MagPie – 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 If you get an error importing a patch, the problem is most likely outdated firmware on your Helix/HX Edit.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. DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ELECTRIC GUITARS EQUIPPED WITH PIEZO PICKUPS. This patch was built specifically for the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo guitar, but is designed to work with any electric guitar equipped with a piezo pickup – especially if you have separate outputs for each pickup. The patch features completely separate processing (including separate inputs and outputs) for both magnetic pickups and piezo pickups.

Alternatively, this patch would allow two separate players – one playing electric guitar and one playing acoustic guitar – to use a single Helix at the same time.

3. IR CAB & ACOUSTIC IR INCLUDED: This download includes a premium IR from Tone Junkie and a custom made acoustic IR for the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo Guitar. We’ve also included a stock cab version of the patch, but we urge to try the IR – it really does sound better – and it’s included for free :).

Here are the specific IR’s included, and their locations in our Helix:

TONE JUNKIE IR (Electric guitar path – top path)

• • TJ 66 Alnico Silver R121-SM545.

ACOUSTIC IR (bottom path)

• • SE HB II Piezo – Holy Grail

The acoustic IR was custom made to match the piezo output of the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo guitar and make it sound like a mic’d acoustic guitar. This may or may not work with your piezo equipped electric guitar. If you would like to try other acoustic impulse responses, we have a range of acoustic IR packs at Worship Tutorials.

INCLUDED PATCHES

This download includes three patches as well as the IRs. The patches are:

• MagPie WT IR – This patch uses the IR cab for electric and is meant for guitars with single coils or low output humbuckers
• MagPie WT HB – This patch uses the IR cab for electric and is meant for guitars with more traditionally voiced humbuckers. This is the patch we built specifically for the PRS Hollowbody II Piezo guitar and used in the demo.
• MagPie WT – This patch uses stock Helix cabs for electric rather than IR’s (uses the single coil settings). The acoustic IR block is still in place.
  

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 an open slot.
5. PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have the IRs 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

ELECTRIC GUITAR PROCESSING – PATH 1

1. Input – mapped to the Guitar input
2. Deluxe Comp – not mapped to a switch, always on
3. Scream 808 – Tube Screamer — mapped to a switch labeled ‘808!’
4. Volume – mapped to EXP 2
5. Amp – AC30 Fawn Nrm
6. Cabs/IR – see above for IR info
7. Cali Q Graphic – Always on EQ – Use this EQ to make tonal tweaks for your guitar/setup. These controls will affect your tone differently than the amp controls.
8. Volume – this block is used to turn the Electric Guitar path on/off – see notes below for more details
9. Transistor Tape Delay – dotted 8th Delay- mapped to switch labeled  ‘.8th Tape’
10. Dual Delay –  1/8 + Dotted 8th— mapped to switch labeled  ‘Dual DLY’
11. Plate Verb – mapped to a switch labeled ‘Plate Verb’
12. Glitz Verb – ambient reverb – mapped to switch labeled Cloud Verb’
13. Out – Mapped to the XLR outputs

ACOUSTIC/PIEZO GUITAR PROCESSING – PATH 2

1. Input – mapped to the AUX input
2. Gain – This block decreases the input gain by -7db. We found the piezo output of the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo guitar to be really hot going into Aux input, so we used this block to decrease the level. You may or may not need this adjustment with your guitar.
3. Volume – mapped to EXP 2
4. IR Block – used for the acoustic IR provided with this patch
5. Cali Q Graphic – Always on EQ – Use this EQ to make tonal tweaks for your guitar/setup
6. Volume – this block is used to turn the Electric Guitar path on/off – see notes below for more details
7. Hall Verb – mapped to switch labeled ‘ACG Verb’
8. Glitz Verb – ambient reverb – mapped to switch labeled Cloud Verb’
9. Looper – mapped to switch labeled ‘ACG Looper’
10. Out – Mapped to 1/4” outs

USAGE

This patch is built to be used with an electric guitar with both traditional (magnetic) pickups and a piezo pickup. It is specifically set up for a guitar with two separate outputs – one for the magnetic pickups and one for the piezo pickups.

INPUTS/OUTPUTS:

By default, the electric guitar processing path uses the ‘Guitar In’ and the acoustic guitar processing path uses the ‘Aux In’. If your guitar only has a single output with a blend knob for the piezo/magnetic pickups, change the acoustic path to the ‘Guitar In’, and use your blend knob to control which pickup(s) are active.

The outputs are also separated. By default, the electric guitar path outputs to the XLR outs, and the acoustic path output to the 1/4” outs. If you would like to use a single pair of outputs, change each path accordingly.

ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC SWITCHES.:

In stomp mode, we have included two switches labeled ‘ACOUSTIC’ and ‘ELECTRIC’. These switches turn each signal path on and off. Turning on the ‘ACOUSTIC’ switch will mute the output of the electric path and un-mute the output of the acoustic path. Turning on the ‘ELECTRIC’ switch will mute the output of the electric path and un-mute the output of the acoustic path.

If both switches are on, both outputs will be un-muted.

Delay and reverb trails will be preserved when the outputs are muted (yay!).

STEREO:

All delay and reverb effects are in stereo. Helix will automatically sum your signal chains to mono if you use only he LEFT output.

‘Amp Gain (Drive)’ switch:

This switch controls the Drive parameter in the amp block. It’s pure amp overdrive, which is honestly the best kind, and it sounds great for lead and big chords.

SNAPSHOTS

There are eight snapshots included in this patch to get different sounds (all patches feature the same snapshots), and the utilize both electric guitar and acoustic/piezo processing. These snapshots will turn the electric/acoustic processing on/off accordingly.

They are:

• Snapshot 1: EG CLEAN. Clean tone with light reverb and delay (Electric/Magnetic path)
• Snapshot 2: EG DRIVE. Light overdrive (Electric/Magnetic path)
• Snapshot 3: EG DRIVE+: Bigger overdrive (Electric/Magnetic path)
• Snapshot 4: EG LEAD. Big drive and delay/verb (Electric/Magnetic path)
• Snapshot 5: ACG BASE: Basic piezo/acoustic tone (Acoustic/Piezo path)
• Snapshot 6: ACG AMBIENT: Ambient piezo/acoustic tone (Acoustic/Piezo path)
• Snapshot 7: NOT USED
• Snapshot 8: EG AMBIENT: Big delay and verb (Electric/Magnetic path)

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

Initial Release (1.0): 2020-08-12