Mini Helix - HX Stomp...

[CameronJ]

Just now, dave_bass5 said:

Yep, same here regarding the volume knob. The lest setting to do the better IMO.  I’m really  impressed  with how well this thing has been thought out. 

Have to agree 100%. There’s a way to do practically anything & everything on the Helices, and it’s usually very logically laid out. The Line 6 team have set the bar for product usability IMO.

[Frank Blank]

13 minutes ago, CameronJ said:

I’ve also set the master volume knob on my Stomp to only affect the headphone out, so the main outs are fixed at max volume.

Oh, how do you do that..?

Ignore that, found it, RTFM innit.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Frank Blank

[dave_bass5]

1 minute ago, Frank Blank said:

Brilliant, thank you very much Sir! *salutes*

Glad to help. I must admit I get overwhelmed with the amount of ‘master’ and ‘Level’ controls, its a bit off putting. Its nice that there is an overall one. 
For gigs I don’t use any amp modelling, so its not too bad. I use a default tone, with a distortion on switch one, and chorus on switch two. I then have duplicate patches with the 3rd switch set of either filter, phaser or sub octave. I use an external 2 2 switch box to change these patches depending on the song. This is why I need to find an easier way that if I adjust the basic tone (the B7K Ultra) I can get the new parameters to the other patches. 

[dave_bass5]

8 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

Oh, how do you do that..?

Press the two page buttons at the same time, then page right to take you to global settings, then on the first screen (ins/outs) scroll all the way to the right. Oh, and check you have the correct input settings while you are there. 
 

EDIT. Seen you found it already. 

Edited September 29, 2019 by dave_bass5

[Frank Blank]

2 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Oh, and check you have the correct input settings while you are there. 

As in instrument or line?

[krispn]

45 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

This is how I’ve approached mine. As I do all my editing at home with headphones I need to know exactly where to go once I’m in a band situation, so I’ve avoided using my PC. I have hoked it up once, just to back my patches up.

I really wish there was a way of setting defaults for a specific sim, and then have the ability to adjust it across a few patches. I can cut and paste, but it’s quite labours.

oh, and I’m sure I’m late to the party but I noticed yesterday that the through signal doesn’t cut out if the power does. That’s pretty cool and a nice safe feature. 

Would snapshots work?

[dave_bass5]

8 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

As in instrument or line?

Instrument. I think it’s on by default but worth checking.

[dave_bass5]

3 minutes ago, krispn said:

Would snapshots work?

No, that’s not the answer. What I’m after is a block that’s used in more than one patch linked to a master version if that makes sense. So if I adjust a parameter in one patch the block get updated in the others without me having to cut and paste. Not end of the world of course, but it’s a feature I’d like to have. 
Another slight irritation is when the press down on one of the 3 smaller knobs, it resets the corresponding parameter. I’d love it if another press took ti back to how I set it. I thought it did at one point but can’t see it working. 

Actually, a question about that. Why, when I press down on one of those knobs do I sometimes get the parameter turn white? I’m not using any snapshots yet. 

[la bam]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Cheers for that - I tried that route by installing a new version of HX Edit onto my laptop and also onto another desktop this morning and no joy. 

It's just been off-boarded to take back to PMT to see if they have any more luck...

Make sure you are using the usb cable you were given too. Not all usb cables carry the same power, despite looking the same.

[Al Krow]

12 minutes ago, la bam said:

Make sure you are using the usb cable you were given too. Not all usb cables carry the same power, despite looking the same.

I'm using the same USB cable that was working fine with the Stomp a few weeks back (and is working perfectly well still with my Focusrite)... but I'll hopefully have a better idea in a few hours time when I've run a 'diagnostic' with Dave's Stomp.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Al Krow

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

Actually, a question about that. Why, when I press down on one of those knobs do I sometimes get the parameter turn white? I’m not using any snapshots yet. 

I was wondering that too

[krispn]

Do you have more than one effect assigned to engage when that footswitch is engaged or could they be linked to an additional external switch?

[Al Krow]

Stomp back in action - cheers Dave! 

The usual PC I've been using, connected to Dave's Stomp no problem. Mine was still coming up blank => a hardware issue on my Stomp.

Dave had the bright idea of checking the USB socket on both Stomps and turns out his is slightly different to mine (I'm guessing his is a more recent model?). Mine has 4 exposed pins. So we worked out a 'bodge' of just pushing the pins apart a bit and hey presto, my Stomp is back on line  

Slightly regretting doing that factory reset now...😁

Edited September 29, 2019 by Al Krow

[dave_bass5]

1 hour ago, krispn said:

Do you have more than one effect assigned to engage when that footswitch is engaged or could they be linked to an additional external switch?

Its not the footswitch, , it’s the dials below the screen. Just sometimes the numbers change to white. I think it’s to do with snapshots but I don’t have any programmed in, and if it was, why not all the parameters changing colour. 

[dave_bass5]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Stomp back in action - cheers Dave! 

The usual PC I've been using, connected to Dave's Stomp no problem. Mine was still coming up blank => a hardware issue on my Stomp.

Dave had the bright idea of checking the USB socket on both Stomps and turns out his is slightly different to mine (I'm guessing his is a more recent model?). Mine has 4 exposed pins. So we worked out a 'bodge' of just pushing the pins apart a bit and hey presto, my Stomp is back on line  

Slightly regretting doing that factory reset now...😁

Gad we got it working Bas. For reference there is only one style of that socket, it’s been around for years. Your socket is actually broken. The centre bit is missing. That’s why they look different. The fix should hold as long as you don’t go unplugging too much. 
 

Loved that little Boss synth pedal. Very impressive. 
 

Oh, and thanks again again for the other thing. It nearly killed me carrying it from the car and up to the flat lol. That was much further than I would normally carry it not a problem at all. Nice and sturdy Installs confidence in it. 

[LukeFRC]

Used my stomp live today at church. Passed with flying colours - did exactly what I bought it to do, nice compression and as I play harder it runs it into a nice SVT overdrive sound ... previously ild just end up peaking the desk and getting nasty sounds in my ears, or just having the old Zoom B3n sounding struggling with the input. 

Given that it’s a first time setting up two patches it went well! 

[dannybuoy]

I installed the trial of Helix Native again last night to check out the Sansamp addition. I found it pretty easy to set up a dUg patch that emulates the DP-3X!

Crossover split at 200Hz, lows to a compressor then EQ (I applied a bass boost with the parametric). Highs to a further HPF to roll off below 800Hz and boost the gain, then into the Sansamp with the blend at 100%, presence and drive adjusted to produce a nice grind.

I didn't spend very long dialling it in but auditioned it playing along to some pre-recorded tracks that I've been using the DP-3X with and it wasn't far off!

[Frank Blank]

Much like @LukeFRC, I used my Stomp for the first time this evening, so lovely to just hook up to the desk and hear exactly the sound you’d set up. It was a local open mic night that we do pretty regularly, all the amps had packed up , there were no monitors but I just confidently plugged in the stomp and was ready. According to one punter I had “The coolest looking bass” while we were setting up and afterwards I had “...the coolest sounding bass” too. Two points to Rob Allen, there but the Stomp won, exactly the tones I was after regardless of the technical limitations of the venue, what an extraordinary piece of kit.

[EBS_freak]

7 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

Much like @LukeFRC, I used my Stomp for the first time this evening, so lovely to just hook up to the desk and hear exactly the sound you’d set up. It was a local open mic night that we do pretty regularly, all the amps had packed up , there were no monitors but I just confidently plugged in the stomp and was ready. According to one punter I had “The coolest looking bass” while we were setting up and afterwards I had “...the coolest sounding bass” too. Two points to Rob Allen, there but the Stomp won, exactly the tones I was after regardless of the technical limitations of the venue, what an extraordinary piece of kit.

Truly a convert eh Frank?

[Frank Blank]

2 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

Truly a convert eh Frank?

Yessir. I was starting to wonder about the QSC simply because I couldn’t get the volume out of it, (not that I need it particularly in an acoustic duo) but I was beginning to wonder if it could be a contender in a full band scenario but after a tweak of input/output options between Stomp and QSC I’ve found the ‘earthquake if needed‘ option. As for the Stomp I’m completely converted to it. It took a little time to get ‘clean’ tones, by that I mean tones with just EQ and compression blocks that sound as close to each guitar going straight into the QSC as possible. Then (much like I did with the Fishman) using those blocks for very small tweaks to EQ and a touch of compression but then you have this infinite palette of effects and tone manipulation to refine with. I freely admit I was overwhelmed at first by the sheer amount of options along with my very, very scant technical know how but in the end, especially with HX Edit, you can just tinker ad infinitum until you are happy. I’d look at the screen and think ‘I have no idea what this means, best not touch it’ but then (as the vicar said to the actress) why not touch it and see what happens! So far I have two patches for each guitar, a ‘clean’ patch, as I said before, just lightly tweaked EQ and compression, I also have a patch for each guitar that is the ‘clean’ patch with a very short reverb added, already these four cater for our entire set but I think, with more experimentation, I will eventually have a patch per song. In one way the fact that we play acoustic guitars may sound limiting but having to make really tiny adjustments within quite a narrow sonic range is teaching me a lot so when I eventually join Hawkwind I will know how to dial up ‘spaceship over Stonehenge whilst being chased by the Windsor Chapter at 3am’ mode in seconds.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Frank Blank

[Osiris]

Frank, I reckon you could easily halve the number of patches you already have to just one for each guitar. Simply take the reverb patch for each and assign the reverb block to one of the footswitches, that way you have the EQ and compression on all the time and you can kick the reverb on and off at will without having to change patches. To assign the reverb block to a footswitch, select the block on the stomp interface and touch (but not press) the switch you want to assign it to, a message will then pop-up asking you to confirm the action (more technically I think it says something along the lines of merging the effect with another one on the same switch, or overwriting it so that only the block you want is assigned) I don't have my stomp in front of me to check but it's way more simple than I have made it sound  

[Frank Blank]

1 minute ago, Osiris said:

Frank, I reckon you could easily halve the number of patches you already have to just one for each guitar. Simply take the reverb patch for each and assign the reverb block to one of the footswitches, that way you have the EQ and compression on all the time and you can kick the reverb on and off at will without having to change patches. To assign the reverb block to a footswitch, select the block on the stomp interface and touch (but not press) the switch you want to assign it to, a message will then pop-up asking you to confirm the action (more technically I think it says something along the lines of merging the effect with another one on the same switch, or overwriting it so that only the block you want is assigned) I don't have my stomp in front of me to check but it's way more simple than I have made it sound  

I was wondering about this very thing. While I am working on tones for various songs within their own individual patches eventually I am going to end up with certain blocks that are common denominators so to speak (the EQ and comp) and then other variations that modify the tone further. I doubt I’ll have that many (fat chance) but if I do manage to keep it relatively simple your suggestion sounds just the ticket, I shall experiment in this vein this afternoon. Thanks dude!

[dave_bass5]

40 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

I was wondering about this very thing. While I am working on tones for various songs within their own individual patches eventually I am going to end up with certain blocks that are common denominators so to speak (the EQ and comp) and then other variations that modify the tone further. I doubt I’ll have that many (fat chance) but if I do manage to keep it relatively simple your suggestion sounds just the ticket, I shall experiment in this vein this afternoon. Thanks dude!

This is what i do for live playing. I did have the DG B7k programmed as my base tone  for each patch, always on so no foot switch assigned to it. I then have foot switch 1 set to turn the distortion part of this on and off. Foot switch 2 has Chorus as i tend to use that quite often, and Foot switch 3 of each patch has a different effect.

[Osiris]

1 hour ago, Frank Blank said:

I was wondering about this very thing. While I am working on tones for various songs within their own individual patches eventually I am going to end up with certain blocks that are common denominators so to speak (the EQ and comp) and then other variations that modify the tone further. I doubt I’ll have that many (fat chance) but if I do manage to keep it relatively simple your suggestion sounds just the ticket, I shall experiment in this vein this afternoon. Thanks dude!

Like @dave_bass5 that's how I use mine too; I have a separate patch for each bass with amp & cab block and compression are always on, these give me the core tone. Then I have footswitchable drive, chorus and pitch shifters assigned to each switch. That way you can use them as if they're individual pedals. Each patch is named for the bass I use it with, that way I always have the sounds I want regardless of which bass I decide to use. 

@dave_bass5 What settings are you using with the B7K? No matter what I try with the drive section it just sounds utter 💩 to me. I like the tone when I hear other people use it but I can't get anything usable out of it when I try it, so any pointers would be appreciated. 

[dave_bass5]

10 minutes ago, Osiris said:

 

@dave_bass5 What settings are you using with the B7K? No matter what I try with the drive section it just sounds utter 💩 to me. I like the tone when I hear other people use it but I can't get anything usable out of it when I try it, so any pointers would be appreciated. 

Ive actually just stopped using it and have replaced the B7K with the BDDI Sim. This seems to get me back to my old tone, but with the Fearless F112 adding extra clarity that i couldn't get before.

The only downside is i dont think the BDDI does dirt as well as the Bk7, but i dont want to end up using both, so i have the BDDI on a FS with added Drive (going up from 6 to 7.5) and slightly lower level.. I like the idea of my basic tone, but with dirt added, rather than using something that will change the tone as well.

M y setting for the Distortion in the B7k was just  Drive on 5, mix/blend on 6 (this made the most difference)and the rest pretty much as it comes. I did play with with taking out the EQ and that too sounded good, but my goal was just to dirty up my base tone, rather than have an obviously distorted tone.