Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

How to midi auto preset changing for the Helix?


Dolphin812
 Share

Recommended Posts

Gonna need a little more information here... What are you connecting to and what exactly do you mean by "auto preset changing"? The Helix responds to MIDI PC messages to change presets, so really, you just need a way to send those. But as far the "auto" part, I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i'm also looking for a guide to creating midi tracks that automate preset changes via a DAW. what i want is to bring my laptop to live shows, have the daw run my backingtrack and swap my helix presets via a miditrack, so i don't have to dance around to change presets... pretty much like most of the "modern metal bands" like periphery and tesseract have it all automated when playing live. makes for a smoother transitions and much more freedom on stage. if anybody could provide me with some good links or a short and easy explanation to achieve this in Cubase, it'd be much apreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i'm also looking for a guide to creating midi tracks that automate preset changes via a DAW. what i want is to bring my laptop to live shows, have the daw run my backingtrack and swap my helix presets via a miditrack, so i don't have to dance around to change presets... pretty much like most of the "modern metal bands" like periphery and tesseract have it all automated when playing live. makes for a smoother transitions and much more freedom on stage. if anybody could provide me with some good links or a short and easy explanation to achieve this in Cubase, it'd be much apreciated.

 

You'll need to know how to add MIDI PC messages onto a MIDI track in your DAW, but the Helix side is really easy:

  1. Select the preset you want to recall and press the PRESETS knob. Above Knob 2 is a little cheat sheet that tells you what message to place in your DAW (Helix responds to MIDI channel 1 by default).
  • If you want to change Setlists via MIDI, send a CC32 message with the displayed value
  • If you want to change Presets via MIDI, send a PC message with the displayed value
  • If you want to change Snapshots via MIDI, send a CC69 message with the displayed value

And of course if you want to recall a specific Snapshot within a specific Preset within a specific Setlist, send all three messages in the above order. If you don't need to switch Setlists, don't bother sending a CC32 message. If you don't care about Snapshots, don't bother sending a CC69 message.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i did all of the above, followed more than 1 guide online, even videos. but it's just not working. nothing happens on my helix when the events are reached. i got midi base channel set to 1 on my helix, midi thru = on, midi PC = on. in cubase i got Line 6 helix as my midi output device. i made a midi track with 3 controller lanes, 1 for program change, 1 for CC69 (hold2) and 1 for CC32 (BankSel lsb). i added an event on the program change set to value 42 (which is the number on the preset i want to use) and an event in the banksel set to 2 (for the User1 bank) yet nothing happens on my helix. what am i doing wrong?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i did all of the above, followed more than 1 guide online, even videos. but it's just not working. nothing happens on my helix when the events are reached. i got midi base channel set to 1 on my helix, midi thru = on, midi PC = on. in cubase i got Line 6 helix as my midi output device. i made a midi track with 3 controller lanes, 1 for program change, 1 for CC69 (hold2) and 1 for CC32 (BankSel lsb). i added an event on the program change set to value 42 (which is the number on the preset i want to use) and an event in the banksel set to 2 (for the User1 bank) yet nothing happens on my helix. what am i doing wrong?

 

Do you have MIDI over USB turned on in the Helix?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i did all of the above, followed more than 1 guide online, even videos. but it's just not working. nothing happens on my helix when the events are reached. i got midi base channel set to 1 on my helix, midi thru = on, midi PC = on. in cubase i got Line 6 helix as my midi output device. i made a midi track with 3 controller lanes, 1 for program change, 1 for CC69 (hold2) and 1 for CC32 (BankSel lsb). i added an event on the program change set to value 42 (which is the number on the preset i want to use) and an event in the banksel set to 2 (for the User1 bank) yet nothing happens on my helix. what am i doing wrong?

Turn Global Settings > MIDI/Tempo > MIDI Thru off, just in case there's a loop somewhere.

Make sure Global Settings > MIDI/Tempo > MIDI Over USB is turned on.

Does Cubase see messages sent from Helix's Command Center? If not and you're on a PC, install the latest Helix driver.

Always use the USB port closest to your computer's power supply. Never use any sort of USB hub, including the front ports of a tower.

 

Barring all of the above, you may have to open a ticket and have CS walk you through.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Midi over USB is turned on, midi thru is now turned off. when i go to Midi port setup in cubases device setup, i see Line & Helix is active in both input and output.

can also choose it for the output and input on the channel i created for the miditrack, currently the channel is set as "all midi inputs" for in and "line 6 helix" for out. it's set to channel 1.

the helix is currently plugged in to a usb 3.0 directly on my motherboard.

when i change channel on my helix physically, i can see that cubase reacts in INPUT.

i can see that on the helix editor, in the command center, i can set up all kinds of instants, is this where i set up the program changes and how? when i change preset, the command center instant seems to change with the preset, so i'm not sure how that'd work. i'm guessing those instants are to send midi from the helix, but i'm not entirely sure how to send anything, i don't have any buttons to press as i'm using the helix Rack, so i'm not sure what those instants are for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i found out what the issues was, and to make sure nobody finds this and goes "GOT DAMNIT NORDFALD WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT!!!?" here's what i did.

disconnected my helix USB, restarted my PC, reconnected the helix, opened cubase, made sure to set the Helix as standard device in cubase. the Helix needs to be reconnected, turned on and fully started before you open cubase, as otherwise (with many other drivers) the driver for the helix will work, but not properly, as some kernel files will not be loaded properly. i also found, that if you have any USB's (keyboard, mouse, headset, the likes) connected to your front-ports, it may cause issues for the Helix.

my settings are as follows:

midi thru:                off
midi usb:                 on
midi send/receive:  on

 

hopefully this'll help others who find themselfs in the same predicament.

Cheers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...