PierM

Yeah I'm pretty sure. I did the test feeding a continuous white noise signal going into the back monitor in L/R and then changing speaker scheme in the app. The exit compressor seems working for both mono and wide stereo. In wide stereo it does probably use a different crossover setting to drive less highs on the exit compressor, probably to create that "wide" feeling. If you have the amp you can test yourself. Just remove the front cover and check. :)

Quite the opposite. If you are setting your helix volume to low numbers, your signal is sitting next to the noise floor (which is present in every circuit, more or less). Given the signal to noise ratio of the Helix, you should use an high main volume output from the Helix, and then managing on the final stage (speaker volume, mixer, whatever). This way your helix signal will sit at proper distance (dB room) from the noise. I did some measure, and I get the best from 50% and above (helix volume). But this also depends on your chain and preset, but concept it's the same. PS: as other guys said, you should tell people what's your equipment, especially what is there after helix. ;)

U dont need all this mess to do so. I can do the same just sending XLR from Helix WET path straight to Fh1500 monitor IN, and a send block after amp sim block, straight into the fh1500 guitar in, using a blank preset with no amp and no cab. I can then use the master Helix Volume to control the WET and the master guitar in to control the dry. Point here is you are mixing volumes, sound pressure and also missing some points. Whatever volume you will assign into the wet you cant go wider the coaxial speakers freq response range, and you cant bypass limiters protecting them, so you will still lack presence, while muffling the curve because of limiters. What you are doing is just making the amp going more in the back, at the time you'd kill the dry. Your scheme would make sense with 3 identical speakers, but here we are talking a woofer vs two mid/high freq. small drivers.

Monitor In, L/R (this is what I get, over here): Mono; Top Horn, Center Speaker - No limiters as small Coaxial are not engaged. It does work basically as a standard single FRFR speaker. Stereo; Left Coaxial, Center Speaker, Right Coaxial - Limiters kick in to protect Coaxial Stereo Wide; Left Coaxial, Center Speaker, Top Horn, Right Coaxial - Limiters kick in to protect Coaxial

I think the problem isn't easy fixable as there is central speaker sharing, so whatever you do with stereo/DSP schemes, you are driving a huge center combo (speaker + horn) VS two small (and pretty delicate) 5.5" coaxial, which are going to be buried by the dry section. It's not a bi-Amp going to indipendent speakers, as for example a JC120. With this kind of Wet/Dry/Wet, the weakness stays in the tone splitting into separate elements, where the dry will have way more presence than the wet FX. It may be nice to play alone for some trip tone, but this kind of W/D/W can't really work at gig volumes.

Just FYI, the short video I posted above, it's just the amp. I kept the Helix turned OFF to avoid that one adding more hiss on top. I believe the hiss are limiters compressing the signal as soon as its needed to avoid damages on speakers. I also have hiss on the L2m, but it's barely audible and go totally buried as soon as you play. Something I can't achieve with the FH1500, as the hiss goes stronger as you push more signal into it. Does sound like a reaction. But in general, I could even manage the hiss (pushing more on helix block amps levels and using less volume on the FH1500), if only the amp didn't work that muffled in stereo at high volumes.

LOL! So now you are twisting, and suggesting the HISS does disappear if I do play? Really man, you should be paid by L6 as you are number one! Are you actually playing the guitar other than posting over here? LOL! By the way, the video with the guy playing the FH1500, with the crazy noise in the background, and the squeezed volume issue, have been removed completely from the other thread. Post is gone. Video is gone. How good they are? :D BTW, I'll stop ranting now. Let's not brake your toys. :P (btw for the OP, don't buy that amp for the Helix! Go with L2M/L2T if you want L6, or with an CLR!)

Just took this. Helix is off, guitar volume is off, that is just the FH1500 hiss, alone; https://www.dropbox.com/s/siqk1ud8u2i5jcl/IMG_3288.MOV?dl=0

Thanks lord you are not working for L6! LOL Why in earth I should prove you something? :D I played 3 of these things. They are all the same. Other users are reporting the same in the forums. Video have been posted. Sorry but you are ridiculous.

Sorry I don't understand what you mean. I meant the hiss is present in all these digital speakers, but the FH1500 has the worse ratio between the hiss and the signal. If you are suggesting it's a problem with my unit, no. It's like that by design. If you don't hear it it's because you are using the amp at bedroom levels, or you probably have hearing loss for the high frequencies. Or, other option, your tone is saturated so your hiss is buried in the mix.

Eh eh...no. :) It's not hum, not noise, it does not happen in the guitar chain, but in the back end. It's not something you can filter out with a noise gate. Has really nothing to do with tubes (??!) ;) If you have that amp, just try tuning all way down the guitar IN signal, and raise the overall to max, and listen. It's just white noise. The hiss is mostly produced by the Monitor IN section, which for some reason, is working even if you are not connecting any external source. So, even if you use the amp alone, with no Helix in the back, the Monitor IN/GAIN section will add hiss on top. This is an hardware (or firmware/software) mistake. I do partially solve this turning all the way down the GAIN pot in the back of the amp. Of course you can't do the same using the Helix, as you'd kill the entire signal coming from the Helix. Said that, all these units are generating HISS, more or less. It's typical. It's normal. But usually the ratio it is not that bad as with the Firehawk 1500. Could also be related to the limiters squeezing the volume, while you are driving the two small speakers, to avoid damage, but this does not allow the amp to go to its maximum power and you basically get same volume from around 50 to 100%, with just more hiss. There is people who tolerate much more than others, a pink/white noise as a background and it also depends how do you use it. I guess if you play some high gain stuff, the hiss it's gonna be buried. But if you use, let's say, the Variax with the acoustic model, with that crystal clear tone, that hiss it's totally spoiling the performance.

I do agree, as it's true; when set to mono it does work fine, and it has much more presence in the room (still the hiss is there and loud at high volumes). But since it's 30Kg boat, with six speakers and stuff...if I have to play mono, I've my dear L2m which sounds great at huge volumes, with 90% less hiss, and half of the weight. :)

The dead spots are by design. Contacted Roland last year and they explained the pedal range has been engineered to work 1:1 in the 1/127 range, so min and max aren't floored to mechanical limits. If you want to remove both IN and OUT dead spots you can use two piece of rubber. Works pretty good and it also remove that dry knock noise, when you hit the case with the huge pedal.

I'll tell you my problems, other people will say it's amazing. In my real life experience, it's a no go. 1) Monitor Input stage is doomed by compression hiss (see the video in the other dedicated thread) 2) When used in Stereo (using the two Monitor IN) it does use just the 2 coax L/R speakers and the limiter kicks in very early. Tone is thin, dynamic is gone. Volume range is limited to bedroom levels. It's like using two 5" speakers that you could buy alone (and probably working even better with no HISS), without breaking your back to move the thing. 3) When used in Wide Stereo (Monitor IN) it does use the two 5.5" coaxial and center speaker, but still you have the compression hiss, from 40% to 100% of the volume. If you play some part of your songs with clean tone, is like a pink/white noise flooding your music. Awful. It also does not mix at all in a gig. Weak presence. This is all real life experience. Again, get a look to that video the guy posted in the other thread. 4) Wet/Dry/Wet; it consists basically in splitting your Helix patch signal after amp modeling, with the stereo effect routed to the Monitor IN, and the dry signal sent to the FH1500 guitar in (using a empty preset). This way you have all speakers working but you are limited in the usage of the Helix stereo effect to avoid the phase cancellation. You'll need to rethink your entire way in creating presets, and you'll be forced to specific patterns. Once you did your presets for that scheme, you'll need to redo your presets for recording, foh and also basic gigs, as the Wet/Dry/Wet does really not mix in a band at high volumes. It's, as before, weak. You will end with a dominant of the dry signal into the mix, with effects buried by the other instruments and amp hiss, since they are driven by two 5.5". Again, bedroom scheme may works, or one man show. Not more than that. (Playing with a friend, I've been humiliated by a Fender Princeton reissue.) 5) It's heavy as a boat anchor. This wouldn't be a problem if only working good. 6) Line 6 support on this amp is zero. If you contact them via ticket they'll tell you it's not an issue, but it's the way the amp is working. If you moan on thread, nobody seems caring with technical responses. If you ask for a firmware, no one will give you an answer. 7) The app is a mess. It does keep disconnecting. Hanging. The procedure to save a preset in the amp is ridicolous. 8) When used alone, MIDI is useless. The manual is wrong, as confirmed by L6. Only way to control your presets it's buying its own board. All you can do with a controller, despite the full MIDI interface on the back, is to change preset UP/DOWN. The goods; it does sound stellar if used alone (just remember to turn down to zero the monitor in gain). DSP here works at best, and soon or later you'll start asking yourself why you need to use the Helix with it, messing with cables, phase issues, HISS...to get a ridiculous tone. :) The goods 2: If you use it in Mono, many problems are gone (apart the hiss). But then I'd buy a L2T or L2M. ;) Good luck with your choice. :)

Not a biggie for me. I can use an extra footswitch on the RC300 to tap tempo there, instead on the Helix. Hope this works, or would be a meh!

The FH1500 has not L6 Links. It has just standard Analogic inputs. That signal is then managed by the internal DSP to be processed and then sent back to speakers. Guitar in go through the Firehawk FX, while Monitor IN are bypassing that stage. Monitor IN needs to be set to 0dB to respect the signal coming from the Helix, but its doomed by hiss. See the video above. Only way to engage all six speakers, using with the Helix, is to go Wet/Dry/Wet using both Monitor In and Guitar IN on the amp. Which means your Helix preset routing is limited to specific settings (100% wet on the stereo path) to avoid phase cancellation and then you'll probably need extra versions of same presets to work in studio and live. Another issues with this setup is you get the compression hiss killing your signal once you are around 50% of the volume and above, which make the amp useless for high volume purpose. The only hope I personally have is they can reduce that HISS, so I can at least get proper volume. At the moment, Helix + FH1500, it's a bedroom setup. FH1500 alone is a blast. :)

Gold for me too, to master the RC300 looper tempo with the Helix tempo. Game changer. :)

If I put a TS - TS with my pedals they don't work. First thing I tried when bought the Boss. Figure. :D

Hmmm. My custom cables, which I'm using with FV500H Exp pedals, are leaving the Ring out of the circuit. It's tip to tip and sleeve to sleeve, and TRS into the Pedal and TS into the Helix EXP. As side note; if I connect the TRS to the Helix EXP, and the TS on the pedal, I get that 50% @ 100% issue. It's number 9 in this scheme;

That is also what I did with my beloved Boss FV500H and they work flawless. :)

Yeah, this is something we already knew, and also why the amp sounds miles better when used alone, as it use all speakers plus the top horn. That limitation makes the amp totally useless for FRFR purpose, above the 35/40% of the volume. Unless you dont go mono, but then dear L6, explain why people should buy a 30Kg amp with a million of speakers, to play mono. Just make your advertise and your manuals clear (and correct), so next time I don't lose my time and my money. Thanks.

Exactly same rubbish I have on my own. Noise as hell, compressend sound, everything goes squeezed. Problem is L6 does not seems to give a damn, and those guys saying the Helix sounds great with that amp, are not helping for sure. Thanks a lot for the video!

"Sounds great" means not to much in terms of facts checking. :) It may sounds great to you, and that is totally fine. But that is a subjective opinion. I will never argue with that. Happy for you. I see many other guys which are feeling same as me, with the amp working compressed, dull and weak, when connected to the Helix or something else. Don't get me wrong, it does sounds great to me too, but when used alone. It's huge. Fact is, there is a BIG difference when using built in AMP blocks and when using those coming from external devices, due the difference speaker usage by the DSP. The "in room" effect you get using just the FH1500, with its own amp blocks, it's impossible to reproduce when using whatever connection you want. Monitor IN, Return IN, 4 Cable, 5 Cable, etc.. Other than that, the SNR is real low quality when using external device, as well the drop in overall volume. Said that, again, if you are happy with your tone it's totally fine. At the moment I'm using the Helix with L2M and FH1500 alone and I'm happy too. Hope they will fix that aspect with future firmware (if it will ever happen), because getting the same "amp in the room" effect, but using the Helix amp simulation quality, would be a blast.

Happy you like it, still there is a problem with that amp and it's not an opinion. Proof is there are a LOT of reports about that and no, there is not any "connected correctly" to talk about. There are 2 inputs, they work bad, really bad... But glad you like your tone. :)

The best sound with the Helix + Firehawk1500 is when you use the Amp modeling in the FH1500 and use the Helix just as effect board. Yes, that's it. I'm not saying the FH1500 has better modeling than the Helix (I would be just stupid saying so), but the way that amp it's engineered, doesn't really work great with the Helix, because the particular speaker scheme and assignation...and the way it does manage the stereo when using external sources. It's like everything goes compressed once you plug left and right, whatever trick you use, isn't working good as when you use all speakers engaged by its own Amp blocks, in the HD version. To barely solve the problem you are forced to push on the gain (and that is producing noise), setting up the Helix in a odd way just to make it sounding as you'd hope, with the FH1500.