MusicLaw

Thurston and GunPoint: This is about whether the Helix's Mic In can be used for this purpose. Not whether or why Guitars may already be connected to Helix's Main Guitar and Aux Guitar Inputs.

Might be. I have used the G10's XLR Out (via an XLR to 1/4" TS cable) to feed a Fender Mustang III v.2 (at the same time as the G10's 1/4" Out fed a Fender Mustang IV v.2. Both Amps have the same Inputs and PreAmp electronics deck. When connected to the Amps' 1/4" Instrument Inputs both Amps responded the same. There was no significant difference. SImilarly when connected to the Amps' FXd Returns, both Amps responded the same. There was no significant difference. This could simply be a result of the way the Mustangs' Inputs are designed to accomodate a wide broad range of signal levels. As the Helix's XLR Mic Input is probably designed for a far lower signal level (as are most Mic XLR Inputs) my first thought would be the G10's XLR Output may overload it driving it to distortion. I'll know once I give it a try. None of my guitars have active pickups, so the more I think about it, the less concerned I am about trying it. I'll begin with the Guitars Vol Pots at 0 and very gradually bring up the level. I hope to give this a go later this afternoon, time permitting. Otherwise, over the weekend....

Re-read the thread's first sentence, paying particular attention to the parenthethical.

Were the Power Supply, your Helix, and your Amp all connected to/sharing the same AC power strip/circuit feed? Are you using any type of power filter/conditioner device before the AC outlets? A minor dispartity in the ground potential of different circuit feeds can have a dramatic effect! The only factor tending to dismiss the above as being the sole responsible issue is that when using the internal battery only, the ground and AC power issues are eliminated from the equation. Thus you could have multiple causes each contributing to the interference you are hearing. Also try using a fresh 9v battery if you have one. If you do not have a multimeter handy to confirm the 9v battery's voltage, you can use the age old tip of the tongue test.

This is too funny! lol

Would like to expand the scope of the question to include Android tablets.

Thanks, look forward to you findings. I know phil_m also used a G10 with his Helix. Perhaps we can all give it a try and compare notes. I'll try to give it a try later today or this weekend and post results. As this thread had fallen dormant back in April 2016, I started a new set of threads more aptly entitled: "Line 6 G10 XLR Out to HELIX XLR Mic In?" These are in the Relay Wireless and Helix Forums to expose it to both product user groups. See: http://line6.com/support/topic/24982-line-6-g10-xlr-out-to-helix-xlr-mic-in/ and http://line6.com/support/topic/24981-g10-xlr-out-to-helix-xlr-mic-in/?p=191199 I'll be posting my further responses there....

Now that the G10 has been out for well over 6 months, has anyone used their G10 Receiver Base's XLR Out to connect (an additional guitar) to their Helix via the Helix's XLR Mic Input? Of course, Helix's Global Settings > I/O > 48V Phantom Power must be "OFF"! The G10's XLR Out is (most) likely Line Level. Line 6 does not provide their specs. I have not measured the XLR Output's signal level. The Helix Mic In XLR is set up for Mic Level. Line 6 does not provide their specs. I'm guessing the input expects -60db to -40db. With the Helix Global Settings > I/O > Mic Gain set to 0dB. I have not used any Mic's nor the Mic Input Block with my Helix. And I have not yet looked to see if the Mic parameters allow significant Input Level attenuation. A Gain Block and Compressor Block may be able to attenuate their output levels, but may be useless if the Mic Input Block is overloaded or clipping. [Note: This post has also been made in the Relay Wireless Forums to get in seen by those who may not only view the Helix Forum.]

Now that the G10 has been out for well over 6 months, has anyone used their G10 Receiver Base's XLR Out to connect (an additional guitar) to their Helix via the Helix's XLR Mic Input? Of course, Helix's Global Settings > I/O > 48V Phantom Power must be "OFF"! The G10's XLR Out is (most) likely Line Level. Line 6 does not provide their specs. I have not measured the XLR Output's signal level. The Helix Mic In XLR is set up for Mic Level. Line 6 does not provide their specs. I'm guessing the input expects -60db to -40db. With the Helix Global Settings > I/O > Mic Gain set to 0dB. I have not used any Mic's nor the Mic Input Block with my Helix. And I have not yet looked to see if the Mic parameters allow significant Input Level attenuation. A Gain Block and Compressor Block may be able to attenuate their output levels, but may be useless if the Mic Input Block is overloaded or clipping. [Note: This post has also been made in the Helix Forum to get in seen by those who may not only view the Relay Forum.]

Now that the G10 has been out for well over 6 months, has anyone used their G10 Receiver Base's XLR Out to connect (an additional guitar) to their Helix via the Helix's XLR Mic Input? Of course, Helix's Global Settings > I/O > 48V Phantom Power must be "OFF"! The G10's XLR Out is (most) likely Line Level. Line 6 does not provide their specs. I have not measured the XLR Output's signal level. The Helix Mic In XLR is set up for Mic Level. Line 6 does not provide their specs. I'm guessing the input expects -60db to -40db. With the Helix Global Settings > I/O > Mic Gain set to 0dB. I have not used any Mic's nor the Mic Input Block with my Helix. And I have not yet looked to see if the Mic parameters allow significant Input Level attenuation. A Gain Block and Compressor Block may be able to attenuate their output levels, but may be useless if the Mic Input Block is overloaded or clipping.

A 9v to 5v USB adapter makes sense, if it were no more than $10. For $30 to $50, go with Line 6's USB G10 $15 Charging Cable (Amazon or Sweetwater) and put the balance towards a rechargeable USB Lithium Battery pack to power the G10 Receiver base. The battery pack could also charge your Smartphone, Tablet, etc.

The G10 has been a blast! Have had mine since late July. Once the firmware was updated to 1.04, all the issues with the G10 Transmitter's charging issues were resolved. Line 6 did replace my base unit as the USB port broke on two units. The latest one has not failed.

Appreciate the follow-up!

Ben, if you have not already done so, submit your findings directly to Line 6 Tech Support as a Bug Report to formally bring this to their attention. This symptom significantly detracts from the chief benefits of using Snapshots. Have you compared the significance of the pop/noise of decrementing frm Snap 2 to Snap 1, to what it would if you were actually switching between entirely different Presets (configured as Snap 2 and Snap 1)?

Aside from the possibility of using your existing amp, if it has an FX Return, as a powered cab, you could replace your amp with one that does have an FX Loop (i.e Fender Mustang III v.2 1x12, Fender Mustang IV v.2 2x12, or others), or, go with one (or two) 10" or 12" powered FRFR Monitors (Yamaha DBR10, DBR12, DXR10, DXR12, or similar). There are loads of choices and price points, and how much gear you want to drag along.

Clarifying..., no objectionable Fizz here.

If there is no need to use different Global I/O Level settings, then a single FX Loop Block could accomplish the task. This is where Helix's signal routing flexibiliy and options are exceptional! And, really quick and easy to reconfigure and compare alternatives using the Bypass feature! I get as much enjoyment from playing with Helix's audio engineering aspects as I do from playing Guitar through Helix! It is a win win!

If for home use and you don't require speaker grills to protect your studio monitors, check out the JBL LSR305 or LSR308. They're powered (so you won't need a separate power amp), they sound great, and are reasonably priced!

Nope. I don't think this is an absolute requirement. Moreover, if your need to use different Global I/O Level Settings (Instrument vs. Line) you'll need separate FX channels.

Metalman1221: Read this review on TGP: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/3-days-with-a-helix-for-an-axe-and-kemper-owner-user.1780565/ I too find Helix's stock cabs, once dialed in and blended in multi-cab configs, can deliver exceptional results. I have not yet felt compelled to buy IRs. No Fizz encountered here. The monitors you will be listening through will have a massive impact on how things sound. Choose them wisely!

Thanks for the update! Firmware 2.11 may have ironed out this wrinkle.

If unable to find it, try reinstalling the software.

HonestOpinion and MonkeyXT, if you have installed 2.11, are you still able to recreate this abnormal behavior?

I don't use my Helix with a computer, so I can't help you with that part of your configuration objective. Nonetheless, I have used my Helix with my Yamaha THR10C. The Yamaha works exceptionally well as a stereo near field FRFR Monitor! It is amazing just how good the Yamaha sounds! It was remarkably similar when A/B'd against a set of JBL LSR305 powered studio monitor. I had them all connected simultaneously to the Helix and could switch between them. Get Two (2) 1/8" (3.5 mm) TRS to Dual 1/4 inch TS Stereo Breakout Cables like this one (or longer length if desired): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000068O3C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Use one to connect the Helix's FX 1&2 Sends to the Yamaha's Aux In jack. The other allows you to connect your stereo audio playback device to the Helix's FX 1&2 Returns. On the Helix define one FX Return Block for FX 1&2 Return (Stereo Audio in from your music source), and one FX Send Block for FX 1&2 Send (stereo to the Yamaha). Also handy is to define a Volume Gain Block postioned after the FX Return and before the FX Send Block to easily adjust the level sent to the Yamaha from the Helix. In this configuration, routing the stereo signal to the Yamaha's Aux In jack, all of the Yamaha's amp modeling and cab sims are circumvented! The Yamaha acts solely as a powered stereo speaker system. So the only active knob on the Yamaha is the AuxIn level knob. While in this mode the Yamaha sounded outstanding! [Note: It also draws far less current, so the batteries (if you power it that way) will last far longer than when the Yamaha's amp profiles, tone stack and FX controls are active in the circuitry as when the 1/4" input is used.] While connected via AuxIn to the Helix, I also connected a set of JBL LSR305 to the Helix using the Helix's Main 1/4" Outs. After adjusting levels on the Yamaha and the JBLs, and trying the Helix's Global Settings I/O options for Line vs Instrument levels, I switched the connections to the Yamaha and JBLs. Listening to a variety of material played through the Helix both the Yamaha and each sounded great. Of course, the JBLs could get louder and had a bigger bottom end, but up to the point where the Yamaha could no longer compete, the Yamaha did a remarkable job rendering the accuracy of the playback material and matched the JBLs very closely. I also did the same with my guitar connected to the Helix, stepping through each of Helix's Amp+Cab Block Models. Simply define an Amp+Cab Block in the 2nd postion of the Signal Path. Put a Looper Block in the first postion and you can record your guitar and let it loop (playback) as you step through each of Helix's Amp+Cab Block models auditioning how they sound. Then add an Amp Block in positon 3, and a Cab Block in position 4. This allows you to isolate (using the Bypass Button) how each sounds using the Amp Button and Joystick Selector. You can also do the same with a PreAmp Block, but you'll have to delete either, the Amp+Cab Block or the Amp Block due to the DSP limit on Path 1. Otherwise, you'll need to use Super Serial mode (routing Path 1's output block to Path 2) to access the additional DSP resources. BTW, do all the above on one of the Empty User Presets found in the Templates setlist. I did also try routing the Helix's signal to the Yamaha's 1/4" Instrument In. I tried this two ways. One from the Helix's FX Sends (using a 1/4" Y adapter to converge the stereo signals to a Mono signal into the Yamaha) and the other from the Helix's Main 1/4" Out. In both instances, the Yamaha's amp profiles are now being used along with the Yamaha's tone stack and FXs. Thus, you'll likely want to disable (i.e Bypass) the Amp+Cab Block, Amp Block, Cab Block, and PreAmp Block in Helix's signal chain. I didn't burn, destroy nor blow out anything, but it was certainly a learning experience, over the course of several hours on two consecutive days. Overall, I preferred using the AuxIn on the Yamaha rather than Instrument In. The final point I'll mention is that using the Helix's FX Sends and Main Out (rather than the Headphones out) allowed me to keep my Sony MDR-V6 headphones connected to the Helix at all times and instantly use them as another comparison. Otherwise, using the Helix's Headphones out could be another valid method to connect to the Yamaha. Give it a try and see what works best for you! Hope this helps! Even though it was a long post.... :}

If a numeric display were to be implemented, it must be highly legible, regardless if a pure integer scaled value, for example, 0 - 100, or a decimal scaled value of 0.1 - 10. Nor would it be necessary to remain prominently displayed at all times. For instance, it could appear in a prominent size and remain displayed as such for 2 seconds after changing the Main Vol position, and then perhaps persist in a smaller size font at a different location on the screen (perhaps the upper right region of the display). Helix's Main Volume knob's engraved score mark serves as an easy glance indicator. Although it is a relative indicator, subject to the various level settings of the Block Elements comprising the signal chain(s) routed to associated output Block(s), most of the time my Main Vol is at 12 o'clock. This works great with a pair of Yamaha DXR10 FRFR monitors (also set at 12 o'clock postion and for Line Level). There's still plenty of headroom. When using other powered Monitor Speakers (with different input sensitivity levels), or, when Helix's Main Amp Outs are feeding a Guitar Amp's FX Returns I still tend to leave Helix's Main Vol at noon. I'll make any gain staging adjustments on those other powered monitor speakers or Guitar Amps (as powered cabs), whenever possible. The point is, when I glance down and see Helix's engraved mark at the noon position, I know immediately it's set properly (unless I have intentionally alterted the setting for good reason).