Helix - "in between songs" mode for live guitar/vocal use?

Trude

Hi Helixperts

 I'm considering a Helix as an all-in-one guitar and vocal effects solution.  Before I make the leap, I'm wondering if the following config would be possible:

• Set up the expression pedal so that full heel-down position will activate the tuner and mute the guitar signal
• Have all vocal FX bypass at the same time, so in between songs I can chat to the crowd without any effects on my voice.  I don't want to press a separate switch to do this.
• Whilst in the heel-down mode, I'd like to be able to select a different patch/snapshot/combination of stomp effects so I'm ready to go into the next song as soon as I push the expression pedal down again.
• An exception to the above is when I have a different expression effect engaged (most commonly this will be wah).  I want to use heel-down here without it going into mute/tuner mode as I'll occasionally be hitting the end of the wah sweep whilst playing

 Has anyone tried something like this?

Cirrus

No, the tuner can only be activated by pressing and holding the tap tempo button. I think you could probably engage it with a midi command too, along with the other stuff, with a 3rd party controller, but the thing about MIDI is that nobody in their right mind tries to work out how to do something with it unless they absolutely have to... 


Re; the other q's, I don't think so. You could make it so that the exp pedal bypass switch bypasses lots of things at once, but then you'd be doing that at max. volume. You could also set up a "between song" snapshot on whatever patches you use, but then, you'd need to press one button for that, and it wouldn't activate the tuner.

John_A

Trude said:

Hi Helixperts

 I'm considering a Helix as an all-in-one guitar and vocal effects solution.  Before I make the leap, I'm wondering if the following config would be possible:

• Set up the expression pedal so that full heel-down position will activate the tuner and mute the guitar signal
• Have all vocal FX bypass at the same time, so in between songs I can chat to the crowd without any effects on my voice.  I don't want to press a separate switch to do this.
• Whilst in the heel-down mode, I'd like to be able to select a different patch/snapshot/combination of stomp effects so I'm ready to go into the next song as soon as I push the expression pedal down again.
• An exception to the above is when I have a different expression effect engaged (most commonly this will be wah).  I want to use heel-down here without it going into mute/tuner mode as I'll occasionally be hitting the end of the wah sweep whilst playing

 Has anyone tried something like this?

1 Dont think so, but theres a dedicated tuner button
2 Yes, you can assign the mix of all vocal effects to drop right down using the expression pedal
3 Yes, you can sect a new patch and be ready to go
4 Yes, the function of the expression pedal is set at snapshot level

Trude

Thanks guys

If I simplify be dropping the expression pedal idea, can it bypass vocal effects when I engage the tuner via the tap tempo button?

sgosden

not answering your questions -  but I achieve some by having a tuner with mute function before the input.

John_A

Trude said:

Thanks guys

If I simplify be dropping the expression pedal idea, can it bypass vocal effects when I engage the tuner via the tap tempo button?

Yes, it's not 100% straightforward though.  You can configure FS12 (the tuner switch) to send a midi CC message to control just about any parameter you like such as the vocal effects, but you will need a midi patch cable from the out to the in on the Helix.

There really isnt much it can't do

Trude

John_A said:

Yes, it's not 100% straightforward though.  You can configure FS12 (the tuner switch) to send a midi CC message to control just about any parameter you like such as the vocal effects, but you will need a midi patch cable from the out to the in on the Helix.

There really isnt much it can't do

Ah, right - so I'd basically have to sacrifice any other MIDI usage if I wanted to do this?  Or I guess I could route through any other MIDI gear and back into the Helix to control those other devices and still send the FS12 command back to the Helix?  I'm a bit of a MIDI luddite, but just thinking of where this could lead once I get my feet wet...

John_A

Yep if the 'other' device has a through (Helix doesnt) you'll be fine.  Much easier way would be just to hit 2 footswitches, one to turn of vocal effects and one to mute/activate tuner, but the midi 'trick' will get it to do what you want

robinbowes

Trude said:

Ah, right - so I'd basically have to sacrifice any other MIDI usage if I wanted to do this?  

MIDI thru boxes are relatively cheap, should you need to go down that route.

R.

Trude

John_A said:

Yep if the 'other' device has a through (Helix doesnt) you'll be fine.  Much easier way would be just to hit 2 footswitches, one to turn of vocal effects and one to mute/activate tuner, but the midi 'trick' will get it to do what you want

So then I'm looking at one long press and a short press on a separate button to get what I'm after.  I think that would be too much of a hassle at the end of every song, when I'm poised to deliver some quick winning repartee on the adoring audience!

I guess the MIDI cable solution is my best bet here.

Looks like Line 6 provided the basic tools, but didn't really look at the use case of singing guitarists as a specific goal when they designed the software.  This is something that other units like the TC "Play" and Boss VE800 seem to have sorted, because I think in those the tuner and vocal FX bypass are inherently linked, which is exactly what you want.  The TC "Play" units also have ambient mics to help deliver a complete IEM mix, which is a great idea.  I need better quality and more control on the guitar FX side though, so haven't considered them as a serious option.

John_A

Just had a quick sqiz at the manual and you can use a midi CC message to turn the tuner on/off as well so the midi cable solution or a dedicated external one button midi controller would be your best option, unless someone chips in with a better way

Trude

John_A said:

Just had a quick sqiz at the manual and you can use a midi CC message to turn the tuner on/off as well so the midi cable solution or a dedicated external one button midi controller would be your best option, unless someone chips in with a better way

Ah, cool!  That would also mean I could do that via an onboard button, via a single tap (ie not via the long-hold of FS12)?  Long-hold tuners annoy me, especially when I need to do a quick guitar change.  It'd be worth sacrificing one button to get tuner & vocal FX bypass in a single hit.

robinbowes

Trude said:

John_A said:

Just had a quick sqiz at the manual and you can use a midi CC message to turn the tuner on/off as well so the midi cable solution or a dedicated external one button midi controller would be your best option, unless someone chips in with a better way

Ah, cool!  That would also mean I could do that via an onboard button, via a single tap (ie not via the long-hold of FS12)?  Long-hold tuners annoy me, especially when I need to do a quick guitar change.  It'd be worth sacrificing one button to get tuner & vocal FX bypass in a single hit.

Maybe use an external footswitch to do it? Possibly even a MIDI switch?

R.

PolarityMan

Do you need the tuner to tune between every song? If not then it simplifies things alot and you could get one footswith to mute guitar output and bypass vocal effects and then a long press for tuner if/when you need it.

Trude

PolarityMan said:

Do you need the tuner to tune between every song? If not then it simplifies things alot and you could get one footswith to mute guitar output and bypass vocal effects and then a long press for tuner if/when you need it.

Probably not, but for those times when I do need to tune, I definitely want the vocal FX bypass as well.  So, I think that's the limiting factor.

And yes, I have on occasion tried to address the audience with a chipmunks-style high harmony still on my voice, and I did look a bit of a twat! 

Trude

robinbowes said:

Maybe use an external footswitch to do it? Possibly even a MIDI switch?

R.

Yeah, could do.  Part of the appeal of Helix is having one box to do everything though.

Roland

True, but sometimes it’s better not to sacrifice one of the Helix’s buttons. Faced with this problem in the days of the GT-8 I chose to use an external button. It saved a functional button, and was easier to hit.