Can Helix route signals in this way?

[robmartino]

Hi all,

 

I'm hoping Helix could help me achieve a particular routing goal.

 

I've been using an HD500 for a few years as the center of my Chapman Stick rig - I have a 2 channel preamp before the POD, a Strymon Lex in the effects loop, and a Strymon BigSky after the outputs of the HD500.

 

I use two signal chains in the HD500, one for the melody pickup (guitar in) and one for the bass pickup (aux in) on the Stick. 

 

What I'd like to be able to do is this:

- Have the Lex as a mono in/stereo out in one effects loop (this would typically be used by just the melody side, but sometimes I'd like to use it for both melody and bass channels)

- Have the BigSky as a stereo in/stereo out in another effects loop

- Allow both the bass and melody signal chains to access the BigSky in the effects loop, but with a separate send level for each (i.e. I want the bass channel to have less reverb than the melody)

- Via USB, be able to record the stereo melody and stereo bass sides separately at the end of their effects chains, as well as the dry signals if re-amping is necessary later

- The main 1/4 or XLR output would still have the combined stereo signal from the bass and melody sides

 

I couldn't quite tell from the manual if something like this is possible?

 

Thanks!

[PeterHamm]

Pretty sure that's real easy.

[Ka5par]

I just want to mention that it's not possible to get identical signal from aux and guitar in - at least I couldn't.

So, I play the Chapman Stick with ACTV-2 through returns 1/2 set to "instrument" level. It is a bit quiet though (about 10dB less compared to guitar from guitar in).
So, I add a gain block to every patch to boost the levels. I find that I don't actually boost 10dB, but somewhere around 5dB, since to me the amps sound better that way.

 

But since you have the preamp, the gain shouldn't be an issue.

[malhavok]

- Have the Lex as a mono in/stereo out in one effects loop (this would typically be used by just the melody side, but sometimes I'd like to use it for both melody and bass channels)

 

Yes, but you will have to route the patches differently to accomplish it.

 

 

- Have the BigSky as a stereo in/stereo out in another effects loop

 

You will use two mono loops for this. If the Lex is on 1/2 you will use 3/4 for BigSky.

 

 

- Allow both the bass and melody signal chains to access the BigSky in the effects loop, but with a separate send level for each (i.e. I want the bass channel to have less reverb than the melody)

 

Yes, but they can't both access it in stereo if you want to maintain separation on BigSky out/return.

 

 

- Via USB, be able to record the stereo melody and stereo bass sides separately at the end of their effects chains, as well as the dry signals if re-amping is necessary later

 

Without regards to aforementioned limits of BigSky this is trivial to route USB this way.

[robmartino]

Thanks for the responses - I see how I can use a mono send on each signal path to access the BigSky via it's L and R channels - if I wanted access it in stereo (even if I lose the ability to maintain separation afterwards), could both bass and melody signal chains have a split to one "aux" stereo signal path (with lower send level for the bass side) that has a stereo send/return to the BigSky?

 

Regarding the aux input - I believe it's now 10 kOhm based on other discussions here (I thought it was 1 MOhm on the HD500 and for a while I just plugged directly into it even with a passive pickup) - I assume I could bring the guitar input impedance down to match the aux and use my preamp, so that both inputs behave in the same way? I would need the sends/returns for other things - it's interesting that the decision was made to make the aux lower impedance, perhaps more people use it for line level signals?

[PeterHamm]

...if I wanted access it in stereo (even if I lose the ability to maintain separation afterwards), could both bass and melody signal chains have a split to one "aux" stereo signal path (with lower send level for the bass side) that has a stereo send/return to the BigSky?...

 

...I assume I could bring the guitar input impedance down to match the aux and use my preamp, so that both inputs behave in the same way?...

1. No. Pretty sure you can not do that.

2. I don't see why not!