Why I NEVER Use Amp+Cab on the Helix or HX Stomp

[@johnrigdon5308]

....I don't think I've ever asked a question on KZbin that inspired another video to be made....Thank you for the information!

[@chrismillett]

Good name. Solid name.

[@newstuff1107]

John for présidente!

[@jakeserafini1100]

John that’s a hell of a name ya got

[@sboy1955]

It was a good question 👍🏽

[@evanpujols]

Solid name bro

[@benjaminkoskinen5835]

Let’s take some time and just appreciate how sick & bonkers this little pedal is🔥 I’ve seen it so many times and it is probably properly hyped but damn… Line6 really nailed this.

[@Crabfather]

Another nice trick between amp and cab is the legacy tube compressor. Feels quite natural.

[@pandemic7]

Great idea, can’t wait to try it out tonight. Thanks!

[@seenochasm7101]

I appreciate the focused nature of your content - always know what to expect and enjoy it

[@serpensnovus9869]

As well the amp/cab point there are the fine details with a working musician's explanations of why you'd do that. I follow these preset videos in detail, trying out settings & what they do. In doing so I'm learning to make the HX Stomp my own. How to operate the HX Stomp without a computer is a skill worth having in performance. Still to achieve that magician's finger speed !!!! Thanks again John for the best guitar channel on KZbin.

[@ymelfilm]

just ordered the stomp xl but scared of the learning curve..

[@trentreimer130]

When you play your HX Stomp it always sounds a lot better than mine. Must be from a different batch 😉

[@jupiterssixthmoon3402]

change your master EQ on the helix is the answer

[@dimerocks123]

Another reason to use separate the cabs, including not using the Dual Cab block, is because you can invert the polarity at the mixer block if you use them in parallel for other cab sounds. There aren't a ton of combos that will be useful in this way but I've definitely found some great sounds doing this.

[@Chord_The_Seeker]

Excellent point. I never thought of that.

[@Rummy73]

Thank you for these insightful tips. Your approach makes a lot of sense. I like how a separate amp and cab/IR allows for auditioning of different sounds. Moreover, I like how it allows for placing effects between the amp and cab/IR like one could do with an analog amp FX loop or placing effects after the cab/IR, as if one was adding sounds from a studio mixing desk.

[@sboy1955]

Good rationale there. Since I’m using a Helix floor, I like to separate my cabs as well, 2 single cabs or IRs.. I run them parallel.

[@picksalot1]

Good points. On your advice from long ago, I started using a separate Amp and Cab for almost all my Presets. I don't use IR's, but it's good to know the combined Amp+Cab would be problematic for that. Thanks

[@33catch33]

I don’t remember where I read this but it was a posted by an engineer at L6. They implemented the amp and cab block because the hx stomp initially had fewer blocks on the signal chain available than we have now. Having the amp+cab blocks allowed users to utilize the dsp/blocks better but I suppose this is redundant now.

[@rogershermanmusic]

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the amp/cab option pre-dated the HX Stomp by a considerable margin...it's always been there in my Helix, and I think existed right from the beginning. Still very possible it was to make life easier on DSP hogs, but unlikely that it was implemented because of the Stomp.

[@johnnathancordy]

Also the pre-amps were there from the start too? I think?

[@seenochasm7101]

@@johnnathancordy that’s what I recall. Never used them but always saw them, even going back to the bean

[@ludlow555]

Dual cabs are everything

[@bryantwalley]

How do you determine when to use the Darth Vader Stomp vs when to use the StormTrooper Stomp ?

[@mei_music]

Hey John great tips! Two things, have you considered using a mono block- or a stereo width after the cab(s) block in order to avoid the hard panning when using the dual cabs? Also another reason for using a seperate block for the cabs is avoiding to perma press page >

[@slicksalmon6948]

This is a good example of how to build tones.

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

I wish there was a way to split the two afterwards. It'd be nice to select a combo just to get a taste of the sound first and then split them.

[@novaaxe]

What are your thoughts of combining a line 6 stomp with a pod go, specifically using the stomp for the Amp modeling and the overdrives, and using the pod go for all the modulations reverbs and coloring of your sound. This way you get the best of both worlds by having your overdrives in front of your amps and your modulation and color after the amps and getting the benefit of more buttons and a pedal.

[@Newnodrogbob]

You’re spending a grand at that point: why not just buy the Helix lt?

[@novaaxe]

Already had both pedals was interested if any has used them together

[@Newnodrogbob]

@@novaaxe fair enough.

[@gilguajardo7808]

Do you have any videos on setting up a preset as quickly and easily as you do?! I know repetition is part of making it look easy like you do, but gosh the manual doesn’t seem to explain as well as I’d like.

[@CMHobbies]

You still have the gold strat! 😎😍I’ve missed it.

[@marinimporttv5911]

Please do a video about Input Gain on Helix Native. Helix floor and Helix Native sound drastically different. Thank you!

[@400_billion_suns]

They sound identical if the input level is correct. With the Helix Floor, sending USB7 into Native should give identical results to the hardware processing. When using 3rd party interfaces, though, it’s a bit of a guessing game, and many people set the input to Native higher than it should be.

[@johnnathancordy]

Or lower I'd guess? Like you say, it's a guessing game....

[@metalmover]

Where does line6 account for power tubes. Is it in the amp section or the cab section. I’d hope it’s the cab section that has power tubes so you could do wet effects after preamp and before power tubes.

[@sjsphotog]

great tips JNC

[@jaredemery6189]

Hey John. I have ordered all your Helix packs. But today I am not after sound, I am wondering what systems/scales/patterns you use in your soloing? It's smooth and delicate. I am just keen for what goes on in your mind when you play. :D

[@Ashleyluscombe]

Hey John, great content as always. Where did you get that IR? Sounds great!

[@azizanarkhy5496]

DIST > AMP > EQ > CAB > REVERB

[@roncarter2188]

And I thought I was the only one......great video.

[@omardegante3483]

I just bought your general patches for helix/stomp but how do i download them? :C

[@ksharpe10]

Line 6 helix should be paying JNC for doing all these. he sells more of these units. If Tonex pedal was smart they would pay him to do stuff with their Photo/type/tone captures to bring them up to a more usable product. IF THEY WERE SMART!!!!

[@Stoffendous]

Hi John, question: I currently run a Ampero II Stomp in 4cm with my Mesa Boogie Mark V 25, and a Celestion V30 1x12 cab. I mostly use the Mesa preamp, and the modeller for effects. However, I am quite intrigued by stereo, and combining multiple cabs. I don't really know what speakers to use in the room to get proper sound through. I recon I need 10-12 inch speakers to have proper bass response? What speakers do you use? Or do you just record in stereo and play in mono?

[@boimesa8190]

line 6 should make it possible to just turn off the cab section in the amp + cab blocks. This was possible in their older podHD line, there is literally no reason for them not to include this again 🤷‍♂️

[@turbine3780]

So an amp block?

[@boimesa8190]

@@turbine3780 what's the question dude

[@cryptokingz615]

whats your thoughts on tone matched IRS

[@tothefinlandstation]

Think there wouldn't be any difference between putting an EQ between an amp and the cabinet and just putting the EQ after the cabinet. Definitely true if you are using a clean digital EQ and an IR since those are both entirely linear. Not sure if any of the EQs in the Helix try and mimic the nonlinear aspects of analog EQs, and not sure if the Helix cabinet section has any non-linearities.

[@johnnathancordy]

There definitely is a difference, it's generally a more subtle way to apply the EQ, as the EQ of the IR/Cab will be applied after the fact and shape the tone further. Try it and see - a 10db boost at 150hz after the Cab will be quite different to between the Amp and Cab.

[@tothefinlandstation]

@@johnnathancordy using helix native i created two parallel instances of helix in ableton with the audio effect rack, and reversed the phase on the one of those instances. then created identical chains of an eq with a big bass boost and cab in both instances. then i experimented with reversing the order in one of them. they still cancelled each other regardless of one having the eq and cab in reversed positions. putting an amp model first made no difference.

[@johnnathancordy]

A mono EQ would collapse the the dual cab stereo path to mono - another reason I put it between the Amp and Cab, not after (uses less DSP)

[@johnnathancordy]

BUT - everything else you said was write - I'm wrong about it sounding different! So the only difference would be if you're using a dual cab I guess?

[@lordgraga]

@@johnnathancordy dual cabs are still linear. I did a related video on GGD cabs where I show that any combination of cabs can be cooked into a single IR.

[@stevesanders6738]

I run the cab block separately so I can use headphones at night with the cab block on, and then use a powercab during the day with the cab block off. I can't be the only person doing this. I'm just not that bright, probably got the idea and forgot the source

[@canadiancombatwombatthe3rd782]

Nothing sounds better than a speaker pushing air vs a digital representation of a cab speaker driving sound, you feel the difference, sounds way warmer.

[@crashtahoe]

When you use dual cabs, do use two separate frfr speakers or do you use one with two inputs or do you just combine the signals and use the mono output into one speaker? Basically what is your setup for using stereo both at home and at gigs?

[@sjsphotog]

Im pretty sure John has a Stereo pair of studio monitors that his Helix is plugged into and he is outputting in STEREO so you can hear the best of what the Helix has to offer. On my presonus monitors the L/R outputs frm the Helix LT goes into ONE of the monitors and the one is the master and that sends the signal then to the other speaker. but its all in stereo as is blended as needed.

[@AxelMontaner]

Missed the whole save thing between Snap Shot 1 and 2. Thought mine was broken. LOL

[@Deep_Jimpact]

11:02 That’s exactly what someone who is paid by line6 would say

[@kyran4238]

Lol

[@ymelfilm]

haha. who knows:)

[@MrX-ny3jv]

do you think the headrush mx5 is worth it?

[@Andre-Azevedo]

I would like to know his opinion on that too. I bought his headrush presets. They are cool. It would be cool more presets...

[@benink5690]

Am I watching latency with my eyes? Great playing but that looks frustrating

[@pfmusic1636]

Cause then you’d have to use their crap cabinets. Impulse responses are so much better.

[@brutalmorality5885]

Why do people shake the guitar like that, it does absolutely nothing and is very annoying to watch. Sorry not trying to be rude. I've been playing guitar for 30 plus years....

[@brutalmorality5885]

LOL!!!