rd2rk

You may be right. The best I can get with Helix is 12.5ms. I'm using a 7th gen i7 laptop that could be better optimized if all I used it for was audio, so I've always assumed that a properly configured latest gen i7 or i9 desktop could do better. My 2nd gen Scarlett 18i20 at 16spls gets 3.6ms (DAW reported - RTL reports better, but I don't remember exactly what it was). Unfortunately, the laptop won't run that sample rate without noise. I assume you've got (or have tested on) an i9? I'm jealous. I want one! Even if it won't make Helix latency less. As stated above, direct monitoring is always best anyway.

Actually, my first electric guitar (Danelectro) got played through an amp that looked like a smallish radio (probably was, without the tuner, NO FX) and recorded on a mini reel-to-reel. I'm THAT old. I wish I had those early '60s recordings. Me playing Duane Eddy and The Ventures. (ANCIENT) History.

I hear ya! BUT...to be fair..... Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away....we plugged the amp into the wall, plugged the guitar into a CryBaby and a TS, popped a cassette into the Teac 4 track and pressed RECORD. It was a simpler time, for sure. These days there's so much tech available, for so little money, and so much to learn, it's hard for a beginner to know where to start. To make it worse, every mfr/vendor makes it sound like it's all plug'n'play. HAH! Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away....

Create a Path B at the end of your signal chain (requires a block). Zero the Output on Path A. Set the Input on the Reaper Track to 3/4. As Sascha mentioned, you will have to deal with the latency, but if you've got a good, properly optimized computer you should get <10ms @ 64spls.

When you're using HXS as your AI, you're recording a direct digital signal. That's one less AD/DA conversion, and the 6i6 preamp is out of the picture. You can get a good recording from the 6i6, but you need to have it configured properly. Stick with what works for now, and keep studying recording technique.

I believe that what you're hearing is what those amps/effects sound like. To get around it, use other amps and effects that you like better, or use the EQ to CUT what you don't like.

You can find those on page 49 of the manual.

Install the LATEST version of HX Edit FIRST. Follow the directions.

OK.

Give a man a fish..... Bank/Prog sends Program Change messages, PC#s. The "Preamp # 56" as described in the SYN2 manual, is a Control Change message, CC#. While you can certainly use PC# 56 to call a Preset #56 on your device that simply changes channels, there's more to using Snapshots with your device than what you just did.. But, hey, if that's all you need, and your friend has no problem coming over and programming your device for you when you need more, and you're OK with that, Rock On! My over-complication was about teaching you how to do it yourself. Like learning to fish.

The point I was trying to make in my first post and, I think, what RV is trying to say is that, both platforms have very good sounding effects, many A/B (and A/B/C) comparisons have been made between modeled effects on both platforms and THE REAL DEAL, and there are enough variations between individual examples of THE REAL DEAL that there's no definitive and totally objective answer to your question. Use the one that SOUNDS BEST TO YOU!

Point I'm trying to make is that the same SIGNAL heard through the Katana will sound WAY different through the PA. If you had the K100 you could put the Stomp into the Katana Power Amp and avoid the Katana Preamp entirely. That would make your stage sound closer to the FOH sound. Since you're using the K50 you don't have that option. Here's a better setup than the simple one I posted above. Put a Cab Block at the end of your chain, pull it down to form a split, then pull down the MERGE point so you have two separate outs. At the Split Point, pan "A" full left and "B" full right. Since it's mono before the split you'll have the same signal on both paths. Take the 1/4" L/MONO (no Cab) out to the Katana. The "B" path out, with the Cab Block, will be set by default to "Send L/R". That's the FX Loop Outs. Set that out to MONO. Take a 1/4" shielded cable from the SEND to a DI into the FOH board. Here's a preset to show what I'm talking about. joakeen.hlx

Ultimately, a cab sim is another form of tone control. It's the sound of a mic'd up speaker. Most people use them for recording, or for sending the signal to FOH or on stage FRFR. You might not want to use one if you're sending the signal to an actual guitar amp/speaker. Or you might. The only rule in the digital realm is that if it sounds good TO YOU, then it IS good!

Could be you like Fractal more than Helix. Solution is obvious. Be Happy!

Put your cab/ir in a path split. Send Path A (no cab) to the stage amp/212 via 1/4" L/Mono out. Send the Path B (with cab) to the XLR Outs with one side to the stage FRFR and the other to FOH. There's other ways, but this seems simplest to me.

If you want the EXACT signal to FOH, you need to take the PHONES/Rec Out. Unfortunately, that also cuts out the Katana's speaker, so, no, there's no way to do that. If you want the the sound of the Stomp to FOH, use a MONO signal chain (MONO block at the end of the chain) and take whichever 1/4" out (R or L) isn't connected to the Katana. In Global Settings>Ins/Outs, set "Volume Controls" to PHONES so that FOH gets a UNITY GAIN signal. Control your stage level from the Katana.

Using a "NEW PRESET" into a new Reaper Track at it's default settings and set to input 1, are you getting distortion? Attach a recording of the distorted sound with Helix and Reaper configured as above.

You're asking a question that can't be answered because "sounds good"/"sounds bad" is entirely subjective. Even in the real world, not all pedals sound good with all amps, and the difference between good and bad could be a quarter turn of any parameter dial on either the amp or the pedal. The only thing you can do is try a lot, and if you really can't handle the process, stick with your Fractal or try something else. Whether you're using Helix or Fractal or analog pedals and amps, the possible configurations are infinite, and only experimentation will get you to YOUR sound. There's no "Magic Bullet".

It's hard to make out the phantom second amp drawing, but the second amp's FX send IS going to the HXFX Return 2. The sends are the left jacks, the returns are the right jacks.

When you activate the Helix amp, you want to turn OFF the FX Loop Block, else you have signal from both the JC120 Preamp AND the Helix Amp. With the FX Loop Block ON and the AMP Block OFF, assign BOTH to the SAME footswitch and SAVE the Preset. The Preset I attached is configured that way, and works off of FS11. Maybe you changed it somehow? Attaching it again. 4cm w_2204.hlx

Yeah, that's not the preset, just a picture of one parameter. Attach the Preset.

Please attach a copy of your Preset and I'll have a look at it.

Back up your presets. Do a full Factory reset. If that doesn't fix it, open a support ticket.

There are THREE FOOTSWITCH MODES - Preset, Snapshot and Stomp. Are the footswitches not working in ALL modes?

There are three modes. Are they not working at all in ANY of the three modes?