ricksteruk

When connecting two audio devices the rule of thumb is that input impedance should be at least 10 times the output impedance of the previous device.. this makes sure that the input device is not loading too heavily (drawing too much power from the previous device). It's much less important for line level devices which are powered and aren't really bothered so much by the power draw - so much so that impedance basically considered irrelevant in many circles. It does have more effect with unpowered and reactive things - like guitar pickups. Guitars are approx 100,000 ohm (100k) output impedance, so guitar amp usually have 1,000,000 ohm (1Meg) input impedance. if you plug in to an amp with a 500k input impedance you might hear the difference - it may sound a little more muddy. However, you should have no bother plugging the 10K Ohm Rock Crusher into Helix Returns.

This is true :)

The Helix Big Volume knob is just an additional Master Volume. Yes if you set it at 1 o'clock for your "normal" level you'll need to turn your JVM master up higher than usual. (Or you could put a gain block at maybe +10dB the end of the Helix Path) But no - you can't use this to drive the power tubes at a low volume like an attenuator. An attenuator's volume control comes after the power tubes - a control before is just another master volume.

Weird yeah - it kind of sounds like a tremolo on those staccato notes near the end...

I do worry about this happening at a gig - and also that my Helix might simply die! If I was a wee bit more professional I'd carry a spare Helix just in case.. as it is what I have in my gig bag will probably get me through the night. It's possible bad electricity supply or power spikes can cause digital things to go on the fritz. I carry a rack mount power conditioner to help nowadays. From my gigging experience over the years I have found digital gear more susceptible to dodgy mains power... in some places with badly unregulated generators the digital stuff we've had has just refused the operate, whilst the analog stuff manages to carry on - albeit making a god awful buzz.

Yes, it is likely ground loops are involved but the noise is probably caused by the dirty electricity - that is why it didn't make that noise at your gig. You might get results removing the noise with a ground isolator / hum buster - but a power conditioner (like the one you linked) is probably the best bet - and a good thing to use always anyway!

I don't think that's up to the job really. It's more of a surge protector than a power conditioner - it doesn't say it's got filters in it. You want both RFI and EMI filters to get rid of that sort of noise. Something like this: - http://www.atlasied.com/ap-c15d When you run into a venue that has really nasty power you won't regret it. The power at your gig tonight was ok luckily! Most venues are fine.. it's just good to have the conditioner just in case. As I say my upstairs room has a continual recurring buzzing in the mains (caused by interference from a neighbour I think) so I need to use the conditioner in there any time music happens there.

Nice to see a expression pedal mod! While those Mission pedal look very nice I think they are about at least 50% more expensive than they should be. I'm gonna buy a vox or crybaby wah off ebay for £30 and put a 10k pot in it.

There's already an idea scale for that! I made one in April.. http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/SEND-Block-to-more-places-e-g-1-4in-for-easy-IR-bypass/818624-23508 Digital Igloo even voted for it so it must be a good idea :)

That's quite a neat idea! Does it work ok?? I'll have to try. I can manage to step on two switches that are next to each other at the same time, but I sometimes mess it up. Maybe your idea will work better :)

The reason I think it's a noisy electrical supply is that Farley says that his talk box makes the same noise.... .....even when the Helix and the Amp are off!!

I'm afraid it's going to be a bit of a struggle for you until "scene mode" or something like it surfaces for Helix. I will be very happy when that day comes! - but there's no guarantee that it will ever be released.. there are many things on the wish list... Please go to Ideascale and add your vote to any idea suggestions for scene mode. However - there may be a way for you to manage until then - but it will take some thought. If your show is really complicated It sounds unlikely you could manage with just 1 preset. But perhaps there are a few gaps in it where a half second gap of silence from your guitar might be ok? If that's the case you could split the show into several presets maybe?? One foot switch can control up to 8 things.. bypasses of blocks or controllers to set max/min parameter values - and this is a good start - but the problem we have at the moment with complicated FX changes is that it is not possible to assign one parameter (say the Bypass on a Delay block) to more than one foot switch. What you can do however is to assign different parameters of the same FX block to different switches. For example - one footswitch could be assigned to bypass/enable the block, and another could be assigned to the mix.. min at 0%, max at 100% (or whatever you need). Then bingo - you have two switches controlling the same switch. You could also put the FX block on a different path with a split block that is controlled by a 3rd foot switch. So there are possibilities - you just might need to think about things in a new way. I've managed to solve *almost* all my switching needs like this.. there's just one or two times when it takes me two foot switch presses to get from one sound to another when there's a lot going on in a preset.

You say the talk box makes exactly the same noise as this? It sounds like dirty electricity to me - you should try to get a power conditioner. The upstairs room in my house sometimes has an awful very loud hum that affects pretty much anything you plug in there.. I tried everything I could thing of - using different sockets - isolated power supplies. They helped a little. A power conditioner cured it for me. I got one of these for about £15 used - an ETA PD8L IEC

Yes I'm using two 1x12 combos separated by about 6 to 8 feet ( I should measure it.. then I'd know.. lol ) There is a huge difference in the stereo spread and the feeling of space you get by doing this as opposed to a single cab. A 4x12 or 2x12 does have it's own level of spaciousness compared to a single 1x12, but when you use two spaced 1x12's it takes it to the next level. I don't think I'd want to go back to mono again now I've got used to it - and luckily my cabs are quite light so it's no bother to get them to gigs. The thing that surprised me is that the bass end seems to get a lot fatter with two cabs active instead of one.. I wasn't expecting that. The other thing that I wasn't expecting is that sometimes it really feels like the sound is actually coming from directly in front of you - out of the brick wall in the space between the cabs.. (or the sofa when at home) and not from the actual cabs themselves.. it's quite odd! That's the stereo image at work I guess ;) EDIT - Thanks for the kind words roscoe :)

Hehe! Glad to see you are managing to keep a sense of humour about the whole tuner debate ;)

Yes in the old days (16 bit recording) it was very important to record as close to 0dB as possible. I was taught this too. But 24 bit recording is not just "half as much again" as 16bit - it's not got 50% more resolution. Its got WAY more. 16 bits can measure 65,536 levels.. whereas 24 bit measures 16,777,216. Full volume at 16 bits is less than 0.5% of what's available at 24 bit. Basically if you are even moving the VU meters at all at 24 bits it's way more precision than full 16 bits.... ....and then at the end of the day we'll listen to it on a compressed 16 bit mp3 that throws away 90% of the information we've recorded ;) So if you can add a gain block in Helix (i.e. as long as you're not needing to use USB7) just add it and don't worry. If you really need to use USB7 and there's not enough level coming through then you may have a problem.. a small buffer or clean boost pedal in front of Helix's guitar input might be your only answer there. It is true that increasing the volume/gain will add noise.. but that will be true wherever you put the gain. If you put an actual analog amp / buffer between the Guitar and Helix it will increase hiss and hum. If you add gain in the digital domain within Helix or the DAW it will increase the hum and hiss levels as well plus there will likely be some digital artefacts at very low levels (inaudible usually these days) It might have been nice if there was a gain control on the guitar input to accommodate higher levels for guitars with passive pickups - but that would still increase noise if it was turned up from the level where it's set at now!

One of our members here roscoe5 has uploaded quite a few free IRs that he has made! Here's a link to a post: http://line6.com/support/topic/20308-th-irs-ty-thursday-irs-mo-mesa-power-amps-added/?do=findComment&comment=153090 Have fun :)

I am afraid not. You need to vote for "scene mode" in Ideascale.

They are placed at the end of the chain usually (after the amp anyway). Some people put reverbs and delays after the IR which sounds more like an album where the producer had added FX in the studio after the guitarist had gone home, or if you want it to sound like a real guitar amp - put the FX before the IR block. Not knocking if you choose to put FX after the IR if you like the way it sounds of course! It's just a different feel.. both are good.

You can use separate Send and Return blocks if you want - but it's probably best to use a combined one. The signal goes: Guitar > Helix Guitar In > HELIX PRE FX > Helix SEND1 to JVM in > JVM Fx send to Helix RETURN1 > HELIX POST FX > 1/4in out to JVM FX return It makes sense to use a combined Send/Return block really.

My tip: Cab sims are supposed to make it sound boxy! It's supposed to sound like you'd cranked and miked up your D50 with a SM57 and are then sitting next door listening to it in the studio through the studio monitors. I find the Interstate 2x12 cab the least offending. Use a high cut above about 4.5kHz, and a low at about 100Hz

For the processed signal simply add a gain block. You should be able to turn it up at loud as you need - and if not for any reason... Just add another. But really you don't need (or want) the signal to be going anywhere near 0dB for recording unless you are making a live mix - for example adding it to a live camera feed to stream it or broadcast. Assuming you are just recording it and will do some post production / editing later there is little need to worry about signal levels as long as you're not clipping. There is so much dynamic range available with 24 bit recording it really makes recording levels less of a worry.

First thing to do is check that you have "Instrument" level set on the Helix Send/Return loop you are using. (within Global settings menu) Then make sure you set your amp's FX loop to -10dBv as that's closest to the instrument level that the front of the JVM is expecting to receive - but still it's actually louder. So I find I usually set the Return level on the Send/Return block to about -15dB. To explain...Helix's Send will be sending Instrument Level to your JVM input which is good, but then the JVM's FX Send is giving -10dBv Consumer Line Level to the Helix return, which is expecting a lower instrument level. You probably want to set the main Helix 1/4in outs to Instrument Level - but they would also usually work fine set at Line level as you've set your JVM loop to -10dBv, you won't overload the JVM's FX return either way - so just do what seems best. If you bypass the JVMs FX loop you can balance the levels through the Helix. It's all quite confusing really!!!

Hi Farley, congrats on the Helix! I'm mainly using mine in 4cm with my Hughes & Kettner Switchblade combo which is awesome, but I'd like to try a JVM.. maybe a 205 Head or Combo. FX - yes most people put delays, reverbs and modulation after the Preamp (Send/Return). Wahs, Compressors and Overdrives are generally better before the Preamp (Send/Return). Some people like Phasers, Flangers etc before the Preamp. EXP1 & 2. If you press the toe switch down on the Helix's pedal (really hard with your foot!!!) it will switch from EXP1 to EXP2. By default whenever you add a Wah block to a preset it is assigned to EXP1 and when you add a Volume block it will be assigned to EXP2. Just press the to switch to choose between EXP1 Wah and EXP2 Volume. Of course you can choose to use EXP 1 and 2 for other things than Wah and Vol.. that's up to you!!! To assign manually you press the menu button, then press Knob2 "Controller assign" and then choose EXP Pedal 1 (or 2) with Knob 2. As far as I know Helix can only send one MIDI cc message per footswitch... so I think you will have to set up presets on your JVM and get the Helix to send Program Change PC messages to the Marshall. Good luck! Rick

I bet you've accidentally plugged into the Sends of both Send 1 and Send 2, Rather than Send 1 and Return 1 ;)