01:36 build your own presets. 05:04 Use global EQ controls 05:45 use your input impedance 07:23 try Line 6 power cab 10:18 level your presets 12:18 blend IRs
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Great video Chris. You seem very honest about struggles with using this new to you gear. We’re all learning and you’re particularly good at sharing it.
This tips video is amazing @Chris. Minimal EQ and compression after the amp blocks and utilizing power amp sag shows the beauty of the modelling the helix can do
Hi Chris - The impedance problem with the fuzz pedals in the Helix have been a bone of contention for some time. There are only one or two of them that are sensitive, but they will not sound right with a high input impedance. Unfortunately, pedals and amps further down the chain will suffer if the impedance is set low and the fuzz is off. The stomp foot switches on the Helix can be set to do more than one single action, such as switching on an effect. Indeed they can do several things at once if required. My solution is to set the stomp switch for the fuzz to also switch the impedance to low when the pedal is turned on. Conversely, when the fuzz is stomped again to switch it off, the switch also turns the impedance back to high. You can also set up snapshots with FuzzOn/Low Impedance, and another with FuzzOff/High Impedance, but I prefer to use the snapshots for other purposes.
Haha it’s funny so many people go on and on about IRs (probably trying to sell theirs) and I never realized what I hated about playing through modelers. That makes so much sense. Glad you pointed that out. I totally agree. Great vid!
Another tip is learning the frequency range of the cabs themselves in the real world. Alot if cab freq range is between 75hz and 5.0hz. Also boosting the cabs up to +4.0 increases the cab characterstics. Also my favorite is boosting reflections up to 66% and when doing two amps have one amp be the room mic amp with a 87 condenser between 10 and 12 inches and match the volume with the primary amp with a 121 or 57 for a studio style mixing. Also when using two amps never use mixing for the splitting but the Split block itself.
The Powercab is awesome because you can take out the MIC model and get the “amp in the room” tone/vibe wilst sending the traditional IR/cab block to FOH.
I have found input impendence on "auto" just handles the over input artifact nicely, global EQ for me is just bumping the the high cut from off to 19.7khz really smooths out the high end on the B & high E string. If you want to use a pretty good cab on with no IR try the 2x12 Double CN12 cab, it's got the pro cab tone and I always match the low and high cut with a legacy selection room reverb, mono for all the rest in that way you use way less DSP, of course I do these things because I have the HX Stomp which has a single 450mHz DSP and a single parallel 8 block chain.
I love throwing the LA comp at the end of my chain, or at least after my amp, first it really can make the amp feel great to play, and secondly because it lets me use my coil split to still clean up my amp, but not drop overall volume
Absolutely spot on tips and I just have to say you're hell of a guitar player as well! Amazing playing and tones! 👏 Thoroughly enjoyed the video and subbed as well.
You can also buy for CHEAP presets from JOHN Nathan CORDY, the WIZARD of the HELIX Realm, and one of UK's Best Guitarists, as is CHRIS BUCK. Thanks for the Tips.
I had my Helix LT for about a month, I have the Line 6 PowerCab 112 (single speaker). I’m using my YJM strat (single coils, but not really) and I’m having a hard time getting the bass strings to sound clear and defined under gain. When hitting chords or playing rhythm… it just sound muddy, and undefined.. “wooly” Is there any area I should focus my attention on? There are a lot of positive reviews for this cab, I just wish I could get a clearer, defined bottom end! Help!!
Regarding the PowerCab speaker emulation vs IRs/Helix internal cabinet modelling: The big difference that I believe Chris is probably hearing is that when you hear the speaker modelling coming out of the PowerCab, you are only hearing the *speaker* being modelled. Since the PowerCab is a physical cabinet, it isn’t modelling the tone of a cabinet. Nor is it modelling the tone of the microphone in front of the cabinet. With IRs or the Helix’s default cabinet modelling, you are hearing a virtual speaker AND a virtual cabinet AND a virtual microphone. In my opinion, this is why the Helix (and other amp modellers’) tones often sound great when listening back in a mix or from the audience’s perspective at a live show, but can often *feel* slightly disconnected to the player. It would be like playing your guitar while your amp is mic’d up in an isolation booth and listening to the audio through a pair of studio monitors. With the PowerCab, it sounds and feels more “natural” to the player because the virtual mic is out of the equation completely.
I like having a HX Stomp with a Pedal Board, Real Overdrive Pedals sound so much better than digital ones, The Clean Amps sound good, Vox, Fender,Dr Z,etc.. Also Good Quality IR'S, Celestion , Ownhammer, 3 Sigma,etc Running it in Stereo sounds Great, The Delays and Reverbs are Good, there are better out there, And you can plug them into the Stomp, hard to do with a Helix as its so Big..
When you're talking about IRs I think you are actually referring to the cab simulations built into the Helix. At 13:01 you're adjusting the Cab Sim and there's no IR loaded into the preset. The cab sim and IRs are very different. Not trying to be coy, I'm wondering if you simply mixed up the names in this instance, I'm sure you know what IRs are. Do you blend actual IRs ever? Are you talking in stereo or dual mono? Or differently somehow? Thanks Chris! Fantastic playing as always!
How does an IR differ from a Cab block in the Helix? Whilst I am an IR fan and use them for simplicity, I thought that the in-built cabs were just another way of adjusting frequency response (a bit like an impulse response loader where you can graphically adjust mic placement etc.). I'm not challenging your viewpoint, just interested in the technical difference between impulse responses and in-built cabs in the Helix. - thanks!
@@waynejames2014 I'm not an expert on the built in cab responses, but my understanding is that they are more like you've described... a way of digitally simulating a sound/space/frequency. Where as an impulse is a digital recreation of an actual hardware setup. So it was made using specific mic(s), cabinet, speaker, the room/space it was shot in, and even what interface/mixing console it was recorded on is a part of the equation. For example - my favourite impulses are from TheAmpFactory.com which were shot on a Neve console, using Neve 1073 pre amps, a tube EQ, and each cabinet has multiple microphone packs, and each microphone pack has multiple mic placements. So they actually shot an IR of each microphone, and physically moved the microphone to a different location and shot another IR. You end up with a ton of files to sift through and try out, but they do sound so different from one to the next. I like to blend some of the IRs which I guess is like using multiple microphones on a cabinet. I like the quote from Steve Stevens on their website, it was something like "they sound like the real thing because they are the real thing". Hope that helps.
@@countstoneula thanks for that. I must admit I find the whole subject rather like a minefield. Once I've hooked up my own preamp and reverbs/delays etc I'm not sure I'm hearing what the guy who created the IR was hearing but I know the ones I like and tend to stick with them. I also find it rather puzzling that after dialling in an amp and loading up an IR I then have to use EQ to alter the "authentic" sound of the IR 😕
One of the disappointing things about the Helix is that as soon as you start using it you realize it doesn't feel complete without one of those Variax guitars and powercabs Line 6 gently suggests you try with it. You can dial in passable tones but they're never as good as those in the Yamaha artists videos. It just never works the way it does in the promotional videos. With my Helix, for example, I can't get a good tone unless I apply global EQ, aggressive cuts on the cab, aggressive cuts on the EQ behind the cab, AND aggressive cuts on the output block. This eats my sustain so I need to add more gain, which in turn adds more noise so I have to throw a noise gate in, which in turn ruins my sustain again. The folks in RU-vid demos seem to never have any of those issues. There's hardly ever any noise or digital sizzle in their tones. They just plug and play, making it seem so easy! Sometimes I wonder if Kemper or Fractal wouldn't be the better option for me, but then I think it would be exactly the same story.
Rusty James nothing is as great as a great tube amp and a few great dirt, overdrive and or fuzz pedals. The Kemper with a pedal or without would be my choice but Chris makes the helix sound great. I have to definitely use a dirt pedal in front of an amp block. Lots of tweaking with the helix. They’re all kindve the same except the overlooked Yamaha 100hd sounds and feels great and simple. Plug into a guitar and a cabinet that’s it. And I like the iridium too and then add your pedals. Just my opinion. FYI Yamaha bought line6 btw.
It might actually be your guitar or cables. I get some amazing tones. In thing I learned however is that Helix and both Kemper is that you are not listening to the amps but the mics in front of the amp and even then if you mix a good mic tone by yourself it will sound different in a band mix. Try using the Nashville mic combo of 121 and a 57 on two of the same amps and boost reflections up to 60%.
I kinda get what your saying about Ir`s, but Its really just another tool in the old toolbelt in my upinion.. I like using both, mix and match stock cabs and IR`s. I find that the stock cabs have a mid focused drive about them that i like, and Ir`s tend to sound a bit more opened up and complex if that makes any sense... Really depends on what im using it for. Dig the sounds you are getting out of your helix man!
I'm a little late to the game. I was a die hard tube amp/cab guitar player but I'm 58 now and just tired of lugging a big ol' heavy amp to church or a gig. I downsized to a 2x12 comba and a HX FX. I love the tone. But even this is somewhat of a pain to lug around. So, ultimately, I'll pull the trigger on Helix. I love the videos like this that really give you an in depth view of the ins and outs of Helix. I think because I've used the HX now for several months and I'm figuring things out, the jump to Helix won't be that much of a task. Our church doesn't have adequate monitoring on the stage yet, and we are talking with the pastor about some changes for the better. So until that happens, I just use my 2x12 combo as a stage monitor for my guitar by pulling one channel from the Helix and sending the other channel to the house. I think, too, that I'll get that slight stereo effect from hearing the mains and the amp. But as soon as we get in ears, I'll have the sound guy do 2 channels through the house panned left and right. I use a lot of ethereal tones so that is gonna sound awesome!
IEMs are going to be awesome. We've had Roland M-48s for the past 5 or so years. We're upgrading to something else, not sure what yet but being able to tailor your personal mix levels makes it so much easier to focus on playing. I can't imagine not having IEMs now. When I first started playing in church, I had my Fender Pro Chorus turned around away from the congregation to cut the volume and to use as a monitor. It was miked to the house. I now have a 60W SuperSonic in an Isocab in a separate room and have it set on volume of 4. It goes out to the board via a Radial DI box. It's truly amazing, standing next to the Iso, you can barely hear it!
Amazingly useful tips. And very inspiring guitar playing as well. Really wish i had the budget to get myself a Powercab 212 plus as well. 😎👍 Nice content man.
@@Nicky-T agree 100% Jason Sadites is the Helix master. watch ALL of his "Dialing in..." and "How to make a great tone xxx" videos to get the best out of your Helix.
Hi Chris. Have you used HX Effects at all. It’s currently on my pedal board. Guess it’s antiquated now after stomp. Should’ve waited another year I guess
Hey Chad. Yes, I have! I spent a few days using one in Germany last year and really liked it. Line 6 have always absolutely nailed effects in particular!
Thanks for sharing. I bought youre preset and would recommend it big time. Inspiring to hear such tones from the helix. No doubt well worth the money. Watching chris channel is a privilege that does not cost a dime; not the best time for live-artists: support!
Great Tips! Have you noticed the note definition getting lost when the Input Impedance is lower? I tried to tame the fuzzy highs that way but I keep losing the note definition.
speaking of sag.... the Deez-1 guitar which was supposed to work like DS-1 had awful sag. Like you play a note or chord, and it dies on you and then gets louder. Impedance... with the auto setting, the very first block controls the overall impedance. So if you have a volume pedal followed by 10 fuzz pedals that are not engaged will sound the same as if they are not in the chain.
Amazing stuff but in the 60's all we had was reverb, tremolo and if you got lucky a Maestro fuzz box. We just plugged in and played. Now all of these machines are trying to emulate that!?
I desperately wish I was at the level where I could understand…98% of what you just said Chris. I’m in a frustrating position. I didn’t grow up around this stuff, or people that knew anything about recording in Australia. I have a helix floor, which I use for very decent JBL studio monitors. I’ve also got a Marshall Silver Jubilee. But I grew up with nothing but a basic amp and a shitty electric I was so glad to have. But my acoustic was better quality so I played that until I started what later became a ridiculous collection of very unique and eclectic guitars. When it comes to trying to keep up and understand what you’re saying, I feel like I don’t speak English anymore. I understand this is targeted at people with a basic working knowledge of signal chains… but that’s not me. I didn’t even use a pedal for the first time until about 12 years after I picked up the guitar. So, can you Chris, or any of the rest of you who feel like helping… just give me a jumping off point. Because there’s so much contradictory info out there!! I need a basic tutorial research for how to get the most out of the helix floor. Because I’m certainly not doing that now. Outside of using the presets installed; and finding new ones on customtone (most of which are awful), I really want to learn how to do it myself. In layman’s terms. I also know this thing has a great vocal processing unit… but I can’t find much info on that at all! If anyone can help a broken veteran with too much time on his hands, and tech I’m not qualified to own, please guide me to a safe resource for learning about all of this, and interpreting the kinds of things Chris is talking about. Because that might as well have been in hieroglyphics to my limited understanding. Hopeful…
Great Comments Chris...Ive chosen Helix Rack + Board as opposed to Kemper for my home Studio set up.....How is the Looper function with Rack + Board...have you used this ?
I have a very bright strat. If I cut the impedance for the strat, would you need different presets for a humbucker guitar? Or would most people's ears not notice the difference?
Honestly I came to hear and see you play more than anything else ! By the way is it tweaking the impedance has any incidence on the gain going out of this block ?! Or it deals only with the frequencies ?! Which (obviously) is almost the same (cutting or lowering some frequencies automatically affect the whole gain).. but anyway would like to know your opinion .. thanks Chris..
I can't wait for my Nuerel dsp quad cortex mod to come. I pre ordered it. ( but it is killing me to wait) ugh....... And have two new cabs , and everything I need to go stereo .
I've owned several Heli and getting good sound wasn't impossible. I will say there are plenty of tips to make it easier. What I just wasn't willing to live with was always the feel. I felt like no matter what I did to my presets it just didn't feel good to me. On occasion I found a few paid presets that felt ok, but after owning a Kemper and now a Fm9 I just don't think I'd be happy enough coming back. The Helix is a crazy good unit and super easy to navigate from the unit itself. Not trying to bash it in any way here, just stating my personal experience with this platform. In a mix nobody knows what you are playing, but as the player It just wasn't pleasing. And for me It deters me from wanting to play more. Not sure if many others feel this way or if I'm just weird lol
I’ve found with my Stomp copying other professional’s presets don’t sound the same because everyone has a different touch. More often for me reducing the gains or mix on the delay is necessary. Modulation is a whole different animal to contend with. Although other people’s preset ideas get you in the ball park as mentioned you must personalize it. This is the magic of the Helix products. I love my Stomp and the sky is the limit as you demonstrate. Thanks for your guidance and sharing. Cheers from American 🎸🎶🎼
At 5:27, if you are using an acoustic guitar or one of the many acoustic and wider frequency range instruments a Variax can produce, be careful with that global EQ!
Just got a Pod Go and I watched Rhett's video before this one. I tried his high and low cut setting and they seemed too drastic, especially the high cut. So I played around and got it set the way I liked. Saw your video and saw your recommendations and they were just like mine. 50 and 15k. I guess my ear matches yours!
Hello Chris thanks for all the work and sharing your preset its exactly what im looking for. Question, for your Helix Preset do I just turn off the cabinet in the chain to run it through the Powercab?
Interesting how I hear people getting the Helix and trying to make it sound "like their old rig". Thats sounds to me like getting a Ferrari and trying to make it drive like my old F150. Why?
Hi chris I see your using the Fullerton jump. What drives are you using in front of the amp block? I usually make all my own presets just curious on those parts! Thank you!
You're absolutely right, when you make your own presets from scratch, the factory ones sounds very weak... I think it's because Line6 made generic presets for everyones which sounds "correct" with most for the guitar models in their differences. I understand and don't blame them for that. Make your own.
Something I would have liked on the helix is the ability to see the signal on the eq blocks. I find for making tones I record into cubase and then do any cuts and boosts as it’s easier to find them annoying frequencies . I just think it would have been a better feature rather than a list of frequencies and bars
It is alluring to have so much under control but using presets on a gig is generally a pain. The more dynamic the playing situation the less likely your next preset will be what you really want.
Excellent as always. When hearing you talk about levels and Helix presets, it occurred to me that someone should create a set of the Helix presets, only tweaked to sound as good as some of the better tones on Customtone sound.
I dont understand spending 1500 for a helix (already more expensive than alot of great tube amps) and then add a 1400 dollar power cab. for the price of both you can build a analog setup. I think these "Helix experts" fail to understand the most basic and important functionality of Multifx pedals- simplicity and portability. By the time you set this all up, you've already lost to midi tube amp routing
I think you’re forgetting the extensive amount of pedals and effects buddy. 1400 alone could get you a couple tube amps yea but not as many as the helix offers. And what about the monstrosity of pedals and effects you have to buy to add on to it? Crazy how delusional you “analog users” are
