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Switching DT25 Amp Topology via Helix


palladinojt
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Good evening group. I have a DT25 head that I've been using with my Helix for about a year now and love it. I typically run the DT on Channel A so it's just acting as a power amp to send the Helix out to my cab and it sounds terrific. I started looking into some other set-up options and came across the following in the forum (which I already knew): 

 

When set to Channel A, the DT switches to Channel A and its preamp is bypassed for when using a preamp model in Helix. When set to Channel B, the DT switches to Channel B and its preamp is activated

TIP: Assign a stomp footswitch (or snapshots) to simultaneously bypass a Helix preamp block AND switch a connected DT amp to Channel B. This gives you a wider variety of tones in the same preset, without the DSP overhead required to run two simultaneous Preamp blocks.

 

The problem I'm having is this: If I'm sitting at my PC using HX Edit, when the DT is set to Channel A and I click through Topology settings I-IV, I see it changing on the DT as I'm doing it. When I switch to Channel B, it doesn't. I would have expected the opposite to happen, since on Channel A the preamp is bypassed, but on Channel B it's not. So it seems like if I'm running the Helix into the DT via L6 Link on Channel B, I cannot switch between Topology settings/options. Am I doing something wrong?

 

Thanks!

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I commented this recently in another post. i think is a bug. Would be awesome to start a ticket and see if Line 6 could fix that in a firmware upgrade. Beside you can´t set any of the other options, pentode/triode, etc either not low volume or master volume

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On 4/28/2022 at 10:02 PM, patriciogac said:

I commented this recently in another post. i think is a bug. Would be awesome to start a ticket and see if Line 6 could fix that in a firmware upgrade. Beside you can´t set any of the other options, pentode/triode, etc either not low volume or master volume

 

So you're thinking it's a bug with the Helix or with the DT?

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On 4/28/2022 at 9:02 PM, patriciogac said:

I commented this recently in another post. i think is a bug. Would be awesome to start a ticket and see if Line 6 could fix that in a firmware upgrade. Beside you can´t set any of the other options, pentode/triode, etc either not low volume or master volume

Not a bug. It's how it works. When set to Channel B, none of the L6 Link controls do anything. The DT follows whatever it set on the amp (or via MIDI). When set to Channel A, you can change the power amp topology, voicing and pentode/triode settings via L6 Link.

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I dont think is a bug, instead how it works. The thing is that I dont see advantage on how you loose control over DT amp when in channel B (over L6Link). I thin that could be changed easy via Helix update. By the way, my DT50 head cannot change anything via MIDI if L6link is connected. Are you experience that too (I  think is a little fool to change every parameter via L6Link if in Channel A, but have to connect a MIDI cable to change things if in Channel B if you are at your computer)

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On 4/28/2022 at 10:16 PM, phil_m said:

Not a bug. It's how it works. When set to Channel B, none of the L6 Link controls do anything. The DT follows whatever it set on the amp (or via MIDI). When set to Channel A, you can change the power amp topology, voicing and pentode/triode settings via L6 Link.

 

It seems really strange that the Helix controls preamp settings when the preamp is bypassed, but doesn't when the preamp is active. Doesn't make much sense.

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On 5/5/2022 at 4:22 PM, palladinojt said:

 

It seems really strange that the Helix controls preamp settings when the preamp is bypassed, but doesn't when the preamp is active. Doesn't make much sense.


Not sure I understand what you’re saying. Are you saying the Helix is changing something with the DT Channel B preamp when Channel A is selected?

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On 5/5/2022 at 9:48 PM, phil_m said:


Not sure I understand what you’re saying. Are you saying the Helix is changing something with the DT Channel B preamp when Channel A is selected?

 

Not what I mean, no. Per Helix firmward v2.8 release notes: when the Helix is connected to the DT via L6 Link, the DT preamp is bypassed when on Channel A for when using an amp/preamp model in Helix. When set to Channel B, the DT switches to Channel B and its preamp is activated.

Since the preamp is activated when using Channel B, I would expect the Helix to allow you to control switching through Topology I-IV, but it doesn't. It only lets you switch between Topology options when using Channel A - but when you're on Channel A the preamp is bypassed, so what's the point of that? It should be the other way around. You should be able to switch Topology on Channel B instead of Channel A.

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On 5/9/2022 at 2:20 PM, palladinojt said:

 

Not what I mean, no. Per Helix firmward v2.8 release notes: when the Helix is connected to the DT via L6 Link, the DT preamp is bypassed when on Channel A for when using an amp/preamp model in Helix. When set to Channel B, the DT switches to Channel B and its preamp is activated.

Since the preamp is activated when using Channel B, I would expect the Helix to allow you to control switching through Topology I-IV, but it doesn't. It only lets you switch between Topology options when using Channel A - but when you're on Channel A the preamp is bypassed, so what's the point of that? It should be the other way around. You should be able to switch Topology on Channel B instead of Channel A.

Well, Topology is a power amp setting, not a preamp setting. So being able to choose the power amp topology is the whole point of using the DT with L6 link. You can use whatever amp model you want as the preamp, and then you customize the power amp accordingly. Although, the topology/voicing switch on the DT itself changes both the preamp and power at the same, the preamp is just the digital model, the power amp is the actual relays switching the power tube configuration.

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On 5/9/2022 at 6:19 PM, phil_m said:

Well, Topology is a power amp setting, not a preamp setting. So being able to choose the power amp topology is the whole point of using the DT with L6 link. You can use whatever amp model you want as the preamp, and then you customize the power amp accordingly. Although, the topology/voicing switch on the DT itself changes both the preamp and power at the same, the preamp is just the digital model, the power amp is the actual relays switching the power tube configuration.

 

Right - I agree with all that. All I'm saying is that L6 Link let's you control/switch Topology settings (maybe "Voicings" is a better word for what I'm referring to) on Channel A but not on Channel B, and it doesn't make any sense to me why that would be.

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On 5/10/2022 at 11:25 AM, palladinojt said:

 

Right - I agree with all that. All I'm saying is that L6 Link let's you control/switch Topology settings (maybe "Voicings" is a better word for what I'm referring to) on Channel A but not on Channel B, and it doesn't make any sense to me why that would be.

I believe it’s just a limitation built into to the DT amps. If you look at how the DT amps integrated with the POD HD series, you’ll see that it was the same way. When the amp is set to channel B, none of the commands from L6 Link affect it.

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