Helix Talk

[Perrymusica]

Hi, I would like to give you a demonstration for whoever wants to try my work (I work making IRs Real Cabs so that your pedalboard in "FRFR" or PA feels like a real amp and not a microphoned one) of how with only 1 amp block and 1 Ir Real Cab specially designed for the Placater Dirty, the Helix can sound like a Fractal, Quadcortex.. or a Real amp. In this particular case I copied a Mezzabarba Capture of Quadcortex to have inside Helix with a specifically designed IR Real Cab. I leave you the link, and thank you very much for trying my work. Thank you Line6 for your incredible products and your attention. I will always be grateful.
MEZZIBARBA HX

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Is the JMT45 in nature a bit muffy?

Even with the bass at 1 and the mid and treble high it’s just very low. Tried with several York IRs

 

[Lele]

Is the JMT45 in nature a bit muffy?

Even with the bass at 1 and the mid and treble high it’s just very low. Tried with several York IRs

It's its nature, similar to Fender Bassman amps. Some love it, some hate it. I mostly belong to the latter group...
Sometimes with this type of amp circuits, I cut the lows a lot before the amp and then recover them with another EQ block after the amp. It really becomes a different amp, but in this case it may be more difficult to add an overdrive in front of the amp and fine tuning it.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Is the JMT45 in nature a bit muffy?

Even with the bass at 1 and the mid and treble high it’s just very low. Tried with several York IRs

Use the bright version. I often don't like the bright versions or bright switches, but with this particular model I think it almost needs it.
In case it's still too dark, the default amp&cab comes up with the rather dark sounding 4x12 Greenback 20. I like to use the Mandarin 30 cab instead and maybe even use an SM57 pretty much centered.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

The EQ block helps a lot. Also using the bright one helps. Thank you guys. I have the 10 band Equalizer now on all 3 presets that I have. It's in a way easier than using the amp. I use it before the amp block.

Question: With an EQ like the MXR, is a -2db a lot?

I am asking because you can also work with .1, .2 etc.

 

[burningyen]

Question: With an EQ like the MXR, is a -2db a lot?

I am asking because you can also work with .1, .2 etc.

No, 2dB generally isn't considered a lot. 1dB is a barely audible difference unless you're at the threshold of the device going into clipping.

 

[HomespunEffects]

I’m using the HX Stomp as an interface into Logic Pro. It’s just a blank patch as I’m only recording dry signal. When i go back to listen and then go back to record again, there’s no sound. I have to switch to another patch and then back to the blank patch and it comes back to life. I can even switch to another blank patch and it will come back. It seems to happen every time.

Is this a known issue?

 

[Exluthier]

Not that I’d disagree with a lot of this, but it’s a bit like saying Line 6 frequently cuts out the bright caps and their amps have an inherent fizz. Some of the EQ differences seem to be down to the impedance curve.

It’s all a wash really, not worth worrying too much about. I generally prefer NDSP plugins over Helix Native but Helix fills a lot of gaps and is a solid option. I haven’t used the QC anywhere near as much but it sounds pretty good to me

I picked up the Gojira plugin over the holiday and found I prefer it to Helix as well. I did manage to get the new Panama Red to sound pretty close but there's a jump to the Neural plugin that feels more like my real amps when I have them running through a load box and IR. I'd like to try Neural's stuff live but I'm not going to splurge on a QC.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

“DSL + HX Stomp in 4CM = Amp in the room and modeling tones. Best of both worlds for a lot less $$, IMO.”

Can somebody explain this like I am 10?

Sounds interesting.

 

[Progressive_disclosure]

“DSL + HX Stomp in 4CM = Amp in the room and modeling tones. Best of both worlds for a lot less $$, IMO.”

Can somebody explain this like I am 10?

Sounds interesting.

I assume it’s running the Stomp into the effect return of a DSL Marshall amp, and bypassing the amps preamp.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

“DSL + HX Stomp in 4CM = Amp in the room and modeling tones. Best of both worlds for a lot less $$, IMO.”

Can somebody explain this like I am 10?

Sounds interesting.

You get the dsl amp tones with the HX stomp effects or you can bypass the preamp and run the amp modelling and effects into the amps fx return. That way it becomes a glorified power amp and cab.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

You get the dsl amp tones with the HX stomp effects or you can bypass the preamp and run the amp modelling and effects into the amps fx return. That way it becomes a glorified power amp and cab.

Okay. I gave myself too much credit. Should have said: please explain it like I am seven.

Nah it was about amp in the room sound / feel. Where the new Tonex cab was discussed. For 900 I rather buy a small tube amp. Somebody said the above.

The options are endless with gear

 

[Progressive_disclosure]

If 4CM would be the primary use case then you might as we’ll get a small power amp and a cab with a preferred speaker IMHO. I had a DSL5CR and an HX Effects a couple of years ago. A fun combo, good for not GAS’ing for pedals and effects while still having an actual tube amp ”in the room”.

 

[I S]

I picked up the Gojira plugin over the holiday and found I prefer it to Helix as well. I did manage to get the new Panama Red to sound pretty close but there's a jump to the Neural plugin that feels more like my real amps when I have them running through a load box and IR. I'd like to try Neural's stuff live but I'm not going to splurge on a QC.

Give this a try, will you…

In Helix, after you have the Panama Red where you like it, place a shelf EQ block right after the cab block and pull down -4dB starting at the frequency 2k.

You can also do something similar with the multi comp block, compressing and pulling down those highs from 2k.

Then let me know if that gets you closer to that plugin bounce.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Give this a try, will you…

In Helix, after you have the Panama Red where you like it, place a shelf EQ block right after the cab block and pull down -4dB starting at the frequency 2k.

You can also do something similar with the multi comp block, compressing and pulling down those highs from 2k.

Then let me know if that gets you closer to that plugin bounce.

We shouldn't be boiling milk like this in 2025.

 

[Exluthier]

Give this a try, will you…

In Helix, after you have the Panama Red where you like it, place a shelf EQ block right after the cab block and pull down -4dB starting at the frequency 2k.

You can also do something similar with the multi comp block, compressing and pulling down those highs from 2k.

Then let me know if that gets you closer

I think you're not understanding what I mean by jump (not bounce). It's not high frequency thing as if the Helix models are too stiff. And it's not just the plugin that has it, it's also my real amps running into a load box/ ir.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Give this a try, will you…

In Helix, after you have the Panama Red where you like it, place a shelf EQ block right after the cab block and pull down -4dB starting at the frequency 2k.

You can also do something similar with the multi comp block, compressing and pulling down those highs from 2k.

Then let me know if that gets you closer to that plugin bounce.

Absolutely no

 

[ian_dissonance]

Y’all must be playing some different plugins than I’ve used. Aside from some esoteric effects HX native can do 98% of the NDSP sounds, you just have to boost shit in weird places and turn the volume up to match.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Y’all must be playing some different plugins than I’ve used. Aside from some esoteric effects HX native can do 98% of the NDSP sounds, you just have to boost shit in weird places and turn the volume up to match.

I wish this was true, and for a few sounds it is. That whole "boost shit in weird places" is what sometimes makes the difference, and sometimes just makes stuff sound odd. Way more fun dialling in Fortin Nameless/Cali/IIC+ which have all the switches, channels and modes from the real thing. Sims like Nolly or Henson that are well covered by Helix just sound a smidge better and tones come together easier than if I try to do them in Helix (which gets close but there's more bollocks involved).

Helix has a ton in its favour - way more diverse range of gear, more FX, the best bass options. If I'm honest, I don't think I've ever found it to sound better than a typical NDSP plugin. Usually it's close enough not to matter, or slightly worse and with the caveat of being more work to dial in.

 

[0XI0]

most of the HX amps will be much older, also, by comparison. half a decade? in many cases more