Rolling back guitar volume for clean sound

[serjmakarov]

Hello, everyone. I got a question about 4-cable method. I tried to run my Hx Stomp Xl via 4CM with my amp for the first time, and while overall it sounds good, there is one flaw that I gate: I lost the possibility to roll back guitar volume on dirty channels to get a clean sound. If I run just my amp, without the HX stomp, I can roll back the volume on my Lead channel, and get a clean sound... I know it might be silly, but this is how I've been playing for a while.. Does anyone else experience that? I am thinking this might be due to the A/D conversion.. I tried playing with send and return volumes in HX Edit, but this only gives more fizz, and doesn't solve my issue. Any help will be appreciated!

[rd2rk]

All amps don't "clean up" the same.

That phenomenon is a result of the interaction between the guitar's pickups and the amp's input circuitry.

While the Helix amps are very well modeled, in the end they are not really tubes.

 

All that said, my guitars, single coils to JBs to high output ceramics, all "clean up" just fine with the Helix amps I use.

 

The INPUT circuitry of most REAL WORLD amps is 1MegOhm impedance.

Certain FX placed between the guitar and an amp's input (see below) are lower than that and in order to get "authentic" sound from the modeled FX Helix uses analog circuitry to mimic that interaction with the pickups.

 

First thing to do is to check GLOBAL SETTINGS>PREFERENCES>AUTO IN-Z.

When set to ENABLED Helix uses that analog circuitry to mimic the interaction between your pickups and that type of effect, using the first ACTIVE effect in the signal chain as a reference.

When set to FIRST it uses the FIRST effect, active OR bypassed.

Since MOST of the FX in Helix are 1M input impedance, the ENABLED/AUTO settings will normally be fine.

 

If you ALWAYS want your pickups to act like you're plugged straight into an amp (you don't use those FX), then on the INPUT BLOCK of each preset set the IN-Z to "1M Ohm". This overrides the GLOBAL IN-Z setting and is as close as Helix gets to that (plugged straight into an amp) behavior.

 

There's a spreadsheet online somewhere that has all of the Helix FX impedance info, but I can't find it just now. 

Here's a partial list distilled from that SS. Thanks to @John Mark Painter on TGP. The post is from 2020, so you might want to do a search for the actual spreadsheet which was updated to v3.80:

 

All Dynamics are 1M

All Reverbs are 1M

All Pitch are 1M

All Filters are 1M

Wah with Impedance Changes
Weeper 90k
Teardrop 90k
UK 136k


Delays with Impedance changes
Analog Echo 230k
Elephant Man 90k
Analog w/Mod 90k
MultiHead 22k
Cosmos 10k

Modulations with Impedance changes
70's Chorus 22k
Analog Chorus 22k
Courtesan 136
Vibe Rotary 90k
Dual Phaser 230k
U-Vibe 90k

 

Distortion with Impedance Changes

BIGHORN (Tested manually...check for yourself and confirm) 70k?
Deranged Master 22-32k
Colordrive 136k
Triangle Fuzz 22k
Fuzz Pi 22k
Arbitrator 10k
Facial Fuzz 22k
Buzz Saw 230k
Tychoctavia 230k
Octave Fuzz 230k
Jumbo Fuzz 90k
Industrial Fuzz 10k
Hedgehog 230k
Scream 808 230k
Scream 230k

[PerS]

Hi

In link below is my Cheat Sheet for 3.80 and from page 6 and forward all effects are listed with input imp. The base is the same sheet rd2rk refer to (reference to my sources on the last page). The newer ones are either from original unit, from schematics or from other sources I found.

• https://line6.com/support/topic/67546-a-cheat-sheet-fw-380-amps-cabs-and-effects/?do=findComment&comment=508954

The starting point is that L6 simulates based on the specification/circuit design of the original unit. If they chose a different starting point, for example use a different input impedance, there could be a difference to my numbers... I have no proof that this is the case, not from the older units and not for the ones I added.

/Per

[Schmalle]

On 1/17/2026 at 11:04 PM, serjmakarov said:

 Any help will be appreciated!

1) Besides the input impedance there is an input gate in the input block. Disable it when you compare the effect of rolling back the guitar's volume pot.

 

2) If you want unity gain in your 4CM patch (which means the amp's input receives the same level that it would get without HX in the chain) set Input Level, Send/Return and Output Level to INST in Global Settings > Ins/Outs. Use default FX loop block settings in your 4CM patch and crank the VOLUME knob. 

 

3) Here is how you A/B test the actual impact of the HX Stomp to the sound of your amp:

 

HX Stomp has an analog bypass (aka true bypass) that you can use to compare the impact that the HX has when switched in. To do this right you need to do the following steps:

• create an empty patch
• double check that the input block and output block settings are default settings
• set Input Level and Output Level to INST in Global Settings > Ins/Outs
• set Global Settings > Preferences > Bypass Type to Analog
• set Global Settings > Preferences > Tap Function to AllBypass
• crank the (physical) VOLUME knob
• use a short cable between HX Out and the amp's input

Now you can compare the actual impact of the HX Stomp to the sound of your amp toggeling between Analog Bypass and the empty patch using the Tap footswitch in Stomp Mode.

 

4) HAVE FUN!

[theElevators]

Yes, definitely check the line levels of your effects loop, and set it to lowest setting.  You may be sending hotter signal than you used to to the amp, that's why it's more overdriven and cannot be cleaned up.  

 

In terms of cleaning up by rolling down the volume knob, it's my favorite thing, and the only method I use on the Helix.  I get all my cleans by rolling off the volume either on my guitar, or using a volume cut on the Helix setting the virtual volume pedal to like 5 percent.  I cannot have good clean sounds (maybe it's my guitar) without the grit being there.  

 

 

[rd2rk]

On 1/18/2026 at 8:57 AM, theElevators said:

Yes, definitely check the line levels of your effects loop, and set it to lowest setting.

 

To clarify, set the levels in the FX Loop Block to 0db. That is UNITY, meaning that the signal is neither boosted nor cut.

 

When setting up presets, many use the method of checking the output level before adding any effects, then bypassing the effect and rechecking the output level.

This keeps the signal level hitting the amp at the same level as plugging straight into the amp.

[theElevators]

Go to Global Settings / In/Outs / and play with the different settings in for Send/Return 1 and Send/Return 2.  I have mine on Instrument level, not line personally.  That may make a difference. 

[Schmalle]

On 1/18/2026 at 5:39 PM, rd2rk said:

 

To clarify, set the levels in the FX Loop Block to 0db. That is UNITY, meaning that the signal is neither boosted nor cut.

 

When setting up presets, many use the method of checking the output level before adding any effects, then bypassing the effect and rechecking the output level.

This keeps the signal level hitting the amp at the same level as plugging straight into the amp.

That statement can be very misleading.

Consider this scenario:

• 4CM with guitar -> HX input and HX send -> Amp input
• 4CM patch with default FX loop block
• INST as Input Level
• LINE as Return Level (aka FX loop level)

Result: substantially boosted input of the amp, nowhere near unity gain.

 

Solution: set Return Level to INST or -if you need more headroom- use LINE and decrease the FX loop Send parameter to -8dB (value from memory, not exactly sure). More headroom automatically means more noise.

[rd2rk]

On 1/18/2026 at 11:18 AM, Schmalle said:

Consider this scenario:

• 4CM with guitar -> HX input and HX send -> Amp input
• 4CM patch with default FX loop block
• INST as Input Level
• LINE as Return Level (aka FX loop level)

Result: substantially boosted input of the amp, nowhere near unity gain.

 

Possible, but...

Since Global FX Loop Input and Output levels cannot be set separately, that would require separate FX Loops.

Being as we're talking about HX vs full Helix, there's only 8 Blocks and 2 FX Loops available, that would be a very wasteful way to construct a preset.

A single FX Loop set to INST should not be a problem at UNITY/0db. 

[Schmalle]

On 1/18/2026 at 10:27 PM, rd2rk said:

A single FX Loop set to INST should not be a problem at UNITY/0db. 

True, hence my post. You need to specify the INST setting, otherwise people (with their unit set to LINE) read your post and wonder why their patch is not at all unity gain.

 

[rd2rk]

On 1/18/2026 at 8:18 AM, Schmalle said:

2) If you want unity gain in your 4CM patch (which means the amp's input receives the same level that it would get without HX in the chain) set Input Level, Return Level and Output Level to INST in Global Settings > Ins/Outs. Use default FX loop block settings in your 4CM patch and crank the VOLUME knob. 

 

You already specified that, which is why I didn't.

 

NOTE: "set Input Level, Return Level and Output Level to INST in Global Settings " is also a bit confusing. You can only set the FX Loop IN/OUT Level (INST or LINE) in Global settings, you can't set the Input, Return and Output levels of the FX Loops separately. I know that you know that, and I'm not trying to be combative.  :-)

Sometimes this TECHNICAL WRITING thing is HARD!  :-P

 

Hopefully, OP is reading ALL of our posts....

 

[Schmalle]

On 1/19/2026 at 12:26 AM, rd2rk said:

 

You already specified that, which is why I didn't.

 

NOTE: "set Input Level, Return Level and Output Level to INST in Global Settings " is also a bit confusing. You can only set the FX Loop IN/OUT Level (INST or LINE) in Global settings, you can't set the Input, Return and Output levels of the FX Loops separately. I know that you know that, and I'm not trying to be combative.  :-)

Sometimes this TECHNICAL WRITING thing is HARD!  :-P

 

Hopefully, OP is reading ALL of our posts....

 

My bad. I was sure it was called Return Level in the Global Settings. But actually it's called Send/ReturnL and Send/ReturnR.

 

Btw: I've repeatedly asked for a "separate Send and Return Level parameters" feature in a future update. Combined Send/Return level pairs (the status quo) can be a limitation in a lot of use cases (4CM with amps, Tonex in the loop etc). Sends and Returns should be treated independently.

[rd2rk]

On 1/19/2026 at 8:29 AM, Schmalle said:

Sends and Returns should be treated independently.

 

Agreed.