ricksteruk

Do you mean to connect from Helix the 1/4 in Jack output to the G10 transmitter, and then put the receiver by your amp? There's no reason why it should not work. It's just carrying a guitar signal - just make sure your Helix 1/4 in outs are set to Instrument level.

^ yes that's what I was taught. I think some people just get complacent these days.... because as you say circuits are often designed to protect against the surge.. so more often than not you could get away with "hot plugging" - whereas in times gone by it might be more a case of "instant fail". Personally I always make sure phantom is off before making or breaking connections - especially with my own gear :)

Oh sorry to hear your Helix has gone faulty :( There have been a few people reporting that their Mic input has suddenly stopped working and need to send their Helix off for repair. It may just be coincidence - but I think pretty much every fault case that has been mentioned on the forum has been by people using the phantom power... now some people say that leaving phantom power on whilst unplugging / connecting mics cannot damage the mic preamp.. but I was always taught to make sure phantom was off just in case.

Obvs you have no idea what I am talking about ;)

As far as I know the noise gate is first in the chain. In my opinion it would be much better if the noise gate could be placed anywhere, and fed (triggered) with the signal from right at the jack input, so it will work better after amp patches - especially helpful if using real tube amp in 4cm with Helix. This should be difficult to achieve really.. heck my old GSP 1101 could do it.. you could just choose wether the trigger control signal came from input or from return from amp.

No problem :) I have to say - now I am used to how easy it is to set up MIDI message on Helix foot switches - and also the amazing Scribble strips so I can tell what the switch does, my FCB1010 feels so primitive, with it's letterbox menu editing and "white tape and sharpie" scribble strip. I wish the Helix control unit could be made to plug into Helix to double up the buttons :)

Yes it works fine - I think there might be a MIDI thru option you need to turn on somewhere perhaps. But yeah - I've used both my Behringer FCB1010 and also a H&K Midi footswitch with my Helix to control apps on iOS via the CCK. Currently I am trying to set up a rig with MIDI Guitar 2 feeding into Infinite Looper, which then plays samples from ThumbJam and Korg Gadget - and also I am using Group the Loop (or Loopy) to loop the actual guitar tones as well... Need lots of foot switches to control all of that ;)

Yeah the routing options are great! I am trying to do something a little similar but with USB and an iPad. I'm currently feeding dry guitar on Path 1a to USB 1/2 to MIDI Guitar 2 app which then drives various MIDI synths (via either Infinite Looper or Gadget at the moment) and is fed back on USB 1/2 and returns on the XLR (via Global USB 1/2 return function). Then my regular guitar tone (either Helix preamp of my H&K in 4cm) continues to Path 2 where it's split - 2a goes to USB 3/4 where it's fed into an iOS Looper app (either Group The Loop or Loopy), 2b is for the un looped guitar to pass directly to the XLR. I'd like to include a vocal microphone as well - and it may be possible to use the USB 8 to take a dry feed from Helix, and process it in AUM prior to looping - but I'd kind of prefer to do that in Helix but all the Paths are full One thing's for sure - the routing would be much easier if we were allowed to connect to USB on the SEND and RETURN blocks - I am basically wasting 2 paths just to send to USB outputs.

As long as all your instruments currently work well enough with the G55 there should be no problems when you connect it to Helix. Of course you'll be able to set up different presets for each instrument (or snapshots if you prefer) so that you can set up the EQ, compress, or add reverb and FX for each and switch between them easily. I use my Helix for double bass, acoustic guitar and mandolin sometimes in my folk band - works great :)

Yes - that's no problem at all. Simply pan one instrument to the left and set it's path output to XLR, then pan the other to the right and also set it's path output to XLR if you wanted you could send the mandolin separately to the guitar by setting one of the paths to 1/4 in jack output - (or any of the 4 send sockets) and then using a DI box to get the jack into the PA's XLR sockets.

Finally done some testing :) Been so busy at work this week. So as Phil says Global EQ is placed after the USB 1/2 digital send. But it is before the USB 1/2 digital return. I guess this is where it might be most useful for most situations - so that you can play backing tracks or whatever from your iPhone on USB1/2 and the Global EQ won't affect the backing.. only the guitar signal. However I am trying to use the USB1/2 as inputs and outputs to Loopy HD on my iPhone as a really simple way to connect the Looper... the idea is basically that if you just connect your iOS device to the USB and turn on the Looper it will just magically work with any Helix preset that is set to Multi, as it send both to the USB 1/2 and also to the 1/4in and XLRs. But with the Global EQ positioned where it is - it means that only my dry guitar gets effected by the Global EQ - not whatever is Looped. DARN :( Yet another reason why I call for increased flexibly of the Send / Return block in Helix - so I could simply set up a USB Send/Return loop in my Helix presets https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508

Yes indeed :) but is that before or after the USB 1/2 is added and sent out the 1/4in or XLR socket? Unfortunately it's too late for me to make noise now - so I will have to wait till tomorrow to test.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to setup my rig. I'm going to be using iPad/iPhone to bring some extra sounds into the mix through Helix on USB1/2 Does anyone know if the Global EQ will apply only to the guitar signals coming from a Path, or if it will also apply to what comes in on USB1/2?? I guess maybe I need to go check it out for myself ;)

Earlier on in this thread there was talk about the Helix Control unit.. ...and the fact that it has a USB socket - which the manual says is "reserved for potential future use" If Line 6 do make a USB driver it would be super awesome to be able to use Helix control both for Helix Native, but also as a regular MIDI controller with other apps.

Crikey!! ;) Helix has 4 1/4in Sends and the two 1/4 inch outs ready to connect to connect to amps - so you could theoretically get Helix to switch between 6 amps this way with clever routing. If fact - if you use the two XLRs as well (wth the proper XLR - 1/4in unbalanced jack cables) you could connect 8 amps. Those 8 amps would be connected straight into the amps front panel. Are you hoping to be able to use the 3 amps with FX loops in 4cm? If you want to be able to use an amp in 4cm - you would need an extra Send/Output from Helix i.e. - the 3 amps with FX loops would need to use 6 of these 8 outs available, so there would still be 2 left for the non fx-loop ones. so.. Yes it is possible with Helix - but it would be rather tricky to set up. What do you want to get out of it? How do you want the selection to operate? Do you want just 5 simple A,B,C,D,E on/off buttons that would send your guitar signal to each amp (or not) - so you could manually choose which amp to send the guitar to? If so how would that work with the 4cm? (if you're planning to use that?) When you pressed Amp A should it route the signal through the 4cm of amp A as well as send the signal to it's power amp? What I am saying is... by using 4cm you could if you wanted use the Preamp of Amp C with the Power amp of Amp A. Or not. Up to you! Are you hoping to use any of their power amps as a stereo pair? Or will it always be mono? Will you be setting up 3 amps as Wet/Dry/Wet? Many questions that equal many ways of setting it up - with many headaches of routing it all along the way ;) (NB. I've tried running Helix with 3 amps (in 4cm) before plus the XLRs into a pair of FRFRs so I've had "5 amps" foot selectable before. It was fun)

Have you heard the theory that a "normal" right handed guitar is actually designed for left handed people? ... something to do with the fact that the left hand gets the job of all the tricky business of selecting the notes whereas the right hand simply has to pluck them. Not sure if I agree 100% with the idea - but it's made me think about it. if it's true then 90% of us are playing guitars the wrong way round :)

I've not seen the JVM working via MIDI sorry :( but my H&K amp switches channels by MIDI very quickly.

It's worth bearing in mind that you should probably use MIDI to switch your JVM - not the 1/4in jack FS Because although Helix does have an amp switching facility, for some reason they didn't do it properly with galvanic (relay) bypass so it causes horrendous Earth hum with virtually all Marshalls (and Fenders.. and Mesas.. and Laneys) :(

A "Global Cab Off" might be useful for some people... i.e. having a global button available that would turn off all cab blocks and IRs in Helix - so that one day you could run through your guitar amp and the next day you could use your FRFR instead - just turn on or off the global master CAB button. But it wouldn't help the OP's quest to have two stereo paths running simultaneously, one with IR and one without - which is pretty much the set up needed for anyone who is using a regular guitar amp & cab on stage, but is trying to feed the FOH direct from Helix via Cab blocks or IRs. For setting up stage amp via 1/4in with no Cab, and XLR with Cab, I think the simplest way would be for Helix's SEND block to be able to route to the 1/4in outs. That way you can use the Big Vol Knob to adjust the master to your stage amp via, and it would work even if you have all your 4 FX send/returns already full. Here's the ideascale for that - https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508 using this idea (if it ever happens) The OP would need to put a SEND block to 1/4ins, then a split block followed by a mono IR on each path set to XLRS. It would be even tidier if there was a dual (stereo) IR block - is there an idea scale for that?? (EDIT - Yes there are two ideascales for dual IR blocks that I found in 5 seconds.. I wish people would use the search function before adding an idea!!!) first one Nov 2016 - https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Dual-Impulse-Response-Block/859843-23508 2nd one Jan 2017 - https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Dual-IR-block/864258-23508

I'm using my iPhone SE with the MIDI guitar app and ThumbJAM to create some strings / keys sounds with Helix - it works great! Tracks really well. (and it would be really easy to set up in crowded Helix patches via Send and Return blocks if only the Send/Return blocks could send to USB!!) ..oh look there is an idea scale for that :) https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508 The app is not a freebie - like £30 for the full version.. or you can get it for Mac (VST I think) for £100 ish.

I guess you could use the Helix Dual Cab block instead of an IR? I'm pretty sure that would preserve the stereo path. A lot of people find that Helix's cabs can be tweaked to sound as good as third party IRs - and in a live gig situation I'd say the differences would not be worth worrying about.

I'd say what you're trying to do is perfectly normal - and yes I would say it's a bug - either that or a design flaw in the snapshot recall process. I suppose the algorithm compares the new snapshot to the old snapshot and makes any changes necessary - but it needs to be able to compare the new snapshot to the current state also - surely all the other FX blocks recall properly upon snapshot change if you've manually toggled them?? I would expect that when I select a snapshot it will recall the snapshot. Period.

+1! Your patch levels need to be set to suit the song - not the same for all songs - or else you'll be too quiet on the loud songs, and too loud on the quiet songs. And OK on the medium ones. Unless of course your band has zero dynamic range in which case set them all the same ;) This was perhaps the main reason that I moved away from traditional pedals to Helix - so that I could have the exact same amp sound and effects at a different volume level for a different song! The best way to set levels (if you have the facility) is to make a good live multitrack recording of your band with a dry guitar signal (USB7 or a DI box maybe) and then reamp your recorded guitar signal back through Helix and adjust as needed.

I have my Helix Send & Return set to instrument level and then just turn the Return Block level down to about -15dB to account for the fact that my amp's FX send is -10dBV level not instrument level, so that I get basically the same level with the FX loop bypassed as engaged. Works fine for me :)

Good stuff! :)