ricksteruk

I have managed to dial in Helix amps to mimic my tube combos preamps very closely indeed - so that you could hardly tell the difference. What I have found however is that once you have done this and got a very good mimic set up, the Helix amps do not respond in the same way as the real tube preamp would to pedals in front - specifically overdrive pedals (I am talking Helix OD's here - but I assume a real OD would be similar). You need to alter the settings on the OD pedal when using the Helix amp to get the same effect as you do with the real tube preamp.

Maybe I'll have the same epiphany with Helix's amps as you at some stage - but right now I'm loving using Helix with two of my combos as a stereo rig - with both combos preamps connected into the Send/Return loops so I can choose between them - and MIDI and channel switching. I have a 4 channel snake going to each amp, so there's only actually 2 cables to run off from the Helix (plus the power cables) - albeit with plenty of jacks to plug in.

Thanks! I'll order the 25 key version and hope for the best. It's only £33 including postage. A bargain :)

Paola and Ricstudio - can you confirm the size of the Novation Gig bag. Is it the smaller 25key version? Rather than the 49 key version? It's not the one called "Laptop bag" is it - as that is too small for Helix (Exterior: 460mm x 295mm x 110mm (18.1" x 11.6" x 4.3")

Why not try setting the mix of the reverb / delay block in the parallel path to 100% - this does kill the dry signal. Then you use there FX block's level control to add in as much of the reverb or delay as you want? Granted this only really works for one FX block in a parallel path at a time... you could have a delay block with mix set at 100% followed by a reverb block (not set at 100% unless you wanted it really reverby) - but then all the delays would have reverb on them - and not the dry guitar signal at all.. as it would not pass the delay block.

MIDI clock send and sync is on quite a few people's wish lists. However the wish list is quite large.. so there are no guarantees.. whatever items from the list they release next will make some people very happy - and others not so much.. can't please everyone unfortunately! Myself - First I'd like some kind of scene mode and the ability to route send and return blocks to more places.. like USB, 1/4in, XLR and Path ins and out.

Have you tried creating an Aggregate audio device? that might work. think you do it from the Mac System Prefs sound section. Edit - no it's actually done from Audio MIDI setup.. in the Utilities folder with the Applications folder.. Still not sure if it will help though!! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202000

Yeah this solves most of my problems.. there's just a couple of situations where I have too many things switching and need to do a two pedal little tap dance - but thats better than a 8 pedal tap dance!

Isn't it possible to plug a the Mission Expression Pedal into Exp2 and the toe switch into the Exp 3 socket? I am sure if it doesn't work right away it would be very simple to make a little box with a resistor or something to sort it.

If we are being told in this thread that the Misson is not good to use as a volume as the travel is too short, then we need it to be a wah, and use the built in Helix exp as our volume. If we need the Mission to be a wah - we need it to have a toe switch (or to have the auto activate feature on movement that lots of people want)

Yep it is a bit annoying. I will be very happy when (if?) scenes or whatever gets released. I can just about manage by getting creative with my controller assigning. If you set one Footswitch to bypass an effect, and another footswtch to set the max to 100% and min to 0% you can effectively get the same effect block controlled by two switches. Kind of works for a lot of things.

Use -10dBv for any amp. it is a lower level and closer to the instrument level that you need to send from Helix's SEND socket to the HT5 amp front input. +4dB might cause clipping, because you need to set the Helix's Send/Return to instrument level (in Global settings) or otherwise if you choose LINE you'll be putting way too much signal into the front to the HT5 - which is expecting to see a guitar signal powered by the swipe of a plectrum. If you choose +4dbU on the HT5 then the signal coming back into the Helix's RETURN socket from the HT5 amp's SEND will be a LOT louder than what you are sending into the front of the amp. I already find I need to turn down the RETURN level on the Send/Return block to about -15dB when I use -10dBv to maintain a similar level to when the Send/Return block is bypassed. If you used +4dbU you'd probably need to turn it down 25 or 30dB.

I'm actually using Helix in 8 cable method at the moment :) I have one cable from guitar to Helix input. Then A 4 way mini multicore - so 4 cables from Helix to my H&K Switchblade amp - from Helix's FX send 1, FX return 1, 1/4in jack L and the MIDI out. that's 5 cables in total (but only actually 2 physical cables to run at the same time :) ) then I have more 3 cables to my Award Session 75 combo, from Helix's FX send 2, FX return 2, 1/4in Jack R. It means I have stereo guitar cabs which is very nice. I can choose to use either any of the 128 tube H&K preamp presets, the solid state Session's preamp, or instead a Helix preamp. I do mainly use the H&K amp's preamp. It just sounds great and is very versatile. I need to experiment a bit more with the Helix's preamps and see if there's anything Helix can do that the H&K can't do better. I usually don't run any cab sims into my stage amps, but it does actually work well if you are trying to achieve an "amp in a room" kind of sound... I've not used that on any of my gig sounds yet.. but might do once I experiment a bit more Edit: I need to make one more cable so I can use Helix to switch channels on the Session amp (Hope it actually works!)

First question - yes the cab will change/alter the sound a bit. What you'll probably notice most is a bit less treble on things like reverb tails maybe... the post effects will bit a bit less pristine. However - I think this is a good thing...It will sound more like an authentic miked up stage amp, and less like what happens on a CD mix where the producer/engineer adds extra reverb or delay to the guitar sound in the mix. It depends what you are trying to achieve Second - The send block should make no difference at all to the signal going through the main outs :)

When you say "straight into the front of the amp", you cannot physically do that without unplugging cables, as Helix does not do the kind of relay bypassing that some other kinds of units do - but if you are happy to run through Helix's input jack (and the A/D and D/A conversion) before going into the front of your amp then yes you could do this in a number of ways. Also do you want to use any of Helix's FX in front of the amp?? If your amp has a switchable FX loop then you could just turn the amp's FX loop off and set up the output for the Path to be Send1/2 (or Send 3/4) on the presets where you want to go straight into the front of the amp. If you want any FX just add them on the path. If the amp doesn't have a switchable loop what you basically have to do is just run it in 4cm but not use any FX blocks after the SEND/RETURN block before the Helix path out (1/4in I presume). Any FX blocks you want need to go before the Helix SEND/RETURN block.

Are you sure you have an output block assigned at the end of Path 2? Can you take a screenshot of the Helix screen (preferably on the editor app on a pc or even an actual photo of the Helix screen!)

This is the thread about the issue I mentioned - Tap Tempo.. people reported the LED flashing weirdly. Someone did open a support ticket. http://line6.com/support/topic/20555-tap-tempo-issue-after-fw-112/ Would this explain what you are experiencing?

Yes you'd have to assign some of your 8 (or 10) stomp footswitches to control it. There's always a compromise somewhere when you try to get one box to do many things! I've not actually tried this yet - I think I will try to set up Helix with Mobius looper on my mac soon. I like this idea of the Looper page sending MIDI, but make everything editable in the Looper page - so scribble strips could be relabelled and maybe even the internal looper disabled to save system resources. http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Helix-Looper-mode-should-also-send-MIDI-CC-messages/800940-23508

+1 on that! And just to explain - the top path 1 (top half of the screen) uses just one of Helix's SHARC DSP chips. (plus runs the UI I believe), and the bottom path is powered by the second DSP.

Is this due to the bug that people talk about that's in 1.12 or was it doing that before?

If you have an iPhone 5 or higher just get yourself a Lightning to USB cable (Camera kit) and download Loopy for $4. Just plug the USB into Helix and you should be good to go. (after setting up a few MIDI messages of course) You will have MANY more options that is possible on any hardware looper I know of.

Yeah it is a bit tricky when there a many things assigned - especially when you have controllers with max/min values assigned to the multiple as well as just FX block bypasses,as you can see the blocks bypass and activate as you toggle the footswitch. I am awaiting scene mode (or something similar) so hopefully whatever they come up with will address this as well.

Congrats guys - you will love the Helix :)

Yeah - definitely some better MIDI implementation would really help. I have a project in planning that will involve some pretty serious live looping - and I think I am going to have to use Mobius on my mac to do it - I am not sure if Loopy is up to the task. It would be great if Helix could control the looper properly and your idea of a separate Looper page might be handy - even if you could just use the existing one and rename and reassign footswitches. I have to agree with phil_m and Peter Hamm that Line6 have pretty much got the looper right on Helix. It's good enough for jamming out ideas, or putting down some chords to practice solos to, and maybe even good enough for simple looping at gigs. If they could change one thing it would be better MIDI control and MIDI tempo / beat sync with other devices.

Hi Leo, You need to look at your buffer settings on your PC. Try and get as low a buffer as possible - this will reduce the latency to minimum. On my system it defaulted to 128 samples - giving a latency of just 5 milli seconds. People say we can't hear below about 20ms but you sure can start to feel it by then. Good Luck! Rick