ricksteruk

Hello, I am looking at the Stadium to see how it compares to my Helix Floor. Sadly my XLR input is dead on my Helix Floor. I remember reading in this forum that people had their XLR input blow up when they'd accidentally pulled out the XLR while Helix was still powered up and 48v was active... so I was careful not to do that.. Then one day.. oops. At first it just blew up the 48v power - I could still use a dynamic mic with Helix.. But after a year or more the Mic input totally stopped working :( - so my question : Does the Stadium have more robust XLR input circuitry? Or will a little accident mean BOOM! ( as a side note I was hoping the Ext Amp socket would be improved to allow full ground isolation so it could be used to switch all kinds of older amps... but sadly it seems not to be the case with these multi purpose sockets right? )

Hello Helix, Any update? - would still love Send / Return to allow routing to USB please. Might even persuade me to upgrade to Stadium if it was possible there ;)

Oh darn that is so annoying.. just looking into the Stadium to see if it addresses the hardware issues from the old Floor model.. The major ones being: - Ext Amp control not properly ground isolated so it does not work will all amps - XLR Mic socket does not have reliable safety buffering - meaning if you accidentally unplug the XLR while 48v is on your mic input can get fried. Anyone know if we can easily blow up the XLR input on the Stadium or if it is the same design? When my XLR got yanked out of my Helix Floor a few years ago at first it had just blown the 48v supply, but now the entire mic preamp is dead. I was always hoping that they'd add the ability to use USB input and outputs on the Send / Return blocks too.. Still hoping.. :)

Any update on this? Can the Send Blocks send to USB yet?

I've been wanting more flexibly in the routing since the moment I bought my Helix. I made this idea scale 4 years ago! https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508 Even Digital Igloo upvoted the idea - so I was kind of expecting it would be here by now... Like you say "Fingers crossed for firmware 3.0"

Glad you managed to find a way to make it work @tonydavidcray! Shame that the two additional stages of A/D to D/A each add a needless approx 2 - 3 ms of latency that the USB route would not create. As you said above.... I've been wanting this for 3 years now - please upvote my idea scale. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508 Whenever there is a new update I am all hopeful its finally been sorted - and then am let down again Come on now @Digital_Igloo - you did upvote this idea yourself 2 years ago or more.

Yes! And in order to use the Ableton Looper we need to be able to access the USB more easily - by using a Send / Return block. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508 As some people have commented: Al Swainger (@alswainger) 3 months ago Shame not to see any progress on this - it's such a great idea and exactly what I've been Googling to try and work out how to do...3 years later apparently! Mike Lappano (@mwmike) 2 years ago Yup, this is exactly what I was looking for. I'm using the Helix with Ableton Live on PC with dedicated soundcard so I can route my Helix to Ableton and back to Helix through the stereo FX loop, and then out to guitar amp, while sending other non-guitar tracks from Ableton to the PA. It would be great to be able to use the digital in/outs to interface with the soundcard instead of four 1/4" cables and a bunch of needless A/D-D/A stages.

I've had problems before when I have several devices plugged into Ableton and trying to set up MIDI mapping from Helix. Sometimes one of the other devices plugged into the mac unexpectedly responds to the ccs transmitted by another - and it results in a strange conflict. Worth checking out if you have more than just Helix plugged in. Also make sure that you have the "track" "remote" and "sync" options in the MIDI setting in Live as they ought o be for your needs and not all just set ON.

I use my Helix floor to control Ableton Live and also sometimes apps on my iPad ( Loopy or Group The Loop ) Helix has really good flexibility with the variety of options you have for setting up MIDI messages - CC, CC Toggle, Note etc. - so I have not yet encountered a situation that Helix could not be set up to control - unlike some simpler devices which can only send one type of MIDI message. As @rd2rk says you need to see the manual of the app on your iPad / laptop and check out which features can be set up for MIDI control. If you use an iPad you need a "CCK" Camera Connection Kit that to connect to Helix via USB and that sorts out the MIDI messages on the way. If you have a mac laptop you just plug a regular USB in and the connection carries MIDI as well as 8 channels of audio both ways. I think PCs works the same - but don't ask me about ASIO drivers of the like.. I am sure you can get it to work fine but I gave up that game a long time ago! I think Android tablet might recognise Helix's MIDI right away if you can get the correct USB lead to go from Helix to the devices micro / mini usb (but I am just guessing - so I may be wrong!!!) Failing all of that you can just plug a regular MIDI lead out from the back of Helix and use a regular MIDI interface on your device. Helix is GREAT for controlling other things. I wish Helix Control could be used standalone for this purpose. I'd buy one (or two) more :)

Yes the routing options REALLY could do with a spruce up! Been waiting nearly 2 years now (since submission of my Ideascale - that even DI himself upvoted!) and we have had many amps added that sound almost exactly the same as the other amps - but not these sort of crucial improvements to usability. My pet peeves 1) we cannot assign Send / Return blocks to USBs, 1/4in, XLR, Digital 2) Path out - I would like a Multi that did XLR and USB/1/2 - not the 1/4in jacks as well, or just XLR and Digital. Or even better a "user multi" where you chose what outputs were included. Surely those are easier to code than an amp model?

I'd be happy if they finally got around to improving the USB routing so you could use a Send/Return block to connect to your iPhone running MIDI Guitar 2 app!

I love my Helix - but those bank switches! Grr!! When I'm singing and playing guitar and have to switch to a new snapshot it's so frustrating when I accidentally hit Bank Down. I wish you could move the bank switches to the right hand side of Helix Floor - the lower left foot switch is the easiest one to identify and not hit any others in the process. That would be the one I'd assign for the tricky changes.

This should work! As long as-you aren't wanting to record your guitar into Ableton for looping purposes. Otherwise you would need to set your guitar path output to 1/4in and USB. There is no option to do this - so you either have to: a) use a Multi path output which would also send your guitar to the XLRs / separate speakers - this is not what you want b) split the guitar signal and use two path outputs, one to 1/4in and one to USB. You'd then have the problem of routing the looped guitar from Ableton back to the 1/4in outputs to your stage speaker. Which would take another path. Basically you have just one path left to put your guitar effects on! We need better routing options - like enhanced Send / Return, Paths and Global routing destinations etc.

I've been banging my head against the wall with these kind of scenarios for 3 years now! What we need is the ability to route SEND / RETURN blocks to the USB sockets (and also XLR and 1/4in) - and Path outputs need more control as well - eg. sometimes we might need USB3/4 and XLR, or XLR and USB 1/2 but not 1/4in. I have a 3 year old idea scale for this - that DI himself upvoted! https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508#idea-tab-details Also another useful addition that might help you out in an easy way would be a new Global setting to route USB channels directly to any output - kind of like we can currently with the USB 1/2 Destination. Eg USB 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 Destinations - choose from XLR, 1/4in, Digital, Send 1/2, Send 3/4 (it would be perfect if you could choose more than one from the list to make your own user Multi)

Yes - Yes - YES Please upvote this idea I made for this 3 years ago: https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508#idea-tab-details We need this - not more amps. We have had plenty of those in the last 3 years.