ricksteruk

I have to agree! It was super easy to do it. Big thanks for the new Backup and Restore feature, so we don't lose global settings and IRs :) The actual update from 2.20 to 2.3 did take a fair old while - at some points I was worried it had frozen as the progress bar seemed stuck, but I just chilled and walked away and when I came back the bar had moved along a bit and then after the next walk away it finally finished. I think it took about 20 minutes - perhaps even 30, which is way way longer than any update. Good Job DI and the Helix team :D

It can be a struggle getting good signals in 4cm. Things to bear in mind: Your Orange amp is expecting the guitar to be plugged into the front panel - so the Helix Send you are using should be set to Instrument Level. ( you can only set the Send / Return as a pair - not sparely for each socket) The Orange FX loop will probably be at either -10dBv or +4dBu level. This will mean that a) the Helix Return you are using should be set to Line Level. (don't use the same number as you did for the Send so you can set Line instead of Instrument) b) Helix's 1/4in output level should also be set to Line Level Starting from that point you will want to tweak the Input and Output levels of the Send / Return blocks so that the Levels match what would normally come through the amp. You can also if you need to add a gain block after the Send/Return to boost the 4cm level. Hope that helps :)

Tube amps do differ in their designs, but here's an attempt at a simplified layman's explanation (anyone else feel free to expand on / correct me :) ) Many of the classic NMV designs from the 60s have a first tube stage (known as V1), then the volume control, The next tube stage is often unity gain and deals with the EQ controls (handled by V2). This is fed to the power stage. On Push / Pull amps this feeds into the Phase Inverter (V3), which splits the signal into +ve and -ve halfs for pairs of power tubes. EL34 or EL84 for example. The preamp is essentially clean and distortion only occurs when the volume is turned up really loud and overdrives the power tubes. On a more modern amp the Master Volume is situated before the Phase Inverter / Power tubes. There may also be extra tube gain stages after V2.

Honestly has nobody else noticed this? If you dial in the cab or IR to sufficiently remove the nasty fizz from the high gain amp model, when you switch to a clean it sounds really dull and lacking in sparkle? Really? no one has noticed? It's easy to deal with by saving different cab settings for the clean amp snapshot - but why do we need to? it's not like you need to swap to a different speaker cab when you swap from clean to gain channel on a regular amp.

That's great that you've been able to get Helix to work fine with your Vox amps. Come to think of it I've never heard people mention problems with Vox amps so maybe they all work with Helix. I'm assuming you're taking about a new AC30 amp with a true bypass FX loop rather than an original? There are several threads here about troubles with Marshalls, Mesas etc. http://line6.com/support/topic/17868-ground-loop-in-4cm-when-connecting-the-ext-amp-jack-any-news/?do=findComment&comment=132325 http://line6.com/support/topic/16178-helix-4cm-amp-switch-mesa-v25-and-mesa-mini-rect-not-working The problem is that if the amp follows a "classic" design you tend to get ground loops between Helix's EXT amp socket and the FX loops and guitar input, as Helix's EXT amp socket does not use relays for the switching which would avoid this problem.

If you don't have any other studio monitors you could use then I'd go ahead and get a pair. That way you can listen to stereo mixes on them... so when you decide to start making recordings (by plugging your computer or iPad by USB into Helix) you can properly listen to your mix in glorious stereo. Also you can use them to listen to any old music. I'd also suggest that there is still a place for the BlackStar used in conjunction with Helix if you want to. If you set it up in 4cm you should be able to get some nice tube grit from the preamp, but then use Helix's volume control to limit the overall level that comes out of the speaker. Or just use Helix modelled amp (not cab) and then feed that into the Blackstar's FX return. But it will still sound like your Blackstar in the room and not a miked Fender twin or Archon or whatever - so the studio monitors, a Helix cab block (or IR) and a pair of monitors for that.

The only thing I wish I knew before I bought is that the Ext Amp jack does not work with a lot of traditional tube amps (eg. Marshall, Fender ) Other than that Helix is an absolutely fantastic piece of hardware, and the software just gets better and better.

Is this what you want to do? http://www.marshallforum.com/media/basic-helix-4-cable-method.9219/full http://www.marshallforum.com/media/basic-helix-4-cable-method.9219/full There are Pre amp FX: Wah and Dist, then a Snd/Return block for you tube amps preamp, then Delay and Reverb. The path is then split. The top path carries on directly to the 1/4in out to feed your tube amps via it's FX return. The bottom path adds a Cab block and then feeds to the USB 1/2 outs. EDIT - Man adding pictures on this forum really SUCKS :blink:

Yes you can do this with Helix no problem. I often run amp in 4cm with my tube amp (with no cab sim obviously) - whilst the XLR out feeds PA with a cab sim on that path, which can also feed via USB into mac for recording.

Good work :) Shame to have to resort to a piece of wood when it would be much better to be able for us to move the bank switches elsewhere and out of the way.

The Delay block on the lower path is not in parallel - it's in series. That's why it sounds different. You need to drag it down to Path 2b - (if it will let you.. should do) so that it's in parallel and has the same loop around it as the Delay in the upper path.

No problem :) Yes I see your point about the possibility of there still being a parallel signal even when the mix is 100% and it should be off. I have had this happen with one of my amps before actually. (it's my current H&K switchblade I think... you still get a very very small amount of signal through even when the loop is in series mode.. but it is is slight that it does not affect the sonic quality of the amp when you are playing.. I only noticed it when I was using headphones with Helix in 4cm for some 2am practice so there should have been silence.. but a TINY bassy signal came through the speaker). You could test your Marshall for this by plugging the guitar into the front of the amp and then running the Marshall's Series/Parallel at 100% with Helix in the loop - but turned off so that no signal comes through Helix. Then if you can hear any sound through the Marshall you know there is a leakage. Once you've decided on how to plug it all in - the next step is setting levels. Choosing instrument / line level on Helix and -10/+4 on the Marshall, as well as setting the send and return block levels in Helix so that the overall signal level / gain through the Marshall remains exactly the same as it was before adding Helix. I can talk you through this if you need help.

Yes it sounds like the problem is being caused by one thing - parallel mode. It is much harder to get your head around and has a lot more problems than serial mode - most likely none of the presets you will see anywhere will work for you - none of the factory presets for example should ever be turned on! Firstly - the mix ALWAYS needs to set to 100% on the delay and reverbs. You NEVER EVER want any dry signal to go through Helix and back into the amp - this means you can't use any FX that might include the dry signal like tremolo or chorus (these would need to be in the PRE amp part of 4cm - which is where you normally would put them anyway thankfully). If you bypass the delays FX blocks (or have a patch with no FX blocks at all) then you will be sending some of your dry guitar signal back through Helix - which is most likely causing your feedback. And also.. the dry signal through Helix is delayed by one or two milliseconds due to the A/D and D/A converters so when it gets back to the amps parallel FX return and is mixed with the original dry guitar sound then you can get nasty phasing interference between them (which is probably what you describe as the sound being a bit mutilated) You cannot simply Bypass an FX block - you need to add a gain block to turn down / off the Helix output on that path. You can use parallel with Helix if you 100% understand how to rig it up - but in my opinion any minute sonic benefits are totally outweighed by the lack of flexibility you are making for yourself - you lose so many possibilities. For example - a post amp volume volume pedal.... (which needs to live in the FX loop.. and only will work in serial mode) I love using a delay pedal after my distorted amp and then use a volume pedal to fade in and out the distorted sound into the delay. This isn't the same thing as putting a volume pedal before the amp... it sounds different... as your volume is pre the distortion so when the volume pedal is low you are feeding a clean signal into the delay.. not a quiet distorted one.

There are 7 easily accessible inputs on Helix: Return 1 Return 2 Return 3 Return 4 Guitar In Mic In Aux In I think to get an 8th input you'd either need to use the variax input or go in via the SPDIF if you have a device like an old DAT machine or something lying around with an AD converter and digital out you could use.

I think the first step is to learn how to dial in a cab or choose an IR to get rid of the fizz. I was dialling in a new preset yesterday - where I had a Helix amp feeding directly (via a send block) to my Laney tube amp's FX return (as a reference to what a real cab should sound like) , and then also via a Helix cab into an RCF 712a mk2 PA speaker which was on a stand just above the amp. It was surprising - but I had to dial the Helix cab blocks's HF cut down to about 2.5kHz before the general level of top end was similar to the amp's celestion speaker. (and I also needed to roll the bass to about 170Hz) As has been noted on the forum before - the slope on the Helix cabs is perhaps not as steep as we might like - so this is why you have to dial the HF cut to such a low frequency (2.5kHz ish)... and whilst it reduced the high end fizz nicely - it also was taking out to much of the upper mids and making the clean tones a bit muddy - so I had to use a bit of high mid on an EQ block to bring that back. Once done though it worked pretty well no matter which Helix amp I threw at it.

Yes I usually just use an OC3 for this purpose. As Bob says - in Poly mode the range control works pretty well so that it only be adjusted to work on the lower strings. It's not a sharp cutoff.. what happens is that the pitch shifted notes get quieter over getting on for an octave range from full on to full off. So you get a tiny bit of pitch shifting on the G string as well as the D but it's very low in the mix. However I've recently been experimenting using my iPad plugged into Helix via USB/CCK and running MIDI Guitar app along with synth apps. I can get some really nice bass sounds this way - much better than than the muffled oomph OC3 produces in Poly mode. It is a bit tricky to set up though and I've not used it live yet... but soon I will :)

Hey all, seems it won't be long until an update comes our way... I am really hoping that we'll get increased routing options for the SEND and RETURN blocks - especially USB. This will enable Helix to interface really easily with an iOS device or desktop machine. Imagine being able to setup a SEND/RETURN block to USB that went to an awesome Reverb / Shimmer plugin / app... wet through the app, dry direct by using the dry mix control on the send/return block Imagine being able to easily send your guitar signal off to an iOS / PC looper app - Loopy or Ableton Live for example. Please vote on this: https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/818624#idea-tab-comments (NB. It is possible to do some of these things already - but you need to dedicate a path output - and you can't send the path to two places... so for the Shimmer app example - yes you can route through USB - but no easy way to get the (latency free) dry signal through.

I'm afraid there's no way to switch that many channels :( You'll probably struggle to get the 3 working as you describe, as I think that method relies on momentary pressing of either button or both together - whereas Helix EXT seems to operate in continuous (latching) connection of the switches. For me, Helix's EXT amp socket is completely useless as it does not work with ANY guitar amp I have plugged into it yet. It does not work with Laney, Marshall, Fender, Mesa.. etc... You will need to buy a switcher box - probably one that uses MIDI to connect to Helix and that has jack sockets to connect to your amp. like this - http://www.rjmmusic.com/products/mini-amp-gizmo/ . It works in both latching and momentary modes. Shame to have to spend an extra $230 though.

Yeah I've had this problem with the bank buttons - wish they could be moved elsewhere - that bottom left button is the easiest one to hit when you're singing and playing at the same time ... shame it's wasted on a bank button :(

I'd really like to be able to move the Bank buttons too. When I'm trying to sing, play and press a stomp at the same time I have on occasion accidentally pressed the bank down button - it's really hard to figure out what went wrong and get back to where you should be without having to start staring down at the floor and moving away from the vocal mic. The easiest button to successfully hit without looking is the bottom left - shame its a bank button :(

Alas - no MIDI through :(

Ahh I wonder if we'll still get 2 years after everyone's good old favourite that is Brexit ;)

That is nice :) A very encouraging sign that Helix is here to stay. ( it will be even nicer for us Brits if it would apply to use as well.) I am looking forward to developments with Helix as Native comes into play. I especially am hoping for more flexibility with routing send / return blocks and so on to USB.

The three mic technique as pictured above works really well - and can be enhanced by adding extra close mics for Toms / Snare to help bring up those drums where necessary due to playing dynamics etc.. You normally would use mic inputs to connect microphones (obviously) - and Helix has just one mic input. However - in the past (back in cassette 4 track days) I've had success plugging drum close mics into 1/4in jacks as you are doing. You can also use the Return 1/2, 3/4 as well (So 1/2 could be Tom close mics for example) - you need XLR to mono 1/4in jack cables to do this. So I would recommend.. 1) Mic in - connect a good capacitor mic (48v phantom) and use it as an overhead to capture all the crisp high frequencies from the kit especially the cymbals. (USB 8) 2) Guitar in - a battery powered capacitor mic - like an AKG C1000 to go on the Floor Tom side (USB7) 3) Return 1 - Kick drum, dynamic close mic (USB3) 4) Return 2 - Snare drum - dynamic close mic (USB4) (if you have the mics available) 5) Return 3 - Tom 1 - dynamic close mic (USB5) 6) Return 4 - Tom 2 - dynamic close mic (USB6) This would work pretty well I think... You could probably buy quite few decent budget mics for the price of an 8 channel interface. The cheaper drum mic sets like Samson work really well and are pretty cheap - I recently got a Samson 3 tom set for just £40 on eBay and a pair of tiny capacitor mics for overheads for about £40 as well to take out to gigs. Whilst these won't quite give you the Abbey Road studio sound they will work very well for demos and for live sound. EDIT - routing - you will need to set up two separate stereo paths for Return 1/2 and 3/4. Just assign them with stereo inputs (Return 1/2 and 3/4) and then set the outputs to USB 3/4 and USB 5/6. The Guitar in and Mic in should automatically come out of USB 7 and 8 unless you've changed default settings. I can explain the routing better if you need help :)

I think the gain on the JCM 800 models is way over the top - so I'd say be careful with the gain knob setting. I think gain on 5 on the Helix JCM 800 is more distorted than a regular JCM800 with gain on 10.