Using The Parametric EQ on the Line 6 Helix

[@pauliestorm]

I know I'm 5 years late but thanks for this!!

[@andrewbettis4247]

This was great and it makes me really wish that I had my guitar teachers when I was a kid also teaching me about frequency and EQ with respect to electric guitar tone because being able to dial in a good sound makes so much of a difference in your playing experience and learning experience...

[@andrewjackson829]

Andrew Bettis me too. Mine was good but now looking back I wish he had taught me a few other things like changing strings. He assumed I knew. No I was 14. And other things. But hey I was lucky I had a human in person giving me lessons.

[@adamdegraff]

Hey. This is great. Your sharing is really generous. Also, you rock, and that helps. Thank you for taking the time to show this so clearly!

[@78tag]

I take this type of advice over the SADITES style any day of the week. Shorter, simpler, more practical. More EQ'ing - less E-GO'ing. Great job bud. This difference between Richie's ego and Sadites' is the same difference as the EQ'ing improvement -Richie wins by a long shot.

[@MrStephenlederle]

Hell of a tip, Richie. What an immense help. I focused in on the brittle plastic (digital) high frequency and now my tones are so much better!

[@juanvaldez5422]

Which did you find were culprits? I found around 7.1 as high as 11.1 11.2. Also on some, 3.2 ish? Sound about right?

[@MrStephenlederle]

Juan Valdez actually I find on every patch that 2.6-2.8 is ear shatteringly brittle and harsh. I also pull up the 10 band EQ after the amp block and cut the 32 hz and the 16k 100%. For my uses this seems to help a lot.

[@itpdx1rrobinson]

Being a beginner this really made sense and opened up new doors. Thanks!

[@Monto1985xz]

I found your channel 5 minutes ago and I already see a lot of learning potential in here. I always was an overdrive-only type of guy and got into FX modelling recently. I'm very excited with the idea that a member of BOC can help me with my guitar playing. My actual question comes next.

[@mwj5150]

Love this. I wish the Helix parametric was laid out a little different as in a horizontal layout like the software you used. Just easier to visualize it similar to a graphic old school eq

[@brendanbyrne3028]

Incredibly helpful, thanks Richie.

[@Tremonti78]

Thanks for your efforts Ritchie! Awesome!

[@sjsphotog]

great video Richie. thanks keep em coming and keep on rockin!

[@DamianS1893]

Excellent information. Thank you for sharing

[@randlejam]

Very useful! Thanks for this Richie!

[@gabrielestriuli1178]

Very good video...in a live situation ( direct PA) low cut 120hz and hicut 8khz is a good startpoint.

[@kelvinwong9020]

Thanks for the great tutorial!!

[@florianb.7592]

Brilliant, thank you!

[@DerBaglamaci]

Thank you very much! That was very helpful!

[@andrewnicola4336]

Great video!

[@slimvillan]

Interesting stuff,thank you

[@GaetanoloSurdo]

Hi Richie ,good job!Thanks

[@ryandove3586]

Thanks for all the great helix tutorials! I have a challenge i am tring to do without buying the digi feedback pedal Trying to set up a digital pedal within the helix to do something like the digi feedback pedal does but also momentary with the foot controller on the helix. Any ideas?

[@jdbruh6709]

Hey Richie, i really enjoy your videos, you give great tips. Can you do some videos on using the line 6 helix with pro tools?

[@edwardflores2599]

Love it I just had that happen to me and now I have another tool How do you create snapshots in your preset

[@bbqchickenrobot3]

Is there a known reason for the quality loss after recording? Is that a protools things? or is that common even in hardware recording professional tools/mixers, etc?

[@TheSouthernCrossband]

Hi Richie, I know you use / endorse Line 6 gear. Have you tried to use the Helix into the DT series amps like the dream rig set up that used to be available on the HD Pods, since the 2.8 update has made this facility available? I'm slowly setting mine up that way now, bypassing all the Amp models in the Helix, and using the actual valve models in the DT, so the Helix will simply be for FX and channel switching the amp. I know you did a video on switching channels on the DT via the Helix prior to the Dream rig type compatibility being brought back, but would be interested to see someone who knows this rig actually do it and demonstrate it's pluses and minuses as opposed to running direct to the desk or into other amps. .

[@marknalley7177]

I use Ableton live, is there a similar EQ feature to what you are using in protools that I can buy or that comes with it that I can use? Does the EQ you used come with pro-tools? or is it a third party purchase?

[@JerryCastaldo_NYC]

Very helpful.

[@shellsjoint]

very helpful!!

[@annonuhm617]

Very good explanation of how to use a parametric EQ, but I was tought: If it takes that much EQ to sound ok, you better use a different amp.

[@RichieCastellano]

That's true, but this is hardly too much EQ. When I pull out the 10 band and start doing 20 db boosts and cuts, then that's heavy EQ. This is pretty normal for mixing.

[@annonuhm617]

Some have 10 band EQs in their amp's effects loop, some consider anything more than a low cut and a little compression too much, and would rather buy another boutique amp or microphone to get their sound. I guess we could agree on the old "if it sounds good it is good" :)

[@RichieCastellano]

Anno Nühm my point is, you can take the greatest amp in the world and record it with the best microphones, and by the time it gets to a mixing engineer, they're gonna use EQ. It's not about the amp sounding bad, it's about making it fit in the mix. I don't understand why you're looking at EQ as a bad thing when every record we listen to has EQ on it.

[@annonuhm617]

Looking at EQ as a bad thing? Who said that? It's just not my first choice in the "achieve a good recorded guitar sounds" catalog. I make the sound with my fingers, a guitar and an amp and a microphone and certain pedals and speakers, not with the EQ. And i use EQ to make place for the vocals, leave room for the bass, whatever. But i touch a good guitar sound as little as i can, once i found it. That's MY point. Your video just reminded me of my endless tries to make a guitar sound "sit in the mix" 10 years ago. Some day i discovered that in the days of easy reamping with thousands of guitar sounds available in your daw within seconds, it's way easier to FIND a sound that sits in the mix, than to MAKE one fit by applying a lot of EQ. I would have never done that bump at 360 Hertz (1:53), i would have found a preset/profile (Kemper user here) with an amp that fills that frequency and fits into the song by it's own natural sound. Of course i would have done the same roll off in the highs and low cut. But as i said, if it sounds good it is good and people have different methods to achieve that.

[@RichieCastellano]

Anno Nühm You said that if you have to use too much EQ, you're better off trying a different amp. I'm saying this isn't too much EQ. This video is for people who like their presets but can't get them to cut with a band.

[@rodanrock]

If I use the HX STOMP at the end of my pedalboard chain, but I want to equalize my amps to tubes, is this possible with this device? I have two randall in stereo mode, and a tc electronic plethora x5 for the effects loop. I would like to use the hx stomp for the preamp to change the tonalities of my dist, or would it be better to go for a Boss MIDI EQ-200? I have read that Source Audio has another EQ in midi mode. good video, greetings

[@Monto1985xz]

I want a helix but need to do some saving first. I own a zoom G5n, which has a parametric eq but it allows only one 1 band per FX block. Will I be able to alter my sound just like you did by chaining 4 of them together while choosing the right frequencies and presets?

[@steverushforth7009]

thank you great vidieo

[@AlexisGitarre]

You got the award for the cheesiest chord progression! ;-)

[@RichieCastellano]

AlexisGitarre I aim to cheese.

[@ryanreeves8931]

II V I???

[@RichieCastellano]

Ryan Reeves V vi IV

[@ryanreeves8931]

Richie Castellano yes, the cheesiest Prog is the two five one !!

[@jmaccess]

What does the Q stand for for Mid Q, Low Q, High Q? And what does it do? Thanks!!!!

[@TheRobGuard]

Q generally means in an EQ how narrow or wide the boost/cut gonna be...

[@aspicrockbandguadeloupe1637]

Q factor is the frequency divided by the bandwidth...

[@Zappabain]

I'm sure in the Helix the smaller the Q the thinner the EQ peak, so it seems it works opposite than that DAW plugin.

[@Chris_L034]

is this the spot to make requests? i've got 2. Word Up by Cameo and Sailing by Christopher Cross Thx.

[@Zappabain]

In Helix Paramrtric EQ the smaller the Q the narrower the EQ peak applied.

[@GtrMan863]

I'm using a velocity 300 power amp and plugging it into a Blackstar 2x12 , i'm using the settings as if it was plugged into a PA speaker, after thinking about this using a guitar speaker as opposed to a full range pa speaker what can i do ? I love the natural sound of the line 6 cabs and IR'S but they do not sound so good with my setup, can you help me? how would you hook this up and what settings would you use to incorporate the cabs and IR'S you mentioned an EQ would this help

[@chelseadowning594]

With a guitar cab, you’ll need to turn off your cab sims/IRS. Unless you’re feeding to front of house. Then just run a line before your cab sim or IR that’s splits off into your guitar cab. Then keep the line with your cabsim/IR running to the XLR line. If you choose to use a powered pa speaker, (I do this and man, it is awesome for me. I just use it at home to edit my patches and practice. Live I go straight to the board and use floor monitors if I’m not using in ears. It’s heaven honestly.) just make sure that if there is an EQ on the powered speaker, turn it off. Run it completely flat. If you used a power amp and a PA speaker, you should be good as well. The sound will come out like it should. I hope that made some bit of sense. A powered behringer is what I use. And I love it.

[@JoeAmaral427]

Anybody know what DAW he is using?

[@GtrMan863]

Hi Rich, can this be done in Studio one 3?

[@RichieCastellano]

GriffinGTR you can do it on anything with a parametric EQ

[@pauljosse]

You cleaned up the bottom

[@cast390]

I dont suppose you can sub twice to the same channel, loved it. Thanks....

[@joelgouker9730]

Rich, would you recommend the same thing to make the sound you dial in on studio monitors sound good on PA speakers? I tend to have this issue both in a mix (with the live band) as well as solo - the sound is just different (flat, thin).

[@DrRussPhd]

You wouldn't have this problem if you were using a Kemper. :). Actually I remember you doing a parametric EQ vid for the POD HD 500 and it was a big help for me back when. Nice Ric basses you have hanging in the background.

[@RichieCastellano]

This is not a problem exclusive to any particular product. I've often experienced the same issue miking a real amp. That's what the EQ is there for. Might as well use it.

[@YatJac]

Nice presentation! Thank you.