prashbez

This was so useful for me. Thanks a lot. Been trying to figure out how to connect various things to my Helix rack and this gave me a very clear idea. I'm now adjusting my existing patches to make a separate path for my Boss Eband JS10 that I've plugged into the Helix Rack Returns 3 and 4 taking the output from the JS10's headphone output. I've connected my Helix XLR outputs to my Apogee Element 88 audio interface to record into Logic and I've also taken the 1/4th outputs of the Helix through a Y cable back into the JS10 input 1 so that I can record my jamming on the JS10 just on the fly without the computer though of course it doesn't give me multi track recording. (Photo below). My questions are as under: 1. What I wanted to know is that If I didn't want to record/ switch on the computer but just wanted to play along to the backing tracks/ drum patterns on the JS10 through the Helix, what do I select as the output for the JS10 return block on the Helix and I suppose I'll have to make completely separate patches for that purpose than the patches I've made for USB recording through Helix? 2. I find that the best volume output for the JS10 through the Helix Rack comes from the Multi output option when I'm not using the computer. Somehow if I set the Return block of the JS10 to 1/4th outs, the volume seems lower. Am I doing something wrong on this? 3. Should one use the AUX In to connect an Acoustic Guitar with a built in pickup or just use the Guitar In to connect the Acoustic Guitar? What would work better? 4. If I connect my Roland FA-06 keyboard to the Returns 1 and 2 of the Helix Rack, can I use the same patches as the ones I've made for the Boss JS10 returns 3 and 4 and keep the FA-06 on a separate path so that I get the sound output from both the FA-06 and the JS10 into Logic or do I need to make separate patches for each instrument connected to the Helix Rack and record them one by one instead of all together on separate tracks? In other words would one master patch for all the connected equipment work so that I can record both the JS10 and the FA-06 into Logic at the same time. Just to explain what I have in mind in 4 above: Path 1 is the guitar effects path for my guitars with output set to USB1/2 or Multi; Path 2 would be the JS10 return block with the output set to USB 3/4. Path 3 would be the Roland FA-06 with the output set to USB 5/6. Is the above configuration a workable solution within a patch? FYI, For final recordings, I've created an Aggregate Device on my iMac with the Apogee Element and the Helix Rack and that works very well for me. Now I can also manage to record the drum patterns and backing tracks on the JS10 into Logic Pro X using the Aggregate Device inputs of the Helix Rack. So best of all worlds in a sense being able to use both the Apogee Element 88 and the Helix Rack as audio interfaces. Sometimes I also just record to Logic using only the Helix Rack as the audio interface but I somehow find that the Helix Rack XLR outs into instrument Inputs 1 and 2 of the Apogee Element and then recording into Logic using Inputs 1 and 2 of the Apogee give me a clearer sound for some reason. Not sure if that's just my imagination. Haha.

Hi Silverhead, Thanks for looking into this. For now I'm not planning to use the Apogee's Digital I/O so I guess selling it makes more sense to buy something else. I do need a Condenser Mic to record my Classical nylon string guitar so will probably sell the Apogee and buy a Condenser Mic. Thanks again for your help. :)

Hi Silverhead, that worked for me perfectly. Thanks for your help, your suggestion makes my setup perfect now for recording ideas and also using the DAW option simultaneously. Just need to buy some more cables now to connect the Helix to the Studio Monitors. :D I generally use headphones to play and record since I only get time to play late at night after work and that too only 2-3 times a week. I was earlier planning to connect the XLR outs of the Helix to my Apogee Element 46 Input 1 and 2 and then connect the XLR outs of the Apogee to my Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors to use a separate Audio Interface for recording. But I guess with your suggestion and the fact that the Helix USB recording and I/O options are pretty good for my home recording purposes I might not even need the Apogee and can sell it off for buying some other stuff. Plus the fact that I can route the sound of the Eband to USB 3/4 or 5/6 to record that on separate tracks is a bonus. What do you think about only using the Helix for recording purposes instead of the Apogee Audio Interface? I suppose I can now dispense with the Apogee. But I was wondering whether the Helix USB recording quality would be as good as the Apogee. Will have to make some tests using both. Cheers Prash

Hi, I have a Helix Rack and was facing some routing issues, which I'd be grateful if anyone could advise on. I'm using Path 1A in the patch for the EQ/Amp/Cab/Delay/Reverb/ Volume without anything else on Path 1B. I have connected the outputs of my Boss Eband JS10 to Return 1&2 as the Input Block on Path 2A. This is basically for playing backing tracks/ drum patterns from the Boss EBand JS10 into the Helix for jamming with and making patches/ testing new ideas. What I'm also doing is using Send 1 and 2 as the physical outputs and connecting them with a Y Cable to the "1/8th Aux In" of the Boss Eband JS10 so that I can record my basic ideas on the fly without having to use the laptop/ computer and can later import them into my DAW. [The Eband has a convenient recording option for recording basic ideas]. However, when I select the output on Path 1A as "Multi", whatever I play doesn't get recorded into the Boss Eband JS10. But when the output on Path 1A is selected as Send 1 and 2, then what I'm playing gets recorded into the Eband JS 10. My problem is that I would also like to use Path 1A with the "Multi" output to record final ideas into the DAW through USB and at the same also have a back up recording on the Boss Eband JS10 with all the effects of whichever patch I'm using. This does not seem to be possible as the "Multi" output setting doesn't record into the Eband using the Send 1 and 2 and if I change the output to Send 1 and 2, on Path 1A then I probably won't be able to record into my DAW using "Multi/ USB 1/2". I also tried to copy all the effects on Path 1A and make a completely separate signal chain on Path 2B within the patch with the input as "Multi" and output as "Send 1&2. This worked but the sound quality and volume seemed to be much lower in the recording compared to choosing the "Send 1 and 2" output from Path 1A. Can anyone help me with the routing of the sound to an external recorder or multi track recorder and is it possible to do what I'd want to do? Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers Prash