Huge Helix/HX tones for 6, 7, 8 and 9-string guitars

[Guitarjon]

Hey all,

I love my Helix/HX platforms for heavy tones and not just for 6 strings but also for 7, 8 and even 9 strings. It's just so easy to get some amazing and huge sounding guitar tones with little effort. My presets are usually very simple, (stomp when applicable) amp, YA IR and often some room reverb.

Here's a video in which I showcase 4 awesome presets for 6, 7, 8 and 9 string guitars. Hope you enjoy it or find it useful:




Does anyone else here use their Helix/HX/Pod Go with extended range guitars? Which amps and cabs do you like to use? And yes, it's OK to say Badonk...

 

[sleewell]

love my helix

I run my LT into my fuchs viper fx return into an orange 4x12.

right now I am debating and experimenting using a comp instead of a boost or even both. I copied the comp from the bulb rhythm factory preset. I use the horizon drive as a boost. revv red preamp. no cab sim or IR since I use a real cab. cali eq last in the chain helps to shape tones as well as provide different levels for each snapshot.

 

[Guitarjon]

love my helix

I run my LT into my fuchs viper fx return into an orange 4x12.

right now I am debating and experimenting using a comp instead of a boost or even both. I copied the comp from the bulb rhythm factory preset. I use the horizon drive as a boost. revv red preamp. no cab sim or IR since I use a real cab. cali eq last in the chain helps to shape tones as well as provide different levels for each snapshot.

Even though the Helix is a very popular platform, I still think it is pretty underrated. Especially users from other modeling platforms tend to think that the Helix isn't good but then when I do a blind test, everytime people guess wrong and a lot of viewers end up loving the helix...

 

[sleewell]

Even though the Helix is a very popular platform, I still think it is pretty underrated. Especially users from other modeling platforms tend to think that the Helix isn't good but then when I do a blind test, everytime people guess wrong and a lot of viewers end up loving the helix...

agree. I love that. I see that as well and find it funny. I suspect it comes from people paying a lot for something and getting emotionally invested or just repeating something someone else said but as soon as people start saying the helix is inferior I just start laughing bc its so easy to get fantastic tones from it.

I am actually looking at a powercab 212 right now and wondering how it would stack up. I love the tones I get at home with the helix right into a studio monitor so I wonder how the powercab would do live with my band. certainly would be easier than hauling around a half stack lol.

line 6 has always been sweet but hated on by a segment of players. maybe the hate for the helix stems from people thinking its just another red bean pod? who knows... I don't care.

your vids are great man, keep it up!!

 

[CanserDYI]

Helix 4 cable method into my 5150's and peavey and Randall cabs are just sublime. I'm convinced hybrid setups are key to a really really sick sound. I've learned I do need a guitar cab, but the power amp can be SS or tube, doesnt matter. I love a tube preamp, and personally enjoy using the 5150's preamp for the dirts, the helix's preamps are AWESOME too. Almost like having that amp when you're running it 4CM into a real cab.

 

[Jeffrey Bain]

Digging the tones here man. Would love to be able to download them if you have plans to post them to to pod go community. I am HORRIFIC at dialing in tones and having a solid base to start from that I can just tweak always seems to yield me the best results.

That being said, I personally find myself running a lot of the REVV Red through a Ownhammer Mesa 2x12 V30 IR. The IR made the biggest difference in my tone BY FAR.

 

[kidmendel]

Jon, your tones with the Helix are consistently such an inspiration. I upgraded from the LT to the Rack last week (I play at my desk 99% of the time) and can't wait to try some of these settings this weekend.

I would love to see a similar video for bass tones if you're looking for ideas

 

[ATRguitar91]

Wicked tones! Would love to see a series where you do a deep dive on the different hi gain amps in the Helix lineup and dial in different tones.

I'm surprised to hear you don't use the Revv Purple much, it and the Diezel Mega are my most used amps in the Stomp.

 

[laxu]

Even though the Helix is a very popular platform, I still think it is pretty underrated. Especially users from other modeling platforms tend to think that the Helix isn't good but then when I do a blind test, everytime people guess wrong and a lot of viewers end up loving the helix...

I totally agree. I think part of why you read those "went from Helix to Fractal and it's soooo much better" reports is that people are not able to get the Helix to their liking out of the box because it has several issues doing this. The stock cab sims are more work to get a great sound than just loading a good 3rd party IR. The default amp settings are often a bit weird to me and dialing them more to your liking can be a bit more effort. Obviously output systems play a huge part.

A lot of great tones are in there but they do require a bit more work from the end user.

My only beef with Line6 is that they don't want to release a more compact version of the full Helix. HX Stomp front panel is just not great to me and I would gladly have something a bit larger with the full Helix UI. I recently sold my Helix Floor and its large size was a big factor in that decision even though I love a lot of things about it.

 

[GunpointMetal]

Love the Helix! It's honestly hard to get a bad high-gain tone out of it once you've got some IRs you like. I'll try to post some links after work, but I pretty much go Drive-Amp-IR (or two, depending) for most rhythm tones. Loving the Revv Purple and the Archetype right now, but the PV is still my go to for live tones.

 

[CanserDYI]

I totally agree. I think part of why you read those "went from Helix to Fractal and it's soooo much better" reports is that people are not able to get the Helix to their liking out of the box because it has several issues doing this. The stock cab sims are more work to get a great sound than just loading a good 3rd party IR. The default amp settings are often a bit weird to me and dialing them more to your liking can be a bit more effort. Obviously output systems play a huge part.

A lot of great tones are in there but they do require a bit more work from the end user.

My only beef with Line6 is that they don't want to release a more compact version of the full Helix. HX Stomp front panel is just not great to me and I would gladly have something a bit larger with the full Helix UI. I recently sold my Helix Floor and its large size was a big factor in that decision even though I love a lot of things about it.

Yes dude. I want a fully fledged helix with half the footswitches and no volume/wah, the size of a stomp XL at most. That'd be a dream.

 

[WarMachine]

I've been singing the PODGo's praises ever since i got it last May. Definitely a top contender in my book. Here's one of my tracks i just wrapped up, this is using the BE100 sim with the York Audio Friedman 412 IR;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G9YQFiH6QbIs26xBIZEEIzecjmbT_mEu/view?usp=sharing

 

[kidmendel]

Yes dude. I want a fully fledged helix with half the footswitches and no volume/wah, the size of a stomp XL at most. That'd be a dream.

I can definitely relate to this, I upgraded from my LT to the Helix Rack + Floor recently and I wasn't expecting to notice the size difference as much as I am but I MUCH prefer the Floor + external expression pedal, it's a better size overall.

 

[kidmendel]

I've been singing the PODGo's praises ever since i got it last May. Definitely a top contender in my book. Here's one of my tracks i just wrapped up, this is using the BE100 sim with the York Audio Friedman 412 IR;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G9YQFiH6QbIs26xBIZEEIzecjmbT_mEu/view?usp=sharing

This sounds awesome, great work!

 

[Jeffrey Bain]

I've been singing the PODGo's praises ever since i got it last May. Definitely a top contender in my book. Here's one of my tracks i just wrapped up, this is using the BE100 sim with the York Audio Friedman 412 IR;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G9YQFiH6QbIs26xBIZEEIzecjmbT_mEu/view?usp=sharing

mind sharing your BE100 settings? Really dig what you have going on here

 

[WarMachine]

This sounds awesome, great work!

Thanks man!

 

[WarMachine]

mind sharing your BE100 settings? Really dig what you have going on here

Sure!

The Bias and Bias X are both set to 5.0

These are just the default Kinky Comp settings. The other block you see (closest to the amp) is a noise gate set at -44db on the threshold, 10ms on the Decay.

 

[Jeffrey Bain]

Sure!

The Bias and Bias X are both set to 5.0

These are just the default Kinky Comp settings. The other block you see (closest to the amp) is a noise gate set at -44db on the threshold, 10ms on the Decay.

Thank you sir! Going to give this a go when I get home

 

[GunpointMetal]

These are Comp-Horizon Drive-Archtype-various ML/Bogren Digital IRs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUlc0N6tg4Z/?utm_medium=copy_link