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Helix acting as soundcard but not set as soundcard


Phil_GMC
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Here's another fun thing you can do:

 

2 Guitars, bass, e-drums, keys and vocals all thru the Scarlett.

In Reaper I set up a matrix so that everyone can get their own custom headphone mix.

All the neighbors (I live in an apartment) hear is the vocals.

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I really appreciate your time, I don't use plugins due to latency issues, that's why I send helix direct to Scarlett for monitoring. I use the Helix 1/4 out to go to my Peavey Valveking, For the record I play through my Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue with no effects at all, a good Strat or Tele through that thing and you're done ;) 

 

I was advised to use asio4all years ago, maybe that was bad advice, I don't know enough to have an opinion. 

There is one question nobody can answer. If everything I've done is wrong, why has it worked since April 2017 when I got my Helix? I had a Boss GT100 before that so things were different. 

I'm sorry if I'm infuriating you all and maybe I'm not explaining myself very well I just want it how it was before. It suited me, I had a back up computer that I could go to with the click of a switch until I had time to sort my music computer out. I work 50 hours a week, 10 hours on my feet a day, and only get an hour or so a night to practise and record my projects for the people at where I learn to critique. 

Thank you for all your help, I wish I could stay from scratch with lots of advice but my setup has morphed over the years into an abomination of cables and boxes it's a nightmare just to move anything. 

My laptop is used like a desktop so it's never moved and I use both screens one for Helix edit and one for Reaper. As helix is under the desk it's easier to see which patch or snapshot I'm on while playing. 

Cheers

Phil

 

 

 

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1 minute ago, Phil_GMC said:

I really appreciate your time, I don't use plugins due to latency issues, that's why I send helix direct to Scarlett for monitoring. I use the Helix 1/4 out to go to my Peavey Valveking, For the record I play through my Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue with no effects at all, a good Strat or Tele through that thing and you're done ;) 

 

I was advised to use asio4all years ago, maybe that was bad advice, I don't know enough to have an opinion. 

There is one question nobody can answer. If everything I've done is wrong, why has it worked since April 2017 when I got my Helix? I had a Boss GT100 before that so things were different. 

I'm sorry if I'm infuriating you all and maybe I'm not explaining myself very well I just want it how it was before. It suited me, I had a back up computer that I could go to with the click of a switch until I had time to sort my music computer out. I work 50 hours a week, 10 hours on my feet a day, and only get an hour or so a night to practise and record my projects for the people at where I learn to critique. 

Thank you for all your help, I wish I could stay from scratch with lots of advice but my setup has morphed over the years into an abomination of cables and boxes it's a nightmare just to move anything. 

My laptop is used like a desktop so it's never moved and I use both screens one for Helix edit and one for Reaper. As helix is under the desk it's easier to see which patch or snapshot I'm on while playing. 

Cheers

Phil

 

 

 

Everything worked before on sheer luck, lol. ASIO4All is good for some things, not recommended for use with professional/prosumer audio gear that has dedicated drivers, though, as its more or less a "skin" for regular old windows drivers to work with ASIO hardware. If you disable the Helix in Reaper and use the Scarlet as your soundcard, most of your problems should go away, and you can use the Scarlet mix software to route audio however your like. I totally understand not having time to sort all this stuff out, but sometimes you really do just have to RTFM and watch a few hours of YouTube tutorials to get started so you don't end up wasting time down the line. First thing I would do is to make sure you have the Focusrite drivers and select those from the Setup menu in Reaper, then use the the Scarlet software to handle your mixing/levels at the hardware level. 

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1 minute ago, Phil_GMC said:

I don't use plugins due to latency issues

 

You have latency issues because you're using ASIO4ALL.

 

1 minute ago, Phil_GMC said:

I use the Helix 1/4 out to go to my Peavey Valveking, For the record I play through my Fender Blues Deluxe

 

Take an out from the Scarlett to the PV or FBD or whatever.

 

3 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

There is one question nobody can answer. If everything I've done is wrong, why has it worked since April 2017 when I got my Helix

 

The past is the past. Nobody's going to waste their time figuring that out, especially when there is an easy solution readily at hand.

 

5 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

my setup has morphed over the years into an abomination of cables and boxes

 

We've all been there! Every so often i rip it all apart and start over with KISS in mind. That said, my current setup is so simple that I can reconfigure it in minutes to duplicate someone's setup for help purposes (as I did at the beginning of this thread), and set it back in minutes.

 

9 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

I'm sorry if I'm infuriating you all and maybe I'm not explaining myself very well

 

Don't worry about it, we're all a little masochistic here....:-)

 

10 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

I just want it how it was before

 

If you insist, good luck with that!

 

Seriously, dude, I've just described the simplest, most flexible setup you can have with your hardware, and all you need (since you already have VSTs for re-amping) is a signal splitter of some sort (and Native if you prefer to re-amp with Helix sounds).

 

Take a deep breath, delete ASIO4ALL, pull out all the extraneous wires and boxes, and get down to turn on, load up (Reaper), and ROCK OUT!

 

IT CAN BE DONE!

 

I do it every day!

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I'm getting near to a panic attack, glad I'm going away for a few days on Thursday. 

When I come back I'll do what I can. 

It really gets on my lollipop when things just change and you can't get it back to how it was grrrrrrrrr

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6 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

I'm getting near to a panic attack, glad I'm going away for a few days on Thursday. 

When I come back I'll do what I can. 

It really gets on my lollipop when things just change and you can't get it back to how it was grrrrrrrrr

 

I have an acoustic guitar. No pickups, just steel strings and wood. What could go wrong?

 

Temperature, humidity, and sometimes, it seems, planetary alignments.

 

Welcome to computer world!

 

As separation sometimes makes the heart grow fonder, it can also clear the brain!

 

Have a nice trip!

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Man I feel so stoopid. I was sitting with my wife and I had a light bulb moment. I must have seen it and it didn't register, my subconscious has been working away at it for me. I dashed into my studio room and my embarrassing suspicion was found to be true. I am now self-promoted to supreme head numpty.

 

How it is NOT working.

Stoopid.png.84e8f0ed5538099faa5757b07211bec5.png

 

How it IS working.

Working.png.be000a8a245f67ac79c1bb80a3b31e69.png

 

Now which of these ASIO should I be using?

 

ASIO.png.b089ad2a2c234ec5d9029a4084b98a2d.png

 

I can't believe I didn't spot it, I never really thought to look there, I can't understand how it got changed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Sorry folks, I really am. 

 

If you could just guide me to the right ASIO to use in that drop down that would be great.

 

Cheers

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2 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

Now which of these ASIO should I be using?

It depends what your goal is.
Do you really need to aggregate interfaces?
Do you like to be confused with using two interfaces with such a little knowledge how to use them both?

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17 minutes ago, zolko60 said:

It depends what your goal is.
Do you really need to aggregate interfaces?
Do you like to be confused with using two interfaces with such a little knowledge how to use them both?

Well, without sounding THIS condescending...

24 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

If you could just guide me to the right ASIO to use in that drop down that would be great.

 

Cheers

You should set the ASIO driver to whatever one you're using for the Focusrite (USB 2.0 unless you're using Thunderbolt, I would imagine) for both input AND output, then use the Focusrite software to mix for your monitors.

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Zolko60, Sorry buddy, I don't even understand the question. You mean using Helix and Focusrite? I like to use it how I use it, it works for me unless something oddball happens. I just want to be able to record my guitar playing which I don't really know how to do that well either, I just enjoy doing simple little things like this that I did with Ben Higgins (find him on YT) who was at the time one of the mentors over at the site that I learn on. I'm hard right in the mix.

 

I also enjoy the creativity workshops and lessons and collaborations over at www.guitarmasterclass.net Obviously the playing isn't great, the production isn't all that good but I enjoy it and I'm getting better, here's a couple of my older ones.

 

 

 

 

 

image.gif

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23 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

If you could just guide me to the right ASIO to use in that drop down that would be great

 

Then you'll wake up tomorrow and it won't work again.

 

Last time:

 

DUMP ASIO4ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In Reaper, use the Focusrite USB ASIO.

Input Start = 1

Input End = 8 (unless you're using SPDIF, then 9)

Output Start = 1

Output End = 9

Get a Relay G10 or an A/B box to split your guitar signal A = Helix Input, B=Focusrite Input 1.

 

That assumes that you've got the Helix output going to the Focusrite Inputs 3-4 and the speakers connected to Focusrite Outputs 1-2, and the BIG KNOB on the Helix set to the default (1/4 and XLR) and it's set to 10 (MAX, FULL CLOCKWISE). In Helix Globals, set the Output for whichever (1/4 or XLR) to MIC (or the signal could be too hot).

 

I'm probably confusing you suggesting that you use the Focusrite Inputs the way that they're designed to be used, but hey, what do I know.....I'm the guy whose system (same system as yours) WORKS! FIRST TIME, EVERYTIME. DON'T LISTEN TO ME, I"M STUPID!

 

 

 

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9 minutes ago, Phil_GMC said:

Zolko60, Sorry buddy, I don't even understand the question. You mean using Helix and Focusrite? I like to use it how I use it, it works for me unless something oddball happens.

Never mind. I have asked three questions.
Sure you can use something with no issues until you start to have issues. The issue you happen to have is because you are using two interfaces. That makes you confused. ASIO4ALL - poor WDM driver overlay is used to aggregate devices. I don't even know if Focusrite mikser have any chance to work corretly in such enviroment.
For me it is begging for issue.

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28 minutes ago, rd2rk said:

 

Then you'll wake up tomorrow and it won't work again.

 

Last time:

 

DUMP ASIO4ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In Reaper, use the Focusrite USB ASIO.

Input Start = 1

Input End = 8 (unless you're using SPDIF, then 9)

Output Start = 1

Output End = 9

Get a Relay G10 or an A/B box to split your guitar signal A = Helix Input, B=Focusrite Input 1.

 

That assumes that you've got the Helix output going to the Focusrite Inputs 3-4 and the speakers connected to Focusrite Outputs 1-2, and the BIG KNOB on the Helix set to the default (1/4 and XLR) and it's set to 10 (MAX, FULL CLOCKWISE). In Helix Globals, set the Output for whichever (1/4 or XLR) to MIC (or the signal could be too hot).

 

I'm probably confusing you suggesting that you use the Focusrite Inputs the way that they're designed to be used, but hey, what do I know.....I'm the guy whose system (same system as yours) WORKS! FIRST TIME, EVERYTIME. DON'T LISTEN TO ME, I"M STUPID!

 

 

 

 

It's not that I don't want to listen to you buddy, I was just frustrated that it changed. It's working at the moment. I'm going away tomorrow. I'll have to look when I return. At least I'm happy it's not the USB hub. I've got a Line 6 Relay G10 already so I can try that. 

As far as I can see I can only connect my speakers to 1 & 2 as there are no other outputs other than midi.

Thanks and sorry for making you mad, I'm no spring chicken, I ain't old but I've always had some sort of routing dyslexia and at 53 that ain't going to get easier.

So you use the direct feed to Scarlett to record your dry signal? And the Helix outputs to 3-4 (I use 1-2) to record your Helix sound? I used to actually do that, then I swapped to Helix USB.

Cheers

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Nobody is mad at you. Please don't make things up.
Don't use that hub any more.
ASIO4ALL does not let any multimedia sound to play for the devices it grabs as "fake ASIO".This is the expected behavior described in A4A manual.
Helix Volume Knob is really analog attenuator which can control only Helix outputs.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
People with routing dyslexia should not make any complicated routing.
53 is nice age!
Cheers!

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If you're using the G10, plug the 1/4" into the Helix Input and the XLR (from the G10) into Input 5 - gives a good level in Reaper for the clean (or VST) track.

 

FWIW - I'm 68. Words have meanings, both in the dictionary (dyslexia is a real thing) AND to our subconscious. Those meanings are not always the same.

Unless you've actually been diagnosed as being dyslexic, odds are that you're not and, in any case dyslexia is not the same as having trouble figuring out audio routing.

If you keep telling yourself "I can't, I'm dyslexic!" you won't ever be able to, and it'll be nobody's fault but your own.

Always be "The little engine that could" no matter how long it takes to get up the hill!

 

Unless the hill is actually Mt Everest. Then you might want to stay home with a cup of tea and play yer guitar...... 

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I haven't been diagnosed I just say I have "routing dyslexia" because I really struggle with know and outputs, four cable method blow my head into pieces. I'm not thick, I own a precision engineering company involved in motorsport, I regularly work with the coefficient of thermal linear expansion and continuous second order polynomial function, but inputs and outputs just scramble me. I also get lost very easily, I can only picture the next 1/4 mile when I'm driving. If I tell people how to get to my house I usually miss whole chunks of road out (see that's routing lol). I think I may, as many engineers do, have some kind of dyslexia. 

Cheers

Phil

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Ok, I've done everything rd2rk said except "BIG KNOB on the Helix set to the default (1/4 and XLR) and it's set to 10 (MAX, FULL CLOCKWISE). In Helix Globals, set the Output for whichever (1/4 or XLR) to MIC (or the signal could be too hot)." which I will do soon, I'm just pushed for time and worried that I haven't balanced my patches and I'm worried about blowing my head off or giving myself a heart attack so I want to do that when I have more time.. Also I have the xlr from G10 going to input 4 as I don't have a female xlr to 1/4 cable to go into 5, but it has a pretty strong signal.

Working fine, thanks for your help.

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