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XLR signal mutes when tuning with 1/4"


GW92
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Hi all,

 

I'm running guitar through the 1/4" output and vocals out the XLR output on the Helix. I've noticed that tuning seems to mute any signal which isn't the selected tuner input/output.

 

I'm able to unmute the 1/4" outputs so I can hear guitar while tuning but doesn't seem to be a way to hear vocals. A bit annoying for communicating to band or audience while tuning. Am I missing something? Probably be an easy feature to implement?

 

Cheers,

Graeme

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Hi all,

 

I'm running guitar through the 1/4" output and vocals out the XLR output on the Helix. I've noticed that tuning seems to mute any signal which isn't the selected tuner input/output.

 

I'm able to unmute the 1/4" outputs so I can hear guitar while tuning but doesn't seem to be a way to hear vocals. A bit annoying for communicating to band or audience while tuning. Am I missing something? Probably be an easy feature to implement?

 

Cheers,

Graeme

 

I get it, you want to use the mic while tuning.... I'm not in front of my unit right now, I'll check it out myself when I get home.

 

Is it a requirement to hear your guitar while tuning, too?

 

Just want to check your wording there.... I assume you have your guitar connected to the Guitar IN (not 1/4 in out), and a mic connected to the mic in... Or are you using an LT so you're doing something "weird"?  (I have the floor)

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I just checked and all outputs, except any you have selected in the Outputs (in Tuner mode screen), are muted in the Tuner mode. But, even if you select XLR output in the Tuner screen, that just means the guitar will be sent to the XLR outputs. The Mic will still be muted.

 

Not having the Mic mute, while tuning your guitar, makes perfect sense. Sounds like a great idea for IdeaScale.

 

Hearing your guitar while you are tuning makes no sense.

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I just checked and all outputs, except any you have selected in the Outputs (in Tuner mode screen), are muted in the Tuner mode. But, even if you select XLR output in the Tuner screen, that just means the guitar will be sent to the XLR outputs. The Mic will still be muted.

 

Not having the Mic mute, while tuning your guitar, makes perfect sense. Sounds like a great idea for IdeaScale.

 

Hearing your guitar while you are tuning makes no sense.

 

True for most situations, but not completely true.  But then, I think for that you can turn off "mute while tuning".  Sometimes I might still want to listen for that beat even when I'm using an electronic tuner... of course, that only works in the studio, would never hear lollipoop in the context of a band.

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True for most situations, but not completely true.  But then, I think for that you can turn off "mute while tuning".  Sometimes I might still want to listen for that beat even when I'm using an electronic tuner... of course, that only works in the studio, would never hear lollipoop in the context of a band.

 

You can't turn off mute while tuning, but, you can send the Tuner output to any or all Helix outputs.

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Page 33 of the manual. You should be able to set ouput to XLR on the tuner screen and the Helix will not mute the XLR outs. Since you have your guitar output on your preset to 1/4", your guitar signal shouldn't come over the XLRs that are not muted with the tuner. 

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It's pretty simple the way it works.

 

On the Tuner screen:

The "Input" menu is where the tuner will receive it's input signal from.

The "Output" menu is where the tuner will send it's output signal to.

 

All other inputs/outputs, except the looper, are muted when you are in the tuner mode (on the tuner screen), including the Mic input/output.

 

I'm not saying that's the ideal way we would want it to work. For example, if I kick on the tuner, and my Mic is going through my Helix, I should still be able to talk to the audience while I'm tuning. Which, I think was the OP's goal.

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If I kick on the tuner, and my Mic is going through my Helix, I should still be able to talk to the audience while I'm tuning

 

Yep, this is what I'm after. No need to hear my guitar while tuning, just for it to not mute the mic.

 

Sounds like a great idea for IdeaScale.

 

Cool, I'll submit this shortly, good to know that Line 6 has a process for feature requests like this.

 

Thanks all!

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Great feature idea! Submit your IdeaScale suggestion ASAP. Post a link to it here too. I look forward to voting for it.

 

If you are active on the TGP Forums, also post the IdeaScale submission to the Helix thread there. If you are not active there, once you post the IdeaScale post link here, I can post something there pointing to it and this thread.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 1 year later...

This seems like such an important feature for anyone that uses the unit for guitar and vocals. I sing lead and play rhythm in my band and I need to engage the audience between songs and tune simultaneously. Without this feature our band has to get creative so that the audience is engaged but I'm still able to tune between songs (usually the other guitarist will make some jokes - but this is not ideal). Would love to see this feature, I'm surprised there are not more people like me wondering what's going on. Hook us up with a feature in the tuner settings!

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8 hours ago, kevin627 said:

This seems like such an important feature for anyone that uses the unit for guitar and vocals. I sing lead and play rhythm in my band and I need to engage the audience between songs and tune simultaneously. Without this feature our band has to get creative so that the audience is engaged but I'm still able to tune between songs (usually the other guitarist will make some jokes - but this is not ideal). Would love to see this feature, I'm surprised there are not more people like me wondering what's going on. Hook us up with a feature in the tuner settings!

 

Honestly in over 3 1/2 years of gigging at least once every week with my Helix I've yet to encounter this as a problem.  I tune at the beginning of each set and really have no need to pause to tune within a set.  If I did, I'd probably just do it by ear.  That may be why you don't see a lot of interest in this feature.

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6 hours ago, DunedinDragon said:

 

Honestly in over 3 1/2 years of gigging at least once every week with my Helix I've yet to encounter this as a problem.  I tune at the beginning of each set and really have no need to pause to tune within a set.  If I did, I'd probably just do it by ear.  That may be why you don't see a lot of interest in this feature.

 

I'll second that... once in a blue moon I'll need to make a slight tuning adjustment between tunes, but unless you're beating on the strings with a sledgehammer, a properly maintained guitar just doesn't go wildly out of tune after every song. Zero tuning stability generally indicates some sort of problem with the instrument.... dead strings, intonation problems, an improperly cut and/or insufficiently lubricated nut,  etc etc. Whatever the issue is it's usually correctable unless it's a genuine piece of crap. 

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45 minutes ago, cruisinon2 said:

 

I'll second that... once in a blue moon I'll need to make a slight tuning adjustment between tunes, but unless you're beating on the strings with a sledgehammer, a properly maintained guitar just doesn't go wildly out of tune after every song. Zero tuning stability generally indicates some sort of problem with the instrument.... dead strings, intonation problems, an improperly cut and/or insufficiently lubricated nut,  etc etc. Whatever the issue is it's usually correctable unless it's a genuine piece of crap. 

 

Some of us play a lot of stuff outside of E standard.

 

That's part of why I got a Variax.

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21 minutes ago, Kilrahi said:

 

Some of us play a lot of stuff outside of E standard.

 

That's part of why I got a Variax.

 

#Me too!

 

Oops! I’m sure that comment relates to something else, but yeah Variax - I have three!

 

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2 hours ago, Kilrahi said:

 

Some of us play a lot of stuff outside of E standard.

 

That's part of why I got a Variax.

 

That's all well and good, but I don't think that's what the guy a few posts up was referring to, and it certainly isn't what I was talking about. He seemed to be talking about a lack of tuning stability and the need to persistently re-tune between songs...not switching to a different tuning altogether on the same guitar, between songs. Because if that's what he's actually trying to do, it's nuts. You can't do that in front of an audience. It's totally impractical, ridiculously time consuming, and more than a little unprofessional. You either grab another guitar already in the tuning you need, or employ a technological solution like the Variax, as you said. 

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This doesn't effect me in any way... but I can understand the need for a feature like this. It's so practical I can't understand how it was overlooked.

 

This has nothing to do with tuning stability... guitars need to be tuned and sometimes they need to be tuned at the worst of times. I don't know any guitar player that has been immune to that scenario. 

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7 hours ago, codamedia said:

I honestly don't understand why some people think if it doesn't effect them then it isn't needed. 

This doesn't effect me in any way... but I can understand the need for a feature like this. It's so practical I can't understand how it was overlooked.

 

This has nothing to do with tuning stability... guitars need to be tuned and sometimes they need to be tuned at the worst of times. I don't know any guitar player that has been immune to that scenario. 

 

Well maybe it does and maybe it doesn't... unless that guy returns and clarifies his issue, we'll never know. Till then we're all guessing aren't we? If I'm wrong, so be it... but I can only go with what's written. 

 

And just for the record, I couldn't possibly care any less who wants what features, or why...it's no skin off my a$$ either way. And of course we all need to occasionally tune at a less than opportune moment... but if this guy has an instrument that goes out of tune every time the sun moves behind a cloud, no amount of additional Helix features will make his gigs go any smoother... but I digress.

 

What I was reacting to was the description of a scenario that seems to be considerably worse than "normal", and quite out of the ordinary. Because just as you say that no guitarist is immune to the occasional need to tune, I can state just as unequivocally that in 25 years of performing I've never once been on stage when another band member has had to repeatedly launch into protracted comedy routines while I deal with an out of tune guitar. Nor have I ever seen another band with a similar problem. So no matter how you slice it, that ain't normal...yet he says that's what has been going on. Perhaps there is some other bizarre cosmic trigger, but all things being equal, the simplest explanation is usually correct. And in this case, you have to concede that a problem with the instrument is at the very least a possibility.

 

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5 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

Well maybe it does and maybe it doesn't... unless that guy returns and clarifies his issue, we'll never know. 

 

My post was in reference to the OP and the initial question/concern he had.

You are talking about one reply from a different user. 

 

This post got derailed from something useful into a completely different issue (par for any forum I guess - LOL).... I was trying to steer it back on topic.

Sorry if I confused the matter :) 

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12 hours ago, codamedia said:

 

My post was in reference to the OP and the initial question/concern he had.

You are talking about one reply from a different user. 

 

This post got derailed from something useful into a completely different issue (par for any forum I guess - LOL).... I was trying to steer it back on topic.

Sorry if I confused the matter :) 

 

Well therein lies the confusion...I was addressing the resurrected post from a couple days ago, not the stuff from 18 months back. 

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9 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

 

Well therein lies the confusion...I was addressing the resurrected post from a couple days ago, not the stuff from 18 months back. 

 

I'm usually very good and watching for / picking up on resurrected threads... and avoiding them or approaching them very differently. I completed overlooked the date on this one.  Sorry about that! 

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