📑 Sections (7)

1. Signal chain and levels

DI vs amp sim (BIAS FX / Helix / Helix Native), how to connect your gear, recording levels and tuning.

The goal of recording is not for the guitar to sound “album-ready” right now. It’s to capture a take that’s tight, well tuned and at a good level, ideally keeping the DI (the direct signal) so you have freedom later. The final tone is shaped in the mix — here you lay solid foundations.

Your signal chain: two valid paths

The big decision is: do you commit the tone now, or keep it flexible for later?

Path A — Clean DI + amp sim as a plugin (maximum flexibility)

Guitar → cable → the instrument (Hi-Z) input of the iD44. You record the clean (DI) signal and in Studio One you add the amp sim as a plugin on top (this is how you use BIAS FX). You change amp, pedals and tone whenever you want, without re-recording. It’s the path that traps you the least.

Path B — Helix Floor as hardware (you commit the tone)

Your current setup: guitar → Guitar input of the Helix → (the Helix processes it) → mono output → iD44. You record the already-processed signal: it sounds great, but you commit to that tone. It’s correct and it’s how a ton of people record; just make sure you’re happy with the tone before you play.

Best of both worlds with the Helix

Your instinct is right: yes, you can use the Helix “as a plugin”. Two ways:

  • Helix Native: it’s the Helix plugin (same amps and effects, and it shares presets with your floor unit). Record a clean DI and apply Helix Native on top → your usual tones, with full flexibility.
  • Dry DI over USB: if you connect the Helix over USB to the PC, it sends the unprocessed DI over USB 7/8 (Global Settings → Re-amp Src) at the same time as the processed tone. Later you reamp that DI through the Helix or Helix Native. (In this mode it’s better to record from the Helix over USB — it’s a great interface — instead of going analog into the iD44.)
🟠 Better to set it now· in recording

Saving the clean DI (via iD44 or the Helix USB) costs nothing now and lets you change the tone later without re-recording. If you only record the processed signal, that door is closed.

Recording level

Set the input gain on the iD44 so the peaks land at −12 to −6 dBFS, never touching 0 dBFS (clip). Leave headroom: it’s much easier to raise later than to rescue a clipped take.

🔴 Set this NOW· in recording

A clip in the recording is permanent damage (it can't be fixed in mixing or mastering). Level is one of the few things you MUST nail at the source.

Tuning and performance

  • Tune before every take (and check on passages with bends/palm-mutes, which pull the tuning).
  • Consistent attack and timing tight to the grid.
  • Remove avoidable noise at the source: hum, ringing strings, the chair.
🔴 Set this NOW· in recording

Loose tuning and timing stand out a lot (especially on doubled guitars) and are expensive or impossible to fix later. The performance matters more than any plugin.

Check your take

Load your DI or your amp-sim take and check the level (the peak should land in the green zone, no clip) and the spectrum. It’s the objective way to know if the recording came out solid.

Recording monitor

Play a signal or load your own DI/take and look at the level and the spectrum: that's how you know whether your take was recorded well before moving on to the mix.

This is how a well-recorded take looks and measures.
  • •Level — the peak should fall in the green zone (−12 to −6 dBFS): strong, with plenty of headroom.
  • •Clip — if it touches 0 dB (red) there's digital distortion: lower the interface gain and re-record.
  • •Spectrum — a metal rhythm guitar has body in the low mids and energy at 2–5 kHz; very high “fizz” gets tamed in the mix.
Load your own DI or take to check your recording against these references.

🎧 Audio to processChoose which sound goes through the effect:

  • •🎸 Bass — a synthesized riff with dynamics: ideal for hearing compression.
  • •📢 Pink noise — an even sound across the whole spectrum: ideal for “seeing” the EQ.
  • •🎵 Load your audio — your own file (MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, M4A…); it's processed locally in your browser and isn't uploaded anywhere.

Peak level (dBFS)— ·

🟩 Ideal zone: −12 to −6 dB. Avoid touching 0 dB (clip).

Guitar audio examples (for this section)Pending — this one is on you

These parts are from the guide song: everything you record here gets reused to build the full song and hear its evolution at the end (raw → mix → master).

I need you to record and upload these files to prodmus_frontend/public/audio/guitarra/. For each part I want the raw DI (no amp sim) and, in addition, a version through the Helix and another through BIAS FX:

  • Palm-mute rhythm — a palm-mute riff in E (standard tuning or Drop D), 110 BPM, 4 bars in 4/4, nice and tight.
  • Chords — 4 chords (e.g. Em – C – G – D), 80 BPM, 1 bar each, no palm-mute.
  • Lead / solo — a melodic phrase of ~4 bars, with expressive phrasing.

Format: WAV 24-bit / 48 kHz · mono for the DIs · 5–10 s each · peaks between −12 and −6 dBFS, no clip. Suggested names: ritmica-palmmute-DI.wav, ritmica-palmmute-helix.wav, ritmica-palmmute-biasfx.wav (and the same for acordes and lead).

When you upload them, let me know: I’ll validate them (format, level within the zone, no clip and duration) and integrate them as playable A/B examples right here.

What you should NOT chase yet

Quick path — get the signal ready

Quick path

  1. Tune the guitar.
  2. iD44 gain with peaks at −12 to −6 dBFS (no clip).
  3. Decide: clean DI (BIAS FX / Helix Native as a plugin) or a committed tone through the Helix. When in doubt, record a DI.
  4. Record a test take and check it in the Monitor (level in the green, reasonable spectrum).

Expected result

Expected result

Your signal ready for the real recording: good level (peaks in the ideal zone, no clip), a tuned guitar and, if you chose the flexible path, the DI saved. With that sorted, you move on to deciding what type of take to record for each part (we cover it in the next sections).