intime-nick

Me too - my main goal at the moment is isolation (something I’m not getting from universals despite trying a lot of different tips) and the combination of a quad with those soft tips at that price means it’s probably worth a try

They look pretty interesting - I’ve got some UE900s that could be reshelled and the quad driver customs with the thermosoft tips might be worth a shot.

that's what i do - works very well. My FOH sound is very different to my IEM sound but from the same input. I also do the same for the drummer (also on IEMs) whereas the two guitarists still like good 'ol wedges and prefer living with having their ears blasted....

That’s the way I’m thinking of going - I’ve got a B3 and like it but heard good things about the B3n. My Helix will be up for sale shortly as I can’t see it being used anytime soon. The only thing I don’t like about the B3n is the lack of an XLR out which seems like a bit of an oversight

Yeah, I’ve played the past few gigs straight from my wireless into the XR18 with the inbuilt Sansamp effect inserted on my two channels (one for FOH and one for IEM so I can get different mixes & tones) and it’s working very well. It’s actually nice being able to play and sing and not have to screw around with my helix. I go through phases of not wanting any effects and then coming back to the latest multi-effects gizmo - I think I’m finally bored with effects and really like the sound of my new Warwick Streamer Jazzman with little enhancement (but that may change !). Nothing wrong with the helix at all (apart from the poor engineering on the LT expression pedal which annoys me more than it probably should) As for the helix parts - my day job has got very busy recently so when I get time away from designing drum kits, I may be able to get back onto it (haven’t forgotten about your belt clip connector holder though !)

I feel my dalliance with the Helix is coming to an end. It's been fun but, like the Kemper and various multi-effects before it, the novelty has worn off and i seem to spend more time messing with it than playing. I always end up with pretty much the same sound anyway so it's back to the Sansamp BDDI straight to the PA/IEMs I think. Might keep it for a bit to see if i change my mind but otherwise, I'll stick it in the for sale section (along with various screen protectors, smoothound wireless and flightcase etc)

ouch - damaged on the way to JH or on the way back ?

I think that’s a good point, a custom reshelled UE900s would be a different animal to the stock universal fitment. Even after all this time using universals of various types, I’ve only just found some tips that are comfortable and isolate effectively. I’ve tried comply tips before (as I found they isolated the best) but found them a bit itchy after a while and have shied away from memory foam types until recently when I’ve started using these ones that are more comfortable and fit very well (for me, it’s a very personal thing of course) Earphone Buds Replacement 6 Pairs, New Bee Earbuds Tips Premium Memory Foam Earbuds Soft Cushion Earpad Noise Cancelling Suitable for Headphones with 5mm-7mm Tips (S/M/L, Black) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071NZJ7QR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_i_q1CeBb5PF92TC

i didn't realise they'd stopped making the UE900s. As for the KZs - as a cheap IEM or a backup for a full custom IEM i don't think you can fault them. At £30ish a pair, even if they have a relatively short life, they still represent pretty good value for money. We have a few gigs lined up over the next weeks so I'll be giving them a fair test. What'll be interesting, apart from how they sound in a live band environment, is how the cables fair - most of the OEM and aftermarket ones I have start corroding with the green tinge of cable death after only a few months.

Having jumped on this particular bandwagon and got a pair of the KZ ZS10s for £30 (!), I tried them with some new foam tips (the stock silicone ones didn't seal in my ears very well) at band rehearsal for the first time this week. I normally use my UE900s which are great for the money but, and rather surprisingly, the KZs were at the very least on a par with them and in some areas far better (i'm no audiophile or good at describing sounds etc). They go deeper with no muddiness, the vocals & general midrange were far clearer and the high end was smooth and clear without being overly emphasised or brittle. So yeah, i bought them as a backup for my UE900s but i think it'll end up working the other way round. As to their long-term longevity - we'll see, but for £30 i may get a back up for the back up !!

If it's a non-Line6 IR it's empty as far as i know. certainly when i've downloaded patches before with custom IRs, the block was there but it was empty.

A couple of new helix parts in development. It’s no wonder I have zero time to tweak my settings

It's the same material (3mm cast Acrylic). The flipside to having great optical clarity is that it does have some reflections but not that you'd notice in any of the playing environments my screen protecctor has been in over the past few months - indoors with lots of stage lights and outdoors. I'm just finishing off the design for the Helix Floor model as well ready for prototyping

Prototype full LT cover on test at band rehearsal. Will have the Floor model done shortly.

I've used stainless steel M5x0.8, 20 long button head socket screws in all my Gator racks for years. The thread size and profile is almost identical to 10-32 UNC especially over the short thread depth of the gator threaded rails and they are a lot easier to get hold of in the UK.

Met up with Mat today and bought his Warwick LX Streamer Jazzman - top bloke to deal with and bass was exactly as described. Deal in confidence ! Cheers, Nick

Yup, it was me ! I'm making a few whilst I sort something out with Chris @ Smoothound - if you'd like to send me a message, I can sort one out for you. Cheers, Nick

Not wanting to sound (ahem) controversial but can we stop calling them sound ‘engineers’ ? They are not Engineers, they are technicians (at best) unless they have a recognised and accredited qualification in that subject (and, given the comments on here, it would seem not). It’s the same as people saying ‘heating engineer’, ‘washing machine engineer’, ‘insert random occupation here....engineer’ etc etc etc etc. The watering down of the name seems to be such a common thing nowadays that it’s become acceptable to all but the qualified engineers - rant over - carry on

Dave bought my Shuker jazz. Great to deal with, easy transaction and came to pick it up - thank you very much. Highly recommended

as a slight aside to the above - I use a Yamaha DBR15 as a backline cab (not for me as i'm on Helix/IEMs/PA but for the two guitarists who shun such things ) All this talk of RCF cabs has got me thinking - does anyone have any experience with how a DBR15 compares to a RCF 735 or 745 when used as a backline cab ? For the record, I also have a BF Super Twin / Crown XLS1500 power amp setup that is great but in our current band setup, is rather unnecessary .

oh dear - it appears to have rather caused a bit of a stir and i didn't even post anything

The majority of problems I’ve found when working with bands who use a lot of wireless guitar gear, especially digital 2.4Ghz stuff, is generally not a lack of how their individual kit works but more how the whole system interacts and the limitations of the technology they’re using in the environment they’re playing in. Small pub gigs with everything crammed together with multiple wireless systems, routers for the digital mixer, WiFi hotspots, mobiles etc etc make for a veritable RF sh1tstorm. It can be managed up to a point of course, and the advice from @SmoothHoundChris is spot on. My own personal experience having used guitar wireless systems from very early single channel VHF stuff through the line 6 G30 to G90 products and now the Smoothound is that I have had minimal issues compared to all the other systems in crowded RF environments most of which would have previously wiped out the signal. I find the frequency agile tech in the Smoothound to be far more reliable than scanning and then picking a free channel which may or may not become crowded after you start playing. All systems have limitations of course, but I haven’t found one yet with the Smoothound in the environments we play in. I use a strap mount for the transmitter with a short patch lead to my basses as the transmitter doesn’t fit in the recessed jack socket on my Vigier Passion IV (it fits all the others - the Vigier is a bit of an oddity but it’s a great bass)

yeah, clearly a lack of product knowledge and misunderstood posts on a forum are no barrier to harsh comments - that almost never happens on forums.....at all.....ever....