Helix/HX 3.80 (released November 19, 2024) includes 6 new amps, 4 new cabs, 1 new effect, and bug fixes and is strongly recommended for all users of Helix and HX.
How do I update to 3.80? (except HX One)
Updating Helix/HX Hardware
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With Helix/HX connected to your computer, launch HX Edit 3.80 (3.01 or higher), and make sure you're signed in. HX Edit knows when a new update is available and will walk you through the entire update procedure for both hardware and software, including backing up everything to your computer. IMPORTANT! If you're running HX Edit 3.00 or older, download HX Edit 3.80 and repeat step 1.
- HX Edit 3.80 (macOS): https://line6.com/software/readeula.html?rid=12908
- HX Edit 3.80 (Windows): https://line6.com/software/readeula.html?rid=12910
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If your Helix Floor/Rack/LT is currently running firmware 3.15 or older, halfway through the update to 3.80, Helix's LCD reads "Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!" THIS IS NORMAL. Breathe deep, everything is fine. You're almost there.
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- HX Edit will display a message indicating the device must be reset. Click resume and wait for the second part of the update to complete.
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Perform a factory reset. IMPORTANT! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BACKUP FIRST, AS A FACTORY RESET WILL ERASE ALL YOUR WORK!
- Helix Floor/LT: While holding footswitches 9 & 10 (bottom row, 2 middle switches), turn on Helix Floor/LT
- Helix Rack: While holding knobs 5 & 6 (2 furthest right knobs below the screen), turn on Helix Rack
- HX Effects: While holding footswitches 6 & TAP (2 farthest right switches on the bottom row), turn on HX Effects
- HX Stomp: While holding footswitches 2 & 3, turn on HX Stomp
- HX Stomp XL: While holding footswitches C & D, turn on HX Stomp
- OPTIONAL: Performing a factory reset loads the new 3.80 Factory Presets, but restoring from your backup will overwrite these. Spend some time exploring these and export the factory presets you want to keep (or drag them to your desktop). If you have unused setlists in Helix Floor/Rack/LT, you can also export the entire FACTORY 1 bundle for loading into an unused setlist later.
- From the top File menu, select Restore From Backup... If you don't have any important presets in Setlist 1, click the disclosure triangle next to Presets and uncheck the first setlist's box; this will retain 3.80's FACTORY 1 setlist. Select the backup file created in Step 1 and click Restore Backup.
If you run into trouble, check out this link.
Updating Helix Native
- Before updating Helix Native, it is highly recommended that you export a preset/setlist bundle. Click the gear icon in the lower left, select the Presets/IRs tab, and then click Export Bundle. Some hardware compatibility modes (HX Stomp, HX Stomp XL, HX Effects) do not have this feature as they have only one setlist. In these cases, at the top of the preset list, click the yellow EXPORT to export the setlist.
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Quit your DAW and download and install Helix Native 3.80:
- Helix Native 3.80 (macOS): https://line6.com/software/readeula.html?rid=12909
- Helix Native 3.80 (Windows): https://line6.com/software/readeula.html?rid=12911
- Open your DAW and open an instance of Helix Native.
- OPTIONAL: The only way to hear 3.80's new factory presets is to restore them. IMPORTANT! MAKE SURE YOU'VE EXPORTED A BUNDLE (OR ANY IMPORTANT SETLISTS) FIRST, AS RESTORING FACTORY SETLISTS WILL ERASE ALL YOUR WORK! Click the gear icon in the lower left, select the Presets/IRs tab, and then click Restore Factory Setlists. Click Yes.
I updated but why don't I see [Model X] in HX Edit?
HX Edit can't magically pull new model names and graphics from your Helix/HX hardware; you must update HX Edit as well (which you would've done had you followed "How do I update to 3.80?" above).
My Helix/HX is at version X.XX. Can I go straight to 3.80?
Yes, but note that if you're starting from 2.80 or lower, the update may appear to happen three times and will take notably longer than 30 minutes. This is normal.
New Amps in 3.80
Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Stomp, HX Stomp XL
Amp/Preamp > US Super Nrm, based on* the Fender® Super Reverb (normal channel)
Amp/Preamp > US Super Vib, based on* the Fender® Super Reverb (vibrato channel)
Amp/Preamp > German Xtra Red, based on* the Bogner Ecstasy 101B (EL34) (red channel)
Amp/Preamp > German Xtra Blue, based on* the Bogner Ecstasy 101B (EL34) (blue channel)
Amp/Preamp > EV Panama Blue, based on* the EVH 5150III 100 [6L6] (Blue channel)
Amp/Preamp > EV Panama Red, based on* the EVH 5150III 100 [6L6] (Red channel)
New Cabs in 3.80
Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Stomp, HX Stomp XL
Cab > 4x10 US Super (Single, Dual), captured from* the Fender® Super Reverb
Cab > 4x12 Cartog Guv (Single, Dual), captured from* Ben Adrian's Cartographer cabinet (Modified Lee Jackson 4x12 with Eminence Governor speakers)
Cab > 4x12 Cartog C90 (Single, Dual), captured from* Ben Adrian's Cartographer cabinet (Modified Lee Jackson 4x12 with Mesa C90 speakers)
Cab > 4x12 SoloLead EM (Single, Dual), captured from* the Soldano SLO 4x12 cabinet
New Effects in 3.80
Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Effects, HX Stomp, HX Stomp XL, HX One
Wah > Teardrop Bass Q (Mono, Stereo), based on* the Dunlop 105Q bass wah
- Position—Sets the position of the wah's pedal position. By default, this is assigned to Expression Pedal 1. You may set the Min and Max value parameters to set the wah's frequency sweep range from the Controller Assign menu
- Q Trim—Controls the Q or bandwidth of the effect. Lower values boost a wider frequency band and higher values boost a narrower frequency band
- Vol Trim—Emulates the actual pedal's side volume trim knob
- Mix—Controls the wet/dry mix of the wah effect. When set to 0%, no wah effect is heard; when set to 100%, no dry signal is heard
- Level—Sets the overall (transparent) level of the block
*NOTE: All product names used in this document are trademarks of their respective owners and neither Yamaha Guitar Group nor Line 6 are associated or affiliated with them. These trademarks appear solely to identify products whose tones and sounds were studied by Line 6 during sound model development.
New HX One Features in 3.80
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HX One only: The On/Off footswitch state is now saved with the preset
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HX One only: You can now view the preset name instead of the model name in the Home view. Configure this in the new Global > Display setting:
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Auto (default): Displays the preset name by default. When scrolling through models using the effect encoder, the model name appears and persists for 3 seconds after the last adjustment before reverting to the preset name. When editing model parameters, the preset name briefly switches to the model name, persisting for 3 seconds after the last edit before returning to the preset name
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Model: Always displays the model name
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Preset: Always displays the preset name.
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HX One only: Added support for MIDI control of the Shuffling Looper
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HX One only: Introduced a new MIDI command for preset navigation (CC72):
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CC72, value 0-63: Previous preset
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CC72, value 64-127: Next preset
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HX One only: The chromatic tuner is now available when HX One is set to True Bypass
Bug Fixes in 3.80
- Delay > Cosmos Echo would apply the same wow/flutter modulation to the left and right delays, making it appear in certain cases as though the Spread control was inoperable—FIXED
- If you let your Helix/HX box sit, doing nothing for many hours, certain delay and modulation effects could stop processing audio until the preset was reloaded—FIXED
- Delay > Poly Sustain could sometimes exhibit glitching audio if Random or Random Speed knobs were maxed out—FIXED
- If the Amp > Ampeg B-15NF's Bass parameter was set to 10.0, the model could gradually lose volume over the course of 30 minutes or so—FIXED
- If the Amp > Mandarin Bass 200's Bass parameter was set to 0.0, the model could lose volume over the course of 30 minutes or so—FIXED
- HX Stomp/XL only: In certain configurations, output USB 5/6 would not always mirror the instrument input—FIXED
- HX One only: There was an issue with Looper > Shuffling Looper when exiting the preset list by pressing both footswitches—FIXED
- HX One only: Stereo models could collapse to mono when the insert position was set to Post—FIXED
- HX One only: Looper undo/redo states could become reversed when controlled via MIDI—FIXED
- HX One only: Certain Delay effects could result in glitches when receiving MIDI Clock changes while Note sync is disabled—FIXED
- HX One only: In some cases, Flux Min and Max values may not update after resetting the parameter to its default—FIXED
- Other minor fixes and improvements
Known Issues
- There is a known issue in HX Edit 3.80 on Apple silicon computers (M1, M2, M3, M4) where some global settings are not properly restored from a backup file. A hotfix for this issue is forthcoming. Windows and Intel Apple computers are not affected by this issue.