This guide breaks down the critical frequency ranges for metal guitar and bass, explains the EQ decisions that make the biggest difference, and covers the mixing techniques that keep everything tight and punchy.

The Line 6 Helix has one of the deepest amp modeling engines available — but most players only scratch the surface. They'll dial in Drive and EQ, maybe tweak the Master Volume, and stop there. Meanwhile, the parameters that actually make a Helix tone feel alive and responsive — SAG, BIAS, BIAS X, and Master Volume interaction — sit untouched at their defaults.

You've spent hours building presets on your Helix. They all sound great in isolation. Then you switch between them during a gig or recording session and one preset is noticeably louder or quieter than the others — the clean drops out in the band mix, the lead tone blows everyone's ears off, or the crunch feels thin next to the high-gain rhythm.