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Hx effects patch volume difference


bergie450
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Ive found that some of my patches have a very noticable volume differences. Some are much more quiet. Has anyone else had this problem?

On the quiet patches, i have even raised every effect to max level. It gets slightly louder, but still not as loud as my other patches. Some even have almost identical effects blocks.  Have you noticed any certain blocks that cause a volume drop no matter what?

Any advice?

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Some effect blocks are louder than others... just as some effect pedals are louder than others. Having "almost identical effects" won't make it immune to volume differences... any different effect can contribute to a change in volume.

 

The big question.... are your quiet patches too quiet, or are you loud patches overly loud making it impossible to get them to even out? 

Retaining gain structure from beginning to end with the effect on/off is very important. Every time I add an effect block I balance the signal... it should be equal volume on or off. The only exception is an item such as a boost - or something meant to boost... which I generally set about 3 db higher. I have a project/home studio so I have the aid of meters when needed... so it makes it easier for me other than just guessing. 

 

In general, I find the volumes on each block sufficient to balance the effect. Spend a little times and make sure you get that right and you should be fine. 

 

Caveat... make sure you haven't inadvertently setup a controller on one of the blocks, with the volume to low at the controller level. Doing an "effect on/off" volume test for each block will make that easier to find. 

 

Good luck...

 

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That is why a lot of effect blocks have a "level" parameter, so you can adjust as necessary. Turn all the effects off to start, then go one by one and normalize volumes. From patch to patch, you may want to connect Helix to a PC/Mac with DAW software and adjust to a meter then final tweak by ear. It is just something that you have to be proactive about doing. 

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You can also use the level control of last block in the signal path, often a reverb, or any effect that’s always on, to adjust the volume of the overall patch. This will ensure that you’re not raising the volume somewhere in the signal path that might impact tone or cause digital distortion.

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