soundog

I tried this but think I stood too close. I am starting to lose hair in my nether regions. Is this reversible?

I built a little 2 foot-switch box for FS4/5 using these nifty switches with LED rings. I put a 9V battery in the switch-box to power them. Pretty colors. Look nice in the dark with lava lamp.

Musicians tend to have a dry sense of humor. Bunch of wise guys....

Yes, that's the ideal way to emulate the Stomp....

I want me one of those Variax bassoons! Does it include a modeled crumhorn?

For trying out Helix Native, you could get a free trial of Reaper. Its a good DAW, and there is plenty of online support via forums and youtube.

The Tilt EQ block was designed specifically for this use. Over time you will need to tilt it more. If you have it tilted all the way and your strings still sound dull and lifeless, however, it is finally time to change them. But you should be able to get several good years out of one set. Just scrape the crust off periodically.

Interesting. I suppose another solution might be to download the Line 6 Mac driver if you still want to use a rate other than 48kHz. That might work.

I'm not a PT user (Logic here), but it sounds like you have software monitoring turned on in PT for the guitar track you're recording. Turn it off. Essentially, your DAW delays the audio out to compensate for plug-ins and software processing. So...when you play along with your guitar in real-time, you are playing in synch to the delayed DAW output, and hearing everything in synch in your headphones.

If you have a DAW and audio interface, I suggest doing a 15-day free trial of Helix Native, which contains all of the effects found in a Stomp (or LT or Floor) within a plug-in. That way you can try the modules with your bass (assuming you have a DAW and an audio interface) and see if something works for you.

...and does it happen on an empty patch (no blocks)? If so, and if you guitar and cable are good (and you are listening using headphones to eliminate other equipment) I'd say you need to open a support ticket!

@codamedia -- i just checked my VDI cable; there is no continuity between the connectors. I tested on the bare metal screws that go into the housing on each end.

I thought all modern DAWs saved plug-in settings. Logic Pro X saves the Native input and output level settings, along with all of the other settings. Could there be a bug in that version of Live? Maybe others have complained on Ableton forums?

"I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member". ~ Groucho Marx (maybe)

I think the sale usually comes up around March. But who knows what determines when it will happen? I wonder if you put in a request to Line 6 via a support ticket they would give you another 15-day trial if you explain the situation...

Interesting. That's good info I was curious about what would happen using USB, which would provide a predictable, fixed level. I was going through an audio interface (for various reasons), so found a level that matched 0dB for Natives input level setting. I always though the Stomp's USB levels were too low. I wonder why they didn't set a level that wouldn't require an input level boost for Native? They could have calibrated it for 0 dB.

Then you should try the 15-day free Helix Native demo and see how it behaves for you. Native may be all you need if you don't plan on jamming with your guitar in the future with other folks (where a Stomp would be quite useful). The Native demo should demonstrate how it performs with your computer and DAW with regards to latency and horsepower required. It takes a bit of doing to get an expression pedal to work with Native, but everything works dandy when you get it going. You can find info on the forum and in youtube videos that help explain how to get it set up. And the Native manual is quite detailed. Further, automation works great for controlling Native after recording the track ..... at least it did for me with Logic (I imagine Cubase would work also). If you decide to buy, there are sales a couple of times a year at quite a savings. And sometimes you can find someone selling their license. Also worth a mention, you might want to also try demos of S-Gear and some of the NeuralDSP amp sims (I like Cali Suite, Cory Wong, and Parallax). These and Native are outstanding.

That's good advice from @datacommando. I use a Stomp in the studio on my desk and it is extremely versatile in terms of studio integration, I/O, and MIDI. I'd start with it, and then wait for a deal on Native. A few nice things about owning a Stomp and Native: a) you can run the Stomp through your Focusrite (and into monitors) so you can always practice and play without booting up your computer, b) you can record a dry guitar track while monitoring your Stomp's wet signal with zero latency along with tones that will inspire better playing, c) after recording the dry track, you can use Native to treat your guitar and bass however you like in your DAW during mixing. I used to own a full blown Helix (and an HX Effects), but sold them before buying the Stomp. I find that having only 8 blocks in the Stomp have forced me to create better and more efficient presets. If I can't do what I need with 8 blocks, I shouldn't be doing it. In my opinion, the Stomp is the best bang for the buck in the Helix lineup.

Yes, that would be a good way to do it. You can play with the Native input and output levels to get a good match as needed. I spent quite a bit of time matching my Stomp levels and tones to Native last year. I was running through a DI and an Apollo Twin, though. When I got levels tweaked correctly I couldn't tell the Stomp from Native audio output when using any of my presets.

Good for you! Tons of fun in store for you. Re 12-string, use Workbench to adjust the Fine-tuning and Mix for each string for one of the factory 12 strings. Beyond that, the Workbench HD manual has a section on creating 12-string models that's quite useful. You should be able to get that Byrds Rickenbacker 12-string sound. There is no harm in leaving your cable plugged in unless someone might trip on it and stress the connectors. If you leave it plugged in, make sure your power source (Helix, Variax A/B supply, etc) is shut off when you're done jamming, just to prevent leaving the electronics running more than necessary. Spend some time learning your way around Workbench...it unlocks the power of the Variax. There's also this link of some nice presets to play around with and learn more about tweaking stuff.

I hear ya. I've bought a stream of electronic music gear and computer stuff over the years, and sold almost as much of it on craigslist or ebay when its going obsolete. My first DAW was on an Amiga! Jeepers! And yet, I have had the same musical instruments (Fender Strat, Mark VI alto sax, Dobro, even some penny whistles) for over 40 years .... and going strong.

This may be useful. I never tried it since it looked like too much work, and never really needed to do it anyway...

Please let us know what happens .... the info might be useful to someone else down the road.

Yeah, I don't even know why I bother recording recording the wet signal since I never use it. Another tip @jtuvner ....dial in a preset on your Helix that sounds close to what you hear in your head. It doesn't have to be perfect because you will use Native and other plug-ins to do that later. Before recording your dry guitar track, created a nice monitor headphone mix of your wet Helix guitar tone along with your DAW's recorded tracks. Crank it as needed and record. You'll end up playing better, tighter, more inspired tracks that will fit nicely with your other tracks. Then use Native and other plug-ins your dry track to make it just how you like it. Also, when I get the guitar tone (the dry signal through an amp and cabinet sim such as Native), I usually bounce/commit that mono guitar track. I then treat that track like I would an audio recording of an amp (to eq, compress, room reverb, etc) when mixing.

Helix is great for that stuff. This guy posted some free presets you might enjoy right here.