Line 6 Helix

Cabicular

Here is a later pic when I rebuilt it
stereo Freyettes and two orange 1x12s for onstage
straight into the desk for FOH
https://flic.kr/p/HTQskg

guitarfishbay

Drew_TNBD said:

Has anyone had any issues using SPDIF on OSX?

I don't think it's the Helix doing anything wrong in all honesty, I think the drivers for the Focusrite Scarlett are just being a bit shitty with my computer, because every now and then it'll drop the connection. But what's happening is when I have the Scarlett as the clock master, I get clicks in the SPDIF signal. When I have the Helix as the clock master the clicks disappear, but the Scarlett will lose sync every 10-15minutes or so. Kind of annoying, and not 100% sure how to address.

Is there a setting on the Helix for external clock and are you using it when using the Scarlett as master?

Drew_TNBD

guitarfishbay said:

Drew_TNBD said:

Has anyone had any issues using SPDIF on OSX?

I don't think it's the Helix doing anything wrong in all honesty, I think the drivers for the Focusrite Scarlett are just being a bit shitty with my computer, because every now and then it'll drop the connection. But what's happening is when I have the Scarlett as the clock master, I get clicks in the SPDIF signal. When I have the Helix as the clock master the clicks disappear, but the Scarlett will lose sync every 10-15minutes or so. Kind of annoying, and not 100% sure how to address.

Is there a setting on the Helix for external clock and are you using it when using the Scarlett as master?

Nope. Just sample-rate as far as I can tell.

Weird thing is, it works much more smoothly on my Windows partition. I just set the Scarlett to be master, and I don't get any problems.

Cabicular

I think the rack version has a clock out

Drew_TNBD

Drew_TNBD said:

Has anyone had any issues using SPDIF on OSX?

I don't think it's the Helix doing anything wrong in all honesty, I think the drivers for the Focusrite Scarlett are just being a bit shitty with my computer, because every now and then it'll drop the connection. But what's happening is when I have the Scarlett as the clock master, I get clicks in the SPDIF signal. When I have the Helix as the clock master the clicks disappear, but the Scarlett will lose sync every 10-15minutes or so. Kind of annoying, and not 100% sure how to address.

I got this sorted. Basically my graphics card was throttling itself and dropping the power, causing my system to experience DPC spiking. I had to disable NVIDIA PowerMizer, and all is well now.

Drew_TNBD

welshboyo

Drew_TNBD said:

Does his Mum know he's missing homework to make this video?

welshboyo

OK, serious head back on..

There is nothing between these units..

Teetonetal

He should have recorded a dry track to his daw and then re-ampped. It's so easy to do with Helix.... oh.

Moltisanti

HELIX vs AX8 comparison in case anyone's interested, the conclusion pretty much follows what I have read too 

BintyTwanger77

Maybe I do need a Helix in my life after all.

Drew_TNBD

@Digital_Igloo - hey dude, so the only thing really that is not quite ideal for me in the Helix currently is the reverse delay. It doesn't sound as I'd expect, and I'm unsure whether this is a bug or not. Checkout this clip if you get a chance:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/630473/TimelineREVERSE_versus_HelixREVERSE.mp3?dl

It goes Timeline, Helix, Helix, Timeline, Timeline, Helix, Helix.

You can hear that there is some sort of buffer read strangeness going on with the Helix model, as towards the tail of the delay it starts to sound more like a regular forwards delay. You don't get the nice gooey congealed mess that the Timeline gives you, where it sounds like your whole phrase is being reversed constantly, which is expected behaviour imho.

The Helix sounds decent in it's initial phase, but then when it hits it's mid-phase it starts to lose the reversed character. I can't achieve the tone that I use with the Helix reverse right now, which is a dammmmnnn shame if you ask me!

Thoughts??

fretmeister

welshboyo said:

OK, serious head back on..

There is nothing between these units..

Unless you need 2 completely different paths with different amps.

Teetonetal

fretmeister said: 

welshboyo said:

OK, serious head back on..

There is nothing between these units..

Unless you need 2 completely different paths with different amps.

Or an audio interface.

John_A

In terms of the sound they produce I still her some axe fx clips that make me go 'wow' but the Helix really is the full package.  I've gone from a plexi and a pedal board that weighs a ton and there's no doubt at all in my mind the helix sounds better.  

Add to that it weighs a tenth of my old rig, my direct sound is superb and the programming is a piece of cake it's an amazing get piece of kit.  Still haven't recorded with it or used 10 % of its capability either!

Sporky

From listening to the various comparison clips there are some where I slightly prefer the AX8. But I reckon a comb filter on the Helix would match that sound exactly. In other places the Helix had a really nice "rawwwr" that the AX8 lacked. Pretty small differences either way sound-wise.

And as g66 couldn't be arsed putting me on the waiting list for an AxeFX a few years back, Fractal can stuff off. If they ever deign to have a UK stockist I might reconsider, but if they don't want me in their club that's fine. I don't really understand that business model - you have to beg to be allowed to buy one?

Digital_Igloo

Drew_TNBD said:

Thoughts??

It's on the docket for one of our DSP guys to check out.

John_A

That metal comparison was really good and I agree with everything he said, I have a helix but do think the AX8 has a very slight edge in sound, but it's so slight that the rest of the features in the Helix more than compensate for me.  

Drew_TNBD

Digital_Igloo said:

Drew_TNBD said:

Thoughts??

It's on the docket for one of our DSP guys to check out.

Lovely, cheers!

fretmeister

Drew_TNBD said:

Digital_Igloo said:

Drew_TNBD said:

Thoughts??

It's on the docket for one of our DSP guys to check out.

Lovely, cheers!

Is that just after the bass drive pedals are done?