Line 6 Helix Modern Metal Tone from Scratch

[@KaiDown]

Just dialled this one in myself and it's sounding absolutely monstrous. Great tone, easy to follow guide and gave me plenty of scope for sculpting it to suit my sound. 10/10.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Kai Down That’s great to hear. I’m really happy it helped you out man. Cheers. Let me know if I ca help with anything else

[@benburnett8109]

Wow. I was just sitting here playing around with parametric eqs and removing the 4k sizzle when you do this video. Glenn Fricker brought this to my attention and it is the biggest single thing I've done to improve my tone in the last 6mo. You however added to it by bringing the 'air" back to it with the 10K boost. I am now playing with this info in my stereo tones seeing how it affects the stereo width and feel. Great video by the way

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I'm tellin you man, you never stop learning. Absorb all the information you can.

[@Scott21700]

I was inspired by your use of the parametric EQ and put it on my Archtype patch and I am blown away by the clarity and it got rid of that top end fizz I was struggling with. thank you so much for this.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Absolutely, so glad it helped

[@BlazinLow305]

Old comment I know, but I just got a Helix LT today and I hate all that top end junk that seems to be in every preset and my own that I make, and I can't quite dial it all the way out on my own so far. Gonna give it a try.

[@bruisebrothers5405]

Man....so now that I've got this tone I'm just cranking my monitor speakers and having way more fun than playing through my other amps. Game changer. Really appreciate it!

[@TobyKBTY]

Those little EQ and reverb tricks are golden that will make any high gain patch seem a bit more real and lively.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

For sure man! Thanks for watching

[@joshmiller3340]

I have had Native for a year and this is the first time I actually made a patch. Thank you!

[@GreyGecko94]

You put the amp in there and the first thing you played I was like “Dang, that sounds sick.” And it literally just kept getting better the whole time 😂

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Thanks my dude!

[@delatmic92]

Those eq tricks at the end are worth so much.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Michael de la torre man I’m glad it’s helping some people out!

[@lumpinator]

@@NickHillMakesMusic That was exactly what I was looking for! Especially the notch to get rid of those fizzy artificial highs that tend to occur on high gain tones with the helix. It makes the sound so much more real and believable. Thaks so much! :)

[@TheJunkle9781]

No kidding.

[@adamgilman6381]

Thanks Nick this was awesome. I didn't use any IRs and just used and a+c and tweak things for myself but generally used your ideas to create a sick metal tone.

[@paullewis9736]

thanks so much nick you are a genius,been tryin for years to find a metal sound this good

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Man I’m so happy to read comments like this. I’m really glad I was able to help. Cheers!

[@belrenmcglothlin247]

So i just my helix 5 minutes after watching your video (using different IR's though) I nailed what I was looking for! Thanks a lot!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Glad it helped!

[@patrickisajiw91]

I spent a good hour with you if not a little more. Im new to helix so I had some detours. You got me there though! I greatly appreciate your insight. It's one of the better metal tones I've gotten to play in years. Appreciate ya dude! Oh, and I love your chill vibe, and funny self talk. Keep that shit up! lol

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Hey man! Thanks so much and WELCOME. I do try to keep it fun, help everyone out and help people be creative and make music. Thanks for being here.

[@ChessmasterHex]

Really great video Nick, that EQ cut at 4.5k made such a huge difference I'm gonna try it out for myself, I keep making tones with too much fizz so thanks for all the tips!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Stoked it was able to help you out man! Cheers and thanks for the support.

[@tedpitts4371]

Great video. I watched this late last night following step by step( I only difference is I used the provided own hammer IR’s provided with the helix. Tested the tone this morning and it was great! Thanks for the good info. Looking forward to watching more of your helix tips.

[@ErostheEpic]

I saw this when it came out. And it's still a holy grail for a great metal tone on the Helix. I've been playing the Fractal AX8 for years, but I just picked up the Helix Stomp today. I am VERY happy with it. The Badonk model is nothing like anything in the Fractal. Also, I don't treat modelers like one is better than the other, rather I treat them like separate amps. They all have their different tones, so you might as well have all of them. Lol

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

That’s a F’ng great attitude to have! Thanks for the love and support. Keep making music and stay safe!

[@Buzzwilder]

I was on the fence between a Helix and a Kemper this video convinced me to buy a Helix. Awesome!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Right on Brother!

[@malcolmrowe5031]

good to hear a sound that's not overdone with bass, most guitarists overdo the bass and it doesn't go in the overall mix well, f you want more drive add also a second clean sound but low down in the mix to give it more intelligibility

[@AndiKravljaca]

I was watching you drop that overdrive in there, and going no, there should be an EQ first! I'm glad I kept watching :-) awesome tone!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Yeah man. It doesn’t always need the EQ first but I find it helps with some tones. Especially with the baritone

[@samvarma]

Dude thanks for this! Just picked up Helix Native, and needed some pointers. Great tone you ended up with. Opened my eyes to the sculpting possibilities. Cheers!

[@unstablesun8179]

I just entered this preset, sounds awesome! Great info on the EQ settings! I'm using the OwnHammer FMAN pack.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Super stoked it’s working for you!

[@b2theaker]

Thank you, you made it so much easier to understand the Hx interface

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Awesome. That’s what I’m always hoping for

[@paulgregory6282]

didnt really enjoy everything i got off of the badonk until i dialed and tweaked some of these. thanks!

[@sh3zad690]

Hi Nick, thanks a lot for this walkthrough. I just got a helix and powercab and I was under the impression that I'd get the same tones while playing as what I hear in videos such as these. Is that a "wrong expectation"? My tone sounds ok but not chunky and fat like yours in this video. Do i need to record it in order to get that result? I have a fairly decent guitar that has mahogany body and SD Blackwinters.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Yes, You’ll need to build tones for playing“live.”

[@ADStudiosOfficial]

Can you make a new modern metal tone using the new firmware updates? Love this video but would also like to see an updated video using the new features. Thank you.

[@justinellis9465]

I'm definitely interested in hearing a clean tone.

[@patrickcaelan]

Tons of great info and sounds super clear and tight. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Absolutely man! I’m glad this info is helpful

[@SouvikRoyChowdhury]

checked all of your videos...thanks for putting such an effort...it means a lot for us...Please made a john petrucci riff and lead tone if possible...!!!

[@Locoandchooch]

Actually the first dirty tone you called muddy, sounded really good, like a Mesa Mark IV.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Fair enough, but I was going for a tighter, modern metal tone in this one (like the title says). Thanks for the feedback man

[@thedaver8]

"We're not Devin Townsend here." LOL

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Like that? Lol

[@josephjacky94]

hey nick, just a few month earlier got to know about helix. dont know much about mixing and tone making(in plugins). your videos are big help for me... Cant thank you enough for sharing your knowledge with us. i only get high end noisy and boxed sound. And cant hit the sweet spot for clean tone :( cheers \m/

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Clean tones are tough. I have a couple good ones. I should make a video on them! Cheers man. Keep at it

[@benjaminvillarreal1499]

Check out Jonathan Cordy's tones. Lots of good clean tones. Especially "clean your life".

[@prometheusfallen]

We're gonna try this in the next couple of days, and I'll feedback later. Thank you SO MUCH for the tute!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Hope it works out man. Remember though, this is for recording so some tweaking will be needed for a live tone if that's what you're using it for. I'm not sure why assumed that's what you're using it for. I'm rambling. Peace out and good luck!

[@prometheusfallen]

@@NickHillMakesMusic LMFAO! No worries on the assumption or rambling. 😂 We're using it for recording, so should be pretty close to 1 to 1. 😉 Thanks so much again for this!

[@prometheusfallen]

@@NickHillMakesMusic dude! Would you like to hear your tone on the remake of one of our death metal songs from 25 years ago? Keep in mind, we re-recorded everything, and it does have death vocals. O.... M.... G..... 😳

[@prometheusfallen]

@@NickHillMakesMusic drive.google.com/file/d/1Z7sSJP7Ps1ZoqDJkwQZ-8iB9tyf0OE7P/view?usp=drivesdk

[@TMac-Attack]

Awesome demo, thanks!!

[@luistobar9465]

I bought this, it's freaky awesome !

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Yeah man!

[@pinguinJkeke]

Very useful advices. Thank you!

[@donovanrebbechi3334]

most of the line 6 demos I've seen, the tone is a bit thin. The "badonk" has a really nice mid range thump, and also sounds really tight with the screamer up front (with the 808 in front of it it reminds me of a peavey 6505 or XXX) . The pre-eq, gating and especially the EQ after the cabs helps clean it up but it already sounds pretty good at about 3:48 (with the 808, amp, and whatever was in those R blocks)

[@nick8690]

Such a fantastic tutorial - thank you so much! Would also love to see one for a clean tone. May I ask what kind of headphones you use?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Nick thanks so much man. Clean tone idea in the works. I’m using Beyerdynamics DT 990 Pro

[@dayslane]

Love this patch, I’ve set this up on my helix and it’s amazing. Any chance of a metal clean patch at some point?

[@AnthraXFPS]

Sounds amazing dude

[@prometheusfallen]

"Because I'm an expert in speakers" 😂

[@666hgl666]

great works as alway nick hill, thanks to share all your works .

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Ha! You got it man! Hope it helps

[@MyIronman33]

This is exactly the tone I've been trying to get. Not having any knowledge with IR's this really helped me find a starting point. You earned a subscribe sir.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Super glad to help man!

[@Jocepos]

Excellent 😂 Subscribed.

[@lesserkey]

this was a very good vid. Thank you! I subscribed!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Welcome! Thanks for the sub

[@7REDDRACO7]

thanx for the great vid and chillaxing instructional. ithrash. so what if likei have a sextet of some 12" and 15" custom speakers, can I just plug this into it and thrash? ihave one delta pro12A , a Jensen 12" tornado 80, Jensen 12"raptor100, eminence 12" screamin eagle, Jensen 10" Falcon40, celestion G12H creamback. iuse 8 string with fluence and bareknuckle pickups.

[@ScottStipkovich]

Awesome stuff man thanks a bunch, any chance you could do one aimed towards more metalcore stuff with some more low end? :)

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Scott Stipkovich thanks man and bro..., my dude! Roll up some bass on the amp model and maybe the depth a bit. Boom. More low end.

[@TheMackyD]

Hey loved the video. I'm thinking of grabbing one myself but I'm stuck between getting the helix rack or the helix LT. Which one would you recommend?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Daniel Mackenzie if you’re planned on playing live, grab the LT. Both can produce the same sounds

[@TheMackyD]

​@@NickHillMakesMusic oh okay I didn't realise that. Thank you!

[@stephenmassie7]

I like those ML Sound Lab IRs. I found their site but the purchasing options were british pounds. Do they have a seperate site that takes US Dollars?

[@khayrobs]

Vitalism Pagan part 2 Im trying to get that palm mutey, heavy picking, lower gain higher resolution/saturated sound at the beginning of that song. I think this might help. Thank you.

[@jasonsaunders5637]

Thanks man , this vid has helped a lot 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Good man! I’m always stoked to help people out

[@manosassassin]

Hi Nick, which do you prefer, the MESA pack by ML soundlab, or the MESA packs from Ownhammer?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

OwnHammer all day.

[@Robert-yr2tw]

i have a real important question someone help me please. I use a mesa triple rec with no effects and I play a PRS GEN 3. I am not wanting to steal the sound of my current raw setup but only want to use a few effects with it like reverb and chorus etc. will this line 6 let me taylor my sound without taking away my mesa sound ?

[@silent-sand]

Thanks very usefull and pleasant to watch...did you make a clean sound vid?...

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I did. There a clean play though and then an explanation video as well

[@silent-sand]

@@NickHillMakesMusic yep cool there's a lot of vids...so I'm gonna dive in your universe and become a lot more intelligent about helix sounds :-) ...there I go...thanks again

[@silent-sand]

Hep Nick can you tell me witch one is the clean vid plz?didn't catch it..

[@datacourier2944]

Hi Nick, I am learning the guitar and looking for something to avoid buying an amp and a combo as I want to keep playing using headphones. I narrowed my search down to L6 Stomp and Helix LT. I could save up for Helix but for a guitar newb it seems like an absolute overkill price-wise. So the question is, can I fit a metal patch into the 6 slots the Stomp provides? I'd love to have that amp emulation, distortion, noise gate and room echo in there, all in my headphones to achieve those Slipknot, Metallica, Slayer, Rammstein and other iconic sounds.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Absolutely! The HX stomp would be a perfect solution for you man.

[@erik9817]

Those are some iconic sounds! I myself just got Helix Native and will try to double track with the SansAmp PSA-1 for the Rammstein sound. The question is, do I use the PSA-1 with or without IRs... Preliminary results following this video are very encouraging and I'd love a clean video! I really liked the EQ and reverb tips here! I'm using OH Cali duo IR pack.

[@curmudgeonmahnruf]

Nice video. I'm trying to learn and apply those EQ tricks. So, what do you think about the Helix amp modelers? I would not try to make a modeler sound the same as a real amp, but I would like to know if modelers can sound as good as real amps, in its own way

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I'm glad my tips are helping you out. I think amp modelers can be tweaked so much so, that you can create your own version of an amp if you will. I love having control of all sorts of settings but you can easily get lost in it.

[@julienperrocheau2247]

Hello Nick!! What an interesting vidéo! Thanks a lot! I got a REVV Generator 100 mk2 tube head with the Helix LT...Do you think i can apply these settings to my gear so as to play it live? Have a good day ! Julien.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Thanks for watching man. I’m sure you can use the LT in your FX loop to get similar results. Unfortunately, I do not have an amp to experiment with so I can’t answer with any level of certainly. Cheers

[@julienperrocheau2247]

Thanks you Nick...i'm gonna try your settings with my AMP and see what it will match! 😜

[@denisbumbu3012]

Hi Nick,I am looking for some IRs for my helix lt,but....when I bought a pack from ownhammer.....hundreds of them....but most of them I don't like.Normaly for daily use I need between 5 and 10 cabs.Can you recommend something?And a question about EQ ....you used 3 of them....why to not use one in the end of chain?And maybe stupid question but how to know what to cut and what to bust in EQ?Sorry for long message, many thanks.And can you give what cabs you used in this preset?

[@oIIETERNALIIo]

I like the outro lol.

[@satansfittesleker]

You rock man! I bought the ML Mega pack, and used it on my 7-string. I dont know what to do tho, it sounds beast but not as sharp as yours, good enough as a newb.

[@luistobar9465]

Better than Own hammer cabs?

[@satansfittesleker]

@@luistobar9465 I would def say so! Worth it

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I love Ownhammer stuff too though. These just sound great and with fewer mic positions, you get down to business a bit faster

[@satansfittesleker]

@@NickHillMakesMusic Since you are a god at explaining and have alot of good info about how to set up a good tone, why cant you give us a lead/solo guitar? How to modify this tone to make it cut more in the mix at solos or even as a lead? Think this one is a goddamn good rythm tone none the less :)

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I’ll see what I can do

[@theoneeyedmilkman1517]

Fair play sounds pretty good

[@chrisasmith75]

This video was pure magic. Do you prefer ml sound labs or ownhammer for irs?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I love Ownhammer. I’ve tried a few different brands and they are good, but there’s some warmer and more real about the ownhammer stuff

[@chrisasmith75]

@@NickHillMakesMusic That's fantastic news since ownhammer is much cheaper than ml studio in Canada. What's a good ownhammer or for modern metal?

[@chrisasmith75]

@@NickHillMakesMusic ir not or.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I’m in love with the Zilla 412 right I wanna but one of my favorites is the OH 412 TRAD which is part of the Cali duo pack

[@chrisasmith75]

@@NickHillMakesMusic I am going to try both of those. They are priced so reasonably over the ml sound labs irs.

[@pokerfacemonks]

Cool man. I’ll try this tonight.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Hope it helps man. Let us know. Cheers!

[@pokerfacemonks]

Hey! I followed the parameters to a tee! Except the IR’s. :( I don’t have those. I looked at ML and the Mega cab pack is $33. But, I just watched another video you posted (to learn) about IR’s and I’ll be going to Ownhammer this weekend to see what I can DL. The sound is pretty tight! But, it’s obviously missing the meatyness of those MESA cabs! Do you have and suggested cab IR’s from Ownhammer that are comparable to the Mega Oversize Cab Pack!? Thanks Nick!

[@Ymiraku]

dude you got a tight ass tone at the end there. Btw what do you think of the friedman impulses from ownhammer compared to the mesa ones?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Thanks man! That’s actually one can I haven’t tried! I do you recommend them?

[@quantummassless]

Best helix vids hands down

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Wow man. Thanks so much. I appreciate the kind words.

[@quantummassless]

@@NickHillMakesMusic Naw dude, you got it all wrong see. It is I who appreciate you, good sir. Keep up the good work.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Well, I know that I used to search high and low when I was learning all of this stuff. If I can help others by sharing some knowledge, I’m all about it. I’m no expert but perhaps it helps people make their music and be creative. That’s my jam. Cheers man

[@biggmigg22m32]

Great tips bro!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Hope they help Lan! Report back and let me know

[@justinellis9465]

Thanks for sharing this tone.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Awesome man. I have a few clean, ambient tones

[@tysoncrawley1059]

shit those first IR's sounded pretty fucken tough though, dull, but ballsy and awesome!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Tyson Crawley yeah man, I keep going back to the Ownhammer Impulses. They are just so pleasing sounding

[@brazdaz69]

Any particular reason why your using the MPT impulses? I've been curious about them as I see them both in OwnHammer and ML Sound Lab Packs. I know what MPT stands for just not really sure of when or why they would be used instead of the normal IR's? Thanks and keep the great tone tutorials coming, would love to see how you dial in a gnarly bass tone and getting it to gel with your guitars. Cheers

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I don’t always use em. They are good to have if you want to blend ANY other MPT impulse without and should not have much if any phase issues. Great suggestion on the bass tone!

[@bugathrash229]

HELLO from France and THANK YOU SO MUUUUCHHH!! Very great sound!!! Awesome.. BRAVO! So, i'm in D tuning DGCFAD (i'm fan of DEATH and Chuck Schuldiner sound) Do you have any advice to approach your sound with my tuning? (Jackson warrior with Dimarzio X2N and Evolution neck,Helix and 2 ALTO speakers TS212) You have modernized the sound and I see Death playing with something like that today, with this type of current sound and well METALLL! 1000 thanks man! Bye!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I’m in Dropped C which is what you’re tuned to but with my lose string dropped so you should be able to use any of my tones and sound great. Thanks for the kind words. Cheers

[@bugathrash229]

@@NickHillMakesMusic You're ma new God....After Chuck Schuldiner rip. But on my facebook page I talk about you and advertise!!! Cheers and thank you!

[@Dommi2001]

is there a way to implement a clean tone in this preset, that you can switch to with one stomp?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Oh I’m sure. It’s a matter of disabling the OD pedal, dripping the gain or adding a second amp to engage with the snapshot

[@Senira322]

this is soo good!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Thanks man! Hope it helps

[@yaredcastillo8104]

Hey Nick. I'm thinking on buying Helix Native. Is it as good as the Hardware version like your rack?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

My machine is able to run it with no perceived latency. It is dependent on your interface. Play around with your buffer size. If you need an explanation of that, head over to The Bunn’s channel and the following video kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZaqgqGrha5pbck Cheers and good luck!

[@NickandShan]

You're like the Bob Ross of tones

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

This is by far my favorite comment my Dude!

[@vince8081]

great tone here

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Vince 80 thanks man! I appreciate it and thanks for stopping by

[@silent079]

I followed along with this tutorial and created the exact same patch step by step, block by block, setting by setting. I even bought and used the same IR's he used in this video. My result was far better then anything ive managed to get out of my helix thus far but still extremely underwhelming and it doesn't sound anywhere near as good as the video. Now granted, our outputs are different, seems like he is using headphones/studios monitors, whereas I am using a Friedman ASC12. It is nonetheless incredibly frustrating. It shouldn't be this difficult to get good high gain tones from a Helix, especially considering the price point. Btw, Nick if you read this, im not griping at you. I really appreciate you taking the time to do these videos and I love your content. Thank you.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I’m wondering if you should be using an IR block with your cab. It may be like running an amp into a cab into a cab which would make it sound dark and dull. Experiment with removing cab. Situations like this seek to be the exceptions man. There are plenty of people getting quality sounds out of this. Keep experimenting. When I’ve used my tones with my power amp into a cab, it needs to be quite different.

[@silent079]

@@NickHillMakesMusic Thanks for the reply man. Im gonna try running this patch through my studio monitors tonight when I get home. I somehow feel the results will be different. I'll post a follow up comment to let you know how it turned out. Also, the Friedman ASC12 is an FRFR cab it is made to be used with impulse responses. If I were using a passive cab, like my actual Mesa 4x12, I would agree with disabling the IR blocks. I dont know man, I learning that this whole thing is a journey. But I appreciate you!!!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

@@silent079 Yeah, I just figured I'd suggest turning off the block. Keep plugging away. I'm certain you'll be a pleased man. I gain nothing from them. I just know I've been pleased with the Helix once I mastered it, ya know>

[@julienperrocheau2247]

Hello Nick! Do you think these settings would work with the REVV Generator instead of the Badonk? Could you please do a lesson on how to dial a modern metal sound with the REVV with IR? 🙏🤘❤️! Thanks. Julien from France.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I’m actually working on a Revv video right now!

[@julienperrocheau2247]

ouch!!! it will be very hard for me to wait for that!!! i got a REVV Generator 100mk2 tube amp but i'd like to see how it could sound with the helix!!! thanks man!!!

[@ATX0705]

Some questions : What headphones are you using here? What is another somewhat affordable pair of headphones that would sound good with the Helix? And last can you get these tones with the Helix LT? The tone your getting here sounds fantastic. It sounds like the real deal. Thanks in advance!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I'm using the DT990 Pro's by beyerdynamics, in the past, I've used the Audio Technica ATH m30x's or the Sony MDR 7506's with some success. The key is to "know," where you headphones color along the spectrum range i.e. the Sony's have a big spike in the high end around 10k. If you are aware of that, you know things will sound bright and harsh at times. Reference other stuff on whatever you end up using. Train your ears. All of these sounds can be achieved with the LT! Thanks, man.

[@ATX0705]

@@NickHillMakesMusic Thanks for all that info!

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Absolutely man! Good questions

[@karolkozak64]

Hey Nick, I realized I was commenting on an old thread of yours. Did you find tweaking the global EQ settings on your helix too or do you have it set to default/factory? I wonder if you ended up applying some HPF and LPF on your unit for overall better 'mix-ready' sound. thx! good stuff

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

That’s a great question. I am using global EQ. I’ll make a video of what I’m doing. Great idea!

[@karolkozak64]

@@NickHillMakesMusic cool man! looking forward to it

[@napoleonvillela2981]

Hey! Coul you tell us how can we get IR for Helix? And I want to know if there is some IR to emulate Vocoder Boss? Sorry for my bad english 😅 thanks!

[@khayrobs]

Really nice.

[@theinterworks]

Dope! Sounds sick. Little harsh there at the end dude, but good vid none the less

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Thanks, man. It's all jokes. I don't show my personality very often but I'm pretty sarcastic. I'll put a trigger warning next time ;)

[@theinterworks]

Lol

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Thanks for having a sense of humor bro! Cheers

[@theinterworks]

Absolutely brother!

[@stephencollins6278]

Great video. I have been struggling to get anything like a good tone with the Helix rack. I just want the good old days when you plugged in and played. Seems like they are gone so I have to learn how to do this stuff. I have to admit, I am nearly ready to send the Helix back. I just don't like constantly trying different sounds just to get a sound that sort of gives a barely ok tone. I think your video is the Helix's last chance to impress. What I would like to ask is why all of the settings give such stupidly low and subtle changes (when I do them) and yet I can hear quite obvious changes in your settings when listening to your video? I have to get violent with the dials to get anything much to happen. I also find that I can't get any definition from the sounds I get. If I riff it just sounds mashed into one noise and one horrible sound, and yet I have an old Zoom palm studio (1990's) that gives me pretty good tones for what it is. I just can't get anything to sound good on this rack thingy. I've been playing for 37 years so I don't think it is my playing that is causing this as I would have noticed this a long time ago, although I am sure there are many who would disagree with me.... Any ideas of how to stop it from sounding like it is in a box? You have a rich tone, mine seems pretty boxy and dead?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Give me some time to put some thought into this man. There are just so many variables.

[@stephencollins6278]

@@NickHillMakesMusic thanks for your reply. Any help you can give would be great. I know there are so many things that make a good sound. Love the videos, keep them coming Nick.

[@DaltonPeters1]

Nick this tone is nuts. This might be a stupid question but how would you recommend modifying this if I was running into an actual power amp/speakers? I assume removing the IRs is the obvious part

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Yep. You’ll need to turn off the IRs and definitely tweak the low end to the can you’re using. Cheers my man!

[@DaltonPeters1]

@@NickHillMakesMusic Thanks man I hope you keep making stuff like this. Your videos are really informative, while still being straightforward and fun to watch. That's a unique combo

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Right man? So glad I’m able to help. No plans for stopping any time soon. Thanks for being here and thanks for the support

[@datacourier2944]

Did you compare the Helix products with Fractal? It looks like the default sounds the Fractal sounds warmer / nicer. But may be completely irrelevant once you get into custom IRs.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I don’t have any fractal products to compare it to

[@portainfericz]

Hi Nick, do you know, if Helix Native SW sounds the same like HW helix ? Thx

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

It does.

[@KaldDodeGitarist]

Didnt expect opeth when I came to this video \m/

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Ha! One of my all time favorite bands

[@KaldDodeGitarist]

@@NickHillMakesMusic same. The whole reason I use helix and variax

[@CasDKK]

Dumb question i guess. I didnt get it through the video, do you need the ml cabs for getting the final sound? Sounds amazing though! Gonna try this soon.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Not a dumb question at all. When I started working on the tone, I had been using an OwnHammer IR. I prefer them and they are my go to IR supplier. ML is newish to the IR market or at least to IRs outside of the Fractal world. If you go through my Tone video and tone explanation videos, I will note which IRs I use. Cheers man!

[@CasDKK]

Awesome man! Thanks for fast response 👍

[@apeman939]

so you have your guitar connected into your helix, which is connected to your compouter. What's your amp or your output? Did you just upload the recording track? I want a helix for metal, but don't what to hook it to. Any thoughts man?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Check out this video and if you still have questions, I’ll help you out. Using Line 6 Helix as Audio Interface on Windows kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5abmJtojNWKZq8

[@apeman939]

Nick Hill damn man, thanks for the quick reply. You’re the man

[@ctld5266]

Contrary to what you said, you are using Ownhammer IR of the Mesa Trad (the OH 01-05 is typic)

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

yep, and if you watch further, you see I switch to the ML IR's. Thanks for watching though

[@blackie75]

I'm buying a Helix instead of building a pedal board. I really fucking hope I'm not doing the wrong thing lol. I only play at home and record, so I figured there would be so many more options with the Helix and I wouldn't have to mic up an amp to record.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

The best advice I can give you is to learn the gear. Dive in. Watch videos. Read manuals. You will get there. I think a lot of us give up too soon and don’t realize what these things can do, Line 6 or otherwise

[@NickMarengo]

Any reason why my line 6 badonk sounds nothing like it does in this video? followd the instructions and mine is super gainy. Tried on 2 guitars as well.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I haven’t had any one really having any issues and without knowing what’s going on with your setup, it’d be impossible for me to even answer that.

[@NickMarengo]

@@NickHillMakesMusic Yeah I need to play around some more thanks for the quick response and super helpful video

[@mainesstation2609]

Yo bro you get a thumbs up from me thank u.. see u in the next one..

[@fernandodeargueso8351]

Congratulations, it's a fantastic tone !. could you post it on Line6 Custom tone? or indicate a way to achieve it? Thank you

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Thank you! If you follow along, you can easily duplicate it

[@jonasbjrnkrlarsen5875]

witch one of the irs are you using.. there are like 100's

[@johngranzberg9586]

what are the 2 impulse responses used? and is there any stock cab in the helix that could substitute them instead?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I go over all of this in the video my dude. Also, yes, you can do all of his with stock cabs with some tweaking and adjusting

[@johngranzberg9586]

@@NickHillMakesMusic yea my bad I posted my question before listening to the whole video, thanks man! Also I just found your other video pertaining to using stock cab models. Thanks a ton for responding and for doing all this work so we don't have to!!!

[@koupoman]

I don't understand what the 3rd EQ stand for. Can't you boost the frequencies you boosted on the 3rd EQ on the 2nd EQ ? I don't understand what would be the difference

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

The good news is, you can try and do what every you’d like. I do things they eat I do them because I notice and hear a difference. But we have one thing in common, I don’t understand stuff too, like how this question is productive or constructive. Thanks for watching!

[@koupoman]

@@NickHillMakesMusic thx for the answer man, I'll try both and see what's going on, I'm still a beginner at sculpting sound and hope my new helix will help figuring out more easily what's going on here ! :)

[@TruthHurts2u]

I'm a little confused. You made those EQ's after the IR's mono, doesn't that negate the stereo paths? Or am I making a wrong assumption and that is what you're going for?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

I’m not using the paths to go for anything stereo, instead, I’m using the paths to blend the two cabs.

[@mr.nervedamagegaming8050]

You suffer from the same issue that I do apparently, lol. Way back towards the beginning of the video you had gotten close to what you "wanted" out of the tone... skip to the end and the tone you ended up with sounds completely different haha. I sort of know what would be the "perfect tone", but then once I start making one... I edit the damn thing into oblivion. When I'm done I "think" that I like it, but once I step away for a few minutes and come back, it's a huge "nope", lol. I liked the thicker... bassier tone you had going towards the beginning... but obviously some low end would be to be taken out. Again though, I'm the same way, I'll try to simply do that and end up sucking all of the life out of everything else as well.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Oh man you can easily edit it into oblivion. I’ve definitely narrowed down what I look for in my metal tones. Another variable that people can get lost on is IR choice. There are just far too many

[@anthonyespinoza2898]

Can you use fractal irs like the heavy hitters pack with the helix?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

you cannot use Fractal specific IRs with the Helix but if you are refering to the Ownhammer Heavy Hitters collection, they include compatible IRs for the helix

[@anthonyespinoza2898]

So do I have to buy them from the “line 6 marketplace” portion? Or will the heavy hitters I use in cab lab work as well?

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

If you bought from ownhammer, you already have the files. They are .wav files. Check the folders you downloaded

[@alienlovesecrets9379]

The Helix rocks if you spend time. Great tone really, no doubt if one has ears. But in all that time you can learn 3 new songs or improve your phrasing instead of fuck knobs, so I sold my Helix. Now I plug into my Kemper and make music. No knob fucking any more. Instant musicality and always killer sound.

[@NickHillMakesMusic]

Right on man! Whatever gets you making music. Where can we hear your tracks? Always down to support another musician.

[@shaymiantewhau3014]

Your voice is like ASMR