rd2rk

The hideous device we're talking about is the KPA, and I don't see that as being compact. The QC, OTOH, is pretty slick looking. I wish it had scribble strips though.

My take on their "profiling" is that it not only analyzes the sound, it's algorithms take into account how humans HEAR sound, and choose what info to include, emphasize or exclude from the "profile". Since we all hear sound slightly differently, it should also take that into account. Sounds complicated and will likely be at least as subject to "YMMV" as anything else related to our highly subjective opinions/perceptions of what sounds good. Profiling doesn't interest me, since the reason I have a modeler is that I don't/can't have real amps. Nothing I've ever heard from a KPA is that much better than Helix that I'd want to spend that much money and go down the rabbit hole of constantly wanting to buy other people's profiles looking for the "holy grail". Besides, it's one of the ugliest pieces of gear I've ever seen :-)! It will be interesting though to see how the QC profiling stands up to the industry leader.

Whether you use PCs, CCs or NOTEs depends on the requirements of the devices being controlled. What you'll want to do is make sure that those devices are all set to different MIDI channels (there's 16 channels), so that they'll only respond to the messages intended for them. In CommandCenter you'll then be specific about the channel you want to send the message on.

Thank You! "Best practice" is what I was trying to get at with my car analogies!

Most synth plug-ins (aka VSTi) have a guitar voice. There are VSTi's that are specifically guitar focused, just google "guitar VSTi" and try some till you find one you like. Try this : https://101audio.com/best-guitar-vst-plugins/ The ones I've heard sound like turds floating in a metal barrel. Maybe Native can help..... This question might better be asked in a synth forum.

If you save a preset on the snapshot you want to start with, you only need to send the PC#. You can then send the different Snapshot messages as needed. If you want preset 01C (PC#002) to open on Snapshot 2, just save it with Snapshot 2 active. If in another situation, you want the same preset to open with Snapshot 1 active, just save it separately to a different preset space. If you want to change the HX Stomp Snapshot without changing the HXFX preset, you can either create a HXFX Snapshot that sends the HX Stomp Snapshot message, or assign it to a stomp button on HXFX. Lots of options.

Have you seen a picture of the Cortex? Again, knobs and switches and a colorful LED screen. But if you can't tell the Cortex from a Helix, how do you find your car in a parking lot? Look, I'm not defending thieves. But there's enough similarity between L6 products and everything else to provide lawyers with endless income if we get too picky about appearances. "My device uses buttons and knobs, so you can't use buttons and knobs!" "My device is black/silver/green so your device can't be black/silver/green!" "My device uses colorful LEDs so you can't use colorful LEDs!" I want to see lawyers earn their keep going after IP thieves, not suing over the height of the tail-fins. I'm not going to abandon my Helix just because somebody comes up with a revolutionary never-been-seen-before UI. The quality of the SOUND is what matters. The originality of the code behind that SOUND is more important (to me) than the novelty of a neurally controlled heads-up display. And when L6 comes up with their own neurally controlled heads-up display, I won't be calling "FOUL" if it sounds better and uses original code.

Reboot while holding 2+3. That'll do a complete factory reset. If that doesn't fix it you've probably got a bad unit. You've probably got this covered, but always use a surge/filter strip and beware of static.

Not side stepping anything. The look of the Cortex display is different. If they made the icons the same that would be one thing. But would it really change anything if the icons were hexagonal instead of square? And there's only so many colors in the rainbow. If Helix uses purple, would lavender be different enough? British Racing Green vs Shamrock Green? Until you turn it on, an iPhone looks pretty much like an Android phone. When you turn it on it has icons. They're square and live on a background that you can customize (wallpaper). You put your finger on a touchscreen to make it work. Same for Laptops. Same for most tech. UI form is designed for use by humans. Certain things work, and getting too clever with the interface detracts from the functionality. When I see a Helix Floor, I don't wonder if it's a GT1000 or a Headrush or an AXE FX or a Space Station. Other than having buttons and knobs and a colorful LED display, the Cortex doesn't look much like a Helix. If anything, it looks kinda like that Chinese modeler I referred to. Really, the L6 designers should be proud of themselves. Their creation is fast becoming the round steering wheel of the modeling industry!

In Global Settings> MIDI/Tempo on HXFX, turn OFF MIDI PC TX. Then use CommandCenter to assign the required Presets on the Stomp. If you use two amps or different settings on 1 or more amps in a Stomp Preset, you can set up Snapshots on the Stomp, then send Snapshot Change messages to the Stomp, from HXFX, thus avoiding the momentary sound drop when switching Presets.

My car has 4 cylinders, 4 round tires, a round steering wheel, gas, brake and clutch pedals, and a stick shift. Pretty much a direct rip-off of a model A Ford, but prettier. Speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure, water temp and electrical gauges. It's a 2006 model, so definitely, the UI is reminiscent of other cars that came before it. As for the color-coded, stylized icons, an icon is, well, an icon. Skeuomorphics wouldn't have worked on a tiny screen, and then they'd be copying TH3 and BIAS. So, what else is there? No need to apologize, the similarities ARE obvious. If you've got a better idea for how to represent a signal chain on a tiny screen, I expect we'll be seeing it on the next gen Helix :-) . Bottom line, the UI is not what's going to sell this thing (or not). It's what's under the hood that's going to make or break it. To continue with the car metaphors, if it sounds like a Model A it's gonna suck. But if it sounds like a proper muscle car............i say, welcome to the club!

I don't see this as any kind of rip-off. It's a multi-fx like many others. Has buttons and a nice display. Does the display look like Helix? A little. But seriously, how many ways are there to display a signal flow? Did anybody really like the Guitar Rig top to bottom display? Nobody copied it. Wouldn't work on an itty-bitty screen anyway. What would bother me more would be if, like some Chinese copycats, they simply ripped off somebody's code. Neural's plug-ins are well thought of, and they seem to have gone their own way with their code. And it's already designed so the presets can be used across their platforms. Ultimately, what will (or won't) sell this is how good it sounds and how dependable it is. AND....if L6 gets the next generation Helix out before this thing actually hits the streets.

I'm not positive, as I rarely use Tap Tempo, but from messing around with it a bit just now, it seems that 120 is the factory default. If you reset that in Globals, that becomes the new default (Global) Tempo. If you SAVE a preset with a different Tempo, that preset retains that Tempo, but switching to a different preset without a SAVED Tempo defaults to the Tempo in Global Settings. The first Tap always shows the SAVED preset Tempo, or the Global Tempo if the preset hasn't been saved with a different Tempo. It takes multiple taps to establish a new Tempo. Maybe, at some point, OP changed the Global Setting to 240?

It seems to hit many of those "wish list" things that people want the HX Stomp/HXFX to be. A hair larger than HXFX Lots of buttons Amps and IRs As powerful as HX Floor 1/4" and XLR Outs 2 FX loops Touchscreen I like the Rotary Stomp buttons. Will they be sturdy enough? I wonder if it has a CommandCenter equivalent for MIDI? Multiple parallel signal chain routes? Looks like just one per processor, same as Helix. Some sort of amp profiling. Probably along the lines of BIAS. I didn't see any reference to a looper or Tap Tempo. They missed the magic <>$1000 price point. And of course, no Variax. And it requires external PSU. Still, an interesting entry in the multi-fx wars. EDIT: I see the Tap Tempo button. DOH!

Attach a copy of your preset so we can test it ourselves.

If you've got a brand new PC (what hardware? Laptop? Desktop?) I assume it's running Windows 10. Are you fully updated? In device Manager, where are you looking? It Should be here: "Sound, video and game controllers" Does it show up in Control Panel/Sound/Playback? Re-run "HXEditv2.82Installer.exe", on the "Choose Components" page, be sure that all the categories are checked. Update Instructions: STEP 2—Updating HX Edit to 2.82 (YOU MUST DO THIS BEFORE UPDATING YOUR HELIX/HX FIRMWARE!) Turn off or disconnect any connected Helix or HX hardware. Log onto line6.com. Once logged in, download HX Edit 2.82, available here: HX Edit 2.82 for Max OS X HX Edit 2.82 for Windows 7, 8, or 10 Read the Software License Agreement (hahaahaaa!) and click "Accept and Download." Once the software has downloaded, double-click the installer and follow the prompts. STEP 3—Updating Helix/HX Firmware to 2.82 (DO NOT DO THIS UNTIL AFTER YOU'VE UPDATED HX EDIT TO 2.82!) If you have Helix Rack/Control, turn off Helix Control. Also, shut down all Line 6 software or any programs that use audio, like DAWs, iTunes, Spotify, video games, etc. Connect Helix/HX to a Mac or PC via USB (do not use any sort of USB hub) and turn it on. Launch Line 6 Updater, enter your Line 6 Username and Password, and click "Sign In." A big green box appears with a picture of your Helix/HX product. Click the big green box and then click "Update" next to Version: 2.82. Carefully read the instructions, click "Continue," and then "Accept." When finished, your Helix/HX device restarts automatically and may begin rebuilding your presets. If so, let it finish. IMPORTANT! If you run into an issue during the update process such as the update procedure not completing or if you receive an error message, we strongly recommend trying a different USB port and/or USB cable. USB 2.0 or greater ports and cables are highly recommended. For Windows computers, USB ports on the back of desktop PCs (closest to the power connector) have proven to be the most reliable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Re-boot after installation. Come back when all that's done/verified, maybe I'll think of something else.

You've moved the goal posts 7 miles from the original end zone. IOW, there's way too many variables in that configuration for me to even begin to troubleshoot a tone problem. All I can tell you for sure is that NO, the Stomp does NOT color the tone that much BY ITSELF. Plug your guitar into the Stomp. Plug the 1/4" Out (Instrument Level) into the Amp Input. Using a clean/empty preset (no effects, with Global EQ OFF), does it color the sound? If it's not the Stomp, then start adding pedals one at a time (using the clean/empty preset) until you find the problem. THEN add the PDI03. Something to keep in mind is that as soon as you introduce an attenuator into the signal chain, THAT (the attenuation) can affect the tone. Also, make sure that your Power Supply is up to the task of powering everything on your board.

Is this what you're using? https://www.palmer-germany.com/en/products/speaker-simulators-loadboxes/5100/pdi-03 If so, I'd guess that you don't like their speaker sims. If you take an unfiltered line out from the PDI03 back into the stomp, you can use your own IRs. Of course, that leaves you with only 5 FX blocks available. The configuration would look something like this: EDIT: Guitar>HX Stomp Input>Pre Amp FX Blocks(Dist/OD/?)>FX Loop L Block>FX Send(Inst Level)>Hiwatt Input>Hiwatt Spkr Out>PDI03 Spkr Input>PDI03 Line Out>HX Stomp L Mono Return>Post Amp FX(Delay/Rev/) Cab/IR>HX Stomp L Mono Output>FOH Guitar>HX Stomp Input>Stomp FX Blocks>FX LOOP BLOCK L>Send (Inst Level)>Hiwatt Input>Hiwatt Spkr Out> PDI03 Spkr Input>PDI03 Spkr THRU>Hiwatt Physical Cab > PDI03 Unfiltered Line Out>HX Stomp L/Mono Return>IR Block>HX Stomp 1/4" L/Mono Out>FOH The Stomp's Outputs are balanced, so there's no need to use a DI from the Stomp to FOH, but you may need a 1/4" Balanced to XLR adapter for the FOH snake. HiWatt-PDI03-FOH.hlx

Or you could attach a copy of your preset.

IRL I don't use an amp for streaming/backing tracks, in my studio (apartment LR :-) ) I use Studio Monitors with the USB output and Helix into a mixer (XLR to Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, 1/4" to Amp) or a decent stereo with HX Stomp and computer output into a small Behringer mixer (office/dining area setup). The configuration I described above was setup for your needs. In that configuration I control the USB Volume from the PC - either the App Volume if using Spotify, YT or Media Player, or the DAW Master Volume. I used the Helix Master Volume (Big Knob) to control the Helix Return Volume (guitar mixed with USB) to the Amp. That allows you to get the Amp closer to it's "sweet spot" without blowing the roof off. Similar to an amp with the Master designed into the power amp, or using an attenuator/reactive load. It's not the same as an attenuator/RL since the power amp isn't working hard enough, but at least it gets you some range on the pre-amp gain. Bottom line - if it serves your purpose and sounds good to YOU, it IS good! Rock on!

So I know what I'm working with I've attached a new version of the sample preset. This one has Stomp buttons assigned. RECAP: Guitar>HX Input>Pre Amp FX (Kinky Boost)>FX Loop 1 Block>HX Loop 1 Send>Amp Input>Amp FX Send> HX Loop 1 Return>Post Amp FX (Simple Delay)>HX 1/4" L/MONO Out>Amp FX Return Amp footswitch disconnected - Amp FX Loop ON by default. Global Settings Ins/Outs>USB Input 1/2 Destination=Multi or 1/4" - turn the Big Knob (Helix Volume) all the way UP. Set your Computer's soundcard to Helix (for Spotify/YT, Media Player etc). In Windows that's Control Panel>Sound>Playback>Speakers=Helix. On your computer, start Spotify. Cue something but don't hit PLAY yet. Turn the Spotify App's Volume all the way down. Latest sample 4cm preset loaded on Helix. The 2 effects will be OFF, the FX Loop 1 Block will be ON. Turn up GAIN and VOLUME on the active channel of your amp. Play your guitar. Good strong signal? Turn ON the Kinky Boost. Works as expected? Turn it OFF. Turn ON the Delay. Works as expected? Leave it ON. Hit PLAY in Spotify. Turn up the volume in Spotify. Can you hear it? Can you still hear the guitar with Delay?

Just re-read your OP, where you said that when you hit the FX Loop switch on the amp the guitar is gone. Do you have a standalone FX box that you can put into the amp's FX loop? If guitar straight in to the amp (no Helix) and a standalone FX box in the FX Loop works, that helps eliminate the FX Loop itself as a problem.

I see that there's separate masters for Channels 1/2 (combined), and 3. That suggests that the masters are pre-effects loop, so make sure that the masters are turned up for whatever channels you're using. If you set the Helix Volume knob to XLR, that sends a steady UNITY signal out the 1/4" jack, eliminating that (the Volume Knob) as a variable.

Turn off the amp. Disconnect the footswitch. Turn the amp on and try it. The method I described IS the way it works with MOST amps. It's the way it works with my Eganater and the way it worked with my Engl. Your amp has MIDI switching, and I'm wondering if having the footswitch connected is somehow affecting the way the FX loop works. Short of that I can only suggest checking all of your cables. Also - What is the Helix Volume knob set to? Is it turned up? What about the EVH Master? Is it part of the Power amp or is it at the end of the Preamp? What do you mean, exactly when you say "I can hear it but it blocks out everything else."? You can hear the music but not the guitar or the other way around? Do the EVH gain and tonestack knobs work?

Attached is a sample preset. Global Settings Ins/Outs>USB Input 1/2 Destination=Multi or 1/4" - works for DAW and Streaming (Spotify,YT,Media Player etc). Set your Computer's soundcard to Helix for Spotify/YT, Media Player etc. In Windows that's Control Panel>Sound>Playback>Speakers=Helix. If you're playing with your DAW be sure to turn OFF the Track Monitor function on the Helix Track. 4cm.hlx