Headrush Flex Prime

[Sascha Franck]

But I'll admit that as a beginner grade synth player, I mainly rely on preset patches on my Hydrasynth Explorer and just haven't had the will to deep dive into tweaking them beyond the basics.

Ah! See, this is *exactly* where I'm at. I even know some synthesis methods and what most things on a synth do pretty well (for a not-really-keyboard-player), have been involved in betatesting software synths and what not - yet, I rather have some nice presets to start with and then just somewhat modify them.
Anyhow, it's the very thing that made me rethink my admittedly kinda snotty behaviour as in "learn the damn thing or get something else".
Some people simply aren't like that - and by now I think that's fine.

but to me it's just totally foreign that I'd never learn to truly use a piece of gear I use regularly.

Same here, but as said, different folks, different strokes. And I defenitely stepped back from belittling those other folks. Many of them have other qualities (musical qualities included) I could only dream of, even if I could as well learn those qualities on paper.

 

[MadMaxG79]

I wouldn't be surprised there are a lot of modeler users like this who will e.g pay for preset packs...anything that lets them get going with minimal tweaks and doesn't require them to invest themselves into learning the platform.

As I stated before over in the "Digital Doubt" thread, I have paid for presets in past and probably would do so again. It's not that I'm unwilling to learn the platform. It's that I use it both as a, for me, easier way to get know the platform by figuring out what works and what doesn't and as a way to get started fast. I don't want to first sit down and learn all the ins and outs of the unit before I get some "good" sounds that are at least better than the factory presets, I want to get off to a good start and learn more as I go by tweaking things here and there.

It's just a "workflow" preference for me. I put it in quotation marks because as soon as it feels more like "work" instead of being fun, I've lost interest.

 

[laxu]

As I stated before over in the "Digital Doubt" thread, I have paid for presets in past and probably would do so again. It's not that I'm unwilling to learn the platform. It's that I use it both as a, for me, easier way to get know the platform by figuring out what works and what doesn't and as a way to get started fast. I don't want to first sit down and learn all the ins and outs of the unit before I get some "good" sounds that are at least better than the factory presets, I want to get off to a good start and learn more as I go by tweaking things here and there.

It's just a "workflow" preference for me. I put it in quotation marks because as soon as it feels more like "work" instead of being fun, I've lost interest.

For me, other people's presets are no good for anything but ideas. Different guitars, output systems, volume level, personal preferences usually mean they just don't work for me.

I usually scroll through some factory presets, then just start one from scratch to build my own.

 

[Sascha Franck]

For me, other people's presets are no good for anything but ideas.

This is why I was refering to "templates" - but not those completely empty things with just paths and possibly assignments, but something meaningful. Like common combinations ready to be played and even more so ready to be adjusted easily, including some liner notes.
Otherwise, I obviously agree, at least given the preset types I know. I hardly ever find any of them meaningful, very often because they're too complexed or just making me "WTF?"

 

[MadMaxG79]

This is why I was refering to "templates" - but not those completely empty things with just paths and possibly assignments, but something meaningful. Like common combinations ready to be played and even more so ready to be adjusted easily, including some liner notes.

It's a really good idea. I remember purchasing some HX Stomp presets from M Britt, along with his custom IRs, that were very much just "amp template" presets with maybe a single dirt pedal and a reverb and delay. They sounded great right away (still do) and were a good way to get started.

Otherwise, I obviously agree, at least given the preset types I know. I hardly ever find any of them meaningful, very often because they're too complexed or just making me "WTF?"

This is how I feel about most of the Helix presets I've encountered. They most often have multiple compressors and EQs all over the signal chain, making it very hard to distinguish where any the tone is actually coming from.

 

[mikah912]

I wouldn't be surprised there are a lot of modeler users like this who will e.g pay for preset packs...anything that lets them get going with minimal tweaks and doesn't require them to invest themselves into learning the platform.

For my bandmates, it's not even an aversion to learning one platform or another. They don't think much about analog gear either. They're never going to argue about which Marshall is the best or know what kind of sound a V30 imparts to the tone as opposed to a Greenback.

Beyond tweaking volume, bass and treble....it either sounds right or it doesn't. That goes for keys, bass, guitar, whatever....

 

[Sascha Franck]

making it very hard to distinguish where any the tone is actually coming from.

In all seriousness: That's even happening when I'm inspecting my old kitchen sink presets for the Floor. Which is why there should possibly be a kind of built in notepad that you could use to describe the layout and functionality of a patch. I even did that with separated text files for a while, but it's been quite nonsensical as I never exported any single patches.
Whatever, with things such as the Helix, FAS units and what not, it's almost impossible to reverse engineer a patch properly, so some informational notes would be very helpful.

 

[Sascha Franck]

For my bandmates, it's not even an aversion to learning one platform or another. They don't think much about analog gear either. They're never going to argue about which Marshall is the best or know what kind of sound a V30 imparts to the tone as opposed to a Greenback.

Beyond tweaking volume, bass and treble....it either sounds right or it doesn't. That goes for keys, bass, guitar, whatever....

I actually like that approach.

 

[JCW308]

It's a really good idea. I remember purchasing some HX Stomp presets from M Britt, along with his custom IRs, that were very much just "amp template" presets with maybe a single dirt pedal and a reverb and delay. They sounded great right away (still do) and were a good way to get started.

This is how I feel about most of the Helix presets I've encountered. They most often have multiple compressors and EQs all over the signal chain, making it very hard to distinguish where any the tone is actually coming from.

Helix presets use more than one EQ and more than one compressor?

"All over the signal chain"???

I have never seen that in any Helix preset.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Helix presets use more than one EQ and more than one compressor?

"All over the signal chain"???

I have never seen that in any Helix preset.

Now don't go pretending the Helix doesn't get boiled in milk on the reg

 

[mikah912]

@JiveTurkey @JCW308 I'm pretty sure he means just third-party presets where dudes feel the need for multiple surgical EQs/compressors/whatever to get it just right for THEIR guitar and pickups - likely rendering it suboptimal for YOUR guitar and pickups.

 

[timbuck3]

Anyone use the prime? Is it thst diff from past hr units bedides the capture thing added

 

[Sascha Franck]

Anyone use the prime? Is it thst diff from past hr units bedides the capture thing added

Yeah, it is now the thing you've been waiting for all these years. Go ahead!

 

[JCW308]

Anyone use the prime? Is it thst diff from past hr units bedides the capture thing added

It's just as bad as the previous. Really.

 

[MadMaxG79]

Anyone use the prime? Is it thst diff from past hr units bedides the capture thing added

Yeah, I upgraded my Pedalboard to the Prime. I really like it. It's not that different except I really like the quality of life upgrades. And there are some very cool captures out there for free on the Headrush Cloud. I primarily use captures in my presets/rigs now.

But then again, unlike some very vocal users on this forum, I really enjoyed the Headrush Pedalboard as well. More than the Helix Floor. Yes, I know: It's blasphemy. Or just really bad taste.

 

[the swede]

Yeah, I upgraded my Pedalboard to the Prime. I really like it. It's not that different except I really like the quality of life upgrades. And there are some very cool captures out there for free on the Headrush Cloud. I primarily use captures in my presets/rigs now.

But then again, unlike some very vocal users on this forum, I really enjoyed the Headrush Pedalboard as well. More than the Helix Floor. Yes, I know: It's blasphemy. Or just really bad taste.

I enjoyed the MX5 more than HX Stomp and Pod Go, even though my last modeler was Hx stomp for some reasons (drives and reverbs being a few)… so yeah..

I’ve often find myself wanting to defend Headrush, but that mostly happens when people dish out hilariously wrong facts.

Personally I could use HR or Helix and it wouldn’t make any difference for me at all.

 

[ragingplatypi]

, I really enjoyed the Headrush Pedalboard as well. More than the Helix Floor. Yes, I know: It's blasphemy. Or just really bad taste.

I enjoyed the MX5 more than HX Stomp and Pod Go, even though my last modeler was Hx stomp for some reasons (drives and reverbs being a few)… so yeah..

My tube amp friends still judge me for my HX stuff. To each our own.

 

[timbuck3]

Wait isnt it just an mx5 with capture? What the big desl?

 

[GuitarBilly74]

I saw Trixter the other day (I know, I know... ) and Steve Brown was using one of these Headrush units and I have to admit it sounded amazing. One of the few times (if not the only time) I was actually impressed with the tone from a modeler.


They don't seem to be well liked here though... what are the issues with it?

 

[timbuck3]

I saw Trixter the other day (I know, I know... ) and Steve Brown was using one of these Headrush units and I have to admit it sounded amazing. One of the few times (if not the only time) I was actually impressed with the tone from a modeler.


They don't seem to be well liked here though... what are the issues with it?

Any new units can get good tones for sure