zolko60

On 12/31/2020 at 2:29 PM, flop54 said:

Because distortion almost always takes away some extreme low end. Splitting allows you to keep the consistency of your clean signal and the distortion then adds a layer of texture instead of changing drastically the way your tone fits in the mix.

Why don't you give him your direct signal and Helix if he knows how you should sound and sit in the mix?
Oh sorry, it does not solve your problem cause your home heaphone sound will be different and panned. :(

Some minor changes were made to the 3.0 manual. Not many, but thank you Digital Igloo.
https://line6.com/data/6/0a020a4112b165fb6a3fe41663/application/pdf/Helix 3.0 Owner's Manual - Rev E - English .pdf
What I miss is DSP allocation values and latency of DSP blocks.

Page 9
29. MIDI IN, OUT/THRU Connect Helix to your MIDI gear for sending and receiving program changes, continuous controllers, and other MIDI messages.
Correction:

29. MIDI IN, OUT/THRU Connect Helix to your MIDI gear for sending and receiving program changes, continuous controllers, and other MIDI messages.
Please be aware that THRU operation filters some MIDI data. Please refer to the Helix MIDI Implementation Chart.

Specifications is still missing. That can be helpful:

Greetings for all Line 6 employees for a new year!

1 minute ago, phil_m said:

he signal to noise ratio of the original recorded will remain constant. Normalization is simply a mathematical operation. The recorded signal doesn't change.

Oh really? During that "mathematical operation" noise is added because it masks aliasing noise which is worse.
Albeit this is not a reason normalisation makes any sense working in 24 bit integer of 32 floating point enviroment. The reason is some guys are familiar with "under a celiling" recording. I was too and changed my mind. Leaving 10-12dB of peak headroom is much safer and devoting some SN ratio is worth it.

4 minutes ago, phil_m said:

Both things are being done in the digital realm, so the signal to noise ratio won't be affected.

This is another reason why recording via the USB out is superior to using the analog outs into a separate interface. These signal to noise considerations that come into play with the converters go away.

Not true. SN ratio is affected because noise is recorded and remain constant. If you leave 10dB of peak headroom SN ratio of AD converted signal will be lower by 10dB cause it is constant.

The processed output level in -20 LUFS ballpark is OK and the direct (USB 7 usually) at -30 LUFS is also correct.

19 minutes ago, safjuan said:

Without exact measurements, the waveform created by ableton is about 50% before it hits peak.

50% may be at -6dB. It is too loud for -20LUFS and distorted tones. It should not exceed -10dB peaks unless you constantly monitor levels against clipping.
Such a packing under the ceiling is passe in XXI century unless you are soldier on mastering loudness war.

9 hours ago, Indianrock2020 said:

I'd just like to hear from others who have tested Helix latency by running a 1/4 inch cable from 1/4 out to guitar input.

Helix hardware latency has already been measured for two operating systems and four drivers. Measuring RTL hardly makes any sense because Line 6 driver correctly reports it to DAW/host.
I have talked about it with some Line 6 guys. Line 6 does not have any plans for doing anything about it. Hx is not marketed as audio interface, it has direct monitoring and Hx users do not report any latency issues.
Case closed unless somebody have info that 32 samples buffer size is usable on MacOS and 64 samples buffer is usable on Windows.

2 minutes ago, SaschaFranck said:

Compared to using a WDM driver, it's much lower

How much? IMO not much. ;)

8 hours ago, SaschaFranck said:

The only option to operate the Helix in class compliant mode seems to be to entirely uninstall the driver delivered by Line 6

Yes. At least you have a choice on MacOS. 48kHz only low latency or mustisample rate high latency.

8 hours ago, SaschaFranck said:

It was originally meant to deliver low latency performance for interfaces not coming with their own ASIO drivers

No. It was delivered for audio interfaces with no ASIO support. People using it noticed much lower REPORTED latencies which is fake. Still this is the only way to aggregate interfaces under Windows.

On 12/20/2020 at 8:55 PM, SaschaFranck said:

Be happy it's that low. Under macOS, at 64 samples and 44.1 kHz operation, RTL is 16.9ms.

But if you change driver to 48kHz Class Compliant you get  In 4.583ms, Out  3.354ms,  RTL 7.937

Lot of people mentioned that this model have issues.
https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Remastering-of-PV-Panama-Peavey-5150-model-in-Helix/1006472-23508?submitted=1&fbclid=IwAR1NnQH0Z1ViWSGjzO1wd-Np6Bs-N0EFuu_-FUt5qgw1A-ngwuIkNREgljY

On 2/19/2018 at 5:38 PM, klangmaler said:

Frank Richotte just posted on TGP an updated list of all updates since October 2015

I miss him on this forum. :(

2 hours ago, SaschaFranck said:

 

I think the resources used up by the global EQ are minimal.

I think 3.25-4.25% of a single DSP according to https://benvesco.com/store/helix-dsp-allocations/
Maybe less considering present Global EQ already blocks DSP resources.
So yes, if that resources can be shared between patches and globals.

Doesn't the Stomp manual mention the high temperature of the working device?

Dear Santa!
Bring me pleees for my Helix:
- Good quality reverbs
- New bright bucket brigade delays
- Good quality Electric Mistress model
- Decent Boss CE-1 model
- Pitch to MIDI software
- Clean my Tape Delays heads and exchange worn tape to some good one
This does not have to happen this Xmass, it can be next year, maybe two, or even three.
Just remember about my Helix. He is such a nice boy - He deserves every bit of quality software.

Dashing through the snow
In a dual DSP
Noone never knows
What is gonna be
Jingle bells, Helix bells
Helix all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a dual DSP

Jawohl!

51 minutes ago, phil_m said:

They definitely care. I don’t think they would agree with your assessment of being left behind, though.

If they care maybe they should take a look at my objections about delays which is not neither worth idea scale submission nor customer support contact. My observations are replicable in 5 minutes and affects delay perception to average "but it goes to eleven" guitarist. ;)

51 minutes ago, phil_m said:

I think it’s silly to say they’re being left behind when they’re consistently outselling their competitors.

 
Good point! I can only say how they bought me and why they can loose me. I can imagine they will not cry when I will be selling my Helix hardware. ;)
Also if some of DSP blocks are worse than some free plug ins quality, outselling is easy :) Please take a look at eg. TAL DUB delay.

51 minutes ago, phil_m said:

It all comes down to what gets me from point A to point B with the least amount resistance.

 
OK, so maybe buying second hand first generation POD is a good idea in 2020. ;)

Honestly: Let's make the world better together!

BTW to write something nice about Line 6.
The reason I have bought Helix was It was the only serious digital modeler that existed as hardware device and computer software. I appreciate that a lot!
I was aware that I would not have everything that I had as DAW plug ins. This is why I treat Hx as hardware and software, each DSP block as plug in and care about that pieces quality.
I also had some hardware devices with great potential that I had to get rid of because its software was not longer supported/developed and competition left it in dust.

25 minutes ago, phil_m said:

I don’t suspect they’ll be adding additional parameters to existing effects

You perfectly know "what ain't broke don't fix it", so every introduced model have to stay or eventually be moved to the legacy section.
In this topic I just want to point some weeknesses and what I am focusing in to pick creative signal processing tools for myself. I hope someone at Line 6 cares about development of better quality software, not only of a new kind like polyphonic pitch shifting but also that "ain't broke" but left behind competition for several years. Now I have to pick other solutions for my needs. Although I do not find playing with laptop to be convinient enough only for a possibility to use some particular software quality I lack in Helix.

Musicians vote with their money. They often can not name phenomenons of their tools they do not like. Instead of scraping their heads or modding they drop their tools and buy another. I don't want to drop Helix which I think is the good piece of hardware I have learned to use. Look at my history at this forum. I try to help others just like you and I try to give Line 6 products a justice. It is up to Line 6 if my personal preferences or opinions have any value or they prefer users that love everything they do.

24 minutes ago, phil_m said:

What about the Helix do you actually like?

Everything except CE-1, EHX El. Mistress models, lack of NOS tape delay shape, overtfiltered BBD delay models, reverbs, noishaped low bit vintage digital delays and the manual.
I also do not appeciate Helix fanboys taking any criticism as a personal offense.
And seriously - Legacy models were written 15, Helix reverbs 3 years ago. To make polyphonic pitch shifting the qualified team was hired in 2020 so I don't buy "we did our best years ago and there is nothing we can offer you" justification and army of Line 6 fanboys advocating it.

It is great worn tape delay found in junkyard!
If I am smoking crack, imagine what a dev modeling it was smoking. :D
 

Same issue here. My Helix RE-201 sounds like its heads are dirty and tape is worn. Maybe even caps' electrolyte dried out. Raising treble and feedback tone controls helps a little, but I feel it needs service to restore it to 70's "studio quality" shape.
Shoud I pick a Customer Support ticket? ;)

17 hours ago, datacommando said:

I like the Line 6 Tape Delay and possibly use that more than all the others available. Although, (...)

I like it too. It is supposed to model the famous EP-3 tape delay althoug Line 6 developer has decided to lowpass filter that like its heads have never been cleaned and tape was not changed for 40 years. I would rather want "NOS" and "Worn" to be switchable in digital model. ;)

10 hours ago, malhavok said:

The Adriatic Delay and Bucket Brigade models also "properly" degrade with each repeat.

I am not really sure. All Bucket Brigade Delays are also so heavy low pass filtered that it is hard to hear what is going on in higher midrange. Memory Man model is much darker than Memory Toy, which is made around cheap, low voltage BBD chips.
So, both tape and BBD delays are more in "ambient delay" cathegory. 
To give Helix models  a justice, there are some models, especially dirt boxes, that I can't distinguish from originals in blind tests.
To give digital models as a whole a justice (contr cork sniffing argument) there are some BBD and tape delay models within a single Sharc DSP capabilities that are accurate enough.

10 hours ago, malhavok said:

Thankfully, the Vintage Digital Delay can be what you want Simple Delay to be. Set VDD to 24-bits and 48k sample rate and it will offer full digital replication at better than CD quality.

Good tip, thank you! 

Nothing is wrong. This is the sound of a guitar amp with no speaker. Also Helix amps models distorts very quickly, some of them have almost no "clean" headroom.

19 hours ago, phil_m said:

The Line 6 tape delay models certainly degrade as you'd expect a tape delay to.

Yes, The Transistor Tape behaves correctly. My only concern is it is too heavy low passed. I don't think any tape delay was so dark. It is also Elephant Man (Memory Man model) issue.

19 hours ago, phil_m said:

The Legacy Lo Res model behaves more in a way that like the OP is talking about

Yes! Thank you, I have never tried it. It is interesting.
While trying  some Legacy delays I found Digital Delay. It also works like Vintage Digital Delay. EQ and maybe some "modeling" is applied only once and never affects feedback.
So I haven't found any "proper" stomp digital delay in Helix that reminds Boss DD2/DD3, or more modern ones like Deep Blue and Rebote which have analog feedback loop and its filters and converters are used for progressive sound degradation. :(