Four parallel chains => four outputs possible?

[Zaiten]

Hi.

I bought an HD500X a week ago. I was happy until I asked myself "dual chains are great ...but what about four chains? O_o". Enter helix.

 

Can I process two guitars, one bass and a voice with it? I only need two ins: one 1/4 line and one mic XLR. I play bass split into three chains/outputs: one goes into a bass amp. Two go through an Octave-up & harmonizers into dual guitar amps. Sounds like White Stripes, Royal Blood and Black Sabbath put in a blender. Can I assign four chains and four separate outputs? Like this:

 

XLR IN (mic)

• CHAIN 1: VOCALS: doubler, vocoder, harmony, rev, limiter. Output: XLR (L)

 

BASS IN (1/4 jack routed to three chains):

• CHAIN 2: BASS SOUNDS: fuzz, comp, octave down, amp. Output: XLR ®

• CHAIN 3: GUITAR L: octave up, harmonizer, dist, amp. Output: 1/4 (L)

• CHAIN 4: GUITAR R: octave up, fuzz, amp. Output: 1/4 ®

 

ALL OUTPUTS TO F.O.H. MIXER.

 

Alternatively, is it also possible to have another three outputs to feed stage bass and guitar amplifiers? Maybe repurpose the headphone jack or the send/returns for this purpose?

[radatats]

yes you can run 4 separate paths as described but you may run out of DSP to process all those FX blocks.  If you are feeding physical amps and not needing the amp sims it may be possible.  You can use the FX Sends as outs too.  Sounds like fun!

[Zaiten]

yes you can run 4 separate paths as described but you may run out of DSP to process all those FX blocks.  If you are feeding physical amps and not needing the amp sims it may be possible.  You can use the FX Sends as outs too.  Sounds like fun!

oh wow, great! Sounds like serious flexibility. I do wonder about those FX blocks....

[HonestOpinion]

Hi.

I bought an HD500X a week ago. I was happy until I asked myself "dual chains are great ...but what about four chains? O_o". Enter helix.

 

Can I process two guitars, one bass and a voice with it? I only need two ins: one 1/4 line and one mic XLR. I play bass split into three chains/outputs: one goes into a bass amp. Two go through an Octave-up & harmonizers into dual guitar amps. Sounds like White Stripes, Royal Blood and Black Sabbath put in a blender. Can I assign four chains and four separate outputs? Like this:

 

XLR IN (mic)

• CHAIN 1: VOCALS: doubler, vocoder, harmony, rev, limiter. Output: XLR (L)

 

BASS IN (1/4 jack routed to three chains):

• CHAIN 2: BASS SOUNDS: fuzz, comp, octave down, amp. Output: XLR ®

• CHAIN 3: GUITAR L: octave up, harmonizer, dist, amp. Output: 1/4 (L)

• CHAIN 4: GUITAR R: octave up, fuzz, amp. Output: 1/4 ®

 

ALL OUTPUTS TO F.O.H. MIXER.

 

Alternatively, is it also possible to have another three outputs to feed stage bass and guitar amplifiers? Maybe repurpose the headphone jack or the send/returns for this purpose?

 

There is a template for setting up four paths similar to this. Look under the "Templates" user list. It is preset "04B". 

[tagmusenmagnus1]

But you most deffinately can not run all those blocks at the same time. If you only run preamps (With out poweramp and cabs i might be able to run three amps, but you are suggesting multiple Pitch-shifting blocks and these are really heavy too. 

And to my knowledge there is no vocoder in the Helix ? - Is there ? 

[Zaiten]

There is a template for setting up four paths similar to this. Look under the "Templates" user list. It is preset "04B".

 

Seems simple enough! Thanks.

 

But you most deffinately can not run all those blocks at the same time. If you only run preamps (With out poweramp and cabs i might be able to run three amps, but you are suggesting multiple Pitch-shifting blocks and these are really heavy too. 

And to my knowledge there is no vocoder in the Helix ? - Is there ?

 

That's worrisome. I'll recount more precisely: As far as harmonizer, I'd only add one. However, I'd need three pitch-shifters running at once, two going octave up and one going octave down. That's 4 FX blocks there. Furthermore, two fuzz/distortions, three amps, three compressors. Maybe one rev/delay/chorus and that's it as far as the three bass/guitar chains go: 13 blocks.

 

Finally, on the vocal chain I'd be looking to replace my BOSS VE20 which runs simultaneously: a harmonizer, a limiter, a low-cut filter/eq, and a chorus/doubler; sometimes a delay. Let's assume no vocoder in this set-up. That be 5 additional blocks.

 

All in all, I'd be looking at 18 simultaneous blocks. Just maybe: 20. Is That possible?

[Zaiten]

Btw, moving to the Helix would be my attempt to ditch all this analog and digital pedals, besides the dreadful heavy and hassling double pedalboards I'm lugging around:

[Roberttheprole]

First off I'd say I no way should you expect the helix to replace the H.O.G. 2. I have the first one, and had to keep it on my board. Along with my whammy 5, timeline, Octasynth, and 2880. The Helix pitch whammy is ok if you don't have the original, but when you A/B the two they're just not the same. And helix makes no attempt the model the H.O.G.

[tagmusenmagnus1]

Why do you need all of it at the same time ? 
Is the whole band player through at the same time ? 

[Elkinz]

you wont be able to run that many pitch shifters at once im pretty sure - they are very dsp hungry :P one already takes up heaps of dsp haha