Helix Talk

[EOengineer]

Spent a couple hours working out the Helix and HXFX MIDI control of Helix Native as an improvement to our silent rehearsal rig.

Up until now we’d just taken the wet analog output of our modelers into the interface. This new approach lets both guitars go straight to the interface dry and then we use separate instances of Native on each guitar. All the MIDI input gets recorded too.

Huge bonus when I discovered I could slave the HXFX MIDI through Helix, less USB running around.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Helix JTM45 is fucking rad

 

[Mooselake]

Over the last two days I finally spent some time with the 2203 model that I think came in 3.7. I've never played through one, so can't say anything regarding it's fidelity to its hardware counterpart, but I found it immediately enjoyable as a versatile dispenser of harmonically rich crunch, especially once I quit slamming it with gain pedal and let it be itself. In my (substantially) younger college days showing up late to the party always came with the risk of the keg having run dry. Not so with Helix.

When I was getting ready to retire from the workforce I set aside enough extra money to get the latest Fractal flagship, figuring (based on reputation) that I'd eventually grow bored with Helix and would want to level up. It's now been 3.5+ years and that has not happened yet. Yes, my tastes are pedestrian, level of discernment is subpar, and needs are 100% amateur; but my GAS level for modeling/effects has not approached the "must act"-level yet. Eight or so years ago when I was looking to plunge back into modeling devices I initially banned Line 6 from the list of contenders because I really did not get along with the POD HD(600?) I bought. That still holds the record for the shortest time I kept a piece of gear around. I'm of course very happy after trying some other options I finally gave a Helix LT a chance, essentially swapping it for Headrush I tried out for a week or two from GC. My LT is now holding the record for the longest I've had a piece of digital gear in daily use, with no end in sight.

 

[sleewell]

are you guys using IRs or the cabs in the helix?

if you use the dual cabs in the helix what are the best settings to get that fredman technique?

 

[dronerstone]

are you guys using IRs or the cabs in the helix?

if you use the dual cabs in the helix what are the best settings to get that fredman technique?

Never tried Fredman, I usually end up blending two HX cabs with some panning for stereo.

 

[DieSchmalle]

are you guys using IRs or the cabs in the helix?

if you use the dual cabs in the helix what are the best settings to get that fredman technique?

The Fredman technique uses a combination of two SM57s angled 55° to each other closely together.

[Math alert]
In the Dual Cab block there is a Delay parameter which has a step length of 0.02 ms which is one sample length (1/48000th of a second).
340 m/s [speed of sound] * 0.00002 s [one sample] = 0.0068 m ≈ 7 mm [air travel distance per sample]. The two Fredman SM57s have a distance of maybe 30 mm which would be 4 * 7 mm or 4 * 0.02 ms.
[/Math alert]

You can try a Dual cab with two SM57s, one with 0° and the other with 45° at roughly the same position with a the Delay parameter on the 0° mic of 0 ... 0.08 ms.

 

[sleewell]

The Fredman technique uses a combination of two SM57s angled 55° to each other closely together.

[Math alert]
In the Dual Cab block there is a Delay parameter which has a step length of 0.02 ms which is one sample length (1/48000th of a second).
340 m/s [speed of sound] * 0.00002 s [one sample] = 0.0068 m ≈ 7 mm [air travel distance per sample]. The two Fredman SM57s have a distance of maybe 30 mm which would be 4 * 7 mm or 4 * 0.02 ms.
[/Math alert]

You can try a Dual cab with two SM57s, one with 0° and the other with 45° at roughly the same position with a the Delay parameter on the 0° mic of 0 ... 0.08 ms.

thank you so much!!!!!

 

[Mooselake]

are you guys using IRs or the cabs in the helix?

if you use the dual cabs in the helix what are the best settings to get that fredman technique?

Not familiar with Fredman technique. For most of my presets I use the new Helix cabs, most often dual cab, spread in the stereo spectrum and a delay between them. I use an old THR-10c as my poor man's "FRFR", so most of the stereo spread is lost through it--panning the cabs is nice when playing through headphones, though, which I do sometimes. I do have a bunch of IRs that are used in some of my older presets. For me they don't offer anything over the Helix cabs, since I haven't come up with a magic bullet IR.

 

[sleewell]

Not familiar with Fredman technique. For most of my presets I use the new Helix cabs, most often dual cab, spread in the stereo spectrum and a delay between them. I use an old THR-10c as my poor man's ""FRFR"", so most of the stereo spread is lost through it--panning the cabs is nice when playing through headphones, though, which I do sometimes. I do have a bunch of IRs that are used in some of my older presets. For me they don't offer anything over the Helix cabs, since I haven't come up with a magic bullet IR.

this is it. its like a bench mark or gold standard for recording heavy tones.

 

[Mooselake]

this is it. its like a bench mark or gold standard for recording heavy tones.

View attachment 39017

Thanks for the illustration! I'll give it a whirl next time I make a new preset.

 

[BahamaDada]

are you guys using IRs or the cabs in the helix?

if you use the dual cabs in the helix what are the best settings to get that fredman technique?

I tried fredman with the HX cabs, but I suck at that. I basically suck at dual cabs at all. Single cab I mostly find a good tone, but 2 cabs always give me that "slight intereference" feel. At least with 2 dynamic mics like a 57 and a 421 or 2x 57.

I often use York Audio IRs and there mainly the mixes 1 or 3. Or the fredman mix. Fredman mix from York is really good for heavy stuff.

 

[burningyen]

are you guys using IRs or the cabs in the helix?

For a few things I use reflection-free far-field IRs, but lately I'm mostly using single-mic Helix cabs. I'm in Radiohead and Pink Floyd tributes and aim for the studio sounds.

 

[EOengineer]

I’ve been on the York IR train for a couple years but have been migrating over to HX cabs recently as I find them much better than the legacy ones and it gets me away from sifting through all those impulse response files. I really hate dealing with file management when I’m trying to write music.

 

[pablo retamal]

It's quite a trend... I don't remember the last time I used an IR... The new cabs v30, and open cream for almost everything and blue bell for ac30... they completely fool my ears!

 

[BahamaDada]

It's quite a trend... I don't remember the last time I used an IR... The new cabs v30, and open cream for almost everything and blue bell for ac30... they completely fool my ears!

Open Cream is really cool. Chimey. What is it based on again? Forgot the info.

 

[DieSchmalle]

Open Cream is really cool. Chimey. What is it based on again? Forgot the info.

1x12" custom open-back G12M-65
List of Helix Models

 

[dronerstone]

Open Cream ftw!

 

[Exluthier]

Just pulled my Helix out for the first time in a long time, I have a gig next week where I might have to run direct. I haven't played it much since updating to 3.8 but it seems like some of my old live settings are really bloated sounding, even with newer amps like the Oblivion. Anyone else experience this?
Also oddly enough because of this I started messing with other amps to try to get a quick high gain patch together and the Mesa mkiv, which I really couldn't stand seemed way better.

 

[EOengineer]

Just pulled my Helix out for the first time in a long time, I have a gig next week where I might have to run direct. I haven't played it much since updating to 3.8 but it seems like some of my old live settings are really bloated sounding, even with newer amps like the Oblivion. Anyone else experience this?
Also oddly enough because of this I started messing with other amps to try to get a quick high gain patch together and the Mesa mkiv, which I really couldn't stand seemed way better.

I’m playing/gigging on 3.8 and haven’t experienced any noticeable tonal shifts from prior versions. You should be able revert and do a null test if you need additional confirmation though.

 

[Exluthier]

I’m playing/gigging on 3.8 and haven’t experienced any noticeable tonal shifts from prior versions. You should be able revert and do a null test if you need additional confirmation though.

Not a bad idea.