troubleshoot Helix Floor - Send/Return FX Loops not True Bypass?

[rmbecker23]

So I bought the helix to replace a bunch of pedals but I really wanted to keep a couple. I have routed the Greer Lightspeed overdrive and the strymon big sky into FX loops 1 and 2. 

 

For some reason, even when I click off the actual pedals but maintain the FX loop engaged, the tone is different. I lose bottom end and it becomes more scooped sounding. This loss of bottom end and slightly different tone is noticeable when I kick the pedals back on. I'm using GL patch cables that are well made.

 

The big sky is just a reverb that should not change the tone of the guitar at all.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? Or could you test it out to see if you notice it?

 

I used to use a Boss ES-8 loop switcher so this technically should be no different in terms of the tone I am hearing now vs then.

[silverhead]

Overdrive pedal are typically placed very early in the signal chain. If it’s not problematic try placing the overdrive pedal before the Helix, between your guitar and Helix, and removing FX Loop 1. 

[rd2rk]

Gain pedals are inherently noisy.

The HX FX Loop adds a small amount of noise.

The inherently noisy gain pedal amplifies that noise.

Put gain pedals between the guitar and Helix.

If you MUST put a gain pedal in an FX Loop, use a Helix FS or Snapshot to bypass the FX Loop, rather than the pedal FS.

[theElevators]

Check and play around with the effects loops volume settings.  It can be driving the rest of your chain too much, hence change of sound, especially with drive pedals.  So experiment with different signal levels.  Otherwise, yes, I can confirm that the effects loops are not "true bypass", and they can introduce all sorts of noise.  Tone Master Pro has 2 analog "fuzz friendly" effects loop, but Helix doesn't have such a thing.  For example, I tried rolling off the volume knob on the guitar, and it sounded noisy and hissy when my distortion pedal was in the loop, but fine when it was before the processor. 

 

Helix has a ton of stuff, so there really is no reason to use external pedals, IMO.  Helix has everything, and you can tweak things and A/B them so you can sell your physical pedals.  There are a few exceptions, such as some of those really esoteric glitchy time-based pedals, but the whole point of using the Helix is to ditch your existing physical pedals/wah/amp, etc.  It's most likely already there.  

 

Anyway, to check the volume level of effects loops:

• Press MENU
• Go to Global Settings
• Navigate to Ins/Outs
• Find:
  • Send/Return Type

 

[rmbecker23]

On 4/7/2026 at 8:03 AM, theElevators said:

Check and play around with the effects loops volume settings.  It can be driving the rest of your chain too much, hence change of sound, especially with drive pedals.  So experiment with different signal levels.  Otherwise, yes, I can confirm that the effects loops are not "true bypass", and they can introduce all sorts of noise.  Tone Master Pro has 2 analog "fuzz friendly" effects loop, but Helix doesn't have such a thing.  For example, I tried rolling off the volume knob on the guitar, and it sounded noisy and hissy when my distortion pedal was in the loop, but fine when it was before the processor. 

 

Helix has a ton of stuff, so there really is no reason to use external pedals, IMO.  Helix has everything, and you can tweak things and A/B them so you can sell your physical pedals.  There are a few exceptions, such as some of those really esoteric glitchy time-based pedals, but the whole point of using the Helix is to ditch your existing physical pedals/wah/amp, etc.  It's most likely already there.  

 

Anyway, to check the volume level of effects loops:

• Press MENU
• Go to Global Settings
• Navigate to Ins/Outs
• Find:
  • Send/Return Type

 

 

Noted. Thanks for this explanation. In the global settings, the only menu item I see for Send/Return is Instrument/Line. I'm not seeing anything about volume of FX loops. 

 

And I hear you on the Helix being versatile enough to replace all pedals but that Lightspeed overdrive is an incredible pedal that I'd love to not lose. It also is a pretty subtle pedal. Not noisy and pretty transparent. 

[rmbecker23]

On 4/6/2026 at 11:48 PM, rd2rk said:

Gain pedals are inherently noisy.

The HX FX Loop adds a small amount of noise.

The inherently noisy gain pedal amplifies that noise.

Put gain pedals between the guitar and Helix.

If you MUST put a gain pedal in an FX Loop, use a Helix FS or Snapshot to bypass the FX Loop, rather than the pedal FS.

I'm not sure if I fully understand. I have the overdrive pedal (which is not noisy at all btw) in a FX Loop. I added the Send/return FX Loop 1 block into my signal chain after my compressor. I assigned a footswitch to it so I can turn it on off and control it using Snapshots too. Thats my dream scenario so I don't have to manually click the pedal on and off.

 

But even with doing that, the tone changes when I engaged the FX Loop.

[rmbecker23]

On 4/6/2026 at 7:59 PM, silverhead said:

Overdrive pedal are typically placed very early in the signal chain. If it’s not problematic try placing the overdrive pedal before the Helix, between your guitar and Helix, and removing FX Loop 1. 

Yeah the FX Loop is right after my compressor in the Helix signal chain. I am planning on midi automating the pedalboard switches with ableton so I don't have to do any foot dancing on stage. So ideally these pedal areintegrated into the Helix so I don't have to manually click them on and off. 

[jpdennis]

On 4/6/2026 at 1:21 PM, rmbecker23 said:

So I bought the helix to replace a bunch of pedals but I really wanted to keep a couple. I have routed the Greer Lightspeed overdrive and the strymon big sky into FX loops 1 and 2. 

 

rmbecker23,

 

Maybe I missed it, what amp are you using?

 

jpd