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Helix Talk
- Thread starter Alex Kenivel
- Start date
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
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- 4,368
Back to some serious business.
Even if I mentioned the topic already, does anyone really like the "new" encoder ballistics on the Stomp? I already found them way worse than the old scheme on the Floor already, but on the Stomp I just hate them. Even after - what? - around 1.5 years after downgrading, I still constantly overdo many movements. Visible indication is pretty much out of the window, too, as the encoders are so close to the screen, so your hand is in the way all the time (next request: please let me have a "parameters on top of screen" mode for the Stomp).
In other words: It's driving me mad pretty much each and every day.
For these kind of movements, the encoders are way too flimsy and offer way too little friction, so can we please have the old behaviour back as an option in the global settings?
And while you are on the global settings, do the following as well:
- Allow the user to completely deactivate any capacitive switch functions. This is an important one.
- Allow the user to completely deactivate model selection for the lower encoder when just turning it. Sooo annoying and sooo wrong, given any HX family UI standards. In fact, the lower decoder should do what the upper one is doing right now (signal path scrolling) and offer model selection when pressed. The fact that you can select models with both the upper and the lower encoder once you've pushed the lower one is just completely awkward, no matter how you look at it.
- As said above, "parameter display on top" mode.
- Allow the user to switch to an "idealized parameters" mode. Each and every amp should have Drive(s) and Channel Volume on page 1. Each and every dirt pedal should have Gain and Level on page 1. Each and every delay should have Feedback and Mix on page 1. Each and every reverb should have Decay and Mix on page 1. No exceptions. Never. Ever. This alone would make the onboard UI experience a lot more pleasant.
Apart from the parameters displayed on top, all of these should be doable with ease.
Even if I mentioned the topic already, does anyone really like the "new" encoder ballistics on the Stomp? I already found them way worse than the old scheme on the Floor already, but on the Stomp I just hate them. Even after - what? - around 1.5 years after downgrading, I still constantly overdo many movements. Visible indication is pretty much out of the window, too, as the encoders are so close to the screen, so your hand is in the way all the time (next request: please let me have a "parameters on top of screen" mode for the Stomp).
In other words: It's driving me mad pretty much each and every day.
For these kind of movements, the encoders are way too flimsy and offer way too little friction, so can we please have the old behaviour back as an option in the global settings?
And while you are on the global settings, do the following as well:
- Allow the user to completely deactivate any capacitive switch functions. This is an important one.
- Allow the user to completely deactivate model selection for the lower encoder when just turning it. Sooo annoying and sooo wrong, given any HX family UI standards. In fact, the lower decoder should do what the upper one is doing right now (signal path scrolling) and offer model selection when pressed. The fact that you can select models with both the upper and the lower encoder once you've pushed the lower one is just completely awkward, no matter how you look at it.
- As said above, "parameter display on top" mode.
- Allow the user to switch to an "idealized parameters" mode. Each and every amp should have Drive(s) and Channel Volume on page 1. Each and every dirt pedal should have Gain and Level on page 1. Each and every delay should have Feedback and Mix on page 1. Each and every reverb should have Decay and Mix on page 1. No exceptions. Never. Ever. This alone would make the onboard UI experience a lot more pleasant.
Apart from the parameters displayed on top, all of these should be doable with ease.
Lysander
Shredder
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- 1,897
I do, on both the Stomp and Helix floor.
I like how it makes encoders behave like real world knobs (to a degree), instead of taking a couple full turns to go from 0% to 100%.
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
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- 4,368
Decent real world knobs have *way* more friction. If there was, say, an overdrive pedal with knobs like the Stomp's ones, you wouldn't buy it.
the-trooper
Shredder
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- 1,637
dronerstone
Roadie
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- 953
I can only check the encoders of the Helix Floor and HX FX, and I think they fine, unless you need to adjust in really small 0.1 increments.
Doable yes, but switching between the "old" and faster "new" ballistics would be the bee's knees.
Anyhow, I can live with either. Playing beats tweaking any day.
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
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- 4,368
Exactly. Which is precisely why I want editing to be as painless as possible. On the Stomp, we're not there yet by quite a mile.
ragingplatypi
Roadie
- Messages
- 766
I agree. No issues with the encoder ballistics for me either.
ragingplatypi
Roadie
- Messages
- 766
I don’t use HX edit except to load IRs and back up. I’m definitely not relating to your experience.
Though I am considering using HX Edit to actually edit simply because age hasn't been kind to me about sitting criss-cross-applesauce for 2 hours straight. Even with a mediation cushion. Though that would mean I have to buy a desk. And a chair. And come to some sort of detente with sliders.
SillyOctpuss
Shredder
- Messages
- 1,116
I love editing on the stomp. It lives on my board now and I haven't used hx edit since the last update.
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,368
Again: just because you can get along with something doesn't mean it can't be improved.
burningyen
Groupie
- Messages
- 62
I must not understand your request, because I already do this in global settings.
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,368
Same here - but it doesn't deactivate all capacitive functions. You can still assign block bypass (which isn't all that bad as you need to hold the switch for a while), but - and this is when it really get's super annoying: When you have, say, the bypass status of two blocks alternating on one switch (which is happening in all my patches), just a brief touch will alter the LED color already. This can very easily happen accidentally, as the switches are sooo close to the encoders. I messed up this crucial visual patch orientation help more than once during soundcheck because of that.
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Sascha Franck
Rock Star
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So what? Some things need to wear in.
ucnick
Groupie
- Messages
- 51
IMHO this kicks the crap out of the Atomic Ampli-Firebox, which I tried and failed to like - twice!!
Plus the presets work right, again unlike the AFB. I may pick one of these up at some point, at the very least seems to be a good backup for my FM3.
Lysander
Shredder
- Messages
- 1,897
Sadly, i agree. The AFB MKII used to be my go-to recommendation for amp-in-a-box pedals - specially at its newly discounted price of $200. Not anymore.
I think the POD Express will quickly devour that entire market / price range. Sounds are better (IMHO), it's cheaper, runs on batteries, and most of the intended market won't care much about the plastic enclosure, or lack of a XLR out.
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Oh, don't mind me - I'm just getting used to the ballistics of this here alarm clock.
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,368
In general, I agree, but it largely depends on what you're doing.
In my case, the AFB (MkI) serves as a pedal platform for anything dirt on my pedalboard (a NUX Amp Academy doing the clean part for now) - and I simply couldn't use a Pod Express instead as it's not coming with the amount of tweakability my live sound seems to need (for whatever reasons). In fact, it's not even that much tweaking, but as I keep coming back to 2-3 pretty much customized IRs for live playing, that seems to be a crucial aspect.
On a smaller pedalboard incarnation I also used the AFB as the final item on the board, sending out the XLR signal to FOH, the 1/4" out to my monitor. I deactivated volume control on the XLR out, so the level knob would only control my monitor level. Pretty slck solution and something else impossible with the Pod Express.
But as said, in general, I'd absolutely agree, much better VFM in the PE - just that the two aren't comparable in all aspects.
dronerstone
Roadie
- Messages
- 953
Nothing special, but I'm happy! 
Last night I sat down and "copied" the three channels and the reverb of my 1994 Twin Amp with the Helix, switching back and forth between effects loop and amp model, and tweaking the latter until they sounded the same.
Clean channel and clean w/gain are the US Double Nrm, of course - and for the crunch channel I got closest with the Cali Mark IV Lead. Reverb is the Hot Springs.
I have no idea why it took me so long to do that.
Last night I sat down and "copied" the three channels and the reverb of my 1994 Twin Amp with the Helix, switching back and forth between effects loop and amp model, and tweaking the latter until they sounded the same.
Clean channel and clean w/gain are the US Double Nrm, of course - and for the crunch channel I got closest with the Cali Mark IV Lead. Reverb is the Hot Springs.
I have no idea why it took me so long to do that.
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