jessegile Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 So, I know there is a lot of information on here for the issue I'm trying to sort out but...well, there's a lot of information on here...anyway...using the Rack... I was getting my levels all set between the guitar, the guitar with a clean channel and the guitar with a dirty channel...I noticed that my input signal was really weak in Studio One and Reaper so I started digging around on the internet to try and figure out the proper way to boost the dry signal before dealing with leveling blocks...then I noticed the output level on the output block(block?/end of chain?)...I gave it about a 6db boost and my dry signal was coming in between -12 and -6...so then I got all my blocks set so that they are all leveled in between that range... My questions are: Do these settings translate over to a powered speaker as well...I'm playing through a k12...can I assume that the 6db boost isn't a bad thing?...or should I put everything back to zero and start the process over again? As I said before, I know that there is a lot of information here so if this question has been beaten to death; would someone be so kind as to show me to that thread or another source of information that could help me answer the question for myself? Thanks in advance folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd2rk Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Well, first thing to look for is what's a proper input level for recording. You typically want your dry signal a bit lower than your wet signal to leave headroom for re-amping. Once you've got that straight, assuming that you're monitoring direct to your powered speaker (not the signal through the DAW) for zero latency, the powered speaker level is controlled either from the speaker's Level knob or from the board that the Helix is connected to. IIRC, the speaker Level knob on those goes from OFF to 0db (straight up) to +10db. Between OFF and 0db is Line Level (what you want) and 0 to +10db cuts in the preamp for MIC Levels. If your Helix BIG KNOB is dimed or not controlling that output (UNITY GAIN - recommended method for best signal), and the Output is set to LINE, just start the K12 at OFF and turn it up until your ears bleed. If you go past 0db you'll probably get clipping. Not good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessegile Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 rd2rk, thanks for that! I was confused about the 0 db on the speaker and trying to attain unity on the helix...I also forgot about re-amping, thanks! So, the answer is they are two different beasts...essentially. I should probably have a patch for live and a patch for recording...Again, appreciate the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd2rk Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 If you're using the Helix as Audio Interface, the default USB levels are actually just right for recording. At least, that's how I've always done it. The XLR/1/4" outs are separate from those levels, so you shouldn't really need separate presets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessegile Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 Thanks, after I wrote that and actually started setting levels again...I realized that they were independent. Over thinking it. Thanks for the redirect though...that was almost another rabbit hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpointmetal Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 The Dry guitar level out of Helix is exactly what most software amp modeling is expecting to see without adjusting it all. 0dB in digital is NOT 0dB in the analog realm, so the metering is different as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessegile Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 (edited) Thanks gunpointmetal, rd2rk pointed out that the dry signal was all good above and it made sense as soon as I bypassed the volume knob...I had a oh man I'm an idiot moment...thanks for the extra clarification though I do appreciate it! ...and as dumb as this sounds I now know that digital 0db is not analog 0 db...I literally thought 0 db was some universal thing for some reason... Edited April 20, 2020 by jessegile missing word 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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