codamedia

No reason to add another request - it will split more votes. Just upvote the four separate requests that are already there for this feature.

I did say "full functionality" in my post :)

Although I have no problems with USB Audio being absent from the HX Effects... I do find the absence of a VDI port puzzling. The HX Effects is geared toward guitar players and their pedal boards, yet L6 excluded their own products/users in this regard. It seriously limits people looking at a Variax.... their only logical choice for "full functionality" is to pair it with a Helix. Having it on the HX Effects would have provided more options in that regard.

That is worth questioning. The HELIX and HX Effects will share software, I can't see it being too much different. If the Helix is not locking up or failing at a similar rate that would point toward a hardware problem. For example, a single batch of faulty filter caps that cost 2 cents can wreak havoc on a thousand units in a heartbeat.

Although I have never had the freeze problem (knock on wood... big gig tonight) I'd be happy to help in the troubleshooting. If you (or anyone) finds a patch that is causing grief, try and share it here... either with an HX edit patch export, or manually providing some settings. I'd be more than happy to test a troubling patch or settings on my machine to see if we can start to find any consistency.

Did you disconnect the HD from the computer (unplug the USB cable) before trying to start it? That would be my first suggestion.

This is where I am confused. What you describe here is actually a trick... a way to use a volume pedal without using up an effect block for a volume pedal. But as you have learned, it only works when you use an amp in the POD. The normal way (not a trick) is to insert a "volume pedal block" then make sure the pedal is tied to that. If you do that it wouldn't matter what you use for an amp, you will always have a volume pedal in the patch. Normally you would put the VP block after any comps and/or overdrives, but before any delays and/or reverbs.

Yes to all three of your scenarios. That would be the general approach that most people would practice. But there is no law that says you can't experiment with different combinations to see if you come up with something you like.

I've never bought into this excuse because the acoustic Variax guitars have a great sounding nylon patch. A bronze string isn't nylon either ... it's just a different metal than nickel or stainless. If it's a technical reason (hardware/software) we don't get a nylon model then I can understand that, but if it's just a marketing decision to exclude it I'd be very disappointed. In the meantime.... the Martin 0 Series model, an aggressive LPF around 5K and a little EQ can get you in the ballpark... not as a solo instrument, but in the mix it seems to work for me.

Why not just insert a volume pedal block in the HD500.... then make sure the volume pedal is assigned to that block? Or am I missing something in your post?

If you take the same tone and boost it harder, it will not be the same tone anymore. The gain will increase, the low end will become flabby and your solo's will sound thinner in comparison. In 1979 a pedal was released that dealt HEAD ON with this very problem. It is not transparent because as stated above, transparent DOES NOT WORK! It rolls the lows off so they don't eat the power... in turn this emphasizes the mids which allow the single notes of a solo to ring through louder, thicker and clearer. Basically.. it makes solo's sound the way the rhythm was sounding. That pedal is the tube screamer and there are two versions of it in the HX Effects.

Yes... the same principle will work with the HX Effects

I don't have my board with me today .... It's really quite easy... open it up and find the 1K resistor. It should be the only resistor in the box. There are two options... Remove it and replace it with a wire Just solder a wire to the two ends of the resistor (even though the resistor is still there, by putting a wire across it you have eliminated the resistance)

I bought a used 300 for this very reason. If I am buying disposable gear, I am going to pay disposable dollars :) At least the newer models (JTV, Standard, Shuriken) come with pickups... so the guitar itself can stay relevant in a worse case scenario.

Install L6 MONKEY then update (from Monkey) the items it tells you to update. It should be as easy as that. If it still isn't working you need to try a different USB port. There are usually 4 USB plug ins per PORT.... a different plug isn't always the answer. This is NOT a problem related to L6... USB is a shared resource on a computer and the more complicated the device, the more "dedicated" it needs those resources to be.

M-Audio EX-P.... Cheap, cheap, cheap... yet functions fine and is relatively sturdy for the price tag. * Set the switch on the back to M-Audio * Set the MIN knob all the way down * (Optional) Open it up and solder a bare wire across the 1K resistor so it's out of play. This allows the pedal to work with blocks that require "auto on" such as a WAH.

Sorry to hear that... yes, it does sound like the unit itself. I've got one of the "noisy" units but have been working around that while our Canadian distributor got a new shipment. I was just informed that I'll get my new HX next week... I hope I don't end up trading one problem of another "potentially worse" problem. Mine has been rock solid other than the known "noise" issue with the loops.

It is obvious that you know how to troubleshoot! I love it when people know what they are doing and can explain things in great detail rather than "it doesn't work" :) Based on what you are saying, it sounds like something is failing in the HX Edit, or the patch that is causing grief is causing more grief than you think. Have you eliminated that patch altogether to see if HX Edit can load everything else? Do you have a recent backup of your patches? If so... I'd try full reset of the HX then reload your backups to see if that works. I'm following this thread...

Herein lies the caveat. Workbench won't install on an older machine either without the steps of manually installing JAVA. So the options are... old machine that L6 claims Workbench works on, but it won't install without a workaround. OR - Newer computer that L6 claims it won't work on... but it does, with the same workarounds as the old machine needs :) NOTE: That's the options for Windows.... I don't know about MAC.

I don't own an LT, but I do own the Helix Effects. I use a return block all of the time for an extra input... it works fine. I can't see the LT being any different. Yes - you will need to create a patch with the return inserted in order to use it. There is no global way to insert it.

I expect products to die... when the electronics start to fail in the older Variax guitars, so be it... that is life. When L6 claims that Workbench (original) doesn't work on Windows 10.... and I am comfortably running Workbench original on two computers with Windows 10.... that's BS! They just don't WANT to tell people those old guitars still work, or make it convenient for people to keep them working! Guitar players have a lot of choices that will NEVER become a paper weight.... Sure, they will require service and repair, but that will never be a problem. You can't compare a Variax to an HP Printer...

I see in the video you are using the auto installer from online. It is possible that your machine has cached a corrupted copy of the installer. Down the update file separately, then run the installer choosing a local file.

Although you may be correct, planned obsolescence of a guitar can't be good for sales... especially as it becomes widely known.

If you don't want to go the JAVA route, then you will never be able to use the older Workbench. It is required and used to be part of the the Workbench install until the installer "pointer" no longer pointed to the correct URL at JAVA.COM. That is why you have to do it manually now.

You would have to drop everything an octave, and IMO - pitch shifting gets really wonky at that point, especially when you need to sustain a note. That said... on days when I can't drag my Bass VI (a guitar tuned down an octave) to a gig I mimic that with the "legacy > bass octave". It's not great, but it works OK if I stick to single lines. I should take the time to try a few others... but I use it so rarely I haven't gotten around to finding a better patch. As for amps... start with the "Tuck n' Go" based on the Ampeg Flip Top. It's really easy to setup and sounds great... it's also one of the most recorded bass amps in history. Studio players loved them.