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Been a bit since my last video due to a concert I was asked to play last minute, but anyways here's my latest! I decided to tackle the TPS Wet/Dry/Wet rig from a recent video that involved a Two Rock, Hamstead, Vintage Vox AC30, Echorec, and 201 Space Echo. I had a lot of fun doing this, and I'm continually reminded how incredible the Helix is! Patch to come, I'm house sitting for a few more days and have no access to my Helix but when I get back later in the week I'll add a link to the video description :) Let me know what you guys think, and as always click through to YouTube if you'd like to use the timestamps in the description box to jump around within the video.

Line 6 will not be doing anything to their firmware to make it USB class compliant even though all that is needed if for the Helix to declare its sample rate. They think it already is and that Linux is the problem; and shame on us for using Linux and expecting things to comply to standards. The Line 6 Linux firmware packages available in Ubuntu are really just hacks developed by the community pre-Helix, not Line 6. Hopefully the hack in the above referenced post makes its way into Linux firmware packages. I doubt HX Edit will ever work with wine since it would also require the proprietary Line 6 driver. I could be wrong about that.

Just so we're all on the same page, there's no "magnetic Variax jack". The 1/4" output carries the exact same signal as the VDI connection... modeled guitars and/or the mag pickups...so you could plug straight into the harmony unit, and then into Helix if you want. But if you prefer the VDI connection to Helix, just put the harmony unit in an FX loop, as the first block in the signal chain.

The manual is referring to effects processing like distortion, reverb, delays, chorus, flange, etc. The "pure" guitar tone coming out of a Variax will work fine with a harmony device like the type TC Helicon makes (and others).

You should DL the HX FX manual for full details. I have the Helix Floor, but the midi stuff is mostly the same (what I called "MIDI PC SEND" is called "MIDI PC Tx" on the HX FX). As far as I can tell, the HX FX stores 128 presets (vs 1024 on the Helix Floor). Each preset can contain up to 4 "Snapshots". Using INSTANT COMMANDS you can send different PC/CC messages with each Snapshot. So, one HX FX preset can have 9 FX (same effects in each Snapshot of a given preset) with different settings (bypass and parameters) for each effect in each Snapshot, and use whatever Diezel preamp or preset that you choose to use with that HX FX pedalboard configuration (preset). I'm not sure what you mean by "get all of them at "one push stomp". Hopefully, between the above and the manual, you'll be able to figure it out.

Last day O spring.... I could really use the editor

The main difference between modelers in this range is the proficiency of the person using it to able to precisely dial in the tones he wants. Technically both will do whatever you want. You just have to know what you're dong and know how you want to set your rig up to get the sound you want. Neither of them is simply plug in and play. Both require you to be knowledgeable about how to build a signal chain. If you know what you're doing both will sound great. If you don't know what you're doing both will sound bad.

@ Shemeshg I pm'ed you a bashscript to automate the patching/compiling/modulereplace. All patches and the modified makefile is included. Just unpack in kernel sourcedir and run. Pls test. Unfortunately i still could not catch an expert on the usbrate thingie, so as long as we must patch this is more convenient at least. Only you must get the desired kernel src still,, i tested with 4.4.119 ( wget -c https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/linux-4.4.119.tar.gz ) Cheers ... Jens

Initially you would not need to get a new kernel source, if snd_usb did not change. If in doubt, check the changelog. The makefile i posted always uses : KVERSION = $(shell uname -r) aka uses the headers of the active kernel. So just recompile that part. If you absolutely need to renew all: Actual: https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/linux-4.4.116.tar.gz The kernels are always to find in : https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ Or you clone the main repo ( git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git ) and checkout the wished tag and patch it. ( you can also cherrypick sound/usb ) Compile snd_usb_audio like described formerly. Full kernel: Don't forget to check its setup before compile, i use: cp /boot/config-`uname -r` .config make oldconfig make menuconfig Set lowlatency + timers to 1000Hz + HW timers used ( will be active if the former config was configured like this already ) Then compile typically with: make -j `nproc` LOCALVERSION= deb-pkg Jens

Hi, Jens Yes, I can see all the 8 channels, and re-amp on linux and Ardour and all thanks to you As you've mentioned 1. JACK is required since it is not plays directly using ALSA and PulseAudio, However, Jack sink works greate. 2. It will be required to recopy snd_usb_audio on every kernel update. But it is huge benefit being able to Re-Amp and not to require all of those XLR cables Thanks Shemeshg

Hi The steps i made are very simple atm., also i only recompile the snd_usb_audio.ko for the runninng kernel. I'am awaiting some hints from alsa devs to make the ep->freqn requested in the right way, but thats not yet solved. Up to now all voodoo i tried did not gave me better results ( such as sync_endpoint redirection etc. ) So ....either get your kernel from the precompiled repo, or git clone the dedicated tag, up to you.( latter is better to diff later ) My diff: diff --git a/sound/usb/format.c b/sound/usb/format.c index 2c44386..1c0107d 100644 --- a/sound/usb/format.c +++ b/sound/usb/format.c @@ -298,6 +298,20 @@ static int parse_audio_format_rates_v2(struct snd_usb_audio *chip, goto err; } + /* + * Line6 HELIX does not respond to sample rate + * query requests. The only valid rate is 48000. + */ + if (chip->usb_id == USB_ID(0x0e41, 0x4244)) { + fp->nr_rates = 1; + fp->rate_min = 48000; + fp->rate_max = 48000; + fp->rates = SNDRV_PCM_RATE_48000; + fp->rate_table = kmalloc(sizeof(int), GFP_KERNEL); + fp->rate_table[0] = 48000; + return 0; + } + /* get the number of sample rates first by only fetching 2 bytes */ ret = snd_usb_ctl_msg(dev, usb_rcvctrlpipe(dev, 0), UAC2_CS_RANGE, USB_TYPE_CLASS | USB_RECIP_INTERFACE | USB_DIR_IN, diff --git a/sound/usb/endpoint.c b/sound/usb/endpoint.c index c90607e..026095a 100644 --- a/sound/usb/endpoint.c +++ b/sound/usb/endpoint.c @@ -888,6 +888,8 @@ int snd_usb_endpoint_set_params(struct snd_usb_endpoint *ep, if (snd_usb_get_speed(ep->chip->dev) == USB_SPEED_FULL) ep->freqn = get_usb_full_speed_rate(rate); + else if (USB_ID(0x0e41, 0x4244)) + ep->freqn = get_usb_high_speed_rate(rate + 5); // ugly helix hack else ep->freqn = get_usb_high_speed_rate(rate); Then i recompile form linux/sound/usb directory with a modified makefile: KVERSION = $(shell uname -r) snd-usb-audio-objs := card.o \ clock.o \ endpoint.o \ format.o \ helper.o \ mixer.o \ mixer_quirks.o \ mixer_scarlett.o \ pcm.o \ proc.o \ quirks.o \ stream.o snd-usbmidi-lib-objs := midi.o # Toplevel Module Dependency obj-m += snd-usb-audio.o snd-usbmidi-lib.o all: make -C /lib/modules/$(KVERSION)/build M=$(PWD) modules clean: make -C /lib/modules/$(KVERSION)/build M=$(PWD) clean The resulting snd-usb-audio.ko goes to: /lib/modules/<your_actual_kernel_version>/kernel/sound/usb Unload the former module: sudo rmmod snd_usb_audio Then either plugin your helix or if already done : sudo modprobe snd_usb_audio Thats it. The line where i add 5Hz to the usbrate may vary for you, i recommend to have another usb-interface plugged it the same port and get the runtime rate from /proc/asound/<other_interface>/stream0 ( sound must be played thru this to see the runtime parameters ) I will post when i have a clean solution and will try to bring this to the kernel backports then. Btw: 'am not sure if the OSX behavior can be called fully class compliant, but at least there you can get 48kHz without an additional driver. Other interfaces at least allow to read and set the samplerate in a not vendorspecific way. Would be nice Line6 could reach out for possible Linux users/buyers here ;) The final goal would be to have this on alsa too + later can choose the other available samplerates. Hope never dies :) Does this help ? ... Jens

Hi folks I recently got a Line6 Helix LT and saw it is kinda usb-compliant at least on the mac. So i gave it a try on linux and got it run. I had to hack alsa to not try to read or set the fixed default 48kHz samplerate. Then i still had small soundglitches cause the usbrate does not follow, so i made a hack with an arbitrary value read from another working usb interface here too. ( implicite feedback not available ? ) Result: it works fine with jack ( incl. midi ), setting up all 8 in/out and also aggregate it via alsa_in/alsa_out with my focusrite scarlett 6i6. Todo: Pure alsa does not work atm as i don't get the control interface setup to have a mixer, which should be a passthrough like on mac annyway. When i have time i wanna get rid of my arbitrary hack to read out properly the usb rate from the interface3 feedback endpoint. Perhaps it can be calculated other way or a timer is needed, not sure atm.. Roundup: Helix (LT) is somewhat compliant on linux alsa, but needs some quirks. Perhaps such could be better supported in next firmware update. /proc/asound/HELIX/stream0: LINE 6 HELIX at usb-0000:07:00.0-2, high speed : USB Audio Playback: Status: Running Interface = 2 Altset = 1 Packet Size = 224 Momentary freq = 48005 Hz (0x6.0029) Interface 2 Altset 1 Format: S32_LE Channels: 8 Endpoint: 3 OUT (ASYNC) Rates: 48000 Data packet interval: 125 us Capture: Status: Running Interface = 3 Altset = 1 Packet Size = 224 Momentary freq = 48005 Hz (0x6.0029) Interface 3 Altset 1 Format: S32_LE Channels: 8 Endpoint: 3 IN (ASYNC) Rates: 48000 Data packet interval: 125 us Cheers ... Jens

"Worst" case, if you really do like your amps better, Helix can integrate with and possibly control them in a bunch of different ways.

Somebody had to do it! I installed a 9V to 5V DC converter inside the G10 receiver housing with a 2.1mm DC jack on the outside for powering via a pedal power supply.... The receiver draws 110mA @ 9VDC Please let me know if you have any questions seeya Joe

Nothing Helix works in Linux. I can't even get it to work as an audio interface. See someone got it working with a hack. I tried HX Edit with wine but no luck there either. I would love to hear how far you get with Linux. I'm on Ubuntu 18.0.