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an unconventional use for my Helix -- turntable preamp :)


theElevators
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I have this cheap turntable, and it has no EQ whatsoever. 

 

So I decided to macgyver it--RCA Left/Right are going into my Return 1/2 on the Helix.  Then in the Helix I process each channel separately, apply noise gate, 3-band compressor, EQ, and I output it out to my mixing monitors.  I know some think it's blasphemous to do that, but it works for for me.  BTW, vinyl records have been pretty much digital since 1979, when a digital delay started being used in the record cutting process: direct signal is used to pre-measure how wide the groove needs to be, while the signal from the digital delay is what is cut on the record itself.  And then recording was digital since the 1980s, especially all the classical music...

 

Anyway, I have a bunch of old vinyl I'm listening to and it sounds fantastic through the Helix...

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  • theElevators changed the title to an unconventional use for my Helix -- turntable preamp :)
On 1/12/2025 at 4:00 PM, theElevators said:

I have this cheap turntable, and it has no EQ whatsoever. 

 

So I decided to macgyver it--RCA Left/Right are going into my Return 1/2 on the Helix.  Then in the Helix I process each channel separately, apply noise gate, 3-band compressor, EQ, and I output it out to my mixing monitors.  I know some think it's blasphemous to do that, but it works for for me.  BTW, vinyl records have been pretty much digital since 1979, when a digital delay started being used in the record cutting process: direct signal is used to pre-measure how wide the groove needs to be, while the signal from the digital delay is what is cut on the record itself.  And then recording was digital since the 1980s, especially all the classical music...

 

Anyway, I have a bunch of old vinyl I'm listening to and it sounds fantastic through the Helix...


Did you try this by also adding a Studio Tube Pre in the signal path?

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