Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. You really take the time to bring the message across without cutting corners, which is great! For me it would be helpful to also hear a few clean sounds, but I suppose we all have different styles that we like. Also, my admiration for responding to every single comment to this video. You rock!
thank u soo much 4 the upload! im a complete "newbie" to the amp/cab modelling realm, ive had my axe 3/ frfr rig now for a month and am ALWAYS looking to both educate myself more/ improve my understanding and this video gave me soo much insight. simple and well explained, keep it up
A great explanation on the relationship of how we "hear" our guitar amps (actual amp) vs a "studio" type sound out of our monitors and/or FRFR speakers. My idea on creating tones with the Helix is the ability to capture the complete the tone element that you can't get with a traditional amp setup while you are on stage and just hearing through your kneecaps. It is very true. When you stick your ear down in the path of the direct speaker projection, it is not what you hear when are standing up or in the far distance off center. I currently a pair of Turbosound IQ8 and found that I needed to shape my EQ a little warmer on them. But i also shaped the Global EQ on my Helix also to be a little warmer and on the dark side... I have seem to have found a balance when I hear FOH vs my IQ8's. But I am extremely interested in testing either the Mission Gemini 2 or the Line6 Powercab 212 to discover its results. Thanks Jason for this video.
Great commentary on the FRFR issue Jason! Can't wait for your comparision between the Mission and the PC+. Thanks for all you do for the Helix user base man! Blessings my brother! Keep it rockin'!
Loved the into discussion about stage amp placement and what you hear. I use to go through exactly that when use to use my tube amp, ie when I heard it more direct, was not a sound I liked at all, as was use to the sound going *beneath me". Great to see others besides me have gone through this. Awesome and very intelligent discussion once again! Thankyou!
Thanks, Jason. Excellent as usual. Wish I could afford one of these (I use Tech 21's now), but maybe next year. Just bought a PRS so any other major gear purchases will have to wait awhile.
I can vouch for what Jason is saying about the Gemini sound dispersion, your sweet spot is much wider. One thing to note, If you play at loud volumes (wasn't going thru the FOH, and I have a very loud drummer) I had to turn up pretty loud and the HF driver loosened up and began to rumble. I had to hand tighten back up, but it is something to keep in mind, especially if you plan to use with a Bass as well. Good video Jason.
Hello Jason! Many thanks to you for all of your very comprehensive videos regarding the Line 6 Helix. You allow so many of us to learn how to get the most out of the Helix. I've been looking closely at the Mission Engineering Gemini 2P, which I would power with the Matrix Amplification GT1000FX-1U. In doing so, I would clearly miss out on the Empower feature that you are enjoying in the powered Gemini 2. While I appreciate the ability to quickly compensate for an overly bright patch with a twist of the Empower knob on the back of the Gemini, I can't help but worry that I'd find myself using this control much too often and would be better served by making the needed adjustments within Helix. If I understand you correctly, you're finding yourself playing with the Empower knob at the 75% toward Flat range. Is there a simple fix via Global EQ that you would apply if you didn't have the Empower knob - an EQ setting that would address the increased high frequency content that seems to result from the Mission FRFR coaxial speaker configuration? Or, do you find that you would have to re-tweak all of your patches individually to best replicate your original tones? Would it be worthwhile for you to do an ABC comparison between your standard Placator patch (recorded as you normally present your sounds to us, the same patch played with the Empower knob 100% Flat, and lastly the same patch played at the Empower level that you find best duplicates your original tone? Thank you in advance for considering this and for helping me plan for a Helix centric FRFR rig. Best regards!
My pleasure Robert :-) I look at the EmPower knob more as something you could tweak at a gig if you found your previously dialed in patch was not sitting right for the situation you were in. I did seem to enjoy the sound of it right around the 75% mark but that could change depending on the situation I was using it in. Nice thing is it is such an easy thing to just add a little more or less of. I wouldn't personally think of re-tweaking all my patches as I found they translated very nicely sometimes just need a small turn of the EmPower knob. There is no other way to really show the sound of the EmPower knob other than by mic'ing it as I did in this video.
Okay, so I have a couple comments. 1) seems like they just put a hi cut control (which is still very nice to have), but my bigger concern is how the patches sound out front to the audience.... so, if you’re not using these as your mains, you haven’t really addressed the FOH tones. 2) I wonder if it’s possible to make some “Amp in the Room IR’s”... THAT would be an awesome option for guitarists that are making the jump from Tube amps on stage to running direct and are put off by the direct, mic’d sound (as I am...but I’m still working hard to dial in that warmer, fuller room sound from my Helix) Your videos have been extremely helpful... thank you SO much for your time and knowledge!
My pleasure and thank you for the kind words :-) In my discussion with the folks at Mission, they told me it is much more than just a hi-cut filter. If this was not being used as my mains, I would be running straight out of my Helix to FOH. I have found that the Gemini's EmPower, is a very nice feature for solving the whole "amp in the room" thing so many complain about.
Hi, Ok so you get it to where you think it’s closest to what you heard when dialing it in, is there an out that you can then send it to the FOH with that dial knob in line, so FOH get exactly what you want?
No there is not an out to send that sound to front of house. The way I would run is with the Gemini as my stage monitor and send the DI outs of the Helix to FOH.
Hey Jason, so does the 87 degree pattern apply to the entire audible spectrum? If directionality is directly related to frequency, regardless of where the tweeter is mounted, seems like you'll hear the same audio pattern.
From what I have been told by the folks at Mission, is they worked very hard to have the same flat response over this 87 degree pattern. How exactly they accomplished this I am not sure, but it really does have a very wide dispersion where it sounds much the same.
This was VERY informative and enlightening....one tiny gripe though...you kept using the access when you really meant to use the Axis (as in: off-axis when discussing mic/ear placement)......anyhow.......super informative. Wish I could afford a Mission Gemini.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I am VERY well aware what the meaning of the word AXIS is and how it is spelled. That is exactly what I was saying in this video. No need to "educate" me about this.
Interesting topic. Reminds me of a request I'd like to make. I've been trying to get single patches that work for my warmer humbucker guitars but also my bright strat. How would one approach this? Or is it silly to try it? I find that when I dial in according to the warmer first I need to dial my strat tone knobs way down (60%ish). The flip side is difficult since I can't brighten up the humbucker.
Yes that is always going to be a little tough. I would say to try dialing in something in between the two sounds and see how that goes? Or have separate presets for different guitars....
I suspected as much. At the moment turning the tone knobs down on the strat creates a very usable tone when using the brighter preset. I think I might just add a treble cut to a switch.
It might be overkill for bedroom playing, but I guess some folks like to have a speaker like this for that also. Nothing wrong with using smaller monitors if they give you the sound you are after :-)
I was a Kemper user for 3 years and recorded a number of albums with it. It can be an incredible sounding unit and it can also be a truly horrible sounding unit. The Helix can likewise be an incredible unit or a horrible sounding unit. The Kemper sounds amazing with a profile that is done properly and fits the task at hand just like the Helix sounds amazing with a properly dialed in preset that fits the task at hand. But, I do have to disagree with the the statement that the Helix is "not even close" sound wise as that is just too much of a generalization of something with too many variables.
Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. You really take the time to bring the message across without cutting corners, which is great! For me it would be helpful to also hear a few clean sounds, but I suppose we all have different styles that we like. Also, my admiration for responding to every single comment to this video. You rock!
thank u soo much 4 the upload! im a complete "newbie" to the amp/cab modelling realm, ive had my axe 3/ frfr rig now for a month and am ALWAYS looking to both educate myself more/ improve my understanding and this video gave me soo much insight. simple and well explained, keep it up
A great explanation on the relationship of how we "hear" our guitar amps (actual amp) vs a "studio" type sound out of our monitors and/or FRFR speakers. My idea on creating tones with the Helix is the ability to capture the complete the tone element that you can't get with a traditional amp setup while you are on stage and just hearing through your kneecaps. It is very true. When you stick your ear down in the path of the direct speaker projection, it is not what you hear when are standing up or in the far distance off center. I currently a pair of Turbosound IQ8 and found that I needed to shape my EQ a little warmer on them. But i also shaped the Global EQ on my Helix also to be a little warmer and on the dark side... I have seem to have found a balance when I hear FOH vs my IQ8's. But I am extremely interested in testing either the Mission Gemini 2 or the Line6 Powercab 212 to discover its results. Thanks Jason for this video.
Great commentary on the FRFR issue Jason! Can't wait for your comparision between the Mission and the PC+. Thanks for all you do for the Helix user base man! Blessings my brother! Keep it rockin'!
My pleasure and glad you liked the video :-) Thanks so much!
Loved the into discussion about stage amp placement and what you hear. I use to go through exactly that when use to use my tube amp, ie when I heard it more direct, was not a sound I liked at all, as was use to the sound going *beneath me". Great to see others besides me have gone through this. Awesome and very intelligent discussion once again! Thankyou!
My pleasure and glad you enjoyed the video :-)
Thanks for explaining this Jason. Looking for these type of speakers. Steven
My pleasure Luke and thank you :-)
That was well worth the listen. Thank you, Jason. I learned a lot. 👍🏼😊
Thank you so much Kevin :-)
Really helpful video Jason. Thanks!
My pleasure Alvaro :-) Thank you!
Enjoyed the video...thinking very hard about the Gemini-appreciate the analysis.
Thanks so much Lance :-) The Gemini is very very nice!
Thanks, Jason. Excellent as usual. Wish I could afford one of these (I use Tech 21's now), but maybe next year. Just bought a PRS so any other major gear purchases will have to wait awhile.
My pleasure :-) Congrats on the PRS purchase!
It came across pretty well. I played it through my Power Cab in FRFR mode.
Nice Andrew!
I can vouch for what Jason is saying about the Gemini sound dispersion, your sweet spot is much wider. One thing to note, If you play at loud volumes (wasn't going thru the FOH, and I have a very loud drummer) I had to turn up pretty loud and the HF driver loosened up and began to rumble. I had to hand tighten back up, but it is something to keep in mind, especially if you plan to use with a Bass as well. Good video Jason.
Thanks so much William :-) And thanks for confirming my thoughts! Good to know about the HF driver, hopefully not a common issue...
This is very informative.
Thank you Kevin :-)
Hello Jason! Many thanks to you for all of your very comprehensive videos regarding the Line 6 Helix. You allow so many of us to learn how to get the most out of the Helix. I've been looking closely at the Mission Engineering Gemini 2P, which I would power with the Matrix Amplification GT1000FX-1U. In doing so, I would clearly miss out on the Empower feature that you are enjoying in the powered Gemini 2. While I appreciate the ability to quickly compensate for an overly bright patch with a twist of the Empower knob on the back of the Gemini, I can't help but worry that I'd find myself using this control much too often and would be better served by making the needed adjustments within Helix. If I understand you correctly, you're finding yourself playing with the Empower knob at the 75% toward Flat range. Is there a simple fix via Global EQ that you would apply if you didn't have the Empower knob - an EQ setting that would address the increased high frequency content that seems to result from the Mission FRFR coaxial speaker configuration? Or, do you find that you would have to re-tweak all of your patches individually to best replicate your original tones? Would it be worthwhile for you to do an ABC comparison between your standard Placator patch (recorded as you normally present your sounds to us, the same patch played with the Empower knob 100% Flat, and lastly the same patch played at the Empower level that you find best duplicates your original tone? Thank you in advance for considering this and for helping me plan for a Helix centric FRFR rig. Best regards!
My pleasure Robert :-) I look at the EmPower knob more as something you could tweak at a gig if you found your previously dialed in patch was not sitting right for the situation you were in. I did seem to enjoy the sound of it right around the 75% mark but that could change depending on the situation I was using it in. Nice thing is it is such an easy thing to just add a little more or less of. I wouldn't personally think of re-tweaking all my patches as I found they translated very nicely sometimes just need a small turn of the EmPower knob. There is no other way to really show the sound of the EmPower knob other than by mic'ing it as I did in this video.
Okay, so I have a couple comments. 1) seems like they just put a hi cut control (which is still very nice to have), but my bigger concern is how the patches sound out front to the audience.... so, if you’re not using these as your mains, you haven’t really addressed the FOH tones.
2) I wonder if it’s possible to make some “Amp in the Room IR’s”... THAT would be an awesome option for guitarists that are making the jump from Tube amps on stage to running direct and are put off by the direct, mic’d sound (as I am...but I’m still working hard to dial in that warmer, fuller room sound from my Helix)
Your videos have been extremely helpful... thank you SO much for your time and knowledge!
My pleasure and thank you for the kind words :-) In my discussion with the folks at Mission, they told me it is much more than just a hi-cut filter. If this was not being used as my mains, I would be running straight out of my Helix to FOH. I have found that the Gemini's EmPower, is a very nice feature for solving the whole "amp in the room" thing so many complain about.
Great video, anyone on a modeller forum should watch this before posting how there unit sounds odd :)
Thank you so much Wez :-) Glad you enjoyed it!
agrreed thats why a sonic diffuser/beam blocker is essential to me ,,its like adjusting your tone stood 10ft off access using your ears without
Nice Bill :-)
Another great video. If you are ever in a local Long & McQuade, check out a Helix through a Yorkville Sound YX10P
Thank you so much Murc :-) I will have to try and give the Yorkville a try if I have the chance!
Hi,
Ok so you get it to where you think it’s closest to what you heard when dialing it in, is there an out that you can then send it to the FOH with that dial knob in line, so FOH get exactly what you want?
No there is not an out to send that sound to front of house. The way I would run is with the Gemini as my stage monitor and send the DI outs of the Helix to FOH.
Hey Jason, so does the 87 degree pattern apply to the entire audible spectrum? If directionality is directly related to frequency, regardless of where the tweeter is mounted, seems like you'll hear the same audio pattern.
From what I have been told by the folks at Mission, is they worked very hard to have the same flat response over this 87 degree pattern. How exactly they accomplished this I am not sure, but it really does have a very wide dispersion where it sounds much the same.
This was VERY informative and enlightening....one tiny gripe though...you kept using the access when you really meant to use the Axis (as in: off-axis when discussing mic/ear placement)......anyhow.......super informative. Wish I could afford a Mission Gemini.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I am VERY well aware what the meaning of the word AXIS is and how it is spelled. That is exactly what I was saying in this video. No need to "educate" me about this.
Interesting topic. Reminds me of a request I'd like to make. I've been trying to get single patches that work for my warmer humbucker guitars but also my bright strat. How would one approach this? Or is it silly to try it? I find that when I dial in according to the warmer first I need to dial my strat tone knobs way down (60%ish). The flip side is difficult since I can't brighten up the humbucker.
Yes that is always going to be a little tough. I would say to try dialing in something in between the two sounds and see how that goes? Or have separate presets for different guitars....
I suspected as much. At the moment turning the tone knobs down on the strat creates a very usable tone when using the brighter preset. I think I might just add a treble cut to a switch.
Is a cab like this or even the Gemini 1 a bit overkill for just bedroom playing? I usually just use 2 5 inch monitors
It might be overkill for bedroom playing, but I guess some folks like to have a speaker like this for that also. Nothing wrong with using smaller monitors if they give you the sound you are after :-)
Could the effect be simulated via global eq?
Possibly, but that would be much more complicated than just twisting the knob the desired amount as needed.
One thing I don't agree with. The Helix does not sound near as good as a Kemper. Not even close unless my ears are broke.
I was a Kemper user for 3 years and recorded a number of albums with it. It can be an incredible sounding unit and it can also be a truly horrible sounding unit. The Helix can likewise be an incredible unit or a horrible sounding unit. The Kemper sounds amazing with a profile that is done properly and fits the task at hand just like the Helix sounds amazing with a properly dialed in preset that fits the task at hand. But, I do have to disagree with the the statement that the Helix is "not even close" sound wise as that is just too much of a generalization of something with too many variables.