Helix Talk

[sashimi]

Teemah, heir apparent/tone sovereign, kinky boost

 

[Lele]

what is your current favorite boost?
lined up a test preset last night tried almost all of them. i think the pillars is my favorite and had been using the horizon drive for a while.

Frankly, this is a weak spot in Helix IMHO. The only two models I like for boosting amps are the same you just mentioned - Pillars and Horizon. I struggle with even the usual suspects (Tube Screamer and SD-1) in the Helix. They just don't feel right to me

What are you looking for exactly?
Boosting with an overdrive circuit (like TubeScreamer, SD-1, Kinky Boost, Pillars, Horizon Drive) isn't just a volume boost, because even with drive adjusted at zero they will always add a good amount of clipping, plus the tone changes that they define with their circuits (like TS and SD-1 cutting the lows, etc).
A real volume boost is the Timmy overdrive ("Teemah!"), because it has a circuit that will not add any clipping but only volume boost when its gain=0 (and then you can cut some lows and highs if you like).

The Xotic EP Booster ("Kinky Boost") is also an overdrive circuit, no matter its name...

 

[Sascha Franck]

The HX ecosystem needs an RC Boost. Urgently.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

What are you looking for exactly?
Boosting with an overdrive circuit (like TubeScreamer, SD-1, Kinky Boost, Pillars, Horizon Drive) isn't just a volume boost, because even with drive adjusted at zero they will always add a good amount of clipping, plus the tone changes that they define with their circuits (like TS and SD-1 cutting the lows, etc).
A real volume boost is the Timmy overdrive ("Teemah!"), because it has a circuit that will not add any clipping but only volume boost when its gain=0 (and then you can cut some lows and highs if you like).

I still don’t get this overdrive stuff in the way that you have this lovely Fender / Marshall / Vox amp … a beautiful sound … and now you are going to change that with the sound of a 80 euro pedal.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I still don’t get this overdrive stuff in the way that you have this lovely Fender / Marshall / Vox amp … a beautiful sound … and now you are going to change that with the sound of a 80 euro pedal.

You do that because it sounds gorgeous here and there.

 

[sleewell]

What are you looking for exactly?
Boosting with an overdrive circuit (like TubeScreamer, SD-1, Kinky Boost, Pillars, Horizon Drive) isn't just a volume boost, because even with drive adjusted at zero they will always add a good amount of clipping, plus the tone changes that they define with their circuits (like TS and SD-1 cutting the lows, etc).
A real volume boost is the Timmy overdrive ("Teemah!"), because it has a circuit that will not add any clipping but only volume boost when its gain=0 (and then you can cut some lows and highs if you like).

The Xotic EP Booster ("Kinky Boost") is also an overdrive circuit, no matter its name...

i use a boost into a high gain amp so i set the boost with the gain on zero & vol maxed. tighten things up a little, get rid of the flub!!!

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

You do that because it sounds gorgeous here and there.

Okay. Yeah. Hearing Frusciante cry with his guitar is something else, that’s true.

 

[eggpl@nt]

What are you looking for exactly?
Boosting with an overdrive circuit (like TubeScreamer, SD-1, Kinky Boost, Pillars, Horizon Drive) isn't just a volume boost, because even with drive adjusted at zero they will always add a good amount of clipping, plus the tone changes that they define with their circuits (like TS and SD-1 cutting the lows, etc).
A real volume boost is the Timmy overdrive ("Teemah!"), because it has a circuit that will not add any clipping but only volume boost when its gain=0 (and then you can cut some lows and highs if you like).

The Xotic EP Booster ("Kinky Boost") is also an overdrive circuit, no matter its name...

Homie, this is like Intro to Guitar Stuff 101. I promise you, none of this is lost on me. Finding the boost options in Helix to be lacking isn’t out of ignorance or inexperience, it’s out of preference and my personal tastes.

Also, you overlooked that Pillars also has a no-clipping options.

 

[sashimi]

Off topic here because its not a boost, but I have grown to love the alpaca rouge for everything from overdrive to borderline fuzz territory. I’ve never tried a real red llama but now I want to.

 

[banned]

Ok here goes - in order

1) Kinky Boost is excellent - very full; I just use the default 3db boost.
2) Minotaur - keep gain at 0.7, tone around 3.5-3.8 and level as needed for boost. You get that Klon sounding boost which is great
3) KWB - this has to be the most transparent OD I've heard on the HX Very smooth. Works well for boost too.
4) Last one is my favorite OD - but I also use as a boost. The DOD250 - this thing into a cranked Marshall is a thing of beauty - perfect match

 

[mikah912]

Ok here goes - in order

4) Last one is my favorite OD - but I also use as a boost. The DOD250 - this thing into a cranked Marshall is a thing of beauty - perfect match

Agreed, but I think the Hedgehog D9 is an even better Marshall companion. Both of the pedals have some magic about them in the Helix.

 

[I S]

Shifting the conversation away from boosts for just one moment, today I ran an SLO HX model with native into Rabea’s NDSP cabs. There is a lack of harshness in their cabs that I can’t achieve with the HX Cabs, as much as I’ve tried. It’s not a simple high cut.

Does NDSP have some kind of soother to get rid of the harshness or perhaps they bake their IRs with eq work? Is this why some folks still prefer certain IRs?

Ive never tried York stuff. Do they do some EQ work to make the IR sound more pleasant?

I’ve been on this ongoing struggle with the cabs lately. I’m just wanting some resolution already. I’ll keep trying, I guess…

 

[Sascha Franck]

4) Last one is my favorite OD - but I also use as a boost. The DOD250 - this thing into a cranked Marshall is a thing of beauty - perfect match

The problem I'm having with this (fwiw, I love that drive) is it's very low general output volume. With backed up gain it's not gotten enough boosting headroom IMO.

 

[Thermionic Aether]

Throwing a gain block with a few db or 12 in front an amp is where its at for me.