Handling Guitar + Vocals in a single preset, recording and live

[emerazea]

I own a Helix and Helix Native.

 

I've got goals:

• use Helix for guitar and vocals simultaneously for live performances ✓
• use Helix to record wet + dry versions of guitar and vocals to separate tracks ✓
• use Helix Native in my DAW (Logic) to create and refine my effects
• export Helix Native back to Helix for live performances

 

I know how to achieve my first two goals: Helix supports having one path with Guitar Input, the other with Mic Input, and they each have their own output that can be adjusted to whatever's needed for live performances, or USB out for recording. Through USB, I can record to channels 3/4 for my guitar (wet), 5/6 for my vocals (wet), 7 for guitar (dry), and 8 for vocals (dry). Very cool.

 

I do wish I knew of a setting where I didn't have to adjust the output between stage and recording, though. This seems like a live show boobytrap; swap songs, no output.

 

Anyway, the real trouble arises at the Helix Native step. Helix Native doesn't have the concept of Mic Input/Guitar Input—it has Host or None. Theoretically, you could set Path 2a to None for the guitar track so that it doesn't hit the vocal’s effects, but Path 1a only allows you to choose Host, so if you add Helix Native to your vocal track (or whatever's normally in Path 2a), your vocals end up with your guitar's effects.

 

Now I'm troubleshooting. It seems like I need to send my Dry Guitar and Dry Vocals to Helix Native simultaneously, so I output them both to a Bus that has Helix Native attached. I notice that Helix Native has two modes — Stereo or Dual mono. Dual mono certainly sounds like I'm getting warmer, but... maybe not. It offers L|R|Couple buttons, but everything still seems to go through both Paths. Even if I try panning guitar hard left and vocals hard right prior to the Bus, I still have to turn effects on/off manually per L|R channel in the Helix Native plugin.

 

I really want the fewest number of changes possible between live and recording settings. Is there a way to accomplish what I'm aiming for? If not, is there a better way to handle this?