rd2rk

@yoMuzicManYou have re-uncovered a bug. Meaning, this has been noted before. IDK if it was ever reported, so you should open a support ticket to report it. But to be clear, I have tested and this is real. At least, on my HX Stomp. I haven't tried on my Helix Floor, but no matter, REPORT IT!

Start over with a New Preset. Place 1 Drive and 1 Mod in the Path. Pull the Mod down to create a second path. Select an empty block where you want an FX Loop. Are your FX Loops still Greyed out?

Don't feel too bad. The Pilot's Guide does, indeed, leave much to be desired. OTOH, it's another reason that the Cat100 costs $400 vs $800. All-in-all, it's an amazing little amp for the price!

Because you're bypassing the FX, yes.

Rotating the amp knob does NOT change BANKS, it only changes the amp MODEL on that preset, and only temporarily. To change BANKS you need to hold the MANUAL button until the amp model LED dims, THEN rotate the knob. BANK 1 is not synonymous with the CLEAN amp MODEL. BANK 2 is not synonymous with the BOUTIQUE amp MODEL. That's just what the knob says. Once you've held the MANUAL button until the amp knob LED dims, then CLEAN=BANK 1; BOUTIQUE=Bank 2; etc. Any CHANNEL in any BANK can contain any amp MODEL and be called whatever you want to call it. That the labels on the amp knob remain the same is one of the reasons the amp costs $400 and not $800. You can think of it as six 2 channel amps. Or one 12 channel amp. Or any mathematical variation possible with 6 amp MODELS and 12 presets. But it's best to think of it as a multifx unit with 6 BANKS of 2 PRESETS (called CHANNELS). A BANK is 2 PRESETS which are CALLED channels. That's all a BANK is. The FS changes the Presets/Channels in THAT BANK. As do the A/B Channel Buttons on the PANEL. If you're using the FS, to keep the LEDs in sync with the amp, only use the A/B Channel Buttons on the Panel to SAVE modified Presets. The two presets/channels can be as similar as two different tonestack settings of one amp MODEL, or two separate amp MODELS with totally different FX. TO REPEAT - Rotating the amp knob does NOT change BANKS, it only changes the amp MODEL on that preset/channel, and only temporarily. If you PRESS and HOLD the MANUAL button until the amp knob LED dims and THEN rotate the amp knob, THEN it changes BANKS. You are now in a completely different BANK with 2 presets/channels.. The two channels can be as similar as two different tonestack settings of one amp MODEL, or two separate amp MODELS with totally different FX. The knobs (except MASTER) change the associated PARAMETERS or MODELS (amp or effect) of whichever channel/preset you're in. No matter what you do with the amp knob or any other knob (other than MASTER), you've only made a temporary change to Preset A or Preset B in THAT BANK. To SAVE a Preset/Channel you PRESS and HOLD Channel Button A or Channel Button B until the button LEDs blink. Unless you press and hold Channel button A or B until the button LEDs blink, those changes will be lost when you change BANKS. You can completely reconfigure a PRESET/CHANNEL with the Panel knobs without making a single permanent change UNLESS you SAVE the Preset as described above. CONFIGURATION TIP: If you're using a BANK as a traditional 2-channel amp - ChA=CLEAN; ChB=LEAD - configure ChA the way you want it for CLEAN, moving all of the knobs (except MASTER) so that it's truly a completely new Preset. PRESS and HOLD the ChA Button until the button LEDs blink. Now, without changing anything, PRESS and HOLD the ChB Button until the button LEDs blink. You now have identical presets on both channels. NOTE - you can also press the manual button to enter manual mode, configure for CLEAN, then perform the SAVE operations described above, then press the ChB button to leave manual mode and configure your LEAD channel.. Now configure ChB for LEAD, switching back and forth from A to B to A/B the CLEAN/LEAD sounds. When you've got the LEAD Channel configured the way you want it, PRESS and HOLD the ChB button until the LEDs blink. Your CLEAN ChA will still be CLEAN and your LEAD ChB will be dirty as you please! I don't know how much clearer I can make this explanation. I've been using mine since the day they were released (initial stock at my local GC). Once the concepts described above are grasped, there's no random behavior. Ever. The most confusing thing at that point is minor differences in how different interfaces work - panel vs FS vs MIDI. Since I also have a Helix, I configured my Cat for MIDI control and haven't thought about it since except when trying to explain it to new users, which is when I have to take the FS out of the drawer to remind myself. If there's one thing I could change, it would be for the FS to have 3 buttons with the third used to cycle through the BANKS. Then I'd NEVER have to teach anyone how to use MIDI! (Who am I kidding!)

Yes, the Catalyst FS works that way too. This is also true of MIDI controllers that have LED feedback. You need to pick a method of working and stick to it.

In Global Settings>Ins/Outs, the SEND that you're using should probably be set to INSTRUMENT. Now you know why it's 50/50 whether to use distortions in FX loops. They're designed to be connected between a guitar and an amp input. Other stuff (even other physical FX) tends to change the formula in unpredictable ways.

What I'm saying is that he misunderstands the function of "spillover". It's not about maintaining "trails" between presets, it just eliminates the audible gap. What @datacommandois saying is that if he wants trails, instead of sacrificing the second processor, use that and snapshots with additional FX blocks to accomplish his goal.

It just means that there's no audible gap between presets. IOW - instead of preset A unloading before preset B begins to load, creating an audible gap, preset A remains loaded until preset B is loaded. I think that most people just place a "rest" (stop picking and mute the string) at that point rather than dedicate an entire processor.

OK, I re-read your post. Yes, a Global Settings option would be simpler but, ALAS! It is what it is. I suppose someone could post that up on Ideascale... :-) ... that sound is me not holding my breath...

Right, that's why the SEND goes to FOH. The AUX (FOH/IEM mix) coming in from the RETURNS only goes to the MAIN L/R and therefore the Headphones along with the bass (the SEND Dry Thru is left at 0db so the bass passes thru). The actual MAIN L/R Outs are not connected anywhere.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. With the RETURNS set to AUX and the IEM/FOH signal connected there, PHONES MONITOR set to MAIN L/R gets that. If he's not getting enough of his bass in the mix (which I assume to be the problem) because everybody is getting the SAME mix and he wants more of HIM in his Headphones, then the configuration I described gets him that. Or am I misunderstanding your suggestion?

That's not what I said, though I can see where it might be confusing. If you want to use the BIG KNOB to control your FRFR, then you'll need to take the FRFR signal from the Main Left/MONO Out with the Global setting for the BIG KNOB set to that output (XLR or 1/4"), then use a SEND at the end of your signal chain with a TS cable (like a guitar cable) from that SEND connected to a DI box for FOH (to get a balanced signal for the longer cable run). Same affect, FOH gets a consistent signal and you get control of the FRFR volume with the BIG KNOB. You're probably OK without the FRFR, but bring it anyway, even if you leave it in the car, because you never know with house supplied monitors and a FOH tech who might be the bartender or the waitress's cousin Freddy whose day job is as a salesman at Guitar Center. We know how knowledgeable they are!

If you're configured as I described then you should hear BOTH the FOH/IEM feed (including the bass if your mix includes it) AND your direct bass signal. I tried it before I typed it, it works. I just tried it again to be sure I hadn't missed/mistyped anything. It still works. I'm getting the FOH/IEM mix (in my case here at home that's Spotify) including my bass and the direct bass signal both mixed in the HPs.

Are the floor monitors yours or provided by the house? If you KNOW that the monitors are good then no need for the FRFR. I'd bring it anyway as backup. In order to prevent accidental changes, I disable the BIG KNOB in Global Settings by setting it to control something other than the outputs I'm using for FOH. That effectively sets it to 10. That way FOH gets a consistent signal, no surprises. If you're using your FRFR for stage level in addition to the floor monitors and you use the BIG KNOB to control the signal to your FRFR that will also change the level to FOH. Find another way to control its level - a volume pedal or small mixer or? FOH will thank you.

What you've described is how it works. EDIT: if you're following the procedure as I'm about to describe but firmly PRESSing the knob doesn't work as described then yeah, HW problem. To MOVE a block you use the Joystick<> to select the block PRESS Action Use Joystick<> to MOVE the block PRESS Action to drop it in place To open the Models List you use the Joystick<> to select the block PRESS the joystick knob TURN the knob to select the FX Category PRESS the knob to open the MONO/STEREO/LEGACY column TURN the knob to select MONO/STEREO/LEGACY PRESS the knob to open the actual Models List TURN the joystick knob to select the actual model PRESS the knob to confirm the model and return to the signal chain view If you want to CHANGE the effect model just select the block, press the knob, turn it to your desired effect and press again. If you want to replace the effect with one in a different category, select the block, press the knob and Joystick<> to the proper category and repeat the initial effect selection process. This is one of the most complicated operations performed in the UI and in order to DESCRIBE it I had to run back and forth to my Helix. When I'm actually doing it, I don't even think about it. Practice makes perfect!

You can't see the names above the switches even in Snapshot Mode?

You've just proved that Helix is not the problem. You'll have to ask Blackstar about your WTF issue. Or just use a dummy plug in the amp input and get on with playing your guitar. Though, it is really weird, and I'd LOVE to know what BS was thinking... maybe there's a valid electrical reason in that amp's design? I had an HT5R that worked fine in all configurations.

They're always active in the sense that you can use them to modify the preset, but they do not affect the preset unless you use them to do so. The easiest way to understand this is to use the Catalyst Edit app. When you load a preset, compare the panel settings to the settings as they appear in the app. They probably do not match. Now change something obvious like the Channel Volume using the panel knob. When the knob catches up to the setting shown in the app, the setting in the app will start to change. Let's say that the Channel Volume in both A and B in that BANK was at 50%. If you're in Channel A and you crank the panel knob to 100% you'll see the knob in the app crank to 100% and the preset will get LOUD! Now, in the app, change to Channel B. Channel B will show its saved Channel Volume of 50% even though the knob is at 100%. Now switch back to Channel A. The Channel volume will still be at 100% even if, while in Channel B, you changed the knob to 50%. Now, in the app, switch to another BANK, then switch back to the original BANK. The Channel Volume will be back at 50% (the SAVED value) even though the panel knob is still cranked. This happens because changes to presets are retained (not saved) between CHANNEL (A/B) changes but are discarded when you change BANKS. NOTE - This works the same way using the FS but DOES NOT (retain changes between channels) when switching via MIDI! Who knows why, just something to be aware of. This sounds confusing but it makes sense (not the MIDI part). Suppose that while performing you need more volume (or different EQ settings for the room) on one channel, but not the other. You can make that change to the Channel Volume (or tone stack) and it/they will persist between channel changes. Why those changes don't persist between BANK changes is probably a programming/code necessity of some sort. I would think it would be handy, but since all you have to do is press and hold the channel button to SAVE the new configuration that's easy enough to get around and, if you're a graduate of Computer Usage 101 then you've backed up all of your presets on your computer and can restore the originals at will. You DID back up your presets, right?

Here's another reason to use FX Loop Mode. You have 12 presets available in your Cat. Each preset can have one of 6 different reverbs and one of 18 other effects. All of those effects will be POST your UA device, so effects that don't sound all that good in the post amp position won't sound all that great, but TBH, I haven't tried them all so I don't know which ones those would be. The ones I've tried (MODS like Phaser and Flanger) sounded fine. YMMV. Point is you get 12 different post amp FX configurations - FREE!

Only if you have no need of the Cat's FX. The ONLY difference between LINE level and INSTRUMENT level is that INSTRUMENT level is LOWER than LINE level. The difference between FX Loop and POWERAMP is that POWERAMP is 6 (or 10, I forget) db lower than FX Loop, and in POWERAMP mode the POST FX are bypassed. IOW - YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE THE POWERAMP SETTING WITH A LINE LEVEL DEVICE! The only functional difference is that in FX LOOP mode you don't have to turn the Cat's MASTER up as much to achieve the same level as in POWERAMP mode, and in FX Loop mode the FX are active. I run my Helix into the Cat's RETURN in FX Loop Mode and the ONLY difference between the Helix set to LINE Level and Helix set to is the level of the Cat's output. When I use my HX Stomp instead of Helix this saves me two of the eight available blocks because I don't need to use delay and reverb on the HXS, I use the Cat's delay and reverb instead. IOW When you run your UA into the Cat's RETURN in FX Loop mode you don't need external delay (or any other Cat effect), or reverb because you can use the Cat's! In the words of the inimitable Tony the Tiger - "Go ahead and use your UA device into the Cat's RETURN in FX Loop Mode - it's GREAT!"

If you're talking about the camera icon in the upper right corner of the display, that's the way it is. You'll only see the names in Snapshot mode.

That just means it's LINE Level and you won't need to turn up the Cat as much as if it were INSTRUMENT Level.

If it's designed to go into the Input of a guitar amp, then the Output Level is Instrument. You may need to use the FX Loop position of the switch to get the best level. That will also enable you to use any FX that you place in the POST position.

I haven't, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work just fine. AFAIK, those UA devices are not actually "preamps", they're full-on AIAB pedals. Did you have specific concerns?