Iain Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 [quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1464082802' post='3056340']Then there is the rather powerful EQ and compressors too. I think there is a tendency to look at the guitar models and think it won't work on bass, but the Helix is so flexible that it's probably more useful to think of all the models just as components without being instrument specific.[/quote] The quality of the compressors is something that's really easy to underestimate - I don't run with a lot on but what is there makes just enough difference without making it sound squashed but not loss of low-end. All the other effects work really well - even though they're mostly guitar focussed. Only thing I've not been able to get sounding good yet is a bass synth sound (think Muse) but that's in part because I've not spent enough time playing with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share Posted June 6, 2016 Just seen on facebook that Phil Bynoe is using the Helix live now - at the moment using it into the FX return of his Aguilar's and into a regular cab. Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Just spent an hour with mine playing with a few patched downloaded and working on a dual path patch splitting low and highs. Not really done anything clever yet with controller assignment and controller blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 I've done a lot of controller assignment stuff. From 1 press swapping amps, turning off chorus and turning on drive pedals and then changing FX parameters all at the same time. Works very well. ANd I've been mixing cab models with direct - that works exceptionally. Very pleased with that indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookys6stringbass Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 God this looks fantastic!!! The price doesn't though Has anyone used this live yet? As in instead of an amp... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 [quote name='hookys6stringbass' timestamp='1467398005' post='3083475'] Has anyone used this live yet? As in instead of an amp... [/quote] I've only used it live into my amp but that's set flat (Markbass Big Bang) into a BF SuperTwin2. I've also used it with that plus DI into FoH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 Firmware V2 is out! And it has "Snapshots" which is basically Fractal's "scenes" on steroids. Single stomp within a patch to not only activate a full memory of blocks on/off, but also it can remember 64 parameter changes too! I can't wait to try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic_Groove Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 [quote name='hookys6stringbass' timestamp='1467398005' post='3083475'] God this looks fantastic!!! The price doesn't though Has anyone used this live yet? As in instead of an amp... [/quote] I would also like to know if anyone who has used a HD500 in anger has also used Helix? Any real world sound comparisons? Live practicality? Ect Some thing that sounds like a major upgrade is the ability to run cab sims to PA & no sims to Amp, I understand it can do that? I thought price would come down, but they are going up B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Yup - you can run the 1/4 jacks with Cab sims and the XLR without, at the same time. Or the other way round. Why would the price come down? Demand is far higher than supply. Prices never come down in that situation. And don't forget the pound is in the toilet against the dollar now too. The amp models have been tweaked a bit in V2 firmware as well. Definite improvement on the ones I use a lot. It's one of those rare things that I haven't had a millisecond of buyers remorse about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 After a very long wait the backpack turned up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelf Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 If anyone is interested this Fusion bag works very well for the Helix floor unit. Loads of additional pockets and has rucksack straps as well. [url="https://www.fusion-bags.com/products/sa-workstation-controller"]https://www.fusion-bags.com/products/sa-workstation-controller[/url] I have the floor unit which I intend to take to shows to demo basses and guitars. I have used many multi-effects units over many years and this is by far the easiest to use. Fairly new to the modelling aspect of it but so easy to edit every thing it is proving pretty easy full stop. On the whole I still prefer the bass without the modelling but that could just be down to many years of recording via DI. Still found some excellent sounds using the modelling and have made up several banks with just cab/amp to demo the basses. Brilliant unit very pleased I got it first outing will be to the Holy Grail in Berlin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 My Helix is making a trip back to L6 via PMT this week... Unit has died after trying to patch the firmware to 2.01. L6 and PMT both providing excellent customer service so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 [quote name='Iain' timestamp='1473625488' post='3131823'] My Helix is making a trip back to L6 via PMT this week... Unit has died after trying to patch the firmware to 2.01. L6 and PMT both providing excellent customer service so far. [/quote] That sucks! But atleast the support is good so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 [quote name='charic' timestamp='1473664736' post='3131979'] That sucks! But atleast the support is good so far! [/quote] Arrived back via DPD this morning - PMT Techs managed to fix it by patching it - something that had failed on two of my computers with L6 support hits and tips. Unit seems faster with this patch in terms of working with Helix Edit and, oddly, less noise when connected via USB to my PC. Been playing this morning with a base patch using the Template for Parallel paths. Got one setup now with simple EQ to provide a clean low freq route and a high freq route for FX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Fretmeister - any patches you feel like sharing? I find the L6 Custom Tone library frustrating to find bass-specific patches! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Just been playing with 'snapshots'... (Scenes in other unit)... wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I'm getting close to the point in selling my rig to replace with either this or the fractal ax8. I just need the necessary to buy so that I can sell (I don't like to be without a rig!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 19, 2016 Author Share Posted September 19, 2016 I think (do check) that the AX8 doesn't do twin amp pathways. The Full Axe-FX does and the Helix does, but I don't think the AX8 does. Might not be an issue for you, but I love that flexibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 19, 2016 Author Share Posted September 19, 2016 [quote name='Iain' timestamp='1474108952' post='3135659'] Fretmeister - any patches you feel like sharing? I find the L6 Custom Tone library frustrating to find bass-specific patches! [/quote] I've got a couple I'm very happy with. I've never uploaded anything before. I shall have to investigate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 [quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1474273885' post='3136603'] I think (do check) that the AX8 doesn't do twin amp pathways. The Full Axe-FX does and the Helix does, but I don't think the AX8 does. Might not be an issue for you, but I love that flexibility. [/quote] Nah, the AX8 doesn't (AFAIK) but from what I hear it has the more extensive library of the two. Ideally I'll hunt down both to try on guitar and bass and see what's what Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 19, 2016 Author Share Posted September 19, 2016 If you are metal type chap - Ola has just done a Helix demo and has put his patches up for free. Apparently Pete Thorn is going to release his Helix patches too. I've got 2 main bass patches - my Cliff Burton inspired Mesa 400 rock / metal type, with clean options; and a GK based super-versatile patch with some switchable EQ curves, bit of drive and compression etc for just about everything else. Then I've got a shitload of weird noise ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Definitely a metal type chap Got something in the works which would definitely benefit from a silent stage though so I'm sorely tempted. Plus moving on a 6x10 means I have a fair bit of spare storage space in my tiny house lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 (edited) [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Just had a play with IR Models - I was specifically looking for some acoustic bass stuff and found a generic patch for acoustic with a bunch of IR models of a Taylor 314CE with a bunch of different mics... Flipping brilliant![/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif][color=#000000]The patch: [/color][url="http://line6.com/customtone/tone/2324697/"]http://line6.com/cus...e/tone/2324697/[/url] [/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]The IRs are on google drive: [color=#000000][url="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1XgNa5vH3j1ZkVoTFJLQ241WTg/view"]https://drive.google...FJLQ241WTg/view[/url] [/color][/font] Edited September 19, 2016 by Iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 [quote name='Iain' timestamp='1474316200' post='3137129'] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Just had a play with IR Models - I was specifically looking for some acoustic bass stuff and found a generic patch for acoustic with a bunch of IR models of a Taylor 314CE with a bunch of different mics... Flipping brilliant![/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif][color=#000000]The patch: [/color][url="http://line6.com/customtone/tone/2324697/"]http://line6.com/cus...e/tone/2324697/[/url] [/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]The IRs are on google drive: [color=#000000][url="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1XgNa5vH3j1ZkVoTFJLQ241WTg/view"]https://drive.google...FJLQ241WTg/view[/url] [/color][/font] [/quote] How do the IR Models work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 [quote name='charic' timestamp='1474356929' post='3137280'] How do the IR Models work? [/quote] It's either Voodoo or Black Magic! It's (simplistically) a definition of the response of a system to a given input. More specifically it's how much of the modelling is done in Kempers and the like. http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/The_Working_Guitarist_All_About_Impulse_Responses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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