PeterHamm

You will still need to futz with levels even after you get them "perfect" with meters. I learned way back before I used Helix that my ears and my sound guys ears were way > than any meter.

Exactly... There are musicians, and then there are measurebaters. Musicians listen to music, measurebaters look at numbers on a screen. The photo world has these people, too. They take ugly photographs but know all the measured specifications of all their lenses. Guys, you don't need the meters. Sorry you think you do. You don't. And if you use them for so-called "leveling", you will really get yourself in trouble in an actual live environment.

You don't need this if you gain-stage properly. If you boost every block a few dB you can create problems eventually, but it's hard. Most of the "clipping" issues I hear about is from people forgetting that pesky "headroom" parameter in their delays or some such.

Or you can worry less about measurements and just plug stuff in and see if it works and how it sounds. There's a LOT of headroom in Helix. If your boost pedal overloads the input, I would think that turning on the pad would do it. If your clean boost overloads the input with the pad on, GOOD LORD MAN, either get a different clean boost or turn it the **** down.

This is possibly correct. This is not necessarily correct, however. If it's not a drastic difference in level, concentrate on other things.

garbage in... ... ...

Can somebody pin this to the top of every single discussion board in the universe.

The technical term is QOSP. Quantity Of Soiled Pants.

ew.

You are still attenuating the full signal, which is not necessarily the best practice for connecting to most FoH and recording equipment.

They estimated by the end of spring and never said anything else... patience, children...

I disagree strongly that this is even a factor, because I don't think Helix and Fractal compete like we fan boys think they do. Fractal is a very small company that makes a niche product that you can't buy in a store. Line 6 are now one of the biggest music technology companies going, and Helix is more of a mainstream product in that world.

tbh, though, studio guys use parametric EQ for such things, not 30+ band graphics. I know that the EQ in Logic, for instance, is VERY powerful and is really all I would ever need in terms of bands.

I think that is an insane amount of EQ that is better served by judiciously applying a few bands of parametric here and there. Too much use of an EQ like that would indeed make it very easy to make an artificial sterile sound. I assume this is for studio recording?

I believe that 1. There will not be a "Helix 2". Not for at least a few years. The latest HX product is pretty new, and they are still able to add SO much. It was built to last WAY more than any other product they've ever made. 2. belly-aching and worrying about it is a bad reason to not buy something that WILL let you make music TODAY.

You think IR would sound more "fake" and "digital" than 40 freaking bands of EQ? No offense... but... seriously...???

If you need that many bands, there has GOT to be a better way. Seriously...

Not really, but you can take one of the bigger "clean" amps and make the preamp section as neutral as possible and you might have good results. I'd start with the Twin. Or a clean Marshall.

When you save them, save them with volume on full. Problem solved.

Volume pedals that work as EXP with HX products only need a simple guitar cable TS->TS, from the EXP jack on the HX product to the OUTPUT jack on the pedal. NO TRS or SEND/RETURN or special cable needed.

Even in cases where it's properly done, I've been in places that turned on phantom (which adds noise to a couple things I used to use, so I noticed) by accident.

In theory perhaps, but have you ever done an A/B comparison? I have. With a decent DI (I used 40-year old Whirlwind IMP2s by the way) there was no discernible difference, even isolated.

imho, it is usually worth spending a lot of money on, since using the 1/4" outs to a DI... 1. sounds just as good 2. solves all phantom issues 3. Solves every level issue I've ever encountered 4. solves any impedance issue I've ever encountered 5. makes it real handy to solve ground issues 6. gives any sound person a signal they can work with. So... I use the XLR for anything but front of house. You want to send more than 2 signals to the board, THEN it might be worth having, but for me, it isn't.

Nope. It's not. Phantom can't damage Helix. Line 6 is on record as saying that. It just will sound like crap and they care about your tone.

1. Phantom power will not damage Helix, just make it sound bad while it's on. 2. If you want to be sure that someone doesn't turn it on by accident, just do what I do. Use the XLR outs for your on-stage monitor or in the studio, and use the 1/4" outputs to a DI to XLR for the house. Problem solved in the best possible way (you will sound just as good).