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Using Helix With An Audio Interface


Timmsie95
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So I've had the Helix for about 6 months now, and I've been recording with the Helix USB port, because my old audio interface wasn't that great.

 

I'm going to be buying a Focusrite Clarett 8Pre X because I'm getting more into my home studio.

 

I was wondering if I can run the Helix through it like this:

 

- Helix XLR L & R outs into channels 3 & 4 (for example) on the interface.

- Guitar Thru on Helix Rack into DI box (then into the interface) or High Z input on the interface.

- Aux out 3 (for example) on the interface, into fx return 4 on the Helix.

 

I would then use the three tracks to record my stereo amped tone and a DI track, then send the DI back into the Helix, using FX Return 4 at line level, as the input, and then re amp to my liking.

 

My main concern is that I'm not sure if I can send the track back into the Helix the way I described.

 

Any help is much appreciated!

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Are you talking about doing this all at once or just a general setup, cause to me it sounds like you want to re-amp your DI while you are still recording it. Overall I believe it will work but for your Helix preset you would have to setup 3 different input/output paths to manage (that is, if I'm understanding correctly what your trying to do). I've tried similar things myself with my Focusrite LS56 but I didn't try re-amping the DI as I was recording it.

 

If this isn't what your after, maybe with a little more explanation we can get you pointed in the right direction.

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You can save yourself a lot of time and trouble just using the USB on the Helix to track/reamp guitars vs trying to use the interface for everything. Connecting it the way you're planning could work if you want to leave it set up for reamping all the time, but you're literally adding 3 D/A conversions that you don't need to to achieve your goal. With the Helix plugged in via USB, you can record your wet and DI tracks simultaneously, then just click a few hardware routing buttons in your DAW and reamp, and you've eliminated latency-adding conversions in the process. 

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If you're using a Mac, you can set up an aggregate device. Here's video I made on how it is done.

 

 

I'm not sure why you would need a second interface (via the thru out) when you can have multiple Helix paths sending signals on separate USB channels? Use one path for dry signal and record that. Then, re-amp and record resulting tone as desired.

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To clarify, I didn't mean to re amp at the same time as recording. And if rather have the Helix run through the Clarett because it makes workflow a bit more streamlined. I know I can hook up the way I described, I'm just not sure if sending the DI at like level into the helix will give me the right levels.

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Ok now I understand what your looking for. What you'll want to do is if you are running a signal from one of the line outs on the Clarrett is setup your reamp preset on the Helix so that the input is one of the FX returns, not the guitar in or aux in. This is a quote from Digitsl Igloo that he had posted when I raised this query before:

 

Assuming your interface's outputs are line level, yes. The trick is that neither the Guitar or Aux input is true -10 or +4 dBu line level, so ideally, you'd want to go into one of the effects returns. Unfortunately, none of the stock presets have an effects return set as the Input block. You can do this really easily by selecting the Input block and turning the joystick until it says "Input Return 1".

 

You can find the full thread here:

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/20130-reamping-with-helix/

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Has anyone tried using the Helix's SPDIF output to their audio interface for recording?

 

Would be glad to know the results.

 

Also

 

Q.1 How would reamping work like this?

 

Q.2 Most cost effective setup to enable reamping in Windows ?(I can't seem to make this work through the USB interface of the Helix as I cannot set different Ins and Outs for different tracks).

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Has anyone tried using the Helix's SPDIF output to their audio interface for recording?

 

Would be glad to know the results.

 

Also

 

Q.1 How would reamping work like this?

 

Q.2 Most cost effective setup to enable reamping in Windows ?(I can't seem to make this work through the USB interface of the Helix as I cannot set different Ins and Outs for different tracks).

 

I don't use the SPDIF for recording, or reamping, but I do use it for monitoring purposes. I'm not sure I could use it for recording because I get an occasional and rare second or so of audio dropout with this output. No clue why. But to record using the SPDIF, select the ASIO drivers in whatever DAW you use for your additional interface.

 

For reamping the easiest, and best way, would be via USB. If whatever DAW your using doesn't have an ability to assign different ins/outs for a track, I would suggest trying a different DAW, perhaps Reaper?

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I don't use the SPDIF for recording, or reamping, but I do use it for monitoring purposes. I'm not sure I could use it for recording because I get an occasional and rare second or so of audio dropout with this output. No clue why. But to record using the SPDIF, select the ASIO drivers in whatever DAW you use for your additional interface.

 

For reamping the easiest, and best way, would be via USB. If whatever DAW your using doesn't have an ability to assign different ins/outs for a track, I would suggest trying a different DAW, perhaps Reaper?

Hey Duncan ,

 

I thought it was an issue with Windows where you couldn't assign different ins/ outs for different tracks.

 

Read online this has something to do with the ASIO driver.

 

Not true? If not, are you on Windows, which DAW do you use?

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Hey Duncan ,

 

I thought it was an issue with Windows where you couldn't assign different ins/ outs for different tracks.

 

Read online this has something to do with the ASIO driver.

 

Not true? If not, are you on Windows, which DAW do you use?

 

I'm on Windows 10 and Reaper. What ins and outs you want to use are selected within the DAW. As gunpointmetal pointed out, make sure you have Helix's driver installed. Without that you won't be able to see Helix as a device in the DAW. In Reaper, this is all done in options/audio devices. One Helix is visible in the DAW, you can then select the individual ins and outs per track.

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  • 1 year later...

I don't use the SPDIF for recording, or reamping, but I do use it for monitoring purposes. I'm not sure I could use it for recording because I get an occasional and rare second or so of audio dropout with this output. No clue why. But to record using the SPDIF, select the ASIO drivers in whatever DAW you use for your additional interface.

 

For reamping the easiest, and best way, would be via USB. If whatever DAW your using doesn't have an ability to assign different ins/outs for a track, I would suggest trying a different DAW, perhaps Reaper?

 

If you're going to use the Helix's spdif out, make sure that the input you're putting it into gets it's audio synced to the spdif feed, or use external wordclock. I use external wordclock on the Helix (setup in global settings) and all my digital audio devices, and have no dropouts using spdif.

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If you're going to use the Helix's spdif out, make sure that the input you're putting it into gets it's audio synced to the spdif feed, or use external wordclock. I use external wordclock on the Helix (setup in global settings) and all my digital audio devices, and have no dropouts using spdif.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't really have any wordclock options on any of my other equipment. Helix Floor doesn't either. Helix Rack does. Besides that, it's been sort of unofficially confirmed by one of the support staff that these dropouts are something that may be corrected by a future firmware. There should be a topic on these forums somewhere.

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I was wondering if I can run the Helix through it like this:

 

 

I use Helix XLR L&R into my (Mixer- then Apollo) Interface AND the buffered guitar out on Helix for an input on my VoiceLive 3 Extreme. So yes, using (IMHO) Helix for what it is primarily designed for (a guitar Processor 1st and foremost)  works out very well for me, plus the fact that I can also use it as a backup audio Interface if ever needed in a pinch. Best of all worlds for me.

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Thanks for the suggestion. I don't really have any wordclock options on any of my other equipment. Helix Floor doesn't either. Helix Rack does. Besides that, it's been sort of unofficially confirmed by one of the support staff that these dropouts are something that may be corrected by a future firmware. There should be a topic on these forums somewhere.

Oops, I forgot the Helix Floor doesn't have external WC capability. 

 

More info in this thread... http://line6.com/support/topic/19234-helix-spdif-out-loses-sync-too-often/?p=236511

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