Recommended Global Settings
Helix Floor/LT/Rack
Ins/Outs > Guitar in pad: ON - Lowers the input a few dB, more like plugging into amps' "low" input. If you do not enable this, your guitar will hit the amps too hard and cause them to break up more than I’ve designed them to.
Ins/Outs > XLR Outputs: Mic - Engineers are used to seeing mic level from guitars. POD GO users set this to Line when running direct with TRS to XLR cables or through a DI.
Ins/Outs > Volume Knob Controls: Digital - Disables the large volume knob by setting it to an output I don’t use. This sends the full signal to FOH through the XLR outputs and I can't accidentally bump it when playing live. If I'm playing through my own monitor connected to Helix's 1/4" output I'll set this to 1/4", so I have independent control of my monitor volume without affecting what I'm sending to FOH. At home I set this control to “Multi” so that it controls the volume of my studio monitors.
Preferences > Auto Impedance: First Enabled - Helix’s impedance circuit reflects the impedance of the first enabled block on Path 1A, not the first block.
Preferences > Snapshot Edits: Recall - this lets me set up snapshots quickly without having to save the preset every time before I move on to the next snapshot. Also when I'm playing live this lets me switch from whatever I might be doing in stomp mode on snapshot 1 to snapshot 4 which is my ambient pad sound, and then switch back again without losing the modifications I made to snapshot 1 (i.e. whatever drives/delays I had been using beforehand).
Preferences > Tap tempo pitch: Transparent - Prevents delays from making pitch shifting noises when tapping in new tempos
Preferences > Joystick Encoder: Selection - Allows you to turn the joystick to scroll left and right through all the blocks on a path. This is much faster than moving one block at a time by pushing the joystick left and right, and prevents you from accidentally changing the model on a block while doing so.
EXP Pedals > Exp1 position: Global - When a preset loads, it looks at the physical position of exp1, instead of where it was when the preset was saved. I use exp1 for a volume pedal on every preset, so with this set to Global I can roll down exp1 and freely change presets knowing that no audio will come through. POD GO users set exp2 to global as exp2 is used for volume by default on POD GO.
Global EQ: Off - This should only be used for tweaking to the room, which should be done by your FOH engineer.
Footswitches > Stomp Select: Touch - Very important for LT users, but this is the setting I prefer on Helix Floor as well. As of firmware 2.92, if this setting is set to “Press” or “Touch+Press”, when you press a footswitch assigned to a parameter (like my Amp Drive or Single Coil / Humbucker footswitches), the LT will kick you out of live/performance view, back to signal flow view, which is undesirable during a live performance. Set to “Touch” to avoid this.
Footswitches > Preset Mode Switches: Preset/Snap - in preset mode, this gives me 4 presets on the top row, and 4 snapshots on the bottom row, allowing me to quickly navigate between presets, snapshot 1 which I use in stomp mode, and snapshot 4 which is an ambient pad sound.
Helix Floor and Rack only: Footswitches > Stomp Mode Switches: 10 switches - in stomp mode, this gives me 10 stomps instead of the default 8.
FAQ
I get an error when I try to import a preset I purchased.
How do I make all my presets the same volume?
On Helix, use the Channel Volume parameter on the amp block to change the overall level of your presets. Set the channel volume to 10 on the preset with the cleanest amp you use, and level match the rest of your presets to that.
A preset I purchased from you sounds much darker than I was expecting.
My presets are designed for loud live performance in a dense band mix. Turn them up loud through good flat response speakers and you’ll hear them come to life, but never get harsh.
Your presets have too much gain
My presets are designed to be used with Helix’s input pad ON. This is the first item on the “recommended global settings” list, above. If you disable this setting or are using high output pickups like overwound humbuckers or active pickups, your guitar will be hitting the amps much harder than the presets were designed for. To compensate for high output guitars, place a gain block at the beginning of the preset, set it to -6dB to start, and adjust it from there.
Your presets are more compressed than I am used to.
My presets are designed to be studio and live-ready which includes adding some compression later in the signal chain, which any FOH or studio engineer would do anyway. This also helps keep a consistent volume when rolling back my volume knob. If you don’t like the feel of it, disable the LA Studio Compressor block which is after the amp and cab in most of my Helix presets.
Where do you set your Helix’s volume knob?
When playing live, I use the Global Settings “Volume Knob Controls” option to set the volume knob to control an output I’m not using, like “Digital.” This defaults to max volume, so there’s no risk of accidentally bumping the knob when playing live. At home I set it to multi, so it controls the overall level of my monitors. For more information, read the Recommended Global Settings list.
Snapshots 2, 3, and 5-8 sound weird on a preset I bought from you.
My presets are designed to be used in stomp mode on Snapshot 1. Snapshot 4 is an ambient pad sound. The rest of the Snapshots are unused. If you want to use them, copy Snapshot 1, overwrite the ones you want to use, and make the tweaks you want. I show this process in this video.
Should I buy the Helix Floor or LT?
I chose the Helix Floor for the following reasons: more I/O, scribble strips, 10 stomp mode (LT is limited to 8 stomps), and overall more sturdy construction. LT is very solid too though.
HX Stomp
Ins/Outs > Input Level: Line. In my opinion the drives/amps get hit too hard when this is set to Inst.
Ins/Outs > Output Level: Line if connecting to a DI box or running direct to FOH with a TRS to XLR male cable. Inst if connecting to the input of a guitar amp or other modeler.
Ins/Outs > Send + Return levels: Inst when using pedals in the fx loop. If your pedals have the option of line level I/O, set them to line level in and out and change this setting to Line.
Ins/Outs > Volume Controls: Phones when performing live. This disables the volume knob from controlling the main outputs, so you can’t accidentally bump the knob and change what you’re sending to FOH
Preferences > Snapshot Edits: Recall. So you don’t have to save changes each time you make edits to a snapshot
Preferences > Tempo Pitch: Transparent. Avoids the pitch artifacts that you get when turning the time knob on a real analog delay
Preferences > EXP/FS Tip+Ring: FS4+FS5. Required if you want to use a two button external footswitch with stomp.
Footswitches > FS3 Function: Stomp 3 if you have an external tuner or want to access the single coil / humbucker stomp that I have on some of my presets
Footswitches > FS4+5 Function: Stomp 4, Stomp 5. These can be set to other functions like changing the footswitch mode, preset up/down, etc, but for maximum flexibility when performing live I prefer to use all 5 stomps (2^5=32 possible combinations of sounds on one preset vs. only 3 with snapshots). I manually turn the top knob on the unit to change presets. Most of my presets have functions assigned to stomps 4+5, usually just bypassing blocks so people without a 2 button footswitch don’t miss out on stomps that toggle parameters.
POD GO vs. HX Stomp
Here’s a couple videos I’ve done with these units, maxing out their capabilities: HX Stomp, POD GO.
Both units have full the HX modeling of the bigger floor and rack units, so they will sound identical if the settings are the same.
Advantages of POD GO:
Better as an all-in-one or backup rig for guitar
Built-in 2-in-1 expression pedal
More footswitches (6 stomps expandable up to 8 w/ TRS footswitch)
4 snapshots
Can run more blocks compared to HX Stomp
Every preset has: volume, wah, fx loop, amp, cab, eq
Plus 4 additional blocks that can be run anywhere in the signal path
Lower price: $450
Advantages of HX Stomp:
Parallel routing
Very important for bass
Allows you to run stereo amps
Smaller footprint, more useful as an amp replacement or H9-style multifx on a pedalboard
Better choice for people who don’t need expression/volume pedals or who have very simple needs, for example amp+cab+reverb
