cchimi Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 I’m trying to use my VoiceLive 3 Extreme through an effect loop on the Helix, using the Effect Loop 2 block right after the Mic input on the lower path on the Helix screen. I'm trying to get a clean mic signal into the VL to get some vocal harmonies going. The mic is an SM58. Routing is Helix Send 2 to VL mic input. VL mono output to Helix Return 2. The Helix jacks are 1/4†and the VL jacks are XLR, so I’m using appropriate cables just bought new, so they should work. I get horrible hissing, and no indication that the vocal signal is getting to the VL. Annoying as hell. I thought, as I usually do, that this would be easy. But I can’t see what I’m doing wrong. I've checked the ground lift on the Helix, with no change to the hissing. ​I must be doing something wrong. Anyone have any ideas what that might be? ​Thanks, ​Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremyn Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Helix 1/4" send/receive are unbalanced and therefore won't be affected by the ground lift switch. You may need an inline dual channel DI box or 'hum eliminitator' like one of the Ebtech boxes to isolate the grounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicLaw Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Any chance the VL3's Phantom Power is enabled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cchimi Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 Thanks! These are helpful responses. But I think figured out where the hiss was coming from. The VoiceLive 3 Extreme has a Guitar In, but also a Guitar Thru. If nothing is plugged into the Thru, even just a cable going nowhere, I get the hiss. Plug in a cable going nowhere and 99% of the hiss disappears. And I hear the vocals, lead and harmonies, quite clearly. But for some reason the guitar is not controlling the harmonies. It’s always something. But at least I’m making progress. ​Thanks for your help. Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 I’m trying to use my VoiceLive 3 Extreme through an effect loop on the Helix, using the Effect Loop 2 block right after the Mic input on the lower path on the Helix screen. I'm trying to get a clean mic signal into the VL to get some vocal harmonies going. The mic is an SM58. Routing is Helix Send 2 to VL mic input. VL mono output to Helix Return 2. The Helix jacks are 1/4†and the VL jacks are XLR, so I’m using appropriate cables just bought new, so they should work. I get horrible hissing, and no indication that the vocal signal is getting to the VL. Annoying as hell. I thought, as I usually do, that this would be easy. But I can’t see what I’m doing wrong. I've checked the ground lift on the Helix, with no change to the hissing. ​I must be doing something wrong. Anyone have any ideas what that might be? ​Thanks, ​Carl This is probably not your issue but always worth mentioning. The send/return jacks on the Helix are placed horizontally not vertically, so make sure your send and return are next to each other and not over/under each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cchimi Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 Good point, HonestOpinion. But I did get the Vertical/Horizontal confusion right the first time. Thanks, Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksteruk Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 I think you'd get much better results by plugging the vocal mic straight into the vocal live. Then you could take the output from the vocal live into helix if you want to. (Probably into a return socket) If you want the guitar to control the harmonies you'd best feed a guitar signal from a Helix send into the Vocal live guitar in. If your vocal live works like my old Vocal live touch then you'll need to plug a jack into the guitar thru socket, or the vocal live will mix voice and guitar together on its main out. - you probably don't want to feed the guitar signal back into Helix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cchimi Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 That's a good idea, and I might end up doing that. But my problem right now is why the guitar isn't controlling the harmonies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cchimi Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share Posted February 4, 2017 Duh! D'oh! I was so proud of getting my Horizontal and Vertical right that I missed that I had my Send and Return mixed up. I had the guitar coming "out" of a Return on the Helix on its way to the VoiceLive. Fixed it and it works great now. And I did take the advice of plugging the mic directly into the VL, instead of the Helix. Thanks, everyone, for helping me think this through. Carl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Duh! D'oh! I was so proud of getting my Horizontal and Vertical right that I missed that I had my Send and Return mixed up. I had the guitar coming "out" of a Return on the Helix on its way to the VoiceLive. Fixed it and it works great now. And I did take the advice of plugging the mic directly into the VL, instead of the Helix. Thanks, everyone, for helping me think this through. Carl :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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