PeterHamm

19 minutes ago, zolko60 said:

It is. The unity gain is when each input/output pair is set to instrument level with no block or Volume Knob (attenuator). When you use instrument level for an input and line level for an output you can find 8dB attenuation spot with Volume Knob what corresponds to instrument level with lower S/N ratio but larger headroom.
Please consider that eg some clean boosters have 20dB of boost. If your headroom is 10dBFS at Helix input, what is the case of peaks of PAF style pickup, you are not able to achive such amount of boost simulating that booster not distorting the DA converter unless you set higher DA "gear".
If you use amp simulations the unity gain is irrelevant - only interfacing with other line level devices. In this case I like to know what is my full scale "gear" is. The ideal situation is when both digital units has the same, eg 0dBFS=18dBu which assures you can controll or monitor the headroom on one device only.

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.

4 minutes ago, tahiche said:

...Deciding on the output level, in my case seems like a crucial starting point...

This is possibly correct.

4 minutes ago, tahiche said:

With no blocks input from guitar and output should be at the same level. From there I can work properly. If it's not right I have to go through every path adjusting everything again. 

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

1 minute ago, feffa86 said:

"QOSP QOSP" could be used to describe the sound of someone chewing cheetos puffs.

garbage in... ... ...

18 minutes ago, Digital_Igloo said:

IMPORTANT! Meters do NOT help when leveling presets; in fact, they often make preset level jumps WORSE, because they lack the ability to compensate for how perceived loudness is often radically affected by your playback system's frequency response, playback volume, acoustics, location of your ears with regard to playback system, whether you're playing with other musicians, how close they are, what notes they're playing at any given point in the song, etc. If you play live, the ONLY way to properly level presets is at the venue, playing at gig level, with the band, with your ears. No amount of technology will give you a free lunch.

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

27 minutes ago, Kilrahi said:

 

Indeed it has changed. Line 6 appears to also be revolutionizing business metrics far beyond the typical ROI (Return on Investment). 

 

Now you have the new standard of NOSPs (Number of Soiled Pants). One of these days, if you're allowed to, you'll have to share with us what your target NOSP for 2019 is and if you eventually exceeded the 2018 NOSPs from the Stomp's announcement. 

The technical term is QOSP. Quantity Of Soiled Pants.

8 minutes ago, Digital_Igloo said:

We're in it to:

• stay ahead of the copycat companies by implementing stuff they simply cannot pull off (due to patents, domain knowledge, development schedule, or sheer audacity)
• drop jaws
• soil pants

ew.

1 hour ago, aaronlyon said:

I took a scientific approach. I put a 1KHz sine wave at 100mV p-p into the Helix Floor (blank preset with no blocks, outputs set to instrument level in Global settings), then scoped the 1/4" output, and adjusted the volume knob until the output amplitude was also 100mV. Volume knob was at about 1 o'clock. I put a yellow sticky arrow on the panel to mark the spot. That's my unity gain.

 

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...

16 minutes ago, arkieboy said:

...there are a bunch of pros who use the Helix, and Line 6 (possibly) lose out to Fractal from that 'word of mouth cool' perspective...

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.

1 hour ago, mritt said:

Yeah, it would be generally for studio type use. Most tweaks would be lost in a live mix. I really miss my ART 231 EQ which I sold about a year ago along with my other rack stuff when I purchased the Helix. It was a great piece of gear.

 

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.

10 hours ago, mritt said:

I don't see why a 40 band would sound any more digital than the included 10 band EQ. As for tone matched IRs created using software like Ozone etc. they do have a strange artificial, electronic-fizz associated with them that almost sounds like mp3 artifacts to an extent. That's kind of a crappy way to describe it, but its the best I could do. To each their own. 

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.

Just now, mritt said:

I'm obsessed with tone matching (with the help of spectral comparison) and I like to avoid IRs because they sometimes sound overly digital.

 

 

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

41 minutes ago, mritt said:

Hello,

More than anything, I would love to see a 40 band equalizer. I love to tweak tones to death but I don't like chaining the 10 band EQ with a half dozen or more parametric EQ blocks to get what I am searching for. I'd settle for a 10 band that lets us put our own band values in place (285hz or 9730hz etc....).

Thank you.

 

 

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

1 hour ago, henrykc said:

Maybe somebody could answer my question. I am getting ready to purchase HX Stomp. Real tube amp has preamp, power amp, and speaker.
I want to use my dual tube preamp Kingsley Constable pedal which is based on Marshall Plexi.

 

So, I don't want to use amp modeling in HX Stomp but only power amp modeling and I.R. cab simulation.

 

In amp models in HX can I use only  power amp section and not to use preamp section?

 

Thank you,

Henry
 

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.

1 hour ago, vccguitar said:

I like the global application of the Volume Pedal block. The issue I've run into is that as soon as I unplug the expression pedal all my presets go to zero in the volume pedal block, so the HX is now dependant on having an expression pedal plugged in to make any sound at all. Rather annoying as I don't need this on every gig.

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

4 minutes ago, Jadea61 said:

Many thanks for the prompt answer. Do I need to connect the ernie ball using a simple TS cable from the OUT of EB or should I use a "Y" cable mono TS+TS (IN and OUT of the EB) and a stereo TRS into the Helix LT EXP 2? Is there any hint to have these changes to affect ALL the patches or should apply them manually? :) 

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.

5 minutes ago, gunpointmetal said:

I can't think of a time where I've played somewhere that had a board that had "all or nothing" phantom power that I would have been plugging in to FOH anyways. That's not a real a venue, and that's not a real board. If you're playing basements/garages/backyards, just bring your own amplification anyways. I do carry a DI (actually two, one stereo, one mono) everywhere I go, but I've never actually needed it for the Helix. It's usually the other band's bass player, or the sound guy didn't know that the first band had six keyboards he wants to run to the board separately instead of having his own mixer like a normal person. 

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.

2 hours ago, HonestOpinion said:

...as direct from XLR outputs to the PA is the gold standard and at least theoretically the best way to go. Any solution that requires additional cabling, impedance changes, jacks, and boxes to get there is in my mind less than ideal...

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.

10 hours ago, es345tds said:

So what you are saying is that if it is worth the extra expense for an isolator like the Radial Twin-Iso or something like it then the XLR outputs could actually be run into the XLR ins at the mixer. The main reason I have pursued this idea is that I want to experiment with the stereo and dual amp set ups and having the extra stereo output options would be handy. Since I only have one powered pa speaker I'm thinking of incorporating various amps that I have for W/D/W scenarios. Time to see what works I guess. Like I said I'm just getting into this and there are probably options I haven't thought of which is why I went with the Helix in the first place. Thanks for your thoughts. TW

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.

2 minutes ago, es345tds said:

... but that warning in the manual looks like the classic CYA protection for Line 6 when it comes to a warranty issue...

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.

10 minutes ago, es345tds said:

 

...and if there is an accidental Phantom power activation (which isn't that unlikely) or not so accidental power activation by the sound guy (which is highly likely) you are boned. There goes your warranty or another $100-$300 for the gear required to protect the Helix.

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).

4 hours ago, xmacvicar said:

 

@PeterHamm when running your 1/4 out to a DI box, then to FOH, is your 1/4 out on the Helix set to mic level?

1/4" output doesn't have Mic level. It has Line and Instrument. I leave it set to Line Level.

23 hours ago, niarolf said:

 

well i can at least give it a fair chance by trying other people's recommendations, but i fear i'll return it eventually.

You'd be better off returning your Logitech speakers and crappy Behringer FRFR...

If any product was the absolute best solution for every single user (in any product segment) it would be the only thing on the market.

Let it go, get something that works FOR YOU!