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Volume issue with 4CM


richardantonelli
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I'm hoping someone here can help me with this.

Got a helix yesterday and hooked it up 4cm with my be-100. Having previously owned one, I know the basics and how to set up presets/snapshots. For 4cm I'm using fx loop 1 in between the dirt and time stuff.
I've checked all the globals and ins and outs but for some reason, when my amp's loop is engaged with the helix, there's a big volume drop. I have to crank the loop on the amp and also crank the big master knob on the helix while also adding 3db or more to the helix's output. This can't be right as any other fx unit I've used with the amp doesn't act like this. If I want to get louder I really can't because everything is dimed. Any ideas?

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What are your global settings?

 

Also it's worth remembering that on the BE 100 the FX Loop is after the amps master volume - so basically the amp's MV is now an "FX send level" - according to the manual you have to set the BE100 Master to 5 to send a good level into your FX unit, and then use the BE-100 Return Level as the Master Volume

 

My Laney AOR works like this, as did my Marshall 4210, but my H&K has it's Master volume after it's FX loop.

 

I use INSTRUMENT level for the Helix FX Loops with 4cm on my Laney AOR and H&K, so that the Helix SEND 1 level is about the same as comes from my guitar, and when setting up a 4cm patch on a new amp I will A/B between the actual guitar and the Helix SEND 1 either by unplugging cables or using an external A/B box and then adjust the Helix FX SEND 1 Level to that it matches the dry guitar.  (I do this with nothing else connected to Helix yet - not the amp's FX Send and return)

 

Then I connect up the amps FX LOOP to the Helix Return and the Helix 1/4in output and set that up.

 

My Laney has a -10dB FX loop, but that it is still a bit louder than the INSTRUMENT level coming out of HELIX send 1, so I usually turn down the HELIX FX LOOP Return level to about -15dB so it matches the level going through if I bypass the Helix FX LOOP block.  My H&K is switchable from -10 to +4, so I leave it set for -10 and I only need to adjust the level fractionally from the Laney.

 

Then to the Helix 1/4 in out level.  If I choose INSTRUMENT then this will be lower than the -10dB FX loop setting, but if I choose Line it will usually be louder than the -10dB loop is expecting... but I usually just use INSTRUMENT as I find I never really need to push my amps power section to full.

 

If your Be-100 has a +4dB loop then you might be better setting HELIX's 1/4 outs to LINE.

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What are your global settings?

 

Also it's worth remembering that on the BE 100 the FX Loop is after the amps master volume - so basically the amp's MV is now an "FX send level" - according to the manual you have to set the BE100 Master to 5 to send a good level into your FX unit, and then use the BE-100 Return Level as the Master Volume

 

My Laney AOR works like this, as did my Marshall 4210, but my H&K has it's Master volume after it's FX loop.

 

I use INSTRUMENT level for the Helix FX Loops with 4cm on my Laney AOR and H&K, so that the Helix SEND 1 level is about the same as comes from my guitar, and when setting up a 4cm patch on a new amp I will A/B between the actual guitar and the Helix SEND 1 either by unplugging cables or using an external A/B box and then adjust the Helix FX SEND 1 Level to that it matches the dry guitar.  (I do this with nothing else connected to Helix yet - not the amp's FX Send and return)

 

Then I connect up the amps FX LOOP to the Helix Return and the Helix 1/4in output and set that up.

 

My Laney has a -10dB FX loop, but that it is still a bit louder than the INSTRUMENT level coming out of HELIX send 1, so I usually turn down the HELIX FX LOOP Return level to about -15dB so it matches the level going through if I bypass the Helix FX LOOP block.  My H&K is switchable from -10 to +4, so I leave it set for -10 and I only need to adjust the level fractionally from the Laney.

 

Then to the Helix 1/4 in out level.  If I choose INSTRUMENT then this will be lower than the -10dB FX loop setting, but if I choose Line it will usually be louder than the -10dB loop is expecting... but I usually just use INSTRUMENT as I find I never really need to push my amps power section to full.

 

If your Be-100 has a +4dB loop then you might be better setting HELIX's 1/4 outs to LINE.

 

Yup, I am using the loop level on back of the amp as a master once the loop is engaged. I have to crank it to get it louder but it's nowhere near the volume with the loop off. It's a series loop and doesn't have a switch to go +4 or -10. Setting the 1/4' outs on the helix to line does help but I still have to really crank things in order to get it close to the amp without the loop on.

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I'm hoping someone here can help me with this.

 

Got a helix yesterday and hooked it up 4cm with my be-100. Having previously owned one, I know the basics and how to set up presets/snapshots. For 4cm I'm using fx loop 1 in between the dirt and time stuff.

I've checked all the globals and ins and outs but for some reason, when my amp's loop is engaged with the helix, there's a big volume drop. I have to crank the loop on the amp and also crank the big master knob on the helix while also adding 3db or more to the helix's output. This can't be right as any other fx unit I've used with the amp doesn't act like this. If I want to get louder I really can't because everything is dimed. Any ideas?

 

In the set up you describe you would need to have the Helix master volume on full to give you unity gain.

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