Advice on live setup with Helix LT.

[gordiegords]

Hello all, thanks for anyone reading this, I'm looking for advice so i'll get straight to the point.

 

I would like to play live music, which is basically, a guitar, mic, Native instruments Maschine, a macbook, and a multi effects pedal.

 

Im looking at either the Helix LT/floor or Headrush Pedalboard/gigboard.

 

my setup is essentialy using maschine as an instument.playing pads etc, using some kind of software to load backing music, guitar into which ever effects unit i buy and vocals into the interface, the vocals isnt a massive deal if that cant happen as i'm sure i could just use the venue mic system.

 

Where i'm a little stuck is the interface side of things, would i be correct in thinking that the Helix also doubles as an audio interface? i have read that the Helix floor also has a mic input, so lets say i use the Helix floor, as an audio interface is it good enough to handle a guitar, mic, maschine and backing track.

 

Any advice on this i would be grateful as i'm just starting out with this project so i'm hoping that the more i discuss it the more it will come together.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Gordie.

[rvroberts]

There are just too many ways to do what you seem to want to do.

These will be different depending whether you are working solo through your own sound system, or at a venue with a sound system and a mixer.

You could work all this through the Helix - but balancing levels and other demands of live sound like feedback control would get very messy.

You could use your computer as the hub for all this and use the Helix as an interface for your guitar (but probably not your Vocal) - but latency (in the computer not the Helix) would get to be a problem.

I would always use a mixer.

There are very good and cost effective mixers out there - some probably more aimed at DJs - that would give you the kind of control you need live.

Then you can have a great vocal sound with it's own effects (most of these mixers have OK digital effects built in), your Helix sound easily adjusted for the room without need to fiddle with the Helix interface, and all your computer supplied content feed into it's own input.

Depending on what you are trying to do, you might need Midi to keep say timed delays synced. 

Can you run all this through the Helix - well kind of yes, but not with the flexibility you need live.  The Helix (and Headrush) is built round the idea of presets which is great for repeatability, but bad for the variables of a live gig. (not bad for guitar - but it does not have real mixing capabilities and that's what you are going to need.)

The above setup does nothing to help you decide if you want a Helix or Headrush.  Helix floor can take a Mic.  It has the ability to pass through computer audio coming in on USB - which can all be adequate for say home practise - but nowhere near as controlable or practical as a small mixer.

In a venue with a soundie, you'd just let him handle the vocal chores directly (assuming you aren't doing anything too effects oriented) and give him/her a stereo line out from your mixer. Where there is no soundie you just plug your mixer into the venue system or a powered speaker system and away you go.

If your aim is to have one thing that does it all - neither Helix or Headrush is really it - that's my opinion - as I said - in theory - but not in practical real world I say - yes the Helix can be your hub.  I think someone on this list is or was doing it all with the Helix - expect to hear from them for the other argument!

[schuha_at]

7 hours ago, rvroberts said:

I would always use a mixer.

This!

I agree that a small mixer with vocal effects is a very good and inexpensive solution. Above all, it is versatile and quickly adaptable to different situations.
At least a monitor mix should be possible to connect an active monitor box on larger stages.
Thus the individual systems are independent and it doesn't matter if Helix, Headrush or other is used. You can concentrate on the requirements of the guitar.
Helix has a rich interface for integration into a complete system. 

 

[gordiegords]

Thankyou both for your replies, after doing some thinking then i'm considering going down the route of using mixed MP3's, which would mostly be drums and synth, that would leave me with using Maschine and a guitar, looking at using DI boxes for simplicity, i understand that using software for the whole thing would work but i'm not very skilled at that and think that by using a more simplistic setup then if something goes wrong i should be able to fix it, what do you think? also do any of you happen to know if i would be able to trigger samples in maschine from the Helix board? idreally i would load MP'3 files into maschine, then trigger them to start with my feet!

 

Thanks again for any thoughts.