Automation in Helix Native

[silverhead]

This post will be of interest to those who record a dry guitar (or other) track in your DAW and use the Helix Native plugin for reamping. The dry track, of course, does not capture all the fancy footwork you do while playing the song live. You switch snapshots, turn FX blocks on/off, and use expression pedals. Have you ever wished you could capture all that tap dancing in your DAW track with Helix Native? This thread is for you! I just learned this myself and documented it for my own future reference, so thought I'd share.

 

It's a rather long post describing step-by-step how to use MIDI automation data to capture all your tap dancing so the dry track playback with HN applied sounds just like it would if you had recorded the wet track. Buckle up!

 

Environment: Windows 10, Cakewalk by Bandlab v2022.11, Helix Rack firmware v3.5, Helix Native (HN) v3.5 (VST3)

 

NOTES

1. HN does not support MIDI PC commands on Windows (it does on Mac) so can’t automate preset changes. But it does support CC commands, including Snapshot changes.

2. The following is written for the Cakewalk by Bandlab DAW. Other DAWs may or may not have similar capabilities. Configuration details will differ. Consult your DAW’s documentation.

3. The following is also written for using Helix Rack as the audio interface to the DAW.

 

PROCEDURES

• Enable MIDI in all components.

  • Global Settings in Helix Rack, esp. Snapshots

  • Assign Helix Rack as MIDI IN device in Cakewalk Preferences

  • Enable MIDI IN for Helix Native plugin in Cakewalk

• Configure Helix Native preset.

  • Use Snapshots as usual for tonal changes involving multiple blocks

  • Assign MIDI Bypass CC for (non-snapshot) individual blocks

  • Assign other MIDI CC Receive commands, controllers, and parameters as desired

  • Save preset

• Configure Helix Rack preset.

  • Command Centre to assign appropriate CC commands to footswitches and pedals, matching HN preset assignments above

  • Global Settings to display Snapshot and other required controller footswitches

  • Save preset

• Add and configure Cakewalk MIDI automation track to project.

  • Assign Helix Rack as input and Helix Native as output

  • Enable MIDI track Write automation parameter

• Record the automation track using Helix Control to send/record automation events to MIDI automation track at appropriate moments in real time.

  • If unfamiliar with recording automation data (I was) consult Cakewalk documentation. You need to arm and record the automation track just like any other.

  • You 'play' Helix Control in real time to record the data. Change Snapshots, use expression pedals, turn blocks on/off, etc. as if you were playing live.

• Disable MIDI track Write automation parameter and enable Read parameter

• Test track playback. MIDI In activity indicator in Helix Native should blink when MID commands are received and intended tonal changes should be audible as HN responds to incoming commands.

• Adjust if desired by repeating one or more of above procedures.

• SAVE your Cakewalk project!

 

Hope this helps someone!