Helix Board FireWire MXII & Garageband

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Member Since: Sep 04, 2009

Just got Helix board and having trouble hooking it up to garageband i want to record stuff from my mixer to gb. I also want to be able to use my faders on my mixer to work in gb. For some reason the firewire recgonizes the helix board but im not sure how to get it recording. New to alot of this i really need some help!

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 04, 2009 11:48 pm

I'll ask the simple question first. Have you installed the drivers and software that came with the unit? As well checked to make sure you have the most current driver revision installed?

If so, then you will need to go to the audio option's or preferences section of GB and choose the Helix inputs and outputs for recording and playback.

Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004

Sep 05, 2009 08:02 am

Hey there Jimmy, I think there may be some mis-communication.

The board you're using, the MXII, i couldn't find, but I could find the firewire MKII, so I'm gonna assume that this is it.

Now, for another issue, this board is not a control surface, but instead, a mixer board, that can send the signals over to a computer via FW. So this part:
Quote:
I also want to be able to use my faders on my mixer to work in gb. isn't going to happen, at least with this board. You can get control surfaces that control the settings inside your software, but they usually are much more spendy. Think in the 500+ US$ range, with most above 1k$. Here's an example:
www.zzounds.com...m--MDOPROJECTIO from maudio. I think tascam and others have ones as well, as does euphonix and mackie.

So, this board will act as a analog mixer, but you will be able to receive the individual channels inside your software. I pulled that tidbit from here:
www.soundonsound.com/sos/...ixboardmkII.htm

So, inside you're software, you'll need to set the preferences, or options, to the interface your using, which in this case will be your firewire interface (mixer). I say interface, because you're actually attaching to the interface part of the mixer, not the mixer parts.

Anyway, in your software, select your interface, and then the individual channels should be available. You would then select which inputs you want the software to 'listen' to, then press record in your software. To hear your playback, similarly, select the outputs you want to use for output, and connect monitors, or headphones to the appropriate connection points.

This may be a simple explanation of your situation, but hopefully it'll get you going, and things will start making sense.

Member
Since: Sep 04, 2009

Sep 05, 2009 09:45 am

My bad i meant MKII mistyped it Noize2u the only cd that came with it was the cd to install cubase the product that came with MKII and on there it also had these drivers in zip so i downloaded the one for my mixer and a folder came up im just not sure wat to do with the folder its on my desktop

pjk thanks for the help im going to go try it right now probably will work if not ill let u no

Member
Since: Sep 04, 2009

Sep 05, 2009 11:12 am

ok it recgonizes all the channels in midi setup but all the channels have no sound is there something else besides the firewire cable that needs to be hooked up to the computer for the sound to go through right now this is my hook up.
I have an mpc 500 connected to the mixer i have the mixer hooked up to monitors then i have a firewire cable hooked up to the computer
the mpc 500 is recgonized on the mixer i can play sounds and all but on the computer it recgonizes the about of channels 18 coming in and 2 coming out but it recieves no sound


Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 05, 2009 12:18 pm

Midi being recognized will not give you sound from your PC through the mixer. Midi is data only, such as when you hit a pad on the MPC or a key on a keyboard controller.

To get audio you must have the audio driver's installed. The folder you unzipped will more then likely contain the driver install set up. I suggest you open it and look inside. There should have been a driver install on the CD as well.

Without those driver's installed you will not see the audio interface inputs or outputs in either cubase or garage band.

So are you using a Mac or a PC?

Member
Since: Sep 04, 2009

Sep 05, 2009 01:55 pm

Im using a mac it says i dont need to installany drivers its not necessary my mixer is hooked up to the computer only by firewire and i connected my mpc 500 to the mixer channels 1 and 2 with rca cables with 1/4 adapters so the only thing hooked up to my computer is a firewire

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 05, 2009 03:16 pm

I've never seen and audio interface that does multi channel that does not need a driver set installed. That is basically impossible. You might get 2 channels with a generic OS driver but you will never run a full multi chennel audio interface without driver's.

I do highly suggest you open the manual and give it a good going over. And if it came with a quick start guide I suggest starting there for the driver install.

I see on their web site it is at version 2.44.


Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004

Sep 05, 2009 05:15 pm

I would think that too, as Noize does: that you should have some sort of driver that lets your OS talk to the device. I wish I had a MAC here I could look at, but I don't (though I might shortly). But, I will say that I've seen Macs work on other stuff without any extra install, but I can not say what's what here without playing with it.

I'd also suggest a 'quick start' guide, or similar, if one comes with the device.

It's possible too, though I know little about garageband, that you may need to arm a track to receive, for it to show sound. Maybe that's what's up.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 05, 2009 06:53 pm

OK, I read the user's manual. The set up for Mac is on page 15 of the manual. It is very clear and goes step by step as to what to do. And if using PC it will need the drivers. But if using Mac you need to verify you have the Mac audio drivers system set up correctly for it to work. It describes that in the manual as well.

It also describes how to use the Helix with GB so you should be all set if you read the manual.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 05, 2009 07:00 pm

IF you don't have the manual you can download it from here. doc.phonic.com/file/searc...;TB_iframe=true

Member
Since: Sep 04, 2009

Sep 05, 2009 08:55 pm

i did see the manual it came with the mixer i saw that page if u look at the picture at the bottom ull see the channels and how you can change the sound it doesnt allow me to control them it doesnt even recgonize it i dont no the problem do i need to put something besides firewire in the comp?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 05, 2009 10:15 pm

Did you read the part about how to use the Mac Audio Driver's? That is the first thing you need to check is to make sure your Mac has the correct audio driver package installed which is from Apple.

It states in the manual that it uses the OS's Mac audio driver's. So I would check your install of whatever operating system you have installed and make sure first off that it is a high enough version to be compatible with the Phonic.

Here is what it says you need to have as the minimum OS to run it.
Macintosh
• OS X 10.3.5 or later with native FireWire support
• G4 or newer processor
• 256 MB or more of RAM

IF you are not at least there you need to upgrade your OS to be compatible with the mixer.

But I would check and make sure you actually are at that OS rev and then make sure you have Mac audio driver package installed.

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