Line 6 Helix Stadium Talk

[GTR37]

Do you guys just turn ripple and hum to 0 always? Or leave at the default? Both default to 5 on most models.

I have a hard time hearing ripple at all, but hum definitely sounds like the description above to me. I have to admit I kind of like what it does to the texture of the distortion on some of the tweed models though. Sometimes.

On vintage amps yeah I might leave default
Modern hi gainers I would turn it off w the sag much lower like 2

 

[[Nathan]]

To be clear, I'm fine with anyone doing a comparison of Line 6's Agoura model of amp X and their own personal amp X. It's a data point, and that can absolutely be useful. Also, Line 6 makes mistakes and I personally would want those to be identified so they can fix them.

They would want those to be identified so they can fix them!

But people aren't just speculating on too litlle information....they're jumping to definitive conclusions. Line 6 has said they're taking a look at the behavior

Until they have something to say on that matter, people should pump the brakes and wait.

You nailed it imo!

All I know is I've used a bunch of SLO sims and this one at the same settings seems to swing more in an odd direction than others. Happy to be told its because of xyz and im doing something wrong, or hopefully the feedback is taken on board and it gets looked at.

If nothing comes of it then what do I care, it is what it is and everyone will experience that kind of drift in sound. If it does get looked at and they find that they need to carry the Y and all of a sudden things are one notch better, then great.

I just dislike the gaslighting and coping when theres a bunch of clips being showed and one of them seems to have a common denominator difference... USE UR EAARZ BRO. Anyway here's hoping they find something and it gets improved... and if it doesnt then its still a great digital amp to play, I just need to hit it with more mids and be careful on the top end, no big deal.

 

[[Nathan]]

Z PrePost

While we're here how is everyone approaching this? Its instantly one of those parameters that doesnt seem to change much. Im almost confused at why its there and I wonder if I'm missing out on anything and not using it to its full potential.

Also beta testers if you're lurking there's a bunch of these descriptions that seem to cut off in Stadium Edit. You can't scroll down to see the last line either, get on it

 

[EOengineer]

Z PrePost

While we're here how is everyone approaching this? Its instantly one of those parameters that doesnt seem to change much. Im almost confused at why its there and I wonder if I'm missing out on anything and not using it to its full potential.

View attachment 59137

Also beta testers if you're lurking there's a bunch of these descriptions that seem to cut off in Stadium Edit. You can't scroll down to see the last line either, get on it

I keep finding myself cranking that all the way to the right. It’s doing something subtle I like but it’s hard to describe the effect.

 

[Lysander]

Its instantly one of those parameters that doesnt seem to change much. Im almost confused at why its there and I wonder if I'm missing out on anything and not using t to its full potential.

You're going to love Fractal then

 

[AlbertA]

Z PrePost

While we're here how is everyone approaching this? Its instantly one of those parameters that doesnt seem to change much. Im almost confused at why its there and I wonder if I'm missing out on anything and not using it to its full potential.

View attachment 59137

Also beta testers if you're lurking there's a bunch of these descriptions that seem to cut off in Stadium Edit. You can't scroll down to see the last line either, get on it

I figure, higher values are more a little more tighter, stiffer
Lower would be a little more loose - its subtle.

I think pre means the SIC comes before power amp tube distortion, post completely after power tube distortion. So Pre could result in more power amp distortion at the resonance peaks.

 

[dean701]

I'm sure you've seen this but just in case

it relates to the location of the SIC

 

[[Nathan]]

You're going to love Fractal then

Haha, 500 more knobs to ignore
I used some of the stuff there but this one is just "one" I always think, what does this even do in the real world

 

[[Nathan]]

The way I interpret it, the SIC is applied either at pre power amp or post power amp.

Im not the most technical amp nerd in the world but does this make sense?
If an amp plugged into a cab has an interaction, why is there an option to move that kind of thing back and forth? Can this be done in the real world? My brain just doesnt understand why it exists as the one sort of advanced parameter they're giving us.

When I compare it to FAS's selectable SIC's I can immediately see the value in that, this I kind of don't get.

Ok I re-read your description 3 times and I kind of get it. I guess in the real world I'd always be using an amp like an amp so the SIC interaction would be at the poweramp level and this would be set all the way to the right. And to dovetail that I guess if something was super boomy with the cab then I can roll it down a bit and it would get tamed (in theory).

 

[[Nathan]]

I actually have no problem with that Agoura SLO. The question I have is with respect to the Plexi.

That is arguably the most important amp in the platform and something's clearly wrong with it - but I don't see any discussion around it.

Having a look now. I'm on the JUMPED channel and the normal/bright drive are both affecting the gain, is that weird? There's only one knob on the amp so i'm not sure why they're both doing things. Master volume I assume is "Volume" on the amp and level is just line level.

 

[ccc118]

Having a look now. I'm on the JUMPED channel and the normal/bright drive are both affecting the gain, is that weird? There's only one knob on the amp so i'm not sure why they're both doing things. Master volume I assume is "Volume" on the amp and level is just line level.

View attachment 59146

I never paid attention to what the knobs in the graphic say. I guess ignore that. If you jumper the channels, both drive controls are active. If you don't jumper the channels, the unused channel still affects the sound a little bit, but it's subtle. Normally there is no master volume on a plexi, so it would be on 10, but you can still turn it down if you like it better. I think it's included for all the amps even if they don't have one.

 

[[Nathan]]

I never paid attention to what the knobs in the graphic say. I guess ignore that.

aka the real amp controls

I've only been a casual helix user in the past, but things like amp knobs not matching the real amp is a learning curve. Even Fractal with their million advanced parameters, as far as I can remember the default knobs match the amp (and then you can reach for all the other stuff). I genuinely can't think of other amp sims or modellers doing this.

Helix users are probably used to it but as someone getting newly acquainted with it all, im not sure how I feel about it. Well my upfront thoughts are "why are these here this is just confusing", but maybe as time goes on there'll be some benefit to it. I'll even go a step further and say its immersion breaking because if we have fantasy controls and interactions then how 1:1 are things here?

Either way I've dialled in the plexi and it's pretty good, would have no problem using it for plexi tones.

 

[ccc118]

aka the real amp controls

I've only been a casual helix user in the past, but things like amp knobs not matching the real amp is a learning curve. Even Fractal with their million advanced parameters, as far as I can remember the default knobs match the amp (and then you can reach for all the other stuff). I genuinely can't think of other amp sims or modellers doing this.

Helix users are probably used to it but as someone getting newly acquainted with it all, im not sure how I feel about it. Well my upfront thoughts are "why are these here this is just confusing", but maybe as time goes on there'll be some benefit to it. I'll even go a step further and say its immersion breaking because if we have fantasy controls and interactions then how 1:1 are things here?

Either way I've dialled in the plexi and it's pretty good, would have no problem using it for plexi tones.

The picture actually doesn't show the real controls. I think the pictures aren't meant to be taken too seriously, but the controls in the amp blocks seem to be pretty accurate. I like how they included all the switches on certain amps, like the XTC. One thing that is confusing is that on the unit, the master vol should really be on the second tab for the plexi with the "extra" controls and the presence should be on the main tab, since it really does have a presence but not a master (unless it was modded and really does have one).

 

[sashimi]

There are some old helix models that have b/m/t controls where there should be none, so it is a good point. I dont know if they have stopped doing that in agoura. But I think a real plexi does have two volume controls that probably are somewhat interactive on the real amp too.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I can only imagine what this thread will mutate to once Proxy comes out.

Well, guess that's what discussions are like among the top of the crop studio guitarists and hired live guns when you talk amps. You only get away with the bestetest and most accurate amps for your next platinum sellers and world tours.

 

[Lysander]

I never paid attention to what the knobs in the graphic say. I guess ignore that. If you jumper the channels, both drive controls are active. If you don't jumper the channels, the unused channel still affects the sound a little bit, but it's subtle. Normally there is no master volume on a plexi, so it would be on 10, but you can still turn it down if you like it better. I think it's included for all the amps even if they don't have one.

This. It's how the amp behaves in the real world too.

 

[Orvillain]

"Plexi" doesn't mean anything btw.

 

[Orvillain]

I just dislike the gaslighting and coping when theres a bunch of clips being showed and one of them seems to have a common denominator difference... USE UR EAARZ BRO. Anyway here's hoping they find something and it gets improved... and if it doesnt then its still a great digital amp to play, I just need to hit it with more mids and be careful on the top end, no big deal.

This kind of statement is needlessly aggressive. Who is gaslighting? Nobody here, and Line6 haven't made and comments. So what are you talking about exactly?

 

[Orvillain]

Im not the most technical amp nerd in the world but does this make sense?
If an amp plugged into a cab has an interaction, why is there an option to move that kind of thing back and forth? Can this be done in the real world? My brain just doesnt understand why it exists as the one sort of advanced parameter they're giving us.

Real amps could offer it. But they don't. So no, this isn't a particularly "faithful" control, which is odd that they'd include it at all, given their stance on doing warts-and-all modelling.

But personally, if its a choice between 50 knobs that all do various things I don't understand, and 1 knob that is a kind of macro knob that I do understand, I'll take the macro knob. Likewise with hype. I think hype is actually kind of cool on a few of the amps. A bit poopy on some others.

 

[Dez]

The picture actually doesn't show the real controls. I think the pictures aren't meant to be taken too seriously

This is why I think the amp graphics are a waste of time here. It's not just an icon, it's some rendered amp taken at some artsy angle just to make you feel like you're looking at the amp? Lame