’66 AC TB – Line 6 Helix Patch

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. UPDATE YOUR FIRMWARE: Please upgrade the firmware on your Helix and the HX Edit software from Line 6 to the latest before installing this patch. Even if your Helix is up to date, the ‘HX Edit’ app needs to be updated as well. If you get an error importing a patch, the problem is most likely outdated firmware on your Helix/HX Edit.

2. IR CAB INCLUDED: This download includes two premium IR’s from our 60s AC Silver IR pack. These IR’s are from a vintage 1966 AC30 with Celestion Silver Bell speaker. This gives the AC30 amp model in the Helix a lot of the character and vibe of the vintage ’66 AC30.  We’ve also included a stock cab version of the patch, but we urge to try the IR’s.

Here are the IR’s included:

• WT 60s AC Silver 160  (top row)
• WT 60s AC Silver 121  (bottom row)

As of firmware 2.90, Helix will automatically detect the IR’s regardless of what slot they are placed in the ‘Impulses’ column. You do have to make sure they are named correctly, though. If you change the names, you’ll have to re-set the IR blocks to the correct IR’s.

INCLUDED PATCHES

This download includes 6 different patches:

• 66 AC TB WT IR: This is the main stereo patch with wet effects (delay and reverb) after the amps. It’s set up for guitars with single coil pickups or low output humbuckers.
• 66 AC TB WT HB: This is the same as the first patch but set up for traditional or higher output humbuckers.
• 66 AC TB WT: This is the same as the ’66 AC WT IR’ patch but with a stock cab instead of the IR cabs. Because we could only fit a single stock cab in this patch (due to DSP), the amps are summed to mono, but the effects are still in stereo.
• 66 AC WT Pre IR: This is the main stereo patch with wet effects (delay and reverb) in front of the amps. If you like having the all the delays and verbs in front of the amps, try this one out. It’s set up for guitars with sing coil pickups or low output humbuckers.
• 66 AC WT Pre HB: This is the same as the ’66 ACTB WT Pre IR’ patch but set up for traditional or higher output humbuckers.
• 66 AC WT Pre: This is the same as the ’66 ACTB WT Pre IR’ patch but with stock cabs instead of the IR cabs.

HOW TO IMPORT THIS PATCH AND IR

1. Connect your Helix to your computer using a USB Cable
2. Download and instal the ‘HX Edit’ app from Line 6
3. In the ‘HX Edit’ app, drag and drop the patch into a slot in the ‘PRESETS’ column
4. To import an IR, switch to the ‘IMPULSES’ column (next to the PRESETS column), and drag & drop the IR into the appropriate slot (see note above). The image below shows the specific IR location for this patch.
5. PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have the IR loaded into the ‘IMPULSES’ column, the patch will not sound correct, even if you have the IR block on – you must drag and drop the IR into the IMPULSES column.

SIGNAL FLOW AND EFFECTS

66 AC TB WT IR (and HB) patches:

1. Input
2. Deluxe Comp – not mapped to a switch, always on
3. Dual Pitch – mapped to with labeled ‘POG’
4. Heir Apparent – Prince of Tone (voiced to sound like Bradford’s KOT, Yellow side) – mapped to switch labeled ‘Heir Apparent’
5. Scream 808 – Tube Screamer  – mapped to a switch labeled ‘Scream 808’
6. Volume – mapped to EXP 2 
7. Amp – Essex A30
8. Tremolo – mapped to a switch labeled ‘Tremolo’
9. Cabs/IR – see above for IR info
10. Cali Q Graphic – always on EQ
11. Chorus – mapped to switch labeled ‘Chorus’
12. Transistor Tape Delay – 1/8 Delay – mapped to switch labeled ‘1/8 Tape’
13. Adriatic Delay – Dotted 8th delay – mapped to a switch labeled ‘.8th Adri’
14. Dual Delay (1/8d + 1/8) – mapped to switch labeled ‘Dual ST DLY’
15. ’Plate – subtle plate reverb – mapped to a switch labeled ‘Plate Verb’
16. Dynamic Hall – Ambient reverb – mapped to switch labeled ‘Dyn Hall’
17. Gain – 1.2 dB boost

66 AC WT Pre IR (and HB) patches:

1. Input
2. Deluxe Comp – not mapped to a switch, always on
3. Dual Pitch – mapped to with labeled ‘POG’
4. Heir Apparent – Prince of Tone (voiced to sound like Bradford’s KOT, Yellow side) – mapped to switch labeled ‘Heir Apparent’
5. Scream 808 – Tube Screamer  – mapped to a switch labeled ‘Scream 808’
6. Volume – mapped to EXP 2 
7. Transistor Tape Delay – 1/8 Delay – mapped to switch labeled ‘1/8 Tape’
8. Adriatic Delay – Dotted 8th delay – mapped to a switch labeled ‘.8th Adri’
9. Dual Delay (1/8d + 1/8) – mapped to switch labeled ‘Dual ST DLY’
10. ’Plate – subtle plate reverb – mapped to a switch labeled ‘Plate Verb’
11. Glitz Verb  – Ambient reverb – mapped to switch labeled ‘Glitz Verb’
12. Chorus – mapped to a switch labeled ‘Chorus’s
13. Amp 1 – Essex A30
14. Amp 2 – Essex A30 
15. Cabs/IR – see above for IR info
16. Cali Q Graphic – always on EQ
17. Chorus – mapped to switch labeled ‘Chorus’
18. Gain – 2db Volume boost – used in snapshots

USAGE

This patch is meant to be used in either stompbox or snapshot mode. We recommend setting up your Helix to use all ten stomps (stompbox mode) or all eight snapshots (snapshot mode). The Helix LT does not allow 10-button stomp mode, so you’ll have to re-arrange the button assignments to suite your preferences.

AMP GAIN SWITCH:

We have mapped the ‘Drive’ parameter on the amps to the switch labeled ‘Amp Gain’. This gives you a pure amp overdrive which we think sounds better than using a drive pedal.

STEREO:

These patches feature dual amps in a stereo configuration. All the delays, reverbs, modulation are in stereo to retain the stereo imaging. If you can run your Helix in stereo live, it is definitely worth doing. If you use just the Left output of the Helix, the signal will automatically be summed to mono.

DIRT PEDALS:

Feel free to stack drive pedals for bigger sounds. We also like pairing the drive pedals with the ‘Amp Gain’ switch.

SNAPSHOTS:

There are eight snapshots included in this patch to get different sounds (all patches feature the same snapshots).

They are:

• Snapshot 1: CLEAN. This is the base clean tone
• Snapshot 2: DRIVE. Light overdrive.
• Snapshot 3: DRIVE+: Bigger overdrive (uses the amp gain switch)
• Snapshot 4: P&W LEAD. Big drive and delay/verb (uses the amp gain switch)
• Snapshot 5: AMBI CLEAN: Ambient clean with chorus
• Snapshot 6: 80’s AMBI: Ambient clean with chorus
• Snapshot 7: POG LEAD: Same as the P&W Lead but with POG
• Snapshot 8: SWELLS: Huge ambient swells

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS FOR YOUR SETUP

SETTING THE PATCH UP FOR YOUR GUITAR

All guitars are different, so you may want to make changes to suite your playing style and guitar. We set this up with a variety of guitars, including both single coils and humbuckers (primarily a Telecaster style guitar). If your guitar has humbuckers, please refer to the suggested settings below.

We recommend making a copy of the patch and changing the copy just in case you want to revert back to the original. 

We’ve included both single coil and humbucker voiced patches to serve as starting points for your guitars. To make adjustments, we recommend starting with these parameters:

• Amp Gain: Adjust the min/max values of the amp gain so that your guitar is slightly breaking up with big chords on the bridge position (without any drive pedals on)
• Amp EQ controls: Adjust these to suite your individual guitars/taste
• Cali Q Graphic EQ block: This is a simple way to adjust the overall tonal characteristics of the patch.

VOLUME CHANGES

If you would like to make this patch louder or quieter without affecting tone, the following adjustments can be made:

“Ch Vol” control on the amp module. This will increase or decrease volume without affecting the tone of the amp. This is the primary level adjustment tool I use for changing patch volumes.

Output block level. Changing the level control on the output block (the very last thing in the signal chain) will increase or decrease overall volume. We typically have this set at zero, but feel free to adjust this as you see fit.

CHANGELOG

Version 2.0: 2021-06-10

• Added: WT IR cabs (from a vintage 60’s Alnico Silver speaker
• Subtle amp/eq tweaks
• Added: Dynamic Hall reverb

Initial Release (1.0): 2020-10-12