kduck

Lol, that's what 28 VAC will do. ....probably best to create a new post for this.

@rwinking Found a schematic online. A couple of questions: Do you get the "ground loop" noise if you use the stock footswitch? When you connect the HX (with noise), list all connections between the amp, HX and any other gear When you connect the hum eliminator, where are you putting it in the chain? Assuming you are on 60 Hz power (US): is the noise closer to guitar B (A string, 2nd fret) or an octave lower? Or something else?

I've not worked on a Randall RM50 before, I'll see if I can find a schematic for it.

@rwinking Without knowing your amp model, I can't comment on your specific issue. The amp referenced by the OP uses an AC voltage source (28 VAC to be exact) for the switching logic, which causes the noise when connected to the HX. It is not actually a ground loop in the OPs case, but sounds similar because it is at 60 hz. The Helix channel switching simply shorts the tip/ring to ground and will not work with AC switching schemes. Also, I don't think a hum eliminator will work at all in the switching circuit because they are essentially isolation transformers and cannot pass DC.

Is the amp a Pro Tube "Twin-Amp" with the 4 button footswitch? If so, I'm pretty sure you won't be able to use Helix to switch the channels, etc. because it is not switch-to-ground type footswitch.

Best I can tell you is search on "formant filter". I had a talking machine on my board for a while--great pedal. Good luck!

EHX Talking Machine.

With the input pad off, instrument level out, and big knob all the way up, you should get unity gain from the Helix 1/4" out with all blocks bypassed--meaning the same volume as if you went from your guitar directly into the amp. If this is not the case, start by checking your cables and connections.

You should have plenty of volume if everything is set up correctly. Make sure you are going from the 1/4" L/Mono out on the Helix to the front of the amp. Also set your 1/4" output to Instrument level. Both of these are covered on page 11 in the manual. As far as the tone into the amp, you will probably want to bypass the amp/cab block on the Helix. As @silverhead said in his reply to your other post, reading the manual will get you far. Edit: Also, if you are using the presets, most all of them have a volume pedal in the chain so make sure you have the expression pedal in toe-down position for full volume.

Even if he did use it already, you could try contacting Line 6 customer support--they might be willing to give you the discount. Also, see if you can get a copy of the original receipt from the current owner. Depending on how old it is, you may be able to transfer the factory warranty and/or purchase an extended warranty:

Kinda...you have your 2 fundamental frequencies plus 2 new freqs (and the associated harmonics) also being created as the sum and difference. For example, if you play a power chord at the 5th fret, you are playing A110hz and E165hz (a 5th interval), you will get a sum of 275 hz (within a 2 cents of C#, which is the major 3rd of the A chord) and a difference freq of 55hz (exactly 1 octave below A110). Those 4 freqs--A55, A110, E165, and C#275--happen to be an A major chord. You also get even- and odd-order harmonics of those freqs, to varying degrees, depending on the circuit, EQ, etc. This is why power chords sound so "good" with distortion, esp. with tube distortion, which tends to be even-order (5ths and octaves). Nope, it's just the nature of the beast, whether analog or modeled. Sure, there may be some digital artifacts or other weirdness caused by a particular modeling algorithm, but that dissonance in your sound clip can and does happen on analog devices as well. You can test this yourself on your Fender, then on your Helix with a similar amp model (Princess, Deluxe, etc): play a D (2nd string 15th fret), while bending an A (3rd string 14th fret) up to B. You should hear a lower "ghost note" going downward while you're bending up. Now throw some dirt on top of it... It will be much less prominent on a clean tube amp like the Fender BFs. That being said, my #1 is a Vibroverb 2x10, and I can still hear some IM, especially once I start to push the volume up above 5 or so. It's the tubes doing what they do.

Sounds like intermodulation (IM) distortion and it's somewhat normal with distortion/high gain. Check out the very end of Working Man by Rush--sound familiar? Basically, when you play 2 notes, you will end up with the sum and difference frequencies of the notes, PLUS their harmonics. For guitars and guitar amps, this tends to be more pronounced on the higher frets. Some dirt pedals & amps (both real and modeled) are more prone to it than others. With octaves and 5ths, IM can sound great--i.e. power chords. With other intervals, not so much. In the case of your string bend, a variable interval is creating moving sums/differences and harmonics all at the same time. A trem (esp. floating) can make bending technique tougher because as you bend one string, the tension (and thus the pitch) on the "static" string will naturally decrease. So, what can you do? You can try a bass EQ cut before the distortion or between gain stages (might help, but probably not in your specific case) Try a different pedal/amp combination Reduce the gain and/or check your gain staging. A lot of gain early in the chain is going to throw not only the sum/difference freqs, but also a ton of harmonics (both good and bad) to everything after. Work on your bending technique so that you move through the dissonant interval(s) quickly and finish on a "desired" interval On the helix, you might try reducing the ripple on the amp. I've built/played/service tube amps for years and ripple can definitely contribute to IM. Hope this helps.

Sweetwater has a good explainer (definition 2, not 1 :) https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/stratitis/

Glad you figured it out. I've used the Quadra Thru for a while on my pedal board and never noticed any issues like that, but I haven't used the quadra thru with Helix yet. Curious about how you have your midi signal routed?

I don't own a Zoia, so I can't comment specifically on that unit (looks cool though!). Is each piece of hardware on its own midi channel?

A lot of the character of an tube amp is the way the power stage reacts/distorts/compresses when you push it. If you like the modeling in the helix (and I think it is great, btw), then by all means a SS power amp could be the way to go, especially if you are trying to cut down on weight. There are a lot of options out there for combining a tube preamp and SS power amp, it just depends on what form factor you are looking for. Since you mention going light (weight), you might consider separate units for the tube preamp, SS power amp and cab--that would let you mix/match to get exactly the tone you want without committing to having all the pieces in one cabinet. Not an exhaustive list by any means, but here are a few options: Carvin tube pre, SS power. Both stomp format: https://carvinaudio.com/collections/on-sale/products/x1-tube-preamp-and-100w-amplifier-combo Victory V4 tube pres: https://www.victoryamps.com/pedal-preamps Seymour Duncan SS power stages made specifically for all pedal setups: https://www.seymourduncan.com/products/pedal-amps Keep in mind, though that with this approach, the cab *will* color your tone if you are going with anything other than FRFR.

Can you post a picture of the other side? Looks like there might be quick connectors on the other end of the wires (the pot end). To reverse the polarity, just swap the red and blue wires at either the pot or the jack. Any guitar tech near you could do it.

If you know someone who can do (very) basic soldering, just need to switch the tip and sleeve connections. This should be easily done inside the pedal itself. I would take the back off the pedal and have a look--you might get lucky and find that Meloaudio used quick connectors instead of solder joints on the potentiometer connections.

Looks to me like the taper on the exp pedal is not what the DMC.micro is expecting. I don't think the issue is with the stomp, as it is tracking the MIDI values being sent by the micro. Have you tried contacting Disaster Area?

I can confirm that my Boss EV-30 (Dual Expression) will work (read the whole post) with Helix Floor using either a TS or a TRS cable as follows: Set the EXP3 polarity to INV in global settings Set polarity switch on the EV-30 to "NOR" Turn the MIN trimmer on the EV-30 to full clockwise The sweep is decent, but the first 10 degrees of travel from full heel down do not change the assigned parameter (using a simple volume block in this example). You can improve this by putting the pedal into full heel-down position and adjusting the MIN trimmer until the assigned parameter just moves from 0% to 1%, then back the trimmer off slightly to 0%. All this being said, if you are looking to purchase an expression pedal specifically for the Helix, I would NOT recommend the EV-30 (even though it is a great pedal). I use mine because it's what I already had and it works for my needs. If I have time this weekend, I'll try @PMJNugent's suggestion and report back.

Glad to help. I'd also suggest checking out the YouTube tutorials that Line 6 put together:

Did a quick search, there is already a thread on this board outlining the issue: Regardless, I have an ES-8 and will see if I can figure out a workaround.

I can replicate this on my Floor by turning MIDI Thru to "On". Not sure if the Stomp has a MIDI Thru option in the global settings--if it does, try setting it to "Off".

That's the edit screen for the octave effect. The footswitches are touch-sensitive, meaning if you touch (but don't press) them, you will go into edit mode on that effect. Playing barefoot or using your hand to select the effects can trigger edit mode if you hover over the switch before pressing it. If you don't want the touch-sensitive functionality, you can turn it off in "global settings>>switches>>stomp select". As @silverhead suggested, reading the manual will go a long way to understanding your new toy :) Enjoy!

For bedroom playing and recording, I would think your money would be better invested in a nice set of studio monitors. FWIW, I run my Helix through a pair of EV ZLX12P's and I think it sounds great. You can get 2 for the price of 1 of the Yamaha's.