ofp2079 Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Hello, When I launch my Cubase 5 on my mac with El Capitan, I have no audio input or output working with the Helix as usb interface. SInce Helix kinda works with Garage Band (with the beta for developpers 10.11.2 (Build 15C48a)), and since I can use Cubase 5 with a Roland Capture Duo EX USB interface (with and only with the same new 10.11.2 build), I suspect that my issue comes from Cubase 5 or Apple El Capitan which for some reason cannot interface well with Line 6 Helix. So I have 2 questions: @Line 6 : do you have any information regarding using Helix with Cubase on the latest Mac El Capitan OS? @Forum : Are there other people here who manage to use any version of Cubase (say 5 to 8) with the Helix on Mac OSX ? Thanks to all, Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audionutmike Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Not that this is apples to apples, but I'm using Cubase 8 Elements on a PC and have only had one drop out on playback using the Helix as the interface and that was immediately after FW 1.04 update. It has been good since then. There seems to be known issues with El Capitan not only with the Helix, but with other gear as well. Don't know if this gives you any more comfort about your Helix or not, but that is my experience and I've been using it with Cubase since the day I got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofp2079 Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 Not that this is apples to apples, but I'm using Cubase 8 Elements on a PC and have only had one drop out on playback using the Helix as the interface and that was immediately after FW 1.04 update. It has been good since then. There seems to be known issues with El Capitan not only with the Helix, but with other gear as well. Don't know if this gives you any more comfort about your Helix or not, but that is my experience and I've been using it with Cubase since the day I got it. Thank you for your answer Mike, Yes there are known issues with El Capitan and usb interfaces, that is why I joined the developer program, and tested the beta versions. It seems to be slightly improving with yesterday's build (beta5) because now I can use a Roland Duo Capture as usb interface with El Capitan, I couldn't before this build... but the Helix is still not working. I'm almost certain Apple is to blame, I haven't tried Helix with Yosemite, I'm wondering If it'd work btw. Any feedback is well appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axewarrior Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Both Yosemite and El Capitan produce very undesirable digital sound (like ring modulation) on my Macbook Pro running Logic X. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fulcrum Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Apple has been struggling with USB noise issues on it's most recent iMacs for some time. In 2013, I had to reject seven top-of-the-line 27" iMacs as all of them were completely unusable for any noiseless audio input / output via USB. A quick bit of research over late 2013 / 2014 showed the issue as wide spread and mostly ignored by Apple. I think Helix's tight programming, in this instance, is exposing these USB issues within Apples iMacs. Let's hope everyone at Apple/Line 6, etc., can put their heads together and sort this out. Apple? Hello? ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I received the following email earlier today...... (the link is not active - go to the downloads page). Its release date was a couple of weeks ago, but El Capitan users who haven't updated yet should do so. Dear Line 6 Customer, The new Line 6 Audio/MIDI Driver, version 7.5.7 for Mac, brings compatibility and improved performance fixes when used in conjunction with Mac OS X "El Capitan" 10.11.1 (and higher). Download v7.5.7 here, or for more detailed information on this driver, please visit the Line 6 forum: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fulcrum Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 ofp2079, Axewarrior, Have you both updated to the 'released two weeks ago' Line 6 Audio/MIDI Driver 7.5.7? Please provide your results if/when you do. Line 6, why didn't you make an announcement of this very important release? I just noticed it when I randomly visited the line 6 site a day or two ago. Been waiting to be able to use my Line 6 equipment since I updated to El Capitan 10.11. something or other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i8guitar Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 I received the following email earlier today...... (the link is not active - go to the downloads page). Its release date was a couple of weeks ago, but El Capitan users who haven't updated yet should do so. Dear Line 6 Customer, The new Line 6 Audio/MIDI Driver, version 7.5.7 for Mac, brings compatibility and improved performance fixes when used in conjunction with Mac OS X "El Capitan" 10.11.1 (and higher). Download v7.5.7 here, or for more detailed information on this driver, please visit the Line 6 forum: To be clear, is this audio driver update for Helix users? The reason I ask is because Helix isn't listed as a supported device, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofp2079 Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 ofp2079, Axewarrior, Have you both updated to the 'released two weeks ago' Line 6 Audio/MIDI Driver 7.5.7? Please provide your results if/when you do. Line 6, why didn't you make an announcement of this very important release? I just noticed it when I randomly visited the line 6 site a day or two ago. Been waiting to be able to use my Line 6 equipment since I updated to El Capitan 10.11. something or other. As far as I know this driver is not supposed to work with Helix. I check very often the Helix software page on Line6 website for updates, and there is no driver for Mac mentioned in Helix manuals anyway. Even so.. by curiosity I have installed the above mentioned driver (7.5.7), and I can confirm It doesn't change a thing (to my situation at least): No sound being heard out of Helix when audio (or midi) played in Cubase 5.5.2. (Helix device shows correctly in Cubase, and I know how to setup, and route this). But I can play audio with Helix through iTune and Garage Band: through Garage Band I get lots of digital noise and strange things happen, like white noise. With this situation I would need an interface between Helix and my (2014) iMac... (I have tested this positively with a Roland duo capture). I still hope to be able to use the Helix as an interface to record directly in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fulcrum Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 Thank you for the notification Silverhead. We really should have been notified of this when it was posted, due to its importance to Apple Computer users. It's great that the fix is out for all the other products Line 6 has regarding pops and clicks on Apple products but this doesn't seem to address this: Minor pops and clicks may be present when Helix is streaming audio from a Mac® running OS X 10.11.1 (El Capitan) Minor pops and clicks may be present when Helix is streaming audio from an iOS® device running iOS 9 with Apple® Camera Kit This is a portion of the list of Known Issues from Helix Firmware version 1.04.1 If this can't be corrected, Helix is useless to me as a Mac user. And I want one! After dropping $2000+, I simply won't be able to buy a Windows based box for a very long time. Fingers crossed for a quick solution! Thank you for the prompt reply ofp2079. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofp2079 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 WIth the new El Capitan update yesterday, 10.11.2 official build, I can say... It still does not work with Cubase and Helix as an interface, no sound output, but the Helix audio device is recognized in Cubase with around 5ms latency. Frustrating... using a Roland usb audio interface with the same OS and Cubase, it all works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofp2079 Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Update on the subject : Today, Steinberg released Cubase 8.0.35 which offers compatibility with El Capitan -> I have dowloaded the new version and at last now I'm getting audio in and out of Cubase though Helix, IN and OUT ! It's a huge step forward BUT... after a couple of seconds the sound gets a digital distortion as if there were a ring mod fx in the loop... there are also drop outs, clicks etc.. I think Steinberg as done the job on its side but the remaining of the issue lies somewhere between Apple and maybe Line6 for those unwanted distorsions and drop outs added to the signal. We'll see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsdenj Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 The Line6 Audio/MIDI drivers just released are not for Helix, but for HD500X and earlier products. Helix is USB Class Compliant and does not require any driver - which is why it sort of works with iOS. There must be some timing issues as setting the I/O buffers to a high number seems to clean up the digital noise, but at the expense of high latency. I use Firewire for my main computer interface and it works fine with El Capitan. But there does some to be some issues with USB audio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofp2079 Posted December 24, 2015 Author Share Posted December 24, 2015 The Line6 Audio/MIDI drivers just released are not for Helix, but for HD500X and earlier products. Helix is USB Class Compliant and does not require any driver - which is why it sort of works with iOS. There must be some timing issues as setting the I/O buffers to a high number seems to clean up the digital noise, but at the expense of high latency. I use Firewire for my main computer interface and it works fine with El Capitan. But there does some to be some issues with USB audio. I wasn't referencing to audio/midi drivers, I know there are none for MacOSX, some posts have been confusing in this thread I guess. I'm mentioning the Cubase 8.0.35 update released just yesterday which offers support for El Capitan, and only since then I can hear audio with the stack MacOSX+Cubase+Helix before there was absolutely no sound, in and out. Now there is sound out of the stack but with the digital noise indeed. Setting higher buffers cleans up a bit but not satisfactory -> 45ms latency. Yes it looks like timing issues... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssamant Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 I wasn't referencing to audio/midi drivers, I know there are none for MacOSX, some posts have been confusing in this thread I guess. I'm mentioning the Cubase 8.0.35 update released just yesterday which offers support for El Capitan, and only since then I can hear audio with the stack MacOSX+Cubase+Helix before there was absolutely no sound, in and out. Now there is sound out of the stack but with the digital noise indeed. Setting higher buffers cleans up a bit but not satisfactory -> 45ms latency. Yes it looks like timing issues... Hi Ofp2079 Thanks for all the info. I think i am at the same place. I have Helix, Cubase 8.0 and Mac setup and Helix is not playing any sound which is recorded in Cubase earlier. Nor Cubase is recording any sound from Helix. Helix is playing sound from the Mac (for example sound of a you tube video is being played okay) I am going to download Cubase updates for 8.0 and see if they are working with Helix. Is there any driver that required at Helix end ? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terraplane Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Same problem with Helix LT and Cubase Elements 8.0.10 No sound in Cubase but all is ok with Adobe Audition (playing/recording). Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofp2079 Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Same problem with Helix LT and Cubase Elements 8.0.10 No sound in Cubase but all is ok with Adobe Audition (playing/recording). Any ideas? What version of MacOSX are you running exactly ? I haven't had any problem since 10.11, so it may be an OS issue if you haven't upgraded or updated in a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terraplane Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 High Sierra 10.13.2, Cubase Elements 8. I think, Cubase is too old. I have downloaded latest 9.5 trial, will check it today later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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