Digital_Igloo

In Stomp Mode, you can also repurpose Bank Up/Down as two additional stomp switches for a total of ten (it's always Bank or Preset Up/Down in Preset and Looper mode, though). Oh, and if you hold both Bank Up and Down switches for two seconds, you can switch them to Preset Up/Down without having to open the Global Settings menu. Tons of little shortcuts like that in Helix.

Yes, but the full editor portion of the Helix app will be out a bit later than the librarian and IR loader portions. The good news is that it's actually easier to edit from the hardware than it is the editor. Naming presets and custom scribble strips is the only thing that's faster from a computer. If you're already recording into a DAW, it makes sense to use the editor because it's already in your sightline. Other that that (and IR loading, backing up your presets, and firmware updates), there's isn't an overly compelling reason to hook up a computer at all.

If Helix Control had the UI, I/O compliment, MCU, file management, and embedded system R&D to work completely standalone, it'd cost way more than $499. If people want us to build a standalone MIDI controller (note that the market for those types of products is extremely small), IdeaScale is their refuge.

Helix Control doesn't work directly with a Mac/PC. USB and DC in are for potential future implementation (which may never see the light of day; we just wanted a bit of futureproofing, just in case).

Touché. :D

Cool. I added "Spillover" to the title so people will know to vote for it. Hope you don't mind. :)

I've discussed spillover at length elsewhere, but the gist is this: The only way to get true total preset spillover is to dedicate an additional 100% DSP to spillover and only spillover. This of course could also mean halving the sound quality. The only modeler on the planet that does true preset spillover is the DigiTech GSP-1101, which has two DSP chips, one of which dedicated to nothing but spillover. Other products utilize Global Delay or Reverb blocks to varying degrees of success. This is very different from true preset spillover. And yes, this absolutely should be on IdeaScale, and I will absolutely vote it up. Really surprised it wasn't already. Why is our internal Helix Wish List 20 times longer than yours? You guys be slackin'! ;)

Line 6 hasn't been at Summer NAMM in a while, but we're making an exception this year. Super late notice, so we weren't able to snag a big, fancy booth (much less an awesome private room like we have in Anaheim), but a few of us will be showing Helix and Helix Rack on the show floor. Booth #1227 If you're in the Nashville area, stop on by. :) Also, any suggestions on stuff to do at night? Great eats? This is my first trip to Music City, believe it or not.

10 switches x 16 characters = 20 more characters than Twitter :D

1) The signal path through Helix is ultra-quiet (we have 123dB of dynamic range from the Guitar In, which AFAIK, leads the industry), and 4CM should absolutely be unity gain. 2) You would really have to love volume pedals, noise gates, and EQs to get 32 simultaneous blocks. If you run 4 Amp+Cabs, you'll be lucky to add more than a few effects. If you want to run more than one amp and a handful of effects, expect to route Path 1 into Path 2 (which is really simple, BTW). 3) Helix Control can't act as Helix floor expansion, and currently, individual block bypass is not available via MIDI (although you could easily assign Mix parameters via MIDI). Both would make good IdeaScale submissions. Not at launch.

Dunno; will have to check. www.line6.ideascale.com ;) Currently, Helix supports one looper block per preset.

Yep. Since Helix is a class-compliant MIDI device, add an Apple Camera Kit, and you're good to go. Don't quote me, but I believe QA was using the Lemur app to control Helix a while ago.

Minus the CCs reserved for global functions, Helix can learn (or manually assign) 94 CCs, although controller assignment is limited to 64 total per preset. MIDI CC assignment is accomplished in a similar manner as in this video, except instead of moving the expression pedal or Variax knob after pressing Knob 6 (Learn Controller), you send Helix the desired MIDI CC. EDIT: Just watched the video again. At 42 seconds, there should be a shot of Sean moving the expression pedal to "Learn" it. That must've been lost in editing. And although Sean's assigning one controller to one parameter (EXP 1, EXP 2, and a Variax knob), a controller can actually control multiple parameters.

1) All parameters available from the Home page except for Variax specific parameters. This includes Input, Output, Split, Merge, and Looper parameters. 2) There are dedicated global CCs that will predictably emulate whatever, say, footswitch 11 does, or Looper Forward/Reverse, but any non-global CC can be learned (or manually assigned) in the exact same way as expression pedals, footswitches, or Variax knobs. That is, assigning the rotary speaker speed to your MIDI keyboard's mod wheel takes three seconds. If you attempt to learn a dedicated global CC, Helix will ask you to pick another. As with expression pedals, the same (non-global) CC can control multiple parameters with specific min-max ranges (even in reverse). And as always, the explanation is always way more complicated than how it works in practice. In many ways you don't need to know anything about MIDI other than IN goes to OUT and vice versa.

Sounds like 4CM (four cable method), so yes. You can also do 7CM with two amps or 10CM with three amps.

This is great—Thanks, TheRealZap!

Not quite. It's 8 total assignments per switch, which is shared across blocks, parameters, and Command Center messages.

Sure. You wouldn't even need to waste a block location because outputs can be set to Send pairs and inputs can be set to Return pairs. Or if you wanted to place the Kemper somewhere specific, a stereo FX Loop block can be placed anywhere on any path.

I've explained our position and reasoning behind not being able to talk about updates many times. If it were specific to Helix, I'd add it to the FAQ.

1. Personal preference. More rackspace in my studio than floorspace. 2. They're not in yet, but I will when they are. 3. I plan on snagging a couple Mission pedals. Rack guys generally care more about footprint and using their favorite expression pedals; floorboard guys generally care more about portability and convenience. 4. Not sure what you mean. 5. No TRIO yet, but I won't have time to build templates for a while anyway.

Live, I'll be using Helix Rack with an L2t. In the studio, I'll be switching between ADAM P22A and Mackie HD824 monitors.

One split per path, but you can route Path 1A (and/or 1B) to both Paths 2A and 2B, so one might consider this a third split.

The manual has a whole section on re-amping with Helix, which should be out before release. Basically, USB out 7 and 8 are dedicated for dry, unprocessed outputs (USB out 7's fed directly from the Guitar In, and USB out 8's fed directly from the Mic In, but these can be globally changed). Record two tracks in your DAW—one set to input 1/2 for stereo processing and another set to input 7 for dry, unprocessed guitar. Route this dry track back through Helix for re-amping. Helix will have re-amping templates set up and ready to go.

You can globally choose whether the PHONES output mirrors the Multi Output (1/4", XLR, Digital, USB 1/2"), 1/4" only, or XLR only.

1) No. 2) Yes, Helix includes a hex wrench. 3) A power strip's no problem.