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Volume drops when playing with backing tracks - Solved


porky_pie
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I originally posted this a couple of days ago, then deleted it as I thought I'd solved it, but apparently not...

 

I have run my Helix into my PC through studio speakers (Helix connected to PC via USB, with the speakers connected to the Helix via XLR, and PC via line in) for a number of years, and everything has worked perfectly.  I have recently rebuilt by PC and reconnected everything in the same way.  Whilst this still works perfectly whenever I am just playing guitar, if I start a backing track at the same time the guitar volume drops dramatically.  This means I have to increase the output block db on the helix considerably to compensate.  Of course once the backing track stops, the guitar is restored to its previous volume but as the output setting on the helix is now much higher, it is EXTREMELY loud.

 

I'm not against volume, but I feel my neighbours will be... I appreciate this is probably more of a PC setting I've missed, but there are smarter people than me on here, and wondered if you had any ideas?

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It's definitely something in the way your PC is handling the sound output as the way you have things configured is rather odd.  The first thing I would do is disconnect the speakers from the line on the PC (I assume you're talking about the 3.5mm jack on the PC soundcard.  If your Helix is connected to the computer via the USB port and is connected directly to the speakers with an XLR cable, that's all you need to handle the guitar output as well as playback from the PC as the USB connection to the PC makes your Helix behave as the PC's sound card.  In that configuration you simply have to adjust the sound level from the PC to get the right mix of the backing track from the PC and control the guitar volume with the Helix volume knob.

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I've worked it out, thanks to your tip.  I'd thought I'd gone through all the obvious troubleshooting steps, but apparently not! 

 

It turns out that disconnecting the speakers entirely worked as you anticipated, but when the Helix is not on, I then obviously have no speaker sound from the PC (which is why I also want the speakers connected to the PC to avoid having the Helix on the whole time).  On my previous PC, whenever I would turn my Helix on, the default sound in and out set itself to go through the Helix, however the new PC is only changing the default input, seemingly not the default output.  Changing the sound out to Helix manually solves the problem completely.

 

Thank you for your help!

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