Helix Dynamic Reverbs

[dk_ace]

It saddens and frustrates me a bit that Helix still doesn't have a reverb that competes with some of the other higher quality stuff out there. None of these newer reverbs are really a patch on BigSky's Cloud or Bloom, or Fractal's Cumulonimbus, or even Chorus Hall, heck even the Quad Cortex now has Mind Hall and Modulated Hall, both of which are fantastic - smooth, not metallic, and with enough frequency capabilities that you can really have your reverb cut through.

I'm just not really that into the HX reverbs. The delays are very good - Adriatic, Transistor Tape, Cosmos Echo, Glitch Delay - those are all dope AF !

If you want the cloud thing, put dynamic hall in a parallel path and run the signal going into the reverb through the vocal/chorale effect (voice box?). I didn’t discover this, saw it on YouTube somewhere. But it does that thing well enough.

There’s a metallic quality to dynamic hall that I never could dial out, ultimately gave up and put a Ventris in the loop.

D

 

[Orvillain]

Ventris in the loop.

Stellar pedal. I keep thinking about getting another Ventris and Nemesis; especially now you can get the Nemesis with ADT.

 

[norminal]

I got in an argument with some PodGo dildo about Revenge of the Nerds at TOP

 

[Lele]

It saddens and frustrates me a bit that Helix still doesn't have a reverb that competes with some of the other higher quality stuff out there. None of these newer reverbs are really a patch on BigSky's Cloud or Bloom, or Fractal's Cumulonimbus, or even Chorus Hall, heck even the Quad Cortex now has Mind Hall and Modulated Hall, both of which are fantastic - smooth, not metallic, and with enough frequency capabilities that you can really have your reverb cut through.

I'm just not really that into the HX reverbs. The delays are very good - Adriatic, Transistor Tape, Cosmos Echo, Glitch Delay - those are all dope AF !

Could you post an example of reverb effect that you consider your best target? I'd love to hear both the dry track and the 100% wet track of that type to study what the venerated reverb effects can offer.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

The dynamic plate is one of these that makes a good argument for anybody saying Helix is just too complicated compared to normal pedals. What the hell is all that stuff?

I just put the mix lower, the decay and predelay often lower.. and be done with it

 

[Byrdman]

If you play loud enough, you dont need Reverb

 

[Lele]

The dynamic plate is one of these that makes a good argument for anybody saying Helix is just too complicated compared to normal pedals. What the hell is all that stuff?

I just put the mix lower, the decay and predelay often lower.. and be done with it

DYMANIC PLATE PARAMETERS

Decay: reverb length
Predelay: delay before the main reverb effect; zero predelay may soften the note attacks a lot
Damping: it's a kind of high cut effect, like having more sound absorbing material in your room lowering the high frequencies more efficiently
Mot rate: this parameter adjusts the natural modulation of the plate reverb; rate is the time of the echoes
Mot range: like above, it's the modulation of the reverb
Mix: balance between dry and reverb effect (50% is same level; 100% is only reverb and no dry signal)
Low freq: this parameter splits the reverb effect between low and high frequencies, and their relative volume depends on the next parameter
Low gain: below zero means (reverberating) low frequencies decaying faster than high frequencies; values above 0.0 means the opposite
Low cut: high pass filter, to remove the low frequencies below the frequency you set (it's not abrupt, it's more like a reduction of lows starting from the frequency you set)
High cut: like above, to remove the high frequencies
Level: output level (including the dry signal if mix is less than 100%)
Trails: when on you'll hear the remaining reverb trail when you bypass the effect

I agree that some parameters may not be very intuitive, and I'd also love a big manual from Line6 explaining well each parameter both about Line6 own effects and the blocks coming from commercial circuits.
Anyway it is what it is: some web search can help a lot, including the "Helix help" website and several YouTube videos. Or you could even buy "The Big Book of Helix Tips & Tricks"; imho it's worth its price.

 

[dk_ace]

The dynamic plate is one of these that makes a good argument for anybody saying Helix is just too complicated compared to normal pedals. What the hell is all that stuff?

I just put the mix lower, the decay and predelay often lower.. and be done with it

View attachment 34062

“Normal reverb pedals”, at least the best of them, often have pretty deep parameters and I’d say they generally have more than the ones you see above. Look at the stuff from source audio, meris, eventide, fractal, TC, etc. Helix reverbs are generally a little control poor, not rich, compared to the competition.

Sure, there are some outliers with very few controls, but those harping for top of the line reverbs in helix are probably generally looking for more control and not less.

D

 

[Orvillain]

those harping for top of the line reverbs in helix are probably generally looking for more control and not less.

Actually, no.

The MXR M300 Reverb has three knobs to control parameters (probably controlling several under the hood parameters and acting more like macro controls) and one of them you can press to change the mode. That's it.

And it sounds absolutely amazing!

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

The dynamic plate is one of these that makes a good argument for anybody saying Helix is just too complicated compared to normal pedals. What the hell is all that stuff?

I just put the mix lower, the decay and predelay often lower.. and be done with it

View attachment 34062

You really should try a Fractal device. Would be much more your cup of tea…

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

If you want the cloud thing, put dynamic hall in a parallel path and run the signal going into the reverb through the vocal/chorale effect (voice box?). I didn’t discover this, saw it on YouTube somewhere. But it does that thing well enough.

There’s a metallic quality to dynamic hall that I never could dial out, ultimately gave up and put a Ventris in the loop.

D

 

[dk_ace]

Actually, no.

The MXR M300 Reverb has three knobs to control parameters (probably controlling several under the hood parameters and acting more like macro controls) and one of them you can press to change the mode. That's it.

And it sounds absolutely amazing!

You think you personally represent all of those users? I don’t think you do.

I said there are exceptions, and the m300 is specifically what I had in mind…. It is an exception though, most of the pedals we compare to for best reverbs have a fairly extensive list of parameters.

D

 

[Orvillain]

You think you personally represent all of those users? I don’t think you do.

I do. 10000%. Perfectly.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I do. 10000%. Perfectly.

You're so feisty!

 

[Orvillain]

 

[dbagchee]

I wouldn't mind a reverb with a simpler set of controls - Strymon nails these with their smaller pedals (Blue Sky, Cloudburst, Flint) - hard to make them sound bad. I use Dynamic Hall a lot but it does have that metallic tone that is hard to dial out and the modulation doesn't melt into the verb as well as the Blue Sky, MXR, UA Evermore, or Slotva pedals that I have.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

I wouldn't mind a reverb with a simpler set of controls - Strymon nails these with their smaller pedals (Blue Sky, Cloudburst, Flint) - hard to make them sound bad. I use Dynamic Hall a lot but it does have that metallic tone that is hard to dial out and the modulation doesn't melt into the verb as well as the Blue Sky, MXR, UA Evermore, or Slotva pedals that I have.

Is there nothing as simple in the helix?

 

[pipelineaudio]

“Normal reverb pedals”, at least the best of them, often have pretty deep parameters and I’d say they generally have more than the ones you see above. Look at the stuff from source audio, meris, eventide, fractal, TC, etc. Helix reverbs are generally a little control poor, not rich, compared to the competition.

Ours has fourty googlejillion knobs, and that's just scratching the surface, in the envelope windows you have points and eqs and all kindsa crap. I wish it could be simpler, but then you wouldn't be able to do all the crazy stuff

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

DYMANIC PLATE PARAMETERS

Decay: reverb length
Predelay: delay before the main reverb effect; zero predelay may soften the note attacks a lot
Damping: it's a kind of high cut effect, like having more sound absorbing material in your room lowering the high frequencies more efficiently
Mot rate: this parameter adjusts the natural modulation of the plate reverb; rate is the time of the echoes
Mot range: like above, it's the modulation of the reverb
Mix: balance between dry and reverb effect (50% is same level; 100% is only reverb and no dry signal)
Low freq: this parameter splits the reverb effect between low and high frequencies, and their relative volume depends on the next parameter
Low gain: below zero means (reverberating) low frequencies decaying faster than high frequencies; values above 0.0 means the opposite
Low cut: high pass filter, to remove the low frequencies below the frequency you set (it's not abrupt, it's more like a reduction of lows starting from the frequency you set)
High cut: like above, to remove the high frequencies
Level: output level (including the dry signal if mix is less than 100%)
Trails: when on you'll hear the remaining reverb trail when you bypass the effect

I agree that some parameters may not be very intuitive, and I'd also love a big manual from Line6 explaining well each parameter both about Line6 own effects and the blocks coming from commercial circuits.
Anyway it is what it is: some web search can help a lot, including the "Helix help" website and several YouTube videos. Or you could even buy "The Big Book of Helix Tips & Tricks"; imho it's worth its price.

You are very helpful. I appreciate it / you.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Ours has fourty googlejillion knobs, and that's just scratching the surface, in the envelope windows you have points and eqs and all kindsa crap. I wish it could be simpler, but then you wouldn't be able to do all the crazy stuff

View attachment 34089

I somehow did not know you were AIX DSP. The Drum EQ is such a great plugin.