Helix Floor without any output regardless of the output method

[mikisb]

Hi folks, 

since yesterday, there's no more output from my Helix Floor.

All outputs are dead: XLR, AES/EBU, headphones, 1/4" out. Changed guitars and cables - no difference. I can see on the input level meter the incoming signal, but nothing on the output. 

Input and output are all set to "multi", digital XLR is swichtech to AES/EBU (i use normally this to connect with two FRFR monitors.

Tested all buttons (Boot + Button 2), everything seems OK. Made a global reset - no changes. Device never left the living room.

HX edit is connecting by USB.

 

During the last days, i had from time to time no or very low sound on some presets, now it's completely gone. Just before the output was completely dead, i had on one preset a very small output, barely to hear, but sounded digitally distorted. 

 

Because sometimes, ants or small spiders get into electrical devices, sometimes creating a shortcut, so i opened the back, but everything inside (as far as i can see, didn't disconnect the internal cables) everything seems to be clean and dry - nothing exceptional to discover except a phenomenal mechanical buid quality - built like a tank. 

 

So any idea if there's still an option that the problem is just sitting in front of the Helix? I hope so, as shipping from/to here is a huge mess (Canarian islands)

 

Thanks for any idea and sorry for my english, i'm not a native speaker (and still fighting with this spanish keyboard)

 

 

[rd2rk]

Back up your presets in HX Edit, then perform a Factory Reset.

If that doesn't work, re-install the FW using the Line6Updater and the latest version (3.80).

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY!

 

Line 6 - Link to SW Downloads if you don't already have the Updater

Reset Options

#Helix Floor/LT

Button Combination	Description
2	LED light Fun
3 & 4	Test Mode
5 & 6	Global reset
7 & 8	Reset setlists to factory, Keep IRs
8 & 9	Reset setlists to factory, Clear IRs
9 & 10	Reset setlists to factory, Global reset, Clear IRs
10 & 11	Upgrades existing presets to latest format
11 & 12	Clear current preset
5 & 12	Clear setlists, clear IRs, Return system settings to default
6 & 12	Safe boot mode

To use Reset Options:

• Power off the Helix
• Hold the desired button combination
• Power on the Helix
• Release the button combination

Please note: Buttons are numbered from top left to bottom right.

 

 

[mikisb]

Thanks for your hint and support, but unfortunally, both didn't help.

Still have the same effect - Input levelmeter is moving, output levelmeter not and no sound at all from any output. On some high gain presets, i can hear a very light humming out of the seaker when Volume is at maximum. In this setting, it sould blow my ears away, as i have two 12" FRFR active monitors 300W RMS each. 

So maybe a hardware issue like an small onboard op amp broken?

[rd2rk]

Time to open a support ticket.

[mikisb]

I did, but meanwhile, i explored more, and now it get's funny (to me, as i know nothing):

As i had yesterday a input level indicated when the input gate was activated, but no output level indicated, i was pretty sure that the output is the problem. But as i never watched these indicators, i had no reference, what levels should be shown, so it leaded me to a wrong conclusion.

Now i changed the guitar (passive pickups) to the Aux in instead of guitar in and - there was sound. Not the same as i was used, but there were tones coming out of the Helix on all output sources. It lives!!

So i tried next Return1 as guitar input, much better and more Level than Aux. Of course i added these informations to the ticket.

I measured now the Pins of the guitar input jack - that's all i can do on these tiny components - the jack seems to be ok, signal goes from the guitar cable to the pins.

So - for the moment i can help myself switching my used patches to Return1 as input, but does anybody know the input impedance and sensitivity of the Return1 compared to the guitar in? Send/Return levels are set to "instrument". 

[mikisb]

ok, i just found the answer in a post here from 2018: 

 

"Guitar in:  Auto impedance unbalanced TS, the impedance will be determined by the first block in the signal chain. (This is a setting that can be adjusted in Global Settings)

Aux In: 47.5k ohm unbalanced TS

Returns: 1Meg unbalanced TS (instrument mode)/10K unbalanced TS (line mode)"

 

nothing about sensitivity, but Return (instrument) is definitivly higher than Aux or Return (line) The input impedance of Return (instrument) ist at least closer to normal guitar specs, so more usefull to me then Aux.  At least a workaround for the moment.