Is there a way to direct a dry signal from Return 2 to USB audio? (LT)

[Horseflesh]

I've started playing with multitrack recording via my Helix LT and a DAW, and there's something I can't figure out. I think it may not be possible, but y'all can tell me. 

 

My patch uses the Guitar input for an acoustic guitar, and Return 2 for a mic via an impedance matching adapter. I want to send wet and dry signals for guitar and mic to my DAW. 

 

The mono dry signal from the Guitar input is automatically available on USB 7, and I have the wet stereo output set to USB 1/2. No prob, guitar is covered. 

 

The mic's Return 2 signal chain in my patch ends with USB 3/4. So, I can record the wet stereo mic track plus the wet and dry guitar tracks into my DAW. Almost there! 

 

But... I cannot figure out a way to direct the dry Return 2 signal to one of the remaining USB outputs. Even a semi-dry signal would be OK... I was thinking about putting a block after the preamp and compressor, and capturing the signal there, and then also capturing the fully wet mic signal after reverb etc. But, I cannot find any way to record Return 2 other than at the end of the chain. 

 

Is the Guitar input the only input on the Helix LT which automagically makes the dry signal available via USB? 

 

Yeah, yeah, if I knew I wanted to play with a mic, I guess I should have gotten a Floor model...

 

Thanks a bunch if you have any ideas for me!

[rd2rk]

It helps when asking these kinds of questions to attach a copy of a sample preset so we can see what you're doing.

Since you didn't, I'll assume that the MIC is on a separate Path from the Guitar. Split the Path right after the Return 2 Block (use a GAIN Block), pull down the MIX Block to complete the split and send the resulting DRY signal wherever you want.

[roryburns]

 

If your amp has a "line out" or headphones jack, then you should be able to connect that to the audio interface.  MyAdvocateAurora Health

[datacommando]

On 1/28/2023 at 2:02 AM, Horseflesh said:

Yeah, yeah, if I knew I wanted to play with a mic, I guess I should have gotten a Floor model...

 

Thanks a bunch if you have any ideas for me!

 

Hi,

 

O.K. I have a floor model, but I quickly put this together which should point you in the right direction with your Helix LT.

 

Top row is Guitar In to Multi Out (USB1&2) fully processed audio and the dry DI to the DAW will appear on USB 7.

 

Now this is a bit of a cheat because unlike the Helix Floor your LT doesn't have either a dedicated Mic or Aux input - therefore I put a split in the beginning of the Mic path after the Return 1 Input, Now Path 2A can contain whatever FX you require for the vocal and that will go to USB 3/4, and Path 2B is split off to feed USB 5/6 into your DAW. There is a compressor on path 2B that I used to make the split, but you can bypass that easily.

 

You may have to play around with how your DAW deals with the USB inputs, by 3/4 have the FX applied and can be treated as a stereo feed, and USB 5/6 when panned centre should be like 2 identical mono signals, or add a mono gain block just before the output.

 

Anyhow, load it and up and play around until you achieve what you are aiming for.

 

Note: This forum would not allow me to upload the "Gtr_Vox+USB .hlx" file directly . I had to ZIP it  - AAARRRRAGGGGHHHH! Why? Total madness!

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.

 

Gtr_Vox+USB.hlx.zip

[LesDisp]

Hi all.

 

I'm struggling with a similar problem to Horseflesh but on a Helix Rack.

 

From Global Settings, I've got the dry tracks sorted out to be recorded on DAW tracks USB7 and USB8 for Variax and mic respectively.

Using the modified pre-set 01A - USA Double Norm - I've got the Variax  on the input and the wet output of path 1A coming out 'Multi' to DAW tracks USB1,2

So far so good. I've got zero latency direct monitoring via the headphones output, dry recording of mic and Variax, wet recording of Variax.

 

But now I open up the second path in the pre-set with a mic input. It goes strait to the path 2 wet output which is set to USB3,4 and I can record those. But I can't direct monitor them without changing the output back to Multi in which case I'm interfering with my Variax recording. I can pan mic hard one way and Variax hard the other, but this doesn't sound right in the headphone direct monitoring mix.

 

My other alternative is to create an output split on each path.  Track Variax to USB5,6 track mic on USB3,4 and direct monitor but not track on USB1,2. This feels cumbersome.

 

I've got all these 8 USB outputs but it seems I must use 6 of them for two wet instruments at a time.  Yet tracking the dry is just fine. I was expecting tracking the wet to be just as simple.  I'm probably missing something obvious but I'm blown if I can see it.

 

Any advice or confirmation is welcome.

 

[rd2rk]

Your alternative solution is the way to go AFAICT. Seems cumbersome and a waste of the Path splits, but it is what it is.

It's weird that on the HXStomp you can set the HP to monitor the SENDS, but you can't do than on the full-fat Helix models.

[datacommando]

On 1/29/2023 at 7:10 PM, SteveJag said:

But I can't direct monitor them without changing the output back to Multi in which case I'm interfering with my Variax recording. I can pan mic hard one way and Variax hard the other, but this doesn't sound right in the headphone direct monitoring mix.

Hi,

As you’re aware, each of the 4 available signal paths in your Helix are stereo and can be assigned to various outputs. So far, so good, but as you have discovered even though you can record the dry mono audio from USB 7 from your Variax, and the Mic (Vox) on USB 8, although you say the processed Mic audio through the Multi out “doesn’t sound right”, to you.

O.K., fair point, but as you state that you’re recording this stuff into a DAW, I think that you really need be tracking the guitar and vocal separately. That way it should all be very clean, and the isolated audio paths will reveal anything that needs tidying up, or reworking (re-recording). I think I could live without tracking both together and using the input from the dry USB Mic audio simply as a guide track.

 

It might be me, but I would possibly rethink my approach to recording this stuff. Maybe you are finding problems that are not really there, or if necessary you should track your audio with an audio interface that will allow you to monitor exactly as you need without any latency.

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.

 

[LesDisp]

Thanks rd2rk - the confirmation is useful. Stops me wasting time looking for better ways.

 

And thank you datacommando. Using my alternative approach I think I'm pretty much doing as you recommend, using my Helix rack headphones output for low latency monitoring via Multi (USB1,2) whilst separately recording Mic on USB3,4 and Variax on USB5,6. I'm pretty new to all this tech so again, your confirmation is useful.

 

The thing that didn't sound right was headphone tracking the Variax panned hard left (recorded over USB1) and the mic panned hard right (recorded over USB2). But if that kind of thing doesn't bother, it's a more efficient use of USB recoding channels.

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by SteveJag
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