Dwf2008

On 12/15/2022 at 5:19 PM, rd2rk said:

Thanks folks. I didn’t really expect a solution. It’s just that normally you read a page left to right and top to bottom. So the default order seems upside down to me.

On 12/15/2022 at 5:19 PM, rd2rk said:

I don't understand. What display mode are you talking about?

Helix floor, there are 8 preset buttons in 2 rows of 4. Each button has a scribble strip that shows the preset name and index number. By default the presets are presented in this order:

004.   005.     006.     007

000.    001.     002.     003

I want them to read like this:

000.   001.   002.   003

004.   005.   006.   007

and when I press the bank down button I would get

008.   009.   010.   011

012.   013.   014.   015

Please ignore the periods. The ipad seems to add them automatically. Sorry if I wasn’t clear the first time. I hope this clarifies things.

Thank you rd2rk. The edit you suggested swaps the position of the two bank buttons. This not what I wanted. What I want is for preset 000 to appear in the upper left position in the display and preset 004 to appear under it so that you read down the page instead of up the page.

Do you know of a way to accomplish this?
 

One of the things that bothers me about the Helix is that usually you go DOWN a list when you are scrolling thru a page . But on the Helix you  have to scroll up. IE the lower numbered presets appear at the bottom of the display (on the floor unit) rather than at the top. This is minor I know but it seems backwards to me. Does anyone know of a way to reverse this so that you would hit the BANK down to get to the next set of presets?

Thanks

Thank you all for your suggestions.

With my helix, I find that when switching from preset to preset that the volume levels vary widely. Some are just right, some are way too loud, some too soft, etc.  I would like to normalize them so they all play at about the same volume. To do this would it be better to adjust the master volume or channel volume on the amp, or would it be better to add a volume control somewhere in the signal chain (where) and adjust the volumes using it? Or, is there some other technique that I should try?

A related question is how to best eliminate the hiss or buzz (noise) that seems to be built into some of the presets I have purchased or downloaded?

Thanks for any suggestions

Alex, this sounds like a malfunction to me. Have you tried accessing snapshots via the Helix Edit software? Also, I would redownload the firmware to make sure you have a good copy and then reinstall it. It’s possible something got corrupted when you upgraded. You didn’t tell us if this was a new unit or a used one. If it’s a used one, the previous owner may have messed something up.

Thank you silverhead. Regarding Q2, is there a way to make that assignment from within the HXedit software?

The 2 leftmost buttons on the helix floor default to bank up and down. Suppose I then select a preset that has at least 2 snapshots. If I then press the 2 leftmost buttons together they change to snapshot, but there is no change in the labels to show which snapshot is selected. What is the sequence of button presses to properly select and manage the snapshots?

Also, I thought each snapshot would save the individual settings for the controls in the preset. But it appears only their on/off status is saved. Is this correct or am I missing something?

Thanks

Thank you to everyone who responded to my question. I now have a much better (although incomplete ) understanding of snapshots. My original problem was that the title "Pilot's Guide" on the download page made me think it was just the simple 4 page cheat sheet that came with the unit. Thus I ignored it.  Oh well . . . 

Now to answer SaschaFranck's question, 

1. I find stepping on 2 buttons at once to enter snapshop mode to be clumsy. My understanding is that the footswitches can be reprogrammed to do almost anything. So, can I convert a switch (say FS8) to toggle between regular and snapshot mode and if yes, how?

2. I have purchased some custom presets from Glen DeLaune (he's on youtube). He describes some of them (Mark Knopfler) as having snapshots to emulate specific songs. They are very good btw. However these additional tones are accessed by pressing the MODE button not the 2 button snapshot switch. This is partly why I was confused originally. So I surmise these are not truly snapshots but are instead just turning a specific block on and off. The question is, he has given these MODE buttons custom names to match the songs they emulate. How do you do that?

Thanks again.

Is there a manual for the Helix Edit software? I can’t seem to find one on the site. I would like instructions on how to create and save snapshots from within the software. It seems like this would be much easier than doing it from the console.

Hi, I would like to add a pitch to the Benique preset. I tried adding a Pitch/Synth control near the end of the preset but no matter what I try, I end up getting 2 notes. The original note plucked and the same note an octave lower (which is what I want, just the lower note). Can someone give me some suggestions on how to produce a good preset for Wichita Lineman including the main melody and the guitar solo which is an octave lower? I'd like to do this in a single preset with a snapshot for the bass section. This is my first attempt to create a custom preset so rest assured I am a total beginner.

Thanks

Hello all. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions you all gave me last year. I’ve been slowly modifying, rearranging, and upgrading my equipment since we last posted. I now have a zoom L-12 Livetrack mixer/recorder and I love it. I am now ready to buy some speakers and am still debating which ones to get. Your input will be appreciated.

To refresh you on my situation, I am slowly building a home studio. Its purpose is primarily just for fun jamming with my friends. The studio is in my converted living room and is roughly 20 feet square. Carpeted.  The helix, computer, and other instruments are plugged into the mixer. I now need a final output. Most of you have suggested a pair of studio monitors, others have suggested PA speakers. The jam sessions are pretty casual, so the players are not going to wear headphones unless we ever decide to make a recording for public consumption, which is unlikely. In my dreams we might want to do a talent show at church but realistically that is probably also unlikely. So, help me decide:

Yamaha HS8 studio monitors

Yamaha DBR 12 PA speakers

EV ZLX 12 PA speakers

or something else?

Thanks

Hello all. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions you all gave me last year. I’ve been slowly modifying, rearranging, and upgrading my equipment since we last posted. I now have the zoom L-12 Livetrack mixer/recorder and I love it. I am now ready to buy some speakers and am still debating which ones to get. Your input will be appreciated.

To refresh you on my situation, I am slowly building a home studio. Its purpose is primarily just for fun jamming with my friends. The studio is in my converted living room and is roughly 20 feet square. Carpeted.  The helix, computer, and other instruments are plugged into the mixer. I now need a final output. Most of you have suggested a pair of studio monitors, others have suggested PA speakers. The jam sessions are pretty casual, so the players are not going to wear headphones unless we ever decide to make a recording for public consumption, which is unlikely. In my dreams we might want to do a talent show at church but realistically that is probably also unlikely. So, help me decide:

Yamaha HS8 studio monitors

Yamaha DBR 12 PA speakers

EV ZLX 12 PA speakers

or something else?

Thanks

ps - not sure this question is appropriate as an extension to this thread but given our history together . . . :)

Thanks guys. First thing I did when I got it hooked up was backup everything.

Is there some rhyme or reason to the order of the factory presets? I am tempted to rearrange them and put them in alphabetical order to make them easier to find, but I don't want to mess up a reasonable organization that I am just not seeing.

Thanks 

2 hours ago, rd2rk said:

 

* My setup, to accomplish pretty much the same thing as the Zoom, requires a computer, a midi controller for tactile control of DAW track functions, and the 18i20 for mixing, and I still only get the same 5 custom monitor mixes. And that requires a mouse to configure. I'm SERIOUSLY considering taking my 18i20 down to GC and seeing what they'll give me in trade for that Zoom!

The Zoom was on sale last month at Sweetwater for $100 off. You should be able to get at least that deal.

The ASIO driver was/is installed. Perhaps I misunderstood. When you said set it as the soundcard, did you mean just within cakewalk? Because that’s how I had it originally.

Rd2rk- thanks again. I was able to get your first suggestion to work as intended except I have to buy another stereo breakout cable. I also could not figure out how to define the 2i2 as the soundcard so I instead told cakewalk to use the MME driver. Everything seems to work as intended.

Next we tried to connect a mic to the helix xlr mic in (I dont have the right cables to connect it directly to the mixer) but there appears to be a new learning curve associated with connecting a mic to the helix. It looks like the preset has to be modified to include a signal chain for the mic. Is that correct? I have not tried your second suggestion yet as the first one seems to be working ok. Do you think there would be a significant advantage to the second scheme?

btw- did you order that zoom mixer yet? ;) My son-in-law is in the business and he likes this one better. 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Sig12MT--soundcraft-signature-12-mtk-mixer-and-audio-interface-with-effects

thoughts?

Thanks rd2rk. That is exactly the kind of input I was looking for. Sorry it took so long to get there. The mixer/recorder is a Yamaha MT2X that I inherited when a good friend died. Another reason I’m not going to get rid of it. I will try your connection scheme right now.

7 hours ago, DunedinDragon said:

.

Personally, if I were in your situation I'd probably opt for standard PA type speakers maybe like the QSC CP12 or Yamaha DBR12's simply because they'd work better with a jam session than would studio monitors, plus be a viable solution if you wanted to play live.

Dragon -

You seem to be the only one who gets it. Thanks. The DBR 12s or maybe the 10s are my current target.  I was shopping for speakers when I decided to buy the Helix instead. I am puzzled as to why everyone is so intent on telling me to get monitors, get monitors. My original question had nothing to do with sound quality. I can deal with that later. One of the problems with a forum post like this is its difficult to get the whole story out without writing a book, and that’s difficult when you are typing on a tablet one finger at a time late at night half asleep lying in bed.  In actuality I have a lot of stuff plugged into the katana. Its a K50 btw, (I mentioned that in the original post for the guy who took me to task for not identifying it). BUT I currently never have more than two inputs going at the same time, maybe a backing track and my guitar through the helix. That is in fact what the katana was designed to do, ie play a clean signal thru the aux in from a phone or tablet while the guitarist plays thru both the preamp and power amp sections. And it sounds just fine. The other players are connected to their own separate amps and are not plugged into my system.

Now, my original question was about connections, not sound quality. Here is the scenario. The pc is playing a backing track which has been loaded into cakewalk. I am playing the guitar thru the helix. The others are playing thru their own amps. Then someone asks to listen to the original recording on youtube or itunes. Then someone says ok lets try it with a different rhythm from the drum machine. So you see what I really need (at the moment) is a way to utilize all this stuff without rearranging cables all the time. Sorry if that wasn't clear in the original post, but I think it was.

For the guys who want me to dump the 2i2, well, it was a Christmas from my wife just this last Christmas. So no, I’m not going to sell it anytime soon. The “mixer” is actually a Yamaha 8 track recorder that is more than 25 years old and probably worth $25 if that. So no, thats not gonna be sold either. The katana is 2 years old and worth maybe $100 as a trade in but I use it as a pa for parties at church. So no its not going either. I really don't mind suggestions that I cant use, but it is a bit hard to shoulder the negativity when they don't hit the mark. 

Just my rant. Thanks for listening.

4 minutes ago, rd2rk said:

 

THANKS A LOT!

Here I am, trying to help, and what do you do? GIVE ME G.A.S., that's what!

I don't NEED that recorder. It doesn't really do anything my current setup doesn't allow me to do. I haven't looked at hardware recorders in years.

BUT I WANT IT!

It's cute, and portable, and all the controls for everything, tracks, monitor mixes, EVERYTHING, are RIGHT THERE!

I HATE YOU!

 

rd2rk - glad you like my choice in mixer/ recorder. Note that it records each channel separately and plugs into your DAW via usb. They also have a 20 channel version if you need/want something bigger. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

 

 

Hey Dragon, you hit the nail on the head. This is the mixer I am currently targeting. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/L12--zoom-livetrak-l-12-12-channel-digital-mixer-recorder but having just bought the helix its going to be a while before I can get it. I am also agonizing over speakers. I checked out all the studio monitors at GC and didn't like any of them. Currently I am thinking I will get larger PA speakers instead. That way I can use them for gigging if the opportunity arises. Perhaps 10 or 12 inch Yamahas. Realistically it will take me a year or more to acquire all that and I am NOT going to sell the existing gear. 

So in the meantime the question is how to make the best use of what I have, even if it doesn't satisfy all my wants.

Thanks for your input.

Hey guys, I’m sorry if my last response seemed a little cheeky. It certainly was not my intent but in retrospect I can see why it might seem to be. I also apologize if my original post was lacking in detail. And long term yes, there is more/different equipment to buy, but funds are not unlimited and going out and spending a couple grand on more stuff right now is not possible. So, maybe the first question right now is how can I make the best use of the equipment I have which by the way has been accumulated over more than 20 years. My original thought was maybe the helix (which I just purchased last week) could also do the work of the 2i2 for the second guitar.

Thank you for all your longer term suggestions.

Well, now perhaps you see why the mixer is in the mix. I could do as you suggest but that only accounts for two instruments. What about the others? My setup is actually more about jamming than recording although I want to do both without rearranging the connections each time I switch from one to the other.