How to disable direct monitoring on the Helix

[LarryEGood1]

How do I turn off direct monitoring in Helix. My scenario is I want to use my Helix as my audio interface but use Native to process the signal and NOT hear direct monitoring in Helix. I will be using Midi Guitar 3 as an insert and again I want to hear the processed signal from the DAW not the signal from the Helix in real time.   ---- Thanks

 

I got this from the manual - 

 

When utilizing your DAW track's "Input Monitoring" feature, you'll want to
be sure to disable any "Direct Monitoring" signal on your audio interface (many
interfaces offer an optional function that routes your input signal directly to its
outputs, without going through the DAW software). This way you'll hear only the
input signal fed through the Helix Native plug-in. See your audio interface's docu-
mentation for details.

[silverhead]

The following paragraph in the manual is this:

 

When a DAW track’s software monitoring is active, you’ll likely not want to hear the
Helix hardware monitoring signal simultaneously. To achieve this, you can set the Helix
Output block to USB Out 3/4 or 5/6. These Output block options will route your
Helix-processed, stereo signal out to your DAW software without also providing
the Helix hardware monitoring to USB 1/2. You’ll then need to set your DAW track
to receive from the same selected Helix USB Out to record the Helix-processed
signal into the track. Or, you can optionally set the DAW track input to Helix USB
7 or USB 8 to record a dry DI signal—see the next section.

 

Does that answer your question?

[LarryEGood1]

Thanks, that is where I ended up. It would be nice though not to have to set anything in a preset with an output block.  A hardware "switch" so to speak.

[datacommando]

On 7/2/2024 at 3:08 AM, LarryEGood1 said:

Thanks, that is where I ended up. It would be nice though not to have to set anything in a preset with an output block.  A hardware "switch" so to speak.

Hi,

I have been using my Helix floor as the audio interface with my Mac running Logic since late 2015. I added Helix Native into the process almost as soon as it arrived. It is used almost daily and in all that time I have never felt the need for a “hardware switch” on the monitoring.
 

Connect your monitor speakers to the XLR (or 1/4”) outputs on your Helix, for latency free monitoring. You don’t have to set anything in your presets output block, providing you have set your Global options for Re-Amping on USB channels 7&8, guitar and/or mic. That way, the fully processed stereo audio leaves your Helix on USB 1&2, along with a dry mono signal on USB 7 or 8 available for playback through HX Native.

 

The easiest way is to set a channel to record the DI signal from your Helix on USB 7 or 8. You can then use Helix Native as you would any other plug-in with the channel routed to stereo out. Any processed signal from the DAW USB out (usually 1&2j will then playback via your speakers without any additional processing by the Helix hardware.

 

Hope this helps/makes sense.

[silverhead]

On 7/2/2024 at 8:07 AM, datacommando said:

...

… You don’t have to set anything in your presets output block, providing you have set your Global options for Re-Amping on USB channels 7&8, guitar and/or mic…

…

Don’t you need to make sure your Output block excludes USB 1&2? If included won’t you hear the Helix Direct Monitoring as well as the Helix Native processed signal?

[datacommando]

On 7/2/2024 at 2:55 PM, silverhead said:

Don’t you need to make sure your Output block excludes USB 1&2? If included won’t you hear the Helix Direct Monitoring as well as the Helix Native processed signal?

 

Oh, O.K. yes indeed - my mistake. It works fine if you select the output as USB 3/4, straight into the DAW, into Native, and back out on USB 1/2 stereo to the Helix hardware and speakers.

 

Although, having said that, most folks spend their life trying to avoid the latency introduced with using "software/DAW input" monitoring.

 

I've no concept of what the OP is wanting to achieve here, especially with a MIDI guitar involved, I have a feeling that this may be over complicated, but good luck anyhow.

[silverhead]

I agree. There will be latency using Input Monitoring in the DAW with Helix Native processing and I too try to avoid it. Impossible to predict whether or not that will be a problem because it depends entirely on the DAW/computer processing power as well as his personal tolerance for latency. But if that’s what he wants to do he now knows how to do it.