Helix Talk

[FuzzyAce]

No problem. Seems to be incredibly close to the default setting. Unfortunately I can't tell whether it's the exact settings because I kept noodling around after the bounce was done, so maybe I changed something. But the one below should be pretty close, gave it a brief testrun. Not sure though whether I used the matching cab or an IR (one of my main live IRs), so I included that as well (it's an IR I shot myself many moons ago).
Guitar used is an early 70s 335 clone from Ibanez (AS in the model number but they weren't called Artist back then), guess that adds some things to the overall tone (it usually does...).

Awesome, appreciate that. I'll give it a go soon.

 

[FuzzyAce]

@Sascha Franck
I downloaded your files, tried loading them up and looks like the preset you sent was the Deluxe model instead, and you had the super cab block deselected but the custom IR selected. I tried just using a HX cab but wasn't getting any sound? I've not tried through Native yet. I'm sure I did something wrong.

Anyways, this process forced me to take a second look at the Super model and cab. I feel stupid because I didn't notice the Bright selection at the very bottom of the slider control window. Flipped it on and got the sparkle and clarity it needed.

Then messed around with sag and bias controls to find a happy place. I ended up with a 57 on the cab and slightly adjusted the low and high pass. This got it very close to my ears, but it still needed a bit more 'natural' compression. I ended up with the Ampeg opto compressor up front running with a healthy dose of compression but mix set close to 50%. This was it. At least for now.

For added flavor I put a TS9 and boost option after the compressor. I finished it up using a slight stereo ambient reverb and then the hot springs reverb at the tail end.

I haven't used it in a full mix yet, but I feel like it's close.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I downloaded your files, tried loading them up and looks like the preset you sent was the Deluxe model instead, and you had the super cab block deselected but the custom IR selected. I tried just using a HX cab but wasn't getting any sound? I've not tried through Native yet. I'm sure I did something wrong.

That's completely weird. Let me download and import things myself (deleted the zip already and didn't crosscheck before uploading).

 

[FuzzyAce]

That's completely weird. Let me download and import things myself (deleted the zip already and didn't crosscheck before uploading).

Yeah, not a big deal. I needed to give more time tweaking that particular model. It was just so underwhelming initially. Just finding the Bright switch was like discovering gold.

 

[Sascha Franck]

WTF? The file loads the Deluxe indeed. In HX Edit the name also says "Quick Start" - err? Also complains about a missing IR - but loads the one I uploaded.
Possibly something really weird is happening when exporting from HX Native.
Anyhow, dragged the three elements from HXN to HXE and exported again. Now seems to import fine in both HXE and HXN (will possibly try again via HXN later on, because that very HXN->HXE functionality is actually something I plan to use more, so thanks already for pointing it out).

Here's an updated version, in case you wanted to check (possibly not identical with the version I used to record the snippet, but sufficiently close for me):

 

[FuzzyAce]

WTF? The file loads the Deluxe indeed. In HX Edit the name also says "Quick Start" - err? Also complains about a missing IR - but loads the one I uploaded.
Possibly something really weird is happening when exporting from HX Native.
Anyhow, dragged the three elements from HXN to HXE and exported again. Now seems to import fine in both HXE and HXN (will possibly try again via HXN later on, because that very HXN->HXE functionality is actually something I plan to use more, so thanks already for pointing it out).

Here's an updated version, in case you wanted to check (possibly not identical with the version I used to record the snippet, but sufficiently close for me):

Glad I could help! I've not done much importing/exporting at all with HX to be honest, so this helps me as well.
Thanks, I can't try it out right now but can in a few hours.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Somewhere pipeline is loading up a told y'all gif

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Somewhere pipeline is loading up a told y'all gif

I get the random inconsistent oddities myself. People think PL is shouting into the ether but I hear it

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Don’t want to hijack the reverb thread going on.

If I just wanted a simple reverb, mostly for home practice where I mostly play blues and blues rock, which one could I pick best and perhaps even what ballpark settings?

 

[Lele]

If I just wanted a simple reverb, mostly for home practice where I mostly play blues and blues rock, which one could I pick best and perhaps even what ballpark settings?

Headphones or speakers?
To play alone or with backing tracks?

 

[pipelineaudio]

Somewhere pipeline is loading up a told y'all gif

That's right!!!!!! Sooooooo frustrating and so inconsistent.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Headphones or speakers?
To play alone or with backing tracks?

Speakers. JBL305s
Play alone, but I also use backing tracks especially for pentatonic practice.

 

[Lele]

If I just wanted a simple reverb, mostly for home practice where I mostly play blues and blues rock, which one could I pick best and perhaps even what ballpark settings?

I think that reverb, too, is a very personal preference and depends a lot also on the context.
If I'm not looking for a special specific effect, generally I like to cut a lot both the lows and the highs, and I set a rather high predelay time to avoid hiding the guitar attack too much.
Imho among the non-special effect Helix reverbs, the Dynamic Plate is excellent and the best option. I'd suggest to study it and its parameters if you intend to use really wet sounds.
Since generally I don't need such special effects (and when I played songs by "The Verve" I used the Legacy Plate and I was happy with it) I often use the Legacy Chamber or the Stereo Double Tank that are a little lighter on the DSP resources. My current favorite "template" for example is:

DOUBLE TANK
Decay: 4
Predelay: 70 ms
Rate: 0
Modulation: 50%
Mix: 20%
Level: 0
Low cut: 500 Hz
High cut: 2.1 kHz

I don't know what the "double tank" is, but imho it's similar to a plate reverb and I like it.
About my settings, you may like more or less mix or maybe less extreme high cut. I know that few users have such narrow cuts... but I prefer that kind of sound.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

I think that reverb, too, is a very personal preference and depends a lot also on the context.
If I'm not looking for a special specific effect, generally I like to cut a lot both the lows and the highs, and I set a rather high predelay time to avoid hiding the guitar attack too much.
Imho among the non-special effect Helix reverbs, the Dynamic Plate is excellent and the best option. I'd suggest to study it and its parameters if you intend to use really wet sounds.
Since generally I don't need such special effects (and when I played songs by "The Verve" I used the Legacy Plate and I was happy with it) I often use the Legacy Chamber or the Stereo Double Tank that are a little lighter on the DSP resources. My current favorite "template" for example is:

DOUBLE TANK
Decay: 4
Predelay: 70 ms
Rate: 0
Modulation: 50%
Mix: 20%
Level: 0
Low cut: 500 Hz
High cut: 2.1 kHz

I don't know what the "double tank" is, but imho it's similar to a plate reverb and I like it.
About my settings, you may like more or less mix or maybe less extreme high cut. I know that few users have such narrow cuts... but I prefer that kind of sound.

Thanks man. This afternoon I placed a '63 spring on it. It's from the legacy reverbs, but according to description based on a 1963 Fender brown spring reverb head unit.

The double tank is a reverb similar to the Strymon Big Sky Plate (https://www.fluidsolo.com/patchexchange/view-model/Double-Tank,364)

I'll check your settings out

 

[I S]

Let's see whether this is the link (opened GDrive for the first time on this phone):

I like your playing and ear. Got anything using the SLO Crunch/Leed and the new SLO cabs?

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

I think that reverb, too, is a very personal preference and depends a lot also on the context.
If I'm not looking for a special specific effect, generally I like to cut a lot both the lows and the highs, and I set a rather high predelay time to avoid hiding the guitar attack too much.
Imho among the non-special effect Helix reverbs, the Dynamic Plate is excellent and the best option. I'd suggest to study it and its parameters if you intend to use really wet sounds.
Since generally I don't need such special effects (and when I played songs by "The Verve" I used the Legacy Plate and I was happy with it) I often use the Legacy Chamber or the Stereo Double Tank that are a little lighter on the DSP resources. My current favorite "template" for example is:

DOUBLE TANK
Decay: 4
Predelay: 70 ms
Rate: 0
Modulation: 50%
Mix: 20%
Level: 0
Low cut: 500 Hz
High cut: 2.1 kHz

I don't know what the "double tank" is, but imho it's similar to a plate reverb and I like it.
About my settings, you may like more or less mix or maybe less extreme high cut. I know that few users have such narrow cuts... but I prefer that kind of sound.

Very subtle. Don't need much more than this reverb.
Simplest preset, really back to basics. Princeton + York IR (M65 cream, perhaps I should get the Princeton cab) + your reverb.

Plentiful for practice purposes.

Edit: could perhaps add some overdrive or something in the future. And some delay. But for now.. let's just get used to this sound.

 

[I S]

I like your playing and ear. Got anything using the SLO Crunch/Leed and the new SLO cabs?

I’ll explain why I asked and hope anyone can chime in with helpful advice.

I’ll start by saying the obvious, there’s no right or wrong way. That said, I’m struggling with how to handle the high end of amps and the high-cut on the cabs. You can go full John Cordy and cut everything above 5k on the cabs to get a smooth higher gain tone, but then everything pretty much sounds the same and lacks any and all airiness. Or you can struggle like me on, say, the SLO in balancing the amp’s treble, presence, and highs on the cabs. Around 7k high cut on the cab (which seems to me is what NDSP usually go for) and you get a sweeter high end but it lacks the air of 12k+.

I also mostly play guitar to myself, not with some backing track. My guitars are mostly lower output pickups, which of course adds to the trebly difficulties.

Maybe I should play more often through my PowerCab plus using the speaker engine than through headphones. Perhaps this will give me a better sense of how things “should” sound.

 

[Sascha Franck]

but it lacks the air of 12k+.

Terribly sorry, but this seems absolutely irrelevant when it comes to guitar speakers. Apart from perhaps the speakers in a JC-120, pretty much no typical guitar speaker will produce signals with any noticeable form of energy at 12kHz anymore.
You can easily check that for yourself by analyzing IRs with Room EQ Wizard or by simply sending white noise through an IR loader and then slap an analyzer behind.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Terribly sorry, but this seems absolutely irrelevant when it comes to guitar speakers. Apart from perhaps the speakers in a JC-120, pretty much no typical guitar speaker will produce signals with any noticeable form of energy at 12kHz anymore.
You can easily check that for yourself by analyzing IRs with Room EQ Wizard or by simply sending white noise through an IR loader and then slap an analyzer behind.

In a live environment, for sure. In an up close, full-range situation you can hear the high cut working in most amps/cabs at 16khz and down.

 

[Sascha Franck]

In an up close, full-range situation you can hear the high cut working in most amps/cabs at 16khz and down.

But that is solely because high cuts are not as steep as they could be. So you don't hear them working at 16kHz (really, there's pretty much no speaker producing noticeable content that high) but way lower, simply because they only cut with 6dB/oct. or so.

Edit: And even that explanation is possibly bogus (yeah, blaming myself). When you set a high cut at 16kHz, you will likely not be able to notice anything. Unless the high cut is already starting to work below 16kHz, but in that case it wouldn't be programmed properly.