codamedia

Something is wrong.... and whatever is causing this to happen is likely the reason why the breakup is not as you would expect. I've owned a MESA Mark Series and know the sound you are describing... I am pretty sure if that was normal, most of us here would not be owning a Helix. Please describe your chain, starting with the guitar and don't leave anything to be assumed. It would also be helpful if you could share your preset. Admittedly, I am not a high gain player so I can't comment on any of these amps other than the JCM800 which I find quite realistic in regards to breakup. You can line up a dozen JCM 800's and they will all sound/behave very different... similar, but different. The model in the Helix is just another variation... not to mention the mod model also included in the Helix. The Helix and Native sound the same, as long as I/O is equal. If they sound different to you, then you have not optimized one, the other, or both!

Right out of the gate I have a very different experience than you. I find Helix models to be rather bright for my liking... but believe this is more about the cab models/mic positions than the amps. I think it would be very helpful if we knew which "real world amps" you might be referring to. The amps I have experience with... the Helix models are very accurate. Some better than others, but overall - quite good! If I had dark presets and gain that was misbehaving I'd be taking a hard look at the input impedance settings and/or the input chain in general.

That works just fine.... Not that my opinion matters, but I do prefer my "mod/delay/reverbs" BEFORE the IR/Cabinet like a real amps effects loop would operate. I like the influence a speaker/IR has on those effect tails. The method you outline and @bobcoss also says he prefers is the studio approach to applying those effects. This will certainly get rid of the need to run a 2nd loop, but it does "fix the position" of the overdrives, and it forces you to manually control those overdrives. Within a separate loop you get more control from within the HX Effects itself. Of course... it does add an extra DA/AD conversion - there is always a trade off.

I don't restore my presets... but I do restore my global settings to save a bunch of time. Global settings are often reset on an update which can create a lot of unexpected results. They don't just reside in the global setting area.... they are scattered throughout the unit - and I always miss one or two if I attempt to set them manually! Restoring presets doesn't make sense to me because it would force another "rebuild" during start up. I would only do a preset restore if I encountered issues.

IMO.... I'd scale that back to one IR until you get a really solid feel of how it will help/hurt your setup. In your setup I agree with you... "Acoustic Sim > IR" From there I would apply "EQ > Post Effects" Unlike CAB IR's, I keep my Acoustic IR's really low on the blend setting... I find a little goes a long way. If I had to guess, I might add 10% - 15% of an IR signal to my tones. This is true regardless of the instrument I am applying the IR to... be it a Variax, real acoustic, banjo, etc... etc... I am just looking to add a little more character to the tone with an IR - not create the tone itself. I'd approach it the same way with the acoustic sim, but YMMV....

Before turning it on! Troubleshooting 101 is to strip it to the basics for tests. Unplug anything that is connected to another power supply elsewhere! If the problem doesn't occur after several start ups.... plug in the XLR's and see what happens. Then move on to the USB.....

Substantially sooner than the rest of the line... I wish I hadn't said anything, it was just a thought I've had since I first saw the release notes from DI a month or two ago.

I think there is more to the story than this... and I believe the HX Effects has been targeted for EOL. I expect L6 would deny that... but time will tell if my theory is correct...

Same solution as the LT.... An inexpensive Mic Pre (eg: ART Tube Pre) into the aux input would work wonders... and give instant access to a volume control for the microphone. Yes it's an extra piece of gear.... but IMO that's a minor inconvenience (and cost) compared to the benefit in return.

I'm just putting both of these responses I agree with in the order I would do them. I'll add a couple other considerations.... (just for basic troubleshooting) Have you ruled out power as a problem? eg: Tried different outlets, different power cables, etc... etc... If you have USB connected on start up... disconnect it and see what happens. Same with XLR's... especially if they have phantom the lines.

Sorry if this offends... but that sums it up :)

I'd have a hard time believing the XLR's themselves have failed! Those things are one of the most tried/true connectors in the industry! I suggest you take it to an authorized dealer to see what is going on. One thing to check! Make sure Phantom Power is TURNED OFF at the unit you are connecting the Helix to. If you can't turn the phantom off, use a direct box.

That statement is loaded with irony... but phil_m addresses this a couple posts above :) IMO, the Quad Cortex is the product to keep an eye on at this time... it's from 2020/2021.

This is an inevitable move, but we have no idea when it will happen. What I do know is that my Helix is still going to sound great when a new product is released... I'll just have to reside to the fact that it might not get further updates. That's OK with me, because every update is a bonus.... I bought the unit based on what it had at the time I purchased it - which was a lot less than it has now :)

There is ZERO comparison between the two.... tone or features! IMO, it's not open to debate :) Like you... I was on the fence for a while. After I made the move my only disappointment was not doing it sooner. If cost is a concern even the Helix LT is a huge upgrade coming from the HD500. Under the hood it is the same as the Floor model. I did a feature comparison and ultimately decided I did not need anything the floor model had to offer. The biggest hurdle for me was the lack of scribble strips on the LT... but once I learned about performance view and saw how effective it was I decided to save some dollars and grabbed the LT. I've never regretted that decision... but it's a personal decision. YMMV. In my 40 years as a working musician, I've never been happier with a single purchase than I have been with the Helix.

That doesn't seem to exist at this time... There are a few requests at ideascale you could upvote... this one appears to be closest to what you would like but it is quite old and doesn't have a lot of traction. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Auto-Stomp-Mode/827537-23508 If you start a new request I'll be happy to upvote it. Having the ability to use Stomp Mode as the default landing place (after any choice is made) makes sense to me.

That sounds like I've built an equivalent then... I don't think I need to worry about it any further :) Thanks for checking... I do appreciate it. @psarkissian... thanks for the info!

That is what I've done with standard Cat5e and they work fine but I hated the feel of the cable. This time I bought some flex soft shielded cat5e and didn't know if I needed to connect the shield or not. I knew the non shielded ends worked so that's what I put on for now... and it does work great. On your Line 6 VDI cable.... do you know if there is continuity between the two Ethercons? (which would suggest they are connected to the shield) Since you are the official Variax Doctor with Line 6.... I have to admit I find it a little surprising that you are "speculating" as to how a Line 6 VDI cable is actually constructed. Spec is spec... but "If" and "Chances are" do not instill confidence :)

Open a support ticket in your Line 6 account.

That is my biggest complaint with the Helix. It is such a fundamental part of creating tones I'm really surprised they haven't addressed it yet. In case you are not aware of it... there is a way to "simulate" this within the Helix... and it works surprisingly well (IMO of course) Place a TILT EQ after the cabinet block (or amp/cab block) Leave all settings at default.... then dial back the TILT control towards DARK It is a subtle EQ... and needs to be moved a fair bit. EG: DARK 50 (half way) is quite similar to placing a MIC about half way between the center and edge of the speaker. I don't find a need to change the frequency setting from the default... but feel free to experiment. The TILT works by reducing highs (slightly) while increasing lows (slightly) as you dial it back toward the dark. This is the same behavior a MIC would notice (hear) if it was being moved from the center to the edge.

YMMV... but I set up my Helix to display 8 snaps. The MODE then toggles between Snapshot mode and Stomp mode. To get to a Preset I simply touch ONE of the bank buttons and I am in Preset Mode. Once I choose a preset it returns to Snap mode automatically. This gives me a single click to be in any mode I want... without the need to step on two buttons at the same time to enter a particular mode. That setup works great for me... but that doesn't mean it will work for everyone :)

Using a dual cab with different mics and positions is very natural sounding... "Double Take" would be another approach.

This is not a 100% solution, and YMMV.... I like to run a TILT EQ at the front of a Variax preset and roll the high back about -20 to -30. This really solves the "plinky" tone that gets under my skin... and gets rid of it at the beginning so effects and amps respond more naturally. In general I find a Variax to feel "cold" for lack of a better term.... this helps me in that regard.

The old Workbench does work on Windows 10.... although Line 6 doesn't suggest it will, and you do need to install 32 bit Java separately prior to installing Workbench. It requires jumping through a couple of hoops, but it does work fine. Here is a link to what is involved... https://line6.com/support/topic/59142-how-to-install-the-original-workbench-on-windows-10/

I cannot reproduce your problem at all... but I can clearly hear it in your audio examples. Do you set your guitars up very similar to each other? IMO, this sounds like the pickups are too high (close to the strings) and the magnetic pull is effecting the string vibration. The sound is likely always there... but with lots of gain it becomes more noticeable. When you begin to play above the 12th fret it becomes even more pronounced.... and is a common problem with magnetic pickups. The neck pickup will have more impact than the bridge pickup... try lowing just that one to start with, then just lower the bridge to match volumes.