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Connecting Line 6 to PC.


johneric8
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Hey guys,  I'm new to the helix,  don't understand that much yet,  in fact,  this will be the first time I've connected a amp modeling machine to a PC so I have a bit of a dumb question.

 

I know I will connect my helix from the USB out to my PC and then download the editing software but if I want to monitor the sounds I'm working on can I do this through my desktop

PC monitors?   I have some nice PC speakers and would love to use them to listen to the tones as opposed to headphones.   Will the tones from the helix be audible through my PC speakers after I connect the helix to the editing software?  I know this is a very stupid question,  but honestly this is going to be the first time in my life I've connected a digital guitar unit up to my PC.

 

Thanks so much!

 

 

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The patches you will create/use on the Helix will come out of the Helix output(s). If you want to listen through your PC speakers, you will have to connect them to one of the Helix outputs. The USB connection can be used to transfer sound into your computer, but that's mainly for recording purposes (there's some other things possible, but these will be too tricky to explain for the time being). The USB connection in your case will mainly be used to edit your patches without having to use the Helix' onboard controls.

However, once you've installed the Helix driver (which you need to do as well), you can as well have your system sounds running through the Helix' outputs. You will have to assign it in your system sounds control panel. So you might as well just use the Helix instead of your onboard soundcard (the one you connect your speakers to at the moment) and then, say, play a YT backing track and jam along with your Helix, with all the sounds coming out of the Helix outputs and then running into your PC speakers.

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3 minutes ago, SaschaFranck said:

The patches you will create/use on the Helix will come out of the Helix output(s). If you want to listen through your PC speakers, you will have to connect them to one of the Helix outputs. The USB connection can be used to transfer sound into your computer, but that's mainly for recording purposes (there's some other things possible, but these will be too tricky to explain for the time being). The USB connection in your case will mainly be used to edit your patches without having to use the Helix' onboard controls.

However, once you've installed the Helix driver (which you need to do as well), you can as well have your system sounds running through the Helix' outputs. You will have to assign it in your system sounds control panel. So you might as well just use the Helix instead of your onboard soundcard (the one you connect your speakers to at the moment) and then, say, play a YT backing track and jam along with your Helix, with all the sounds coming out of the Helix outputs and then running into your PC speakers.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time for the long post because I was seriously confused..  It almost seems like my best bet will be to use head phones with my helix while I'm editing the presets on my PC.     Just so I understand,   if I'm uploading a new amp sim to my helix through my PC,   I should be able to monitor that through either the headphone output or outs of my helix correct?   I haven't started messing with it yet,  but will shortly.   I'm well versed with pedalboards,   just not working with them in a connected environment.

 

 

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1 minute ago, johneric8 said:

Just so I understand,   if I'm uploading a new amp sim to my helix through my PC,   I should be able to monitor that through either the headphone output or outs of my helix correct?

 

Correct.

 

And believe me, once you're a bit more familiar with things, you may want to use the Helix as your computer's sound device. Even outside of any recording related things, it's just extremely comfortable. So you might want to have a look at some cable extension, allowing you to connect the Helix outs to your PC speakers input cable. Your easiest bet might be a headphone extension cable that you connect to the Helix headphone out, offering a jack to connect your PC speakers on the other end. Something like this (hope it loads):
https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B01N6RTS2B/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=1OVNWDT4R5VLE&dchild=1&keywords=headphone+extension+cable+10+ft&qid=1631305462&sprefix=headphone+ex%2Caps%2C301&sr=8-3

 

You might as well look for something with two 1/4 jacks on the Helix side, but this should be sufficient for a start.

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2 minutes ago, j_hotch said:

The Helix will show up as an audio interface device in windows, so the easiest method is to hook the speakers up to the Helix and then all of the PC audio will be routed through it, with no latency, etc.

 

But just doing it that way will still not result in the Helix' sounds to come out of his PC speakers.

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8 minutes ago, SaschaFranck said:

 

Correct.

 

And believe me, once you're a bit more familiar with things, you may want to use the Helix as your computer's sound device. Even outside of any recording related things, it's just extremely comfortable. So you might want to have a look at some cable extension, allowing you to connect the Helix outs to your PC speakers input cable. Your easiest bet might be a headphone extension cable that you connect to the Helix headphone out, offering a jack to connect your PC speakers on the other end. Something like this (hope it loads):
https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B01N6RTS2B/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=1OVNWDT4R5VLE&dchild=1&keywords=headphone+extension+cable+10+ft&qid=1631305462&sprefix=headphone+ex%2Caps%2C301&sr=8-3

 

You might as well look for something with two 1/4 jacks on the Helix side, but this should be sufficient for a start.

I like the idea of connecting the single stereo 3.5 male end my stereo PC speakers use into my Helix for sure.  My speakers are connected to the back of my PC monitor so it would really easy for me just to unlug it and then plug it in to the helix when I wanted to use the PC to edit patches and hear the tones.    I like the link you posted showing me the 3.5 female end that would plug into my speakers male end,  but my question now would be how do I get that singular male 3.5 stereo end into the two 1/4 inch helix outputs?    I will need another adapter that attaches to the helix that will accommodate the singular male 3.5 end correct?   This is assuming I'm wanting to go stereo with my helix to PC monitors.   thanks again for your help!  It's going to save me lots of time..

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I guess to keep it more simple,  how do I take my singular 3.5 male speaker end to the stereo 1/4 outputs of the helix? 

 

I want to take the cable that is connected to my speakers and unplug it from the back of my pc's monitor and plug it into the

the stereo outputs of the helix.  Would this work? 
https://www.amazon.com/Poyiccot-Stereo-Female-Splitter-35FM-2x635M/dp/B017IKKN3I/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1TIYP97UNT02F&dchild=1&keywords=female+3.5+mm+to+male+1%2F4"+audio+adapter&qid=1631307301&sr=8-6

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51 minutes ago, johneric8 said:

I want to take the cable that is connected to my speakers and unplug it from the back of my pc's monitor and plug it into the

the stereo outputs of the helix.  Would this work? 
https://www.amazon.com/Poyiccot-Stereo-Female-Splitter-35FM-2x635M/dp/B017IKKN3I/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1TIYP97UNT02F&dchild=1&keywords=female+3.5+mm+to+male+1%2F4"+audio+adapter&qid=1631307301&sr=8-6

Seems like it would!

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5 hours ago, johneric8 said:

 

Yeah, that'll be fine. When I posted the link to the headphone extension cable, I didn't remember the Helix had a full 1/4 headphone out (I never use it, that's why). And I also thought using the Helix' headphone out might be a good enough idea because I couldn't find the appropriate 1/4-to-mini-headphone adapter cable on a quick search. But yes, using the 1/4 outs will likely be the better idea, so go for it.

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14 hours ago, SaschaFranck said:

 

Yeah, that'll be fine. When I posted the link to the headphone extension cable, I didn't remember the Helix had a full 1/4 headphone out (I never use it, that's why). And I also thought using the Helix' headphone out might be a good enough idea because I couldn't find the appropriate 1/4-to-mini-headphone adapter cable on a quick search. But yes, using the 1/4 outs will likely be the better idea, so go for it.

First off thanks for posting the link because that is what led me to the link for the 1/4 stereo to 3.5.    You brought up a good point though about the headphone jack,   wouldn't it seem like that would work just as well since it's stereo?  All I would need then is 1/4 male end with the other end being female 3.5 right?  

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