codamedia

Can you let us know what your chain is... and possibly share a picture of it? It would be nice to hear an example of what you are talking about as well. I have some ideas, but without knowing more details I could be taking you down a rabbit hole of misinformation :)

@spikey... I agree in full. I don't particularly like the business model of letting older "guitars" die off without support, but have come to realize there is nothing I can do about it. Hence my efforts to always find a way to get the most from it. When I got my Helix LT I knew there would be some compatibility issues with my old Variax, but once I figured them out and learned how to work around them (rather than fight them) I've come to learn that despite the limitations it is still a very practical and useful setup. Sorry, I kind of derailed this with my last post on other things to watch for and didn't really address this. You have two options.... Buy a new Workbench Interface for your old Variax. They are still available through many retail outlets. Buy a USED compatible product that can work as an interface, and also be a usable piece of gear. IIRC, compatible products include the XT Live, X3 Live, X3 Pro and HD500. As I stated earlier, I kept my HD500 when I got my Helix and it now serves as a backup to my Helix at live gigs, and as my Variax/Workbench interface when I need that. An XT Live or X3 Live can often be found for about the same price as a "new" Workbench Interface, about $100 USD give or take a little. IMO... if I didn't have an HD500 already, I'd be looking for one of those two units.

^^^ this ^^^ When I upgraded to the Helix I kept my older HD500 as a spare... and when I need to connect to Workbench that is what I use. You cannot connect an older generation Variax to Workbench through a Helix. No... but it is far more flexible than you may first realize... PRESETS and SNAPSHOTS can change patches are capable of changing presets. Therefore.... from within a single preset you can use snapshots to call up a new patch on the Variax... even ones with different tunings, different tone positions, etc... etc... GOTCHA #1 If you have snapshots set to "recall" and physically change the model on your Variax you are screwed until you re-load that preset. For that reason, I set my snapshots to "discard" so they will always reload the model you want it to. GOTCHA #2 I don't know about the new models, but older generation Variax guitars have two layers of guitars in all presets other than CUSTOM 1 and CUSTOM 2. The guitar always calls the forefront layer... but the Helix can only access the "factory settings" layer. This is why "Gotcha #1 exists". If you change your guitar selection on the guitar it will work, but the HELIX can't remember that access and defaults to one of the CUSTOM patches. (I think custom 2 / 5) GOTCHA #3 (Similar to #2.... but it has to do with customizing guitar models) Any changes you make to a Variax in Workbench and save to the ORIGINAL location (eg: You open TELE 1, change the body and save it back to TELE 1) cannot be saved or reached from the Helix. They can ONLY ACCESS the "factory settings" layer on the guitar... so recalling TELE 1 from the Helix would call up the factory patch, not your custom patch. For this reason - always save your custom guitars into the CUSTOM 1 and CUSTOM 2 locations.

X has an upgraded processor so the DSP limit is increased by about 20%. X has upgraded footswitches that are more reliable, and have the O rings. This is an advanced difference... but it's always worth noting. The X cannot make a connection between older Variax guitars and Workbench on a computer.... something the original HD500 could do with no problems. So even though the units are suppose to be running the same software, SOMETHING has changed under the hood :)

Please clarify... are you looking for a good MULTI EFFECTS or did you also want amp simulation? If you just want effects, look at the HX Effects... just a few pennies more than the HD500 and you get the HX (Helix) technology. That would already exist... it's the HELIX LT. Similar size, similar "hardware" (in/outs/switches/pedal) just with the latest technology. If you want something more lite on the pocket book then there is the HX Stomp or HX Effects (effects only) mentioned earlier which are both closer to the HD500 in price.

Whether or not you think it belongs in the Helix is a matter of preference/opinion...I have no issue with that. What I find surprising is that the two of you (and others in this thread) think the Tweed Bassman (already in the Helix) and the Brown Bassman are the same amp. They are the same by "name only". They are very different amps. The Brown Bassman has a tone of it's own in the Fender lineup, and would have a tone of it's own in the Helix. I think it's a legitimate request.

I don't want your results, I want YOU to experience that the results can differ :) EXACTLY... if you don't test this on real world amps your experiment is just "one example" not a "scientific approach". Your ONE EXAMPLE COUNTS... absolutely! But it is not the entire picture! I'm just asking you to open your mind on this subject.

Helix Native sounds just like a physical Helix (I own both)... providing it's played through the same speaker setup. I also own an HD500 which is now my backup... YES, the Helix sounds better. The HD500 as an interface should not be imparting any of it's own tone into the signal... there is nothing to worry about there. The setup you have would be great for home/studio use. If you ever get to the point of playing live, that's when the hardware version of the Helix comes in very handy. You don't generally want to haul a laptop off to a gig :)

This is not black and white! You need to understand, it is quite common that with certain setups the HX units can introduce more noise than it may with YOUR setup. It is not measurable unless you have the same gear everyone else does. There are many people that have noise issues, there are many that do not, and the topic has been discussed ad nauseam in these forums. It is NOT simply a case that these people are hearing things, or don't know how to setup their gear! Now take that same procedure into a music store and test 20 different physical amps instead of testing with amp models in the Helix :)

When it was made means nothing for warranty... it's when the product was originally purchased that matters. Keep in mind... if you buy a used unit, you MUST get the original bill of sale from the seller, and it must clearly show the date of purchase. This is from the Line 6 Warranty Info page.... The only way to redeem warranty on a used item is to have the original purchase receipt, dated within the product warranty period. So if you fail to get such a receipt, the manufacturers warranty will not be honored. https://line6.com/warranty/

This is probably one of the most "back to the basics" video I can point you to...

@amsdenj... that is certainly a valid viewpoint in your post directly above. To be clear though, my original post was in response to him already trying the guitar directly into an IR and NOT getting good results. If the signal from the guitar is not good, you will not be able to fix it with an IR - you may actually compound the problem. It is important to optimize that original signal first. SURE... stay away from reverbs, effects and maybe even compressor until the IR is included... but I would stand behind using some EQ, filters and possibly even a pre-amp prior to an IR so the IR has something usable to work with. Just my 2 cents...

Just so you know, I am on your side.... as I stated earlier, I bought from Ownhammer because I want to keep my options open. However, there is a benefit for "some users" to go the Marketplace route.... I would compare it to buying OEM software. It's guaranteed to work on your product, you get support from the company that sold you your product, and you got it at a discounted price because you own the product. In return, you are not allowed to move that software to a different product. This is a very common business model for partnerships.

I think my point was missed... An IR is just an audio file.... the IR Loader would need to have modeling technology to artificially change mic placement, Ownhammer (and other IR makers) cannot make a single IR that is capable of this, which is why they get delivered in separated files. My "common knowledge" explanation was meant as such.... "common knowledge" for those that read this thread and don't understand that part of it :)

This would have to be a feature in the IR loader, not the IR itself since an IR is just an audio file. For those not aware.... Ownhammer IR's include "cone to edge" mic placements in all packages and I would assume it still exists in the L6 Marketplace packages. Each IR comes with a 0 - 10 number at the end... 0 = cone, 10 = edge and everything else is in between. You choose the fundamental IR (cab/speaker/mic combo) you like, then choose the one with the mic placement you like.

Connect to the computer and Line 6 Monkey.... then do a complete backup (this may require HD Edit) Next, re-install the latest firmware and factory settings through Monkey, check to see if the unit works, then re-load your backups. (check before loading your backups) If that doesn't work at all, then it is hardware related and will need service. If it gets this far it's likely a broken or disconnected ribbon to the switch PCB.

I bought them directly from Ownhammer.... simply because I don't want to lose my IR's if I ever decide to change from the Helix to something else in the future. In no way is that in my plans, but I like to keep my doors open and would hate to to have to "buy again". On the other side of this discussion... it looks like the Ownhammer offers on Marketplace are organized nicer with the HELIX in mind therefore they should be simpler to navigate. Not to mention, they appear to be a little less money in Marketplace.

I can respect that @scallybert 3 to 6 db is rather dramatic... I believe the pad is 6db, and the vast majority of users would notice that difference regardless of experience. That would change the compression and gain levels of everything that follows. I'd be interested in hearing this for myself... do you know if the tone is different, or is it mostly feel?

I know you said you see what I mean but to confirm, YES, by on/off I do mean bypassed/not-bypassed. Sorry for the confusion in terminology :)

I'd try both and choose the one that sounded best... :)

1db would be subjective, 3db and more would be obvious, not just perception. Never assume anything in regards to the input pad... it only takes a moment to check.

The IR itself cannot be expected to do it all.... start by getting a really good acoustic tone first. This differs for person to person, guitar to guitar... but usually a compressor or studio pre followed by an EQ and reverb is enough to get a good tone. Once you have that, add the IR block (I would do this after the basics, but before reverb, delay, etc...) to sweeten it a little. Often you don't need a full 100% blend on an acoustic IR... just blend it until you get the depth you want.

You should not be having this problem... 3db - 6db is a huge drop at the input. Are you sure you didn't accidentally engage the INPUT PAD on the 2nd Helix?

I don't know for certain, but I would think that if you had a back up "Helix for your Helix"... it will be a heck of a lot more accurate than if you have a backup "Twin for your Twin" or backup "Tube Screamer for your Tube Screamer". (insert any pedal for pedal, amp for amp in those statements)

Are you 100% sure that you don't have a snapshot that is doing something you're not expecting? Every now and then my Helix does something I'm not expecting, and when I look into it further it's just something I've inadvertently set... or adjusted on the fly with snapshots set to "recall". (EG: If you have a snapshot that you can control gain with and you back it off... the next time you load that snapshot the gain will be in that reduced state) if you are still on the same patch) Not saying that is the problem... just suggesting you double check everything :)