In a way, I'm a lot like you on this, just from the other end of the spectrum. It's almost like I have a very relaxed and easy feeling because I finally feel like I have found what I need to get the sounds I want. I won't be changing anything, either!
 
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