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Using the Helix HX with the Boss ES-8 - Complicated Question


BSpector24
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Hi Everyone,

 

I'm planning on getting the Helix HX and a Boss ES-8 for redoing my pedalboard and have a few questions on what I'd like to do with it. For me, this is very confusing and I might be overthinking it, but if it works, I'd have a great rig. I know this topic has been discussed before, but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. Here's a bullet point rundown of what I'm planning and what I THINK I need to do to make this work. 

 

  • I will be using the 4 cable method with the Boss ES-8 to take advantage of having my effects be either in front of the amp and/or the effects loop on my Mesa Boogie Mark V 90 Head. 
  • I will be using an RJM Mini Amp Gizmo to change the channels on my head (and possibly other functions) from the ES-8 using MIDI.
  • I will be using 3 or 4 standard pedals in my rig and hopefully the Helix HX, as well.
  • In the Boss ES-8, I'd have the standard pedals in loops one through 3 (or 4 depending). 

 

Now, ideally, I would like the HX to be in loops 5 AND 6 using the HX 4 cable method so I can have some HX effects in front of my amp and other HX effects in the effects loop (either at the same time or one at a time depending on the patch). It would not be set up like this all the time, but using MIDI from both units, I believe I could create patches on the HX that would utilize this feature, and then a patch on the ES-8, through MIDI, would call up the patch on the HX and route it accordingly to the proper outputs of the ES-8 along with any of my stomp boxes I already have for that patch. So, the ES-8 would be the conductor in all of this.

 

For instance, on the ES-8, loop 5 would be the HX effects before the amp and loop 6 would be the HX effects after the amp. If this does work, I'm thinking the routing would look like this:

  • ES-8 Loop 5 (HX effects before the amp) = ES-8 Loop 5 Send --> HX L/Mono In    HX Send 1 --> ES-8 Loop 5 Return
  • ES-8 Loop 6 (HX effects after the amp) = ES-8 Loop 6 Send --> HX Return 1    HX Output L/Mono --> ES-8 Loop 6 Return

 

I know this is way overblown, complicated, and possibly unnecessary, but in my head I would have a ton of options for routing all available effects before or after my amp. Programming the MIDI from the RJM Amp Gizmo, Helix HX and ES-8 is a topic for another day lol.

 

Thank you all so much and I apologize for the super long post.

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If you are asking if your approach will work... yes, it will. That is exactly how you can set it up. Don't forget to insert a LOOP Block in the HX Effects and turn it on. 

 

All of these units (ES-8, HX Effects, etc... etc... ) have multiple in/out/loops for a reason. If you need them, use them! It doesn't matter if someone else finds your setup complicated... if it works for you, that's what matters.

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On 9/30/2018 at 12:43 PM, BSpector24 said:

I know this is way overblown, complicated, and possibly unnecessary, but in my head I would have a ton of options for routing all available effects before or after my amp.

 

Just for the record... I don't find your setup over complicated at all. If you look at some of the "Rig Rundowns" on You Tube it is evident that many guitar players we may assume have simple rigs actually do not! 

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