gunpointmetal

Every single mass-produced anything will have some failures. This doesn't appear to be a consistent issue throughout the production of the device. It's a either a fluke or there was some sort of outside issue with the power.

How 'bout instead of getting butthurt over something I said on the internet (months ago) based on cumulative information from using powered speakers for something like the last 10 years or so you just go ahead and enjoy your gear whether I think it's worth the cost associated or not. ;)

The ones I was testing in the store were the line above the THUMP series (don't remember the name off-hand,and they were 10's vs. the two 12s in the gemini). I'm personally using a pair of Thump 12s for live and rehearsal and I'm pretty happy.

I doubt they intended to be snarky, but often the "RTFM" suggestion does come off that way. Glad you found the information you needed.

I'd have to hear it in person, but I'm glad its working for you! I heard the same thing about the Gemini stuff and in person it was anemic compared to a pair of Mackie powered speakers that cost 1/2 as much.

I think they were trying to be helpful, as both Silverhead and Datacommando have been very informative with other users, but if things aren't making sense, sometimes the manual makes it even more confusing.

You need to hit the MODE switch so your buttons are not "ABCD" because then you're switching between PRESETS instead of EFFECTS. Choose one of the ABCD PRESETS, then you can add an effect to the chain, gently touch one of the switches and a menu will pop up asking if you want to assign the footswitch, select OK by pressing the far right encoder below the screen. Now when you press the corresponding switch, that effect turns on and off. Repeat the process with different switches for each effect you want to add (or put multiple effects on the same switch). Each PRESET (ABCD) can be an entirely different signal chain with different footswitch assignments, if you want.

What are you recording the backing track from? If its an audio file (mp3/wav/FLAC) that is one your computer, you can just drag and drop it into Reaper on a new track. Make sure when you're recording with the Helix that your Input and Output are set to the Helix drivers. There's a little button on each track that looks like a little speaker, make sure that NOTHING is selected on that button for the track you are recording, otherwise you're doubling your guitar output by having it come directly from the Helix AND through Reaper, which you don't need to do.

VHF/UHF/DIGITAL are the transmission signal types from the transmitter to the headphones. VHF is noisiest, least reliable, UHF is slightly less noisy and more reliable, digital is the cleanest/quietest. Lots of the home theater sets use UHF, which is still subject to compression at the transmitter.

What kind of wireless headphones (VHF/UHF/DIGITAL)? The Sennheiser website is suspiciously void of this information. Having used several "home theater" wireless headphones, they can only handle a certain input level before a built-in compressor/limiter kicks in and squashes all the audio to keep the transmitter from clipping. If you can, try lowering the volume going INTO the headphones and then using the volume on the headphones to turn things up/down.

If you don't need the other stuff, why did you buy a Helix and not an AX8? Or a POD HD500X, or a Kemper, or etc etc etc... .I'm glad they came out with a "stripped" version because it will get more people on the Helix engine, which means more likely longer support, more updates for amp models/algorithms, etc.

Not that its unheard of for there to be hardware features not yet implemented (adjustable impedance on HD500), but yeah, don't stick cheap wireless gear in top of the line pro gear...

You definitely need to build your live patches at something close to the volume you'd expect to be playing at in the context. If you dialed in a real amp at bedroom levels then cranked it, it wouldn't sound very good, probably boomy, shrill, and farty. I second avoiding the global EQ when building patches, get it where you want in the patch itself.

I use one immediately at the input and I set it so it JUST cuts the hiss at its on point, with the open and close settings about the same, then set one after any comp/OD BEFORE the amp model with slightly higher dB levels. I've never really had an issue with it chopping off the beginnings of notes or with (reasonable) sustain. If I want to let a sound sustain into feedback, I have my gates on a switch and I turn them off. I'm probably on the low end of "high gain" for clarity's sake (I run the gain in my ENGL patch at 3 on the amp with a boost out front), but it works well with my guitars (all have high output passives or EMGs). I never have a gate on on my clean channels or low OD patches where I would need more dynamics.

I had the G-String II, super great gate. I can get pretty much the same function with two hard gates.

This. 99% of every issue I've had with an XLR plug is that the little spring on the cable latch isn't pushing hard enough against the jack. I had a sound guy try and lollipop me out at a show because of my "crappy DI box" when it turned out a whole case of budget XLR cables he bought from Amazon all came without a spring in the latch.....

Yeah, I believe the input gate and the gate in the dynamic effects list are the same thing. My "heavy" signal chains usually have a couple of gates before the amp with conservative settings.

My NS-2 and the regular Noise Gate in Helix both seem to pull back a little of the high end whether you're above or below the threshold, which I think is just a symptom of a "noise" gate which behave differently than the hard gate. The Noise gate can be heard lowering the level of the "hiss" in high-gain patches before it cuts out completely, where as the hard gate, to me, sounds the same when its open and when its off completely. The NS-2 behaved the same way, however the Rocktron Hush and MXR SmartGate I've also used behaved more like the hard gate.

Stack some couch cushions in the corners of the room, sounds like you just a have a very live room.

I don't notice any affect on gain with the hard gate, but the "Noise Gate" definitely softens things a little bit. But my old Boss NS-2 had the same effect. Gates are definitely one thing where I don't understand the desire for "realism" in the modeling...you've got a digital signal, so it should be easy to have open/closed without any other interference in the signal.

I'm guessing (obviously) if they keep adding to the Helix line, that everything will have the same processors so you can go from Native to Floor to LT to Rack to Tabletop with the same ITB patches.

Nah, I'd rather have it and not need it, than need and not have it. However, I am a little bummed that the price point is still 2/3 of the big boy. I'm going to be looking at another HD500X as a backup to my Helix instead.

I guess I don't see what market this is for unless its supposed just be a direct competitor for the Headrush nobody has really seen yet. The Helix has SO MANY MORE FEATURES than the AX8 with a minimal upscale in price, and the Amplifire 12 is still priced below $1000. Whatever, maybe I'll get a sweet manager coupon and snag one anyways.

Not enough of a price difference as far as I'm concerned. I've been looking for a backup for my Helix (not necessarily another Helix) and I got pretty stoked when I saw it, then I saw it's only $500 difference....I can usually finagle discounts at GC to get the full deal with an extended warranty for $150-$200 more than the street price of this thing, and the lower the price the less money the same % discount is worth...if it came in at $800 or $750 I'd probably have already ordered one.

Actually, lots of PA speakers only cover half the the "FRFR" as they are technically "Full Range" , but most are pretty far from "Flat Response". They may be flat for the drivers installed, but thats about it.