richieb74 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Hi I have an HX Effects and am thinking of getting HX Native to work with my DAW for simplicity when home recording. I have read that the quality of the interface really matters & I am currently using a Focusrite Scarlett 4i4. Is this up to the job? &, if not, is there a midrange 4 in interface that'll work for Windows that would. Most things I see that look like a reasonably priced upgrade seem to be 2 in (I use all four often when recording band practice) & the 4 in stuff gets pricey quickly. Help appreciated. I am struggling a bit to find what might work best and feel a bit drowned in choice, but can't find the right option! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datacommando Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 On 1/19/2023 at 8:00 PM, richieb74 said: I have read that the quality of the interface really matters & I am currently using a Focusrite Scarlett 4i4. Is this up to the job? Hi, I’m not sure where you read that, or why you would think that the Focusrite wouldn’t be adequate for hooking up to your DAW. That’s what the Scarlett is designed to do. The easiest way to find out is to download Helix Native 3.51 and load it into your DAW, then hook up the Focusrite, and your guitar, launch HXN and log in to your Line 6 account, then click “Start Trial”and check it out, free, for 15 days. Have fun. Hope this helps/makes sense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb74 Posted January 20, 2023 Author Share Posted January 20, 2023 Thanks, @datacommando, that's really helpful. I have read a few forum posts and reviews effectively saying that if your interface isn't up to scratch, you'll get terrible results from Native, but no-one suggesting what a baseline might be. I also didn't realise that the trial was there, so that's an awesome idea. I'll download over the weekend and see what happens; there's no better way than testing with the kit you are wanting to use. I was just not wanting to drop best part of £100 if I needed to get other things first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundog Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Hmmm ... those forum posts might originate from some who think certain interfaces don't have a "Hi-Z" guitar input as good as the Helix hardware. As @datacommando sez, your Scarlett will work dandy, as will most any quality interface. Just be sure to keep your input levels low in the Helix Native UI. If you overdrive the input, you won't get good results. Experiment with what works best for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datacommando Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 On 1/20/2023 at 6:29 PM, richieb74 said: I have read a few forum posts and reviews effectively saying that if your interface isn't up to scratch, you'll get terrible results from Native, but no-one suggesting what a baseline might be. Hi, I agree with the comment above from @soundog - about “Hi-Z” connections and trying to get a decent result by using the generally average sound card available in most computer systems. Your Focusrite will be just the job for your purpose. Focusrite have a good reputation and have been around for quite a while - for many years I used a Focusrite Saffire until I could no longer use the FireWire connection after updating my Mac. Again, as noted above, don’t overdrive your input to Native - here’s a quick guide. Hope this helps/makes sense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb74 Posted January 21, 2023 Author Share Posted January 21, 2023 TY @soundog& @datacommandothat's super helpful. Feel a lot more comfortable now. It can be super confusing reading stuff online about products you haven't used and trying to filter, so that's awesome! & you've just saved me a chunk on a new interface... Unfortuantely, I am now looking admiringly at a Helix Floor & I've freed up some cash to put towards it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundog Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Be sure to compare the HX Stomp to the Helix Floor. That's what I use (the Stomp) in the studio and for live performance, and it meets my needs. Of course, the Helix Floor has all the bells and whistles! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datacommando Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 On 1/21/2023 at 6:43 PM, richieb74 said: Unfortuantely, I am now looking admiringly at a Helix Floor Ah ha, the Helix floor - I was an early adopter of that piece of gear, at around the same time as I switched my iMac to one that didn’t have FireWire ports, and essentially made my Focusrite Saffire redundant. Luckily for me the Helix is a fully functioning audio interface with 8 channels available over USB. Also has a mic connection with 48v phantom power available. It is used almost daily in my home studio, although I do have a cheapo, cheapo, UMC204HD interface gathering dust in a corner. It’s there simply as a fail safe/disaster recovery box that I can use with Helix Native, should I need it as a get out of jail free card. Enjoy your toy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.