rd2rk

Native v3.15?

Unconventional, but it works and allows you to retain the FX trails. Don't forget to set the MAX level of the MIDI CC (BYPASS/Controller Assign) to 0db.

The Hi-Z Inputs on interfaces are intended for direct instrument connection, to load the pickups at 1M as though plugging directly into an amp and thereby avoiding high frequency attenuation. Older interfaces didn't have Hi-Z Inputs and were famously dull and muddy sounding. You needed a special Hi-Z interface to the interface to fix that. I still have one in a box somewhere! The INSTRUMENT level outputs on the Helix devices are intended to provide the expected input levels for stomp type effects and amplifiers. These are two different functions. When using a Helix or other MFX device with a recording interface, the guitar plugs into the MFX, so the MFX Input should be set to INSTRUMENT level to properly load the guitar's pickups as though the guitar were being plugged directly into an amp. The MFX Output should be set to LINE to provide the best Input level to the Interface.

Yep, that's what I've been doing. You would think that L6 would want to fix the tech that bears their name, but...

I'm no expert, but from what I've read, having a lower recorded signal allows for more room in the mixdown for eq and other manipulations. Link to a good article: How to set optimal recording levels in your DAW (guitarpointers.com) Extract from the article: DAW Recording Levels, And Leaving Headroom Now let’s look at the signal a bit further down the signal chain. Within your daw’s interface what you are trying to achieve is to set the level at -18 db. The fact is gear such as outboard compressors, EQ analog consoles, even preamps built in your computer’s audio interface were set to sound their best at -18db. So this is the average recording level you should be trying to strive for. This will ensure you have the correct recording levels and leave ample headroom for adjustments within the mix. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -18db is what the Stomp and other L6 interfaces send, and what the recommended level in Native is.

Katanas are well known to be trebly. Not the right solution. Spend the money for a higher end pair of 12" FRFRs with good DSP eq features. Or look for a 50-100watt stereo tube amp and a pair of guitar speaker cabs of the sort that the folks use who play the kind of music you like. You won't have the wide range of tones that you might want for pop cover tunes, but if you like Ola then a tube amp and a couple of MB 2x12 cabs should get you there. Nothing like an AITR to sound like an AITR! Unless you're on a budget and have a bad back. In that case, umm.... get a sub?

Put OD/Dist/Fuzz before the HXS. Otherwise they tend to amplify the tiny amount of noise introduced by the FX Loop. Also, IMO, they sound like crap in the FX Loop. Some people like that, go figure! The FX Loop is always BEFORE the headphones, which mirror the Outputs.

All Paths in the Helix products are stereo. As long as you use all stereo FX you have stereo separation. If you use BOTH inputs for a stereo instrument you do not need to do anything special, It's only if you DON'T use BOTH inputs that L/Mono goes to both stereo channels. IOW - when both inputs are connected, LEFT is LEFT and RIGHT is RIGHT.

Well, yeah, anything you put after the OD pedals will change the sound. If you're thinking about the Auto Impedance function, are your pedals True True Bypass? If YES then the Auto Impedance function will work as designed. If NO then your pickups are going to be loaded at whatever the Input Impedance of the pedals is. Always. As stated previously, the second option won't work. You won't have the external reverb in your headphones.

I think I mentioned in your other thread that Android is not the best choice for audio apps. I use the same tool for dealing with Androids as I use for Zombies. ;-) I'm running Spotify on my iPhone. I seem to have the opposite problem with the USB level. Spotify has three output levels. I had to use QUIET to be able to hear my guitar, even with the Channel Volume dimed. I've been running it for a half hour now while I eat lunch, no glitches. I tried the YouTube app and Amazon Prime, but neither seem to have a volume control. I guess they assume that your headphone volume control does that. Whatever, I can't get the guitar level loud enough with those two. I DL'd Bandlab, the metronome is plenty loud and the track has an output slider. I played along with Spotify while recording and had no problems, but I haven't got the patience to do this for an hour waiting for it to glitch. I'm currently listening to Spotify, recording from the Cat in Bandlab and editing the Cat with Catalyst Edit glitch-free. IDK what to tell you, got no real problems with my iPhone, but there's no way I'm aware of to control the USB Input level on the Cat unless the streaming app itself has a volume control. As for glitches, I don't want to seem like a species-ist (is that a word?), but Androids suck. Nor am I an Apple fanboi, my iPhone is the only Apple device I allow in my house. Someone once gave me a MBP and after a month I gave it back. The only thing I can suggest is to lower the Cat's Channel Volume while raising the Master to bring up the USB level in relation to the guitar. Good Luck!

By "OD pedals" do you mean the "Dirt Section"? Why would you need a preamp? No, it won't.

You need to be more specific about what it is that you're trying to accomplish.

I'm not sure that any of this is correct. The Airstep Multi is a USB Host. A USB Host is not specific to one device. It either is a Host or it isn't. It is also programmable thru the Airstep App. While there is no Cat specific version such as for the Kat and others, it should be possible to program it to control the Cat. @littlespaceman , you should probably sell your Cat as the FX Loop doesn't work the way you need it to, but I don't get the problem with the Xsonic Airstep Multi. Have you actually attempted to program one to work with your Cat? I have the BW version for use with the Waza Air headphones, and that version is not programmable or I'd test it myself. I'm not at all sure what you're doing. I used the Cat's ASIO to record into Ableton with the Metronome and the levels were fine. Maybe if you provide details of your setup I can duplicate it on my iPhone? You need to spend less time on YouTube. If I watched every YT link that people post saying "SEE?" I'd lose my mind. I have 5 guitars - PRS CU24 (humbuckers), Ibanez ARX140 (solid mahogany DC w/SD Hot Rod humbuckers), HSS Strat, SSS Strat and an SS Tele. They all sound radically different with my Cat, none of the presets sound great with all of them, and some amps sound better with some of them than others. There are many players who say "I only use one amp because I always set my amps up to sound the same way." Here's my advice. Pick one of the Cat amps that seems to fit the type of music you play. In Manual Mode, play with the knobs until it sounds good. Save and move on to another guitar. Repeat until you have presets for every guitar, regardless of the amps used. Maybe there's only one amp in there that you really like. Maybe one of your guitars will sound better with one amp and another will sound better with another amp. Don't expect one preset to sound great with every guitar. Also, it has been my observation that the more GAIN you use, the less differentiation you'll hear between guitars and pickups.

No. Plugging into L only sends the signal to both L/R channels, so a stereo block will be - stereo! Plugging into R only the signal remains in the R channel through a stereo block. Simple way to think about it - use L/Mono to send one instrument to two signal chains, all panning centered. This is how to do a dual amp rig. Use an A/B split with a FS assigned to the Split to use one rig at a time, or a Y split to use both at once. BOTH paths will be stereo after the amp/cab blocks if you use stereo FX. A dual cab block after the stereo FX keeps it stereo, but DSP becomes an issue. Two instruments to two signal chains - keep Path A (LEFT Input) panned LEFT and Path B (RIGHT Input) panned right. Use ONLY mono FX. I haven't tried it, but if you have two separate stereo systems you should be able to separate the paths and use stereo FX in each, sending the L/R Main Outputs to one system and the 3/4 Sends to the other. Again, DSP is the main issue.

Correct. Being able to plug separate instruments into the two inputs and use panning to keep them separate allows you to have two completely separate signal chains for two separate instruments. Of course, DSP is a problem, but careful choice of amps and FX makes a duo performance at least possible. Here's a demo preset for anyone who wants to try it. Plug a bass in the RIGHT Input and a Guitar in the LEFT. You get bass on the RIGHT and guitar on the LEFT. L_R Input Test.hlx

Correct.

What's a FABRIC Preset?

I don't know the intent of the designer, or what mods you made. Nor do I know what caused the problem, but the Snapshot Routings of the A/B Split Block seem to have been lost. In Snapshot CLEAN the A/B split sends the signal to path 1A with a Clean amp then on to Path 2A where there is no further processing. It Snapshot DISTORTION it sends the signal to Path 1B where nothing happens, then the signal goes to Path 2B where there's a High Gain amp and other stuff. Path 2B ends with a GAIN Block which appears to be controlled by Snapshot LEAD. However, in the DISTORTION SS it's set to +5db, and in the LEAD SS it's set to +6db, not a heck of a lot of difference. IDK whether that got changed or that was the intent. The two Paths are then combined at the Mixer Block before the Output Block. I've re-saved the Snapshots with (what I think is) the correct routing. You'll need to check that GAIN Block and see if anything else was lost. Say It Ain't So2.hlx

Starting with a New Preset, the L/Mono Input is on BOTH sides of the Stereo Buss. The RIGHT Input is ONLY on the RIGHT side. If you add a STEREO FX Block the signal stays on the RIGHT side. As soon as you add a MONO FX Block, for instance, an amp, the signal is sent to both sides.

Maybe attach the actual preset?

We've been telling them about that and other issues for about 2 years now. There's two lengthy threads about Powercab problems over on TGP in the D&M Forum. Our conclusion after opening MANY support tickets is that Powercab is abandonware, and that the L6 attitude towards owners is to totally ignore us. In fact, when I pressured DI about it (usually a helpful guy) he basically said "Bugger off, it's not my job and I don't care!". If you somehow get a different reaction from them, PLEASE post about it here and in the D&M Forum on TGP.

You can try changing the default speaker emulation and/or mic. But it's probably the headphones. Something designed for consumer use might be better than "studio" headphones, and often what's advertised as "studio" is not really. True studio headphones are priced accordingly and are usually more harsh sounding (IME) than consumer grade because they are designed to be flat, and we're not really used to flat.

There are only 3 lifeforms in the entire known universe who like the presets. One member of each lives on Earth. They work for L6 as preset designers. "Honkiness" occurs in the midrange. Step 1 - Turn up the Output Level Knob until you achieve <>85db in the room (Google Fletcher-Munson). If that doesn't help - In Global Settings>Ins/Outs set Input Level to INST if you're plugging straight in. In PREFERENCES set Auto In-Z to Enabled. Start with a New Preset. Go to the Input Block. Turn off the Noise Gate. Set In-Z to Auto. Pick your favorite real-world amp. Something that you're familiar with. Start with Amp+Cab. Maybe add a touch of Room Reverb for liveliness. Now, while playing, adjust the tone stack knobs. If you want a little more grit adjust the GAIN. If that makes it too loud, turn down the Channel Volume (NOT the Master!). Switch the mics on the cab and play with the distances. Take your time. Don't expect instant gratification. If, after doing all you can with the knobs, you still can't dial out the "honkiness", put the unit back in the box and return it to the store. While you MIGHT be able to "get it right" with added eq blocks, you shouldn't need to. The probability is that you don't like the "Helix Sound". Try something from Headrush, NUX, Fractal or BOSS, you may like those better. I'm not being a wise-lollipop here. IME, people who hear "honkiness" are particularly sensitive to certain frequency ranges which are sometimes part of the baked-in character of a device. This is why I suggested starting with an amp model with which you are familiar with the real-world version. Good Luck!

Directly? Not that I know of. I do it by taking the HP out from my computer (internal soundcard set as primary audio playback device in Windows Sound Panel) to a pair of inputs (set to stereo) on my AI. This allows me to record my guitar and the streaming audio on separate tracks. If you have a minimal AI (not enough inputs or Catalyst only) and Audacity is sufficient to your current needs, then Rock On!

Is it a problem with Catalyst Edit, or Audio Evolution, or Android (Google), or Samsung? Audio applications have never been Android's strong suit, which is why I bought an iPhone, but with 4 possible sources of the problem, two of them the actual tech platforms the other two depend on, good luck tracking down the source of the problem. FWIW and IMO - you're using a jeweler's hammer to do the job of an 8 pound sledge. It might be possible to do it all on your device, but maybe not all at once? Anyhow, let us know what Samsung and Google say about the problem. ;-)