Getting Both Dry and Wet Signals to Apollo x4 from Line 6 Helix

[GrumpyOldPunk]

I recently purchased a Line 6 Helix Floor and am having some trouble getting it wired in the way I want to my Apollo x4.

 

My original setup looked like this:

 

 

To sum up, Guitar connected via Line 6 Relay G50 to the Hi Z Analog 1 input. I am also using the optical out to my Audioengine D1 DAC to use as a desktop monitor. This works great, I can pull Channel 1 into Ableton Live no problem.

 

With the Line 6 Helix, I want to get both the dry direct input and the processed wet signal as separate channel strips in Console. At first, I thought I would be able to route the Analog 1 input to the Analog 1 out to the Helix Guitar in and finally have the Helix 1/4" out feed into the Analog 2 input on the Apollo. And this would give me the dry signal on Line 1; wet signal on Line 2.

 

The idea looked something like this:

 

 

I quickly found out that I could not simply route Line 1 in to Line 1 out in the Console application. This is something that the Apollo Twin can do, but it appears that the larger models expect you to do routing in your DAW. That makes sense. But I was still stuck getting the signal chain I wanted to Ableton.

 

Next I looked a the capabilities of the Helix to be able to get both a dry and wet signal to the Apollo. The Helix has 4 send/returns for use with external devices. I could connect Send 1 to Analog In 2 for the dry signal and use XLR L to send a wet signal to Analog in 1.

 

The idea looks something like this:

 

 

This setup had two problems:

 

1. To use the sends on the Helix, you have to use a send block in the signal chain. Meaning every preset needs to be updated to include the send block. Kinda a PITA, there is no global send.
2. When connecting the 1/4" line from send 1 to the Apollo Analog In 2, I get a bunch of line noise; even when the Helix is turned off. Just connecting the cable between the two causes the noise. In case it helps, the noise is reactive to me moving my mouse on my desktop... No idea what that is about.

 

So finally, I tried to move the split up the signal chain to the Line 6 Relay G50. It has an Aux/Tuner out as well as the main signal out.

 

That looked like this:

 

 

In this configuration, I get noting coming from the Aux line except the previously mentioned line noise. I am at a loss. What am I missing here?

 

[SaschaFranck]

3 hours ago, GrumpyOldPunk said:

In this configuration, I get noting coming from the Aux line except the previously mentioned line noise. I am at a loss. What am I missing here?

 

Out of the blue: Is the Aux out of the G50 working in parallel or alternatively? I have no experience with these devices...

 

Others than that, on the Helix you can't solve these issues easily, because - as you've already noticed yourself - all possible routings need to be done on a per-patch base (either by using a S/R block or by splitting a path and assigning the splits to different outputs).

 

You *might* perhaps want to try something else, though.

Note: I don't exactly recommend it because there might be issues (perhaps even serious ones) arising, but it only costs you some minutes.

I'm talking about aggregate devices - which means to combine mutliple audio interfaces into one. You can do that in the Audio-MIDI-Setup. That way, you could use your Apollo for all "normal" recording duties but record your DI guitar from the Helix' USB Out 7. You may however notice an unpleasantly higher latency, but that doesn't always seem to apply. You could also run into synchronosation issues as long as you don't digitally sync the Helix and the Apollo - but that might as well turn out as a non-issue in case all you grab from your Helix is the DI track.

 

In case nothing works, just get a split box, run the G50 into it and call it a day.

[zappazapper]

You might consider using a DI box from your Send jack. Unbalanced cables will pick up interference and wireless mice are essentially radio transmitters. Use the shortest 1/4" cable you have, connect it from the Send to the DI. The XLR connected between the DI and your interface is a balanced cable and should cancel out that interference.

[GrumpyOldPunk]

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate you. I thought the noise might be coming from the cables. They are 10' each.

 

Give I have reconfigured things so they match my first diagram, I get no signal returning to the apollo. But if I take the apollo out 1 and connect it directly to apollo in 2, I can see the signal in both channels.

 

How can I verify that the Helix is getting the signal when I connect to the Guitar In?

[hungri-yeti]

Another +1 for @SaschaFranck's recommendation to use an aggregate device and take USB out from the Helix Floor into your DAW. I have not found latency to be an issue, buffer is set to 32 in Logic Pro and I've never run out of CPU (ymmv of course).

 

Regarding signal indicators, see your manual (my Stomp manual has them on pg. 23, under Blocks: Signal Present and Clip Indicators).

[GrumpyOldPunk]

Thanks @hungri-yeti! I was able to find the section in my manual. I am clearly not getting a signal based on that info.