Leaderboard

If there's warranty, then go for it and buy it. Otherwise, all these Line 6 products have very questionable build quality. The buttons/micro-switches start misbehaving after a year of regular use. Lots of Line 6 fanboys will say "I've had my Helix since 2015, and 0 issues". But in reality, I own 2 Helixes and the buttons always start going bad after about a year of regular sensible use.

Try this: Use a capo on the 5th fret. Use Workbench to create two models, one for your six string in standard tuning and another for the 12-string. In the 6-string model detune all strings to -5. This offsets the capo and returns this model to standard tuning. In the 12-string model proceed as you normally would for a 12-string model. Define the models to be adjacent in the Variax Bank/Model storage. You should now be able to use the pickup selector to switch between a 6-string in standard tuning and a 12-string with capo on 5. If you have a VDI device like a Helix you could use Snapshots for this rather than different Variax models. Of course you will be limited to five fewer frets in the upper register for solo parts on the 6-string. Could be an issue for Hotel California depending on the guitar parts you’re palying.

Here's how my Variax Acoustic 700 shows up on Helix (3.5 firmware) when connected with the Variax ethernet cable. The Variax models can be changed on Helix by using MIDI. Variax is on Helix's MIDI channel 16. Name on Helix Name on HX Edit Name on "Preset Variax Variax - Model MIDI PC on VA700 Knob Model" Setting (Preset) Helix Channel 16 ============================================================================ parlor_1.0 Don't Force PARLOR parlor_1.0 Custom 1-5 0 TRIPLE O tripleO_1.0 Custom 1-4 1 DREAD dread_1.0 Custom 1-3 2 JUMBO jumbo_1.0 Custom 1-2 3 C & W c&w_1.0 Custom 1-1 4 GYPSY gypsy_1.0 T-Model-5 5 JAZZ jazz_1.0 T-Model-4 6 NYLON nylon_1.0 T-Model-3 7 FOLK 12 folk12_1.0 T-Model-2 8 BLUES 12 blues12_1.0 T-Model-1 9 RND NECK rndneck_1.0 Spank-5 10 SQR NECK sqrneck_1.0 Spank-4 11 BANJO banjo_1.0 Spank-3 12 MANDOLA mando_1.0 Spank-2 13 SHAMISEN shamisen_1.0 Spank-1 14 SITAR sitar_1.0 Lester-5 15 PARLOR parlor_1.0 Lester-4 16 TRIPLE O tripleO_1.0 Lester-3 17 DREAD dread_1.0 Lester-2 18 JUMBO jumbo_1.0 Lester-1 19 C & W c&w_1.0 Special-5 20 GYPSY gypsy_1.0 Special-4 21 JAZZ jazz_1.0 Special-3 22 NYLON nylon_1.0 Special-2 23 FOLK 12 folk12_1.0 Special-1 24 BLUES 12 blues12_1.0 R-Billy-5 25 RND NECK rndneck_1.0 R-Billy-4 26 SQR NECK sqrneck_1.0 R-Billy-3 27 BANJO banjo_1.0 R-Billy-2 28 MANDOLA mando_1.0 R-Billy-1 29 SHAMISEN shamisen_1.0 Chime-5 30 SITAR sitar_1.0 Chime-4 31 Send MIDI Program Change message with number above to the Helix over channel 16, and it will load the Variax corresponding model. This means you can control the Variax models from apps such as OnSong, Song One, and BandHelper, and MIDI equipment.

Changing to and from alternate tuning on the Variax Acoustic 700: I have my VA7 on my Helix floor through the Variax jack. I’ve learned that I can change the guitar to and from the alternate tuning by sending a sysex command to the Helix. This sequence: F0 00 01 0C 07 01 5E 01 F7 changes from normal tuning (green LED) to alternate tuning (whatever is saved to the instrument) (red LED). This sequence: F0 00 01 0C 07 01 5E 00 F7 changes from alternate tuning (red LED) to normal tuning (green LED). The change is irrespective of model selected. This can be used to switch to altered tuning (or whatever alteration you have saved in the red position for the given model) from apps like Song One, OnSong, and various DAWs and others that can send sysex to MIDI. Thus it can be used programmatically if needed. Channel is not used for sysex, so you don’t need to specify that.