brue58ski

Be careful. I could be wrong but I thought that if you wanted to hook up your JTV Variax with the 1/4" that you did not want to power the JTV with the VDI. That you cannot have both the VDI providing power and the 1/4" plugged in at the same time since it could lead to possible damage of some kind. I thought you were supposed to only use the battery if you're also plugging into the 1/4" jack.

The way it was worded i.e. "As far as the computer is concerned, there's no Variax there." it could possibly have been interpreted as only one computer couldn't see it so I just wanted to clarify. I was pretty sure you meant what you said you meant but wanted to be sure before giving you any advice. Sorry if I offended you.

I would say if they did decide to offer to give you a board to plunk in your old Varaix, it would be with a very clearly presented caveat the gist of which would be, "good luck but remember YOU DO THIS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. YOU ACCEPT ALL RESPONSIBILILTY FOR THE RESULTS OF THIS PROCDDURE IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO IT YOURSELF. PERIOD." And that would be acceptable to me.

So I'm not totally clear what you are asking. I think you are asking if both Snapshots and "Stomps" can appear at the same time. The answer is yes. You can assign any of the footswitches to practically anything in "Stomp" mode. See page 58 of the manual to see how to assign them to a Snapshots. Assigning them to FX is still done the same way as far as I know. If you wan this on the main screen, there are several different modes that those footswitches can have. See page 66 in the Helix manual under Global Settings > Footswitches #2.

The issue will be DSP or the lack of DSP. There just isn't enought there to justify this. I don't have an Stomp so I may be wrong but I think you can fake one. You would first need to create a parallel path B. That path can be assigned to a different output. Then turn down the B path's input from the split point. Now put a return block at the beginning of Path B and use the Return input for path B's input. The return block is probably one of the lowest DSP using FX but even if you could create a separate input for path B instead of having to use a Return block, you're still going to run into not having enough DSP.

So I didn't notice if you mentioned this but since you are using the XLR outputs, are they going into a mic level input or a line level input. It sounds like it's a mic level input and the LT's XLR's are set for line level. You can set the XLR output for line or mic. It's in the Global settings. Although that is for the full Helix. Not sure about the LT. I'm assuming it has this option as well.

I did guess which cut the Taylor was correctly but I'm not familiar enough with the Variax models to distinguish between them but they all had that zing/less body thing that I was referring to earlier. By the way, it occurs to me that it was with the X3 I got good acoustic tones with the previous Variax not the HD500. Having said all of that, I think your acoustic sounds are as good as I've heard out of JTV Variax's.

I am glad to hear it is still selling. Is there any chance you could tell us whether there are plans to eventually give the models another look (referring mostly to the acoustics) or provide other options (more pickups bodies etc.) or is it going to stay as is? I know how Line 6 are regarding you guys talking about future things but if there's a chance you could say something........ :D

So when you say you've tried multiple computers, do you mean none of them see it? Or do you mean all of them see it but the main one you are using? And are all of the computers Windows 10? If they are, it is my understanding that the old Workbench will not work with Windows 10.

I would disagree with the first part in the sense that the Variax just doesn't seem to sell very well. So the new product they would sell me would have to be newer processing that I, (or an authorized Line 6 dealer) could put in. I say this because I will never buy a new full Variax again. A thought that has been expressed by other current Varaix owners. It's a $700 guitar with $700 worth of electronics. I'm not doing that again. I would be up for replacing a mother board (something I am familiar with as I have replaced the VDI assembly in my Variax which looks like it's the hardest thing to replace as well as built my own computer). So since the market for the Variax is small and a portion of it consits of former Variax owners, (at least it was for the last iteration of Variax) they need to find a solution for the loss of these customers from an already small pond. If they can't or aren't going to provide the guts then go to my other idea which was the isolated outputs of the 6 strings. I'm guessing with the VDI you can get the six signals out out of the Variax into a black box. That would require no work on the part of the Variax owner. The likeliness of these ideas can be debated forever and I certainly have heard nothing to indicate it's even being considered. They're just ideas that I personally think could work despite your doubts. But, to be clear, I do think it's pretty unlikely.

Ya know it occurs to me. The Variax does have the means for 6 separate string outputs with the piezo's. Perhaps, down the road, they could be repurposed. Maybe even reused for some new Variax guts. Just a thought.

Sooooooooooo.........?

Correct me If I'm wrong (and I could be), but it's my understanding that the main thing you do not want, is a higher ohm amp going into a lower ohm speaker. So you wouldn't want a 8 ohm amp going into a 4ohm speaker. The lower ohmage results in the speaker drawing more current which will probably damage your amp. But it's OK to have a lower ohm amp going into a higher ohm speaker. So you could have a 4 ohm amp going into an 8 ohm speaker BUT the power output of the amp will be halved resulting in less volume. You may have already tried that and had the lower volume so you want a power amp that matches better. You may have mentioned that as well. So you should be able to use the amps you have, it just won't be as loud i.e. efficient. I do not have an answer as far as what amp to use in our situation.

They actually do offer some free IR's. See here. It's only about 3-4 IR's https://line6.com/allure/ Whoops someone beat me to it. I'll leave it here anyway.

I actually used 11's for the Variax but a couple of years ago, my age got the better of me and I had to go to 10's. I will go no lower on a Variax. I use the Helix to control the Variax and it has issues with the tone knob. So for now I have to have it full on/open. I can't wait until it's fixed because I prefer the acoustics when the tone knob is not full on/open.

Yes I agree. I know electronics/computers can and often will fail after a time. But my first generation Variax still works after 15 years. I'm almost positive I will not be getting another Variax, even if a new version comes out unless there is a commitment to keep the Workbench software working. I do not see that happening. I do have and keep an old computer, but it is a hassle to dig it out if I want to mess with my old Variax. Back in the day, I took my SG humbucking pickups (Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck) and rewired them. I had three switches. Two for the pickups and one for the pickup selector. Each had 6 positions. The positions of the two switches for each pickup caused the pickups to be wired 6 ways, Series/in phase, series/out of phase, single coil 1, single coil 2. parallel/in phase, parallel out of phase. Then the pickup selector also did the same thing for the two pickups, so 6x6x6 gave me 216 possible settings. Noisy as hell (noise gate was always on). I was just getting ready to put a new bridge in with piezos imbedded for a simulated acoustic. Then.....the Variax came out. Still have the bridge (it's not installed). I guess if my Variax's fail, I'll be installing that piezo bridge. ;)

I got one of the first Variax's and got the JTV when it came out. Unless Line 6 continues to update the Workbench software so I can continue to take full advantage of my older Variax, I will never buy a Variax again. My SG from 1975 still works. I expect the same from a Variax or at least if it is still working, to be able to still program it from Workbench. I know I'm not supposed to expect that. But, again, if I know it can't last more than 10 - 15 years, I'm done with the Variax. We'll see how it goes. I'll play the ones I have until they die. to me if you're going to make a Variax guitar, if you want people to buy them and continue to buy them, at the very least, if I have one that works, I think ya gotta at least commit to keep up with the Workbench software. Hardware will fail I guess but if in 10-20 more years my Variax hardware is still working, I want the Workbench to work as well.

I put a rubber washer under the volume knob so it will still turn but with a little effort. it's enough to keep it in place if I accidentally hit it.

I've never had it happen to me but it sure sounds like somehow the 12 string sympathetic strings are leaking through. I would be curious what Workbench HD shows. I'm not sure about the JTV's and I'm not sure I will be explaing this well but the first generation of Variax's model knob was not based on detents or positions that were on the pot. I mean you got "clicks" per say but the "clicks" were piece of metal and there were indents on the knob itself but the pot was like a volume knob. So model selection appeared to be based on the resistance of the pot. This was often never an issue but some times you had to calibrate the knob. I wonder if the JTV is the same and maybe your select knob calibration is a little off. Not sure if this makes sense. Hope this helps.

I own a Variax and I am curious which is which. I'm pretty sure the 1st one was Variax and the third one was the Taylor. Can you tell me what each of the Variax models were? I play my Variax through the VDI on a Helix and your sounds seem to have more body. I wonder if going out the 1/4" on the Variax makes a difference. Hey I just got a Taylor 324CE but it's mahogany top with a Tasmanian blackwood body. It's the nicest instrument I've ever owned. The best non-acoustic acoustic sound I ever got was with the first generation of Variax technology and the POD HD 500X. It was the Variax acoustics with a certain mic preamp in the POD. I can't remember which one. The acoustics were only OK until you added this one preamp. I would have never hesitated to use it. Shortly after that, the second variation of Variax's came out. I got one and the acoustics IMHO, were thinner sounding. Too much high end zing. Not enough "body". No preamp in the POD or the Helix would fix it. I've tried EQ and IR's and it never get's to what I had with the old Variax and POD HD 500. Good enough in a pinch but a real acoustic is way better. Why don't I just go back to the old Variax? Because, I would only be doing it for the acoustics, Otherwise I like the models better on the JTV Variax's.

The best nonacoustic acoustic sound I ever got was with the first generation of Variax technology and the POD HD 500X. It was the kVariax acoustics with a certain mic preamp in the POD. I can'rt remember which one. The acoustics were only OK until you added this one preamp. I would have never hesitated to use it. Shortly after that, the second variation of Variax's came out. I got one and the acoustics IMHO, were thinner sounding. Too much high end zing. Not enough "body". No preamp in the POD or the Helix would fix it. I've trie EQ and IR's and it never get's to what I had with the old Variax and POD HD 500. Good enough in a pinch but a real acoustic is way better. Why don't I just go back to the old Variax? Because, I would only be doing it for the acoustics, Otherwise I like the models better on the JTV Variax's.

The main problem with meters, especially anaolog ones, is they have a frequency response curve like speakers, mics other electronic gear, so they won't react the same way for different frequencies. So if the frequency response favors, let's say 1K. That will mean if one of the peak frequencies is not that, it will read differently than if the peak frequency was 1K. Meter's are good for getting in the ballpark mostly but ya gotta use your ears as well.

Yes. See page 15 of the manual.

I have a Danelectro Freespeech talk box. I don't know how much you know about talk boxes but here's the path using a normal amp to make sure you understand. The signal goes from to the guitar to the talk box input. In the talk box, there is a little speaker whose sound goes to a long plastic tube. The sound travels through this tube to the other end. You snake the tube up a mic stand and tape it at the top next to a mic. That mic signal goes into a seperate amp. That's right. A whole different amp. That's where the sound is produced. Can the Helix do this? Yes it can and it workds great! Here's the path I use (you actually need two). First of all there are several ways to do this. This is just mine. The first path is your normal guitar into the Helix path. Put a Send at the very beginning of that path and make sure it is set to Instrument Level. Connect that Send to the Talk Box. Take the tube from the talk box and snake the tube up a mic stand to get it next to the mic and tape it there. You want the tube right next to your mic sticking out enough so that the tube can go in your mouth AND the mic is directly in front of your mouth. Just type in "Frampton talk box" in an images search and you'll see what I mean. The mic is what provides the talk box's audio/sound/effect to the separate amp. Since that mic normally goes to a separate amp, we need to create a separate path in Helix with a Mic input. So connect the mic next to the talk box tube to the mic input on the Helix.Then create a separate path for the mic with a mic input. There are several ways to do this but you're on your own for that. So that path goes to your output. You can put an amp or anything else in the path to help simulate the "normal" talk box sound. You can blend the two paths or just have one or the other by turning each paths output up or down. As I recall, for the right "talk box" sound, you just want the talk box path on it's own so turn the other path all the way down. Now you could do this without using the Send in Helix. Just plug into the talk box and take the talk box's 1/4" output and connect it to the Helix. That signal is only the guitar, no effect. Then do all of the same stuff with the tube/mic. It just saves having to use the Send. Or you could just have one path with the mic only. Of course, That's all you' have in that patch. This is a lot and I'm not at home right now. When I get home I will try and find that patch and post it here for you. I assure you that the Helix can do this. I've done it. By the way, this is how talkboxes originally did what they do so I think of this as a "normal" talk box. Just FYI. Good Luck! EDIT: I just looked at your Talkbox manual. One way to think about this is that you are making Path 2 your PA in regard to those diagrams

Nice.