Helvellyn

Hi, I'm planning on linking up my helix to an audio interface as I need a few more mic inputs than the Helix can handle. Looking at the audio interfaces out there (and one I was given) a lot of the s/pdif inputs use the optical toslink connectors rather than the coaxial connector available on the Helix. You do seem to be able to get coaxial to optical convertors without too much difficulty but has anyone used them? If so do you get much degradation of the signal or noise?

Hi, Is there value in purchasing additional line6 plugins such as Metallurgy etc if you already have a Helix Rack and Helix Native? Simon

Yeah, in the cold light of day and many cups of tea later I think I'm doing exactly that. I've ended up going from briefly wondering if I could get a single set of speakers to do both to desperately trying to shoehorn the concept of a set of speakers to do both. As a result I've completely lost sight of what we are wanting: Better Hi-Fi speakers so my wife can get the most out of her new amplifier (A Cambridge Audio CXA81) and something so I can play my guitar and sing (badly) to a backing track while messing about with loads of different amp and cabinet models on my in transit Helix (Which was the whole original point of the thread to decide whether I should get a Helix Floor or the Rack). As you say, its probably far easier to just get the Powercab and maybe a Gym membership so I can easily carry it more easily. Thanks for all your help. And happy new year to you too.

Would midfield monitors work better? I'm thinking of something like the Dynaudio LYD-48 or the EvE Audio sc307, possibly with the associated subwoofer (Dynaudio 18s or EvE Audio TS112). Admittedly this does seem to be proving a lot less straightforward than I thought. Maybe I should just look for a lightweight FRFR cabinet and just carry the thing downstairs and play my backing track and guitar/vocals through that rather than have a system which I can just plug into.

Thanks for the responses, sorry, if i'm a little confused still. Dunedin, is this reading correct? A good pair of studio monitors would work Ok for my wifi's stereo system (Not as good as equivalent cost Hi-Fi speakers but potentially better than her current set of speakers which cost £300), and I would be able to plug in the Helix to enable me to get accurate cab simulations. However, a powercab would not sound great for her audio system and a PA like the DXR10 is massive overkill and would probably, literally, bring the house down (It is over 100 years old and as with many houses in the area, cheaply built at the time to service people working in the now closed steel works). I do use a set of small studio monitors when I do recording or create backing tracks on cubase (A pair of IK Multimedia iLoud MTMs) and they do sound very clean to me but they don't really fill a large room in the way you would want from a set of stereo speakers (I tried carrying them downstairs and plugging her stereo into them and it didn't really work unless you were in the right spot). Are there some studio monitors that fill the room better and that would allow for accurate cab simulations? The budget is quite high (so around the price of the powercab 212 plus or lower). And just for those worried I have talked it over with her really. Her position is that I can do it if the speakers are better than her current ones.

Thank you both for your responses, really helpful. Datacommando, you mention using a pair of powered monitors rather than a cab, how does the sound from those compare to the 212 Powercab Plus or similar? Is it comparable in terms of getting accuracy from the cabinet simulations? I'm tempted by stereo monitors for the front room (I was thinking of a pair of Yamaha DXR10 Active PA speakers) as I can leave them in place and they can to used with my wife's stereo system when not in use. But if monitors don't give accurate cabinet simulations I'll have to rething (Maybe use the 212 Powercab as a stereo speaker as rd2rk suggested in the other thread).

Thanks for getting back to me. As a follow up on the floor / rack choice you mention I'm unsure if I can use the floor on my developing front room set up. Do I need a seperate audio interface for the helix to work in a vocal mic, guitar and backing track set up which I am starting to use in the front room when I'm left in the house on my own (It's the only room suitable to playing relatively loud without headphones and quite frankly it's really fun to do). I currently use a UR816C and plug everything through that using the iOS version of Cubase to control it (I use the full version to make the backing tracks which runs on my desktop PC). If I still need the audio interface I suspect a rack might be a better option as my UR816C audio interface is a 19 inch rack sized audio interface and I'll need to carry that anyway. However if I can get away with just the floor, and can just use that with an iOS device (I have no laptop) to do the vocals, guitar and backing track then I don't need my audio interface and the floor becomes much easier due to its portability. Any thoughts?

Hi, Does anyone have an opinion the the expression pedal that comes with the Helix Floor? Is it good to use or are the Mission expression pedals (or similar) better? I'm very much in two minds between the floor and rack units so trying decide between the floor unit or the rack+controller+seperate pedal (Mission probably). Many Thanks Simon

Thanks!

Does the stereo spread also work with home audio systems (Amp + record deck). The only place I can put a Powercab 212 plus effectively is the front room so I need to be able to disguise it as something else. In this case a replacement speaker system for my wifes home audio system (It doesn't need to be equivalent to £1,300 of stereo speaker just better than her current £300 ones).