SheldonF Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Hi there, I bought a Helix about 10 months ago but never got around to using it. My normal gigging and studio rig was/is Mesa Boogie JP2C with a 1x12 Mesa Cab and my pedal board. Nothing crazy. I usually just mic that up and it's done the job perfectly. Guitar is an Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty. The three channels in the JP2C was/is more than enough for me. I've however decided that I wanted to actually make use of my Helix for three reasons. 1) Portability 2) more advance routing without spending more money 3) Modelling has become so good. So, here is my question. I believe the answer is yes, but I am so new to this thing that I might be missing something. What I want to do is have the following Majesty Stereo output with Piezo and Mag through a TRS cable Peizo > Helix Aux In> Whatever cab, effects I want to run> Out to FOH ( MONO or Stereo or WDW..whatever is possible) Mag > Helix Guitar In > into a W D W signal path separate from Peizo > 3 outs to FOH ( Mono for Dry, L/R for wet) Is this possible to within the Helix internally? I've googled and searched to forums but anything I've seen is either 2+ years old, or simply hasn't received any concrete answers. I don't want to leave both the Peizo and Mag on at all times on the guitar, but switch between the two ( this was something someone else was doing from what I read). If it is possible, How do I go about this? Any videos? I've seen the Richie Castenallo vids and many others on YouTube but I don't think I've come across anything this specific. I want to set this up for purely FOH purposes. Sorry for wall of text and please delete if this is in the wrong place or off topic. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I think I know what you want. The first thing is forget the TRS going into the Helix. You will have to split it before the Helix and then put the piezo into the Aux In and the Mags into the Guitar In. Everything else as far as I can tell is possible. I think you're going to have to be creative with your panning and outputs but, just looking at it, I have some ideas. Do you want the piezo out to the FOH to be stereo (L/R) as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheldonF Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 Yeah exactly, now the thing is the guitar output would be a TRS cable ( that's how it's designed). So the guitar outputs two signals, I'd need a splitter y cable to separate the peizo and mags as you mentioned, It's once both signals are at the actual Helix itself is where I am unsure. . I don't know how to configure the outputs so that the guitar IN outputs the WDW and the Aux in outputs either mono or L/R (...and if this is even possible). I guess it would become a 2 input, 6 output scenario (WDW x2) or a 2 input 4 output scenario (WDW + MONO). I'd prefer the former if possible. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Just look at the screen. There are two paths. And each path can be then split into two stereo paths. So one main path would be the piezos The other the mags. Just click on the far left icon and the input parameters should come up. I'm not at home so I can't confirm this. One thing you can do with the Helix is use the FX sends as outputs. Assuming the dry is just the guitar and amp, you could create a split point just after the amp but before the effects. That can be your dry signal. You would then put an effects send block at the beginning of your path after the split point. That's your dry signal that you would get from the effects send 1/4" output. You then would get your wet signal from the two outputs, the 1/4" and the XLR. The slight issue with this is only two outputs (one stereo path) would be XLR. All of the others would be 1/4". So the FOH mixer would have to be able to do both. I think most do. FYI All of the 1/4" outs (1/4" outputs and Effects Sends) can be set to Instrument or Line. The XLR outputs can be set to Mic or Line. I am confident this can be done to your specs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheldonF Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 Wow thank you. That detailed it out. I didn't know that the FX loops could be configured to outputs, that's amazing. I think I'll do by dry signals through XLRs and have the stereos going through 1/4. I assume all outputs are configurable in the global settings. Thank you that laid it out. I'll hopefully post results in case anyone else is trying this method. In theory you can run TWO guitars each with a WDW setup through helix...that's pretty awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Yes, you would select insturment/Line/Mic levels for the outputs in Global Settings. In fact each Effects Send/Return can be individually set to Instrument or Line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbuhajla Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I have a strat with a passive piezo bridge. I have the two signals going to a TRS jack on the guitar. I have a TRS cable going from guitar to Helix. Tip is magnetics going to Guitar In and the Ring is going to Return 1 on Helix. Signal path 1A is Return 1 as the input. This is the piezo signal. I just have a parametric EQ, reverb, and delay, going to XLR outputs. Signal path 1B is Guitar In as the input, compressor, overdrives, volume block, amp block, wrapping to signal path 2A. Signal path 2A is modulation, Cab/IR block, signal split to run mono reverbs and mono delays in parallel, outputs to XLR outs I use an external expression pedal (EXP2) to control the Parametric EQ level on the piezo signal path to "blend in" the piezo signal. I use the on board expression pedal (EXP1) to control the volume block in path 2A. I use an external expression pedal (EXP3) to control amp block parameters (drive, channel volume, bass) on path 2A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheldonF Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 37 minutes ago, jbuhajla said: I have a strat with a passive piezo bridge. I have the two signals going to a TRS jack on the guitar. I have a TRS cable going from guitar to Helix. Tip is magnetics going to Guitar In and the Ring is going to Return 1 on Helix. Signal path 1A is Return 1 as the input. This is the piezo signal. I just have a parametric EQ, reverb, and delay, going to XLR outputs. Signal path 1B is Guitar In as the input, compressor, overdrives, volume block, amp block, wrapping to signal path 2A. Signal path 2A is modulation, Cab/IR block, signal split to run mono reverbs and mono delays in parallel, outputs to XLR outs I use an external expression pedal (EXP2) to control the Parametric EQ level on the piezo signal path to "blend in" the piezo signal. I use the on board expression pedal (EXP1) to control the volume block in path 2A. I use an external expression pedal (EXP3) to control amp block parameters (drive, channel volume, bass) on path 2A Do you have a dry signal going out? Or is it serial from 1B to 2A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbuhajla Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 On 10/30/2018 at 1:45 PM, SheldonF said: Do you have a dry signal going out? Or is it serial from 1B to 2A. Serial going from 1B to 2A. No output signal coming out from the end of path 1B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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