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Multiple "voices" or signal paths


guitarnstuff
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Hello:
I was able to play through a Helix briefly and now I have Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I've seen videos of organ patches, for example from Glenn Delaune. However, does anyone know if you can have three things (signal paths) at once?
1) Organ patch
2) Acoustic Guitar from the Variax JTV
3) Electric guitar sounds with distortion. 
From reading about the design this seems possible and it seems that I could control volumes or other paramaters with the extra expression pedals (bought separately). 

If possible, has anyone tried it? Do you run out of DSP horsepower?

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I run my Helix as a mixer for live performance, using 4 separate paths.

 

1) acoustic guitar or Variax 700 Acoustic (through Guitar or Variax input, depending on patch)

2) vocals (through XLR)

3) sax (through Aux input)

4) harp (through Return 3)

 

I haven't run out of DSP, as I only use two amps at once (one for guitar, one for harp).

 

You can go so far as to use Return 1, 2, 3, and 4 as line inputs in one (or more) path, and mix each of those. So .... lots of possibilities!

 

Its very easy to use a small MIDI mixer to mix your instruments,. Of course, you could use foot pedals if you want, but I like having a mixer with faders. Very easy to set up with the Helix.

 

So, sure you could do what you want. The limiting factor would be how many instruments you can play at the same time without laughing or falling over or running out of breath.

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Thanks Soundog:

The question isn't really about mixing, it is about generation. My current rig (Boss GP10 with Mac running Mainstage 3 softsynths and Bias Desktop amp sims) will do these three sounds at once all generated from what I play on one guitar. They can be quite nice blended together. While it's pretty awesome, I have a few niggles with the set up and I am trying to research what the Helix will and will not to for replacing it's functions. Therefore, if I had a Helix plus Variax, I need to find out if it can simultaneously generate an acoustic patch, and electric patch and an organ patch all at once from what is generated on one Variax guitar. It does make a difference as to what is sold to finance the purchase. I just want to make sure I don't sell one of the components that I need if the Helix won't do it all.

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A realistic organ or other synth patch requires a MIDI controller and tone generator. I have a Fishman Triple Play MIDI pickup on my old Variax 300 and use this into MainStage with S-Gear, BIAS FX and the Logic/MainStage software instruments. Helix can be used as an audio/MIDI input device for this and provide additional effects. But you can't get real organ sounds without a computer or some kind of tone generator.

 

I have an old Yamaha MU80 that could be used the Helix effects loop, but getting MIDI inputs into that is much harder that using the Fishman Triple Play and MainStage. There may be other MIDI tone generators that would be more convenient, including an iPad. I don't use MIDI that much live to bother with though, and when recording, I usually use a keyboard.

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I've generated some interesting stuff similar to what you want to do using a Variax Standard, and running one input on the Helix for Variax Magnetics (pickup), one for Variax (modeled). You could use electric guitar along with modeled acoustic this way. And, then you can split either one of these into a parallel path and attempt to make it sound like an organ (possibly even a spleen or kidney). So, yes, I'm hopeful it will do what you want but I'd get one on loan to try, or spend some time in a music store .... just to make sure it'll do exactly as you command.

 

FYI, I bought one for studio use, and now I find myself using for live performance, replacing my Behringer X18-based system.

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  • 1 year later...

I run my Helix as a mixer for live performance, using 4 separate paths.

 

1) acoustic guitar or Variax 700 Acoustic (through Guitar or Variax input, depending on patch)

2) vocals (through XLR)

3) sax (through Aux input)

4) harp (through Return 3)

 

I haven't run out of DSP, as I only use two amps at once (one for guitar, one for harp).

 

You can go so far as to use Return 1, 2, 3, and 4 as line inputs in one (or more) path, and mix each of those. So .... lots of possibilities!

 

Its very easy to use a small MIDI mixer to mix your instruments,. Of course, you could use foot pedals if you want, but I like having a mixer with faders. Very easy to set up with the Helix.

 

So, sure you could do what you want. The limiting factor would be how many instruments you can play at the same time without laughing or falling over or running out of breath.

Hey! This sounds similar to what i want to do. I have a slightly complex setup and want a Helix to simplify it:

 

We use Reason as a hub for our live sound, playing back some samples etc. My microphone is plugged into the interface, as well as my friend's synth bass. I use an M13 for FX, also plugged into the interface in stereo. We have L+R out and a headphone out for the click track for the drummer. So, four inputs, two stereo outs. I also use an M13 as my guitar FX. What I would like to do is to have the Helix be my guitar pedal and interface, so I have one less thing.

 

I would run the guitar through the guitar input, vocals through the XLR and then the synth bass through the auxiliary inputs, straight through with no processing. This sounds like what you do with the acoustic, vocals, harp and and sax.

 

I asked Line 6, and they said it wasn't possible: 

 

 But you'll only be able to use 2 inputs at a time. Like the mic and guitar. You'll be able to output the guitar stereo and the mic mono separately, but that's it. But it wouldn't be able to take in the synth and have that on a unique file path. Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks,  Line 6 Support

 

Could you just confirm for me that it definitely works that way? The user guide indicates you can have a lot of audio paths over USB (including using returns, as you said), but I've had this advice saying it wasn't possible. Also, do you run a stereo guitar path, or mono (just in case that is the reason why)?

 

Thanks,

 

Mat

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