Helix Floor/LT/HX/Stomp/PodGo owners' Club - Tips, Ideas & Patches

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, 2pods said:

One of the main contributors to the Fractal Axe3 and FM3, Austin Buddy, has a bass amp model pack utilising mostly the internal guitar amps as bass amps a few and far between on this platform.

 

I'm still working my way through it, but I'm surprised at how good some of his patches sound considering they're based on guitar amps and FX

 

Remember that in the days before Trace Elliot the difference between most guitar and bass amps from the same manufacturer was the name on the front panel and maybe a few component changes to re-voice the tone controls.

[ratman]

I got some superb clean bass tones using the Fender Princeton model on my Stomp. It's always worth trying the guitar stuff out for bass.

Edited November 22, 2022 by ratman

[Twunkbass]

On 22/11/2022 at 09:12, BigRedX said:

As I often say regarding modelling devices, is that there is no need to stick to bass-orientated modules for processing the bass guitar. Unlike their real-life counterparts there is absolutely no chance of damaging them by putting a bass guitar signal through them. The worst that can happen is that you won't like how it sounds. And use a bit of lateral thinking for you distortion/drive sounds. Remember that just about every amp sim will produce some degree of distortion - I use one on a couple of my bass patches simply because the drive sound it produces works better for the songs than any of the dedicated distortion pedal sims. The trick is to spend some time experimenting, and be flexible in your thinking.

This devise is so unrealistic, I demand that the helix explodes when I put an active bass into a fender tweed patch 

[dirgefornovember]

Just checking into this thread as I am now an HX Effects owner, but also very uncreative and lazy so need some inspiration. Will be giving it a thorough read shortly!

[Twunkbass]

My one issue with the helix is the frankly bonkers settings that most devises are on by default, makes comparing amps/pedals almost impossible. Can I just have a flat eq on stuff ?! 

[thisisswanbon]

22 hours ago, Twunkbass said:

My one issue with the helix is the frankly bonkers settings that most devises are on by default, makes comparing amps/pedals almost impossible. Can I just have a flat eq on stuff ?! 

 This is very true!  I haven't heard one stock setting that's useable!  

 

John Willis from Dr Tone's lab has come up with some "balanced" EQs for the bass amps, but I always find them too trebly/Mid scooped.  More surprising though is that a customer has had to do this rather than the company themselves, poor showing really.

[BigRedX]

I don't see this as a problem. Coming from synth playing background, I have never found any presets much use to me, and also I have my own ideas about how my bass should sound.

 

Consequently, when I got my Helix I started with a blank patch with just the volume pedal enabled and then started adding modules one at a time. I found having one of the EQ modules far more versatile than any of the Amp sims, so I only really use them on a couple of patches where they have been chosen specifically for the drive sounds rather than any particular EQ (but that's just my preference). I then added a compressor and chorus and got a basic sound I like, which I then tweaked at the next band rehearsal until I (and the rest of the band) was happy that I had the right sound for our instrumentation. Only then did I start to add specific effects and EQ tweaks for each individual song. I rarely take any notice of what specific devices the various modules are supposed to emulating and simply ask myself is this giving me the (EQ/chorus/delay/filter) sound that I want? If it is then good, if not then try another of the modules from the same range until I get something I like and that fits with the rest of the band sound. This whole process took about 4 rehearsals for about 12 songs, building up patches between practices and then tweaking them with the whole band playing. Now when we start work on a new song I already have a few "core sounds" one of which will be the correct starting point for the song depending on the overall feel.

[Skybone]

5 hours ago, BigRedX said:

I don't see this as a problem. Coming from synth playing background, I have never found any presets much use to me, and also I have my own ideas about how my bass should sound.

 

Consequently, when I got my Helix I started with a blank patch with just the volume pedal enabled and then started adding modules one at a time. I found having one of the EQ modules far more versatile than any of the Amp sims, so I only really use them on a couple of patches where they have been chosen specifically for the drive sounds rather than any particular EQ (but that's just my preference). I then added a compressor and chorus and got a basic sound I like, which I then tweaked at the next band rehearsal until I (and the rest of the band) was happy that I had the right sound for our instrumentation. Only then did I start to add specific effects and EQ tweaks for each individual song. I rarely take any notice of what specific devices the various modules are supposed to emulating and simply ask myself is this giving me the (EQ/chorus/delay/filter) sound that I want? If it is then good, if not then try another of the modules from the same range until I get something I like and that fits with the rest of the band sound. This whole process took about 4 rehearsals for about 12 songs, building up patches between practices and then tweaking them with the whole band playing. Now when we start work on a new song I already have a few "core sounds" one of which will be the correct starting point for the song depending on the overall feel.

 

Absolutely this.

 

Start with a blank canvas every time, exactly as you would with a new amp/cab & effects setup. It is a fair bit of "tweak time", but it's well worth it.

[tauzero]

HX Edit 3.51 has been released (no new HX firmware though). Also, an updated driver for HX Stomp has been released to prevent crashes when using it with Cakewalk, which could well be handy for me.

[CJPJ]

I'm thinking about gettings an HX Stomp (again) or even a Helix LT. One thing that could pay for it is my newly purchased Cali76. Has anayone managed to get a similar effect/response to the Cali76 through the HX / LT? I searched the thread and I think @krispn was looking at doing some comparisons? 

[krispn]

33 minutes ago, CJPJ said:

I'm thinking about gettings an HX Stomp (again) or even a Helix LT. One thing that could pay for it is my newly purchased Cali76. Has anayone managed to get a similar effect/response to the Cali76 through the HX / LT? I searched the thread and I think @krispn was looking at doing some comparisons? 

I just created an tx loopand ran my Cali76TX into that. Tried some of the comps which weren’t bad but the Cali was a league above. 
 

Now no longer have eithe but I’m using a Darkglass Hyper Luminal after a gear purge which I like to do every few years. 

[CJPJ]

I thought this might be of interest of anyone looking at new HX hardware - https://line6.com/total-guitar-recording-bundle/ - free software on any Helix purchase before June 2023:

• Cubase LE12
• Helix Native

• Metallurgy Collection

 

[Morton Frankfire]

Hey Guys

im getting a HX stomp delivered tomorrow and I’m just starting to look at editing patches. 
 

im primarily a drummer but am just getting into playing bass in bands. 
 

im looking for a few tones and was hoping some of you could point me in the right directions. 
 

I need 3 patches that sound like the following

1: Blue Orchid (white stripes)

2: joker and the thief (wolf mother)

3: sir Psycho (rhcp)

 

I’ll be playing through an amp and cab. 
 

do you think these are achievable?

 

any advice is gratefully received.  

[CJPJ]

Thank god you posted something. I was beginning to think I said something wrong with my last comment cleared out the thread  . . . 

 

I don't have an HX right now but all of these will be acheivable

 

- Blue Orchid with a bit of fuzz (Clawthorn maybe?) and octave. 

- Joker & Thief - couldn't really hear the bassline until the synthy bit at the end. 

- Phycho - compressor and clean to begin with and then a more synth-based sound. I'm sure you'll be able to achive with fuzz and filter

 

There is a useful demo of synth patches here which might be worth a look 

 

 

HTH . . . maybe? 😬

Edited January 6, 2023 by CJPJ

[Greg Edwards69]

1 hour ago, Morton Frankfire said:

3: sir Psycho (rhcp)

Allegedly, Flea used a Mutron III on the recording (apparently, with a dying battery).  The helix includes a few mutron models (including the legacy effect options), but I've not had much like dialling them in. I prefer to use the Autofilter effect. Once I got my head round the parameters, it was easier to dial in.  This talkbass post really helped

 

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/line-6-hx-effects.1324948/page-108#post-21880052

[Morton Frankfire]

This is pretty intesnsive!

 

 

[Morton Frankfire]

 

Evening. 
 

I got my stomp today and have been messing around with it. It’s quite a beast!

 

Ive built a few different snapshots which seem to work well. Now I just need to make some nice clean tones for slap. 
 

I need to see if I can build a completely uncoloured patch so I just get my amp too. 

[IanA]

A bit late to the party but I picked up a Helix LT from PMT in the week.

Super easy to set up patches and sounds as good if not better than my previous pedal board. It seems that the possibilities are endless with this thing!

Snap from this morning just for the sake of it😊

[Sibob]

Does anyone have any alternatives to the Pedalnetics Helauxy/Mini for 'onboard' HX Stomp external switches?
I'd go for one of those, but the Mini is pricing up at £79 ex VAT/import....which is a bit rich for me.

I have a really good external switch for it, but it's a standard 1590A enclosure, which I can't fit on my HX board.

 

Cheers
Si

[IanA]

Having played around with the Helix for a week or so I seem to be preferring the sound of the B15 preamp to the amp models. I have it set almost flat, it sounds like a really nice high quality DI

My main live sound patch consists of

Volume pedal-Kinky boost- Obsidian- Cawthorne drive- Octave- B15 preamp.

 

The Cawthorne and the Octave  are fairly close to the EHX Microsynth sound I was looking for so definitely a win there!

Is anyone else here preferring just a pre to and amp/cab model?

[velvetkevorkian]

Yeah I quite like using the studio tube preamp and studio tube compressor models for a clean sound.

[javi_bassist]

1 hour ago, IanA said:

Having played around with the Helix for a week or so I seem to be preferring the sound of the B15 preamp to the amp models. I have it set almost flat, it sounds like a really nice high quality DI

My main live sound patch consists of

Volume pedal-Kinky boost- Obsidian- Cawthorne drive- Octave- B15 preamp.

 

The Cawthorne and the Octave  are fairly close to the EHX Microsynth sound I was looking for so definitely a win there!

Is anyone else here preferring just a pre to and amp/cab model?

 

I haven't tried to put the drive before the octaver. How does it track?

[IanA]

1 hour ago, javi_bassist said:

 

I haven't tried to put the drive before the octaver. How does it track?

It tracks fine, have used it live and at rehearsal and not had any issues at all. 
I may swap the order around to see if there is a difference.

[IanA]

2 hours ago, velvetkevorkian said:

Yeah I quite like using the studio tube preamp and studio tube compressor models for a clean sound.

I did try that studio tube pre and thought it sounded great. I might create a new patch with that tonight to compare to the B15… The possibilities with this thing are endless!

[northcountrybob]

Hiya. Thought I’d post in here as a new member of the hx stomp owners guild. 
 

my setup is usually stingray 2eq -> Fairfield Accountant comp -> Boss CE-2b -> Boss ODB-3 -> Origin Bassrig SVT pedal -> DI to FoH/Amp out to Orange AD200

 

I got the HX Stomp to use as a recording tool for quickly putting down ideas but after playing with it I want to use it live. I spent a while putting each of my analog pedals through the helix while a/b’ing everything using the headphone out. I got real close to replicating the analog board. The only oddity is that the Bassrig has analog cabsim on it’s XLR out (which I couldn’t listen to) and not on its amp out. So I went between an SVT patch and Bassrig into and IR for a/b’ing 
 

This got me thinking about using this setup live. Would I be better having mono outputs from left and right of the helix, running one to the AD200 with no amp sim or IR, and the other could run out to to the bassrig, or I could loose that pedal and run amp sim and IR to FOH via a DI box.
 

I’ve been using sansamp BDDI for years and then the bassrig in front of whatever amps I end up using. But just wondered if anyone else is splitting the signal this way, or ever ran into issues running amp simulating pedals into the front of other amps. I have been struggling to dial in things with the bassrig going into the orange occasionally. 

anyone else splitting the hx stomp out?