PierM

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.

Stock pups are ridiculous HOT and flat. I've measured 14.5KOhm average from both, which is the official output of G&S G-109 humbucker, which should be the one used in the JTV59. Considering how weak the variax models are, in terms of overall output, I would swap mags with some warm and low output humbucker and/or P90 humbucker sized. I would stay on average 8KOhm so you don't have to do crazy things when moving from models to mags, and also you don't have to push on model gains to make it barely balanced with mags. I'm planning to do the same with mine, with a couple of '57, or P94. Still have to decide....:)

If you play clean stuff as me, the best sound (and I'm seriously saying BEST) it's coming from the Firehawk 1500 amp blocks, nothing more, nothing less. The difference between using, for example, the fender clean amps (in the HD version) stock in the Firehawk 1500, and the one I've in the Helix connected via Monitor IN, it's embarrassing. Same simulated amp, same settings, no effects, just the amp block. Try for yourself. :) Not talking using headphones, but using the Firehawk as a monitor/speaker. Using just the FH 1500 you get that huge, airy, open, bright tone. It's like you have the real amp in your room. When you go back to the one in the Helix (or whatever modeler connected through the Monitor IN, or the Returns), it does sound flat, closed, very small and compressed. Same using IRs. There is nothing you can do to make external modelers to give you the same huge sound you get straight from the Firehawk, using its own Amp blocks. There is some trick the FH1500 DSP is doing with speakers, when using its own amp blocks, something you can't do when using back inputs. If you want to test yourself, and you have the Helix, or the PODHD, try a preset with just a Tweed bright amp block in the modeler, connected to the Firehawk through Monitor IN. Then do the same using the same amp model, but this time using the one you have in the Firehawk. Save both, and switch between the two to compare A/B. :)

I've this bug, as the OP describes, since last update yes.

Last update completely messed up my patches using multiple blocks assigned to a footswitch and it seems totally erratic. Basically it happens that multiple blocks goes OFF when I click a different footswitch, like 2 reverbs going off when I click off on a Delay footswitch, and viceversa. Reliability on these updates is going worse than better. Never had all these problems with old firmware.

Since last update 2.11, when I split my signal, just after the input block, to use 2 amps, I get no signal on second path.. so I need to select that split and go back and forth to get the signal back.

Yes. At bedroom levels, it's good. Signal to Noise is acceptable. When you pass 50%, and especially when you hit 3/4 at 0dBs, the HISS is ridiculous. Problem is, it is not just a subtle noise, it's some sort of white/pink noise, very high frequency, so it does really kill your signal. I do play mostly jazz and clean stuff, and for me it's a total deal breaker. I'm in fact going to sell it for that reason as It looks like L6 really does not care about (and because I think it's hardware side). A workaround can be to use Helix to L/R returns in the FH1500, to avoid the gain section which is the module producing the most of the hiss, but still, even that section is too noisy if compared to other speakers. My L2M (apart the fan kicking when it's hot), it does not produce any digital hiss, at all.

I would not buy the 1500 for the Helix. I did, and I'm not happy, at all. In fact I'm now using my "old" L2M. Don't get me wrong, FH1500 It's a great amp, but standalone. As FRFR is noisy as hell. The monitor input is doomed by digital HISS. MIDI control is subzero. I believe there is to much electronics involved along the path, even with the FH off, which you really don't need for a real FRFR. For the price you have better solutions, imho. :)

Best thread ever. Mind to share what you did to fix the hiss?

That is a bug. I reported this on 28 August, Ticket ID: 277652, and they confirmed and logged the bug. Looks like isnt high in their priority list. :)

The only change I noticed is the Headphone Volume level. Dramatic drop for me; used to play at 3/4 of headphone level, now even at max it's really low.

Let's face it; that amp it's sort of abandoned project. Ideascale it will never work as the userbase it's too small that people who needs that MIDI section working as advertised are so few that you could count them on the fingers of one hand or two.

Yeah, at bedroom levels the hiss is less, still there btw. I'm mostly playing clean, so for me the hiss is something way more noticeable than a shredder. :) It start being loud as hell after 3/4 of volume (gig volume), again, you don't need to play so you can test it in house too, without being arrested by cops. :D BTW, Helix is set XLR--->Line, but you don't even need that as the hiss isn't noise induced by the source, but it's generated by the FH1500 gain section.

The hiss is a problem confirmed by a lot of users I have talked with. I also tried 3 different FH1500 myself, and all 3 were producing the same hiss. Just connect two xlr cables to the FH monitor in, set the gain input to zero and the amp volume to 3/4. Be sure to have an empty patch to make the test. You dont need to play. Just send a clean signal to the helix. The hiss is not present on the loop fx (at least not that loud) but just when using the monitor in at gain =>0, and gain has to be zero to keep the line signal at its original level.

I'm using my FH1500 with Bias FX too and it does works great, almost. The only problem is the same I've with the Helix; you get an awful hiss when using the XLR monitor IN, at Gain=0...and this is totally ruining the experience at higher volumes (>= 50%). If they don't fix this I think I'll be selling mine in a couple of months. If you are going to use that Monitor IN and high volume levels, I would NOT suggest to buy the amp, at the moment.

I honestly think nothing is gonna happen. For what I can see...seems they are not really caring about further developing/improving on that product. This amp looks like has been delivered as sort of monument on top of the firehawk serie and does not look it's a product which is going well on the market, at all. The silence on this sub-forum is, imho, a proof of that. We are very few and almost all question threads are basically a shot in the dark. Even this MIDI thing, has been asked a millions of time. Never had an official and final answer. It's also since day 1 that people, using this amp as FRFR, is reporting the awful hiss after 50% of volume, and I saw zero official support on this. To me looks sort of "take it as it is", product is done, and it's a shame as it does sound stellar.

That is ridiculous really. I've more than 2.000 euros already invested in MIDI controllers and no, I'm not gonna buy another stupid pedalboard because they don't want to make it working as any other device would work with MIDI protocol. This amp is a blast but looks like a dead horse already. Bad.

I've tried for days with more MIDI floorboards, no success. There's an odd lack of documentation and support about that aspect. Pity as this is a blast of a product, but really I don't want to buy another specific floorboard.

From sitting position is a no way. BTW, if you manage to engage it 20/30 times it will start working better. I also noticed was much easier to engage with the Helix outside the case/board.