codamedia

IMO.... the best solution is to balance the volumes of the backing tracks so they are consistent and save them as such... then balance your presets so they are consistent and save them. A little effort up front makes life easier down the road :) However.... here are a couple of approaches to consider... How do you monitor the iPad? Is the audio (backing tracks) routed through the Helix? If so... find a way to control the levels withing the Helix rather than using midi CC messages. It's relatively easy to adjust various input/output levels on the Helix. If the iPad and Helix are separate then a deep look into the midi implementation is your answer. Check with OnSong to see if there is a way to adjust volume via a MIDI CC. If the option is available, simply set the helix to SEND that MIDI CC to OnSong...

I was 20 in the mid 80's... some of us sold a kidney for a BOSS ME-5 back then :)

There are already some great suggestions above... I'll add another approach. Setup a great sounding clean up... myself, I gravitate to the Fender Deluxe Normal channel, but there are many great amps to choose. After the amp place an LA Studio Comp.... Increase the peak reduction on the Studio Comp to increase sustain yet retain a very natural tone and feel. (as you turn that up, you may also need to increase the level to compensate for any volume loss) Something like a dyna comp or Kinky Comp in front of the amp is similar as they are "compressors/sustainers"... but they are easy to over due. I find the LA Studio Comp or the 3-Band comp after the amp is much more subtle, yet still gets the job done.

Sorry, I just realized that myself and others have not actually addressed your problem directly. IMO... use it for VOLUME not for WAH! Both option setups are provided below.... When you plug it in it will become EXP 2 or EXP3 by default depending on what plug you use.... IMO for a WAH, I'd suggest EXP2 METHOD 1: USE THE BUILT IN PEDAL FOR WAH/EXT for VOLUME (highly recommended) Plug the EP1 into EXP2 Insert a Volume pedal block Insert a Wah block hint: press the toe switch to turn off the wah before saving the patch. Result The EP1 is your volume pedal (never effected by anything) The TOE switch turns on/off the WAH The built in expression pedal is your wah when the effect is engaged by the toe switch This process is all automatic as you add "volume" and "wah" blocks to your signal flow. In theory, you never have to adjust anything for this setup to work.. but you can still fine tune it as needed. METHOD 2: USE THE BUILT IN PEDAL FOR VOLUME/EXT for WAH (not recommended) Plug the EP1 into EXP2 Insert a Volume pedal block Insert a Wah block Navigate to the Volume block > Push and Hold "Position" > Change controller to EXP1 Navigate to the Wah Block > Change the controller to EXP2 (Optional): From the Wah Block press the hamburger menu (beside the save) and choose "bypass assign". Change the WAH On/Off from TOE SWITCH to any other switch you want on the Helix. This method allows you to engage the wah without turning the volume pedal all the way up to reach the toe switch. Result The EP1 is your Wah pedal The TOE Switch turns on/off the WAH The built in expression pedal is always your volume The problem here is that you need to engage the wah with the toe switch, and move your foot to a different pedal to control the wah. Even if you re-assign the wah on/off to a regular switch instead of the toe you are STILL engaging then moving your foot.

I'm not saying I'm right and others are wrong... I'm just pointing out an observation :) I'm surprised at how many people actually use the Volume Pedal as a volume control rather than an effect. I use mine for swells, softer attacks, pedal steel tricks, etc... etc... not as a volume control. Since it is not a volume control, full is normal.. therefore turning on a wah at that point causes no problems. For lowers/higher volumes I have a boost (gain block) near the end of my chain.... when I need more volume, I push a button.

After thinking about your post a bit.... it would be really good to know how you actually use your volume pedal! Is your volume always too loud when you put your volume pedal up full? If it is... lower the range of the volume pedal so it is only 60% or 80%.... whatever volume you require. Or... lower the volume of your patch so you can leave it at 100%. Is it only too loud when you engage the wah? If so... turn the LEVEL on the wah block down so it's the correct volume. Should you require a little extra later (with the wah block on), just add a boost block somewhere in the chain that you can turn on/off as needed.

Flat like a pancake! I would NEVER setup my tone for a "required" EQ curve at the board. That is the same for the HELIX or an AMP! That said - ultimately it's up to the tech to do whatever he needs to do, I just try to give him the easiest of starting points! I take care of that within the Helix.... but with a guitar amp I expect the board to take care of it.

For full control and independence between the two, you need to hook up an external expression pedal. By default, the external pedal will be EXP2 (volume) and that leaves the built in pedal to control EXP1. The toe switch engages the wah... the expression controls it. When the wah is disengaged (again by the toe switch) the pedal becomes ineffective. The VOLUME pedal (EXP2) is completely separate and always works as expected.

I'd just like to add to this... in case EooN is not aware of it. If there isn't a bracket around it, simply push the KNOB while you turn it and it INSTANTLY becomes a snapshot controller. It's just a motion... takes a fraction of a second. If you are using HX Edit... "Shift > Left Mouse Click" does the same thing (IIRC)... and also only takes a moment.

Those are inherent sounds with guitar amps... When it happens on a tube amp people accept it as part of the tone... when it happens in a modeler it must be a flaw :) You will scrutinize the modeler to every minute detail... but you don't do that with an amp. Amp purists will insist it's a "digital fault" while dismissing the same sound coming from their glorious tube amps as something normal.

Earlier in this thread I posted that rather than use the pad... I would just insert a GAIN control in the first block and attenuate that as needed for higher gain guitars.... BUT my thought process has now changed. According to DI (Digital Igloo) the INPUT PAD is an analog pad applied prior to the A/D conversion so I now keep it on. At the very least... it's a safety net in case you swap out for a particularly hot instrument... but I also know that the digital realm likes to have headroom, there is NO HARM in coming in a little softer and compensating later. I still keep a GAIN control in the first block... but now I use it to "increase" the level for lower output guitars rather than attenuate for higher output guitars.

Sorry about that... I didn't realize you were on the Stomp... I don't think the stomp has an input pad... unless I am mistaken. I wouldn't worry about it... I just mentioned it as a "last ditch effort" if everything else failed, but it appears some of the other options might be helping the problem. Don't be afraid to deviate from the defaults choices for mics and positions. Most people don't realize how powerful the mic choice and position are to shaping your tone. A studio engineer spends a stupid amount of time choosing mics and positions.... they want to "get that right" before touching an EQ on the console. Here is a great video on how effective this is within the Helix...

L6 uses ideascale (https://line6.ideascale.com/) for feature requests and you are free to start one there if you want. This is considered a user forum (users helping users) so they don't poke their heads in here very often. IIRC there is a limit to how many controllers can be assigned per preset on the Helix.... I think that limit is 64 but I could be wrong about that. .... and.... if my understanding is correct, a "snapshot assignment" is considered a controller... If that is true, it wouldn't take long to reach the limit if everything was automatically assigned to a snapshot and you would have to start picking and choosing the assignments at some point anyway.

Is that "weird grainy high end distortion" kicking in for a second or so moments after the initial hit? I can hear that (faintly) but I'm not sure if I'm focusing on the right problem. If that is it.... here are a few things to try. Silverheads suggestion above of increasing the BIAS for the amp model a little... or a lot of needed. Usually 5 - 10 notches higher is enough. If it's a stock cab, try changing the MIC to a 121, and pull it back a few inches. I'm not saying you have to stay with the 121... I just find it's a great choice for tests like this. If it's an IR... make sure you try others. If all else fails.... turn on the INPUT PAD in global settings and see if it goes away. As for the hum after the chord rings out, that doesn't seem to be captured on the recording (is it?). Without hearing it I'd rather not speculate.

IMO.... Dynamics and a Touch Wah take care of this problem very easily. Just play a little harder where you want the pulse to be. It's a technique that is worth learning rather than automating. That said... Auto Wah is very handy if a guitar was recorded without wah in mind and you want to add it later. But live... I'd suggest you just work on the technique - whether it's a touch wah or rocking a pedal back and forth in time (tapping your foot) with a traditional wah. EDIT TO ADD: Please don't take that wrong... I'm not against having this feature on the Helix. I'm just suggesting that it is relatively easy to work around with the tools that already exist.

Yes.... I guess we live in a parallel universe... because to me "until L6 makes an official statement regarding that particular subject"...means it's "pure assumption" to think you are guaranteed anything more than bug fixes. We all wish the Helix had a certain feature we want, some of us will make feature requests, some of us will vote on it, none of us know what may or may not make it into the next update. I don't BUY anything based on that type of uncertainty. I bought the Helix for the features it had.... any new features ARE a bonus.... IMO :)

I guess we all see it through a different lens.... It put me in a good mood when I saw the announcement. There is a feature in this next update I am really looking forward to... and it will change how I use the Helix. I've already drawn up my roadmap on updating all my patches to utilize it the best way I can. If the product arrives in the Spring when they said it would (still nearly 2 month left in Spring) I can quickly implement my changes and be ready for my busy summer schedule. As for the great impatience it creates? That is the fault of the impatient, not the business. They said "spring" and spring equals "March 21st - June 20th". Last time I looked at the calendar... it was April :)

I view it differently. I paid for my Helix... with the features it had... at the time that I bought it. Every update after that is a bonus...

IMO.... this is how I would do it with your setup (some has been said above, I am just going through all the steps to be complete) Plug your guitar into the Helix Plug the output of the Helix into the POWER AMP IN or Effects Return (depending on what it has) on the Marshall Do not use "cabinet" models on the Helix (use the preamp model, or the amp without cabs) Dial it in as you wish, and use the big knob to control your overall volume volume. (NOTE: there are no particular rules with a modeler like the Helix.... the above is just a general guideline) As for your tone/feedback... that is different from rig to rig, setup to setup. IMO, controllable feedback comes from volume and position, not gain - but there are always exceptions. All I can suggest is that you don't scoop the mids too much.... that's where all the resonant frequencies are. If you get "ear splitting" feedback... that likely means the highs are taking off before the mids can.

The way I see it... The last day of Spring is June 20th and any day the update comes before that is a bonus not a disappointment. IMO that is an odd thing to be "unnerved" about. They could have said nothing.... leaving you wondering if you would ever see another update ever again. Forever worried they might pull a Fractal and hide the next update inside a new hardware unit. There are a couple of features in 2.8 that I plan on using extensively.... knowing about this update in advance gave me the chance to pre-plan how I might use it differently.

I just want to second what Silverhead is saying here. I never owned the XT... but I did own the X3 Live... then an HD500. The X3 was much easier to get a good tone... the HD took a lot of effort and tweaking to get it where I liked it in comparison. The HD had less models... but generally speaking better sounding models (not all amps were better). That aside, there were also compromises that made absolutely no sense to me.... For some reason they removed the "extremely functional" 4 band parametric EQ and implemented a handful of really ODD EQ's that were limited in capability and labeled by % values instead of REAL EQ values. EG: Try guessing where 400hz is when the value is 0 - 100%? They seriously compromised the output options by removing all separation between 1/4", XLR and USB outputs. The XT/X3 was extremely powerful while the HD became a toy in comparison. I moved to a Helix a while back.. but retained my HD500 as a backup and as a computer connection for my old variax. BUT - I've seriously contemplated a downgrade to the X3 to handle those duties... I honestly thought it was a more functional unit.

No, but I believe a variation exists in the HD Vintage Pack add on.... called "Line 6 Acoustic" https://shop.line6.com/software/model-packs/hd-model-packs/hd-vintage-pack.html

^^^ This ^^^ When you engage the tuner check the lower left of the screen to make sure it is set to the correct input... or MULTI if using one of the inputs Silverhead mentions. If this unit was a store demo or a return you never know how someone may have set it. ... and just to make sure the basics are covered... (like a support line asking if something is plugged in) Are you aware that you have to press and hold the tuner button for 2 seconds to engage it?

On both my LT and the HX Effects I owned prior I turn "Touch Select" OFF in the global menu for normal use. I turn it on when I plan on spending some time programming the unit because it certainly has it's benefits... but I fail to see any benefit to leaving it on during rehearsals or gigs so I keep it off to avoid any surprises. I don't see this as a fault of the unit in any way... it's merely a side effect of a very "sensitive" feature & It's very easy to turn on/off.

There has been so much "beat down" on Line 6 to add meters to the Helix.... those of us with outboard metering can get around it to some degree, but even we cannot measure things like "gain reduction" easily when it comes to compressors. I know this is beyond the scope of this thread and belongs on ideascale... but I wish the LA Studio Comp had a "gain reduction meter" (just like the original) even if it was only present in HX Edit.