Clipping: Helix or my Looper Pedal?

[mattwolfson]

Hi all,

 

I use a DigiTech JamMan Solo as my main looper. It is the last pedal in my chain, in the FX2 of my Helix LT, and I've noticed popping/crackling in my FRFR setup when doing anything distorted.

• It does not crackle or pop when I record clean stuff.
• It has never been troublesome in any other setup (e.g., through other digital modellers, tube amps).
• Putting the looper in the front of the Helix and recording a clean signal into a dirty setup doesn't reproduce the same results.
• Trying to adjust send/return levels on the Helix FX2 slot did nothing.

Based on all of this, I am assuming its the pedal. I know it's a relatively cheap looper, but I don't necessarily want to buy something else until I rule it out. Anyone else have similar issues with Helix or with this particular pedal? Any fixes?

 

Thanks in advance for any info!

[plumber]

I've had something similar with my strymon pedals in the fx loop

 

I mentioned this to the UK rep in PMT the other week who said it wasn't something he had come across but he only used od pedals in his FX loop.

 

I have not resolved this to date

[CraigGT]

Is the Helix send/return set to line level not instrument?

 

Craig

[jbuhajla]

Set your send/return to instrument level. 

[mattwolfson]

I had no idea I had these options. This has to be it- will check back with you guys after work! Thanks!

[MusicLaw]

Matt:

 

The Line/Instrument Signal Level setting is under Global Settings > I/Os. This is different that the Level control parameter in the Loop Send and Return Blocks.

[mattwolfson]

Unfortunately already set to instrument on the send/returns. Anything else I can try?

 

Edit: tried placing the looper before the IR and it's gone. Is this going to be a case by case thing? While it's passable it doesn't help if I need to record what comes after the IR on the looper.

[jbuhajla]

Unfortunately already set to instrument on the send/returns. Anything else I can try?

 

Edit: tried placing the looper before the IR and it's gone. Is this going to be a case by case thing? While it's passable it doesn't help if I need to record what comes after the IR on the looper.

Maybe try turning the level of the IR down with the looper placed after it and see what that does. What IR are you using? What is the level of the IR set at?

[mattwolfson]

I'm unfortunately not able to access the unit, but I am pretty sure it is a free OwnHammer v30, set to standard levels (I don't typically adjust them when they are loaded in). I think its the 1024 setting too. Good points on the IRs clipping it, I will have to check that soon.

[MusicLaw]

Is the clipping present when using Helix's stock cabs (rather than the OH IRs)?

[Thurston9]

Vote this up!

 

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/741210

[guitar1969]

I am having this same issue with the Solo XT and the Helix.  Same clipping/static sound on playback of the loop.  Mine was placed as well at the end, after the cabs which I thought would be the logical place.  Before the cab and it is fine, so that is where I have it now, set to an 50% mix but send and return flat at 0.  I did try to adjust the cab level higher than -18db which is where most of my patches are but that introduced more crackly sound overall.  I have run a few pedals in the loops of the helix and overall they seem to be very sensitive in that you need to find just the right balance of settings to get them to sound right.  I think it definitely has to do with overall patch volume leveling since there are multiple places where leveling can be set, but I also noticed that the Jamman does do some post processing on the signal running through it too, as I put a drum machine in a Helix loop and moved it around while playing and it sounds different before the looper. Bummer because I want to runn the drum machine before the looper to record it but it doesn't sound as good.

 

Update: I was able to fix this issue with a bit more research and can now run the looper after the cab with no static.clipping sounds.  I had to set the send level on the FX loop to -6db, and then I also am setting mix setting to 80%. Return is still set to 0db.  It tells me that the JamMan is very sensitive to the input signal level so YMMV based upon what your Helix preset is set at signalwise.

 

What lead me to figuring this out was the JamMan manual mentions input signal spec as +4db for unity gain with loop level set to 12 o'clock on the pedal, so I started messing with the settings on the Helix with this in mind.

[mattwolfson]

Guitar1969's tip worked flawlessly, thank you! Sorry for the delay all, haven't had time to fiddle with the Helix lately. I will also be upvoting the Ideascale listed earlier!

 

Maybe try turning the level of the IR down with the looper placed after it and see what that does. What IR are you using? What is the level of the IR set at?

 

 

Is the clipping present when using Helix's stock cabs (rather than the OH IRs)?

 

 

I am having this same issue with the Solo XT and the Helix.  Same clipping/static sound on playback of the loop.  Mine was placed as well at the end, after the cabs which I thought would be the logical place.  Before the cab and it is fine, so that is where I have it now, set to an 50% mix but send and return flat at 0.  I did try to adjust the cab level higher than -18db which is where most of my patches are but that introduced more crackly sound overall.  I have run a few pedals in the loops of the helix and overall they seem to be very sensitive in that you need to find just the right balance of settings to get them to sound right.  I think it definitely has to do with overall patch volume leveling since there are multiple places where leveling can be set, but I also noticed that the Jamman does do some post processing on the signal running through it too, as I put a drum machine in a Helix loop and moved it around while playing and it sounds different before the looper. Bummer because I want to runn the drum machine before the looper to record it but it doesn't sound as good.

 

Update: I was able to fix this issue with a bit more research and can now run the looper after the cab with no static.clipping sounds.  I had to set the send level on the FX loop to -6db, and then I also am setting mix setting to 80%. Return is still set to 0db.  It tells me that the JamMan is very sensitive to the input signal level so YMMV based upon what your Helix preset is set at signalwise.

 

What lead me to figuring this out was the JamMan manual mentions input signal spec as +4db for unity gain with loop level set to 12 o'clock on the pedal, so I started messing with the settings on the Helix with this in mind.