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Home Studio Setup Starting from Scratch...help


darren1982
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Hey Guys,

 

So I have a helix floor which i have been using for live work. I'm starting to teach guitar a lot via Skype and i'm now looking at ways to improve audio and visual for the lessons and to start recording and making videos on youtube. 

 

So do I use the Helix as an interface so i can plug bass, acoustic, electric and vocals? Or do i buy a separate interface and use Native? Whats more reliable and best quality with less or no latency?

 

I have never tried playing the acoustic through the Helix I was wanting to Mic it up. Any tips on getting a great acoustic sound with the helix?

 

Also if buy the Native package can import all my Helix Floor sounds into it and will this work with Skype lessons?

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I’ve never used Skype or made videos using Helix so my comments are theoretical but here’s what I know....

 

The Helix driver is a fully compliant ASIO driver. That means the computer and any program running on that computer needs to be configured to use Helix as its audio device for both input and output. I’m not sure how well the various programs (Skype with video? Audio recording and playback? Audio outside Skype with no recording? YouTube?) will play with each other simultaneously using the same audio/USB connection. I don’t really foresee issues because I expect all the programs should just let the PC manage the single audio device and connection. However someone with experience doing this will have to clarify.
 

Consequently, your internal PC soundcard is bypassed. All inputs and outputs must be connected to Helix. That means your microphone and all instruments need to be connected to the Helix inputs and your speakers and/or monitors and headphones must be connected to the Helix outputs. 

 

You have to set up your Helix presets accordingly, assigning mic, guitar, Aux, Return inputs as desired to your various physical inputs. Check the presets in the Helix factory Templates setlist; one or more of those might be good starting points (e.g. the 4-channel mixer).

 

Speaking theoretically again, I would avoid using Helix Native for real-time live processing. Latency would be an issue I expect. You could use Helix Native for post-processing a dry recorded signal. Latency won’t be an issue in that case. So you could prepare a recording for use during a lesson; in that case your recording program will just ba another program like Skype or your video program.

 

Mic’ing your acoustic guitar could be problematic if you also want to speak/sing simultaneously. There is only one mic pre-amp/input on Helix. Try running your acoustic guitar through a DI box that lets you set its output to Line level and use the Helix Aux or Return input with the level also set to Line. Or, if your acoustic has an onboard preamp, connect it directly to the Aux or Return input with level set to Instrument. Same thing for bass guitar- Aux or Return set to Instrument.

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Here's my thoughts.

 

Helix is not a good audio interfaces, Native only works after you figure out how to get your audio into a DAW. The helix as an interface has very high & noticeable latency,  and then over network it will add to the latency. so you want to get that as low as possible. I know of two ways to do this. 

 

Option A is the easiest, simplest, cheapest but the tradeoff is has the lowest quality, but if you are just doing skype, this should be fine.  Just use one good ambient Mic and run it directly into your PC, it will record the room acoustically... so whatever you say or play gets shared. if it's a focused mic, it won't work because anything a few feet away fades out.  This has lowest latency as well. and it works perfectly with Skype because as far as the computer & skype are concerned, it's just a simple mic. then all your instruments just use real amps in the room.

 

Option B is expensive and will be challenging at times but gives you the best quality.  That would be to get a real PC audio interface (Presonus, focusrite, etc..) always get one with at least 4 real physical inputs, but I recommend getting more, 6 or 8, they go fast.  From your post you will need 5 to start; Helix/Guitar, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Mic, Computer.  The first challenge is that with an Audio interface you will lose the ability to hear the computer audio (it's one or the other), which means that if you want to play a song from your PC or YouTube and have your student hear and you both play along (i.e. backing track), it will be silent - doesn't work. The work around is you have to use a cable from your PC to an 5th input in your interface... but now you have no speakers (since soundcard on PC is disabled), the fix for that is to run your speakers via the Output of the Interface... so now all your audio runs through the interface... the issue with this is now if you turn off your audio interface, you loose computer audio... also, interfaces (all of them) don't work well as computer audio, because they are intended to be driven with a DAW software (like StudioOne, ProTools, Ableton, etc...).  Basically it's a pain in the butt if you don't want to do music and just want to do your day to day computer audio.  I won't get into the plethora of problems, but for example.. coming out of sleep, audio might not work and requires fiddling, volume isn't controlled well by the PC any longer (need to use the interface knob), certain software hates when you mess with audio settings and often needs to be restarted, i.e. iTunes HATES audio interfaces, constantly messing with input and line levels, Some interfaces have software that flips to bypass mode for pure DAW controlling, so you loose audio if that happens. and doing all this is going to most likely cost you all sorts of money in cables too or multiple sets of speakers.

 

So if my recommendation isn't clear yet - the short of it is - if you are just doing this for skype and you are not worried about recording and high quality - then just get a good room level Mic and be done. it all just works easy.

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wow! There is so much to learn!

 

So i'm feeling that the Helix is the problem... What if i just had an audio interface and not used the Helix? Just plugged my guitar or bass or acoustic in depending on the student i was teaching and using the plug ins or garage band to get a basic guitar/amp sound. It doesn't have to be great for teaching i suppose. 

 

I was looking at this https://www.andertons.co.uk/audient-id14-usb-interface-w-scroll-control

 

if that looks good.

 

I have just got a sE 4400a mic that i was going to use as room mic.....Would it be good just to get this then? https://www.shure.com/en-GB/products/accessories/x2u-xlr-usb-interface

so option A?

 

Is there anyway of hooking my iPhone into the front of the Interface so i can play music off that? Or if i was using the Helix could i not use the aux with my iPhone? Plug all intstruments into helix and iPhone... Then my mic into the interface

 

 

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For iphone, yes, pretty easy to do depending on a few things. 1.) does your computer have a LINE IN audio? or only a MIC in?  most desktops have both, laptops usually not.  if it has a line in, you can just run out of your iphone using one of those apple lightning-to-3.5mm dongles. then run a 3.5mm from the dongle to the LINE IN.  works the same if you have an audio interface and go that route, except one small variation is you need a special stereo to mono converter (1/4" TRS to 3.5mm Mono). these are directional adapters... it's a special one and not to be confused with the easy to find opposite adapter for taking mono signal and splitting the same signal to L & R stereo... make sure it specifically says for mixing down stereo to mono.  if you don't get the right one-way adapter you will miss a LOT of the key components of the music, because you will only get LEFT, and anything on the right like vocals and guitar will not come through.

 

 

 

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that Mic is great, but it runs on phantom power, so you might need something like this to power to mic, before you can send it to the PC

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M48PwrSupply--mackie-m48-phantom-power-supply

 

Once you have that you would just need the right cable/adapter to get the XLR out of it into the 3.5mm jack on the PC for MIC IN.

 

 

Quick retrospective - It's amazing how far far far far behind the music industry is and all the crappy proprietary connections.  they really need to develop a simple interconnect international standard.  it's kind of absurd that no device works with any other device, and nothing analog works with digital without something like this:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fifunny.co%2Fpicture%2Fok-i-m-all-set-to-listen-to-some-music-3OX14nGB4&psig=AOvVaw0UlIXkZd07OS8vXSkqfX9W&ust=1586036235851000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPCmkMebzegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

 

it technically can all work together easily, it's just the companies are unwilling to get together and develop a standard.  like USB C did.

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1 hour ago, silverhead said:

It’s the simplest option. Best? Depends on the quality once you try it. I think both Kringle and I agree on that. If you’re satisfied with it there’s no need to complicate things. 


Ok,
 

so get the shure Xlr to usb lead and use a that as a room mic for Skype then use a dedicated interface for recording? 
 

now the next thing Is... i don’t have an amp! 

 
what’s the best options so when I’m playing electric/bass/acoustic the students can here in ok computer?

 

an actual amp like black stat beam Id core or helix into powered monitors Which would then be used for recording/mixing etc ... or other options?

 

thanks so far! 

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Well then.... use Helix into power monitors for your electric and bass guitars.

 

... and if you’re using Helix anyway, reconsider my first response  and consider using Helix for everything with the 4-channel Factory Templates preset. 

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1 hour ago, kringle said:

For iphone, yes, pretty easy to do depending on a few things. 1.) does your computer have a LINE IN audio? or only a MIC in?  most desktops have both, laptops usually not.  if it has a line in, you can just run out of your iphone using one of those apple lightning-to-3.5mm dongles. then run a 3.5mm from the dongle to the LINE IN.  works the same if you have an audio interface and go that route, except one small variation is you need a special stereo to mono converter (1/4" TRS to 3.5mm Mono). these are directional adapters... it's a special one and not to be confused with the easy to find opposite adapter for taking mono signal and splitting the same signal to L & R stereo... make sure it specifically says for mixing down stereo to mono.  if you don't get the right one-way adapter you will miss a LOT of the key components of the music, because you will only get LEFT, and anything on the right like vocals and guitar will not come through.

 

 

 

I have this https://www.johnlewis.com/2019-apple-imac-21-5-mrt32b-a-all-in-one-intel-core-i3-8gb-ram-1tb-hdd-radeon-pro-555x-21-5-inch-4k-silver/p4071203

 

so has a headphone input 3.5mm then USBs and thunderbolt inputs 

1 hour ago, kringle said:

that Mic is great, but it runs on phantom power, so you might need something like this to power to mic, before you can send it to the PC

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M48PwrSupply--mackie-m48-phantom-power-supply

 

Once you have that you would just need the right cable/adapter to get the XLR out of it into the 3.5mm jack on the PC for MIC IN.

 

 

Quick retrospective - It's amazing how far far far far behind the music industry is and all the crappy proprietary connections.  they really need to develop a simple interconnect international standard.  it's kind of absurd that no device works with any other device, and nothing analog works with digital without something like this:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fifunny.co%2Fpicture%2Fok-i-m-all-set-to-listen-to-some-music-3OX14nGB4&psig=AOvVaw0UlIXkZd07OS8vXSkqfX9W&ust=1586036235851000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPCmkMebzegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

 

it technically can all work together easily, it's just the companies are unwilling to get together and develop a standard.  like USB C did.

Won’t this do it? 
 

https://www.shure.com/en-GB/products/accessories/x2u-xlr-usb-interface

 

it has phantom power then straight to usb?

 

thank you 

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