Building a Helix Patch from Scratch - How we build patches at Worship Tutorials

Alternate titles for this video:
"D D A A E EEEEE", or... "That sounds pretty good" :)

This video is long and pretty in-depth. Here are some time stamps to help you jump to different sections:

00:22 - How I am monitoring, global settings, and what guitar I’m using
03:00 - Basic signal path and DSP management, and the volume block
04:53 - Amp and cab blocks (stock cabs) initial settings
07:00 - Gain structuring and volume leveling (plus master vs channel volume in the amp block)
08:15 - Amp Block: Diailing in the amp settings
12:09 - Compressor Block: Compressor settings
15:12 - EQ: End of chain EQ block
17:54 - Stock cabs vs IR cab experiment (spoiler - IR cab wins, ha)
20:12 - IR Cab Block: Dialing in the IR block
21:53 - Wet effects and signal chain thoughts
23:53 - Delays: Adding quarter note delay (tape delay)
25:53 - Delays: Dotted 8th delay (vintage digital)
29:45 - Delays: Setting up a dual delay - how you can make any stereo delay block a dual delay (tape delay)
32:27 - Reverbs: Setting up a subtle (hall) reverb
34:33 - Reverbs: Dialing in the Glitz Verb for a big ambient reverb
37:32 - Drives - Dialing in the King of Tone (Heir Apparent) drive
39:35 - Drives - Dialing in the Scream 808 drive
41:30 - Drives - Dialing in the Dhyna Drive
42:32 - Drives - Adjusting drives for stacking
44:44 - Swells - Setting up the Glitz verb for swells
45:26 - Swells - Using the Multitap 4 delay for swells
48:10 - Swells - testing the delay and reverb with swells
49:22 - Modulation - setting up tremolo
49:47 - Modulation - setting up chorus
51:10 - Final tone adjustments (getting rid of muddy-ness)
52:58 - Experimenting with different IR’s
54:00 - Setting up snapshots
54:44 - Using the gain block as a solo boost

Gear in this video:
Studio Monitors I use: Dynaudio BM5a mk iii
Audio Interface: Universal Audio Apollo 8 (Helix is plugged into this via XLR outs)
Guitar: MJT VTL (Thinline Tele)

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Our vision is that every church in the world would experience worship that is both excellent and authentic. We are here to help you make that happen.

CURRENT GEAR (this is the stuff I currently use to create videos)

Cameras:

Lenses:
For the Blackmagic Pocket 4k:

For the EOS R:

Drones:

Lighting:
The Sun :)

Acoustic Guitars:

Capos:
G7th Performance Capos

Cables:

Amps/Pedals:

Bass Guitar:

Recording Interface:
Universal Audio Apollo 8

Microphones:

Software & Virtual Instruments
Recording software: Apple Logic Pro X
Video editing software: Adobe Premiere CC
Video editing - color correction: Davinci Resolve

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[worshiptutorials]

This video is long and pretty in-depth. Here are some time stamps to help you jump to different sections:

00:22 - How I am monitoring, global settings, and what guitar I’m using
03:00 - Basic signal path and DSP management, and the volume block
04:53 - Amp and cab blocks (stock cabs) initial settings
07:00 - Gain structuring and volume leveling (plus master vs channel volume in the amp block)
08:15 - Amp Block: Diailing in the amp settings
12:09 - Compressor Block: Compressor settings
15:12 - EQ: End of chain EQ block
17:54 - Stock cabs vs IR cab experiment (spoiler - IR cab wins, ha)
20:12 - IR Cab Block: Dialing in the IR block
21:53 - Wet effects and signal chain thoughts
23:53 - Delays: Adding quarter note delay (tape delay)
25:53 - Delays: Dotted 8th delay (vintage digital)
29:45 - Delays: Setting up a dual delay - how you can make any stereo delay block a dual delay (tape delay)
32:27 - Reverbs: Setting up a subtle (hall) reverb
34:33 - Reverbs: Dialing in the Glitz Verb for a big ambient reverb
37:32 - Drives - Dialing in the King of Tone (Heir Apparent) drive
39:35 - Drives - Dialing in the Scream 808 drive
41:30 - Drives - Dialing in the Dhyna Drive
42:32 - Drives - Adjusting drives for stacking
44:44 - Swells - Setting up the Glitz verb for swells
45:26 - Swells - Using the Multitap 4 delay for swells
48:10 - Swells - testing the delay and reverb with swells
49:22 - Modulation - setting up tremolo
49:47 - Modulation - setting up chorus
51:10 - Final tone adjustments (getting rid of muddy-ness)
52:58 - Experimenting with different IR’s
54:00 - Setting up snapshots
54:44 - Using the gain block as a solo boost

[deonwall]

One thing I do sometimes while building is to throw the looper on the front. Play a progression into it and let it go while you play with the settings. It lets you get a good sense of how the tweaks are impacting your tone with a consistent sample. Just delete when you're done ...

[daraithe]

I got the following info from somewhere, and I use it to set the amp sounds how I like; it makes a massive difference! Hope it helps someone else too!

MASTER
Adjusts the amount of power amp distortion: 0% clean 50% normal, 100% driven. Note that 50% may not be normal as the amps may have been modeled with the Master set too high. Consider using lower values, or the minimum distortion required to fit the song.

This parameter is highly interactive with all other power amp parameters; the lower the Master is set, the less effect the other controls will have.

Low Master and high Drive gives smother preamp distortion while high Master lower Drive gives more power amp, symmetric and more aggressive distortion.

SAG
Controls power amp sag or compression 0% tight, 50% normal, 100% more touch for dynamic sustain.

Lower Sag values offer a "tighter" responsiveness for metal and djent playing; higher values provide more touch dynamics & sustain for blues and classic rock riffs. High Bias (closer to class A) reduces the effect of the Sag control. Sag doesn't exist in class A amplifiers since the average plate current doesn't change.

Sag is caused by the amplifiers power supply being unable to meet the demand when the map is pushed hard with high Master. When the power sags, the amp output drops and then recovers, creating a unique compression effect with some additional, but temporary distortion when you pick hard. Unlike compressors before the amp, sag compression occurs even when the amp is already very distorted.

Large sag gives more compression, better sustain, and can accentuate pick attack. But the amp will appear somewhat less responsive especially at the low end and can get muddy.

HUM
Controls how much heater hum interacts with your tone. Tube amplifiers generally used low voltage AC in the tube heaters, and sometimes this could add some hum into the signal.

At higher settings, things get freaky. Higher levels cause some intermodulation distortion as the heater hum mixes with the signal. Generally left at 0 unless you are looking for a specific effect.

RIPPLE
Controls how much AC ripple in the power supply interacts with your tone. The power supply of a tube amp is filtered with large capacitors. If the amp is driven hard, these capacitors can't provide sufficient filtering and some AC ripple is introduced into the signal. This is similar to hum but is on the plate of the tube instead of the heater and has a different shape.

At higher settings, things get freaky. Also generally left at 0 unless you are looking for a specific effect.

BIAS
Changes the Bias of the power tubes. Lower values achieve a "colder" Class AB biasing. At maximum, the amp is operating in Class A.

Higher or "hot" bias will increase the warmth, reduce headroom, distort earlier or at a lower Master setting, and (in a tube amp) decrease the tube life. Lower or "cold" bias will make the sound less sweet, but will tighten it up and make it more dynamic.

Bias X
Determines how the power amp tubes' voicing reacts when pushed hard, controlling how much the bias changes when the amp is driven hard. Bias X is a bit like Sag, except it controls change in a tube's operating point due to change in the tube bias when the amp is driven hard.

Set low for a tighter feel. Set high for more tube compression. This parameter is highly reactive with the Drive and Master settings

[renoutlaw]

an hour of WT Helix content is just what I needed to pass the time (Other than Office rewatch #12)

[martinezeli]

3 years later, still the best Helix Patch tutorial I've seen. Thank you guys for all you do!

[YouTubeaccount]

It's a great overview! Thanks, WT.

To anyone still having doubts:
-The patch gets much louder when you drop some stuff down to path 2B because you're now duplicating your signal by running 2A and 2B in parallel (and without compensating the volumes or mixes).
-You can also assign the level of your output block to a footswitch. That's another way to save space on the signal path (and to save negligible DSP, I guess).
-There are more efficient methods to do some of the things Brian has done here. Don't just copy what he does and stop thinking. Continue to think critically and learn new stuff about the Helix :)

[chadnedohin]

A couple years back I really wanted someone to teach me the ins and out of worship effects: delays and reverbs. Oddly enough, there wasn’t much content out their teaching it. So I bought 50+ Worship Tutorials patches and played with them and studied the settings to really learn worship style effects. Throwing in a video like this completes that learning resource.

[chrispruitt]

Hello Brian! You have taught me more in this video than the last 5 I checked out. I am now an avid viewer of your channel. God Bless and thank you.

[mwdanny]

I’m kind of obsessed with these Worship sounds. I literally have no where to use them in the cover situations I am in but hope to use some of these sounds in my original music writing. Thanks for all of this information. Absolutely brilliant.

[benjaminthancock]

Just picked up a Stomp and originally thought this wouldn’t be a good use of my time because of how long it is and because I don’t have a Helix, but after the great explanation of amp settings, I stuck around and I’m glad I did. The tip/trick about the dual delay was worth it for sure!

[michalmikolajmaslowski]

This is an AMAZING video, Brian! Finally, a walk-through that makes no assumptions about the viewers' knowledge of the platform. THANK YOU!

Have a blessed Easter!

[timopeedu]

Megathanks for this. I’m new to Helix and tutorials of this quality are very valuable and most welcome. I’ve seen some of your post lately and enjoyed your matter of fact approach approach very much.

[parkermmyers]

I haven't even watched it and I can already tell this will be incredibly useful

[jillschaffer]

Thanks so much, Brian! I love how you talk us through a simple explanation of what several parameters control and how to think about them. Super helpful if I want to create a patch in the future or even tweak one that I get from Worship Tutorials!

[Derguitarjo]

Great video Brian. Boosts confidence in what I’m doing so far 👍 one thing regarding the volume increase after you split your paths (I bet you know but maybe someone else finds this helpful): using the standard split (as the name says) splits the signal between path 2a and 2b and then sums it back up which increases the volume. If you want to use it as an extension of you path 2a you need to send 100% to path 2b and therefore ‚break‘ the signal flow for path 2a. It then gets processed by path 2b and gets routed back to path 2a to carry on there. I get confused there often but that’s typically what happens.

[davidretherford]

I just tried the EQ pedal at the end of the chain to boost the mids with my Strat, and it gave me the extra secret sauce that I had been looking for. Thanks!

[MarkSchuster-ymiy]

Nice detailed video. Great job. Lots of confusing helix videos, this isn’t one

[erickdelgado]

I don’t even own a Helix.. I just really love these videos 😂😂🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[shrkbyt]

I was trying to think of a debatable point "Tele's are the greatest guitars of all time", the I picked up my Tele and realized you're right LOL.

[djtaavihans]

That's amazing. One of the most useful Helix tutorials I've seen. Thank you very much for doing it.