fretmeister

Just got this (was released today) Very nice bit of kit. Mirrors the hardware Helix units exactly - so you can match recording and live use. Or if you've got a monster machine, you can remove the equivalent DSP limits and go completely nuts. There is a 14 day trial version on the website too. It's launch day and the Helix fanbois have been going nuts so the servers are getting a hammering so it might be an idea to wait until the morning when the USA is asleep again! http://uk.line6.com/helix/helixnative.html If you have a Helix hardware unit then there are big discounts too. Full retail is $399. If you've got a Helix LT you get $100 off, if you've got a full fat helix or rack, then the cost is only $99 (+ vat) Can install on 4 machines at once too - and change authorisations.

[quote name='markdavid' timestamp='1502873438' post='3354016'] very well put,i will be going to the gig with my wife [/quote] Far better to have an annoyed band rather than an angry wife!

Just been confirmed - Helix Native plugin will be released tomorrow.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1502792315' post='3353538'] I hadn't considered latency when switching between patches, since my BassPod XT sounds instantaneous, so thought that was a thing of the past. I used to own a Peavey BassFex in the 90s which was a fantastic unit for features but the pause between switching from one patch to another made it completely unusable for mid-song switching as the whole unit went silent for about half a second when you elected the new patch. Good news that there's way around it. What I meant was latency when using external effects loops as the signal obviously need to be converted back to analog for the send and re-digitised on the return. The effect I'm intending to use it with is one that need to be in series rather than in parallel with the signal path going through the Helix, so any delay added by using the loop could well be noticeable. [/quote] Latency will only get worse with new modellers. The software models are now so massive there is a load time. The L6 guys said it could be done with zero latency, but that would mean putting in 1 or 2 new DSP cores that only dealt with switching and not sound. They did think about it, but the sale price would be far higher than it is - possibly making it more expensive than the Fractal stuff. The Axe-FX has latency in that way too - they have a thing called "Scenes" as a work around. The only Zero latency patch change unit out there at the moment is the Digitech GSP1101 - and that's because it has 1 core for sound and another purely for switching. It's not a bad unit by any means, but it's not up the standard of Fractal / Helix / Kemper either. I can't detect any latency when I'm using the Loops, but I am only using 1. I suppose it might be noticeable if you were using 4 separate ones. I am similarly upset by latency. When I got my Helix I was assigning multiple things to individual footswitches (you can assign 8 on / off states to a single switch) to avoid patch changes. Then Snapshots came along in a firmware update and made it all much easier. A mate plays guitar in the David Cross Band (the remains of King Crimson) and he usually uses a pair of Axe-FX II. But it's heavy and expensive to fly his rack around so he's currently trying to recreate his monster prog rig with a single Helix. He finds the UI and the Snapshots to be superior to the Fractal. At the moment he prefers the Fractal sound, but he admits he's been using them since they came out and he's more familiar with them. He has some weird channel morphing needs too and he reckons he's cracked it. Can't wait to try his patches!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1502789167' post='3353492'] I too, am on the verge of getting a Helix of some description. AFAICS the LT only has less input options, only one external effects loop and no "scribble strip". Is that it? What do the "scribble strips" display? Do they have the names of the associated patches when in the appropriate mode? Do they help at all when editing directly from the unit? Is the position of the effects loops programmable for each user patch? How noticeable is the latency? I plan to use mine in association with a Linn AdrenaLinn (unless the Helix already does sequencable, MIDI synchronised filter effects). [/quote] Scribble Strips display a variety of things. They can show patch names, or individual FX names, or Snapshot names. And you can rename them to what ever you like. You can also have a half and half. So 1 row shows Snapshots and the other shows FX pedals. So You could have 8 Snapshots, or 4 shapshots and 4 separate FX that you use sparingly (that's what I do) You can put the loops anywhere in the path. There are Joint send and return blocks that route the signal to outboard and then back in immediately, or you can have separate send and return blocks so you can jump an internal block and mix in parallel. Latency - Complete patch changes do have a little latency (depending on DSP load) and that is what the Snapshots avoids. A Snapshot is full rig changes WITHIN a patch, so there is no required time for loading a patch as it is already there. Snapshots are amazing. It is well described. It takes a "Snapshot" of every setting you have on the screen and allows you to recall it. Then you change every setting. Turn 1 amp off and another on. Then change your drive pedal gain and tone settings. Speed up the phaser. Change the harmoniser from minor to major. Then save those changes as Snapshot 2. Then swap between them with a footswitch. You can even set a snapshot to remember on the fly changes you make (such as turning on a drive pedal) so if you change SS and then come back to the first one it doesn't revert to what you have saved, it remembers you turning on the drive pedal. There is no latency using Snapshots. Load everything you can into a single patch (assuming you don't run out of DSP - depends how mental you go and which models you use) and then use Snapshots.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1502788864' post='3353489'] It arrived, but my friend brought his over for me to play on (latest updates with his tweaks). Whilst it does sound good, I don't know, I really like the tone of my amps and pedals, both guitar and bass related. I have no intention of selling any of them. So to me this is just another option which would possibly be used direct for bass, or into an amp for guitar, and it just seems too large for something like that. Going direct with bass, I use a Sansamp (which I LOVE) or similar. Much smaller and I can literally turn up to rehearsals or even gigs and just use that! Guitar is a bit different obviously. Quality is great but I'm not 100% sold on the concept. I like new technology but I like my individual pedals. [/quote] In a day you won't even scratch the surface of the box it came in, let alone the unit. Loads of people in the FB group use it direct for guitar as well, or with a small FRFR monitor on stage instead of an amp. Stage levels down, better control at FOH. No traditional amp at all. I use it in a couple of ways for bass. Either with cab models and into a Yamaha DXR10, or without cab models and into a power amp and my Barefaced cabs. For guitar I've abandoned trad cabs completely - just go into the FRFR DXR10. I'm mighty tempted to get another one so I can go stereo all the time (rather than just with a PA) and use the lovely stereo FX, and mic and pan different amps left and right. I have a great patch where I use 2 different amps panned 75% in opposite directions, then on 1 of them there is a 2 cent detune (about the difference you'd get from 2 different real guitars tuned the same to human ear accuracy), and a 25ms delay - about as tight as a good twin guitar band. I can turn that bit on and off - so I can make it sound like 1 guitar, and then hit a button to bring in the other signal path and all of a sudden it sounds like 2 guitarists. Easy enough to organise for harmony parts too. I love it. It's completely changed the way I find sounds.

I've got the rack and although I started using the loops as I've learned the unit more I have now removed all but 1 external pedal from my set up - the BSW. The latest firmware had tons of stuff for bassists. More compressors / amps / drives. I'm actually tempted to get the LT as well as the rack and the other bits in the rack is quite heavy. Need to save up a bit first!

Very. There's no internal differences between full fat Nd LT. Usual rules apply as for every preset based item: bin the presets and make your tone from scratch

New ones should have the latest firmware, but if not, update it straight away. Don't want to make a cool patch and then have it sounding different 5 mins later. Also, when using the cab models, use the high and low cuts. They are set to zero. They are the "secret" to a good amp sound. Set the low cut at about 75hz and the high at about 6khz. Stops the low end boom and any fizz.

[quote name='Tripehound' timestamp='1501495800' post='3344970'] What is the view on the choice between the Helix and the Helix LT? I'm trying to decide whether the scribble strips and the extra I/O is worth 300-odd squid, money that could go towards an FR800.... [/quote] Full fat also generates a massive discount for the Helix Native plug in which is due later this year. Like $99 instead of $299

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1501349639' post='3344224'] Just get a bass and play it 👍 [/quote] This.

I love my M900. Sold my DG pedals because of it.

I've got it. Very good. I'm using my Helix more these days but I'll never delete SVX.

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1500414612' post='3337658'] I think it will be a £3-500 bracket. If it does produce that sound at a quarter or the dug amp price it's a winner [/quote] I've just seen the price of the amp. Gear4music have them for order at £2549 Quarter price would be £637 No frakking way.

Anyone installed the Tone Capsule in a precision? Any good? Does it still allow a signal through when the battery is dead? I am tempted!

That tiny clip sounds very nice - but I'd have to have a proper go. I get a very similar sound with my DG M900.