cruisinon2

Generally speaking when you're trying to match a particular tone, start with whatever amp model Helix has that's closest to whatever "real" amp was used on the original recording. This isn't a magic formula though, and certainly not the only way to achieve a given result... in my experience, playing around with mic choice and placement and EQ can be just as useful, if not more so, than tinkering with a dozen different amp models trying to find the "right" one.

Based on your description, I'd say that your unit is suffering from a condition typically referred to as "busted"...;) When complicated devices like this go off the reservation the way you've described, there's rarely anything that Joe Average end user can do about it. You could try a factory reset, but based on the degree of clusterf*uckage you've detailed, I doubt it'll do any good. Time to open a service ticket.

Looks like you've got a bad Fetzer valve...;)

I'd like to nominate this for "Oddest Request Ever"...by default the tuner is already available at any time via it's own dedicated footswitch. Chewing up a block and limited DSP in every patch just so you can look down and "see" the tuner as you would amidst a bunch of other stomp boxes, is pointless.

This...and I'll go a step further. Having had experience with a variety of modelers for well over 20 years, and having used them pretty much exclusively for at least 10 years now, I can confidently say that there does not exist anywhere on this planet a "plug and play" modeler that one can turn on, set all the knobs at 12 o'clock, and POOF! you have instantly useable tone. They're NOT guitar amps. They're never going to be guitar amps. The tweaking stage is unavoidable. On the bright side, a good modeler can create any tone your mind/ear can conjure, once you know what you're doing... can't stress that enough. There WILL be a learning curve. But if you go into it thinking that you'll be up and running, thoroughly satisfied with your sound 5 minutes after you open the box, you are setting yourself up for a great deal of disappointment, frustration, and buyer's remorse. If you don't like fixing oil leaks, don't buy a Harley, lol.

Guitar signal is "instrument" level.

What kind of reaction do you want? All we have here are some anonymous and grandiose claims, from a guy who stops by with one or two drive-by posts every 3 or 4 months. On any given day, if you poke around enough forums you'll find some psych ward escapee claiming to be Jesus...but for obvious reasons, there's not much point in getting excited about that either. I'll save the cartwheels for the day a functional product actually exists, lol.

And all this time he's wondering why nobody gives a $hit... lol

Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd bet money that the Helix was first rolled out in 2015... ~8 years back, tops. I'm not even sure the HD500 existed 15 years ago, never mind Helix. Am I nuts?

Amen to that, lol...

You'll find a pearl in a pig's ear before you'd get a response from anyone who actually knows the truth... but given that there hasn't been a firmware update of any significance for what is rapidly approaching a decade, it's not hard to guess. While they may not have been officially "discontinued", they're certainly not a priority. They were a niche product to begin with, that simply never caught on with the vast majority of the guitar playing world... ask any 10 guitarists, and 8 of them won't even know that they exist. The fact that you can't find them anywhere should be your first clue.... if they're still making them at all, it's obviously the occasional small batch. It is what it is...

THIS... If wasted time took up physical space, then Customtone would be the world's biggest landfill. It's a nice idea that is entirely unworkable in the real world, as the list of variables that contribute to one's tone is of Biblical length, and when the only common denominator is a bunch of 1's and 0's of Helix code, tonal continuity from one person to the next is essentially impossible. You'll grow old and die before you find anything in there that you don't have to tweak extensively to your liking...might as well just do it yourself from the jump, and save yourself the aggravation.

1) No... the Standard is just a Yamaha Pacifica with Variax guts. The 69 is actually a pretty decent Strat knock-off. I quite like the sound of the single coils, when the modeling isn't necessary. 2) Yup... if the electronics crap out on you, there's little to nothing that you'll be able to do on your end. Beyond that, it's a solid body electric guitar...the mag pickups should work forever. 3) You're the only one who knows exactly what you want. My advice is don't settle... life only happens once. Assuming that you can afford it, get what you actually want/need, not what would merely "suffice".

Use whatever twirls your beenie... if you want to be a tube amp and stomp box purist, and go back to dragging 200 lbs of gear to a gig...then have at it. There will always be those who can't get past the lack of the "amp in the room" component. So be it... And yes, obsessively tweaking your sound(s) is an easy rabbit hole to fall into... but it's also easy to climb back out. Just stop doing it. Dial in the sounds you actuality need for whatever it is that you do, then hit "save" and walk away. If you wouldn't sit and fiddle with an analog rig for 37 hours straight trying to get everything "just right", then there's no need to do it with a modeler...ANY modeler. All the knobs are pretty much the same... the only difference is whether or not everything is crammed into the same box. Yes there's a learning curve at the beginning...but you only have to suffer through that once. Any time wasted after that is on you.

To each their own, I suppose...and as grateful as I am for the tech that we all currently enjoy, the last thing I need is another tweaking rabbit hole. Once it starts to feel more like a science experiment than making music, I'd rather have gum surgery. Maybe it's me...