Record with Helix Floor

[TAGNE]

Hey everyone, 

 

I have a question please,

To record a song with Helix to have the best sound quality how to do?  Go directly from Helix to PC with USB cable provided or Go from Helix with XLR to an audio interface like focuriste and after the PC?

 

Thanks!!

[theElevators]

Direct with USB will be the best quality.  Otherwise, you are doing digital->analog conversion inside the Helix when you output the signal in 1/4" / XLRs.  Then the audio interface takes the analog signal and again converts it to digital to work inside your DAW.  So if you just want to record something with the best sound, then USB would be the best option!  Of course, if you are tracking an entire band that may be more difficult to achieve. 

 

I have recorded things both ways, and both were excellent.  When I go to a studio, it's just more convenient to plug into the 1/4".  At home I don't even own an audio interface, so USB.

 

 

[rd2rk]

If you're not PLAYING through plugins, then using Helix as your AI is the way to go, as it allows you to Direct Monitor your playing (zero latency) through Helix while simultaneously recording a wet track and a DI (un-effected) track over USB (no additional AD/DA conversion) which can be used for re-amping through Helix Native or other plugins when latency is not an issue. This configuration is what Helix was designed for.

 

If you're PLAYING through plugins then you might want to use a separate AI, as Helix latency in this configuration can be an issue. For instance, on my ancient i7 laptop system, RTL (Round Trip Latency - AI Input to AI Output) using Helix as AI is <>12.6ms at 64samples (buffer rate) vs <>7.6ms using my Scarlett as AI.  If you have the Helix Floor/Rack get an AI that has SPDIF. This eliminates the added latency from the AD/DA conversion between Helix XLR out and the AI's XLR IN.

IOW, the signal remains digital end-to-end. The only latency is the processing time (and single AD/DA conversion) in the Helix itself and the computer/DAW/Plugin.

 

As for the sound quality itself, Helix vs external AI, only a "Golden Ears" professional recording engineer will (maybe) hear a difference and eliminating that difference will require a MUCH more expensive AI than the home recordist needs.

[TAGNE]

Thank you guys for the answer 

[somebodyelse]

My own experience...

I have a dedicated desktop w/FR18i20 and a laptop w/Steinberg UR22C.

In theory the USB should give the best sound quality, because of the afore mentioned A/D, D/A conversions. In practise, I found it less hassle/quicker to just use the analogue outs in to my interface, again, because of the afore mentioned hearing scenarios - ie. only a bat will hear the difference.

 

The dedicated PC... it's just too much work to rearrange the setup for the sake of something I can't hear. I tried the SPDIF outputs, but gave up as I couldn't get the clocks to sync up. Regarding DIs etc, both units have enough ins, outs and routing options for it not to matter, in my case.

 

The laptop... in this scenario, I like to use the minimum amount of cabling, so the Helix, with headphones makes a lot of sense. However, I've only ever used the audio outs here, as well, as the laptop is setup for the UR22C and I didn't have the time or inclination to set it up for the Helix, as an interface. The sound quality exceeds my hearing quality. I used direct monitoring from my interface, so latency wasn't an issue.

 

With Line 6 and Steinberg both being owned by Yamaha, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if they used the same converters and related circuitry in their interfaces, and I've been very impressed with the sound coming out of my UR22C.

 

[DunedinDragon]

I'm not sure this is as much about sound quality as it is reducing latency.  Although A/D to D/A conversions are pretty efficient these days, why go through 2 of them (one out of the Helix, one when it goes into the DAW) when you can go through none of them?