Helix LT or Floor with PRS Hollow body II Piezo

[hcmiv]

I am currently looking to purchase a Heliz LT or FLoor and I am new to modelers. I want to connect my PRS Hollowbody II Piezo utilizing both pickups having their own connection to the Helix with separate configs for each. I guess my question is can I get this functionality with the LT or do I need the Floor model. I am not a professional musician and at this time mostly play for my church.  

Thanks

[silverhead]

I don’t believe Helix will recognize any piezo pickups other than their proprietary Variax technology. If your PRS has a standard 1/4” audio output Helix will recognize that in its Guitar Input as it does any other magnetic pickup guitar output. Otherwise, no.

[ricstudioc]

With all respect, Silverhead's overthinking this, if you simply have one output for the mags and one for the piezo.  The LT will do it, but you'd have to bring the piezo in thru one of the 2 aux returns.  The Floor actually has an Aux input for just such cases., leaving its Aux's free for external FX.

 

If you absolutely, positively know that you're never going to want to use outboard pedals or fx, the LT should do just fine.  If you want to maintain some future flexibility regarding external boxes, go with the Floor.  My full kitchen sink rig used all 4 sends/returns to incorporate a bunch of EHX "9" series processors - your needs may not ever reach that need.

[waymda]

Hi - it will help if you can describe how you want to use the piezo pickups so peeps here can give you some tips. Whilst I use Variaxes, I only use their piezos for the modelling tech. I'm guessing (very much guessing) you want same sort of accoustic sim with the PRS piezos?? I'm basing this on thinking they'd sound pretty bad as an electric type sound, but may be very wrong. I think ricstudioc has answered the how to get them into the LT, but if you give more info on your use others may have thoughts on how to use the LT to its best.

[silverhead]

On 8/3/2024 at 11:16 PM, ricstudioc said:

With all respect, Silverhead's overthinking this, ….

Yes,  was thinking the OP is asking about individual string/piezo processing like the Helix/Variax can do. Thanks for your clarification.

[hcmiv]

I appreciate everyones quick and detailed response. Sorry it took so long to respond.

Waymda, you are correct in your assumptions on how I would like to use these two inputs. I would like to create a separate sim for the Piezo pickup for just acoustic sound and I would like to blend the Piezo sound in with the magnetic. I believe the combination of both pickups with separate effects on each can create a unique sound. At least thats what I'm hoping for. 

I would like to hear if anyone has had success in trying this combo out.

 

Ricstudioc, Thanks for the detailed description on the input configuration! I'm assuming the Aux in on the LT has the same capabilities as the guitar input?

Silverhead, I see where you were going with this. Do you actually have separate sims for certain strings?

 

Thanks everyone, this has been very informative!

 

 

[silverhead]

On 8/10/2024 at 8:17 AM, hcmiv said:

….

Silverhead, I see where you were going with this. Do you actually have separate sims for certain strings?

…

The Variax guitar has a separate piezo pickup for each string. That allows individual string processing for pitch and level. Communication between the Variax and Helix allows you to store alternate models and tunings for the Variax in a Helix preset. Combined with Helix Snapshots you can create presets that allow you to switch  between guitar models and tunings. For instance you can switch between a Les Paul model in standard tuning to a Martin D28 acoustic model in Drop-D (or any other custom tuning) using a single footswitch.

[hcmiv]

thats pretty cool, thanks for the info

[ricstudioc]

On 8/10/2024 at 5:17 AM, hcmiv said:

Ricstudioc, Thanks for the detailed description on the input configuration! I'm assuming the Aux in on the LT has the same capabilities as the guitar input?

Actually, not completely.  (And let me clear up some terminology, I was a bit sloppy - the Floor has an actual, dedicated Aux in.  Both the Floor and LT have Send/Returns for routing to external devices, those Returns can be used as Aux ins as well.  So when I mention an aux in on the LT I was actually referring to using a Return for that purpose.)

 

The Guitar In on the Floor/LT is designed to see an electric guitars magnetic pickups, and as such is (can be) very aware of impedance, and how that impedance interacts with the pickups, as well as downstream effects of that.  Additionally it has a noise gate and variable pad in case the pickups are "hot" and need some taming.

 

So far as I recall (corrections, anyone?) the Aux In/Returns have none of those niceties.  They're a fixed impedance, the Returns have a level/pan control - and that's about it.

 

Here's the thing - typically piezo pickups aren't impedance sensitive like magnetics, there's a whole different principle at work with them.  So the Aux/Return pathway is perfectly viable for such use.  At various times I've used the Aux In for piezos, keyboards, drum pads, all manner of things.  None of which really care much about impedance.  So you have options.

 

Worth noting - I'm a Variax user, but since my shows required use of a wireless system I never used the fancy VDI inputs, or all the magic that a Helix can do when so connected.  But I did switch to acoustic via the Variax, as such:  I had presets where, say, the top three "paths" were dedicated to the electric guitar (kitchen sink stuff), and the final path dedicated to the acoustic sounds (little compression, EQ, verb).  I set it up to where one switch took me between those paths - switch to acoustic, hit the switch and off we go.  I'm not aware of the switching options on your PRS, most of my peizo equpped electrics (even with dual outputs) had the option to send everything down the one main cable, with a switch on the guitar choosing Elec/Acous/Both.  So if you have that option, and would rather not have two cables hanging from your guitar, there's a way to do it.

 

Hope this helps.

[theElevators]

If your guitar has 2 separate outputs: one for electric, another one for piezo, then you can create presets that process 2 inputs.  That way you won't have to switch anything on your guitar, just press a button and you will have acoustic or electric guitar sound.  There is a rig rundown (don't remember the name), but the guitarist wired his guitar to output neck and bridge pickups separately.  So the pickup switching is done inside the Helix. 

[MusicLaw]

@hcmiv if your budget can handle the additional expense of the Helix Floor, go that way! You are not likely to regret the dedicated AuxIn for use with your guitar's piezo pickup. Plus, you will have greater flexibility how to use and route the two individual guitar signal feeds. And, you still have the Floor's four Send/Returns available for whatever you may wish to explore! 

[theElevators]

On 8/12/2024 at 4:35 PM, MusicLaw said:

@hcmiv if your budget can handle the additional expense of the Helix Floor, go that way! You are not likely to regret the dedicated AuxIn for use with your guitar's piezo pickup. Plus, you will have greater flexibility how to use and route the two individual guitar signal feeds. And, you still have the Floor's four Send/Returns available for whatever you may wish to explore! 

You already have the return 1/2 jacks in the  that you can configure to run the separate piezo signal. In the preset you can go to eaxh signal path and configure it to have return 1 as input. 

[hcmiv]

On 8/12/2024 at 12:04 PM, theElevators said:

If your guitar has 2 separate outputs: one for electric, another one for piezo, then you can create presets that process 2 inputs.  That way you won't have to switch anything on your guitar, just press a button and you will have acoustic or electric guitar sound.  There is a rig rundown (don't remember the name), but the guitarist wired his guitar to output neck and bridge pickups separately.  So the pickup switching is done inside the Helix. 

My guitar has two separate pickup outputs with a blended pot between them. I like the idea of being able to switch between the pickups without making many changes. Appreciate the insight!

[hcmiv]

On 8/10/2024 at 1:09 PM, ricstudioc said:

Actually, not completely.  (And let me clear up some terminology, I was a bit sloppy - the Floor has an actual, dedicated Aux in.  Both the Floor and LT have Send/Returns for routing to external devices, those Returns can be used as Aux ins as well.  So when I mention an aux in on the LT I was actually referring to using a Return for that purpose.)

 

The Guitar In on the Floor/LT is designed to see an electric guitars magnetic pickups, and as such is (can be) very aware of impedance, and how that impedance interacts with the pickups, as well as downstream effects of that.  Additionally it has a noise gate and variable pad in case the pickups are "hot" and need some taming.

 

So far as I recall (corrections, anyone?) the Aux In/Returns have none of those niceties.  They're a fixed impedance, the Returns have a level/pan control - and that's about it.

 

Here's the thing - typically piezo pickups aren't impedance sensitive like magnetics, there's a whole different principle at work with them.  So the Aux/Return pathway is perfectly viable for such use.  At various times I've used the Aux In for piezos, keyboards, drum pads, all manner of things.  None of which really care much about impedance.  So you have options.

 

Worth noting - I'm a Variax user, but since my shows required use of a wireless system I never used the fancy VDI inputs, or all the magic that a Helix can do when so connected.  But I did switch to acoustic via the Variax, as such:  I had presets where, say, the top three "paths" were dedicated to the electric guitar (kitchen sink stuff), and the final path dedicated to the acoustic sounds (little compression, EQ, verb).  I set it up to where one switch took me between those paths - switch to acoustic, hit the switch and off we go.  I'm not aware of the switching options on your PRS, most of my peizo equpped electrics (even with dual outputs) had the option to send everything down the one main cable, with a switch on the guitar choosing Elec/Acous/Both.  So if you have that option, and would rather not have two cables hanging from your guitar, there's a way to do it.

 

Hope this helps.

@ricstudiocI really appreciate the detailed information about the guitar/in and the Aux/in. This is great information and look forward to getting my Helix.

[gbr13697]

I have a PRS P245 with magnetic pickups and piezo. I have several modellers and I use two cables, and route through separate paths, in each modeller. The signal from the piezo pickups does not pass through the amp/effects used by the magnetic pickups.  I can use either, or blend them, and each pickups source gets separate treatment.  This format is part of my template used for all my presets. I can also use the single mixed output lead into a conventional magnetic pickup preset for a different effect, and the blend on my PRS sounds fine used in this way.

I also have an Emerald Virtuo that I generally use in the same way.  The Virtuo additionally has a GK pickup that can by put through a Roland/Boss synthesizer, and my templates incude a third input and path for this purpose. Switching from single split coils to humbuckers, to acoustic via piezos, and to synth and simulated instruments via GK, all from the same guitar gets really silly (but very versatile and a lot of fun)!