Volume/Gain blocks with Snapshots

[NeilBonfield]

Hi yas, probably lots of previous posts about this, but I can't seem to hit on the search phrase for what I want to do, so I'm sorry in advance if this is old!

 

I have:

Helix Floor latest updates.

Hollowbody electric with piezo pickup.

Electric pups plugged into GTR in, 1/4 out.

Piezo pup plugged into AUX in, Send1 out.

All I want to do is have Snapshot 1 only piezo, Snapshot 2 only electric.

Path 1 only has a Volume. Path 2 only has a Volume (for testing as I'm getting confused!)

For Snap1 I turn the electric Volume block down to zero, and piezo Volume block up to 100.

I save the Preset.

For Snap2 I turn the electric Volume block up to 100, and piezo Volume block down to zero, so the opposite.

I save the Preset.

Now when I go back to Snap1 I still have the electric at 100 and piezo at 0.

I've tried setting the Volume levels both with and without 'pushing in the knob'. I've also tried with Gain blocks - same result.

 

What am I doing wrong?!

 

Many thanks for any help

[adflaker]

Off the top of my head, I would guess that when you're adjusting the volumes, you are not pressing the knob down as you turn it. Make sure when you're setting anything you want controlled by a snapshot that you press and turn the knob instead of just turning it. When you do, the parameter you are adjusting should be surrounded by brackets [like this].

[rd2rk]

It sounds like you're not getting the Volume Block settings properly assigned to Snapshots. This is where using HX Edit makes things much simpler.

If it were me, I'd do this as follows:

Separate paths for each pickup, with Path A Input Block L/Mono In for electric, Path B Input Block Aux In for piezo.

Assign the Output Block Level on both paths to SNAPSHOTS.

SS1 = Path A (Electric) Output Level -120db; Path B (Piezo) Output Level 0.0db

SS2 = Path A (Electric) Output Level 0.0db; Path B (Piezo) Output Level -120db

Save the preset between Snapshots, and go back to the SS you want as the default for a final save.

 

 

[NeilBonfield]

rd2rk, thank you! I didn't realise those output block levels could be controlled by the snapshots! A case of RTFM I guess :blush:

 

EDIT: should the way I attempted it work anyway?

Edited April 12, 2021 by NeilBonfield
Clarification

[HonestOpinion]

On 4/12/2021 at 9:10 AM, NeilBonfield said:

Hi yas, probably lots of previous posts about this, but I can't seem to hit on the search phrase for what I want to do, so I'm sorry in advance if this is old!

 

I have:

Helix Floor latest updates.

Hollowbody electric with piezo pickup.

Electric pups plugged into GTR in, 1/4 out.

Piezo pup plugged into AUX in, Send1 out.

All I want to do is have Snapshot 1 only piezo, Snapshot 2 only electric.

Path 1 only has a Volume. Path 2 only has a Volume (for testing as I'm getting confused!)

For Snap1 I turn the electric Volume block down to zero, and piezo Volume block up to 100.

I save the Preset.

For Snap2 I turn the electric Volume block up to 100, and piezo Volume block down to zero, so the opposite.

I save the Preset.

Now when I go back to Snap1 I still have the electric at 100 and piezo at 0.

I've tried setting the Volume levels both with and without 'pushing in the knob'. I've also tried with Gain blocks - same result.

 

What am I doing wrong?!

 

Many thanks for any help

 

The behavior you are seeing with this may also be associated with how the preset and its snapshots is interacting with the global setting --> 'EXP Pedals'  --> 'EXP 2(*) Pedal Position'. If you set up your preset as you described above but also add these two steps I believe it will behave the way you expect.

1. Set the global setting  --> 'EXP Pedals'  --> 'EXP 2 Pedal Position' = "Per Snapshot".  (If your volume block is not on EXP 2 then modify this instruction accordingly.)
2. In snapshot #1 make sure you save the 'Position' parameter in the volume block on Path 1 to 100% and at 0% for the volume block in Path 2 and save. Do the opposite for snapshot #2.  Also for snapshot #1 make sure the volume block on Path 1 is active and the volume block on Path 2 is bypassed (and save). Do the opposite for snapshot #2.

 

As rd2rk indicated though there is more than one method available to accomplish your goal. For example, the method I just detailed would not be the best option for someone like me who prefers their global setting  --> 'EXP Pedals'  --> 'EXP 2 Pedal Position' = "Global". 

 

Btw, just to offer yet another option I think you could set up your route(s)/blocks such that the signal from both the Guitar and Aux inputs were both assigned to the expression pedal at the same time. Then reverse the min/max values on one such that toe-down for example would raise the volume on the passive pups while simultaneously lowering it on the piezo, with toe-up doing the reverse. This approach would allow you to use the expression pedal to dynamically change the mix/volume of the magnetic and piezo pickups.

[NeilBonfield]

HonestOpinion - thanks very much! I've had the Helix for about 18 months now, and still getting to realise how much depth there is to this beast! Absolutely loving it! :)

[codamedia]

22 hours ago, NeilBonfield said:

I've also tried with Gain blocks - same result.

 

FWIW.... I use Gain Blocks at the beginning of my path for this scenario and it works great. Better than a volume block, because by default the volume block will get the volume pedal attached to it automatically - leading to extra steps. 

 

I actually find assigning snapshots easier on the Helix than I do in HX Edit... "Push and Turn" with the bracket appearing is extremely fast.... once the bracket has appeared you just turn to adjust for each snapshot.

 

One trick I have learned long ago during editing is to SAVE before changing snapshots... and save often. This is necessary when you have snapshots globally set to "discard", but even when set to "recall" I find it very practical to make sure those changes are locked in during the editing process.