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Hi all, since I'm very new to Helix I'm probably going to be more reading and asking than being of any help. But I thought I could at least offer some time and generate a sheet with alle the parameters of effects, amps and cabs that are there. I started with the Distortion, Dynamics and EQ effects, and you can have a look at it at this link (removed). I'd appreciate if you'd let know if it makes any sense to finish this or not. Remarks and tips are of course also very welcome. I couldn't find this information anywhere, so I thought I'd just start it. Best, Jens

This comes up once in a while. Save As would be great (I want more IR slots instead of preset slots too!), but there is a workable alternative for now. If you change a preset and do NOT save it, if you copy that changed preset to another slot, the original preset is in the new slot and then if you save the preset you edited, you have both. The down side is that if your preset locations matter, you have to swap them (put the original back where it was). I number all my presets like I do my IRs, which helps. Between presets, IRs, Helix and Native, it's become a bit of a data management nightmare to keep it all straight!

Just a word of note... this may not work for everyone. Java isn't usually installed on a machine by default... it likely came with a different software installation along the way.

Thanks should go to Oldmattila who posted the original on vguitarforums

There are a couple of things you have to adjust to when going to a powered loudspeaker like your JBL. First is to make sure you have the contouring options set correctly for how you have it set up. If you have is set in a floor monitor position select the Monitor option. If you have it vertically elevated you're probably best off with it set to Main. You probably also don't want to engage the EQ+ option as that may affect the contouring in a non-natural fashion. The other thing is to make sure you have ample space between you and the speaker. Unlike your studio monitors these type of loudspeakers are designed for projection across long distances. Therefore, up close you don't always get an appropriate blending of the sound between the high and low end drivers. I keep about 5 feet of distance and will often stand off-axis from the speaker to get a better feel for the actual live sound. Because these are bi-amped systems with an amp dedicated to the lower frequencies in the speaker and a separate amp dedicated to the higher frequencies through the horn you will get a much flatter response on the high end than you would through a normal studio monitor. In many cases this can be handled by simply changing the cabinet/mic setup or the IR to get a warmer tone with a warmer mic or greater distance from the speaker or out further from the cap of the speaker. Alternatively you can also adjust the high cut parameter for highs or low cut if it's too boomy. I sometimes use a combination of tactics. Usually a combination of mics such as a ribbon mic like an R121 combined with a dynamic mic like an MD421 will give you a nice pleasant blend. But I often attenuate the high frequencies, but I generally use a Parametric EQ toward the end of my chain to trim the highs as well as any final adjustments to any other areas that are needed. The reason I use a Parametric EQ rather than the high and low cuts in the cabinet block is the cuts in the Parametric EQ use a steeper slope so I don't have to make such a dramatic cut on the highs. With this approach my high cuts can range anywhere from 10k down to about 7.5K. Bottom line it does take a bit of adjustment to get what you want from these type of powered loudspeakers, but the good news is your direct signal will end up being a fully production level polished sound through a direct FOH connection, so you won't have to worry about making any adjustments at the mixing board to your channel. It will match nicely to what you're hearing on stage. The other big advantage for me is the great articulation and clarity I get on stage in my tones. A little more work, but well worth it in my opinion.

Progress is a welcome comfort to the impatient. HX Effects is my first Line 6 product, and my first impression is that Line 6 is a great company. I have high hopes for HX Edit and HX Effects working well together. In the mean time I get to learn the menus and knobs. I have setup my Blues Cube Artist switching without issue, and enjoy building new effects with custom amp settings. Stereo delay is the number one reason I got the HX Effects, and today I have the time to get sucked into that music vortex.

HX Effects is now showing up on the product page on Customtones.... cant download anything yet, but it's a start!

Wondering about the volume pedal/block location in presets. Most/all of the factory presets put the volume block very early in the preset - right at the very first part. I have always used a volume pedal directly after the preamp (whether modeling or with analog gear). This way I control the guitar signal to the preamp with my guitar's volume pedal, and this controls the nature of the sound that ends up hitting the fx. Placing the volume pedal before the preamp gives another change in that preamp tone - if I want the volume to go up or down, but not change the tone or amount of "dirt", if I keep the guitar maxed but decrease the volume pedal, volume goes down but tone changes as well if the volume block is before the preamp/amp block. Because of that, I'm always annoyed by the factory presets because if I want to keep one as a template or whatever, the first thing I always have to do is move the volume block because this is my default setup. As I was being annoyed again, I had the crazy thought that this: wasn't only annoying to me, but that means that other people (especially the authors of the factory presets) actually do this wrong (sarcasm) on purpose. Got me wondering what others think or do with the volume pedal. Placement relative to wah/compressor/etc. that may be early in a preset have considerations, but just looking at simple guitar>amp>effects>out scenario here. In the Helix world, I use the amp only (sometimes only the preamp) not the amp+speaker - I really don't use IRs anyway. If I did, not sure where I would put the volume block - pre- the "speaker" IR, or post-, before they hit the effect. So - what do others do? Are the factory presets done this way purposefully just to annoy me personally, is it just for ease of mass producing presets for the Helix, is this the norm for most folks, or...?

I place mine close to the end just before delay and reverbs so that swells work best and then I use my volume knob on the guitar itself to affect the amount of gain on the fly.

You might as well stop looking for objective truth here, because there isn't any. Before volume/expression pedals existed, if you wanted to incorporate volume swells into your playing, you were stuck doing it with the volume knob on the guitar... the equivalent of placing the volume block before the amp model. It's a perfectly acceptable way to do things... as is placing it after the amp and before any effects. It merely depends on one's personal preference, and what you're actually trying to accomplish. Some guys just want to use it as a boost, or as a quick-access master volume control on stage. In those cases, you'd want the volume block dead last in the signal chain. It's all fine if produces the end result that you want/need. The notion that there's a "right" and "wrong" way to do it, is ridiculous. As for their choice of default volume block placement in the factory patches.... they have to stick it somewhere, and like most things, no matter where they put it, somebody's gonna get a wild hair.

Does anyone know if you can add an external footswitch (I'm using a Digitech FS3X) to control effects? For example, I have a looper in my bank, but I rarely use it live. What I wanted to do was have the looper assigned to my FS3X and have it not show on the HX until I press one of the buttons on the FS3X. That way, it doesn't take up 1 of the 6 screens, but when I press the FS3X, it would activate the looper and then give me access to the looper functionality and screens. Basically, I just want an external footswitch to be able to turn the looper screen on and off. Any help?

I do understand the difference...Digital Clipping is truly horrible. My point is that the headroom available is more than sufficient to enable patches to end up a little louder than unity without any risk of clipping. I don't know how Line 6 have calibrated their levels, but I do know that many inexperienced DAW users misuse their meters by running signal that average much higher than intended. there is an argument that having a meter might create worse practice rather than better. If 0dBu is = -18dBFS and this translates in some way to the Helix then a well balanced amp block will have at lest 18dB of head room on the very loudest guitar strums - more than enough to prevent clipping. Im not claiming to know Line 6s internal gain structure but in principle this should hold true. The only risk is overloading the AD convertor at the input and thats why we have the Pad. As with any and every other product on the market there will be different results based on the output level of the particular guitar. Helix' Pad should be set for the loudest in put you ever use and left alone.