Help With Connecting Talkbox

[kenpilot]

Hey guys, new to the Helix world and trying to figure out the proper way of connecting my talkbox to the Helix floor. I've searched on here and googled but haven't found anything that tells me about my situation. I have the Rocktron Banshee 2. I use the Helix for my tone and effects so I want my finished product tone so to speak, coming out of the talkbox tube. In my previous pedal board and head and cab set up, I had it routed thru my effects loop. I tried that with the helix and adding a send/return to the signal chain, but it didn't work properly. Anyone else have this set up and can tell me exactly how it's supposed to be connected and setup in the signal chain? Thanks!  

[theElevators]

I think it's best if you make use of the effects loops for the talk box.  Always leave the talk box/microphone on. 

When you need to have your voice talk box solo, you can have a dedicated snapshot for it. 

 

I think your signal chain can be like this (see attached 3 screenshots).  On this forum, the screenshots are all jammed into one picture, so just click on the screenshot below and scroll through them individually.

 

 

 

1. So about the signal chain, you send the signal to the "send".  That goes to your talk box".  Then after the talk box microphone, the signal will be connected to "return". 

 

2. Basically, you have a split A/B.  You can assign the "route to" parameter to snapshots, this means that you can control how much "a" and how much "b" you will have in your resulting signal.  When you take the talk box solo, all your signal goes to "b".  When you play regular guitar, it goes to "a". 

 

3. Then you have the "merge" where both paths are combining their outputs. In order to not have extraneous microphone noise that you don't need, you can assign the "Mix" parameter of the return block to the snapshots again.  Mix out the signal from the return block, otherwise you will have microphone sound in your final mix.  At 0, there's nothing coming through.

 

 

So basically there you go.  Use the send/return blocks to connect your talk box.  And use the split/merge to control where the signal goes.  Something like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kenpilot]

On 8/12/2022 at 12:25 PM, theElevators said:

I think it's best if you make use of the effects loops for the talk box.  Always leave the talk box/microphone on. 

When you need to have your voice talk box solo, you can have a dedicated snapshot for it. 

 

I think your signal chain can be like this (see attached 3 screenshots).  On this forum, the screenshots are all jammed into one picture, so just click on the screenshot below and scroll through them individually.

 

 

 

1. So about the signal chain, you send the signal to the "send".  That goes to your talk box".  Then after the talk box microphone, the signal will be connected to "return". 

 

2. Basically, you have a split A/B.  You can assign the "route to" parameter to snapshots, this means that you can control how much "a" and how much "b" you will have in your resulting signal.  When you take the talk box solo, all your signal goes to "b".  When you play regular guitar, it goes to "a". 

 

3. Then you have the "merge" where both paths are combining their outputs. In order to not have extraneous microphone noise that you don't need, you can assign the "Mix" parameter of the return block to the snapshots again.  Mix out the signal from the return block, otherwise you will have microphone sound in your final mix.  At 0, there's nothing coming through.

 

 

So basically there you go.  Use the send/return blocks to connect your talk box.  And use the split/merge to control where the signal goes.  Something like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the response! Unfortunately, most of that went WAY over my head lol I'm brand new to the Helix and so far, a lot of it is greek to me. I know the very basics and can build a patch, but I haven't gotten to snapshots yet and splitting signals, etc. I literally need a step by step how to on how to connect the cables to the talk box, as far exactly which cable goes in to what input and what output, etc, and then I can probably follow your signal chain and figure it out. I'm not sure what you meant by leave the talkbox/microphone always on. Do you mean leave the talkbox itself on the whole time? I can't do that because I have the tube connected to my vocal mic and it'll pic up the sound coming out of the tube. Hopefully you, or someone else can take what you said and REALLY dumb it down for me. Thanks again for the help, I really do appreciate you taking the time in trying to explain it.

[theElevators]

On 8/12/2022 at 8:08 PM, kenpilot said:

Thanks for the response! Unfortunately, most of that went WAY over my head lol I'm brand new to the Helix and so far, a lot of it is greek to me. I know the very basics and can build a patch, but I haven't gotten to snapshots yet and splitting signals, etc. I literally need a step by step how to on how to connect the cables to the talk box, as far exactly which cable goes in to what input and what output, etc, and then I can probably follow your signal chain and figure it out. I'm not sure what you meant by leave the talkbox/microphone always on. Do you mean leave the talkbox itself on the whole time? I can't do that because I have the tube connected to my vocal mic and it'll pic up the sound coming out of the tube. Hopefully you, or someone else can take what you said and REALLY dumb it down for me. Thanks again for the help, I really do appreciate you taking the time in trying to explain it.

OK, so then that makes it even easier.  If your signal goes to the talk box, mute your entire sound coming out of the Helix, no need to have a "return" block at all.  Because you want your guitar sound to come either (a) out of your Helix outputs.... or .... (b) into the talk box tube, into your mouth, etc

 

Here's my proposed signal chain:

 

guitar -> distortion -> send 1 -> amp/cab-> volume pedal at 0% -> Helix output(multi)

connect send 1 to the talk box

The send block simply sends the signal to any source, and does not interrupt the signal chain.  Basically, you can have a send block without a return in your chain, if it makes sense. 

 

 

 

so you need 2 settings in 2 snapshots:

(1)  talk box solo

send 1 is on, and the rest of your chain is muted with the volume pedal on.  When the volume pedal at 0% is on, it mutes the sound.  Helix is not producing any sound, all you hear is your talk box. 

 

Signal goes to the talk box, captured by the microphone, Helix is muted

(2) regular guitar sound

send 1 bypassed, and the rest of your chain is un-muted, with volume pedal bypassed.  When the volume pedal at 0% is bypassed, the sound is not muted.  Signal does not go to the talk box, Helix's outputs have sound. 

 

Volume pedal at 0% = your sound is muted.  So bypass the volume pedal = no sound. 

You can also mute your Helix by using the last output block, assigning the output level parameter to snapshots, and set it at 0 in your snapshot (1).  On the Helix you can accomplish the same thing with multiple methods.

 

If you are confused, first learn about assigning parameters of block to snapshots, and learn how you can save states of your blocks in each snapshot.  You can save whether blocks are on or bypassed in specific snapshots.  You can also change for example "mix" parameters of your reverb in specific snapshots. Practice with snapshots -- it's the best way to accomplish sound switches. 

[themetallikid]

I use it similarly.  

 

I have my mine permanently mounted under my board with the tub running through the floorboard itself.  I have the Talkbox hooked up to the Send 2 on my Helix (send 2 only because its jack is convenient to here the talkbox is mounted under my board).  

 

When I create a preset where I will utilize the talkbox, I add a 'Send 2' block to my preset in the appropriate spot.  For myself, I like using the preamps of my preset, not the onboard one of the Banshee (I have the first version) so I set the level/tone as needed and the gain of the Banshee, just high enough to pass audio decently without adding a ton of its own gain.  Sorta acts like a separate post preamp boost, weird, yes....but it works for me.  A typical preset flow for me to be similar to this:

 

Guitar - Helix In - Wah - OD - Preamp - Send 2 - Cab/IR - Retro Reel - Helix Output

 

 

In the Send 2 block, from memory, there is a level and a dry-through parameter.  The Dry Through amount will allow you to still let you to send your guitar out Send 2, as well as through anything after the Send 2 block.  Most songs I play require guitar on/talkbox off or vice versa.  Rarely have I ever 'blended' the sounds by allowing my dry through to process along with my talk box sound.  But it can be useful.   So for me, I turn the dry through, all the way down.  That way the when I turn the talkbox on, it mutes the normal guitar sound completely.  

 

Now because of the way I set my Banshee, I have to have the level on the send 2, pretty high.  You'll need to find your own level here that makes you and your output happy.  I like my tube screaming into my mouth for maximum vocal effect, but thats my preference.  

 

A great example of where you could use the 'dry through' maybe mixed partially in would be Man In The Box by Alice In Chains.  I've always been a single guitar band guy (mostly) and when I do this song by myself with the talkbox its weird.  So adding some of that dry (normal) guitar sound and allowing my talkbox sound to be an effect along with it is helpful.  

 

Now in the preset itself, you can trigger the talkbox on/off several ways.  All depends on your own preference.  I have presets where I have the Send 2 engaged as a whole separate snapshot.  I also have ones where I'm singing and can't really look down to constantly turn it on/off (as in Alice In Chains song mentioned above) so I have the expression pedal auto-engage (similar to a wah setup) to turn on the Send 2 block when the pedal dips below 98%.  That way I can leave my foot and only rock it when needed and not have to shift my weight/position much.  

 

You could also assign it to a seperate button that is set as a momentary switch so that talkbox is only on while pushing that button down.  could be helpful if there are only little parts for a couple seconds that are needed for effect.