codamedia

Who are you talking to with this one? I hope it not me because I always RTFM! Page 7 of the HELIX Floor/LT manual clearly states... "IMPORTANT! Never connect the Helix device's XLR outputs to a device whose XLR inputs have 48V phantom power enabled!". I am not disputing that. I was aware of that when I bought the unit so I prepared for it (by breaking out a DI box) and have accepted it as such. That doesn't mean I have to like it :) No worries there Kilrahi! You didn't miss anything so if that "RTFM" comment was directed at you it's completed unwarranted. The HELIX STOMP manual does not mention Phantom Power anywhere... but if you do connect the balanced TRS output to a console with Phantom Power engaged, the same problem occurs as with the Helix Floor or LT. I repeat... The warning is not in the stomp manual so it wont' matter how many times you RTFM :)

There are two rows... an upper and a lower. There are two paths per row... path A and path B (as you are setup on the upper row) Each ROW has it's own processor... and since you have everything on the upper row, you are only using one processor. Move some stuff to the lower row and that will free up power.

OK... I don't know that model, or what effect it is modeled after... but the mix could just be for the "delay" effect, not the entire effect. It used to be common (on traditional amps/effects) to run an echoplex into an amp to do exactly what you are doing here. In that setup the "delay" was never used, just the tone of the pre-amp from the echoplex. If this model is built with the same idea then the warmth of the effect comes through regardless of how you set the mix control.

What MIX are you referring to? The MIX in the effect, or the level of the MERGE for path B?

I wasn't really clear... but my comment was directed toward the other quote not yours... I included yours for clarity and reference, but obviously that's not how it came out. Sorry about that.

The vast majority of pro's and semi-pro's still do countless small gigs when not on tours. They can be seen in a wide variety of honky tonks, clubs, coffee houses, legions, churches, etc... You are right, useless was not a good choice of words... of course it still works. But it is limited & IMO that's hard to understand considering none of their previous products suffered that limitation. Vintage vs Modern is not a fair comparison.... especially considering modern ribbon mic's are not bothered by phantom power, some even need it. I wouldn't complain if a vintage amp required an expensive and hard to find tube, but I'd be p/o'd if a new amp was designed around it. I love the Helix... I could never go back. I just wish I could use the XLR outputs regardless of the quality of console I get to plug into that evening. Since I can't, I need other gear to make it possible.

I followed the outline in this video... but substituted the JD Aura in place of the Helix EQ's Jason is creating an IR from. On the JD Aura, keep the blend all the way up when capturing the 16 different tones.

I'm not sure if this is a language barrier or you simply haven't explained it very well. I don't know what you are asking :)

With a setup that simple, is there any reason why you wouldn't have done this? Guitar > Amp Head Input > Amp Head FX Out (100% level) > Helix INPUT > Helix OUT > Amp Head Return That would have worked perfectly without adding any send/return blocks on the Helix. Both the INS/OUTS on the helix can be set to Instrument or Line if you needed to match the signal, and both also have volume controls so you can still "bump" the signal if you wanted/needed to.

I used to own an HX Effects (since upgraded to a Helix)... and to my recollection the merge block (with final gain structure) is only accessible if you have a parallel path. I don't think it is always there, but I could be wrong about that.

USB3 specifications state that both PORTS and DEVICES are suppose to be 100% backward compatible to USB2. In theory, any USB 2 device (that includes Line 6, and thousands of other products on the market) should work with any USB3 port. If it doesn't, it's because the computer manufacturer has not followed spec, not the other way around. Quite often... it's just a case of adjusting the USB settings in the device manager.

The headrush is not a "guitar speaker" just because it has a little more mids. It's still a full range box, much closer to the Alto in flavor than it is to any guitar speaker. Conversely, the ALTO is not necessarily a better representation of what a good PA does because it has less mids.... it could actually be the opposite because of that. The big question here is "why" is the Alto "less accentuated in the mids"? Is it because the ALTO cuts them (with use of the contour) or is it because the Headrush BOOSTS the mids? IMO, you want the box the leaves the mids alone as much as possible... or is at least capable of setting up as such.

Phantom Power never bothered the prior Line 6 lines (HD, X3, XT, etc...) so i fail to understand why it became a problem in the Helix. IMO, it's one of the great oversights in the development, and pretty much renders the XLR outs useless out of the box. The vast majority of low/mid range consoles have a global phantom power switch... products should be designed with that in mind. I use a dedicated DI box with my Helix... it's the only way I never have to worry about it. The phantom blockers would do the trick to, but I don't like how long they are. I'd have to run those in line with a short XLR cable first to be completely comfortable with those. Just my 2 cents...

There is no global output on the HX Effects... but even if there was that should only be an emergency fix that would apply to all patches. The best approach is to balance each effect as you add it into a patch. The next best approach is to simply balance each patch by adjusting the LEVEL of any "always on block" you may have in the chain. This is the exact same approach you would have to take to setup a standard pedal board, but for some reason it becomes a foreign concept to some people when they move to a multi effects.

I don't have anything hooked up right now.. but IIRC HX Edit does not have a Save As... When I use edit I simply copy my preset to a new location, then edit that new location. I do that on the Helix as well, but it's the same procedure that I outlined already... using the destination control.

On the HELIX you have to push save TWICE for it to actually save. There is a reason for that second push, it's so you can change where you want it saved. When you push save the first time look on the screen for the word "destination"... the knob under that word allows you to choose the location you want it saved. Choose your location, then push save again to store it there without harming your original preset. For safety reasons, I always copy a preset to a location before I begin editing it. That saves me from accidentally over writing a preset in error.

If it's an older Variax (500, 300, 600, 700) then that awkward and out-of-date USB interface is meant to work with it... the Helix is NOT! If I were you I would use the old interface.... just to be on the safe side.

As stated above... this is done with the Workbench app then stored on the Variax. The original version of the Variax (including the 300) needed to have the tuning stored with the model in the preset.... new versions (JTV, Standard, etc...) keep the tuning separated from the models/presets.

You really can't set the settings close to each other and expect it to sound the same. The one thing sorely lacking in your Helix tone is mid range.... then I look at your screenshot for the helix and it confirms that. Not only are your mids rolls back dramatically, the EQ on the amp model also has the mids rolled off. I don't really care that the S-Gear is setup that way.... that's what is missing from the Helix model and needs to be added back in! The other thing we don't see on the Helix is the CAB model used? The cabinet makes a huge difference. Since this is all "software".... try your Helix AMP model into that S-Gear Cab to see how it sounds. When you do that you can dial in the AMP to sound the same, then you know that's done and just need to match up the cabinet tone.

Without having a patch to try (or even look at), this looks like a leveling issue. Turn all effects in path B off Go to the "merge" block and turn down path B until you have the balance you want? Add the effects to path B one by one, adjusting the level/balance on those effects until the volume is even whether they are on or off. Parallel paths can be tricky to balance. The signal on path B is not processed by any effects it is bypassing from path A, so it can vary in volume depending on your setup. Since none of us has access to your preset, we can only generalize.

No details "other than" the PN and SN codes? That's all you need! If you have those, you are good to go! You don't need a receipt, original sales date, where bought from, or anything like that. There is an option to choose "bought used" in the drop menu when registering a product... at least there used to be. IME: The previous owner has to remove the product from their account if they have it registered before you can register. If the owner cannot/will not do this, contact LINE6 for help.

That's got me interested :) Especially considering something I said directly above your post....

Are you talking about the Roland Jet Phaser model? In the original product (which I owned in the late 70's and early 80's) the phase was nothing special, it was the "JET PHASE" setting that people were after... which is likely why it was the section modeled. There are better "phase only" pedals modeled in the Helix. IMO - I can't imagine anything would be better than the legacy model... it's my "go to" for chorus. BUT - always room for improvement I guess. Sometimes we never know we want something until we actually have it.

You don't need to register anything to create tones... the Helix itself is not locked in any way! If you are talking about the ability to download custom patches... that is a Line 6 hosted repository. If they restrict access to registered users I think that is there prerogative. Why would you be reluctant to register a Helix in trade for access to something you want? At most you might receive some marketing emails... and you can OPT OUT of those if you want.

Cleaning is the best way to start. Clean all the inputs and outputs of the XPS and the Variax. Check to see if you can reproduce the popping and static by wiggling all the connections... it might help you zero in on where the problem is. I suspect a worn jack somewhere... the XPS powers the Variax from the RING of the TRS connection, and the RING is usually the first one to wear out and make a poor connection. It could be more serious... such as a failing XPS, but start with the easy solutions first.