brue58ski

I agree with the Pod Go suggestion. Download the manuals and check them both out. The Pod Go has an expression pedal and many more footswitches for $120 less than a HX Stomp. and I don't think the flexibility you'd lose by getting a Pod Go would be worth it in your situation. You can get an HX Stomp with more footswitches (HX Stomp XL) but it still has no expression pedal and now we're talking $270 more. The Pod Go will be easier to program as well. It will sound great as well. It has most of the Helix models in it. For your purposes I say Pod Go is the way to go!! (Get it?......Pod Go is the way to......Go.....Sorry)

I have a Variax. One thing I've done is put the Acoustic Simulator on a parallel path and use that and the split point mix to help shape the sound. I found it helps the Variax's acoustics. In your case I would put the IR right after your input. put the split off point for the Acoustic Simulator right after the IR. Then put the split return point right after the IR again. But nothing is written in stone. You could put the split off point for the IR before the IR and see what mixing those two will do. The very cool thing about the Helix is you can route many things many different ways. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

Is this what you mean? https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Helix-Guitar-Signal-Metering/741210-23508 It's the idea with the most votes. Don't create a new one. Vote this one up.

So have you tried a factory reset?

OH MY GOSH! I want one!!! Helix has everything else, why not this? Very funny. Do you know if there are any songs out there that you can hear this effect on?

Ooooo. Thank you for that shortcut tip. Is there a list of shortcuts somewhere? I couldn't find one in the manual. One thing I do not like about things these days is more and more products will have functions that aren't well documented at all. It seems like it takes someone to accidentally discover something.

Here's an ideascale I added awhile ago which addresses this I think. Vote it up!! https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Snapshots-one-click-multi-parameter-assignment/869909-23508

I don't know if this has been mentioned but I believe the Wah is automatically assigned to EXP2 and the Volume pedal to EXP1. And the toe switch is automatically assigned to switch between 1 & 2. So if you saved your patch with EXP1 being selected, the Wah won't work. You'll have to step down on the toe switch to go to EXP2. Which is how I would want it anyway. I would want to start with the Volume pedal engaged and a press of the toe swtich to toggle between the wah and volume pedal.

Sorry. Missed the preset comment. Does it happen on every output (headphone, USB,1/4"). And I know it would be a pain but I would be curious what would happen if you were to put a Send at various places in the path including right before the output. It can be set to instrument or line level. Does it happen in those places? I think It might help isolate where the issues are. Is the Stomp new?

Bottom line is that shouldn't happen. Without more information, hard to evaluate. Does it happen no matter what the patch is?

My first Line 6 product was the POD XT and I've had every amp sim version they've had since. The XT, X3, HD500, HD500X. I also had a Vetta amp. The Helix is what I've been waiting for amp sim wise. The X series amps sounded processed, like a studio engineer tweaked the sound a bit. The HD500 series was the opposite IMHO. So raw it took forever to tweak and the just at the point of breakup thing that amps have still wasn't quite there yet. They are now. I was always waiting for the next Line 6 amp sim to come out hoping the amp sims technology would give me what I'm looking for. I'm not waiting anymore. It's here. Can it be improved? Of course. That's true with everything. But it's not a given that I will get the next iteration Line 6 comes up with. I'm VERY happy with what I have. Get one.

It was stated in a thread on the Gear Page that 3.1 will not drop in February. So you have to at least wait until March. But it is in the Beta stage.

Just to be clear, I never said I have a problem with the guitar model parameter although I never keep the models parameter on Don't Force so I may have a problem but don't notice it since I'm never on Don't Force. I think you may be referring to the Varaix tuning parameter which I referred to and do have a problem with. It sounds like you have the same problem but use the same work around I do. It is the work around I stated in my post. Maybe not so eloquently, but it 's what I do as well. I just wanted the OP to have full disclosure about what's not right with the Variax. I still love my Variax and am happily using it with all of my workarounds. I do hope they fix it soon though. it's been a few years. The main problems for me are..... Can't preset the Volume or Tone knobs. When I do, if I switch to another patch, it stays at the previous patches Volume/Tone setting. Now, It will switch to the current patches setting if I hit the switch again. So the work around for that is to keep them on Don't Force i.e. never use them. In regard to the Helix's tuning parameter, if I have a custom tuning on one patch, say DADGAD, and I switch to another patch that I want to be in standard tuning again, it will remain on the DADGAD tuning from the previous patch if I have the parameter on Don't Force. So I have to keep all of my patches Tuning parameter on Custom and keep it on a standard tuning (or whateveer tuning) as you do. Bottom line, the Don't Force option does not work the way it is supposed to according to the manual. I can and do work around it but it's not working properly. I still love my Variax/Helix combination. And will continue to even if it is never fixed. But wanted the OP to be aware of the issue.

Well, I'm not retired yet but age wise I'm not far behind you. It's interesting that I also am starting to make purchasing decisions based on current life expectancy. No one told me that was going to happen. No one told me about the hair in the ears and nose either!!!! Get ready for it all you youngsters. And let me say again, Variax is the coolest thing ever, especially when combined with the Helix, despite it's "flaws". Especially if you're a bedroom rocker. A bit expensive if that's all you do I guess, but if you can afford it, totally worth it in my opinion. Maybe the LT instead of a full on Helix.

Oh, compared to the Helix, that's easy!! Ya just find your self a car, now first of all, it should have come with a set of keys. Now not every key will fit in every lock. So you will to determine...........

To me there are several big issues to conisder. You are essentially getting a guitar that quality wise, is about 1/2 of what you pay. The other half is the electronics. It will lose support after awhile. The original Variax's Workbench software does not work in Windows 10 so unless you have an older operating system on a computer somewhere, you can't create any custom guitars anymore. The same thing will probably happen with the JTV's as well. You are not buying a guitar that you can hand down to someone eventually. That is the nature of digital stuff but it still is something to consider when wanting to spend your hard earned dollars. It still does not play perfectly with the Helix. Without having to explain a lot, you need to keep the Variax's vol & tone parameters on Don't Force and keep the tuning on Custom. According to the Helix manual, Don't Force indicates the Helix will do nothing to control it and it will then revert to/reflect what the settings are on the Variax itself at the time. Specifically the manual says "When set to “Don’t Force,” Helix respects the Variax current setting." (Helix Manual page 24) It does not do that. For example, if you had a custom tuning on your previous patch and go to a patch that has Do Not Force selected on the Helix for the tuning, it will not go to the tuning the Variax itself is set at, it will keep the tuning it was on on the previous patch. So you always have to keep it on Custom and make sure the Variax tuning on the Helix is what you want. They are working on this and I hope the 3.1 update will correct this. If you can live with those things, get one. Having said all of that, I have two. They are so cool.

That's impossible to do in one post. First download and read the manual. At least go through it once. Then, go to Jason Sadites Youtube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/c/JasonSadites/videos He has a bunch of videos about how to create a good tone. I think he's up to at least part 16. And he has videos that show how to use specific things in the Helix. The amount of material on his page just shows how impossible it is to guide you in just one post. And remember, his is just one way to handle the Helix. It is a great place to get aquainted with the Helix though. Two pieces of advice. Remember, the Helix does not simulate what you would hear if you were in the same room with an amp. It simulates a mic'd amp in a studio and what you would hear in the control room of the studio through the studio monitors from that mic'd amp. So it is fairly important to have a decent set of speakers to listen to it through. Also it is easy to get overwhelmed with all of the choices you will have. Just pretend some one gave you the keys to a great music store and a year to play in it. What would you do? What amp would you go to first? So pick an amp. Experiment with different settings with that amp, then start adding whatever pedal you think you would grab in that music store. It's going to be awhile, so be patient. Good Luck

There are people who have done this and there are recordings to listen to. I just listened to one two days ago but could not find it. It was definitely passable BUT I would never use it for a final version of a song. Unless it's for a particular effect. But to just lay down some ideas, it's definitely useable. All you can do is try. Use a bass amp and some EQ.

I submitted this idea to ideascale. Basically it's asking adding the ability to put two amp blocks in the same patch, but only allowing having one of them enabled, instead of directly not allowing adding two amp blocks. That way I could switch from clean to distorted amp in the same patch. If you have a Helix, you can do this on the other path. If you have an HX Stomp, it is what it is. It's a DSP issue and there is nothing programming wise they can do with that. Each amp uses a certain amount of DSP so two amps will obviously use more. The "bucket" is only so big and no matter what you do to the water, it can only hold so much of it. Aside from creating a new product, you are stuck with the limitations of what you have.

The problem with your question is there are many ways to do things in the Helix. One way to solve what I think you want is it does have setlists. At least eight. Is that enough for you or do you need more?

It should have come with a hex wrench. There's a hex bolt on the lower right side of the Helix that adjusts the tension. If you bought it used and it didn't come with a hex wrench. I do not know what size to get. I think it's 8mm.

Woiuld a Mac book use the Big Sur update? If so, there are issues with Big Sur. Just type Big Sur into the search. Bottom line is, don't use Big Sur if you want to use Line 6 software until they figure stuff out.

Interesting you say that. I always thought Vai's tone was a little thin at times.

Ya beat me to it. Love me some George Carlin.

The main thing in my opinion is that for the replacement idea to work, they would have to use the same circuit that is used for the piezo's in the currentyt JTV's. Like I'm pretty sure the original Variax's piezo's ouputs were low and not amplified as much as they are in the JTV's. I suspect that's why there seems to be so many more plink type audio anomolies amongst other stuff like that. If they were to change the way the piezo's initial signals are processed then the put the board in yourself idea would be mute anyway. I'm pretty much aware of all of the reasons my thoughts/idea wouldn't be implemented and was when I posted them. And, to be honest, I did and do see them as something that I'm pretty positive will not happen. But a guy can dream can't he?