Setting Up Your Line 6 Helix For The Absolute Best Results | Create A Great Tone

[@12askerr]

Your videos are so helpful, I've had my helix for years and I always learn new stuff watching your videos. Thank you so much for taking the time to help us all out.

[@Rocksteady176]

Thank you Jason. After 1.5 years, I am still learning my Helix and you just pointed out a lot of good tippers.

[@robertf1309]

Watching your videos today has me sold on getting a Helix

[@sjsphotog]

You won't be sorry. It's not just the Helix. It's the amazing community with so many free presets out the from amazing players like Jason and Paul Hindmarch, Johnny Lee, and so many others and the groups online to help you with any issue or question you have. And ask the free updates that the ad so much more each time.!!! Amazing customer support as well.

[@Kramp6969]

Holly crap. I never looked at the input/output before. I'm using monitors and switched the output to line and what a difference. Thank you so much.

[@everettguy7070]

I came back to watch this again and now learned you can send part of the signal chain to different places like stage monitor or front of house using a send block and you can put that send block anywhere in the sig path...then (wait there is more..lol) or you can split the path anywhere and send somewhere else to do same thing...holy cow, the sky is the limit. How long did it take to figure this out is what I am glad I didnt have to go thru before I seen this. Amazing video as always bro. Thanks again!

[@philipcandella3064]

So glad I rewatched this. I’m using a FRFR at home. I bought a DI to avoid the sound guy saying sorry I thought I had phantom off. I originally had my 1/4 to instrument then the direct box. The life got sucked out of it. I went back to setting the 1/4 to line then the Di a little more life. I may even set my xlr to line & just go with that. Thanks so much for helping us use this great too. I’m using your Soldano preset love it.

[@artytoney2057]

Want to thank you so much for this , I'm new to helix and I have a few different scenarios of how ill be using it from my regular amp to a.power cab or frfr speaker and really needed this help.

[@chuckm9603]

I love the Helix Floor and Power Cab+ which I have had about a year and have made a few presets that I like and sound really good, really have just barely scratched the surface but there are days when I just like too plug my guitar directly into my 65DRRI and just play. the best of both worlds. Thanks Jason for the great info.

[@victorventura1006]

I like the setting " Send to Amp " for monitoring, but the sound of Helix go to front House P.A. where i can see this video explain ? I love this Video find today. Regards from Portugal

[@griffinmik]

As always ... great video. You do an amazing job of explaining things clearly.

[@JasonSadites]

Thanks so much Mike!

[@richjohnson6817]

Hey Jason, have you ever thought about a biamp scenario? Using the Helix and a tube amp in a biamp config? Running mono out of the Helix into a separate power amp and then taking an output of a separate preamp and using that signal into the poweramp and creating two distinct sounds. Say my Triaxis pre amp into my 50/50 power amp and using the Helix biamped to it.

[@retorgere3718]

Jason I was at to thank for your videos . So informative. Helped me a lot with 4 CM and so many things . Thanks again

[@everettguy7070]

This was a great video. I have been wanting to use my amp for the power and by pass the preamp...i never fully understood it till now. I am on my way to having a good sound at gigs. ...😁. I got a few more things to learn on set up stuff...Thanks for the info!

[@pauljsmith2113]

I'm doing a variation of the last idea, the split outputs. I run my full signal chain to an XLR out, then split off another path just before the speaker cab with only the room verb at the end which goes to the 1/4" out. The XLR full signal goes to my interface (or FOH live), and the 1/4" goes to the power amp in on a combo amp. This gives me the full signal to recording, and everything except the cab block for the amp-in-the-room monitor. All of my presets for both guitar and bass are set up this way. Works great for me. I, too, never thought to look at the outputs in the global settings. Fortunately, everything there is correct. I was NOT looking forward to changing all my levels again. Great video, Jason.

[@jodecaesteker]

Great video, clear explanation and the Jason Sadites style, what do we need more? Did I read that right that you always put the volume knob on its maximum? (The side note around 7:55)...

[@mikemanchisi1805]

Jason you are seriously the best!

[@jonathanrebecca6498]

Thank you for this video. I've learned a lot. Just wondering if you can provide us the link for your other indepth video on the 4CM that you mentionned at 9:11, it will be nice.

[@troyeggers2939]

Thanks. I have a mission Gemini 2 and things are not sounding good. I will try some of these things to correct

[@Roland-Bach]

Hi Jason, great video. I've a Helix and buyed a Catalyst. Whats the best way to connect with Helix ? Thanks

[@andrewbutcher3391]

This is a brilliant video thanks Jason. First time anyone has explained why you make these settings...that I know of.....👍

[@XOrionFE]

Great video. I am using Helix with a Kemper in 4CM. Have to go double check my Send/return settings now...

[@sjsphotog]

good techie stuff as always JS. you rock. Im sure many dont understand how to properly setup their Helix for best souds, especially if they bought it used off of CL or EB and it was all messed up in the global settings by the previous owner. Always a good idea to do a global reset to factory settings if you buy used gear :)

[@markweaver3752]

Bit confused on 4 cable method as described .. I select the fx loop so I can get my amp sound but use some amp models (no cabs) for my clean amp sounds and helix fx .. I find the speaker sim or IRS even through my laney frfr1/12 really muddy the effects and if I dial out the low cut they really get lost 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

[@mb93111]

Great video. I'm getting one soon and I was wondering if besides the headphones should I test the tone through my amp or through my Pa speaker? I have a Fender champion 100 add an Electro Voice zlx with a 12 and a horn in it

[@gangrenebob7281]

Great video Jason. I wouldn't mind some global output clarification on FoH though....any reader comments welcomed. Right now I read online that mixers like MIC level, not LINE from Helix...is this correct? But maybe it depends which port the helix runs into on the mixer and cable choice? 1) Helix direct to mixer using either XLR or 1/4 depending on available ports (venues have big mixers with lots of free XLR, garage bands might have 3-4 XLR all used for vocals so guitars have to use one of the free 1/4 hybrid ports on a small mixer). Then I use IEM. 2) another common one, helix out to a various sized mixer with another cable to FRFR, again both using 1/4, or maybe XLR to mixer/AES to FRFR, or maybe 1/4 to both mixer and FRFR. I come across all of these depending on where I jam. I carry a selection of cables when I show up. Have to really. It gets confusing with cable selection leaving the Helix because you can use 1/4 XLR or AES. I can't say I've really looked into which cable selection is even preferred if they had to ranked from best setup to least preferred. Maybe using all 1/4 is best, or all XLR? No idea really. I just have everything on hand to make it work being proactive for a location setup. Again this is all for live band various situations. Love to get comments on this.

[@pablovillegasMD]

Thank you so much for all your videos. How would you connect a Heil Talk box? All I know is that I use to connect it between the Amp and the cabinet of my Amp (not virtual) and that it is a passive drive.

[@bobmitchell1970]

If only this video was 8 seconds shorter! ;) As always, amazing content!

[@linoleum1979]

Jason, great videos and very informative! Question. Can in 4cm one easily switch between standard 4cm using amp channel with stomp for effects in front of amp and in fx loop, AND using a preamp in the stomp and bypassing the preamp in your tube amp? Seems most videos describe 4cm for actual amp and stomp effects only, and dont address using stomp preamp/amp modeler. Thanks!

[@akfortyfo7024]

Just set up 4cm like in one of jason’s other videos then assign a stomp switch to bypass the send/return blocks. Assign a preamp block to turn on when the send/return blocks turn off. That way your guitar goes straight through the helix’s preamp block to the poweramp in / fx return on your amp.

[@djkolcun]

What types of devices expect Instrument vs Line outputs (5:48)?

[@RapttorX]

he explains exactly that in the video

[@djkolcun]

RapttorX yes, I was a bit premature with my question. Thanks.

[@kickinit333]

Great video. Thanks.

[@danfrankum6233]

Nice Canuck shirt.

[@stevelamm2366]

Say you're playing in a quieter setting (like a church service) - going out of the Helix XLR into the house PA using the "line level" setting might be too hot for that scenario unless you want that volume level. Or would you suggest just doing a level cut with a gain/volume block, or using the 10db pad on the PA channel receiving the Helix signal? I have been using the Mic level on the XLR outs, otherwise and sound man has to have my channel volume level too far below unity gain. Also, do you always have your Helix volume all the way up when playing live? I'm also curious as to how the "guitar pad" setting affects the quality of the signal.

[@johnbeamon]

Most house PA systems accept Mic level signals by default. Microphones go into Mic preamps, which boost them to Line level. Mics in front of guitar amps send Mic level to the board. Line level is for driving a powered system directly; Mic level is for feeding a board that goes into a powered system. The Global Input Pad is a pad around -6db, designed to mimic the Hi/Lo input jacks of a two-jack amplifier. Different people use it or don't use it. I have commercial presets from different vendors whose FAQs give opposite instructions for pad. I've had mine On, at other people's recommendation, for a long time, but I'm getting tired of fighting for clarity. I'm about to turn pad Off and recalibrate. My Volume knob is not attached to my FOH send. It's assigned to a monitor-only feed in Global Settings. When FOH asks if I can turn down or turn up, I say it's a fixed Mic Level out on this end and they need to adjust trim. When a listener says I'm too loud or too quiet, I refer them to FOH. My advice: reserving fiddle room for yourself comes with you being blamed for fiddling. It's not my job to mix.

[@stevelamm2366]

@@johnbeamon Thanks John. I played thru my Helix last Sunday and discovered that the FOH gain on my channel was way up at +15db! I had the tech lower it so he could get closer to unity gain on the slider. I also changed back to a mic level output. I'll try bypassing the main volume knob for FOH and put responsibility for the entire level on the sound man. I have my own monitor on stage.

[@phillipzabala3992]

Jason, so I am using both my 1/4 outputs to going into my audiobox 1/4 in left and right into my studio monitors. Just to clarify I should be using “line” instead “instrument” ?

[@jasonking4899]

Hi Jason.... I'm in two minds to upgrade to GT1000 or Helix lt.... getting there. But I think the GT is the one for me.... Bur can you tell me if for example..... can I have say 4 OD's, 4 EQ's 4RV's etc etc any where in the chain. Your help would be much appreciated...

[@wesleyleftguitar567]

Hello!Man, my Helix on the headphone like interface, sounds terrible!😢I don’t know why….thank you!👍🙏

[@gauravlama2079]

Greetings from India 🙏 I absolutely love your videos, I am new to Helix and I wanted to know how to set a tone like John petrucci along with his Delay tricks, but the problem I had was the noise issues when I kept my volume knob on 9o'clock, it was fine but as soon as I raised the volume knob to 12 o'clock, there was this huge noise even after adding a Horizon gate in front, How should I make my tones on Gain setting aswell as volume knob level settings ?? On low mid or maximum? I totally got lost here, Please help 🙏

[@devinj]

So for something like an Orange pedal baby you would do line level?

[@curefan28]

Nice helpful video! You may also want to cover the USB connection. When you do this the Helix becomes an audio device option on your PC. I actually use my Helix LT as the audio device at all times, not just playing or recording. I found it drives my studio monitors (also acting as my computer speakers) way better than the PC motherboard audio device.

[@JasonSadites]

Thanks! I have covered the USB audio interface in great depth in another series called Helix In The Studio...

[@mijlaid]

I assume AES link Out is basically line out? Do you you the AES out in any scenarios?

[@gregschwimer2089]

Have you found a way to separate the preamp & power section in the amp models such that you can swap out different preamps? For example, it would be cool to put a Cali Rectifire pre with the power section of a Tweed Blues Nrm, bypassing the pre of the power section of course.

[@nathanmontover1436]

awesome and informative as always!!

[@MrArpo75]

Using my Helix LT with my headphones 🎧 which method should I used ?

[@ptortland]

Great “cut to the chase” video. I’m using a Line 6 PowerCab with my Helix Floor & PodGo. Based on your video, it seems like I should be going Line out from the 1/4” to the PowerCab, not Instrument, right? But when going XLR out direct to FOH @ church I would use Mic level?

[@hlyangel1]

Ok big help thanks 🙏

[@Music.is.my.Fuel.]

Very usefull! Thanks Jason

[@Bigglesx1]

Hi Jason Thanks for making this video's. I think a lot of us are going to buy one i'm certainly do thanks to your video's. So i'm gonne make a call with Line 6 to upgrade your bank account. 🤣 Keep up the good work and again many thanks.

[@johnschober4008]

For 4CM you say the amp return should be line level, is that a Helix specific thing as if I had say a standard delay pedal in the loop and bypassed it , wouldn't that be an instrument level signal?

[@Widdy5150]

Great video but I have a question.... If you use 4cm & run helix out to a mixer & pa speakers via XLR, what settings would you advice please? Thank you 👍🏼

[@paulcurran4282]

Usually line, unless you are using a specific instrument channel on the mixer

[@yigallevit7121]

Great video once again. Thank you!

[@nathanmontover1436]

So I just bought an Orange Crush Pro 120h and decided to see what happened when I simply put the Helix into the front of the amp. Without thinking I left the amp and cab blocks on and it sounded killer! Then I thought to turn off the amp and cabs because that's what the internet said t do :) The sound was uninteresting and anemic. So now I simply run the Ubersonic amp block through two 4x12 amp blocks and various effects in the Helix and it sounds really good running through the head and a 2x12 marshall cab. I'm wondering why? Is it because this is a solid state amp? Is there a better way or is there something I might be missing? It seems hard to imagine that I could get a better sound turning off the amp and cab blocks but I'm new to using this with an amp. However, if it really is this easy to get suburb tones from a Helix with a real amp I'm wondering why the straight in method isn't talked about more. This is one of the only videos that even touches on the topic.Thanks! And love the Caress of Steel on your wall \m/

[@steveliberty]

Very informative. I have a slightly different use case, and wonder what guidance you would offer. I run a Strymon Iridium in the FX loop of my Stomp. Should the Send and Return be set for Instrument or Line level?

[@JasonSadites]

Thank you! The Strymon website says that the input of the Iridium operates at either Instrument or Line level, so either settings should work fine. I would say Line level for the output. Hope that helps 😀

[@NedJeffery]

Comparing the FRFR usage vs the 4CM, I find it interesting that everyone defaults to putting delay/modulation FX after the cab. But with 4CM, it's effectively between the amp and the cab instead. Do you ever arrange you blocks in such a way there is FX between the amp and cab?

[@JasonSadites]

I have messed with that in the past and there is usually rather subtle differences so not something I really worry about anymore. But if someone find it works better, it is easy to implement in that manner. The Helix is such an amazing piece of gear for customizing to ones needs :-)

[@stevegardiner8473]

Regarding running to FOH and a real guitar amp simultaneously (17.53). I've done this myself for a couple of years but, you need to place the FX send and the CAB/IR blocks at the end of the Helix signal chain. Otherwise you don't get any of the post CAB/IR block effects making to your on stage amp. Which would be a bit weird.

[@sohpol]

Damn... I had Line6 POD HD500 , floorboard unit. I liked it, I could dial in nice tones... but I've never could get exactly same tone with headphones plugged in. Now I had some ideas why.

[@Tdonn25]

Great video Jason... was curious, what settings would you recommend for running to the power cab 212 plus? I believe I run my aes/EBU cable to power cab on digital output with line signal. Have been noticing at higher volumes from powercab that my tones sound harsh

[@ptortland]

Jason, anything different you would do when running Helix direct to FOH (which is what we do in church), other than making sure the XLR out is set to MIC, not Line?

[@guitaristinseattle]

Helix question, I'm adding more and more presets, can you add new user folders? In HX edit?

[@slicksalmon6948]

I'm coming in three years late. Thank you for your instruction.

[@JasonSadites]

My pleasure and glad it was helpful 😀

[@RickGuitarist94]

Just got a Helix today and I'm trying to get it to play nicely with my Headrush FRFR 112 monitor. I've been tinkering with the global EQ to cut some of the bass frequencies out and it is still really bass heavy (also comparable to as it someone put a blanket over the speaker). I also went into the amp and EQ blocks on a factory preset to cut more of the bass out and then it just gets really thin. Oh, and I've also messed with swapping mics and increasing/decreasing mic distances, and switching from single to dual cabs. Anyone else run into this with an FRFR monitor? I had this same problem when running Bias FX to my same FRFR speaker and I very quickly fixed it with a global EQ in Bias. But, for some reason the Helix just doesn't wanna budge lol

[@dougmartens340]

I'd like to put an external EQ between the 1/4" out of the Helix LT and my FRFR cabinet so I can optimize the tone of the FRFR without affecting the direct send to front of house. Will a guitar EQ pedal work with a line level signal? Any advice would be appreciated. I was looking at a Wampler Equator or an MXR 10 band.

[@mikec3104]

just use seperate outputs from the helix for ur frfr and foh and use the eqs inside helix. this is a very common thing to do..no external eqs needed.

[@scottpeters4401]

Real amp,loaded down with a load box going into Helix....can I use the Aux in for this??or would I insert it into the instrument input??Or the FX loops on the Helix??although I am trying to save my loops for other outboard FX..

[@barthandelus8340]

I see Eddie!

[@GeorgeAmodei21]

another Great Video Jason., George Amodei :)

[@Herbo57]

Why do you always keep the Helix volume full on. I have a FRFR set-up. I notice on some of your presets the amp models have the master set to 10......... doesn't this blow your ears off?

[@JasonSadites]

Why would it blow my ears off? What does the Master being on 10 have to do with any of that?

[@Herbo57]

@@JasonSadites sorry, it was a genuine question from a novice, I use the helix volume to control my output, I was wondering if there was a reason you run yours full on and how you control the volume.

[@JasonSadites]

I totally understand it was a genuine question, as were mine. I control my volume from my FRFR volume control. I have done a number of videos on this. The Master volume of an amp model controls the power amp volume of the amp model and directly affects the tone of the amp. I run my Helix knob on full to maximize signal to noise ratio in conjunction with setting the final output block of my preset to send the appropriate signal to my FRFR. I then utilize my FRFR volume control to determine how loud it sounds in the room. I hope that helps :-)

[@Herbo57]

@@JasonSadites many thanks Jason,

[@dltippett]

What are the best settings for using with headphones?

[@B.R.A.D.Berealaboutdestiny]

Great stuff! Can someone explain why when I've purchased IR's they appear on my computer but they don't appear as an audio file so I can drag into my HELIX LT. Therefore I have not been able to use the IR's I've put and downloaded thus far.

[@stevegardiner8473]

Are they compressed/zipped? You might need to extract them from a compressed archive first.

[@B.R.A.D.Berealaboutdestiny]

Thanks Steve... Each IR I download downloads as a white document looking thing and the Helix logo on it and the name of the patch. I've tried to send it through an extractor but it still looks and functions the same.

[@B.R.A.D.Berealaboutdestiny]

@@stevegardiner8473 once I import it into the Helix user bank/bank it displays everything however the impulse response is pink and in place but to the side it says EMPTY

[@stevegardiner8473]

@@B.R.A.D.Berealaboutdestiny The ir doesn't automatically get imported with the preset. It has to be done separately. The presets should have a .hlx extension, and the ir should have a .wav extension. And the ir also needs to be in the corresponding location where the preset expects it to be.

[@B.R.A.D.Berealaboutdestiny]

@@stevegardiner8473 thank you. Man I'm still not understanding as I'm new to the Helix. But I will take what you said and figure something out. I also didn't want to use this thread to ask my. Question about my issue. Lol thx tho I appreciate your feedback

[@TheLastVigil]

"I've actually included in my Line 6 marketplace presets eh hendy little P JEE EFF MEñUEL." You're awesome bro.

[@builderman912]

I had to watch a lot of pointless helix videos to get here. Ty.