Leaderboard

https://youlean.co/youlean-loudness-meter/ is a great tool for preset leveling.

Connect your Helix to your Mac via usb. Check the Audio configuration of your Mac to make sure that it’s using the Helix as its audio device; this should happen automatically but check to make sure. At this point you should hear both your guitar and the tutorial through your wired headphones. Use the Mac and/or Helix volume controls to balance the levels. Voila. There is no wireless headphone capability in Helix. You will need to use a wireless adapter for that. Once you get this working you can proceed to starting to learn how to use Helix itself. To start, check the Video tutorials available underneath the Support link at the top of this page. Start with the most basic, of course. Reading the manual is also a good idea.

I'm running into more and more programs, like web browsers, that require macOS 11 (Big Sur) or higher. That was the first macOS to support ARM processors, so the implication is that if you're a Mac user and not running Apple Slicon, Apple wants you to buy a new computer. And since there's such a push to force encourage people to buy a new computer, there's not much incentive for companies to update older software for an ever-diminishing user base. Do I like that? No, nor do I like that Apple promised FireWire devices could always work with Thunderbolt adapters. But if the OS doesn't support FireWire, it doesn't matter if the hardware does. With music industry companies like Line 6, if Apple or Microsoft sneezes, Line 6 catches a cold. Remember all those emails from companies a few months back, urging users not to update yet to the latest macOS because the companies needed to test and patch their plugins? It happens a lot, and that's time not spent on developing new products, providing support, or giving their employees raises. Just sayin.' /rant

They're working for me. Strange that it should be only those three cabs. Same problem on a NEW preset? Which reset did you do? If you did the full reset (2+3) I would reinstall the FW. If that doesn't work contact support.

What @rd2rk said... Things that factor into it are music styles, band makeup, types of guitars, types of performance venues, etc. all have a bearing on what will work best in any given situation. For example, I'm at the far end of that spectrum because I have no amp or cabinet on stage. I go direct into the mixing board and use floor monitors coming from the mixer. But my application is probably not anything like yours. Mine is more like a pit musician in a stage production. Works perfect for me, but probably not what you're looking for.

The "best" sounding FRFR (a meaningless marketing term) for anything is so subjective as to be a pointless discussion. See TGP for dozens of such. I have a PC212+, HR FRFR112 and Rokit 6 studio monitors. They all sound good for different things and at different levels. The "best" sounding FRFR speaker is the one that YOU like best for YOUR application in YOUR listening environment. Which means that YOU would have to try them ALL to know which is "best". I know, not the answer you wanted. I mostly play my Helix through my Catalyst100 without IRs. If I played more "metal" I'd get a closed back cab and separate amp. For as often as I play that style, running the XLR Out from the Cat with emulation OFF into the PC212+ with speaker emulation (not FRFR) sounds good enough. YMMV.

The Helix is simply not physically compatible with multi-pin stuff, the only such tricks would be via using a Variax.

Hi again, Should have taken the blue pill. Hmm… are you really sure that you have made the right decision here. I mean, you wouldn’t go out and buy a Lear Jet without having had a few flying lessons and have a basic knowledge of how the thing worked. Any digital multi-fx product, be it from Kemper, Fractal, Line 6, or even the likes of Mooer will have a learning curve. Strap in and start learning, and remember the HX Stomp 3.80 Owner’s Manual is your friend and a really good place to begin. Find it by clicking this link below. https://line6.com/data/6/0a00051afdda673cccdb61c9c/application/pdf/HX Stomp 3.80 Owner's Manual - English .pdf Over the past 9 or 10 years since the Helix landed, there has been a bunch of contributors in here who have been more than willing at assist people having difficulties with this stuff. Ye Gods, John Boy Walton and his entire family could not have done more, and in several languages, but it usually entails a bit of effort from the side of the person with the issue. I could resort to the “Let me Google that for you” option, but I really would expect a little input from the person seeking the information. There you have it - think of a Snapshot as a Preset within a Preset. As someone once said - “The truth is out there”. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Place the SEND Block at the end of Path B (before the MIX Block in Path A) and set the DRY THRU to -120db. When the SEND Block is BYPASSED the signal goes through to the MIX Block on Path A and out through the MAIN Outs. When ACTIVE the DRY THRU -120db setting prevents the signal from passing through to the MIX Block/MAIN Out.

As above, but... ears can be tricky, there's PERCEIVED volume (how your ears hear the sound) and actual SPL Volume as measured in decibels. Heavily distorted tones might be PERCEIVED as louder, but because distortion compresses the peaks, clean sounds might actually be louder when measured in decibels. The longer you spend on comparing by ear, the less accurate your ears become - called "ear fatigue". If you go this way, rest your ears frequently. Most modern humans have a smart phone. You can get an app to measure decibels. Not SCIENTIFICALLY accurate, but RELATIVELY accurate and sufficient to the task. You can also use a DAW. In addition to input meters most DAWs have a db meter plugin, or one can be DL'd. This is an even more accurate way than a phone app in that the signal is direct, and therefore not affected by ambient sounds. They also react faster. Someday someone will create an AI to level our tones and protect us from loud music. Skynet to the rescue...

You need to perform an activity called level or preset balancing. It’s tedious if you’ve already developed a lot of presets that are not levelled. Search this forum, or Google the concept. Essentially you need to visit every preset and edit them using the amp Channel Volume and Output block Level parameter. These provide clean volume adjustments, as opposed to the Gain/Drive or amp’s Master volume level, all of which affect the tone. Begin with your clean tones and go back and forth among them until your ears tell you their volumes are similar enough. Then proceed to your heavier tones, always comparing back to the clean tones for volume.

The problem with this configuration is getting any desired POST FX (delay, reverb) to both the guitar amp and the FR12 without wasting blocks duplicating them on each path. Other than that, I would go the opposite way - use the SEND at INSTRUMENT level for the guitar amp. That way the balanced MAIN OUTS could serve double duty to your FR12 or, with a 1/4" to XLR adapter, go to FOH or, if your signal paths are MONO, both. Another option if your guitar amp has an FX Loop would be to use the same HX AMP for both. Using the SEND as above, place the HX AMP and all (pre and post) fx before the SEND and put the HX CAB (or IR) after the SEND. This way the AMP and all FX go to both, the CAB only goes to the FR12/FOH from the balanced MAIN Outs, and your stage sound is more like what the audience hears. The only "wasted" block is the SEND, no duplication. Another option like the above would be to do it the same way except pull down the CAB to create a SPLIT after the HX AMP/FX. Pull down the MIX Block to have the Path B Output be the SENDS (LINE LEVEL) which go to the FR12/FOH with the MAIN Outs (INSTRUMENT LEVEL) going to the guitar amp. This saves the wasted SEND block. The drawback being that if there's a long cable run to FOH you would need a DI to get the balanced signal, unless you can use the XLR Out on the FR12 which I assume is balanced, but it would have to be independent of the FR12 Volume control (your stage level) or the FOH tech would hate you. There're other workarounds I suppose, but I'm tired of typing...

When using the RETURN, setting the MODE Switch to "Power Amp In" bypasses everything**, sending the signal direct to the Power Amp. You can also use the "FX Loop" position, which allows you to use any of the Cat's FX that are placed in the POST position. I use it this way when using the Cat with my HX Stomp to free up blocks/dsp on the HXS. **Poorly documented is the Fletcher-Munson EQ compensation applied to the Power Amp in the .5db attenuator setting. This provides a fuller sound at low volume by boosting specific low and high frequencies. Also, the overall Output Level at ALL attenuator settings is further attenuated by (IIRC) 6db when the MODE Switch is in the "Power Amp In" position. I assume that this is to accommodate preamps/multifx that have only a LINE Level output. Helix/HX multifx outputs can be set to either INSTRUMENT (as expected by most guitar amp FX Loops) or LINE. While you CAN, of course, use IRs when using the Cat's RETURN, I have gotten mixed results. The Catalyst is NOT a FRFR speaker, it is a "Special Design" Eminence guitar speaker. An IR is, functionally, simply a specific EQ curve designed to mimic a specific guitar speaker/cab combination. If it SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU, then go for it. However, the speaker is NOT DESIGNED to be used with IRs. It is a guitar speaker designed to sound good with a range of amp types in an open back cab.

MIDI is not instantaneous, there's a small amount of latency involved even when sending a single message. Even when you think you're sending multiple MIDI messages at the same time, they're sent sequentially and there is an unavoidable delay between them. Also, it takes time to unload the current preset and load the new one, and it can't respond to the CC until it's loaded. The sum of those latencies may make what you're trying to do impractical. You won't know if it works for your needs if you don't try it. First, figure out how to do it in Ableton, it might not even be possible. Then start at 1ms and work up until you get it.

Okay, it's officially out. Here's the link for the landing page. The book now has 551 pages and over 330 presets that showcase the techniques described in the book. Most are HX Stomp compatible. As always, there's a support email given in the book if you have questions, something isn't clear, or you have suggestions for future versions. Quite a few of the additions are a direct result of user feedback (thank you!).

Please provide more details about your cabling and Helix preset routing. 4CM users can easily think they have the cabling correct when in fact they don’t. Also the Helix preset has to be properly configured for 4CM. Ideally attach a copy of a preset that doesn’t sound good when you toggle the amp off.

Not sure about where you are, but where I live I can pickup a used Windows 10 laptop for dirt cheap and could be used for a lot more than just HX edit.... moving forward you may find you will need it more and more. Even then... Microsoft moves the goal posts even further on Oct 14th 2025 when they drop support for Windows 10. NOTE: I'm not suggesting you move your stable studio setup to a cheap windows 10 laptop... I'm suggesting you use it for the things your old machine isn't allow to do anymore.

UPD: I solved the problem (at least partially) by install both versions (3.70 and 3.82) and copying all the “resources” folder of the newer version app to the older app. Now I just use the old app with the new “guts”. All amps an effects are visible now in 3.70 version. Seems like a good temporary solution. YMMV.

I can only comment on three powered cabs, PC112+, PC212+ and Catalyst 100. I started with a Helix Floor and later added an HXStomp. I quickly sold the PC112+ and moved up to the PC212+. The reason was that I THOUGHT that the PC112+ was too dark. I wish I'd kept it because I later realized that I simply didn't know how to use it. I wish that I'd kept the PC112+ because now that I know how the system works, it would have been fine, and if I only had the HXS it would have been perfect for my needs. The PC212+ is actually overkill with the HXS. I found that the advantages of total volume, which I don't need (the PC112+ is plenty loud), and the "novelty" of the stereo possibilities, which I don't really care all that much about, are offset by the added size and weight. Stereo is nice for "ambient" sounds though. IOW, if you have a full fat Helix and want the above-mentioned advantages of maximum volume, integration and features, and don't mind the weight, the PC212+ is great. Otherwise, or if you only have the HXS, the PC112+ is quite sufficient. Also, if you think of the Speaker Emulations as Speaker 1, Speaker 2 etc. and don't get all hung up on "Do the GB25, V30 etc. REALLY sound like "THE REAL DEAL", then the PC series are great for the AITR feel. Just pick the speaker that sounds best for the sound that you're going for. The Catalyst 100 not only sounds great for AITR, but it's also MUCH cheaper, lighter, and has the advantages of being a backup if the HXS fails. The internal amps, delay and reverb allow me to use more pre-amp FX without running into DSP issues with the single processor HXS. With the addition of the 6 new amps in the latest X version (12 total and the old HW is updatable by FW), I have all of the amps that I need. It's PLENTY loud (get the 2x12 version if you need more) and actually sounds GREAT for low volume (<75db) practice in my apartment. This is due to the built-in Fletcher-Munson compensatory EQ on the .5watt setting. Even at <>60db it sounds full. For LIVE use, going to FOH from the XLR, the "generic" sounding 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12 speaker options, with the MANY mic emulations, give me all the flexibility I need. I went down the rabbit-hole of IRs. I have many THOUSANDS, from every major and minor player, and I no longer use them except for my RARE forays into recording, and even then, rarely. The ability (with the new FW) to disable the internal speaker emulations allows the ability to use an IR loader if I wanted to. My PC212+ is now on Craigslist. IOW, if I was starting over and only had the HXS, the Catalyst is the way I'd go. All of the L6 options have MIDI, which is GREAT. It's NOT Rocket Science, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about using MIDI. As to the other candidates you mentioned, the only way to tell which would be best for YOU would be to try them. Good Luck finding a store that has all of them, and keep in mind that what they sound like in a store vs ITRW is about as accurate an evaluation method as YouTube.

Hi, When seeking assistance from Forum users it's a really good idea to supply as much information as possible, simply saying there is no output is not really enough. What are you playing through and monitoring from? O.K. I’m guessing you’re a bass player, as those cabinets are listed as bass units. Now, you say that there is no output when using those 4 specific cabs, therefore, I have to ask, does this mean that you can still get audio output if you change the cab to a different model? Also, does this mean that you have used these cab models previously and they did work? Is this issue only with the cab blocks you mention or if you use an Amp+Cab block do they work then? Are all other Amp, Cab and FX functioning as expected? You really need to be more specific in describing the issue you’re having. With a situation such as this, it is a good idea to save/export the problem presets as .hlx files and then upload them here. This would allow other users to load them up to see if they encounter the same thing happening. This will help in trying to troubleshoot these things, to see if it is a bug in the software, or a hardware issue. Hope this helps/makes sense.

We don't dump any software. It's still there on the Downloads page. To connect to Workbench HD, updating firmware to v2.00 or higher is required. --When you connect the JTV-59 to Monkey, does the JTV icon come up on the Monkey display? --And does the Flash version come up on the display? --How are you connecting it?

If you already own any version of the Helix book, you can download version 1.4 for free from your Sweetwater account. Here's what's new compared to version 1.3: 534 pages (45 more pages than v1.3) In-depth analysis of v3.70’s nine new Cabs In-depth analysis of v3.70’s ten new Amps Complete parameter descriptions for the new effects (Prize Drive, Regal Bass DI, Feedbacker, Dynamic Bloom, and Nonlinear) 27 new presets featuring the new models in the v3.70 update I'm particularly proud of the new presets. Even if you don't read the book, just import the presets and have fun :) All except for three of them work with HX Stomp. I also did something a little different this time. I described the preset creation process for the new presets, and why particular blocks and parameter values were used. Also, many of these are oriented toward lead sounds. I felt the book needed more of those. And of course, I'm always interested in your feedback for when I start work on v1.5!

https://youtube.com/results?search_query=jason+sadites+helix+firmware+3.80

No.

… among others.

Makes perfect sense, DataC. Thank you for this very helpful info. My mistake was having downloaded and installed workbench v1.75. I have fixed that and now all is good. Thanks again for your help!

Thank you, this feedback continues to be helpful in developing my understanding. Good call on the "pilots guide"...I will most certainly take a deep dive (thanks for the link). I will continue to hack away at it, and if I screw something up, at least I have a useable backup to restore from.

If using a meter ( I love the https://youlean.co/youlean-loudness-meter/ as posted above), make sure you are setting it to the correct level for the type of meter. I will get the names wrong, but the DBFS meter is at unity at -18db, not zero. There are a lot of posts about this. I try to have my patches average -18 db with lead bumps not going over -12 or -13 db. You also have to take into account which guitar you are using. I normally play Telecaster or the Revstar with p90's. The Revstar is much hotter. I use the Tele to level the presets with the output block at 0, with a lead bump that ups the output block to 2.5 to 3.5. I then take those same presets and copy them to a "Revstar" area on the setlist and just change the level of the output block to -4.2 and -2.0. just some other things to think about.

For what you want to do you should just turn it around (hope you bought it somewhere with a good return policy) and swap it for an HX Stomp. If swapping it is not an option, another relatively inexpensive rig would be to add a ToneX1 in the FX Loop of the HXFX. Stores 20 amp captures (three at a time active), thousands more available online (free and paid), and doubles as an AI.

No you can’t connect a midi cable to a monitor input. Use 2 1/4 or XLR cables.

Check the MIDI section of the Helix manual. I believe the correct CC #s to recall snapshots are listed there.

Hi, Not sure why you are picking up “hum”, but the first line of defence here would be the Ground Lift Switch, on the rear panel of your LT. It is there as a “hum buster” for dealing with this sort of thing. There can be many reasons for introducing ground loop hum in your signal. I see that you mention that you have a Return block in your presets, but didn’t say where this is positioned in the signal path, or how complex your presets are? Have you tried creating a parallel split B on Path1 (or Path2) where the actual input to it is designated as RETURN 1 (or 1&2) and set to Line level. Using the Returns as a dedicated input, you have an optional noise gate that might help cut out any excessive noise, and the audio from you BOSS recorder could then pass through to the outputs without going through any additional processing blocks. I also note that the output from the Boss 80 is on a stereo mini phone connector. Check whatever 1/8” to 1/4” jack converter is the right one for the job. You could use a splitter to connect the Boss stereo out to both 1 and 2 Return input sockets to see if that improves the audio signal. All 4 paths available in your Helix LT are stereo. It’s always a good idea to have a read through the Helix LT 3.80 Owner’s Manual for options on routing your signal. https://line6.com/data/6/0a00051afd86673ccb96424d9/application/pdf/Helix LT 3.80 Owner's Manual - English .pdf Hope this helps/makes sense.

Thanks for clarifying. I’m afraid I don’t see the point in what you’re considering. What’s the actual benefit? Simply record your dry tone and apply Helix Native as desired. You retain the flexibility to adjust your delays, reverbs, etc. as well as adjusting the distortion. Why not retain that flexibility rather than discard it by baking those FX into the recorded tone? You might even find it sounds better to reposition the time-based FX like delay, chorus, and reverb to post-amp in the Helix Native preset. Your suggestion requires them to be in the pre-amp position.

That defeats most of the original intent of the tube screamer. (just sayin) There is no shortage of pedals based on TS circuits out there that have already done this, and one of those may already be added to the Helix. It's not something I've dug into simply because I have no interest, but I know many people are.

Hi, I saw that you had posted on IdeaScale, but I seem to recall that someone else requested a similar thing way back. That never happened, so I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for this, especially as the Helix is rapidly approaching it’s tenth birthday. Also - No, the Helix Floor doesn’t handle this differently, it doesn’t even have the Performance View like the LT, it uses Scribble Strips. Anyhow, regarding the Snapshot situation, have you investigated using the Command Centre which can greatly expand your options for working. Not so much with any greater on screen info, but the ability to stack snapshots on one switch and/or essentially create presets within presets. You might be able to find another way to navigate through your one man band gigs. Have a look at this video from Steve Sterlacci - he has a few covering this subject. Hope this helps/makes sense.

V 1.5 is online !

What sometimes also used to work to make apps run on older unsupported MacOS, was to edit the LSMinimumSystemVersion key in *.app/Contents/Info.plist But this rarely works these days, even with all possible Apple Paranoid Security Shields™ down. It definitely didn't work for HX Edit v3.82.

In your delay block you can either sync the delay tempo to the tapped tempo, or provide milliseconds for the delay. If you use the tap tempo, it takes the tap tempo value, and multiplies it by the note value you have selected in your delay: 1/4, 1/8, etc... This setting (whether you are using tap tempo or milliseconds) cannot be changed between snapshots. Tapping in the delay is there for convenience, so you can tap in your tempo live, that's all. It sounds identically: whether you provide the millisecond value, or tap in the delay tempo/type in the tap tempo BPM. You can use a conversion chart to get the desired result: https://tuneform.com/tools/time-tempo-bpm-to-milliseconds-ms to get the desired delay time. If you absolutely need to sometimes tap in your delay, and sometimes sync it with MIDI, maybe you should have 2 delay blocks for each purpose...

I don't see momentary bypass either. It seems only possible with an external MIDI switcher using CC#1 or CC#4. But the Poly Pitch captures the stuff that is played the moment it is engaged. Doesn't this work with the On footswitch? [Can't test - don't have an HX One]

Hi So, I have updated my cheat sheet (pdf-version) and for you who are interested just download it from the link below (from my Dropbox). All the new amp’s, cab’s and effects are in there, marked with a red “N”, incl DSP and some other additional info. Legacy devices are marked with a red “L”. All are sorted in order of appearance on the unit, in their respective group. DSP-values for the new products are from me, but I have used the same method as Ben Vesco has used, published, and described very well on his great site (unfortunately not updated). If anyone has found a value that differs from mine, please let me know. There is a slight difference depending on which blocks are used when trying out the numbers. I have used blocks from Ben’s “reference material” to minimize errors and to get continuity. I have used two different setups and if those have a variation bigger than 0,5 (in relative %) I have used a third setup. Think it’s hard to get any closer. “Last device” is always at least one volume pedal at the end, in mono (0,47%) and/or in stereo (0,61%), what’s ever slips in :-), so that would be the tolerance... All devices are in preamp/full amp (cab’s are not incl, presented separate, but as default cab’s incl DSP, are in the sheet with the amp’s), stereo/mono, single/dual etc. where applicable. In an earlier version I did also publish the cheat sheet in a MS Excel 365 format, a DSP calculator. I will make that update but need some more time to finish it (want to play some guitar too…). Download the cheat sheet from my Dropbox (pdf-format) – https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8vsyuiehgd6ofjryw6g9q/Line6-Helix-Model-and-DSP-Summary-3-70.pdf?rlkey=k3yyscizqbi1z80ozmo6gsihi&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3ye2g1okvx18ypsww746w/Line6-Helix-Model-and-DSP-Summary-3.80.pdf?rlkey=8ygh0iqax8ewds0i3yn0nxc86&dl=0 Great update Line6, very impressive work. Thought I had all I needed before this update, but was I wrong, there were a few more I didn’t know about, eg. the US Dripman (!), some of the Catalyst amp’s, 2203 and the ODR-1, wow :-) Have fun (I will…)! //Per

Hmm? Helix>Powercab 112+ or 212+ with some of the settings on the PC tweaked, using the speaker "modelling", works for me... with this caveat. I can make it sound exactly like my analogue rig, but it will never, no matter what/whose cab you use, feel exactly like the analogue rig, simply because the analogue parts of the digital rig are connected differently and don't interact with each other the same way. Ultimately, the signal chain will always be different and the cab I'm hearing through is not the same as the cab the 'real amp' would have had.

Hi there, After a long break, I am back using my HD500X again. I updated the software but I don't get a connection when I attach the floorboard to my Macbook. It's running Ventura 13.7 if that's important. I should add that I've also tried using my M2 which has the latest OS and the software update to no success? Any clues on how to rectify this? Peter

This will fix it - Download the latest versions of the POD Go firmware, Line 6 Updater and POD Go Edit. Start your POD Go whilst holding down the 'Page Right' button. Don't worry about the grey screen. Make sure your computer is not running ANY background music streaming crap like Spotify. Make sure your USB cable is in good nick. Plug the POD Go to your computer. Start Line 6 Updater in Offline Mode'. Select POD Go, select 'Update from file' and try re-installing the v2.0 firmware that you downloaded. If it fails to install, download any previous firmware version and repeat the above. When that installs successfully, close the updater, Switch off the POD Go and do the 'Factory reset' startup procedure. Plug the POD Go in, start up POD Go Edit - NOT the Line 6 Updater. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. The update will take about half an hour.

Hello PerS! Thought I'd ask if you could consider adding a field for DT amp settings to your cheat sheet for those of us using Helix and DT together. One of the issues with Helix in this use is that by default none of the amp models have the operation mode, voicing or the pentode/triode selection set, so you're not getting the intended sound out of them when switching on the Helix. We can't of course get the "right" settings for each amp that easily, since the POD HD500 and Helix amp selections are a bit different, but even just adding the ones that overlap would be nice.

LMK if you want the actual patches. I put a lot of time in with this. It was with a DT50, so YMMV.

Hello, I own both Hx Effects and the Cab M +. I really like it as a combination. To solve every problem, I connected the Cab M + in send / return2 so that we can position it at any point in the effects chain ... The send / return1 is available to be connected to my tube head (GrandMeister Deluxe 40). I use the Hx Effects output to go to stereo in the sound card or mixer.

Hi fflbrgst Thanks for the quick reply. I did select 4i4 for the input and output (in preferences which is where I believe its done) But still no sound. The LED lights up on the Gain for the 4i4 so I know signal is getting to that Is there a step I'm missing?

The factory presets are not 'terrible', but factory presets are always problematic in MFX units - you'll find some you really like, some you'll think are average, and some you think are dreadful. It is the designers view of what sounds good but with their gear and are also intended to help give users an idea of what the MFX unit can do. Some users love the presets, others hate them. You also need to check whether the preset has expression pedal control as that can change it totally. Aside from personal taste ie we all have different ears, the biggest problem is inconsistency of gear and how you are using the patch ie type of style. It depends on so many variable factors that it is simply impossible to allow for when designing factory patches and very often the patch designer is trying to come up with a compromise that will be decent sounding for the majority. For example: 1. The guitar you are using - some patches will sound better with single coils and worse with humbuckers - and vice-a-versa. The pickup output will also impact on what you hear. 2. The type of headphones you have (you need good studio monitoring headphones eg Audio Technica ATHM50X, or Beyerdynamic 770 Pro - too many folk think their expensive or great sounding headphones that sound terrific when listening to you tube or mp3's or CD's should sound great with Pod Go and blame Pod Go for what they are hearing - studio monitor headphones are very different - not expensive, the two mentioned are around £120 UK, but can transform what you hear from Pod Go) 3 Your amp and how you connect it. If you are putting Pod Go through the front end, the pre-amp stage of your amp will colour tone and add distortion. If you have an FX loop, put Pod Go through the FX return for a less coloured tone 4. Your speakers - either desktop or amp will colour tone 5. The factory presets will have typically been designed in the studio using FRFR (full range, flat response) so if you are using anything else, it will sound different to what the patch creator had in mind. To prove the point watch the demo vid of Pod Go at NAAM with Phil Hindmarsh. Now, load down Phil's patches that are available free from Line 6 Custom Tone and play through your rig? Do they sound like Phil's tones? (put aside his fabulous playing and just focus on tone). I'd be amazed if they did and you might even think the patches are 'terrible'. Even though one of my guitars is a Yamaha Pacifica 611VFM (not wholly dis-similar to his HSS Pacifica) I still had to tweak them a bit and that was with my ATHM50X headphones and going through a Headrush FRFR108 powered cab. Through a guitar amp with a different guitar, they sound totally different. So, if you want to hear the presets as intended, use studio monitoring headphones and/or an FRFR speaker. Also, here's Paul demoing some Pod Go factory presets - do yours sound like this with your gear? Re the part of your statement above that I've put in bold - utter and complete nonsense. Once you have an understanding of how Pod Go works, and build up your experience and knowledge of tone building (I had to go through the same learning curve, and I've been playing some 50 years and have used DSP gear for around half of that) yes of course you can. Even just changes to the cab model and/or mic type & placement, and upping the cab dB levels can transform the patch. If you've ever wondered why an IR can sound so different to the stock cabs, a big difference is the cab output level that helps give a bigger sound. Setting the frequency range to match the real speaker is another good 'trick'. I've tweaked most of the factory presets to suit inc adding snapshots and footswitch settings. There are loads of vids on youtube by some very experienced, knowledgeable and helpful folk - it's well worth starting off with the Pod Go vids for user tips/tricks and then looking at tone-building videos - you'll find them a huge help. But here's the thing - Pod Go is NOT a simple 'plug n play' MFX unit that will give you instant tonal gratification. Just like any other MFX (and I've had Boss, Zoom, Yamaha, Vox and Line 6 units) you have to invest the time to really learn and understand how to get the best out of them - and that applies for any modelling unit out there.

Please don't yell at me for necroing an old thread, but I just ran into this issue and because this was the first thing that popped up, I wanted to make sure this question was actually answered. If your mic is not picking up, more than likely, you do not have your mic selected in the Pod Farm 2 software. Click the "Mixer View" button in Pod Farm and under the first Input drop down menu, make sure "Mic 1" is selected.

I repeatedly try to start PODFarm after all of the recent updates, and what was working fine just last week no longer works. All updates and reboots have been completed, but when starting PODFarm the logo disappears and never loads anything after that. Once out of 20+ times it will load PODFarm and show my normal amplifier setup, etc., the equalizer registers volume, etc. but nothing plays out of the speakers, or headphones. I literally JUST recorded a track last week! These software updates and startup problems have been ongoing for over the past 4-5 years, how has Line6 never resolved these issues!? I will never buy another Line6 product. This is not the first time this has happened, and their support is non-existent, just forcing customers to join a forum to complain to each other is not actual support, it's a complete cop-out!