Line 6 Helix Tips #1 - Gain Staging 

Thank you soooo much for this video, it has so help my sound extremely well! especially through FOH/IEM! I my self am kicking me self for not doing this since first got me Helix. I am now creating awesome patches for live gigs, my helix all of a sudden has come alive and very amp like/responsive. I have also increased the sampling rate to 96khz, a better sampling rate for a non clipping signal means better sound over all, also a plus improvement. thank you!

Extremely useful tip. Along with the correct definition of input and output levels, the correct gain balance is decisive for a good tone. thank you

this is a convenient way, but actually isn't ideal for leveling presets IF getting the highest signal to noise ratio is desired & trying to get close to unity gain across a system ( esp a pro recording system). The bypassed guitar isn't Helix's nominal level, it can handle much more as it was designed to do. There are indeed couple blocks that need attention regarding this in Helix, but it's typically not easy to internally create clipping from block to block (with most blocks). It's better to build presets focused so that they are the same output level overall (as close as possible to clipping the next input), not simply if bypassed is equal to enabled. Doing it that way can... not always, but can... rob you of valuable headroom the board or recorder etc can use to give cleaner signal. It's more important for recording, but might as well have em all set up the same whether live or recording to maximize system headroom. Of course if using the Digi Delay, set it as stated here, but then make sure the output is high enough to alllllmost clip the next devices input, just like all other presets should be. :)

You explain things so well Aaron, great job done again.

Thanks for this...have been having some clipping issues w/ my patches, found this very helpful. Also appreciate the relative brevity of your vids!

Aaron, I understand Global Settings "Line Out" to an actual amp. But I thought that when going XLR direct to a PA mixer you use "Mic Out," because the mixer is looking for a mic level signal from the XLR inputs. If going 1/4" out to a DI box, and THEN to the mixer, you would use Line Out signal, and the DI coverts it to Mic level; for the XLR out.

Hi Aaron, I've just tried your advice and I have a couple of problems with the information you've given and I'm not stating it here to demerit your work but a lot of what is said (and not said) here is either wrong or misleading. In the context of not using too much gain, you say that Helix Native "wants to see a line level" but line level is a higher gain signal than instrument level. There's no reason for Line6 to program their software to perform best at anything other than instrument level because it's intended to be used with instruments that (generally) output instrument levels. Also for an instrument interface, the main DI port will be an instrument level input and leaving the knob at zero won't change it to line level because it's only a potentiometer (and again line level > instrument level). You've probably said this because it appears you're using the line out from your Helix Floor going to another the line which is then connected to your computer but this doesn't make sense when you could just plug directly into the USB interface at instrument level as adding layers of AD/DA converters isn't going to help your sound. To quote a direct source, the 'Line 6 Helix Native Quickstart' guide on youtube says to "set your interface to instrument level or hi-z rather than line level" and to adjust the gain knob on your interface such that it "is not peaking". You also recommend keeping unity gain between the patch output gain and the dry signal gain by adjusting the channel volume on the amp model but the channel volume on an amplifier is still part of the vacuum tube gain circuit which will distort and sag under load which then affects the tone depending on how it is set (eg high channel volume, and low master volume vs low channel volume and high master volume) and as modelling software, the Helix line is programmed to emulate this. On the other hand, if someone does follow all the advice stated here then they'll find that at the volume at the end of the entire signal path will need to be maxed out to hear anything. Additionally, there's a possibility that any recorded signals will not generate any waveforms in the DAW because the input is too low and tracks added from other sources will need to be lowered by up to 20dB to match the interface level. At this point the signal to noise ratio towards the end of the signal path (either interface, models, monitors, amp, mixer PA FRFR cab etc) will be horrendous. We have multiple volume and gain controls and almost every step of the signal path for this reason and they should be adjusted from the beginning (ie the interface input) If I've misunderstood what you've said or made a mistake then please let me know..

This is great for any floor unit like this.. nice to find you! Thanks

Thanks for putting this out. I have commented on numerous posts about this and I'm sure there will be plenty more in the future. Having this as a quick clearly explained resource will save me some typing and in the end be more clear than a bunch of words.

This is very, very usefull. How do you connect your monitor speakers? Out of Focusrite?

Thanks for the tip. Still I have a question. On the video, you turned down ‘Ch. Vol.’, right? If turned down ‘Master’, would it be the same?

Great Tip! Although I have one question. I saw a guy doing the same and he applied the same principle to other blocks. However, If you are using an overdrive in front of an amp in order to push the amp, do you have to apply this tip too? It kinda make not much sense, since you are putting the overdrive to boost the amp, extra volume is somehow expected.

Explained very well. Thank you.

So at the mixer where do I want DB to be at? Close to 0? At my loudest? I’ve read other claim it’s best to stay at -15db or so. But isn’t the goal is to get as close to zero without going into the red?

Hi, thank you for the video, so along the line of this, is there a way that i can set a global level on my helix so when im going into a pa or mixer it every patch comes the same volume, for example my acoustic patch is quiter, if i bring the gains any higher it affects the quality of tone, but then when i switch to electric patches with my electric guitar, it blows my ears out. (For lack of better explanation) i want to have some volume control by way of stomp boost, but thats about it

hi man one question - does your 1.4'' line out sound worse than using XLR out? Mine is like a bit brighter even if i use a DI box at home whereas the XLR mic out sounds as if it had some EQ/polishing at the end to make it sound fuller and nicer. I'm running mono patches into multi out and even if i compare the two sounds i can hear differences. thx

With the last update , clipping can be controlled on the led screen

Couple more questions. When you play the guitar with no blocks added, where is that volume coming from? The only way i seem to be able to alter my volume when running through logic is with my actual guitar volume knob. And also gain staging, i know the blocks sometimes are way higher so need bringing down but what if the block is a lot quieter? Does that need gain matching too and bringing up?

is it normal that i get an recording level at about -42 dB when using the hx stomp with a single coil pickup? i think it is strange that i would have to add +20 dB at the output block all the time to get to a "normal" level.

Thanks Aaron. So the XLR out to PA is set to line. Would the 1/4” to a QSC monitor be set to line also?

Can you give me your signal chain into logic? I also use the helix floor and logic. Using the helix as the interface and bypassing my UAD apollo interface works fine but i can’t seem to get it to work by running it through the interface and thats what i want to do ideally.

So how does it work for lead patches that you want louder than everything else? You need at least 6db to get over the band live.

great info thanks

Thanks man. Great video. I go with my helix direct to foh, big knob is on 1/4 inch, Xlr on mic, input on line and for my ears that is the best. But when i want to do the same thing like in video put down amp chanel level, dist level, comp level...is my input on guitar or on line and which block go to volume down to be like buypass, every block or only amp, comp, dist? What I do with EQ? The same thing level down? Thanks man.

Good stuff, bro.

Wait - I thought if your output was set to 'Line', then turning your volume knob on the Helix would have zero effect.

What if you use Powercab 112+ with L6 link cable? How do you feed it with enough signal, to get the yellow light to be turned on?

Should I use headphones when I do gain staging?

ΗΙ ! I think adjusting the AMP volume according to the guitar signal volume is totally wrong and doesn't happen to any of the helix factory presets.

I don't get it... Why do you have to match the amp volume with the completely dry signal? What if you want the amp louder?

A couple of things: you are asking people to really critically listen for changes in a tone, but you don’t mute your vocal mic, which picks up your raw pick attack on the strings and makes any critical listening pointless. Please in future mute your vocal mic when playing. Also, there is a 32 bit floating point architecture in Helix so what you call digital clipping is much more likely to be digital artifacts that are amplified by too hot a signal chain , rather than clipping (which sounds very different to what you are trying to demonstrate).

This video needs to be linked in the manual.

Just say no to digital clipping :)