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I would be happy to have a phone or video call with you. If you give me contact information I will follow up to arrange the details.

I discovered this software bug while attempting to program the expression pedal to turn the WAH block ON as soon as it begins to rock back. Helix OG has this capability and so does Stadium, however currently there is a bug that prevents it from functioning properly. This drove me nuts when I tried to set it up because it worked sometimes but not all time, then I finally figured that there's a software bug preventing it from working properly. The Objective: I have a song where I need to quickly toggle the WAH on and off and its not practical to do a hard press of the toe button between every ON-OFF cycle, so the effect can be easily accomplished by programming the expression pedal to turn the WAH ON automatically by rocking the expression pedal back. When the pedal is returned to the toe-down position the WAH block turns off. This action can be assigned in Stadium by selecting the WAH block, then going to Menu>Bypass/Control, set the Parameter to "Bypass", Switch to EXP 1, Position 99%, and Wait to 0. The toe-down position is 100%, so when the pedal is rocked back, the WAH block turns on as soon as the pedal crosses the 99% mark. The Bug: When the assignment is created as described above the pedal appears to do exactly what it should. The preset is saved with the WAH block in an OFF state. The problem is that when you leave the preset and then return to it, the first time that you rock the pedal back, the WAH block does not turn ON as its programmed to do. You can rock the pedal all the way back to the heel-down position it it still doesn't turn on, BUT when you return the pedal to the toe down position the WAH now turns on. The ON-OFF state is now reversed from what it should be. Now when you rock the pedal back the WAH turns OFF instead of ON, so moving the pedal has no effect. When you return the pedal to the toe-down position the WAH turns ON. With the pedal in the toe-down position, you can manually toggle the bypass state of the WAH block to OFF, rock the pedal back and it turns on as it should, but if you leave the preset and return to the preset. it will once again reverse to ON-OFF state from what it should be the first time that you use it. This bug isn't related specifically to the WAH block. Any block that it programmed to be triggered on and off by the expression pedal will reverse its programmed state the first time you attempt to use it after opening the preset. The Workaround: While trying to figure out what was going on, I discovered that it is only the very first bypass assignment that you program within the preset that doesn't work properly. if you program additional blocks to also turn ON and when the pedal is rocked back they will function as they should, even after leaving the preset and returning to it. So here is my workaround: I deleted the WAH block to clear its assignment, then added a GAIN block to the preset and set the gain to 0, so it has no impact to the signal whether its on or off. I created an assignment to turn the GAIN block ON and OFF with the pedal motion. Next I added the WAH block and created its expression pedal assignment. I saved the preset and now when I return to the preset and rock the pedal back, the GAIN block does not change bypass states as it should, but this block is transparent to the signal so it doesn't matter. The WAH block does turn ON and OFF as its supposed to because its assignment isn't the first one created within the preset. I submitted a Support Ticket for this bug and the tech replied back that he was able to duplicate the problem so he has notified the folks in software. He also said he was surprised that this hadn't been reported already. I wanted to create this thread in order to share my workaround just in case anybody else besides me has been pulling their hair out trying to get this function to work properly.

Mine was purely the headphone output. A longshot, but try the squirty-squirty contact cleaner trick on both volume and headphones pots - it might be a clump of guitarist dander stuck in there!

I was frustrated that Helix presets and snapshots often have inconsistent volume levels. That's why I built an open-source tool that automatically measures and normalizes them. It comes as a Windows installer. No DAW required. https://github.com/noseglasses/MatchPatch This project is currently in beta. Feedback, ideas, bug reports, and contributions are welcome! I am a Helix floor user so I can only test on that device. But I am pretty positive that it works the same on its sibling devices. The project is designed in a way that it can be extended to support other devices like the Helix stadium. Hope you have fun with it!

Are all of your computers Windows 11? A recent update (maybe several) caused the problem. On one of my W11 boxes the problem was caused by a ".net Framework" update (KB5092427). Rolling back to a restore point previous to that update and preventing Windows Update from reinstalling it fixed the problem. On another W11 box I didn't have a similar restore point and simply uninstalling (KB5092427) didn't fix it. On my last remaining W10 box it's not an issue, USB MIDI works fine.

Especially when NAM v2 is now out and able to run on hardware with much fewer resources. Also - note the comparisons on the proxy / NAM / QC / ToneX quality. Not looking good for Line 6. https://www.tone3000.com/blog/introducing-neural-amp-modeler-nam-architecture-2-a2

[Fixed] Root cause was server issue with Line 6.

@waymda Yes of corse, very carefully !

I have a lot of experience with the live sound mix and my OG Helix. If you want to "cut" through the mix, there are several ingredients and lack thereof to achieve that. So number one: reverb sounds good at home, sounds good when you record your guitar directly, but live it buries you and make your playing unintelligible. If you have any type of hall reverb, it should be lowered to a minimum, or removed. Concert spaces have natural reverb, so you really do not need any, except for special effects, or for that drippy reverb sound that surf music requires. Instead of reverb, I use subtle ping-pong delay that bounces a few times left/right, but does not cover up the initial attach of the note/chord. There are also "ducking" reverbs that let the note ring out, before applying. Also for regular reverb, the "pre-delay" parameter is very useful to be able to hear the initial attack of the note, without which it becomes a mess. For live concerts, there's a separate independent mix done on purpose--to represent what it sounds like in the venue, by adding all the reverb, etc back to the sound. And I stress, it's an independent mix from the actual FOH sound mix. If a concert is broadcast on TV, there are 2 sound mixers working independently of each other. So while reverb sounds good and can make your playing sound smoother and better, for live use it's not to be overused. I've listened to board mixes of my live concerts where I played and the guitar doesn't necessarily sound great direct. But that's the whole point--your guitar's sound needs to work for the venue's acoustics, not to sound great as a concert recording. I've also reviewed concert footage that people have posted from their phones, and confirm that that it sounded great with plenty of ambiance. Number two: for solos my approach that has worked for me is always boosting the 2K frequency with an equalizer in my chain. Turning up the volume does not work due to limiters, and whatever else the sound system has. When I needed to really cut through the horns and all that stuff, I boosted it by 10 db for the solo snapshot. Nowadays I go from 2 to about 6 db. Some songs need a deafeningly-loud solo, some don't. So I play by ear. Also depends on the pickups that I use. Single coils already sound pretty glassy, so further EQ-ing is going to sound extremely piercing if overdone. You should not have too much of that 2K frequency, as it is known to be headache-inducing. And when boosting this frequency you will definitely be heard. In my old band I didn't constantly noodle all over the place, I had a few concise solos and that's when it was used. Also I've used it for clean lead lines as well, think "Day Tripper" by the Beatles. That's all 2K, but it's not constantly hitting you over the head, I'd never strum chords with that sound....

The only adjustments I've ever made have been to take advantage of new models or features. For instance I adjusted many presets when the new cab engine was introduced. I’ve never noticed any changes to the sound of existing presets, although I know that in some cases changes were made to specific models. With almost every new firmware release I hear reports from some people that they ‘feel like’ it sounds different for better or worse. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a verifiable case.

Sharing this because I went crazy trying to figure it out, and maybe it’ll save someone else some time. A few days ago, I tried logging into Line 6 Helix Stadium, but the QR code never appeared. The manual login didn’t work either. To make things worse, the HX Stadium App kept crashing, and I couldn’t update it from my computer or through Line 6 Central. Ironically, those were the two options the manufacturer recommended when I contacted support. Since I work in tech, something didn’t add up. Everything pointed to the app not connecting to the server, which explained why the QR wouldn’t generate. Then I thought: “What if it’s the time zone?” I tried something simple: Disabled automatic time synchronization Set the time manually And… BOOM! The QR popped up instantly, and I was able to log in without any issues. Hope this helps someone out there.

No such thing. The Helix replicates the studio sound, more than anything. When mixing, reverb is added post the amp/cab. The exception is the '63 reverb unit, when it was placed before the entire amp/cabinet. You can, however add the reverb before the cabinet, if you use separate amp and cab blocks. Honestly, it's all cork sniffing, and with some tweaking you can always get your desired sound. For example, you can experiment with adding a compressor + reverb between the amp and the cab.

Not that I know of. It has been requested before. Best you could do is do a pre or full amp without cab -> reverb -> cab.

I played at an outdoor festival this weekend on a stage with a canopy, using a sunshade over the Stadium, with the brightness of the scribble strips set to 100%, and still I could barely read the scribble strips. The problem is two-fold. The OLEDs aren't nearly bright enough, and the glass picks up reflections so you have to move around to find an angle where you can read the text. The scribble strips for the active buttons were faint, but they could be seen. The OLED pixels for the inactive buttons are dimmed so they were nearly impossible to read even when I bent over for a closer look. The LED rings around the buttons could not be seen. Had it not been for the canopy, I believe that the Stadium may have been rendered unusable. I submitted a support ticket a while back about the poor visibility of the scribble strips. I doubt that they can turn up the brightness much without damaging the OLEDs, but there are some things that could be done to improve the visibility. My suggestion is that they could create a "performance" setting which eliminates dimming of the inactive buttons. Instead, all OLEDs would be at maximum brightness, and the active buttons would have the pixel colors inverted to designate the buttons which are active. Something similar to the attached concept image. They still wouldn't have the high visibility of an LCD display, but it would be an improvement. I love my Stadium, but I have a number of outdoor gigs this summer and if I end up in direct sunlight situation, the Stadium may be unusable. I play in three different bands and I'm one of those guys that creates a lot of song-specific presets, so memorizing what each button does in order to use the unit blindly is not an option. I really don't want to do it, but I plan to take my Boss GT-1000 as a backup to all outdoor gigs just in case the Stadium is impossible to use.

Looking for a solid pedal case for light duty protection; a case with a low bottom / high top cover that allows use of the XL while on the case bottom. I have a few from Rondo Music that work great for other floor rigs, but they're all in use, and Rondo music no longer has them in stock. Not looking to pay $200+ for ATA cases which I don't need. What are people using to house their XL? Not looking for a soft case or backpack Here's the Rondo case I wanted but not in stock

Anyone else having compatibility issues with Windows and the Spider remote app? I cannot connect the device at all. Its clearly connected for sound as my laptop plays sound through it just fine, and the settings on the amp itself work fine but I cannot get the two to talk to each other. I have uninstalled and reinstalled, done all the usual stuff. It was working fine a couple of weeks ago but now wont connect at all. I did note that when I re downloaded the app, Windows had flagged the download as being unsafe (or words to that effect) so dont know if that has anything to do with it?

The GK-1610 works well for the non-XL Stadium, too. I was looking for a firm soft case like the SKB SC-2111 that I use for my Helix LT, but there's no size close enough. The SC2111 MIGHT work for those of you XL users who want a little more protection but not a hard case.

The video link doesn't work. Go into Global Settings Footswitches or Preferences and see if maybe you accidentally changed something. If that doesn't get it, back up your presets and reinstall the FW. If that doesn't get it, you're screwed, time to break out that old analog pedalboard. Well, I suppose you COULD contact support. If you're in the US you can call them, or open a support ticket and hope for the best while you test all the patch cables on that pedalboard...

Time to clean the microswitches. A quick search of the forum, and you would have found this info. Enjoy!

Hi , You have this one: https://www.thomann.fr/thon_case_line6_helix_stadium_xl.htm Regards

Hi, This is a user to user forum. There are no Line 6 staff here and only very occasionally do they visit these forums - (See the “sticky comment” in the black banner stripe at the top of this page entitled “Welcome to the Line 6 forums”). If you want to know what is happening in Line 6 world, you need to check over on The Gear Page, in the Digital and Modeling section. IIRC, there has been recent rumours of an imminent release of a Native software version of the new Stadium hardware. How true it is, I don’t know, but you can forget any major advances with the first generation version of Native. If you want to use NAM A2 download the updated plugin and patch it in on your DAW. Hope this helps/makes sense.

I think the original workflow suggestions are well worth submitting as feature requests, especially the mode indicator, double-tap bypass and faster access to the looper controls. Those are small UI changes that could make a noticeable difference in daily use without changing the overall Stadium workflow. - I got help from https://www.soundstorexl.dk/ On the capture side, it also sounds like Proxy still needs development, particularly for high-gain tones and the noise some users are hearing as notes decay. Whether Line 6 continues improving Proxy or eventually adds support for NAM, the important thing is that users can get consistent and accurate results without complicated workarounds. Stadium is still a new platform, so I would expect improvements over time. Line 6 has a good history of meaningful updates, but detailed reports with examples, settings and audio comparisons will probably be more useful than simply saying one platform sounds better than another.

Well, the info given by @rd2rk in the post above is correct, but you obviously didn’t look too far to find a video demonstrating how to use the Looper function on the LT - YouTube has quite a few, but here ya go:- Regarding your comment - “I hope Line 6 manuals writers read this as well“, you should make a note that this is a user to user forum. There are no Line 6 staff here and only very occasionally do they visit these forums - (See the “sticky comment” in the black banner stripe at the top of this page entitled “Welcome to the Line 6 forums”). Furthermore, the manuals were originally written, several years back, by Eric Klein (Digital_Igloo) Chief Product Design Architect at Yamaha Guitar Group, but he seems to have gone off in another direction and is rather busy with the new Stadium units. If you wish, you can usually find him hanging out in the Digital and Modeling section over on the TGP website, or the Helix Family area of Facebook. Hope this helps/makes sense.

I've noticed something: I used my Helix offline, away from home, with the group, and now, back home, the time changes about 5 seconds before my computer or phone. If I change the time manually and then back to automatic time with an internet connection, it's still about 5 seconds ahead. The first time I used my Helix, I couldn't log into my account, and it was due to a known bug: the time wasn't correct, even with an internet connection. I had to update it manually and then switch back to automatic. I don't know if this problem is similar...

When it comes to tightening pedals, one thing I've learned is that if you overtighten the outside screw, the force of moving the pedal can end up loosening the inside screws. This is the case for the Dunlop X pedals (mini and normal size); I don't know about the L6 EX2. My solution was to use Loctite on the inside screws and then having lighter tension on the outside screw.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say we'll see this in 2027. With the proven success of the HX, and an undeniably more solid core feature set today in Stadium then you would have had in 2016 with Helix . . . I just don't think they'll wait that long.

Line 6 Helix 2015 > Hx Stomp 2018 (Quad Cortex 2020 > Quad Cortex Mini 2026) So if you have years to wait, you may be lucky And if it happened now, the price may be around 1100-1200 euros so what`s the price after 3 years?

Hi, I have to agree with you that there is some sort of technical reason for this, in much the same way that a lot of the hardware control options available on the Helix devices are not accessible in Helix Native. It’s the nature of the beast. One thing which confuses me more than anything with this quibbling about an editing feature not being available in HX Edit, is the fact that in order to use HX Edit with the hardware unit, it requires that they are physically connected via a USB cable. AFAIK, the theoretical max recommended length of a USB2 cable is approx 5 meters (16.4 feet), not exactly the ends of the earth, and I would imagine that most folk are actually tethered to their device with a much shorter cable, possibly around 2 or 3 meters. And this is a problem? I guess that, in this modern world, the average multi-fx user has become too idle to reach down and make a physical change to their Helix (whatever model). I mean it’s not like modifying Global Settings is something that requires regular hourly changes and updates to the unit. I have been using my Helix floor for more than 10 years and the amount of times that Global Settings has interfered with my workflow would be… now let me see, ah, yeah - never. Oh, and because I’m a studio rat, I have my Helix on a stand, within arms reach - works for me, but I also have a bad back from many years of lugging heavy equipment around. It’s not exactly a life and death issue, although you did manage to wake dead thread. Hope this helps/makes sense.

jmrwoods, thanks a lot for your response. Ultimately, I bought a XLR/TS cable with the good welds, and it works very well.

Unfortunately this is a quite common issue that usually boils down to local wifi and internet equipment, location, and configuration. Start by reading the manual sections on the Stadium App and WiFi, Internet and Bluetooth. See if your computer and household equipment, especially modem/router, meet the specs and supported technologies/devices. Search this forum for other info. The section under Support-> Knowledge Base and FAQs for Stadium includes this item https://kb.line6.com/helix-stadium-software-wifi-drop-outs-intermittent-connection

Hello, i have learned that after Firmware updates patches may sound different to before and the user has to "readjust" them. Now i wonder if you guys went through this each time you made an Update (may be even with 1024 presets) ?

You're trying to make something out of nothing. QC nails the feel, tone, and soul of an amp every time. Experience it over 2000 times, and you'll see what I'm talking about can't be quantified in a statement. It's just a rare phenomenon when it "sounds better". It can't really be explained with words. Line 6 is a long way from that.

FYI - I can't work out if you're using white font on a white background, but unless I select your posts they show as blank space. As an OG Helix owner since about 12 months since their release, I expect 12-18 months of ongoing bug fixing of the Stadium firmware as a minimum. For that reason I have not migrated, and won't for some time. Why do I think that? The release was rushed - L6 asked 'the community' if they wanted it perfect or early. The community said 'now' which fits the "you can have it quick, cheap or good, choose two" paradigm - its not cheap as a unit but in terms of development effort that appears to have been the choice. The OG hardware took a number of years to mature and it only models hardware, no playback functions, no will manage everything on stage for you capability (that appeared and matured a few years in) - while L6 has the OG as a starting point, the firmware and hardware is new, and the Song stuff is completely new. If you were about for early update processes you'd know how painful and fraught that was. Song functionality was not available from day 1, and again appears to have been rushed out to placate consumers. A new (from scratch) feature on new hardware was never going to be perfect from release. This is just my view, and doesn't help you now, but gives a perspective. If you're interested, look back through the OG forums and see how long it took for the OG to mature. It was not quick.

Interesting comment. Surely the measure of quality for a proxy/clone capture is the degree to which it matches the sound of the original. If it sounds subjectively different, for better or worse, then the capture is inaccurate. No?

Yes, and no, respectively.

@RJKole Thanks for the update. I did note that the information @datacommando shared with the link concerning the 3.00 update had issues with DSP with the upgraded poly blocks and compatibility with new presets once you brought in your 2.92 backup. It was an implied, though not well stated, reason many of us rebuilt our patches during the initial 3.00 upgrade. Then 3.01 addressed the bug for the audio corruption based upon certain specific block order. It would be interesting since you say you are back at 2.92 to, remove all current poly blocks then upgrade only to 3.00, follow the procedure as you state you do. After that upgrade to 3.01 and let the firmware do the rebuild which should address the audio corruption following the recommended upgrade procedures as you do. 3.15 talks about the cc remapping that tanked some of us. We learned that hard way that while we could skip firmware updates we had to read all the warnings prior to that and accept the outcome. So I suggest before you do anything, and it is just a suggestion, you read the link @datacommando shared specifically for the warnings with each firmware update starting at 3.00 and determine your best path to get to 3.8x This is just my humble feedback. jpd jpd

I did submit a feature request via product feedback. I also went ahead and programmed my MC8 Pro for the time being. It has 8 buttons, so I programmed in Stomp A, Stomp B, Combo, Presets, Snapshots, 2 specific presets, and tuner. That is on bank 1 of the MC8, bank 2 could just be 8 specific presets, for example. This has some overlap with FC6 on the Helix Stadium. One thing that is nice with the separate midi switcher is you can stay in Stomp A or Combo mode and switch to specific presets without exiting the mode on the Helix footswitches. One button switching between any modes is very convenient.

@RJKole This may be a dumb question. How did you go from 2.92 to 3.71? I know I had to go up incrementally until I got to one of the early 3.xx version. Also, once I got to 3.01 or 3.11 I would always backup, reset the helix to default, upgrade, restore from backup, allow the helix to update my patches, then proceed to the next update in order following the same procedure. I know at some point there was place you could not bypass incremental firmware updates and a place where you could. I just don't remember. You can search the Helix history to determine the exact firmware version you can bypass. However, my main question is did you go straight from 2.92 to 3.71 or did you do incremental updates and follow the backup-reset to default-restore-allow patches to update procedure? Again, forgive me if you did follow the early update and backup-reset-restore-update procedures. Thanks, jpd EDIT: you can use the link @datacommando provided to read all the firmware update caveats leading to my probably over the top method when I applied the updates.

FTFY. You heard wrong.

I use both. Same identical sound if you use the same settings. amp and cab = amp block + cab block. I figured out that I can run a compressor between the amp and cab, and I do that sometimes. So that's the only time I will use 2 separate blocks, when I need to put something in the middle. The compressor to me is not suitable for every situation. But sometimes it really makes fast playing a lot easier, for all the shreddy solos, or really fast aggressive palm muting. It also makes clean solos sound like they are supposed to--compressed, bold, not whimpy. When placing the compressor there, I always turn down the ripple of my amp, otherwise there's a low frequency hum that appears. However at the same time the compressor adds a certain amount of "harshness" and depending on the signal chain can even make my preset develop certain artifacts, such as pops. So I use this trick sparingly.

Some like to load time based effects, gains, etc in between the blocks so separating them allows for that. I've done it and typically like the results when I do.

Even on the Helix Floor, the scribble strips are hard to see in direct sunlight. That's why I have always preferred the virtual scribble strips of the Helix LT when playing outdoors. On a dark stage the Helix Floor is king. It could be a very simple software update to also include virtual scribble strips on the Stadium XL. (I don't own the Stadium)

Definitely will

Both sound the same. AMP+CAB is convenient (one block only, can be saved and named as Favorite). Two blocks provide options (dual cabs, cab split to FOH etc).

Well, I "fixed" my issue by using another router. I forgot my partner still had the old one we stopped using when she upgraded to fibre internet last year. Her Linksys EA7500 works perfectly - no drops after 3 hours. My ASUS RT-AC68U was...dodgy.

Windows 11 considers this driver invalid and refused to switch 'core isolation' on, which MS considers a safety issue.

Hmm… not sure. It’s very confusing because my account states: You currently are using 4 out of 5 active devices. You currently are using 6 out of 11 lifetime devices. No idea how that works out.

There have been issues with the new layout of the customtone page. Why not just bring back the old layout? It was better, and worked. Still unable to change the sort order and direction. No matter which "Sort by" is selected, the patches are in the same order -- apparently oldest first from 10/9/15. There is no UI element to click for the sort direction. Also, it is annoying to have to click the comment icon to see the author's patch notes.

I have the same issue on Sonoma 14.0, I do find the window in the settings, however allowing the line6 drivers does not work and the Line 6 Midi Audio Devices Setting Extension does also not seem to work properly and looks like this:

I got solution: HINT: please backup bundle to save your existed presets and IRs! 1. Go to settings >> Preset/IRs >> Clear Preset Library. After that all preset banks will be empty, even the factory ones. 2. Then, click Reset Factory Setlists on the same page. Now, all banks can be loaded with no hassle. Try it, lemme know how it works for you..