Hello there and thank you for buying my Helix preset!

I wanted to write a little

something to accompany it, just to give you some insight into why and how I went
about creating it and some of the thought processes behind certain pedal/amp
choices.

Firstly, just to say that this preset was created on Firmware 2.8 and I think some of
the blocks may be new to that update so if you’re running an older version, probably
best to update. Also, this preset utilises 10 Stomp Mode so make sure that’s enabled
in Global Settings so you can access all the pedals.

So, let’s start at the start…

Gtr in >

1. Volume Pedal. I don’t use a volume pedal all that often but if I did have space for
one on my usual board, I’d definitely have one there. They’re great for volume swells
if you’re not accustomed to using your guitar’s volume control as such and they’re
handy for killing any excess noise if you’re in a hurry between songs.

2. Fuzz Face. First in the chain as it is on my board. It’s actually one of the legacy
models (Facial Fuzz) which to me at least, sounds closer to what I want from a Fuzz
Face than the newer Arbitrator Fuzz that’s in the ‘Mono’ menu. Feel free to have a
play around though; fuzz pedals, more so than any other kind of pedal are pretty
personal so what works for me may not work for you. I invariably use this stacked
with the KOT or Timmy; that’s what you’re hearing at the start (Revstar) and end
(Strat) clips of the My Helix Presets video.

3. Heir Apparent AKA Breaker. Much like my Marshall BB1 or Snouse Black Box on
my main board, I usually end up using this as a final gain stage for solos (in
conjunction with the KOT and Timmy) but it also comes in handy in isolation as a
little mild gain for fattening up ‘cleans’. The Slow Train breakdown is this in
conjunction with the Comp and ‘Slow Train’ delay, unsurprisingly!

4. Deluxe Comp AKA Comp. As I’ve said in previous videos, I’m a big fan of
compression with blend controls - dialling the Mix back allows it to be an ‘always on’
pedal for me at least, especially with Strats. A little extra sustain is never a bad thing
and the compression effect isn’t so noticeable as to colour my tone. It’s more about a
slight spongeyness around the note than anything…

5. Tone Sovereign AKA K.O.T. Pretty much my main overdrive pedal these days. I
haven’t had chance to do an A/B with the real thing but it feels and responds very
similarly and from memory, sounds incredibly close. This with the comp will be my
tone for 99% of rhythm work (maybe with the Timmy for some extra gain) and then
with the Breaker added for solos. That (along with the Klon Boost is what you’re
hearing with the Slow Train solo.

6. Teemah AKA Timmy. Serves much a similar purpose as the Breaker; it doesn’t do
a hell of a lot in isolation but stacked with other drive pedals can make a massive
difference. Again, works as a subtle fattener for less driven rhythm sounds as well as
lead playing where you don’t need too much gain.
7. Minotaur AKA Klon Boost. Pretty much what it says on the tin; this is my last ditch
‘make me louder’ pedal. I’ll invariably end up playing around with the gain settings on
the this block; if I feel as though I’m getting all the gain I need from the other drives,
I’ll literally use it as a level boost (gain off) but if for whatever reason I could do with a
little more - it really does vary from gig to gig, stage to stage etc - then I’ll add in a
little gain for solos. As I said, this can change from night to night.

8. Harmonic Tremolo. Possibly my favourite effect discovery of the last year. I don’t
tend to use it with too much gain but it’s such a beautiful effect for chordal work or
ambient, delay-drenched swells etc. I’ve been using the Supro Harmonic Trem for
the last 12 months or so but the new Tre-Verb from Fender is very good as well. That
said, the extra flexibility and control over frequencies within the Helix make this
easily the most versatile version of the effect I’ve used.

9. Fullerton Jump. I ended up using this particular amp because I liked the extra
control of being able to blend the Bass and Treble channels. Also, having come from
a Native Instruments GuitarRig background, I do something very similar within that
software so this felt very much like home to me. This and the Matchstick blocks are
my favourite amps at present.

10. 1x12 Lead 80 + 2x12 Match G25. As I said in the video, the IRs are the one area
where I’ve been struggling with the Helix which is why I’ve been using the Powercab
live. It still has the capacity to go straight to FOH from the Output on the back but
gives an infinitely more realistic experience, at least to my ears. That said, I spent a
lot of time dialling in these two cabs to get as close to the Powercab experience as
possible. The mic placement on the 2x12 as well as the Early Reflections really help
give a little more ambience and character to IRs that I find can be too direct. Most
people I know who use the Helix have their own IR preferences though so again, feel
free to experiment with what works for you. There’s absolutely no right or wrong,
needless to say.

11. Bucket Brigade AKA Slapback. This is emulating the role of my Supro Analog
Delay on my main board - just a solid, all-round delay that is good to stick under a
solo when things may be feeling a little dry. Again, this can vary from night to night. If
the venue has a particularly nice natural reverb or ambience, I find myself needing
less reverb and delay so be prepared to play with the mix levels on any wet effects.

12. Transistor Tape AKA Echoplex. I get a hell of a lot of questions about why I run
two Echorec pedals on my main board and this is the reason; one is for very specific
rhythmic effects (the Catalinbread Echorec usually as I can feel where the time
control needs to be placed in the dark at this point) and then one for ambient, washy
delays under solos like Sinking and Slow Train - nothing too distinct so as to have
definable repeats but almost like an extra reverb. This is what I’m using this block for.

13. Multipass Delay AKA Slow Train. Fairly self-explanatory, but this is the delay I’ve
chosen for the breakdown part of Slow Train. Admittedly, it isn’t a straight recreation
of the main board (the Catalinbread Echorec) but I wasn’t too enamoured with the
Helix’s Multihead delay and I thought it’d make for a cool opportunity to have
something a little more out there. I’ve been really enjoying it actually! The Time is
currently set for the tempo of Slow Train but I move this up slightly for Trail of Tears
as it’s a similar effect. I actually threw this on underneath the Sinking solo in the
YouTube video but in hindsight, it was probably a little too much. It’s cool to get lost
in delay every now and then though…

14. Double Tank AKA Verb. Despite having played some incredible amps with some
absolutely beautiful reverbs, my favourite ‘verb of all time is the Spring Reverb plugin
within Guitar Rig - it’s amazing! So, I set about getting as close as I possibly could
within the Helix as this is the block that I found got closest. It’s not bang on, but it’s
near as damnit! The trick is a long decay.

…and there you have it! I hope that gives some insight into the thought-process
behind the choices and some of the particular combinations that I use. As I said on
TPS, I like to keep things a little more open and fluid than to confine myself to
Snapshots/pedal presets but I do totally get why people like them; I just like to keep
things a little more fluid than assuming last night’s combination will work tonight.
Who knows in the future though.

Cheers guys, I hope you get a kick out of this Preset. Any questions, don’t hesitate to
ask them in the comments section of my Helix Preset video on YouTube - I’ll try my
best to get back to you and it’ll help keep them all in one place and will serve as a
nice little message board for anyone else using the preset :)

Best,

Chris