frodebro

Yes, the Helix can recall presets from the H9s. I have a H9, and set up a MIDI PC command to send to the H9 when the Helix loads a preset that uses the H9. Easy to have the Helix send out multiple PC commands. Just make sure to set up your H9s with different MIDI channel IDs so you can load different presets on each.

 

The H9 seems to do MIDI Thru just fine. I've also a EHX HOG2 which has MIDI control. My chain goes Helix -> H9 -> HOG2, and the MIDI CC signals I send to HOG have the intended effect. I have not tried sending MIDI expression signals from the Helix to either stomp, so can't comment on that type of use.

 

There are two ways to trigger the PC commands the H9 needs. If you have a one-to-one correspondence between your Helix presets and your H9 presets, the Helix can automatically send out a PC when a preset is loaded, but the preset numbers have to correspond.

 

The second way (and what I use) is to set up MIDI commands to send when a preset is loaded. That can be taken further and have commands sent when snapshots are triggered.

You can also map the H9s to call up presets that aren't the same preset number that the Helix transmits (such as triggering PC 2 in Helix calls up preset 4 in the H9).  

.....you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.

I can't get no satisfaction.

Something's messed up somewhere, I'm running OS X 10.12.1 and have no problems at all connecting to my Helix.  However, I have noticed that mine is a bit sensitive to the USB cable used.  The short factory cable works pretty much all the time, but a couple of longer ones I have (around 10') cause periodic dropouts.

Headphones and monitors/speakers are going to sound different no matter how you slice & dice it.

I use mine with K10s most of the time, but every once in a while I'll plug it into my Marshall 9100 and a pair of V30 loaded Boogie cabs.  Two different flavors of good times.  I quit gigging many years ago, but if I were still doing it today I'd definitely go with the QSCs over the power amp/guitar cabs every time.  The 9100 weighs 65lbs by itself.

I had been using a pair of K10s with my Kemper for over a year and was really happy with the combination, but when I bought the Helix it didn't sound nearly as good through them at first.  Once I started building presets from scratch while monitoring through the QSCs everything came together.

Cheers! Just so I'm sure, would you suggest setting the gain dial on the K10 to about half-way and just use the Helix volume dial to get the required output level?

I've got a pair of K10s.  I would start with the gain on them at about 9:00 and raise it from there if necessary.  They're small, but they are LOUD.  Also, you may want to make about a 3-5dB cut at around 250Hz (in the Helix) as they tend to be a tad boomy in that region.

Running through guitar in. FX return just doesn't crank enough volume. Am I doing something wrong?

Make sure whichever output you're using from the Helix (send or 1/4" main) is set to line level-if it's set to instrument level it won't feed the power amp a hot enough signal.  

Hi there. I have already replaced 2 footswitches on my Helix, and now the third one is also going bad. The repairman showed me that small footswitch part (underneath the chrome one that you step on), which is connected to the motherboard are very bad quallity. They are not covered with small rubber protector... This rubber protector actually prevents the oxidation (which happens on temperature changes) and causes the bad operating... I think I would have to change all 12 of them with better rubber ones to get rid of this problem. Very bad Line 6. I hope now, that when Yamaha takes over, they will start to use better quallity footswithes...

 

I am dissapointed.

The acquisition occurred almost three years ago.  

I don't believe that it is the case. It is a water displacement formula but it also does seem to have some lubricant qualities, at least according to Wikipedia. Quote: "<25% petroleum base oil. Presumably a mineral oil or light lubricating oil.". My experience has definitely been that it has lubricating qualities although perhaps as you say it has some solvent agent as well. I am definitely not saying it is safe for the Helix. I have no idea if it is or not.

Yes, it does have a slight lubricating quality to it, but the viscosity is so light that it's not going to last nearly as long as an actual lubricant.  Plus, it's petroleum based, so it can have a damaging effect on plastic.  Basically, it's not the most ideal thing to use for this application.

WD-40 is NOT a lubricant in any way, shape, or form.  The name stands for Water Displacement formula 40.  It's basically more solvent than anything else.

Got mine from Sweetwater about a month ago, had 2.01 on it.

Sweetwater was updating the units themselves before they shipped them out a while back, don't know if they still are.

Have you tried increasing the buffer size? You might also want to make sure you disable Time Machine, turn off any iCloud syncing services and notifications.

 

Also, what kind of Mac is it?

Yes, check your buffer setting.  It's a balance between latency (higher buffer settings) and system bottlenecks (popping with lower buffer settings).  

It's all about gain staging.  My Boogies all run a much hotter signal that the Helix amps when I run them 4CM, so I tame them down with the loop level.  You might want to try a gain block to goose the Blackstar signal a bit and balance it out, or turn up the master volume on the Blackstar.

As mentioned above, the outputs are what is throwing you off.  For your situation you'll want every track set to Stereo Output (there are exceptions, but it's not important right now to get you up and running).

I have a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohm, and I think they sound really good directly in the Helix - all around just an awesome pair of cans:

 

https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-DT-770-Pro-ohm/dp/B0016MNAAI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1476308019&sr=1-1&keywords=beyerdynamic%2Bdt%2B770%2Bpro%2B80%2Bohms&th=1

 

I have the same headphones and can also get things to sound really good through them, but those presets don't translate well at all through my QSC K10s.  So I have separate banks of presets for headphones and monitors.

I still have the GSP 21 Legend I bought new over twenty years ago, and it's still fully functional-and that's after about four years of a very busy gigging schedule (over 150 gigs a year) back in the day.  I don't really worry about what will happen down the road with Helix.

Indeed...

 

But when you really think about it, the only time most guys ever wear a tux, they're signing their life away...why shouldn't they be comfy? ;)

Twice- married and buried...

Two entirely different products, at different price points, aimed at completely different markets.  Kinda like comparing a pair of sweats to a tuxedo, and complaining because the tuxedo doesn't have an elastic waistband with a drawstring...

I think the US Deluxe Nrm is the way to go since the Fender Deluxe Reverb is a reissue of the Tweed Deluxe.

Tweed Deluxe and Deluxe Reverb are actually quite different amps.  One is cathode biased and the other is fixed bias.  Both use 6L6 tubes.  I have built clones of both amps and they are quite different.

Yes, the tweed Deluxe is night and day different from the blackface Deluxe.  Tweed Fenders had a much more prominent midrange and broke up earlier and in a very different manner.

Is there any of the horse left!?!?!  lol I kid, I kid.

It's pretty granular at this point.

It has nothing to do with getting a good tone. I love the tone I have with my helix. I would like the variety. It's the spice of life!!

Maybe the Kemper would scratch that itch, then.  There are literally thousands of profiles available.  

Do keep in mind that many of the amps in the Fractal units are boutique amps that are largely based on a small core of the most popular amps (JTM45, JCM800, AC-30, Tweed Deluxe, etc.), most of which are already represented in the Helix.  

FWIW, Brown Sugar was recorded with a Gibson (pickup selector in the middle position) into a dimed Fender Twin (pre blackface).  The gear Keith has used live through the years has often been radically different than what was used to produce the iconic sounds from the recordings that so many people are chasing.

Hello,

I'm new, so first of all my best regards to all here. 

 

I'm one click away from getting the rack version and I have a TC Electronic G-System. The plan is to use both at the same time, with G-sys contributing with what it has, especially spillover, and also behaving as a midi foot controler. Has anyone been using a G-sys in connection with the Helix rack? What was the experience like? 

 

Thanks very much for any wisdom on the subject.

 

Tom

The G-System is outstanding when paired with a traditional amp, but its MIDI functionality is pretty limiting as far as using it as a controller is concerned.