archisc Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Any idea on the best setting for physical Volume nob, levels, etc. In PODHD, the manual says the best setting for signal to noise is to set to max on vol. But this info is missed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonikimage Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Yes good question ...with my JVMHJS up the middle works best...still a bit hissy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital_Igloo Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Helix would be the same. If the VOLUME knob is maxed and your Merge > Mixer and Output blocks are set to unity, the signal should be unity all the way through (assuming you've set your Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Levels appropriately). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonikimage Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 So it seems that unity gain is all the way up on the Master Volume which let me keepp send/rtn on the Helix at 0 and and my att. on the amp's adjustable loop way down....it made a huge difference ....Thx Dig_I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Helix would be the same. If the VOLUME knob is maxed and your Merge > Mixer and Output blocks are set to unity, the signal should be unity all the way through (assuming you've set your Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Levels appropriately). So it seems that unity gain is all the way up on the Master Volume which let me keepp send/rtn on the Helix at 0 and and my att. on the amp's adjustable loop way down....it made a huge difference ....Thx Dig_I Aaargh, the Helix has such an embarrassment of riches when it comes to knobs and controls for volume attenuation I am finding myself confused. I may well be misunderstanding DI's post but it sounds like the Helix should be run with the large physical volume knob turned all the way up and the "Level" parameter on the merge/mixer/output block set to 0% for unity gain (all other things being equal). Is this correct? This would be a serious change to the way I operate the Helix as I assumed unity for the large physical "Volume" knob would be with the white line straight up at 50%. I am wondering what or if there is a generally best method to level a preset using the following controls: The physical large volume control at the top of the Helix, The "Level" control on the output block The "Level" control on effects The "Ch Vol" on amps. The "Master Vol" on amps. What is the ideal method or rule of thumb for combining the settings (level of attenuation) on each of the five kinds of controls above for achieving unity gain or just the best sound? Including the "Master Vol" probably throws a monkey wrench into the question but it does have a profound impact on a preset's overall volume so I thought I would include it. Additionally this is probably a dumb question but I wanted to confirm that my understanding of the "Ch Vol" on amp blocks is correct. Does the "Ch Vol" in essence alter the ratio of amp block volume to the rest of the amps/effects in the preset? It is my understanding that the "Master" and "Drive" settings are what determine the grit and volume of the amp (like a physical amp). I would expect a significant increase in "Ch Vol" to have a psychoacoustic effect but outside of that it should not alter the amp's tone or grit, etc.. In other words, how do I ideally balance the "Ch Vol" to the output block volume and the physical Volume control? I guess at the core my question is how do I appropriately balance/use the "Ch Vol" setting on amp blocks, the "Level" setting on the output block, the large physical volume knob, and all the other available controls that impact a preset's volume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archisc Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 It wouldn't be a problem if there is a meter at each amp and pedal... The Master is not a Volume control according.. but a control of Master stage distortion.. so where is the true master Volume of the power amp? It be nice to have Pre amp Vol and distortion control Power amp Vol and distortion control In this fashion, everyone is clear... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggravation Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 I've been setting the big hardware Output knob to 50% so that once my presets are all created and balanced I have a way to increase or decrease my overall volume depending on the room. I'm playing into a pair of CLR's so I need the ability to control output from the source instead deal with it on the back of those two cab's. Is there any disadvantage to not keeping the Output knob up all the way? Am I working with a handicapped headroom situation doing it the way I am right now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminjimlp Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Helix would be the same. If the VOLUME knob is maxed and your Merge > Mixer and Output blocks are set to unity, the signal should be unity all the way through (assuming you've set your Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Levels appropriately). OK after reading all these posts I am even more confused than I already was. I have been using 2 L2M's (standing up with there level set to unity ie: 12 o'clock or at the notch or 50%) connected with the L6 link and haven't turned the big knob past the 9 o'clock position and have made no global changes in my Helix and that is extremely loud. so if you could possibly post some pix of the Helix display with the parameters your speaking of that would be very helpful. Also as mentioned above "the balancing the different vol of presets" (on the 11 rack it was called "rig balancing" and there was a nice little menu for doing it) whats the best way to do this with the Helix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 OK after reading all these posts I am even more confused than I already was. I have been using 2 L2M's (standing up with there level set to unity ie: 12 o'clock or at the notch or 50%) connected with the L6 link and haven't turned the big knob past the 9 o'clock position and have made no global changes in my Helix and that is extremely loud. so if you could possibly post some pix of the Helix display with the parameters your speaking of that would be very helpful. Also as mentioned above "the balancing the different vol of presets" (on the 11 rack it was called "rig balancing" and there was a nice little menu for doing it) whats the best way to do this with the Helix? Well, unity gain isn't really something to be concerned about unless you're using the Helix with a traditional guitar amp. With that setup, you'd want the signal coming from the Helix to be pretty close to what your signal would be if you were just plugging a guitar straight into the amp. In this setup, it's kind of assumed you'd be using the Helix for effects only. In the case where you're using the Helix to drive powered speakers or go into a PA, unity gain really doesn't matter. In general, the louder the signal you send from the Helix to the PA or powered speakers, the higher the signal to noise ratio will be. But in general, the Helix is quiet enough, that it's not going to be a huge deal. Just set the Helix's volume wherever it needs to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronlyon Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Old thread, but I just got my Helix floor unit, and wanted to add my observations, using Firmware 2.50. I'm using an empty preset--no amp model, no FX blocks, nothing. Plugged a sine wave generator into guitar input: 1KHz at 1v p-p. Then I connected my oscilloscope to the 1/4" mono output. The big Volume knob allows unity output (1v p-p) at about 1:30 o'clock on the dial. With Volume at maximum, the output is 2.5v p-p, or 250% gain. I plan to use Helix as a stomp box (no amp modeling) in my cover band. So the question about unity gain is a good one--I'd want my guitar to sound identical plugged directly into my amp as it does when run through the Helix with all FX off. In factory default mode, this means setting the Volume knob to 1:30 o'clock. In Global Settings > Ins/Outs, if I change 1/4" Outputs to "Instrument" instead of "Line", then output at max Volume knob setting IS unity, and is not boosted. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Old thread, but I just got my Helix floor unit, and wanted to add my observations, using Firmware 2.50. I'm using an empty preset--no amp model, no FX blocks, nothing. Plugged a sine wave generator into guitar input: 1KHz at 1v p-p. Then I connected my oscilloscope to the 1/4" mono output. The big Volume knob allows unity output (1v p-p) at about 1:30 o'clock on the dial. With Volume at maximum, the output is 2.5v p-p, or 250% gain. I plan to use Helix as a stomp box (no amp modeling) in my cover band. So the question about unity gain is a good one--I'd want my guitar to sound identical plugged directly into my amp as it does when run through the Helix with all FX off. In factory default mode, this means setting the Volume knob to 1:30 o'clock. In Global Settings > Ins/Outs, if I change 1/4" Outputs to "Instrument" instead of "Line", then output at max Volume knob setting IS unity, and is not boosted. Great analysis and very informative! Thanks!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chappie Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 that's great info! thanks for that....I wonder if it holds true for the XLR's as well?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prudenjim Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 +1 on thanks for the info and the question on XLR output. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 The physical connections shouldn't have any effect since what determines this is line versus mic versus instrument levels, XLR or 1/4" is just wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saks Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Old thread, but I just got my Helix floor unit, and wanted to add my observations, using Firmware 2.50. I'm using an empty preset--no amp model, no FX blocks, nothing. Plugged a sine wave generator into guitar input: 1KHz at 1v p-p. Then I connected my oscilloscope to the 1/4" mono output. The big Volume knob allows unity output (1v p-p) at about 1:30 o'clock on the dial. With Volume at maximum, the output is 2.5v p-p, or 250% gain. I plan to use Helix as a stomp box (no amp modeling) in my cover band. So the question about unity gain is a good one--I'd want my guitar to sound identical plugged directly into my amp as it does when run through the Helix with all FX off. In factory default mode, this means setting the Volume knob to 1:30 o'clock. In Global Settings > Ins/Outs, if I change 1/4" Outputs to "Instrument" instead of "Line", then output at max Volume knob setting IS unity, and is not boosted. May be an old thread but it's the first real answer to the question. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 May be an old thread but it's the first real answer to the question. Thanks! It's been answered a ton before... DI even answered on this thread with his post. I've been telling people for two and a half years that having the ins and outs at instrument level with the input pad off and the master volume knob all the way up equals unity gain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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