codamedia

It is a valid solution. The Helix does not have a PAD on the XLR's like a good DI does, so using the Global EQ (assigned to XLR only) is a great way to repurpose it as a pad. That said... you say a -20db. WOW, that's a lot. A PAD is usually about a 6db - 10db cut. I agree with others that say your preset(s) may be too loud.

The fact that is sounds completely different is exactly what I would expect. They are completely different monitoring situations. As with any setup, it starts with the amp model. Start by getting a great tone through the FRFR with just the amp/cab model, then add the effects.

I had to go find this older post of mine from 2018.... 3 post in on this short thread https://line6.com/support/topic/35963-using-a-300-variax-with-a-helix/ But here it is again for quick reference... Bottom line, it works, but it takes some getting used to. -------------------- For anyone interested in connecting an older Variax and a Helix... take the time to learn how they will interact with each other, or you will be left scratching your head in confusion... especially if you came from an HD500 or earlier POD XT Live or X3. The two most important things to understand... when you use "force mode" to load guitar models from a preset or snapshot change.... You can only set the model access from the HELIX... You cannot change the model on the guitar, then save on the Helix like you used to with an older POD The HELIX can only access the FACTORY Variax Models, Custom 1 and Custom 2 locations. Read that carefully! Here's why! If you customize your variax guitars in Workbench, then store them over their original location the Helix cannot access those. You can call them up on the guitar itself, but the Helix cannot load them through preset or snapshot! Any custom guitars you need instant access to from the Helix (ie: loaded with a patch/snapshot change) must be stored in a CUSTOM 1 or CUSTOM 2 location. If you change guitar models via snapshot... and are in the habit of changing pickup positions on the fly... I strongly suggest you set Snapshot behavior mode to "discard". If not... it won't take long to learn why :) IMO: The reward of having guitar model changes available via snapshots more than makes up for any inconvenience of learning a few quirks. My Variax 300 has new life under the HELIX... now that I've learned it's new personality :) --------------------

I don't believe this is possible internally... but you might be able to do a midi loop back and set the EXP pedal to send the required midi message(s). There is an audio gap when changing presets so I don't believe that will yield any usable results, but snapshots may work.

Submit a ticket to Line 6 and include an export of your preset along with the details you provided here. If it's a bug, they will be able to reproduce it which is the first step to bug fixes! They can't fix it if they are not aware of it. There are thousands of configuration possibilities in a Helix... you have stumbled on one that affects you.

"Sounds" very flat? Have you plugged into a tuner to see if it "is" very flat? That will quickly confirm if the guitar is the problem, or if it is just the environment (ears, room, volume, perception, reflection, etc...) Next time I get a chance I'll check my JTV...

That video is a good example.... you simply can't use the same settings on the effects, they need to be altered to make it work for a similar result. FWIW... I prefer delays "before" the dirt... I find it more dynamic and interactive. Reverbs are not something I use a lot... just a natural sounding room to create a little space.

You are likely correct on your 2nd assumption... which would be a software bug not a impending DSP failure. Also, the fact that reloading the preset solves the problem also points to software.

Set your Helix to a specific midi channel... then make sure Logic is not sending on ALL channels. If you lock LOGIC down to a default of channel 1, and the Helix to Channel 2... the Helix will never hear any of those messages. NEXT: If you want to send a message to Helix from Logic, send that specific message on CHANNEL 2 (or whatever channel you set the Helix to)! Most people forget (or don't realize) MIDI has 16 channels. Keep your devices separate and make the instructions very detailed. That prevents unpredictable results!

I'm quite surprised you are getting the results you are getting. The added impedance on the guitar input usually "rounds out" the tone making it "less ice picky" than going into a RETURN input or Audio Interface. Perhaps the added impedance is messing with the capacitance of your cable. Have you tried different cables...

If you are thinking of buying a Helix Floor or LT... this is not an issue as there are 32 blocks to work with. If you are planning on buying a STOMP or STOMP XL... that's when it may be a concern. That said... I use an LT and have a Stomp as a backup... I have no problems laying out useable presets on a stomp, I just can't cram everything into one preset.

My LT presets go direct to FOH/Monitor and do not require any sort of high end roll off. I also don't roll off any high end in the preset itself. I use an MBritt IR that I found many years ago but the new cab engine in the Helix (which did not exist when this thread was started 4 years go) is also quite capable - I record with those all the time. Admittedly, I did struggle with the original cab engine on the Helix because they were all "center mic'd" and didn't give us the ability to move the mic around the cone at all. That was what led me to find an IR I really liked.

Did the problem start with the "new battery"? Is it a genuine battery, or third party? I see in the video you show a full charge... but you do that with the modeling turned off. Check the status with the modeling on since that puts the load on the battery. Do you have anything with a VDI port so you check to see if the modeling is working there? Also, @psarkissiansuggests using a TRS cable, not a TS.... the cable in the video looks to be a standard TS (but I could be wrong).

I use 1/4" output almost all the time... and don't notice any volume drop in the models vs the mags. As stated above, 1/4" cables are not created equal... try a different one.

The 1/4" outputs are "unbalanced" on the LT. They can be set to line level output... but that is just level, it has nothing to do with "balanced or unbalanced". From page 9 of the v3 manual.

There are still limits you'll need to work within. Compared to a stomp it may have 4 times the number of block allocations, but it only has twice the DSP. It's never been an issue for me... I can always work within the limits. However, I am reminded of the limits when I want to try something and it's "grayed out".

Not all hollow body guitars are created equal. What do you have for a guitar, and can you provide us with a song or two as an example of the sound you hear in your head? ^^^ this is key ^^^

As stated already, it's normal behavior caused by touch capacitance switches... your finger is touching FS3 while attempting to edit. On a stomp you can change this behavior to PRESS if you prefer.

You are using a fixed power amp and cabinet.... that means you need to turn off the cab modeling in the Helix. Cab/mic modeling into a real cab is NOT a good starting point. It may work when someone is really knowledgeable about what they are after, but the general rule is to turn it off! Relying on factory presets is futile at best, but the majority of those will have cabinets loaded. When creating presets just add a "preamp" or "amp"... do not add "amps+cab" When editing others presets, replace the "amp+cab" with a "preamp" or "amp". (If the preset has separate amp & cab blocks, just remove the cab block) NOTE: When doing presets without cabs, going direct or using headphones will not be a good idea.

Place two Deluxe Reverbs amps (without cabs) in parallel with each other. Have one block loaded with the normal channel, and the other loaded with the vib channel. Load the cabinet separately after the merge block so it is shared. Sure... that means the power amp is not shared but that's really not that important. There is a reason for that. On most real BF/SF Fenders the two channels are out of phase with each other.... that made them impractical to jump without modding one of the channels so it never was very common. Real Marshalls didn't have that same problem so the jumped sound became part of Marshall's history.

Use your imagination when setting things up... it's very flexible. You can change on/off states & parameters, just as you can with a standard footswitch. Keep in mind, parameters can only be changed by a single controller... eg: if a parameter is already adjusted by a snapshot, it can't be adjust again by the footswitch. If you get a footswitch with LED's... retaining LED status can be tricky between snapshots. The FS may look like it's on, but the new snap may have reloaded some settings/positions. I approached it differently. I bought a BOSS FS-6, then wired a 10K resistor across the R/S (ring/sleeve) of the TRS cable. This gave me one F/S that acts as a footswitch (I use it to toggle between stomp modes) and the other acts as a fixed expression pedal. The latter is my "boost"! It increases the output gain by 2.5db and subtlety adjust a few other parameters. Since I set my "EXP input" as global - the LED on the boss always stays lined up with the changes they make in the preset.

This is true if the footswitch gets it's power from the device/cable... Some third party footswitches (eg: The FS-6) use a battery for the LED's

Double check the presets on your Helix and make sure the input is set accordingly. That has caught me several times. For full Variax operation that needs to be set to "Variax" or "Multi".

FWIW... I use a BOSS FS-6 with my HX Stomp. Rock solid... doesn't budge!

Which Helix Native meter are you referring to... there are two which help in getting the gain staging accurate within the plugin. Adjust the level controls as needed to get the right values on the meters, don't just set them to 0 and hope for the best. I like to set my input level on Native around -18/-20... hard hits would push it to about -12. Set like this I find Native reacts similar to my LT with the same preset. Next, gain stage the plugin as you add/remove blocks) until the output meter is very similar. I'm not familiar with Main Stage so I don't know what your meter options are... but I can say that "Dbfs" will be very different from any "K metering" when referring to numbers only. I honestly don't care about getting a match in numbers here... I just make sure I'm not peaking anything. You are not mentioning what you use for an interface. If you have the option, set the input you use to "Instrument" or "High Impedance". That will load down your pickup in a more familiar way than LINE or a Mic Pre will.