Helix Native sounds fizzy

[MacShock]

Hi everybody, I have a Helix and since a couple of days also the Native version. But I can not get the sounds on Native that I get from the Floorversion. It sounds thin and fizzy, especially the distorted patches. Doesn't feel ok at all. I am certainly doing something wrong.  I guess it  has something to do with the input levels but I think I did everything right. I adjusted the audio interface to max but avoid clipping and the levels on Native are set to normal. On the Mac I can not change volume. It is disables because of the audio interface.Weird. Any idea? I can't believe that Native sounds so bad.

[HonestOpinion]

You may have already tried this but try adjusting your audio interface down, maybe way down. Coincidentally this sort of issue just go mentioned at about 26 minutes in on the new "Helix Hour" video and there was a recommendation to turn down the input/output level on audio interfaces, in some cases, all the way down, when they are used with Native.

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/mAsn-LwsXmY

[kylotan]

If you're using the Floor version into a real-world guitar cab (e.g. by way of an amp), but are using the same patch in Helix Native with computer speakers or headphones, it will definitely sound fizzier as computer speakers and headphones have a much flatter response, and thus show a lot more high end, than a guitar cab.

 

If that's not what you're doing, perhaps post up your preset (or list of the blocks you use) and tell us what you plug the Floor unit into typically.

[soundog]

It should sound nearly identical to the hardware. As you suspect, you've got to eliminate any digital distortion, because it will be exacerbated when it hits any distortion or amp blocks.

 

1) make sure you're using a quality audio interface that has good hi-z inputs (for guitar). Or first try recording an dry guitar track through Helix hardware USB for testing purposes. That will give you an idea of the levels you should be trying to get.

2) when using an audio interface, set its levels inputs carefully, making sure your peak playing volumes are "in the green"

3) set Helix Native input levels to -18 to -12 dB for your peak playing volumes

 

[Ka5par]

4) use good monitors or headphones

[mikisb]

perhaps a explication for a part of the problem and a part of the users. It's so obviously that i wonder why i did'nt see it before:

Yesterday, i tried a new fremen preset in the afternoon using my self constructed 12" coax monitors conected via AES/EBU at moderate home level - sounded quite good - pretty close to the sound in fremen's demo video with my monitors. (just the sound, unfortunally not the playing)

Did the same thing in the evening, but cause some people in the house were already dreamin, at a lower level. So low, i could hear the strings of my solidbody behind the amp sound. There it was - the fizz! From the speaker, not from the acoustic sound of my guitar.

Rising Volume just a bit - fizz gone.

I don't know if this effect comes from the Helix (main volume), from the AES/EBU output, from the poweramp or from the speaker but this could explain the pain of some bedroom players between us ;) - and why others get no fizz.

Just a starting point for further investigation.

[klangmaler]

This thread has to be moved to

https://line6.com/support/forum/90-helix-native/

[NOSaints79]

EDIT: *** SOLVED - See below ***

 

I am experiencing the same issue.

 

I have a Helix Floor unit, and I have presets in it that sound good to me when they are played through headphones, PAs, or even recorded or monitored in Audacity on my PC connected via USB.

 

I downloaded Helix Native, loaded it into Reaper, and imported those same presets into Native.  I am connecting my guitar to the Helix Floor and using it as the audio interface to my PC via an empty patch.  Clean tones sound the same in Helix Native in Reaper, but the dirty, distorted tones sound harsh and buzzy. They do not sound anything like the patches on my floor unit.

 

I've got to be doing something wrong. Any insights would be most helpful. Thanks!

 

 

EDIT: Resolution - the presets I imported from my floor unit used Impulse Responses (IRs), however when I imported the presets into Native, I DID NOT IMPORT the IRs, so I had IR blocks that were in my signal chain that were empty.  Lesson learned - you must import your Impulse Responses separately from your presets and make sure they are properly assigned in the blocks.

 

[pipelineaudio1]

That'll do it :) An unfiltered amp model thru full range speakers is pure pain! It would be awesome if native to floor would copy the impulses over, but that may be asking too much