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Helix guitar DI audio clicks???


N-Tower
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Hi fellow Helix users 

 

I'm currently trying to record guitar using Reaper and Line 6 Helix via USB. I'm recording using USB7/direct input and I keep getting these annoying audio clicks in my recordings (see attached picture and wav file).

 

To me it sounds like the guitar input might be clipping? But I have the input gate turned on and based on the sound wave in reaper it looks OK?..

 

I am using an ESP guitar with EMG pickups here but I get the same issue using my substitute guitar with passive pickups.. 

 

If anyone knows whats going on I would be forever grateful 

 

Best regards 

N-Tower

GUITAR DI CLICKS HELIX.png

GUITAR DI CLICKS HELIX.wav

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Make sure you have any power saving turned off on your PC or Mac.  Your looking for a maximum performance power scheme not power saving or balanced.

If that does not improve matters increase your buffer size in audio interface settings in Reaper.

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Hmmm.... have you tried picking softer? ;) Just kidding.

  • I don't use Reaper so I'm not sure, but is there any way to reduce the record level as it comes in? Maybe the incoming signal is indeed clipping but it's getting reduced when it records?... (e.g., in FLStudio I can put insert effects onto my record track, and specify whether they're pre/post. If they're pre, it's possible to reduce the recorded level even if the input is too hot, thus it would look 'ok' but still might be clipping).
  • Are you using Helix as an ASIO device? Or something else like Windows Directsound? It should be using the ASIO driver -- there will be a way to configure this in Reaper.
  • If you've updated Helix to v2.92, you have input clipping indicators now. On your guitar signal path, the input block (the little circle at the start of the path) will turn green with an input signal, and if it clips it will blink red. Try hard picking on your guitar and watch that indicator -- see if it turns red or stays green.
  • If the indicator does turn red, do you have the Input Pad turned on for the guitar input? You said you have the 'input gate' turned on, but if you mean the noise gate on the input block for the guitar, that's something different.
  • If you really are using the input noise gate, try disabling it and see if these clicks remain. I have some nagging suspicion that depending on how your decay and threshold settings are set, maybe it's causing this behavior.

 

 



 

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15 minutes ago, FortyPsi said:

Make sure you have any power saving turned off on your PC or Mac.  Your looking for a maximum performance power scheme not power saving or balanced.

If that does not improve matters increase your buffer size in audio interface settings in Reaper.

If you listen to his sample clip, the sound he's referring to are right at the start of his picking attack. I don't think they're the common clicks you get from CPU underrun or buffer size.

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Thanks for your input! 

 

31 minutes ago, qwerty42 said:

If you listen to his sample clip, the sound he's referring to are right at the start of his picking attack. I don't think they're the common clicks you get from CPU underrun or buffer size.

Yes. And they are consistently at the start of my pick attack. 

 

I am actually using both the input pad and the input gate. Looking at the Helix it is not clipping, and turning off the gate did not affect the audio click either. 

 

Listening directly to the Helix via headphones I am actually able to hear the click right at the pick attack when using my gain channel. It is not as noticable on an empty channel (which would correspond to my DI?) as it is on the recording. 

 

The recording led me to believe it was a technical issue. Now I think it might be more of a technique issue..? It is even noticable when i pick quite softly. But then again i may be hypersensitive to the sound now. 

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16 minutes ago, phil_m said:

Are you sure your pick isn’t hitting the pickup? I had a Telecaster where I was doing this all the time. It drove me crazy until I realized what it was.

Good thought. Or maybe very low action snapping on the frets (or even the strings hitting the pickups if they're super close)? I just tried with a dual-humbucker guitar sitting beside my on my Helix floor and I don't hear those same kind of noises with a clean path. But if I intentionally smack the pick into the pickups, it does sound kinda like that.

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10 hours ago, N-Tower said:

GUITAR DI CLICKS HELIX.wav

 

I can't hear or see anything unnatural in this file except the attack of your pick.

 

10 hours ago, N-Tower said:

clipping?

 

If the signal were clipping, the peaks would be "shaved" off: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=audio+clipping&iax=images&ia=images

 

10 hours ago, N-Tower said:

using USB7/direct input

 

Since it's the dry signal, you're recording the full dynamics of your performance as is.

If you want to get rid of these pick "clicks", insert a limiter on this track when mixing, with a very fast attack, say from 0.5 up to 4 ms, whatever sounds best to you:

GUITAR DI CLICKS HELIX-limiter.m4a

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2 hours ago, lou-kash said:

 

I can't hear or see anything unnatural in this file except the attack of your pick.

 

 

If the signal were clipping, the peaks would be "shaved" off: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=audio+clipping&iax=images&ia=images

 

 

Since it's the dry signal, you're recording the full dynamics of your performance as is.

If you want to get rid of these pick "clicks", insert a limiter on this track when mixing, with a very fast attack, say from 0.5 up to 4 ms, whatever sounds best to you:

GUITAR DI CLICKS HELIX-limiter.m4a 93.47 kB · 1 download

Your right. I think I was over-analyzing the sound a bit. I actually went and purchased DI tracks of a well respected band i like and the exact same sound is present in their DI consistently. It is even noticable in the final mix with distortion added. I believe it is just the sound of the guitar played aggresively now.. 

 

But it is nice to have it confirmed and hopefully it can help someone else someday :-D

 

Thanks guys. 

 

 

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