Helix JCM800 2203 Request Thread (FW 3.70 new Brit 2203)!

[Ledvedder]

I've built several plexi and 2203/2204 circuits. It's pretty incredible what that 80 cent cap can do! I have a few amps with switchable bright caps, and all have usable tones.

Also, the Jose circuit is not the same as placing a pedal in front of an amp. There are much different voltages between the 2, which gives each a completely different tone and feel.

I hate to keep bringing them up, but Fractal amp models have a saturation switch on every model, which does exactly what the Jose circuit does (similar to the option on the Placater). Also, a bright cap switch on every model (similar to the Derailed Ingrid). Why not add these to other models?

 

[Foxmeister]

I hate to keep bringing them up, but Fractal amp models have a saturation switch on every model, which does exactly what the Jose circuit does (similar to the option on the Placater). Also, a bright cap switch on every model (similar to the Derailed Ingrid). Why not add these to other models?

Presumably because Line 6 prefer to keep the switches on the model congruent to the original amp channel, for the most part at least?

 

[Jarick]

Currently playing with the idea of going full Helix.

It feels a bit expensive, but I'm afraid if I get "only" the LT, I'll dream about 10 stomp mode and scribble strips every night.

Not going into detail about private circumstances (especially such sad ones) but I'm very probably going to inherit quite a bunch of them moneys during the next weeks/months.

Like a wise person once said: "If life gives you lemons, buy a Helix Floor."

IMO if you can afford to try one out, absolutely do so. I maintain that the Helix Floor is the BEST modeler for most people. It has great examples of almost every type of amp, it covers all the basic effects and often many more, the UI is phenomenal, the support is amazing, it sounds really good, it's very flexible, etc.

It's only when you get super picky about certain amps or effects or routing that Helix falls down, otherwise it's a fantastic choice. Unfortunately the 2203 is one of those amps, and it's super popular.

Placater Dirty (Friedman BE-100) is just fantastic though for a lot of similar things.

Line 6 are a victim of their own success - it’s because their modelling has got to a point where it’s so accurate, people can no longer blame that for a model not sounding/behaving correctly. The 2204 has been interesting because it’s somewhat possible to diagnose the circuit of the original amp from the distance.

Everyone wins when Line 6 add a 2203 (and then a 2204, 2210, 2205, Jubilee, SL-X, 900 mkiii etc )

What's kinda funny is James started this thread about the Helix not having a 2203, and then we all said "buy a Fractal", and then it turns out the Fractal doesn't have one either lol

I've built several plexi and 2203/2204 circuits. It's pretty incredible what that 80 cent cap can do! I have a few amps with switchable bright caps, and all have usable tones.

Also, the Jose circuit is not the same as placing a pedal in front of an amp. There are much different voltages between the 2, which gives each a completely different tone and feel.

I hate to keep bringing them up, but Fractal amp models have a saturation switch on every model, which does exactly what the Jose circuit does (similar to the option on the Placater). Also, a bright cap switch on every model (similar to the Derailed Ingrid). Why not add these to other models?

What about a dynamic EQ block to mimic a bright cap? It's right at the beginning of the circuit and it's literally just a capacitor. Couldn't that be modeled really simply? Then you could add or remove it to any amp and maybe even change the value.

For the Jose mod, could that be done as a drive block? That I'm less sure about because it could be within the amp gain stages and interactive with the tone stack.

 

[mikah912]

What's kinda funny is James started this thread about the Helix not having a 2203, and then we all said "buy a Fractal", and then it turns out the Fractal doesn't have one either lol

If I'm not mistaken, the Orange modes of the JVM410H (which is in Fractal, of course) are supposed to be a stock (Crunch) and modded (Lead) 2203 circuit dead-on. And everybody - myself included - seems to really enjoy those models.

Go see/hear for yourself, @James Freeman

 

[James Freeman]

What's kinda funny is James started this thread about the Helix not having a 2203, and then we all said "buy a Fractal", and then it turns out the Fractal doesn't have one either lol

It's the 2203 curse, I'm telling you it's real.
No modeler shall have a good 2203 for all eternity.

 

[Jarick]

It's the 2203 curse, I'm telling you it's real.
No modeler shall have a good 2203 for all eternity.

Maybe nobody modeled it because the 2203 never existed

 

[synthpenguin]

Well...

Where are the Marshalls with bright caps?

Why don't any of the Marshall models have a bright cap setting like Fractal? Has anyone had any success dialing in a good aggressive Marshall tone with the kerrang? I've tried this with the Plexi bright, 2204, Badonk, Placater, etc. They just don't get there with all that I've tried.

line6.com

Yikes, not to step into drama even a little, but is this the normal mood over there on the official forums? I'll take note not to ask questions there lol.

And seeming to imply that leaving the bright cap in would be a modification vs taking it out...?

It's fine to not like the bright cap—a lot of guitarists over the years certainly didn't, hence the common modification, and I definitely don't want it all the time—and I guess I get being frustrated about seeing a topic you don't care about brought up over and over (though...then just don't read the posts lol), but acting like this isn't a glaring omission is sort of strange to me. Helix is still great without it, but... by comparison, I find Klons pretty boring and I'd basically never use one vs other options, and I wouldn't miss it if the Helix didn't have one, but it would still be a weird omission if a Klon model wasn't included. Just like not having a stock RAT modelled was weird before they added one.

 

[dronerstone]

IMO if you can afford to try one out, absolutely do so. I maintain that the Helix Floor is the BEST modeler for most people. It has great examples of almost every type of amp, it covers all the basic effects and often many more, the UI is phenomenal, the support is amazing, it sounds really good, it's very flexible, etc.

It's only when you get super picky about certain amps or effects or routing that Helix falls down, otherwise it's a fantastic choice. Unfortunately the 2203 is one of those amps, and it's super popular.

Thanks for that!

I'm already familiar with it's capabilities and the UI, since I have an HX FX that I bought three years ago and am still using a lot, also I'm often running Native in the DAW.

The full Helix would only be "acceptable" to me on its own/alone, instead of a finicky/heavy pedalboard, and I really love the thought of being able to create full presets to listen to in Native, only to transfer them to the hardware unit afterwards.

Definitely not looking for a Helix Floor only to once again build a board around that.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

Line6:

Fractal:

The question is do we want a JMP 2203 or a JCM 800 2203? There are some nice examples of both on Reverb.

 

[Foxmeister]

Yikes, not to step into drama even a little, but is this the normal mood over there on the official forums?

I spend very little time over there these days, but I would definitely say this is the exception rather than the rule.

TGP and the various Facebook groups give you a much rougher ride, and often don't even use lube!

 

[Sascha Franck]

Yikes, not to step into drama even a little, but is this the normal mood over there on the official forums?

L6's official forums are a nightmare. And you will never find any L6 employee to take part, either.

 

[Sascha Franck]

TGP and the various Facebook groups give you a much rougher ride

Maybe, but given the little traffic on the L6 forum, the signal-to-noise ratio is quite astonishingly bad.

 

[norminal]

L6's official forums are a nightmare. And you will never find any L6 employee to take part, either.

I attempted to use their forum’s search feature last night and gave up after I realized how worthless it was.

 

[BahamaDada]

Maybe nobody modeled it because the 2203 never existed

Maybe the 2203s we heard were the amps we made along the way... er... whatever.

Anyway. The guys over at the L6 Support Forum are a bunch of salty dudes, what the actual fuck. How can you be that entitled and salty in a fucking gear forum. I do this for escapism, not to meet any more assholes I meet in real life already.

 

[Elf]

What's kinda funny is James started this thread about the Helix not having a 2203, and then we all said "buy a Fractal", and then it turns out the Fractal doesn't have one either lol

Really? I did not know this, I assumed that they had one because the consensus here seems to be that if you want that particular amp just buy Fractal

 

[Orvillain]

It's also no different then running a pedal in front for more gain and almost all of us do that with boosts and ODs.

Nah it is different. When you run a pedal, you have a nice little painted glyph on a box to look at; a monkey with eight arms, a rip off of some classic movie screen printed to the chassis, or something pretending to be the flux capacitor in order to get you to spend £300 instead of £80.

 

[Orvillain]

 

[Jarick]

Really? I did not know this, I assumed that they had one because the consensus here seems to be that if you want that particular amp just buy Fractal

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/marshall-jmp-100w.198803/

Apparently the Brit 800 is the 2204 model which is the 50w version. Could be splitting hairs but sounds like Cliff is intrigued enough to go shopping for a vintage JMP 2203.

 

[Orvillain]

Are you playing live a lot? Because if you were and owned a Floor, you'd be dreaming about the LT display mode at every gig where there's bright lights.

After owning one since 2016 and doing a lot of gigs with it, the only time I disliked the screen was when we did a gig where there was a fair bit of sunlight shining across the stage, and I couldn't really see the screen at all.

I tend to memorize all my footswitch moves anyway, and barely look at the screen. But it was a bit annoying due to the tuner.

I've never wanted the LT screens myself. But I accept that some people would find it useful. It certainly is an odd omission that they're not already a preference you can enable or disable on the full fat Helix.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

Yikes, not to step into drama even a little, but is this the normal mood over there on the official forums? I'll take note not to ask questions there lol.

And seeming to imply that leaving the bright cap in would be a modification vs taking it out...?

It's fine to not like the bright cap—a lot of guitarists over the years certainly didn't, hence the common modification, and I definitely don't want it all the time—and I guess I get being frustrated about seeing a topic you don't care about brought up over and over (though...then just don't read the posts lol), but acting like this isn't a glaring omission is sort of strange to me. Helix is still great without it, but... by comparison, I find Klons pretty boring and I'd basically never use one vs other options, and I wouldn't miss it if the Helix didn't have one, but it would still be a weird omission if a Klon model wasn't included. Just like not having a stock RAT modelled was weird before they added one.

That’s just rd2rk’s mood sometimes He’s actually pretty knowledgeable and generally helpful. Just gets cranky about his pet peeves sometimes, as many of us do. Don’t read too much into it.