Questions re: Line 6 Helix Native (Any users? Ed maybe?)

[SteveStrummerUK]

@Jim Roseberry - you rock!

[Mesh]

6 minutes ago, SteveStrummerUK said:

Not as yet Mesh, but I will get round to it.

I did follow Jim's advice and bought a better interface than my old Line 6 TonePort UX2 though. As well as now being able to run at 24/48 (and higher) into CbB, it also has S/PDIF in/out and a MIDI in/out so it connects my Kemper flawlessly/digitally to my PC.

 

Nice mate, which interface did you get?

[SteveStrummerUK]

8 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Nice mate, which interface did you get?

Zoom U-44

It's actually more of a portable unit apparently, but after reading the reviews I thought it was worth a punt (for the S/PDIF capability alone) for just £94.54 ($117.75) on Amazon ?

So far I'm absolutely delighted with it - it absolutely pisses all over the TonePort at everything!

Edited September 19, 2019 by SteveStrummerUK

[Mesh]

First time seeing this, but sure looks like a Swiss Army Knife for the audio world.....very nice price to boot. 

 

[Jim Roseberry]

3 hours ago, Mesh said:

Excellent tips Jim and will definitely do this. If there are any other general block setup's/templates there are your go to, would be greatly appreciated if you could share those.

I've also been watching some of Jason Sadites videos and he nicely breaks it down on how he gets setup quickly. ....very interesting how he starts off with putting a compressor at the end (even before getting the amp and cab).   

I'm slammed the next couple of days.  I'll post a link for some templates as soon as I can.

I've got an acoustic simulation (from magnetic pickups) that I've used for a while.  

I've got that and a couple other templates that I use (one using two separate Cab IRs for stereo - which requires slightly more tricky routing to keep each IR on a separate Shark chip)

[Mesh]

10 minutes ago, Jim Roseberry said:

I'm slammed the next couple of days.  I'll post a link for some templates as soon as I can.

I've got an acoustic simulation (from magnetic pickups) that I've used for a while.  

I've got that and a couple other templates that I use (one using two separate Cab IRs for stereo - which requires slightly more tricky routing to keep each IR on a separate Shark chip)

Thanks so much Jim!!

Now, I may really have to use that Pod Farm Platinum upgrade that's been nagging me to get this.  

 

[Mesh]

On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 10:34 AM, Mesh said:

Strummy ol chap, did you test out the Helix yet?

I downloaded the demo last night and just went through some of the presets.....while some sounded very good, others didn't impress me that much.

Mind you, I didn't really tweak anything and I was looking forward to hearing stuff like this vid below (some fantastic tones, especially the clean tones with fx), but didn't get it. He may have honed in the tones prior to the vid and not just using the stock presets IDK.

Either way, I do need to spend some more time on this to get a good feel of it. 

 

 

Just incase anyone wanted these tones (I know I do  ), you can download it here: https://line6.com/customtone/tone/3780271/

 

[craigb]

6 hours ago, Jim Roseberry said:

Guitars and players vary so radically, I don't even mess with included presets.

 

Start simple:

•  Amp block and a Cab block (IR block and be substituted for the Cab block).

If you use an IR block, try to use a Cab IR that you're already familiar with... as this will help "get your bearings" on the overall tone.

Adjust the Amp block parameters like you would on a real amp.

• Increase/decrease the drive.
• Roll your guitar volume up/down and listen to how the Amp block responds.
• If the Amp block feels too tight, increase the Sag parameter.
• If the Amp block feels too loose, decrease the Sag parameter.

Once you have an Amp block and Cab/IR block that sound decent to your ears, add a Reverb block and dial it to taste.

Sit and play/tweak this for a while.

 

Note that these devices are simulating a mic'd amplified guitar cabinet, they're not simulating the "amp in the room" sound/experience.

That's an important distinction.

ie: Running any of these guitar processors thru  5-8" studio monitors is not going produce the sensation of a 100-watt half-stack.  That's down to physics...  ?

 

I like to start with the Amp block (several slots to the right)... as this leaves room to add block/s before the Amp block.

ie:  You might want to use a high-pass filter prior to the Amp block.  If you hear flabby/tubby/loose bottom-end, this will solve that problem.

FWIW, I use a high-pass filter prior to the Amp block... no matter which hardware/software "modeler I'm using (Helix hardware, Helix Native, GT-1000, Axe-FX III, etc).

 

I've had the fortune of working with all the top-tier guitar processors.  What you learn from using any one of them is directly applicable to all.

If you start with Helix Native... and move to the Axe-FX III (or vice-versa), you'll have knowledge/experience that makes using the new processor more productive.

As with a real amp, all of the top-tier guitar processors are capable of good/excellent results (they're all also capable of sounding bad).

The more time/experience you accumulate, the better results you'll achieve with any of the above.

 

If you're using software based guitar processors, the DI input can make a HUGE difference in quality of results.

Lots of folks complain that Helix Native doesn't sound as good as the hardware version (even though the software algorithms are identical).

Often times, these folks are using a $100 audio interface with a terrible DI.

If you've ever recorded a Fender passive bass with a cheap DI, it can sound extremely weak/anemic (fill in your favorite adjective for bad).

Run that same passive Fender bass thru a quality DI (Neve are some of my favorite)... and the tone is just "there".  

The better your front-end gear, the better Helix Native (or other AmpSim plugin) will sound.

 

Gosh, this would look great in a "Software and Techniques" sub-forum!

(If we happened to have one of those...?)