DaveStarns

MWG-Alberta, you weren’t talking down to me at all; you were essentially restating my point. I don’t expect to get stereo out of a mono preamp, which is why I was asking to see whether anyone had any clever configuration options I hadn’t considered. As I said, I’ve already tried just putting the Friedman into the HX effects loop (a simple HX send to Friedman input, then Friedman output into the HX return), which sounds ideal on paper, since I can position the preamp anywhere I want in the effects chain, and I can still get stereo outs. But in practice, it didn’t sound nearly as good. Maybe it’s an impedance thing?

Well, the Friedman’s effects loop is mono, as is the output. Since the 4CM has me going to my speakers (and FOH) from the Friedman output, I don’t see how—short of getting a second Friedman and using the 7CM—I’d be able to send stereo. Do you?

I've been using a Helix LT as my sole live rig since 2019, so I'm familiar with the architecture, HX Edit, etc. But I've recently purchased a Friedman IR-X and an HX Effects, and I'm putting a pedalboard together for the first time in years. I'm trying to figure out the best way to configure the two. Before the HXE came in, I played one gig incorporating the Friedman with my HLT; I made copies of my. patches then disabled the IRs and replaced the amp in each with an FX loop, then just sent Send 1 to the Friedman input and Return 1 to the Friedman output. It was OK, if a little thin sounding. Now that I've got the HXE, I've hooked it to the Friedman using the 4C method, which sounds much better. My only issue is that it forces me to send a mono signal to my FRFR stage rig (and/or FOH). Admittedly, I send a mono signal at 90% of my gigs anyway, but I do like using stereo when I deem it worth the trouble (i.e. when I feel like it's worth the energy of setting up two powered wedges as a stage rig). So this is my question: what options--other than the 4CM--would sound good while allowing this flexibility? I don't necessarily need to be able to use any Helix blocks in front of the Friedman, since I've got a couple of overdrive pedals and a compressor pedal, so the main advantage of the 4CM (being able to insert the preamp wherever I want it in the chain) is moot anyway. Thoughts?

The Helix seems to have a lot of leeway, patch-volume-wise. I'm not just talking about the process of evening out your patch levels, though that's important. I'm saying that a few of the patches others have made that I've downloaded were vastly louder than my own, without any noticeable digital clipping. I've only had the Helix for a month, but I've been a Fractal player since 2011, and you have to be careful with the output levels of Axe FX II patches, or they'll create a nasty-sounding digital clipping. There are green/yellow/red output lights on the front of the unit, so you can "eye' it. I mention this because I'd just made a fairly heavy patch that i noticed was considerably louder than my other patches, so I looked at the edit section for the output. You can add a tremendous amount of level to these patches. Not that I want to, but I do want to know that I'm in the ballpark of "best practices" output volume. Is there any sort of meter somewhere in one of the windows (or in Helix Edit) that lets you know when you're in the right level zone? I did notice that I couldn't get nearly as much volume out of my Powercab 212+ as I expected to, that is, until I raised the output levels of some of the patches.

Excellent template patch, Wayma! And actually, once I realized how simple it is to split the output to a digital one without the IR and an XLR with it, I added it to all my patches. thanks again!

All I really need it to do is change the speaker models. It would be nice to do it with the Snapshots as well as with presets.

Is it necessary to use a MIDI cable, or can this be done via the Link cable?

I have a pair of Equator Audio D5s, and they're fantastic. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/equator-audio-d5 https://www.mixonline.com/technology/equator-audio-research-d5-monitor-review-369629 UPDATE: Yikes! I went to Equator's website to see what sort of new stuff they had, and it's gone! Google has told me that they aren't around anymore. Too bad, great-sounding monitors that were way under-priced. You can still find used ones on Reverb: https://reverb.com/marketplace/pro-audio/powered-speakers?make=equator ...or Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Equator-D5-Studio-Monitors-Coaxial-Drivers/123916256552?hash=item1cd9fc0528:g:QF0AAOSwaENdiRNm

waymda— This is fantastic! Thank you! I'm at work now, but I plan to download your template and try it out as soon as I get home this evening. I'm playing this coming Friday and Saturday in a large casino showroom, where sending a good-sounding signal to FOH is a somewhat higher priority than tweaking my stage tone (since few in the audience will hear the Powercab), so I'd considered just leaving everything as is and running in FRFR mode, just to be safe, or even bringing my Axe-FX II (I've had it much longer than the Helix, so all of my patches are time-honed). But if I can adapt my patches using your template, you may have solved my problem. So thanks again! I'll post an update on how it worked out. . .

I've just bought a Powercab 212+ to go with my Helix LT, and I think it's going to be fun. I'm still in the early foothills of the learning curve, though, in terms of using them together; for that matter, I've only just started feeling semi-confident on the Helix itself, having only had it for a few weeks. I'm connecting the two via the "Link" jacks. My question has to do with IRs vs the speaker models in the Powercab. I know there are three standard ways to use the Powercab: Send the patch (with IR) from the Helix to the Powercab on "Flat" mode; Install the IRs into the Powercab (which, presumably, would sound the same, but would lighten the processing load on the Helix); Turn off the IR in the patch and use a speaker cab model in the Powercab. Most of my Helix patches use an aftermarket IR selected to compliment each individual patch. However, I like the sound of some of the speaker models in the Powercab a lot; using them seems increase the "amp-in-a-room" feel. But I like the IRs better in terms of what I want to send to the PA. So what I'm asking is this: is there a way to send the regular patch (including the IR) to FOH while simultaneously muting the IR to the Powercab and using a speaker model instead? That seems like the best of both worlds to me; more amp-like stage monitoring combined with a more ideal "miked amp" sound coming out of the PA. Anybody doing this? How do you guys use the two together?