AJ567

2 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

As a box of tricks, it's very handy, very flexible, and sounds great.

 

If you're looking for negatives...

 

I agree with SumOne- the synths and filters aren't so hot, and neither are the octaves, really.

The outputs are balanced and can be set to instrument or line level, but there is no XLR output, which isn't ideal for most sound guys. It's a unit set up to be DI'd but without a standard DI connection.

The footswitches are limited in number, especially if you want to use the tuner. I have an extension for two extra switches, but it feels a bit faffy.

All those lights, screens, and processing power, yet the compressors are all set by ear- there is no gain reduction metering, or even an indicator to signify the signal crossing the threshold. I believe this feature is available on other versions of the Helix, so might make it onto future updates, but it is missing on the HX Stomp.

The power supply inspires very little confidence. It's clunky, awkward, and cheap feeling, and has a non-standard barrel connector (as far as pedals are concerned) so can't be replaced or upgraded with something sturdier, longer, and easily available like a One Spot. I'm a jobbing player, so I'm waiting for that flimsy wire to start to go, then have to hunt for an acceptable replacement.

The master volume on mine feels a bit fragile- in fact despite the pedal's cost and chunky looks, it genuinely feels a little cheap.

 

As everyone says. It's great, but it's far from perfect.

 

Just on the power supply point - add one of these to a one spot (or any standard supply capable of 1A) and you are good to go: 

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/RockBoard-by-Warwick-Line-6-Converter/1FUZ?origin=product-ads&gclid=CjwKCAiAqIKNBhAIEiwAu_ZLDhRDpul7RA18EjXM-VkBO8_UZ-s5JKey6jSDsJy2w5V_5KUQBtow9hoCYAcQAvD_BwE

I've had the 215s and the 535s (as well as customs). 535s are indeed very good if you can get a good seal. For me, only the "triple flange" type of tips could get anything close to the seal/isolation of a custom pair. Worth experimenting with different tips if you are going down that route.

At £179 + tips I'd say they are a great option for most people. Even if the seal you get isn't good enough for a perfect live IEM experience, you'd have a great headphone for casual listening. 

Well thank you @EBS_freak for that very thorough response!

I do have a set of customs (Custom Art Pro330 v2) which are 3 driver balanced armature, but this talk of delicious low end is giving me serious UA6 gas... Food for thought I guess!

Question for UE6 owners - has anyone got experience of these vs. other custom IEM options in that price range? Bit of a long shot, given the cost of owning two custom sets, but hey...

Wondering how much of the step up in quality (vs. Shure 846s etc.) is due to custom vs. universal, rather than UE6 vs other custom models.

1 hour ago, EBS_freak said:

https://www.designacable.com/combo-cable-for-iem-systems-in-ear-monitoring-instrument-and-stereo-headphone.html (it's referenced in the links section in section 2 text btw!)

I use one of these, nice bit of kit.

That's a pain. I'd make sure both "sync" and "realtime source" are internal, also make sure midi transmit channel is not set to "off" for some reason. In theory the midi channel shouldn't matter for clock but might as well set both devices to the same channel. I don't know how the mpc works but make sure it is happy to receive realtime messages. Other than that I'm out of ideas... Sorry! 

52 minutes ago, sammybee said:

 

Of course, I bought the cheapest one (cable) I could find from eBay! I think you've hit the nail on the head about the wiring of the cable - I've ordered the 'official' Boss cable now which I'm hoping will fix it.

If the cable is a TRS mini jack to 5-pin, then that should fix it! But if the cable you need is TRS-TRS, the problem is probably that the midi input jack on whatever you are plugging into is wired differently to the output jack on the Boss. So you'll need an adapter, or a specially wired TRS cable. If that's the case, I'd try to find out what standard your "slave" device is. The boss pedal is wired like this: 

On 17/10/2021 at 21:05, sammybee said:

Has anybody here got any experience with a Boss RC-10r loop pedal? I bought this one specifically because it has a midi out jack and I understood it would be able to drive MIDI clock from the loop/internal rhythm. I've set it to send midi clock in the menu, however its sending nothing.. great fun just using the loops with the internal drums though. Really want it to be driving my MPC though.

How have you got it set up? I've got a dd-200 and the midi clock send is working ok.

For a start, make sure you have the correct type of TRS cable for midi, there are a couple of different standards for how these are wired. Would have been so easy for manufacturers to agree on one standard, but alas...

Another way to crack this walnut: get an HX Stomp and an expression pedal. You could set it up so that the pedal controls the wah frequency and clean/FX blend simultaneously. And you get to take your pick of wah models, fuzz models and whatever else you want to put in the chain. 

4 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

I don't know of the Demon would be too big to fit on the G-Lab.

 

 

Good point. You could use any standard-size wah. And more or less any fuzz given that you'll be maxing it out... I'm assuming we're in "special effects" territory here, rather than seeking a solid bass tone...

G-lab + cheap wah + any nasty fuzz is a neat solution to what the OP wants to do.

.

2 hours ago, NewUser said:

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/g_lab_tbwp_true_bypass_wah_pad.htm

 

If I put the Demon on a G lab with distortion I could avoid tap dancing right?

Yeah that would work well! You would just need to put the distortion/fuzz in the "loop" of the G lab.

2 hours ago, NewUser said:

 

Thanks for your information. The xerograph is interesting and expensive, would a used MXR M188 Bass Auto Q be a suitable cheaper alternative?

 

Expression pedals are something I've been trying to research, I like the function of the Morley fx blender and I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative. 

 

Expression pedal is just a knob that you operate with your foot. You can only use it as an external controller, for pedals that are designed to be used this way. 

I assumed you want to control the sound of the "scream" opening up with your foot. For this you need either a wah pedal, or a filter pedal with expression input/mode.

The most common "filter" pedal that will do this is an envelope filter. AKA auto-wah. The wah sound is triggered every time you play a note.

The auto Q is an envelope filter but it doesn't have external expression functionality.

The xerograph (non-deluxe version) is an interesting beast because its a fixed filter. You sweep the frequency either with the knob or an expression pedal. The neat thing about this unit is that you can set the resonance right on the edge of crazy feedback/self oscillation. You could get some wild scream effects going on!

maxed out fuzz into a xerograph, using an expression pedal. The xero will really emphasise the "scream" part because its a resonant filter.  

+1 on the Spectrum, it can do a good impression of all the filters you mention plus a whole lot more. 

2 hours ago, Jonse said:

I've only used a five string (which I borrowed) once with it but it sounded fine. Again, I used the five string for about 10 minutes so not really long enough to make any real impression. For what it's worth it doesn't give up the ghost when used with an octave, it just gets bigger. 

 

Mine has an 'Owen Electronic' sticker on the inside so I must get round to messaging them to see if they worked any sonic wizardry. Maybe somebody just put that sticker inside but it really does sound fantastic 😉

I wonder if that's my old BB, I had Owen put in a silent bypass gadget. Could the thing next to the footswitch in the pic! Don't think I ever opened it up again so I wouldn't know for sure. Is yours nice and quiet when clicking on and off? Because they thump horridly when stock...

Random one but I just spotted that Shure are doing some great bargains on IEMs on their website.

SE535 for £179. Free delivery too!

https://www.shure.com/en-GB/shop/special-offers

Oof that's nice. A lot of bass for the money too!

16 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

I really like the look of the Boss 200 series pedals. How are you finding the DD 200?

It's awesome, great sounds. Very cool how they have crammed that much functionality into such a small and reasonably priced box. The fact that you can use it as a midi controller was the icing on the cake.

19 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@AJ567 - that is one sexy and neatly put together board! Very impressive!

Cheers!

18 minutes ago, stewblack said:

That's a really, really tidy job @AJ567.

If my gigging board is ever actually finished for good I will have to attend to a good spring clean, neaten wiring and so on. 

What is the function and benefits of the gigrig boxes? 

Thanks! The Gigrig isolators take a 9v supply and split it into four isolated supplies with 130ma each.

The "distributor" is just a fancy daisy chain with 6 outputs.

The point of the whole Gigrig system is that you take a single high power 9v source (like a one spot or battery) and split it into whatever you need (isolated, non isolated, different voltages etc) using the various adapters they sell. 

Tweaked my main board a bit. Full strip and re-cable using squareplugs and van damme. The Boss dd200 is new, as is the Source Audio dual expression.

Battery power arrangement has been revised so I'm now running a 268000mah battery into the mission 529 adapter via usb-c power delivery, then all pedals get an isolated supply via the Gigrig isolators.

Beta now runs at 18v for a bit less compression.

There are some cool but non-obvious features:

DD200 is a midi controller for the Source Audio Spectrum. It sends midi clock to control LFO rate, and toggles presets. This is done via a home made midi TRS to USB host on the underside (the silver box).

There is also an always-on Bluetooth dongle connected to the SA Spectrum so that I can try/change/edit presets wirelessly using my phone.

The expression pedal is on a pressure pad. When I step on it, it brings in the xerograph for LPF sweeps. It is also gives expression functionality to the SA Spectrum (when the xerograph is turned off).

Inside the exp pedal I have added a load of components so that I can tweak the shape of the sweep to my liking.

The blue box in the corner is a home made "mission control box". It does a few practical things:

1. Click-less true bypass loop with the whole board inside, so that I can set up a patch and then toggle it on/off quickly.

2. Gig saver bypass, so if there's a power failure I just go straight into the amp with no interruption.

3. Toggle between battery power and a one spot as "backup", if connected to the top right jack. If it's not connected, then kicking the missile switch cover down shuts off the whole board, and I have true bypass. This is handy if any pedal gremlins appear on a gig.

4. Wired IEM patch through to my "daughter board" which has compressor, preamp etc. (Not pictured)

1 minute ago, Quatschmacher said:

The current Morningstar controllers do not have USB host capability so either the Hub or Disaster Area MicrogHost would be required. 

I stand corrected! 

Side note - you can DIY a midi host if you have some soldering skills. I did this recently and it worked out great. Another option for OP if so inclined! 

I think the morningstar controllers can also do midi over usb, so you wouldn't need the neuro hub.

I just had a go at doing this because I was curious. Short answer is yes.

Long answer - kinda. What you really want is to turn the envelope follower off, and modulate the filter freq with the exp pedal instead. Frustratingly, you can't actually turn the envelope follower off (unless I'm mistaken...?). However, if you turn the sensitivity and speed all the way to minimum, it's basically the same thing.

As for tone, the world is your oyster. There are dozens of filters to choose from, many of them LPF variants, and you can have two running in parallel if you want.

Step 2 is to choose whatever envelope response profile you want. Again, many to choose from, but in your case you want a profile that has very little effect when the speed and sensitivity are set to minimum (because you are manipulating the filter freq with the expression pedal instead).

However, you can create some very cool effects by leaving a small amount of envelope response in there, so that you have your LPF sweep controlled by the expression pedal and a subtle envelope thing going on at the same time!

Great idea!