Original Helix losing input signal intermittently

[dwball]

Hello, I have a ten year old Helix. It has been flawless up until recently. After playing for about an hour or so, the input signal will fade out. After a few hours after shut down, it comes back. I have had it in an authorized Helix repair facility for 3 months for repair. They can’t seem to duplicate the issue. They leave the unit on for hours, but it works fine. Now, they are not playing through the unit for extended periods of time, which seems to create the issue. Has anyone experienced this and found a solution? Any suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!! 

[rd2rk]

Overheating? If your Helix is on a carpet, put it on a hard surface. I use a 12"W x 24"L shelf, but any hard surface that gets it off the carpet will do.

Ask the Service Center if they opened it up and blew out the dust.

[theElevators]

Try a different cable, if applicable.  As silly as it sounds, I have fallen victim to crappy cables and other silliness that caused me to diagnose various intermittent issues and waste countless hours.  

 

Five examples:

1. I have been using a cheap 10-dollar cable with absolutely no issues during rehearsal.  Then at a gig, my volume started fading in and out.  Turns out the tube amplifier was so hot, that the cable was losing signal.  

 

2. I have been using a wireless unit.  I have a receiver and a cable that connects it to the input of the Helix.  Everything was working fine as before, but my acoustic simulator sounds started sounding extremely brittle and had no bottom end whatsoever.  This was the night before the gig.  Well, I swapped out the cable and everything started working correctly.  

 

3. And my absolute favorite one.... I was playing at an outdoor festival.  Everything was fine during a soundcheck.  Everything is great as we start our very dramatic stage entrance.  Then my on-stage amplifier loses sound -- nothing.  I always use the onstage amp for amplification to hear myself, even when I go direct to FOH.  I had no guitar sound and didn't know if the sound was even coming through to FOH.  Frantically I started checking.  Long story short--the cable from the amp to the cabinet was not plugged in all the way and as we started playing, the vibrations caused it to come unplugged.  Luckily, this frantic diagnosis was during our freakout/noise entrance, so not a single note was missed basically....

 

4. I was sound checking at a venue, then all of a sudden the amp just stopped being loud, it was as as if the volume dropped to 1.  Long story short--the CABLE that connects the speaker was not fully plugged in.

 

5. Was practicing keys at home.  And every once in a while I started having my signal fade in and out.. Again!!  Long story short, I needed to clean the output jack of my Nord Electro.  That fixed the problem.  

 

  

 

Now my rule is to throw out "crucial" cables every 2 years or so.  Even if they work, they all will fail after some time.  I also buy expensive reputable cables, not something from the Guitar Center bin.  Last thing I need is to have a fun adventure onstage during an important gig and look like an idiot (been there!)  And of course making sure all the cables are fully plugged in!!

 

 

And lastly, I clean the jacks of all my equipment with liquid DeoxIT.  A lot of time you don't lose the signal completely, just have this "fading out" effect.  Just clean your jacks from time to time!  

 

 

[dwball]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have tried several cables and a wireless Nu-X wireless. I do not use my Helix on carpet either. I opened the unit up and it is virtually dust free and there are no obvious visible issues. The unit will work perfectly for the first set, about 60-75 minutes. Then, it’s hit or miss. The unit starts cutting out then the input drops. After a few hours, it will come back. It’s extremely frustrating and puzzling. The Local Helix authorized repair facility can’t duplicate. The only difference is, they have the unit on, but they are not playing through it for extended time, as if playing at a gig. So they cannot duplicate. Someone has to have experienced this. Thanks for any suggestions. 

[rd2rk]

Go to the source. Open a support ticket and explain the problem and the results of your trip to the repair center.

If you live in the US they'll probably have you send it to them. If not, they'll know what to do.

[jpdennis]

On 2/3/2026 at 4:25 PM, theElevators said:

Now my rule is to throw out "crucial" cables every 2 years or so.  Even if they work, they all will fail after some time.  I also buy expensive reputable cables, not something from the Guitar Center bin.  Last thing I need is to have a fun adventure onstage during an important gig and look like an idiot (been there!)  And of course making sure all the cables are fully plugged in!!

 

 

And lastly, I clean the jacks of all my equipment with liquid DeoxIT.  A lot of time you don't lose the signal completely, just have this "fading out" effect.  Just clean your jacks from time to time!  

 

 

 

theElevators,

 

DeoxIT D5 is my go to for the exact reason you stated.  And I use it for those nasty "I'll replace my potentiometers after this weeks last gig" moments.

 

I have special order cables and two sets on backup,  

 

jpd

 

On 2/4/2026 at 8:42 PM, dwball said:

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have tried several cables and a wireless Nu-X wireless. I do not use my Helix on carpet either. I opened the unit up and it is virtually dust free and there are no obvious visible issues. The unit will work perfectly for the first set, about 60-75 minutes. Then, it’s hit or miss. The unit starts cutting out then the input drops. After a few hours, it will come back. It’s extremely frustrating and puzzling. The Local Helix authorized repair facility can’t duplicate. The only difference is, they have the unit on, but they are not playing through it for extended time, as if playing at a gig. So they cannot duplicate. Someone has to have experienced this. Thanks for any suggestions. 

 

dwball,

 

Have you tested this at your home or practice studio for grins and giggles to check on a known good power circuit?  If so, follow rd2rk's suggestion if this keeps up.

 

I can't remember the component but it will act like a leaking capacitor and give you grief similar to your symptoms.  Or it is the power board in the unit (PSU) which does have capacitors. (https://www.digikey.com then put in the part number ECS65US12)

 

 

 

I am sure you've already backed up your setlists and did a factory reset then restored from backup.  Last question from me, which is probably a YES from you, are you on the latest firmware and HX Edit?

 

Anyway, it can be a real head scratcher.  Good luck,

 

jpd