NGD: Helix LT

[Rev2010]

Nothing new here lol, but still glad to have picked up one of these. I was looking for an effects unit and made up a list of features I want and highlighted the most important one's then compared between AX8, Helix, and Boss GT100/1000. Tried Headrush months back and returned it. I was flexible with some missing features but the one unit that checked every box I wanted was the Helix. Some things I was looking for were amp control (non-midi), effects spillover, volume/wah pedal preferably built in, ease of editing, etc. So far I am friggin' loving this thing. That and using the Native plugin really pairs so well. I'm running a signal from the FX send to a separate mixer channel (my mixer is also my firewire audio interface) so I can monitor the signal straight from the Helix for the lowest latency while recording the dry signal. Then I use the Native plugin with the same preset and whoila, same exact sound but now I can forever change the sound if I want to without re-recording the parts. Not too necessary since my round-trip interface latency is somewhere around 4ms, but still, the lower the monitor latency the better.

I absolutely LOVE the snapshots and have been waiting for something like this for a long time. I'm a long time Boss GT user and always thought it so wasteful to use presets to go from a heavily effected preset to another preset just to toggle off several effects. I also always hated that you had to Bank up every 4 presets. And with the snapshots the effect spillover is flawless. I'm finding the editing on the unit itself is quite easy and intuitive. I was using a POD HD for my direct recording and the HD menus were frustrating to work with. For the price difference I found I didn't need the scribble strips or 4 FX loops so I opted for the LT. I've also loaded in some IR's and the sound is surprisingly excellent. Helix Edit also works great and saves my back from slumping over to program on the unit - though pretty much all units have editors.

Haven't yet tried amp control with my Bugera TriRec so hope that works fine, just gotta pickup a stereo to two mono cable to try it out. Anyhow, this unit seems to do everything I need.

 

[op1e]

Next on my list for sure. My 1101 has aged well, but I'd like to carry a bit less stuff around eventually and be able to record right into the interface. I've messed around with Native. So far it's promising but there's some kind of noise overlay I can't get rid of either using the Audiobox USB or my 1101 as an interface. My dream is to be able to just use Native into the PC/PA and not have to be closed off with headphones and just blast it while we track.

 

[Rev2010]

I've messed around with Native. So far it's promising but there's some kind of noise overlay I can't get rid of either using the Audiobox USB or my 1101 as an interface.

If you're referring to the fizz then I can say I've overcome it using an Ownhammer IR and the usual high and low cut eq'ing. The Ownhammer IR I like the most is from Heavy Hitters I Collection and it's the DZL/Mesa V30 IR under the A1 picks (fourth one down the file list in that folder I think). I loaded the IR directly onto the Helix too and holy cow it sounds awesome with the Angl Meteor patch (4D) and I also have a patch I made called Dark Epic using a combination of the Rectifier model and Line 6 Epic model with the same IR. Now I just need to determine which I like best as my main tone as they are both awesome then I'm set. You can also EQ out most of the fizz with the stock cabs but really I found IR's are really the best way to overcome it.

Rev.

 

[MrYakob]

Congrats! I got mine a couple months ago and it's been the catalyst to get me back in to playing outside of band jams again, so much flexibility in one unit that I'm still figuring out new things.

 

[budda]

Do you find it easy to edit on the unit? I tried an hxfx in store and it was not intuitive to me at all. And thats after editing on a boss DD-500 and the big strymons.

 

[GunpointMetal]

Do you find it easy to edit on the unit? I tried an hxfx in store and it was not intuitive to me at all. And thats after editing on a boss DD-500 and the big strymons.

The larger screen definitely makes a difference. I don't have the LT, but with the "full" Helix I had the patch construction stuff and footswitch assignments down in about 15 minutes. Some of the more extensive routing stuff took a few more minutes to figure out, but its all pretty logical and well labeled.

 

[Rev2010]

Do you find it easy to edit on the unit? I tried an hxfx in store and it was not intuitive to me at all. And thats after editing on a boss DD-500 and the big strymons.

Very easy to edit. As mentioned, I hated editing on the POD HD menu structure, was so annoying. With the Helix IMO it's completely straightforward and intuitive. The joystick makes it easy to move around to block slots and go into the FX list and select FX and such. The big screen is also much easier to use than something like the little scribble strip screens on the HXFX. Typically computer editors make editing other units (Boss GT100, POD HD500, Fractal AX8, etc) much easier to deal with but HX Edit is basically exactly the same as what you see on the Helix screen except you also see the preset, effects, and model lists vertically to the side of the signal flow & parameters screen.

@GunpointMetal - the LT screen is exactly the same screen as on the full Helix.

Rev.

 

[op1e]

If you're referring to the fizz then I can say I've overcome it using an Ownhammer IR and the usual high and low cut eq'ing. The Ownhammer IR I like the most is from Heavy Hitters I Collection and it's the DZL/Mesa V30 IR under the A1 picks (fourth one down the file list in that folder I think). I loaded the IR directly onto the Helix too and holy cow it sounds awesome with the Angl Meteor patch (4D) and I also have a patch I made called Dark Epic using a combination of the Rectifier model and Line 6 Epic model with the same IR. Now I just need to determine which I like best as my main tone as they are both awesome then I'm set. You can also EQ out most of the fizz with the stock cabs but really I found IR's are really the best way to overcome it.

Rev.

I turned off the cabs and was using the WoS plugin. Seems like the more vst stuff I add the more messy things get. I went back to micing my Mesa OS with a 57 knock off and no problem. I think I just need a better interface.