Helix and AES and XLR

[FAchterberg]

I am new to studio recording and that gear so wondering a few things before buying new stuff. I have already made a few songs using the Helix as interface (USB) and play back/monitor it with a XLR-cable to a Friedman FRFR cab. I did the job for recording and playing guitar loud but I would also like to mix/master the songs more professionally. So I would like to have to hook up studio monitors in my setup.

The only problem is that the Helix has only two XLR-outputs. For a studio setup I would like to use my Helix as interface (why buy a second interface if you have one?) for DAW and recording and play back/monitoring the sound on the studio monitors and optional on the Friedman FRFR cab. To recieve this I need three XLR-cablesbut was wondering what was possible with the AES/EBU output.

Could I hook up the Friedman FRFR cab with a AES-cable and use the both XLR outputs with regular XLR-cables to hook up the studio monitors?

Thanks for your advise.

[rd2rk]

If you're going to ask hardware questions, details about the hardware are helpful.

 

AFAIK, you can't connect to the Friedman cabs with digital connections.

 

As to the question of "why buy a second interface", Helix is good enough if all you're doing is recording or performing. A second interface would allow you to use the Helix to record digitally (both effected and clean signal for re-amping with Native, method dependent on WHICH Helix you have), and connect to the Friedman by XLR while connecting your Studio Monitors through the Interface. If you get an interface with digital inputs you can cut a DAC conversion too. Also, if it's got a digital connector it's also got multiple inputs for recording with your buds, or even the whole band!

 

Of course, I don't know WHICH Helix you have, what sort of computer you're using, what DAW you're planning on using, what sort of music you're doing..........

[FAchterberg]

Ah... I use the Helix floorboard. And will probably hook monitors on it with the 1/4" outputs with balanced cables. I would like, in that case the studio monitors are setted up either, to separate the guitar sounds and send to the Friedman cab and the monitoringsound of the DAW to the studio monitors. Hope this is doable.

I am quite new to the recording scene so wondering a lot. I have played in a cover band for 1,5 year with the Helix floorboard. Works really fine for me. Also hook up on the laptop to play along with guitar pro, favorite songs from youtube and that kind worked very well. And since this year I am more and more hook up the Helix with the DAW. Used it mostly for sending midi command from the laptop to the Digitech Whammy and use the Helix as controller to start or end the DAW.

Since the holidays I would like to record a few songs and make music on another level than only learn and cover it. So I start to write my own songs. Just for fun. I have just only made one song but would like to produce a lot more on the next few weeks.

I use Studio One 4 prime as DAW. I will probably buy in the future the professional version (full version) of it. And probably buy a midi-keyboard/controller which mostly become with other DAW-software (most of them with Ableton Live Lite). 

The music style I now record is sing-and-songwriter style (one-man-band). The style is eletropop/synth pop and rock. Something like the more eletronic songs of the band Muse. First song I recorded included vocals, guitar, bass (played on guitar with Digitech Whammy), midi controlled plug-in sounds which are included in Studio One like a synth and samples for the drums sounds. The vocals, guitar and bass I recorded with reamping mode on the Helix floorboard. I have a I have the ability to record also a digital piano but this goes also with usb.

I think I will use this style of recording for a while which is also the main reason I think and hope that I only can use the Helix floorboard as audiointerface. Do you have some advice?

[rd2rk]

When using Helix as an AI and recording by yourself, you'd use the USB and MIDI connectors to record to and playback from the DAW through the speakers connected to the  Helix XLR Outs. Then you can get a cheap DI (Direct Injection) Box, take the 1/4" out to the DI and run an XLR from the DI to the Friedman. Sweetwater just did a DI comparison, passive, active, the whole range, with sound clips. I can't tell the difference. I have a $30 Pyle DI I got from Amazon that I use for Bass from my ME-50B, sounds fine.