Mic input not working

[myalteregohamish]

I went to record this evening having done this countless times already and low and behold my Mic doesn't receive an signal.  All things checked, no dice.  Plugged into my mixer and every things good there.  So it looks as though my mic pre may have gone south.

[glideman]

I'm starting to become glad that I don't use the Mic input... aCk!!!  

 

Preamp with phantom power on is starting to sound fragile...   :(

[JohnnyRyan]

I have the same problem...tried all the solutions...nothing...I have a mic cable that goes from xlr to 1/4 inch out I am going to try that but even if it works thats not a fix I need the xlr input to work. I will go to Sweetwater if I can't fix it they are awesome Line 6 took a week just to get back to me when I had a problem with my POD HD500X...I mean, I just got this thing!...love it but....

[JohnnyRyan]

OK I just got mine to work, I was using the Helix app and I had the gain set High on my StageSource L3t, and master volume low on Helix. I do this because I played with this for a month before I figured out that with master out on Helix high, and L3t low, it sounds thin...so I went the other way, a completely different rig now...anyway...as soon as I turned up the master on the Helix, my mic worked...I am going to have to put more than a preamp on the mic though...rather than lower all my gain settings on my presets..a nice clean amp...well problem solved for me...thang God I DID NOT want to send this back...I am about as signal chain challenged as it gets, but it's fun learning. Sometimes lol.

[BigRalphN]

My first Helix smoked the preamp the second I turned phantom power on for a mic. I won't say which mic because people always think it doesn't use phantom. It does.

[ricksteruk]

Is there any official word on this problem? DI?

 

So far I've just not used phantom at all, I'm just using Helix with a dynamic for stage type use as I have several other recording boxes - but it might be nice to be able to if one day I happen just to want to plug in a Condenser.

Would be gutted if it blew (especially if Helix is out of warranty by then.)

 

Maybe I should just try it now to see if it blows whilst it's within warranty :)

[Slarty123]

Damn, it's just happened to me too! I reboot all settings, remove phantom power, power up with a dynamic, nada! I guess I can stop trying a bazillion different settings, grrrrrrr

[brucisidro92288]

For what it's worth. My mic input was acting up since the first use. Finally got around to letting Line 6 know about it (sent recordings and the like) and they fixed in a jiffy.

[jmendicino]

I seem to have the same problem and don't want to lose the Helix for months, so  I'm trying to come up with a work around so the Helix can still be my recording interface. I have a UX2 (which I have had for years a must have plugged and unplugged mics into with the phantom power on hundreds of times without a problem) and was thinking I could use that for mic-ing and S/PDIF digital out from the UX2 to the Helix . I've never used S/PDIF before. Anyone have experience or maybe have tried a similar approach? I don't to blow something else up on the Helix.....

[smlalx]

Line6 Helix Mic Preamp Repair (Fix/Replacement)

[Lag-ato]

Add me to the list, I think. Must have gone wrong somewhere when I was using my condenser. What have you guys found as the best course of action? I have one of the very first runs of Helix Floor. Even has some of the dreaded dead pixels on the scribble strips. I bought it from Sweetwater. I'm sure I'm out of coverage from either company.

 

Which should I do? Support Ticket with Line6 directly, or Sweetwater?

 

Should I expect either company to take care of it because of its seeming fault in manufacturing? 

 

If not, how much should I expect it to cost? 

 

Have they fixed this issue in later models, or will this continue to happen? 

 

I hope your gear is treating you well. I kinda need my mic pre for live performance! Thanks for any and all advice. 

[Parapentep70]

...And mine died today. It worked 2 hours ago (the first time I tried to use it in 5 years or so). A couple of VERY satisfactory tests later.. it's gone, fried, dead.

A combination of bad luck, user error, a commercial microphone that is not wrong, simply wired in an unusual way (and for a good reason) and above all, a mic preamp design that is not robust at all to this unfortunate combination.

 

 

[Crazyphil78]

Hello, I had the same problem with mine 10 min after using my Condenser Neumann Mic this week. I think I did a bad thing by unplugging my mic with Phantom always on. I know this could be dramatic for some circuits but I did that several times on stage or at home with other gears (Bose L1 mod2, sound cards apogee etc …) and never never had this happened. I think the Helix mic preamp circuit is not fair and well protected, but I’m singer and not electronic “Ingenieur”… no way to put 100 / 150€ to fix this because I’m afraid to have another rapid problem . So I use an external preamp and put my vocals in a free return in my Helix, ok it’s TS jack and not XLR but it works fine… if the external preamp is a first choice I think it’s a good way to always use Helix for my vocals… musicalement Philippe