Helix 3.7: The Freeman Update

[dronerstone]

[...] to mimic real feedback, you need to step back from some playing styles. Lots of slides and bends will easily unmask the virtual nature.

The same can be said about the FreqOut.

 

[Iron1]

Was sitting here thinking I need to play some today as I have the next 4 days off work. But just haven't felt inspired lately. DLing 3.7 now, so hopefully that brings some inspiration... and maybe a Shire Flute Party.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Laughs in Kung Fu Fighting Riff with Bonsai Flute

 

[FuzzyAce]

Was sitting here thinking I need to play some today as I have the next 4 days off work. But just haven't felt inspired lately. DLing 3.7 now, so hopefully that brings some inspiration... and maybe a Shire Flute Party.

Same here. There are certainly enough updates to at least keep you busy for a while.

Haven't tried the feedbacker yet, but all the clips sound basically like the Freqout. I have a real one and they are fun.

 

[Iron1]

Curious to try the Clarity & Aristocrat amps, the Cali 610 cab and Bloom Reverb.

But... no Badlander? #iSad

 

[James Freeman]

Laughs in Kung Fu Fighting Riff with Bonsai Flute

 

[EOengineer]

A long shot, but maybe L6 will reference James in a future update where they add the Mark IV presence pull and add bright cap switches into their Plexis and Rectifier models.

 

[Orvillain]

I feel like myself and @MirrorProfiles get a tiny nod for this! Now all we need is for Fractal to follow suit!

The reason this matters is because it makes the thing more realistic - not necessarily that it gives you instantly amazing tones. Although now if you setup the Fredman technique, it will be more accurate in the box. Which is great!

 

[EOengineer]

View attachment 13839

I feel like myself and @MirrorProfiles get a tiny nod for this! Now all we need is for Fractal to follow suit!

The reason this matters is because it makes the thing more realistic - not necessarily that it gives you instantly amazing tones. Although now if you setup the Fredman technique, it will be more accurate in the box. Which is great!

I missed that, but that’s very cool. Phase cancellation can be an extremely effective way to notch out low mid mud or top end fizz without needing to reach for EQ. It can also create nightmare scenarios so good on them for providing the option.

 

[Lysander]

Spent a little while test-driving 3.70 last night. Some takeaways:

• You guys weren't lying: the new 2203 is AMAZING. Pair it with the new 4x12" Greenback 30 cab, and it's a one-way trip to AC/DC city. Love how you can even switch the low/high inputs via snapshots!
• The Catalyst amps are not to be slept on. Kinetic, in particular, is excellent at the super touch sensitive, edge of breakup thing.
• Silverface Bassman, baby! Why is no one else gushing about this one?! For some reason it's a very underrepresented amp in the modeling world, which is insane given how many albums were made with it. Pair it with the new ODR-1 and you'll immediately get a tone you'll recognize from countless pro session recordings.
• I think Feedbacker will make it to all my presets from now on: it's just soooooooooo much fun. I have limited experience with the FreqOut, but Helix's version seems to track much better - and sound extremely convincing as a result. I played for about an hour, and 40m of that were abusing this new effect with a shit-eating grin on my face.
• The nonlinear reverb is super creative. Within minutes of toying with it i was getting inspired and creating ambient licks out of nowhere.

Line 6 has done it again. Kudos to @Digital Igloo and the rest of the team, this is great stuff.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Spent a little while test-driving 3.70 last night. Some takeaways:

• You guys weren't lying: the new 2203 is AMAZING. Pair it with the new 4x12" Greenback 30 cab, and it's a one-way trip to AC/DC city. Love how you can even switch the low/high inputs via snapshots!
• The Catalyst amps are not to be slept on. Kinetic, in particular, is excellent at the super touch sensitive, edge of breakup thing.
• Silverface Bassman, baby! Why is no one else gushing about this one?! For some reason it's a very underrepresented amp in the modeling world, which is insane given how many albums were made with it. Pair it with the new ODR-1 and you'll immediately get a tone you'll recognize from countless pro session recordings.
• I think Feedbacker will make it to all my presets from now on: it's just soooooooooo much fun. I have limited experience with the FreqOut, but Helix's version seems to track much better - and sound extremely convincing as a result. I played for about an hour, and 40m of that were abusing this new effect with a shit-eating grin on my face.
• The nonlinear reverb is super creative. Within minutes of toying with it i was getting inspired and creating ambient licks out of nowhere.

Line 6 has done it again. Kudos to @Digital Igloo and the rest of the team, this is great stuff.

Yes, the Dripman is great! Closed my night out with that one.

 

[JiveTurkey]

View attachment 13837

YESSSSSSS

This is one of my first round litmus test riffs for guitar synths. 2nd runner up is the flute riff from Tha Shiznit by Snoop


I usually use the GR300 in whatever Roland box I am using at the time. GM800 Flute Ensemble preset is great so I use it. Is this the feedbacker?

 

[James Freeman]

Is this the feedbacker?

Yes with Dry on 0 so only the feedback is heard.
Not usable for flute emulation, it doesn't track fast notes, I had to play that one tiny riff like 20 times VERY clearly until I got minimum artifacts.
It's a feedbacker, it does feedback when you press+hold the footswitch, but as an always on synth processor it's no bueno.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I've given up that quest ("hey it's another usable polyphonic guitar synth by a company that actually maintains and updates!") with HX a long time ago. The bits and pieces are in there but there apparently will never be a call for it to justify pursuing it if you aren't Boss or EHX.

 

[James Freeman]

I've given up that quest ("hey it's another usable polyphonic guitar synth by a company that actually maintains and updates!") with HX a long time ago. The bits and pieces are in there but there apparently will never be a call for it to justify pursuing it if you aren't Boss or EHX.

Yeah, unfortunately there is no market for that, it's expensive to develop with zero actual demand.
A keyboard player can do it all with some MIDI and VST, etc.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Yeah, unfortunately there is no market for that, it's expensive to develop with zero actual demand.
A keyboard player can do it all with some MIDI and VST, etc.

Au contraire! A keyboard player can do it all. But finding one of those a lot of times is impossible. I'd say the existence of the EHX and Boss boxes are at least a blip of evidence that even dipping down to the next level could be viable for boxes with existing synth blocks in them to maybe kick it up a notch.


Laughs in selfish request

 

[ragingplatypi]

Not to mention only playing 3 notes for most of a song can be a transcendent experience on a guitar, while doing the same thing on a keyboard is akin to data entry.

 

[Sascha Franck]

The same can be said about the FreqOut.

Ok, did not know that.

 

[GTR37]

Sounds to me like it is. When you need it you step on it. You wouldn't want a constantly active feedbacker, would you?

I agree they even say for natural results use it with momentary switch and you can set ramp up and release times
Sounds like someone ( not you ) did not read the instructions
Also tails on would be preferred IMO just set it with a delay and have the repeats fade out

 

[GTR37]

Yeah well, as soon as you forget about authentic feedback, you can go wild with the HX feedbacker, It's got all sorts of smeary overtone goodness in it, including a little unpredicable aspect (such as in never exactly knowing which note will feed back when playing more than one note at a time), which I like. But to mimic real feedback, you need to step back from some playing styles. Lots of slides and bends will easily unmask the virtual nature.

That’s pretty much the nature of any pitch shift based effects
If you are trying to emulate something like a violin you have to play slowly with single notes
Bends will warble especially if you are not accurate bending to pitch every time