tahiche

Thanks, will check it out. Don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I know this is possible, it’s just the issue with presets... it might seem trivial but it’s a bummer for me. Recently i had a band where I’d use 3 inputs in every preset. 1a and 1b for guitar, 2a for bass (vía octave raro send/return) and 2b for vocals. It worked fine, but I couldn’t fiddle around presets, I couldn’t just pick a nice sound and keep it cos I needed to rebuild the other paths and rearrange everything, Yes, I see it’s probably unjustified wining. in my case, start the digitakt and be able to hon through presets and keep hearing the digitakt. Making the returns “audio through” is a stupid idea?. Seems like we all have that one thing we just need and no no else does :) in a different post I talked about a feature that I think is missing and that is present in, for example, Voicelive3. A way to have some “global” or default settings. Anyway, thanks a lot for your comments!. On a side note, I’m still thinking about going for the stomp + mixer. I’ll probably hate myself when I experience the 6 block limit, but the Helix is just overwhelming on my bedroom table. Gonna check out the patch. Thanks again.

Thanks for the answers, My intention is/was to use the Helix as an audio interface. It’s big enough,( specially for home use it’s just massive ) so I was hoping for it to suffice. All I needed was Something like “audio from return 1/2 through to usb 3/4” . I don’t see the point of having that many usb outputs otherwise. As I said, needing a block means presets are unusable. Having some “global in/outs settings” would make it a usable interface. Right now I need an interface just for the Digitakt... that means I can’t use the Helio as an interface, and the helix has plenty more connections than my Focusrite. So it’s not so much a mixer issue but having a nice recording setup. Helix as interface means I can plug in my mic and guitar, have dedicated usb outputs and even separate dry versions... if I use another interface/mixer i loose all that. If that’s the case, if it’s not a “complete” solution I’d rather have the smaller Stomp and a Zoom L12 or similar, to have a “it’s there, plug in and record” setup. But it’s a pity. It’s so close, just that “audio through to usb” option. Regarding my “plan B”, it turns out Multi-track mixer/interfaces like the ZOOM L12 or R16 don’t have midi... my poor digitakt is sad again.

Hi, I’d like to use the Helix as the central piece of a very simple setup. Using it as an Audio interface to work with my laptop or iPad. I’d like to run external gear through the helix, mainly the Digitakt and record those with the guitar. Simple. I tried to hook my Digitakt to the Helix, to monitor and provide midi sync. I used returns 1/2, that’s the only option I could think of. But I need a “return” block for that, which means a whole lane just to monitor. Also means whenever I switch preset I loose the monitor... just can’t see it working. There should be some sort of “audio through” without the need for a block to be able to use it as a mixer of sorts... we got ¿9? USB outputs but it’s just not workable if you need a block every single time. As I said, you loose a lane (dedicated usb output) and there’s no way to switch presets. am I missing something?. Thanks!

Hi, You must already know this, but just in case... If you know the amp, you can just check the helix equivalent, for example I found this regarding Jerry Garcia... “As far as amps and effects go, Jerry kept it relatively simple, using a silverface Fender Twin for much of the 1970s and a Mesa Boogie Mark IIa later on. His mainstay effects included a Mu-Tron III (his original sold on Reverb in May 2015), a Mu-Tron Octave Divider, a Vox (sometimes Colorsound) wah, and an MXR Analog Delay. “ Here’s a list of Helix quitar amps: https://dshowmusic.com/line-6-helix-amp-models/ Turns out Fender Twin is not on the list... neither is the Mesa markII... so I’d search for “amps similar to...” Tried to be helpful, failed miserably... :{

it is huge. That’s a big downer for me, specially if you can’t leave it on the floor (where it should be) cos your place is small. I was thinking of trading it for a Stomp, but I do wanna explore the midi controls, which the stomp lacks. I own a digitakt and it seems like it could be a lot of fun and inspiring. But it’s so big it feels kind of stupid in my bedroom. It made sense at the practice space.

Hi, I don't have it setup right now but I can rey and explain some. You have to think about what gear does what. We have 3 basic components: guitar, vocals and midi (midi to sync presets and machines). 1) guitar. No mistery here. Helix is way better and takes care of guitar. So guitar into VL3 thru so it can detect the notes for the harmony and put into helix without any processing. 2 a) all vocals in VL3. It simplifies things to leave all vocal processing in VL3. You can sync presets, turn harmony on/off from Helix via midi (more in that later) but the actual vocal chain doesn't pass through helix. 2 b) you say you want to incorporate helix reverb on vocals... For that the approach is different. It takes a dedicated vocal lane in helix. Since reverb goes at the end, I assume you want harmonies from VL3 and other fx from helix. You set up a dedicated helix lane for vocals with mic going into helix input. Then some vocal fx (pre harmonies, like compressor, eq...) then an effects loop going into VL3 and back. After that any post-harmonies fx (like reverb). I tried this with a harmony singer in the Helix fx loop (like I said helix+VL3 was too big for me). You need 2 jack-xlr cables to do the fx loop since helix sends/returns are jack but VL3 are XLR. 3) Sync via midi The interesting (and critical) part is syncing the machines. This means presets, tempo, etc... Note here: the VL3 looper is tempo synced, helix is not I prefer the looper on VL3, but that's a different story... I've actually managed to do this. You need to make the Helix master and VL3 slave (VL3 cannot act as master). You connect a 5 pin midi USB from helix out to vl3 in. Note : USB midi won't work, it has to be the classic midi cable. You set up the vl3 to listen on the midi cable. Now if you change the tempo on the Helix it will change on the vl3. As for controlling presets and vl3 fx from the Helix... You need to setup command center actions in helix. You check out the vl3 manual and check the program changes to change presets, turn on or off fx, etc. Then you assign actions on helix so that if u ou press pedal 1 harmonies are turned on on helix... When you load preset 33 in helix, preset 44 is recalled in vl3, etc. These can be midi program changes for presets or cc messages for other functions.... Its a matter of opening the documentation and testing it. Hope it helps.

As @Roberttheprole points out, Helix is not polyphonic and is quite unusable unless you play single notes. I use a SubN'Up octaver in one of the Helix loops. I do this in a dedicated bass path that I can further process and goes into its own output to a bass amp.

And this is with Helix volume knob at full and no padding? (that's unity I believe). Is this independent of the guitar?

How do you keep - 20LUFS at output without a level indicator?. Let's not forget Helix is a pedal board multi effects unit, after all. It's supposed to be at your feet, probably in a rehearsal space. I don't have a PC or a DAW. And I shouldn't if I want to play guitar and just make sure I'm at healthy levels. Voicelive 3 has some basic rudementary leds to indicate the level. It can't be that hard. At least a red light... Say there's feedback and level issues, you should arlt least be able to tell the sound guy with some level of confidence that your signal level is OK. I don't think a "I checked it at home with a computer and a Daw a few weeks ago" would be convincing.

Exactly. Say you're getting horrible feedback. It might be the level is too hot. It might be you're over compressing. Or adding too much distorsión. Or it's that fuzz in combination with that other effect. This is even worse on the case of the mic signal, more prone to feedback. Signal level is the first place to check. Gimme a red light!. If I know the output level is healthy I can then go and check if the compression is crazy high or whatever. Let's not forget there might be other devices with their own level issues. A guitar amp, a PA system for vocals... Now if none have level meters, you're in for some figuring out. Gimme a red light!.

Thanks. Believe it or not I have read numerous posts and researched this matter. That's why I was pointing out specific methods and stuck to metering. Sorry to bother you @cruisinon2 @zolko60@zolko60 I like your idea about comparing against factory presets. It's a bit taunting all those 17dbu,witj or without pad... But factory presets are probably well balanced. Reading a level against those is probably a safe bet. I'm still unclear about how to match Native and Helix floor input gain. Obviously the Ntive input is gonna be determined by the input level in the soundcard, so it seems like it won't be of much help. I'll try the factory preset approach.

Hi, With the absence of a level meter on Helix floor I find it hard to know what's going on with the signal level. I find this important for: a) try to keep unity gain. As I'm playing into a tube amp (no amp simulation) I want to try and keep the signal level as close to the guitar level/traditional stomp pedal as possible to control feedback, etc. b) consistent level between patches c) set compression and effect block levels and see how they affect the signal level. ¿How doy get around to doing this?. Here's some questions... 1) Helix native: since it has a level meter (it does right?). Setting up patches in Native would translate accurately to Helix floor?. To mimic a guitar into Native on a DAW scenario, Helix input should be set at full knob , I'm assuming... any help or tips? 2) Ipad on USB: in this method I'd use the actual Helix floor and connect the iPad via USB and set Helix as audio interface on a iOS DAW app. Then check the meters going in. Is this accurate?. The level in the USB input resembles the signal that would go into the tube amp?. thanks!

Mu Blues Jr sounds somehow "choked" when I get "loud" with helix. That's when playing at high volume. It seems like the Helix pushes it harder than the classic pedals. I don't know why or if it's just a perception thing but it doesn't cut through. The BluesJr is a smallish amp so I'm driving it hard (value at around 9 and master at around 10). Helix knob at around 10 since full-on made clean sounds distorted. So I'm gonna try a bigger amp, a Hotrod deluxe, see if that helps. I'm guessing the extra headroom will allow for more dynamics... To have louder fuzzes that otherwise just drown...

Thanks for your post, appreciate it!. im getting there, I've made progress and feel more confident with my Helix. One thing I want to point out it that although the "unity gain" I was after seems obvious, it's not. With knob full-on and no FX and no pad I was getting a distorted sound feeding the amp. I guess it's just not the same signal as just a guitar. So I have to dial back the volume knob to about 9 o clock. the other issue I'm still struggling with is feedback with some FX combinations, not all. It's not a "it's loud and distorted" natural feedback. It happens with some OD models even at moderate volumes. A ver shrilly high-pitched feedback. Seems to be caused at around 2.9khz but I have to cut too deep and wide with eq (global) so it's not really an option. I didn't expect Helix to be "plug and play", but the gain stage is proving difficult and problematic. Again, this is going to a Blues Jr. tube amp.

The computer, Helix and iPad would have to be in the same room. What's the point?.

Second this. Smashing Pumpkins were sort of the reason I bought the bigmuff back then. I agree. The fuzzes in Helix are good and dirty. It was just that I needed the exact tone. The songs were made with the bigmuff and didn't quite work with the others. The legacy BigMuff is spot on. Guess the legacy was modelled after my exact version. It's one of those pedals that really imprint a tone.

My pickup is a single coil. I play a CGB. The Helix is literally over 5 times the price of my guitar. If it's got to do with the quality of the pickups, I can assure you my pickup situation is not optimal. But man, does it sound good! Haven't picked up my Telecaster since I got this thing. The thing is I had no problems with my regular pedals. And i was going into a Voicelive3 as well. Helix seems more sensitive about what goes into it.

Yes, it's guitar-Mammoth-Helix. I get extreme feedback this way. As I said, it's setup very mild. I had it to always-on at the beginning of my pedal chain. Going into helix even a simple compressor will cause feedback. Could it be impedance?. Should I set path input impedance at 250k?. Doesn't sound like impedance would cause the feedback. I'll try it in the loop but really I wanted to leave it on all the time. In general, would you say pedals before helix are a no-go?. Great help. Appreciate it!.

So you do vocals exclusively through the Voicelive or fxloop from helix mic?. You guys must have huge rehearsal spaces!. For what I'm doing now I don't need perfect beautifully placed harmonies. Rather more of a psicodelic mush... So the harmony singer is sort of enough for that, I place it early in the chain, fx loop, with the "gimme all them voices" setting and mix it back with the main vocal. Then compress, delay, maybe chorus or vibe... Depending on the song I might just use a tiny bit (say 15%) of the harmony fx loop for a subtle "pad" or a a whole lot more, preferably distorted and processed for a "WTF is that?" effect.

Ipad is midi capable, what you can and can't do will depend on the app. I don't have my iPad with me right now but I'd say all you're saying can be done. Don't know about one shots in loopy but there's plenty of loopers around. As for the volume control. If the looper doesn't allow midi volume you could try a host like AUM which I believe has good midi implementation.

I love the Voicelive on vocals. I'm actually just switching to Helix, as I was using Voicelive (VL3 for ref) for guitars too. I have to say I think my voice sounds more defined with the helix. Just better. Like the mic pre is superior. I didn't want to ditch the VL3, so I setup command center to control it with the helix. Change presets, trigger harmony, etc... But I've changed my mind. - having midi to keep things synced is great but I'm just afraid of adding points of failure. I wanted the Helix to simplify my setup. - having both at my feet is just overwhelming. It's bad enough to not see my analog pedals, to have two bulky flashing units is a vibe killer to me. HOW BIG IS YOUR PEDALBOARD?. I'm in the process of finding the right setup, with a gig in 2 weeks and replacing everything. So I ended up borrowing my mate's harmony singer (yes, I know :) and put in in the vocal fx loop. Happy so far. I just do the harmonies with that. I loose control over different harmony settings, the doubler, etc... But I have everything on the helix and feel more "controlled". I'm wondering if you've tried the mic on the Helix and how you think it compares to the VL3. The VL3 has been a great part of what I do now. But I believe I reached a point where I maxed it out and needed a bit more flexibility. But I love that thing!

HI, I'm intrigued by the impedance thing. Couple of questions. What happens when the pedal is not first in the chain as would be the case with the Cosmos echo?. If you put a phisical pedal BEFORE the Helix. Does it affect impedance?. I tried an "always on" Mammoth clone just to add a bit of grit and it causes bad feedback. Wondering if it might be related. I couldn't tell the difference in the case of the fuzz muff pi when changing impedance.

OH man!. The legacy FuzzMuzz Pi (forget the exact name) was spot on!. You saved me. I had the Bigmuff on a loopfx and A/B the legacy version. Totally accurate. I did a blind test with band mates and they actually thought Helix was the real thing. Why?. The eq on that pedal is soooo useful. Added quite a bit of treble and sounded fuller than my Bigmuff, not better, but cut through more. It's great to have that control. Regarding the "legacy" folder... From a user perspective that name sort of implies "these are old, you might find something here but we're past this". And here are the particle verb, octaverb and now the fuzz muzz pi, some of my preferred pedals. I don't see the response or dynamics in this fuzz lacks anything compared to "current" fuzzes. Anyway. Thank u soooo much. BTW. Now that's its there I'm tempted to keep the Bigmuff in the loop, that thing is so beautiful. Just to look at it.

Thank you so much for your help!!. I totally agree, except it´s not sounding great... As soon as i get that "oh yes" moment, beleive me I won´t care for input impedance or headroom.... But since I´m not there and there´s so many points of failure i want to tackle the first and obvious one. This wouldn´t be the case witha FRFR but I have the impression it is with a Tube amp. I was thinking of bringing my iPad to rehearse and try to get an idea of what levels I´m working with... Not only checking if the input signal is too hot (or the opposite) but also to get an idea of where to start with in compression settings and so on... If I hook my iPad (Cubasis, AUM) to th eHelix as an interface... Will the readings on the app be accurate?. That is, if i measure the levels of guitar/vocals with no blocks will that be the same level that comes out of 1/4 and XLR (respectively) ?. I don´t know if my vocals are at -20db, 0db... i haven´t got a clue. For example i got the vocal input at +9db (shure58) but maybe i could push it harder... If at least it had a red "clipping" light, that would tell "ok you´re at cero" and then you´d back off some.

It's a Bigmuff pi USA, bought in the 90's (Pic attached) . The Triangle fuzz is very close. But it's missing harmonic content. Mine has a sparkle that let's it cut through better. The fundamental sound is spot-on, it's just missing the sparkle. After reading your comment regarding impedance Y researched a bit and it indeed seems like the Bigmuff is benevolent as to where it goes in the chain. Do you think it'll mean that it's gonna sound OK and responsive in the Helix FX loop?. My idea is to keep it there for a while. Be able to A/B and see if I can eventually match it.