Input Levels for Helix Native: Hi-Z or not?

[aaron__aardvark]

I am a newbie with Helix Native; I'm just using the trial version, but will probably buy it when it goes on sale next.  I am glad Line 6 sent me an email with links to Helix Native Input Levels, and 2 other topics.  I use Mac OSX 10.11.6, Cubase AI8 (latest version), and a steinberg UR22 mkII audio interface: for input #2, you have the option on clicking on the Hi-Z button.  Now I've been happy overall with the interface, but in my experience, things sound worse for me with the Hi-Z (high impedance) setting, regardless if I am using Helix Native or not, when recording electric bass or guitar.  The Helix Native video recommends using the Hi-Z setting, but it sounded worse for me.  I'm even playing a Yamaha guitar & bass (both passive pickups), so we're talking a 100% Yamaha owned set-up here (since Yamaha owns Line 6 and steinberg)!  On a different thread, I read about people using a very low input setting (not sure if it was Hi-Z or not) for best results, but that did not work well for me (though I recorded unwanted clicking noises with an electric bass, with the input level approaching, but not reaching 0 db).  Anyone else experience the Hi-Z setting not working best for them? 

[soundog]

When it comes to Hi-Z input, sometimes they are geared more for active pickups. But sometimes not. Just use the inputs that sound best to you and you'll be fine...

[aaron__aardvark]

soundog,

Thank you for replying!  I was just wondering if I wasn't doing something correctly; or if I could make it sound better somehow.  In my original post, I almost forgot to mention the passive pick-ups; apparently that was significant.

[zolko60]

Hi-Z provides low load for your pickups. Lower the input impedance lower the resonant peak.  You can do what you like but proper guitar input impedance is about 1Mohm (Fig. 14) http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lemme/

 

[aaron__aardvark]

zolko60,

Thank you for replying!  Though Helix Native can occasionally be difficult to get to work correctly (a few days ago the gui just refused to open and I could not edit anything; then I started with new tracks in Cubase, moved my recorded guitar parts to the new tracks and has worked OK since then), I'm starting to appreciate the sound quality more (at home), as opposed to trying Helix hardware in a noisy Guitar Center.

[aaron__aardvark]

I bought Helix Native a few days ago since it went on sale (yay!).  I have since recorded some guitar, and experimented some more with the Hi-Z input being on or off.  What I recorded lately sounds better with the Hi-Z on, as Line 6 recommends.  I wonder if it has to do with the particular preset or not.  Since I am using this software more, I am liking it more and more, and learning how to use it better.  I just figured out how to do the automated tweaking today BTW.

[soundog]

Nice. So, use your Hi-Z. Always give yourself plenty of headroom with the input setting on your interface (set levels by banging out some big chords with neck pickup on and guitar tone and volume knobs cranked), and give yourself plenty of headroom on the input setting on Helix Native. You can make up for the volume on the output setting if you want (but don't clip your other plug-ins, if any).

 

Fine-tune your amp settings before adding effects. Gain or drive control the preamp levels and distortion voicing. Master volume controls the input into the power amp. Channel volume controls the overall output of the block. Use EQ as needed on the amp first, then fine tune with an EQ block if needed. Cutting highs can really help sometimes.

 

Often, presets will have the input level set differently, and that certainly can effect tone (Hi-Z or not), so adjust accordingly.

[aaron__aardvark]

soundog,

Thank you for replying!  Yeah, I'm really into effects.  I probably won't go public with the song for years (I never go public with a song unless I have a formal U.S. copyright since I found out I was going to get played on the Radio BBC, and it's much cheaper to copyright a bunch of songs at once, instead of one at a time), but I'm almost done with a song with lead guitar with the Harmony Delay effect, Particle Reverb, and Whammy effect that I was pleased with.  I tried a real Digitech Whammy pedal years ago, but had a hard time controlling the pitch in a nice fashion, so I never bought one.  In Cubase, I can fine-tune the pitch changes with the automated tweaking function on Helix Native (I rarely play live anymore).

[soundog]

Yeah, using DAW automation to control Helix FX parameter stuff (e.g. pitch, levels, EQ, blend) etc to fit sections or passages in your song is a very powerful part of Helix Native. I also use it to change amp gain levels within a song to match intensity. Or drawing in wah pedal ramps to fit precisely. 

[aaron__aardvark]

I didn't know about the automated EQ, that could be useful in the future.  Since I use lots of synth plug-ins, and very often, most everything can be automated, though you don't have to assign a "knob" to be automated on the synth plug-ins.  It will take me some time to get more speedy with assigning knobs to be automated in Helix Native.