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StaccoP2P

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Posts posted by StaccoP2P

  1. On 9/21/2023 at 7:42 PM, rd2rk said:

    By default the computer sound is entering the Helix signal chain AT the Main Outs.

    Instead of using the 1/4" Outs for your amps, place a Stereo Send immediately before the Output Block with the Dry Thru set to -120db (OFF).

    Use the Send 1/2 (or3/4) to connect to your amps.

    This prevents the guitar signal from reaching the XLRs and prevents the computer signal from reaching the amps.

    If you're recording the guitar in a DAW, make sure that the Track Monitor Switch is OFF to prevent the guitar signal from mixing with the other recorded sounds going to the DAW's MAIN OUTPUTS which in turn go to the Helix MAIN OUTPUTS.

     

    Example preset attached.

    StaccoP2P.hlx 9.62 kB · 2 downloads

    That worked perfectly, thank you! I also set the sends to Line and it actually sounds much sharper through the power amps. I do use all sends/returns in two stereo loops, but I'm thinking I can put two pedals with stereo outputs at the end of the chain in 3/4, feed one pair of outputs to the power amps and another pair to the loop returns. We'll see about phase etc.

     

    Thanks again!

  2. Hey there.

    I have my Helix Floor acting as the sound interface for my computer system, DAW etc. No problems with that, but recently I've decided to use the ¼ outs to feed the power sections and cabs of two of my valve amps and their cabs and I'm loving the immediacy and responsiveness. 

    The XLR outs are going to a pair of Studio Monitors. I've hooked it all up but I'm facing a double problem:

     

    1) The Helix guitar sounds are playing through the monitors

    2) The Computer's sound is playing through the amps

     

    To be clear, both sound sources (Helix and computer) are playing through both amps and monitors simultaneously. It's a bit maddening and creating phase issues. 

    What I'd like is

     

    1) For the guitar/Helix sounds to only come out through the power amps and cabs

    2) For the computer/DAW sounds to only come out through the studio monitors

     

    I'm sure there's a simple way to do this, but I'm not having success with my attempts so far. Can someone advice me on the correct procedure? Thanks a bunch

  3. Quote

    The introduction of kind of granular approach (even if isn't a real granular algo), with glitches effects, shuffling loop, drift effects and a solid ambient reverb etc... means to me they are watching the entire market (not really only ODs, high gain, and rock stuff) and patching the Helix to keep it on this century. I don't remember anyone asking for those effects, they aren't really meanstream algos, but instead of just feeding the old userbase and the average Helix user, they did it - making the device ready for a even wider sound design palette (usually territory of Empress, Glou Glou, Chase Bliss etc.) .

     

    You've expressed it beautifully. The "out-there" anti blues lawyer effects and the possibility of routing and combining them in myriad ways is what puts Helix above any other modellers, or even standalone pedals. To me Line 6 are a bit like EHX. Big, well distributed and not "boutique" per se... But when when you turn the knobs to the end of the range, magic weird wonderful and risky things happen. The poly update made me get an HX FX to complement the Helix and run complex DSP heavy chains. From a sound design standpoint it's unparalleled, not just for guitar, but through Native for vocals, synths, whatever, it's amazing.

     

    Yes, I'd be happy to see more amps (Bass and Stoner/Sludge) but it's the possibility of new Line6 Originals that keeps me on the edge of my seat (Please make a better EHX HOG/POG), I think that the amp and analog effect department is pretty well furnished already,

  4. Within the Helix itself, I can tell you that some prepamps (Cartographer, the Victoria) sounds stellar into high headroom amps, such as the Twin or Hiwatt (and, w snapshots you can get a massive amount of tones between preamp and amp).

     

    I hadn't tried this with the Marshall pres, but now you've made me curious. As mentioned, the kinky Boost (or even two of them in series) are also great for juicing up things) and you can Def cop some Marshall-type sounds with the Teemah.

  5. 36 minutes ago, rd2rk said:

    Each round-trip AD/DA conversion is around 2.5ms. Helix through latency is, IIRC, <2ms. Add the number of conversions +2 for your total latency.

    IOW - guitar>Helix>amp - one AD/DA conversion + 2ms = <>4.5ms.

    There's a paper out there somewhere in which they researched people's ability to detect audio latency. 10ms was the threshold for DETECTION, approximately 20ms before it became a bother. The number was lower for singers and horn players due to bone conduction. Also, Steve Vai can detect 2ms. :-)

     

    Latency affects the FEEL of playing the guitar. If you're a shredder playing 99 notes per second, it's more likely going to bother you more than someone playing soulful blues.


    Great explanation, thanks! So I guess the number of digital pedals chained together will affect this, unless they have analogue dry thru, yeah? (And, if they have that'd get cancelled at 100%, correct?. Yes I know about Steve's problems with the Axe and conversion to Synergy, it's what you get when living in the fast and Zen lane!

  6. How much of a problem is this latency? I mean, this would apply to any digital pedal that has to do DA/AD conversion, right? I have a Helix and an HX Effects. I started having the FX in one of the loops of the Helix, but then liked them in series a whole lot more. Not sure if it was due to the latency issue you mention.

     

    Not doubting your take, but I'm interested in other opinions about outboard loop latency with digital boxes. Thanks.

  7. For simplification's sake: Say I want to run a pedal with mono ins and stereo outs in one of the loops. I could also add additional effects in dual mono after these stereo outs. This loop would come after stereo blocks in the Helix, and I don't want to collapse these to mono.

     

    Here are my questions:
     

    1. Is there any particular benefit to using 2 blocks (1 mono send + stereo returns)? I know these can be separated, creating a parallel chain, but apart from that...?
    2. Should I just insert a Stereo Loop block (say Loop 1/2)?
    3. Is there a problem not cabling loop send 2 in the above scenario as it's a mono input? (I could always cable it to a pedal later in the loop which has stereo ins).
  8. Hello again! Has anyone pulled this off successfully? Poly pitch and capo are not doing it for me, so me maybe some Mono OC3-style goodness will do the trick. I'm still highly curious to see whether there's a preset for this.

     

    Like many I'm forced to record on my own now and I'd much rather fake bass parts playing the guitar than the keyboard.

  9. 18 hours ago, HonestOpinion said:

     

    LOL. As much time as we have all spent typing this message out over five years worth of updates we would have been better served getting an open source team together and rewriting the update process or a wrapper for users that takes care of HX Edit and the firmware.

     

    Totally. I'm not a coder, but I work in and around FLOSS and can see how this woul drssult in a massive qualitative jump.

    On 11/28/2020 at 10:06 AM, SaschaFranck said:

    Or, in case you have updated your unit before already, HX Edit should simply refuse to work in case it was an older version (or at least tell you that you wouldn''t be able to make use of all features using that older version). That's more or less a standardized procedure in the software world and I fail to see a reason why Line 6 would *not* do it this way, especially given that after *each and every* update half the world seems to be having problems.
     

     

    Yeah, it's pretty bad UX and would seem to be a simple fix, so I'm baffled at why they haven't implemented it.

  10. This is on my to-do list. I need to Helix to change channels (along with either snapshot of preset changes) on my beloved, late nineties Nomad 55. The Nomad's footswitch connects over a DIN 7 cable. As I haven't found any TRS>DIN 7 connectors I guess I'll patch up my own.

     

    Does anyone have any experience with this sort of channel switching from H-Floor? Any tips or considerations I should be taking into account?

  11. I'm sure here's made a script that does it for him. If not, he's a charitable, kind and patient soul.

     

    On that topic, I also updated before updating Edit, felt that something was wrong "with me", got anxious etc.... Came to the forum and saw the 300 threads panicking about the same problem. Now I see people who help and people who chastise over posts just will dissappear over a few weeks. So I really appreciate when people are patient enough with those who MAY NOT be forum regulars and arrive here understandably nervous. Yes there is a search function but, by the same token the UX for the update process could be improved.

     

    Likes, as this is such a recurring problem and given the numner of 3.0 updates these weeks, why isn't Line 6 putting that black retangle WARNING of theirs to clarify about the Edit 1st, Helix 2nd order of biz?

     

    TL;DR thanks @phil_m

    • Upvote 1
  12. As others have commented, the modular expansion you're looking for is HX Effects:

    1. More blocks
    2. More DSP
    3. More footswitches
    4. More expression outs and loops.

    Use Stomp for your amp + all post FX and Effects for all pre preamp (say that three times fast) effects (wahs, filters and synths, drives...)

  13. I've been trying things with the octavers and pitch  shifters and I'm not getting as good results as I did with my H.O.G. I'm not all that knowledgeable on bass signal routing, compression and EQ so I'd love some jumping off points to experiment with.

     

    Ideally, I'd like to find something that gets near EHX's Bass 9:

     

     

     

  14. I'm using the DT770s, not only do they sound great, but they're extremly comfortable to wear (no small thing!).

     

    Pseudo-related question. With the headphones out already claimed by the DT770s, what's the best output for a second set of monitoring headphones (musical partner, occasionally psychotic neighbors, long story blah blah). Everything I've tried so far sums to mono (most of my patches are hard panned L/R Stereo, so the difference is... chilling!)

  15. So here is what would excite me: Dear poly, post Digitech super mega pitch shifting magic new code "new" Line 6 Dev people ("new" is in scare quotes because I think you've been working on this for a couple of hear now, right? Kudos on massively oveedeliveling early season gifts!).

     

    Ways to take poly further:

    1. Give us what EHX won't: something with the flexibility of the H.O.G., with more natural sound quality and able to ape the 9 series' various keyboard emulators. Snapshots can be created using existing blocks for Leslie's, LFOs, keyboard click etc to round out the sound. Let us channel our inner Bill Ruppert (qualified genius, hire him already!)
    2. Further development in this area will make Helix a go to for synth for experimental players beyond the guitar, blues mastery stereotypes*
    3. Just imagine all the awful "fire your keyboard/bass player" memes this would unleash... Errm... like 2020 is the best year in recent history to make fun of musicians losing their jobs. Oh dear....
       

    * No offence to the blues or those on the legal profession... But I wonder... are blues lawyers capable of Helixing without fear of being hexed by the blues lawyer's high court of analogue chastity?

  16. I run a ton of effects in my music. I'm overjoyed at the 3.0 update (but heartbroken at the lack of EHX 9 Series-like keyboards emulators, hint, 3.1 or 2 hint), but of course DSP on my existing patches is already maxed out. I have an Empress Zoia in Stereo sends/returns, but I want to use some additional effects (and therefore DSP).

     

    Rather than using one of the loops, I'd like either Stomp or Effects to be fed from my Guitar, old VHT Valvulator and then split into my analogue signal/amp and the Helix. I really don't need amp sims or cabs. So does that make HX Effects a no brainer. As I ges started on my research I'll throw out a few questions. Thanks!
     

    1. HX Effects has all the 3.0 updates, poly stuff etc yeah?
    2. Does it have the same processing power as STOMP? (But all dedicated to FX?)
    3. Can I control HX Effects it from Helix Floor? This includes snapshots
    4. Can EXP outs on HX Effects control additional parameters in Helix Floor (I'm already using three expression pedals)?
    5. Can I simultaneously switch presets from Helix and HX Effects?
    6. Re Stomp vs Effects, am I basically answering my own question here? With no gigging in the near future and all my amp needs covered (in meatspace and the virtual world), what advantages does Stomp have over Effects? (I could always build a small pedalboard with Stomp in the after-times, but we'll see)
    7. Ok, let me dream. Apart from having it as a mono feed, first in chain after the Valvulator and going into Floor's guitar input, can I use the send returns to feed back into Helix at the END of my "dry" chain (ie, separate pedals + my amp, using it's paralell fx loop - it's a Boogie Nomad 55). How would I logically route this.

     

    To be clear, I know that answering these questions is a lot of work! I will be seeking the answers myself and will chime in through here, but I'd love to hear anyone's opinion on this. Gratitude to the community and happy Helixing!

  17. Downloaded 3.0 on Friday,  been playing with it happily since. A while ago, which switching presets it got stuck and HX suddenly disconnected. I've restarted both but no dice. It´s stuck on the same presets and neither the foot-switches nor the joysticks are doing anything. Thankfully I backed everything up today, but is this "absolute freeze" thing a known issue )I've only had the Helix for a couple of months.

     

    Any ideas or recommendations? Thanks!

  18. I've only been Helixing for a couple of months now but these are the amps I'm liking the most, in my limited experience. I'll cheat because I'm usually playing in parallel Stereo, so:


    1) Jazz Rivet/Us Double (maybe this is the jazzy combo you want, dear OP?)

    2) Cartographer/Voltage Queen

    3) Whowatt/Placator Clean (Add a muff and treble booster and whooah).

    Overall I've been most surprised/shocked by and enamored by the Cartographer. Purrfect crunch for days.

    • Thanks 1
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