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Line 6 HX Effects

I really had a tough time deciding between the Boss and the C4. So far I’m digging the C4, but I’m only using presets from the library, I haven’t even tried coming up with my own yet.

I decided to dedicate what little spare RAM I've got in my head for PC editing, to my Helix and Zoom all-in-one multifxs and going for an easier life with the rest of my board. So the immediacy of the SY-1 over the deep PC editing of the C4 won the day for me. Although tbf the C4 is a genuine synth, whereas the SY-1 is actually a synth emulator (which is part of the reason it has such amazing tracking).

When I get upgraded to Al Krow 2.0 (I'm currently in a socially distanced queue for this) there will hopefully be a bit more spare RAM up top for other digital pedals requiring deep menu diving :D
 
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Yeah, it’s probably quite a ways into my future, if I do it. The big thing I need to figure out is whether or not I even need MIDI control for how I’ll be using this stuff. At first I thought “hell yeah I need it”, but now I’m not so sure.

I really had a tough time deciding between the Boss and the C4. So far I’m digging the C4, but I’m only using presets from the library, I haven’t even tried coming up with my own yet.

I was exactly where you are when the C4 and SY1 dropped. I preorder the SY1. The next day I bought the C4 and cancelled the SY1. Messed with the midi a little with the HXFX and the C4. That was fun. Has some cool things going on with all that. Then I shrank my board after I got the stomp. Then I watched a cool demo of the SY1 again recently and got one. They’re both awesome pedals. The C4 is way more broad and expansive. But the SY1 has some killer, quick and to the point, readymade sounds ready to go. It just depends on what you’re after. I was envisioning myself getting a Morningstar and all that jazz. Maybe one day. But I’m not in a full time band atm and I’m barely playing substantially lately so I just didn’t feel the need to go midi crazy as there just wasn’t much benefit in it for me atm. Love the possibilities though. That’s where I’m at anyway.
 
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I went out looking for a pitch shift pedal and wound up with an HXFX !!...hehehehe

I have never used pedals, I've always been quite happy with the drive inherent to my ever reliable GK 800RB. However, now that the possibilities have presented themselves, I'd like to investigate what I could do to improve my tone.

I do not need a lot of versatility, what I want is a tight, defined, very lightly overdriven sound. Just a compressor and call it good?? Anyone have a simple preset they'd be willing to share??

Passive Fender PJ or J, 800RB, two Epifani PS112 cabs.

TIA
 
I went out looking for a pitch shift pedal and wound up with an HXFX !!...hehehehe

I have never used pedals, I've always been quite happy with the drive inherent to my ever reliable GK 800RB. However, now that the possibilities have presented themselves, I'd like to investigate what I could do to improve my tone.

I do not need a lot of versatility, what I want is a tight, defined, very lightly overdriven sound. Just a compressor and call it good?? Anyone have a simple preset they'd be willing to share??

Passive Fender PJ or J, 800RB, two Epifani PS112 cabs.

TIA
So many ways to go here. I’ll start with this; Obsidian with distortion turned off.
 
I went out looking for a pitch shift pedal and wound up with an HXFX !!...hehehehe

I have never used pedals, I've always been quite happy with the drive inherent to my ever reliable GK 800RB. However, now that the possibilities have presented themselves, I'd like to investigate what I could do to improve my tone.

I do not need a lot of versatility, what I want is a tight, defined, very lightly overdriven sound. Just a compressor and call it good?? Anyone have a simple preset they'd be willing to share??

Passive Fender PJ or J, 800RB, two Epifani PS112 cabs.

TIA

Id start with the timmy model. It’s called TEEMAH. Mess with that model and see if you can find what you’re looking for. There are also some really nice comps. The LA studio comp is sweet. As is the newly added Rochester comp. Oh, also, there is a boost comp. Its kinda like an OD, boost and comp all in one. That one is pretty great as well. I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for within the HXFX. It’s awesome. And don’t forget to mess with signal/path splitting. It’s so much fun!! But don’t forget to def check out the boost comp and the tube comp. I think either one of those will give you good results.
 
I use my HxFx as a pitch shifter a lot. The Bass Octaver as analog octaver, Dual Pitch for 1 & 2 octave up, and Simple Pitch for mommentary 5th string.

For light OD I would start with Teemah or KWB, but I also recommend the new Alpaca, as I use it a lot.

I try the LA comp, but I always come back to the Deluxe Comp.

What are your thoughts about the Rochester?
 
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I’ve settled for now on a Deluxe Comp going into two identical instances of the Obsidian. Both off gives me my 800RB tone that I’ve used forever. One on for a little more grit, both on for a touch more.

From what I understand, I could get the same result with only one Obsidian and snapshots. But for now, this works.

Me likes!!!
 
I'm finally updating my firmware and I've been at the "rebuilding its presets" step for more than a few minutes now. Is there going to be some indication of when it's done? Has it taken longer than "a few minutes" for anyone else?
 
I asked this in the C4 thread but got no reply so I'll ask here:

Anyone using the HXFX with the C4 using Out 1 & 2 from the C4 into the L&R of the HX? My plan is to run one channel as a Sine sub wave and the other as a dirty synth. Any suggestions with this set up are welcome.

I haven't done this exact thing with my C4 and HXFX, but I have run the 2nd output of the C4 sending a Suboctave Sine Wave to a dedicated DI alongside synth, filtered and dirty sounds from the C4 and HXFX for further processing. Sounds great - I can imagine that going into a second input of the HXFX and running parallel processing paths would be powerful as well!
 
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I haven't done this exact thing with my C4 and HXFX, but I have run the 2nd output of the C4 sending a Suboctave Sine Wave to a dedicated DI alongside synth, filtered and dirty sounds from the C4 and HXFX for further processing. Sounds great - I can imagine that going into a second input of the HXFX and running parallel processing paths would be powerful as well!

Si I love your work and appreciate you replying to me :). I need some more cables to arrive before I can actually test my 2 channel method.

For live situations I don't always have a PA or 2 channels available for bass. Have you ever dealt with summing the channels to mono? I know its not ideal and not what I want to do. I'm just trying to be prepared for everything.
 
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Si I love your work and appreciate you replying to me :). I need some more cables to arrive before I can actually test my 2 channel method.

For live situations I don't always have a PA or 2 channels available for bass. Have you ever dealt with summing the channels to mono? I know its not ideal and not what I want to do. I'm just trying to be prepared for everything.

I have done a fair bit of summing the "Sub" & "Bass" channels I run in limited situations - always sounded great!

I don't have my HXFX with me currently, but do have my HX Stomp, and tried out running outputs 1&2 of my C4 into the L/R of the HX Stomp - worked really well for running parallel paths and. You just need to run a "Split Y" at the start of the chain, then use the "Balance A" & "Balance B" controls to assign each input to it's given signal path - then at the mixer block where they are combined you can either pan them separately to L/R for separate outputs, or set Pan to centre for mono output. Was great!
I also played around with a "clean" preset on the C4 - sending the clean bass signal to output 1, and a low-passed (with a resonant HPF set really low for a sub harmonic bump) signal to output 2. Made for some beefy sounds.
 
I have done a fair bit of summing the "Sub" & "Bass" channels I run in limited situations - always sounded great!

I don't have my HXFX with me currently, but do have my HX Stomp, and tried out running outputs 1&2 of my C4 into the L/R of the HX Stomp - worked really well for running parallel paths and. You just need to run a "Split Y" at the start of the chain, then use the "Balance A" & "Balance B" controls to assign each input to it's given signal path - then at the mixer block where they are combined you can either pan them separately to L/R for separate outputs, or set Pan to centre for mono output. Was great!
I also played around with a "clean" preset on the C4 - sending the clean bass signal to output 1, and a low-passed (with a resonant HPF set really low for a sub harmonic bump) signal to output 2. Made for some beefy sounds.

That is exactly what I was hoping to hear! I was using 2 synth blocks in the HX to achieve this kind of routing before. The C4 is going to make me enjoy the HX even more.
 
I made 2 presets this morning that turns the HX into Organ pedals like a Moog Taurus.

The first one I used 6 different 3 Note Generators and assigned them to switches 1-6 set to momentary. Then I set the notes for each Generator to triads in G Major and renamed each one. Put all of the synths in path B with the Asheville Filter and Reverb. My bass signal through path A.

The second one I did the same, but instead of chords I just used single bass notes.

Using @Proton Lenny Bladerunner Brass sound on the C4 to solo over top the chords was heavenly. It uses up a lot of effect blocks, but it turns it into a whole new instrument.
 
I went out looking for a pitch shift pedal and wound up with an HXFX !!...hehehehe

I have never used pedals, I've always been quite happy with the drive inherent to my ever reliable GK 800RB. However, now that the possibilities have presented themselves, I'd like to investigate what I could do to improve my tone.

I do not need a lot of versatility, what I want is a tight, defined, very lightly overdriven sound. Just a compressor and call it good?? Anyone have a simple preset they'd be willing to share??

Passive Fender PJ or J, 800RB, two Epifani PS112 cabs.

TIA

I use the Tube Comp (under Legacy) all the time.
 
That is exactly what I was hoping to hear! I was using 2 synth blocks in the HX to achieve this kind of routing before. The C4 is going to make me enjoy the HX even more.

This is also what happened to me when I got the C4 and hooked it into my HXFX. I was like oh wow, this just opened up a whole new world of possibilities.....then I processed to tear my board apart and downsize haha but I know exactly how you feel.
 
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So I have encountered a quirk in using this with Ableton and other devices on Midi clock.

The Midi chain is: Ableton>USB>HXFX>Midi cable>H9
HXFX midi channel 1
H9 midi channel 2

I have Ableton set to send midi clock to HXFX and that works perfectly.

I have the H9 set to receive midi clock and the HXFX "Midi Thru: On" and "Tx Midi Clock: Midi".

The HXFX changes tempos from Ableton, but the H9 freaks out and jumps to over double the tempo. I have to turn "Tx Midi Clock: Off" because I think the H9 is receiving the midi tempo twice from the HX and from Ableton.

All of this is fine, but then when I turn off Ableton and use tap tempo on the HX it doesn't transmit tempo to the H9. I have to go back into the global settings and turn "Tx Midi Clock: Midi"

Does anyone have a solution so I can do both and not have to menu dive?