amsdenj

Just to be clear, the controversy here is that some people think the 1/4" TS output with the magnetic pickups sounds better/warmer than the magnetic pickups through the VDI cable. That might make sense since the magnetic pickups are converted to digital in the Variax and sent over the VDI cable. And it's not clear what impedance load is being applied to those magnet pickups before conversion to digital in the JTV - but I suspect its fixed at High-Z. If you use a 1/4" output into Helix Guitar input, the A2D conversion is being done in Helix, not the Variax, and Helix controls the input impedance. The use case is that you want to use the VDI cable to power the Variax and allow Helix control of the Variax. But you want to retain the 1/4" output to Helix guitar input to retain the tone, and to properly respond to the impedance set in your patch. I think this is a perfectly valid use case, and should be supported. The fact that using a 1/4" TS cable in the JTV with the VDI cable can inadvertently load down the VDI power is unfortunate but real. Best to avoid it as suggested many times above.

I have been using a Powercab+ for the last few gigs and really love it. I'm still keeping my two JBLEON610s and maybe will use them is a wet-dry-wet setup sometime. I'm mostly trying to minimize gig complexity and variability though.

Also set the join to put Cab A 100% L and Cab B 100% right going into the stereo modulation effect.

Problem 1: check the HX Stomp global setting inputs and outputs and make sure they are set to instrument levels. Problem 2: you need those switches to be momentary contact, not toggle. Once the switch is on, HX Stomp sees preset up on all the time. Problem 3: Sound like you're using an input on your amp that bypasses the gain control. If it works with a guitar, it will work the same way with HX Stomp. Make sure you are using blocks in HX Stomp that are designed for front of the amp use - no amp or cab models for example.

You have to set the output block on path 1B to Send 1/2. Then make sure the level of the split block and send output are appropriate - the defaults should be fine.

I would much rather have Workbench running in a computer. I don’t change guitar models live, so I don’t need Helix to do that. I also don’t want to complicate the Helix UI with capabilities that would be rarely used. That said, it would be interesting to be able to store whole Variax models in Helix and load them into the guitar as needed instead of having to load them in the guitar directly ahead of time.

The key thing is to keep most blocks at unity gain (bypass on/off doesn’t result in a big volume jump). This way you won’t get gain buildup in your signal chain that could result in digital clipping at the output, and you’ll be sending each block a signal that hopefully keeps it in its sweet spot, where it was designed to work best.

Turning the patch output up or the PC+ XLR input down certainly can be used to achieve similar levels between the XLR and AES outputs. But it would be convenient if Line6 normalized these so the typical 0dB settings on Helix output and PC+ XLR input were the same. This would simplify patch management when using different FRFRs. I also find the AES PC+ input volume a little low. I have to run the PC+ and Helix output knobs up pretty high to get sufficient stage volume. Its enough, and there’s plenty to spare, but it just seems the knobs have to be up pretty high.

If you want to use the 1/4 output, and don’t want to relay on batteries, you can use any of the old Variax external power supplies with any JTV guitar. That will provide power through the TRS cable.

1. There’s no specific list of presets that emulate artists or songs, but you may search Custom Tone and find things to try. To figure out tones, try searching for the band/song on YouTube, or go see them live and see what guitars and amps they are using. Then see if you can figure out what pickup they are using. This will provide a pretty good starting point. Adjust saturation, tone, effects from there. 2. Helix has three outputs you can use: XLR L/R, 1/4” L/R, and Headphone. If that’s not sufficient, or if you need more control about where the outputs are in the signal chain, you can use Send blocks anywhere you need them. 3. Yes, and these might match the impedance of your instrument better than the Aux input. On my acoustic gigs, I have a Strat, acoustic guitar and mandolin plugged in all the time. Start in the guitar input (needs high-Z), mandolin in Aux, and acoustic guitar with active pickup into Return 3. Different patches determine which input is active.

There’s a simple way to accomplish what you want without using a send block, or having to waste an extra block on path B. The trick is to switch the roles of the Main L/R out and Send L/R. Use Send L/R to send to FOH and use Main L/R to send to your stage amp’s return. Then you can use the IR or Amp block (depending on what your stage amp is) on path B, no need for an extra block. This also has the advantage that the Send L/R sends a fixed level to FOH while the Main L/R volume can be used to conveniently control your stage volume from HX Stomp.

Use a blank preset with headphones and listen to the guitar played hard through all pickup combinations and see if you can hear any distortion. Digital clipping is not pleasant, so if you’re clipping, you’ll probably hear it. If there’s any doubt, compare the sound with pad on/off (adjusting for equal volume). If they sound the same, you’re probably not getting digital clipping.

I use a Variax JTV-69S that I added SVL Daytona SSS pickups and a real nice Warmoth neck. That’s my goto guitar for almost everything. I also use a 67 Les Paul Deluxe that has Tom Holmes split coil humbuckers. This is also a pretty versatile guitar as it gets the Les Paul and Tele sounds pretty well. But for flexible tones, its hard to be a Strat and a JTV-69S can be a nice Strat and have usable models for other things too.

You can send an effects chain into the front of a guitar amp, and into a separate path in HX stomp though an amp/cab model to FOH without using a send block. Put all the front of the amp effects on path 1. Put the amp/cab block as the last block and then move it down to path 2. Leave the output for path 1 to main L/R out. Set the output to path 2 to the send output. Connect the send output to FOH. This requires a splitter to get the stereo output out of the TRS send jack, but it sends a constant signal to FOH, just what you usually want. Then the main L/R goes to your stage amp, and the HX Stomp volume control provides a convenient volume control for your stage amp.

If your signal chain included Amp/Cab -> compressor -> output, then I would expect channel volume to have a significant impact on the feel since its controlling the level into the compressor. The higher the channel volume, the more compression. This would be true regardless of whether output level was adjusted for the same overall level or not.