cruisinon2

Half the point of snapshots is to be able to change multiple parameters, and/or toggle multiple FX on or off with one tap of a footswitch. You can put enough individual FX blocks in your chain to choke a horse and control them all with a selection of snapshots, named accordingly... wet gain, dry grain, wet clean... etc etc etc. You don't have to tap dance anymore unless you want to.

Well we all have different needs of course...but honestly, I can't envision any one tune for which 8 snapshots isn't enough to toggle everything I need on or off, adjust individual parameters, etc... in fact, I think there's only one case where I've needed more than 4.

Running straight into the front of an amp is definitely not the best way to get the most from your Helix, unless you're using Helix purely for FX... but even then it leaves a bit to be desired. With that setup, if you're using amp models in Helix, the amp's tone controls are further coloring everything... you're effectively daisy- chaining two amps together. If you don't plan on playing outside the house, look into a decent pair of studio reference monitors... good ones will be FRFR (or as close to it as anything actually gets in the real world), they'll provide all the volume you need, allow you to play along with songs, plus the added bonus of allowing you to use stereo FX, which can be glorious when used properly. There are a number of options that will work quite well in the $200-$300/ pair range. My personal vote is for the JBL LSR305's... or the 308's if you have a bit more room for slightly larger speakers.

I expect the familiar requests for everything from spy satellite integration to bluetooth control of smart toasters... followed by the inevitable weeping and gnashing of teeth when it's not forthcoming. You know... the usual. ;)

No idea how neutral those are, but I suspect it's not really FRFR...I know you said you could get it "cheap", but those amps were introduced in the late 90's, if I remember correctly. Unless you're getting it for the price of a trip to Starbucks, I'd look at something from this century. There are a number of FRFR options now that won't break the bank that have become favorites around here... the Altos, the new Headrush cabinet, etc.

I'm perfectly content to let my Mac pester me to update indefinitely, and I'll never install a new OS the day it's released...the machine currently works just fine, so let the early adopters find whatever problems may lurk within the code. I have enough headaches as it is... couple weeks or a month from now if there's no screaming from the rooftops in here, then maybe I'll get around to it.

Three words: boom, fire, sirens. Don't do that... under any circumstances. You can't feed power into an already powered device that's expecting a line level signal. You'll destroy both units.

XLR outputs are mic level, which is considerably lower than line level... nothing to do but boost the output of individual patches, or deal with it at the mixer.

Sure I can... Of course there are other options if all you want is a guitar... but that's not the primary reason for buying a Variax, is it? We all want the fancy signal manipulation for one reason or another, and that's the part that's guaranteed to evolve. So as far as the electronics are concerned, the HP printer analogy is perfect, imho. If all I wanted was another Strat (or clone thereof), there are better options in terms of fit, finish, and build quality in the $1000-$1500 price range, which will remain exactly the same 20 years out. And I wouldn't need to do any mental gymnastics with computer operating systems in order to play it. The guitar itself will always be a guitar, long after the guts crap out or become obsolete...but lets face it, it's just an OK assembly line instrument, who's primary function is to serve as a delivery vehicle for fancy electronics.... so when those electronics become the butt of Commodore 64 jokes, then it's off to the toothpick factory. It's not as if it we're the most comfortable guitar I've ever played and can't live without. I'll get used to whatever comes along to replace it. We may not agree, and that's fine...but I stick by everything I said. Know what you're getting into. If you want a decent quality instrument that'll remain exactly the same forever, unaffected by the cyclone of technology, then don't buy something loaded with exotic gizmos and software that's dependent on computer compatibility and interaction. Because that stuff is guaranteed to go the way of the dodo a whole lot sooner than any of us would like... and way before 6 strings and a couple pieces of wood will have outlived their usefulness.

Only if you're concerned about the 1's and 0's leaking out...;)

That is the title, yes... but this thread is 3 years old. The more recent request was this one below...dropping the low E to B... who knows? Ancient thread resurrections never go well, lol

xe3h gi Yup...if I had to guess, I'd say there are probably as many requests for a bouzouki model, as for wind chimes or a duck call. ;)

Well unfortunately the alternative is to continually lament the way things are, and never buy anything for fear of how soon it'll become a paper weight. We live in a disposable economy, with the planned obsolescence of nearly everything we buy. It's been that way for quite some time, now.... as far as I'm concerned, just about the only thing you can buy and keep forever at this point, is a Zippo. I'm not saying it's a good thing, merely that it is. So I see myself with two choices: 1) I could get pi$$ed every time the "latest and greatest" becomes yesterday's news...or...2) Get used to it, and approach purchases accordingly. The $1K I spent on my JTV wasn't chump change, but I didn't need to take out a home equity loan for it either. Gotta choose your battles...I knew what I was getting into when I bought the thing.

It might not be ideal, but for a tech-heavy product, it's par for the course... it's a 6-stringed computer. Can't think of it as if it were a nice LP or a Strat...I've got guitars that are 20+ years old, but I never expected my JTV to remain "current", or to be supported that long. It just isn't how things work anymore.

Far be it from me to rain on your bouzouki, but we'll probably see a xylophone or washtub bass model first... To say nothing of the fact that updates/new models have pretty much ceased for the current generation of Variax stuff.