codamedia

Great advice by rvroberts... start at the beginning and test everything to eliminate that as the potential problem. I will only add... is the loop in your amp LINE LEVEL or INSTRUMENT level? That is important to know so you can set the loop settings on your HX Effects appropriately.

In a test like this it is imperative to be volume matched or your ears will perceive a difference that doesn't actually exist. In my setup I have never noticed any difference in tone between the XLR and 1/4". If there was a difference in the video, it's marginal. More important, if there was a difference in the video who's to say it isn't the Alto's inputs that sound different. According to the video description on YouTube... the biggest difference was noise, with the XLR being quieter. That shouldn't surprise anyone.... as unbalanced lines are more susceptible to noise.

Glad it worked out for you... or at least got you started down the path. When I say "volume" in my examples I actually mean "drive".... sorry for the confusion. The master is left as it's DEFAULT which I believe is 10 with the Deluxe. The CHANNEL VOLUME is just set to taste and to help balance with other tracks. I do own a Les Paul, but have not set that up on the Helix yet. I just got the Helix about 3 months ago (upgraded from an HX Effects) but I did have an HD500 for years, and an X3 Live before that, and a POD Bean before that... you get the idea :) I'm familiar with Line 6 products.

I have never met a sound man that wouldn't tell me how my STRIP is set at the console. There is no secret involved with that. How he mixes the band is irrelevant... every tech will have their method. I don't give it any thought unless I hear complaints... or see people running to the door when we start - LOL Tell him to show you the strip! If he won't, then good riddance! IMO: My goal is to provide a tone/signal that sounds great over multiple systems with a flat strip. I don't mind seeing a slight boost/cut on the strip (eg: 3db here of there)... that could be preference, or it could be room adjustment. What I don't want to see is anything drastic that shows up consistently. EXAMPLE: If every tech has to roll my highs back 12db, I have a problem I need to fix. If I see one tech rolling off 3db and the next one adding 3db... that's within tolerance. AS for delays/reverbs.... unless it is part of the tone (ie: syncopated delay) I always leave a lot of room for the tech to add more if they want/need to. If I give them too much - they can't take it out... but they can always add.

Some great Helix examples posted above... IMO they hold their own in quality. Let's go back 3 years to a Pete Thorn Demo of the Helix.... since the Helix is in question why does it have to be one of us? That wasn't your demo of the Axe FX3 you posted was it?

Sure... these are my basic setups listed below. I run each guitar through it's own preset, and I change pickup differences via snapshots. Generally the amp is pretty clean, I always run my guitar volume and tone on full, and I get any overdrive sounds from effects, not from the amp. Telecasaster Bridge Pickup > Deluxe Normal Channel > Volume 4 > Bass 4 > Mid 6 (this is fixed to 6 on a real Deluxe and can't be changed) > Treble 4 > Presence 0 > Sag/Bias, etc.... are default. Telecaster Middle and Neck Pickup > Same settings, lower the bass to 3 and raise the treble to 5 or 6 Strat Bridge/middle/neck Pickup > Deluxe Normal Channel > Volume 5 > Bass 5 > Mid 6 > Treble 4 > Presence 0 > Sag/Bias/Master, etc.... are default. Strat Quack positions (B/M & M/N) > Same Strat Settings... Lower Bass to 3 or 4 & raise treble to 6 Remember, I use an Ownhammer IR for a cab block... I also use an always on "LA Studio Comp" near the end of the chain... I'm pretty sure it is close to default settings.

Forgive my ignorance on the STOMP... out of curiosity, If you change the returns to AUX IN... do they still consume a return block? If not, where do they insert in the chain... at the "input" or "direct to output" I know other Line 6 units with an AUX become another source of INPUT... and will follow the effect chain. That doesn't work well with things like MP3 Players unless you give it a dedicated path. Other units (eg: Boss) send direclty to output uneffected. That works great for things like MP3 players, but can't be used as an additional input(s) on the unit. It's always a trade off.

None of the Helix products have a simple "Stereo Aux In" for this purpose... it's not just the Stomp. However every HX product has at least 2 mono returns (2 mono returns = 1 stereo return) to work with as @Kilrahi mentions above.

Thanks for the update... glad it worked for you. Here is a general rule about BIAS. Lowering the value will produce a thinner, often cleaner tone yet it may tend to sound clinical or sterile. Raising the value often adds warmth/thickness but it does so at the expense of clean headroom. Incorrect settings in either direction can cause artifacts that are not so desirable, as you have learned. The nice thing about the Helix is that you cannot harm anything with this adjustment... just turn it until you like what it does to the sound. In the real world amps & tubes have limits and if you exceed those limits (turn the bias too high) the amp goes "poof" :) In case you are wondering, the benefit of running the bias a little cooler (on a real amp) is extended tube life.

I changed your quote for you :) I no longer own an HX Effects (upgraded to an LT) but if I recall correctly you cannot hook up an external switch to the HX Effects. They can be assigned as expression controllers, or AMP controllers. If it's any consolation, the HELIX (Floor and LT) don't have this ability either. Just the Stomp and the Rack Controller. Verne-Bunsen has a solution above, but it does require wiring a 10k resistor onto the switch and assigning it as an "auto on" controller.

I use a Fender Deluxe "model" for all of my live work... mostly because I used to play a Fender Deluxe and a Fender Vibrolux. I am very familiar with what they can do. IME: The Deluxe Model in the Helix responds pretty much exactly like the real ones do. My gain (volume) hovers around 4 and my tone stack is pretty much the same as I used to set my amp. I don't use the stock cab... I'm using an Ownhammer IR made from a 112 Deluxe Combo with a 121 and 421 mic combo and it sounds exactly like I am accustomed to hearing. But that's my experience, obviously not yours. I can respect that. If you are not getting the clean tones you want from the Fenders, might I suggest trying the Placater Clean or even the "WhoWatt" (Hiwatt). IMO... the cab/mic choice is also more than half the battle, you may also want to check out this video from Jason Sadites on making the most out of stock cabs... it's a great lesson.

What do you have to monitor your Helix through?

Exactly what the XPS wants.... A few thing you may want to check Test that new TRS Cable to make sure it is operating properly? Tip to tip, ring to ring, sleeve to sleeve. All should be independent. If you have a multi meter.... check the voltage on the sleeve/ring of the TRS when plugged in... it should be somewhere around 7 - 8 volts. DO NOT keep the battery's plugged in when using the XPS/TRS connection. I haven't experienced any issues myself when I forget to remove the batteries, but I have read about a few potential problems. Good luck!

I wouldn't call it wrong handling unless you played with those advanced BIAS settings not knowing what they would do and ended up creating that sound for yourself. If you just inserted that amp and those are the default settings... how would you know to look at that setting? I'll admit, I got a little bit lucky. I have 35 - 40 years experience with real amps (and still use them on occasion) so I had a "hunch" that was what I was hearing. Sure enough, warming up the bias (turning it higher) solved it on my end. If I were working with a real Mark IV they don't have adjustable bias... therefore I would have swapped tubes until that sound went away :) Yes it can be... I find that my experiences with real amps over the years made my transition to modelling very easy. The Helix is remarkably accurate, but I could see how it would be very frustrating to those that don't know much about various amps to begin with. EG: Insert the "Who Watt" without knowledge and it will peel off your ear drums. Insert the "Who Watt" and know how a HiWatt works and how to set it... it's deadly accurate!

I'm pretty sure the XPS uses an AC power supply... the Line 6 PX-2. With an AC power supply, polarity is irrelevant. If you bought a DC power supply, it won't work, and could cause a lot of damage.

Thanks.... that certainly clarifies your setup for us so we know what to expect. Definitely try the three suggestions I made for the LOOP BLOCK... in the order I suggested them and let us know how it works out for you. EDIT TO ADD: I see you added another setup. That's no different. Just start with the LOOP BLOCK that connects to your amp first and get that right before trying to add the phase into the mix. Walk before you run :)

Another Legacy Dimension user here. I keep all "switches" OFF (ala Brent Mason) then tweak the blend to taste. Beautiful subtle chorus that never gets in the way.

Here is an example of a signal flow layout.. guitar > HXFX Input > Wah > Overdrive > Phase > Loop 1 Send to AMP Input > Amp Effect Send to Loop 1 Return > Delay > Reverb > HX FX Send to amp Loop return

Yes, that's been my assumption all along, which is why I gave specific things to check for that block :) I have given you suggestions for that "Loop Block".... that is EXACTLY what I have been zeroing in on as the potential problem. If that doesn't help, it would really help us if you laid out your signal flow so we could review it.

But.... but.... but..... :) If you are using 4cm, you need to use a LOOP block on the HX Effects to feed the front of your amp? That is what I addressed in my suggestions. Maybe if you can share your exact chain we can figure this out for you... because if you are not using a LOOP Block on the HX FX to send to your amps front end, we need to know how you are actually doing this.

Is it the sound the quickly fades in after the note is played? It's subtle, but I can hear that. I just loaded your patch into Helix Native to give it a try. I can hear those sounds when the CALI IV (Boogie) amp is loaded (default on your patch) but if I disable that and load the US DBL (Twin) the sound does not appear. It sounded consistent to a cold bias to me... so I raised the bias on the CALI IV to 7 or 7.5 and that sound disappeared and the overall tone warmed up. Maybe try that on your patch.

It's interesting that you say it sounds fine until you AB it by bypassing the front end effects. Even more interesting is that you find it to be lower in volume. IME, that points to a few possible problems you can look into. HIGHLIGHT the LOOP BLOCK for editing.... TRAILS: Make sure this is set to OFF. I have not experienced it myself, but I have read about weird experiences with Trails set to ON. MIX: Make sure this is set to 100% so there is no unintentional blending taking place which can cause cancellations. SEND LEVEL: If you find the volume is still too low in a comparison test, turn this up a little. That's exactly why it is here.

I can respect that... even if I can't relate to it :) I can fill any room comfortably that we use a "vocal only" PA.. and still have a lot of headroom on tap while easily blending with an acoustic drum kit. Most of the groups I play with hover around 108db (slow / weighted) about 1/3rd back from the stage... I can't fathom the sheer volume some of you must play at :) I do mix some heavier groups at 116db - 120db... but that's with everything in the mix, not a vocal only situation. I also know the volume is much more relentless with aggressive high gain playing. Let me say it again though, I do respect the difference! I'm not an old coot trying to tell everyone to turn down :)

You can't rename the original names, but you can (or should be able to) rename the blocks if you want. When you insert a Scream 808 it will show as such but you can rename the block to read "Tube Screamer". The problem is, you have to do that every time, in every patch, with every effect, and that can get tedious. I have never tried to rename a block on the Helix but I used to rename the blocks on my HX Effects, then decided it was just easier to learn the new lingo :) That's a whole different topic... I'd love to have this feature as well.

IMO... for the Visually Impaired I believe the "Performance View" on the LT is a nicer option than the scribble strips on the full version. It's big, bright and colorful... & colors can be altered for those that have various forms of color blindness. As for HX Edit on the computer. It's easy to use but I'm not sure how accessible it is. Maybe others can know these answers. Can it be scaled larger? Can the contrast be changed? Can font size be altered? Is it friendly with screen readers?