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Help before I decide to send it back!


Arrow269
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So I was one of the fortunate ones to get a Helix as soon as it came out. The UI and the way to really get under the hood to make patches was a bit over my head, but out of the gate I had some pretty great sounding tones. Then came a bad software update and some glitches and my unit was replaced - Kudos to Line 6 for incredible customer service.

Here's the problem, and maybe someone here can help me because I am at the point of sending this thing right back to Sweetwater.

 

My original unit sounded great. Patches sounded big and real. On my new one, EVERYTHING sounds like the first Zoom multi Fx pedal I ever owned. Everything except the cleans sound super fizzy and plastic. I've tried rolling off highs, changing mics and placement, but nothing is working. I've used it on a few gigs and it's just awful.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks

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I've created some good clean tones with no problem.

Check to make sure your outputs match whatever you are plugging them into (line or instrument).

Before sending it back maybe post the patches you are having trouble with and list what type of guitar you are using with them maybe we can help narrow down the problem that way.

 

Good luck!

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I've created some good clean tones with no problem.

Check to make sure your outputs match whatever you are plugging them into (line or instrument).

Before sending it back maybe post the patches you are having trouble with and list what type of guitar you are using with them maybe we can help narrow down the problem that way.

 

Good luck!

Thanks for responding - the cleans are not what I'm having an issue with. I will check the outputs and post some patches.

 

I'm using an EBMM LukeIII HSS

 

What should the outputs be then?

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So I was one of the fortunate ones to get a Helix as soon as it came out. The UI and the way to really get under the hood to make patches was a bit over my head, but out of the gate I had some pretty great sounding tones. Then came a bad software update and some glitches and my unit was replaced - Kudos to Line 6 for incredible customer service.

 

Here's the problem, and maybe someone here can help me because I am at the point of sending this thing right back to Sweetwater.

 

My original unit sounded great. Patches sounded big and real. On my new one, EVERYTHING sounds like the first Zoom multi Fx pedal I ever owned. Everything except the cleans sound super fizzy and plastic. I've tried rolling off highs, changing mics and placement, but nothing is working. I've used it on a few gigs and it's just awful.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks

Wow, that is exactly my experience with the Helix as well... Maybe I should try to get a replacement device before I give it up then. Thank you for sharing your experience! 

For the records, I have also tried absolutely everything but I cannot get it to sound good for anything but clean tones. Should really not be that hard to tweak... 

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Here are a few things to try:

  • Check your output levels (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 2)
  • Turn on Helix's pad switch (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 1), even if you don't think your guitar's pickups are overly hot
  • Set the Guitar In Impedance to "Auto" (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 1) 
  • If you're connecting Helix's XLRs to a mixer of sorts, make sure your mixer's phantom power is off
  • Confirm Helix's audio quality via headphones you trust
  • If all else fails, backup all your presets, do a full reset (hold FS9 and FS10—the two middle switches on the bottom row—while booting), and before reloading your presets, check the factory ones. If they're fine, reload yours. The reset will also wipe out all your global settings, so you'll need to redo them
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Here are a few things to try:

  • Check your output levels (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 2)
  • Turn on Helix's pad switch (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 1), even if you don't think your guitar's pickups are overly hot
  • Set the Guitar In Impedance to "Auto" (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 1) 
  • If you're connecting Helix's XLRs to a mixer of sorts, make sure your mixer's phantom power is off
  • Confirm Helix's audio quality via headphones you trust
  • If all else fails, backup all your presets, do a full reset (hold FS9 and FS10—the two middle switches on the bottom row—while booting), and before reloading your presets, check the factory ones. If they're fine, reload yours. The reset will also wipe out all your global settings, so you'll need to redo them

 

 

I'll definitely give these things a shot. But this should be sounding good already. At this price point, there's no reason I should even have the option to have tone this bad...

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Here are a few things to try:

  • Check your output levels (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 2)
  • Turn on Helix's pad switch (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 1), even if you don't think your guitar's pickups are overly hot
  • Set the Guitar In Impedance to "Auto" (Global Settings > Ins/Outs > Page 1) 
  • If you're connecting Helix's XLRs to a mixer of sorts, make sure your mixer's phantom power is off
  • Confirm Helix's audio quality via headphones you trust
  • If all else fails, backup all your presets, do a full reset (hold FS9 and FS10—the two middle switches on the bottom row—while booting), and before reloading your presets, check the factory ones. If they're fine, reload yours. The reset will also wipe out all your global settings, so you'll need to redo them

 

I have tried everything on the list. It sounds significantly better via headphones, great actually. I tried to reset all of it a couple of days ago, and now I did it two times again, but there is no difference compared to before I reset it. Just cannot understand why it is so great via headphones and so trash via my (really good) monitor... 

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I'll definitely give these things a shot. But this should be sounding good already. At this price point, there's no reason I should even have the option to have tone this bad...

 

On the HD500, the XLR are mic level only. So, on my studio monitors, which are expecting line level, the XLR signal is way too low volume to use, I end up using the 1/4" outs from the HD and set them to line level.

 

On the Helix, however, you can switch the XLR between line level and mic level. That issue is a good place to start. Also, you should (supposedly) be running the Helix master volume at 100% and turning down the speakers and everything else:

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/16279-unity-gain-setting-signal-to-noise/?hl=unity+gain

 

Also check these threads; what you are describing sounds similar to the issues noted here:

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/16128-alesis-alpha-112-fizz/

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/16775-line-6-helix-atomic-clr-bad-sound/

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I spent all morning going through this stuff. Followed everyone advice. This sounds like crap. I'm not sure what they're doing in the videos or what I'm doing wrong, but a pedal at this price point should take this much aggravation to get some decent sounds at the least.

 

And yes - I read that Line 6 wants it to sound REAL -  so all the real factors of micing an amp etc. come in to play, so I've messed with EVERYTHING and I have some mediocre sound programmed. 

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If it still sounds bad, including all of the factory presets then I would say there is something wrong with the unit.  PLease post some recordings with the factory presets to show us what you mean.

 

Mine sounds fantastic and every place I have used it live with a soundman they all ask what I am using.

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If it still sounds bad, including all of the factory presets then I would say there is something wrong with the unit. PLease post some recordings with the factory presets to show us what you mean.

 

Mine sounds fantastic and every place I have used it live with a soundman they all ask what I am using.

I have the same experience. It sounds great in every application. Have you taken it elsewhere to see how it sounds through different monitors or a house system?? I have read where people have issues with certain monitors orc system's and it was just a matter of finding the right settings with them. Before oversee it in it return for refund I would check it in multiple setting. If it sounds good in your headsets it doesn't sound like it's defective. I can't imagine 1/4 in and xlr outs both being bad and the headsets being fine.

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Does anyone know if it would be possible to make a software update, where you can choose how much DSP-power you would send to each path ? 
 

I have a tele with an extra Piezo (which makes Bass-octave on the lower strings) 

Short story: I need to paths, but in one of them i only need af mute switch, which shouldn't take up that much power :)

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Does anyone know if it would be possible to make a software update, where you can choose how much DSP-power you would send to each path ? 

 

I have a tele with an extra Piezo (which makes Bass-octave on the lower strings) 

 

Short story: I need to paths, but in one of them i only need af mute switch, which shouldn't take up that much power :)

 

Well, don't forget that there are actually four stereo paths. So you can use one of the paths for the piezo or whatever and use the other three in serial or parallel (or some cool combination) for your mags. So, yes, each DSP has two paths, but you can still spread stuff out over both paths so that you can more fully take advantage of all the DSP.

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Here is a post for the "3+1" method which gives you the max DSP for your first three bars and you can use the last bar (2B) for your mute switch. Skip down to the section entitled "Method for using more DSP intensive electric guitar patch and also setting up acoustic guitar or Mic patch within the same preset:"

 

Could you try that link again? 😀 Thanks

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Does anyone know if it would be possible to make a software update, where you can choose how much DSP-power you would send to each path ? 

 

I have a tele with an extra Piezo (which makes Bass-octave on the lower strings) 

 

Short story: I need to paths, but in one of them i only need af mute switch, which shouldn't take up that much power :)

 

Here is a post for the "3+1" method which gives you the max DSP for your first three bars and you can use the last bar (2B) for your mute switch. Skip down to the section entitled "Method for using more DSP intensive electric guitar patch and also setting up acoustic guitar or Mic patch within the same preset:"

 

http://line6.com/sup...he-same-preset/

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Does anyone know if it would be possible to make a software update, where you can choose how much DSP-power you would send to each path ? 

 

I have a tele with an extra Piezo (which makes Bass-octave on the lower strings) 

 

Short story: I need to paths, but in one of them i only need af mute switch, which shouldn't take up that much power :)

 

 

Could you try that link again? Thanks

 

I added a Template for a routing method to use up to the max DSP (both DSP processors) available to the first input/output and whatever is leftover to the second input/output. I think this might be helpful by giving max flexibility to you in which input/output pair gets the most DSP. It is particularly useful when you have one input/output, like an electric guitar, that requires more than just one DSP's processing power and you also require a second input/output, for example mic,iPod, or acoustic guitar, that consumes less DSP. 

 

The "Super Serial x2 + 1" Template is in the Line6 CustomTone library.  You can download it at http://line6.com/customtone/tone/1460280/

 

The post (over?) explaining it is http://line6.com/support/topic/16847-get-max-dsp-processing-available-for-electric-guitar-when-also-setting-up-acoustic-guitar-or-mic-patch-within-the-same-preset/

 

Or the much more concise explanation here: http://line6.com/support/topic/16954-download-template-for-super-serial-x2-1-here-max-dsp-for-electric-and-a-2nd-input-output-for-acoustic-mic-ipod-etc/

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Just curious, if you say it sounds great through the headphones, have you tried taking the headphone out to your monitors? Does it sound great or crap? Does it sound the same as it does if you use the outputs? I am just starting to wonder if some units have some physical problem in the output stage that hasn't been identified since we have seen a few people reporting here that their units sound crap at volume even when the headphones sound OK, whereas most report they sound fantastic.

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So I was one of the fortunate ones to get a Helix as soon as it came out. The UI and the way to really get under the hood to make patches was a bit over my head, but out of the gate I had some pretty great sounding tones. Then came a bad software update and some glitches and my unit was replaced - Kudos to Line 6 for incredible customer service.

 

Here's the problem, and maybe someone here can help me because I am at the point of sending this thing right back to Sweetwater.

 

My original unit sounded great. Patches sounded big and real. On my new one, EVERYTHING sounds like the first Zoom multi Fx pedal I ever owned. Everything except the cleans sound super fizzy and plastic. I've tried rolling off highs, changing mics and placement, but nothing is working. I've used it on a few gigs and it's just awful.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks

i have exactly the same...though i can´t be sure, how it sounded before the upgrade, cause i only played it in 4cm...but now i tried the ampsims and they sound terrible...! any news herfore...?

best!

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I had a similar experience when I first got mine too.  I also bought a new pair of Alesis Alpha 112's to go with the Helix and I nearly sent everything back after the first week.  I ended up switching from the 1/4 outs to the XLR's set to mic level and that helped.  I turned the Alesis down and the Helix up and that helped.  I set the high pass on the cabs to 6.2 and the low pass to 110 and that helped.  As it sits now, it sounds fantastic.  Maybe the speakers needed to break in a bit, maybe the updates have helped.  Maybe my patch building has improved.  All I know is that right now I am really glad I stuck with it. I'm sure the biggest problem was me all along...

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I had a similar experience when I first got mine too.  I also bought a new pair of Alesis Alpha 112's to go with the Helix and I nearly sent everything back after the first week.  I ended up switching from the 1/4 outs to the XLR's set to mic level and that helped.  I turned the Alesis down and the Helix up and that helped.  I set the high pass on the cabs to 6.2 and the low pass to 110 and that helped.  As it sits now, it sounds fantastic.  Maybe the speakers needed to break in a bit, maybe the updates have helped.  Maybe my patch building has improved.  All I know is that right now I am really glad I stuck with it. I'm sure the biggest problem was me all along...

why should it make any difference, when you use the XLR out with mic level instead of line level, if the board can handle it...? that doesn´t make sense to me...

 

i think our units have some hardware problem...mine is producing sounds like the old zooms as well, plus some other problems:

1. when i first tried it in 4CM, i found it´s doing some kind of decent boost, whereas many others stated, they don´t hear any difference compared to unplugged...

2. it´s also producing some noticeable noise (of course more noticeable on distorted channels) when connected in 4CM...others said, it doesn´t....

3. when i tried to connect my amp with helix for switching, using a stereocable as well as with a monocable, it produced horrible noise...when i cut the monocables´ ground, it then worked ok, except for a pretty loud popping noise while switching...this also shouldn´t happen, as support told me...

4. i´ve had some problems while upgrading...sometimes it´s been freezing, and the helix app didn´t import my old presets and was afterwards freezing as well...of course i lost all my presets, that i was working with in 4CM...;-(

 

this all plus the fact that the presets sound very, very cheap...fizzy and harsh sounding...exactly the same as others posted, leads me to suspecting, there´s something wrong here...

pretty disappointed....;-(

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why should it make any difference, when you use the XLR out with mic level instead of line level, if the board can handle it...? that doesn´t make sense to me...

 

well I wasn't going into a board, into a powered monitor with an input that accepts both XLR and 1/4 jacks.  It is supposed to accept line level signals fine bu my experience was that it preferred the mic level...  I had fizz int the beginning, believe me.  I started a whole thread on it. (http://line6.com/support/topic/16128-alesis-alpha-112-fizz/)  All I can say is I have none of those issues now.  It sounds amazing...

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