sadrian

Basically what I also tried just with the use of HX Edit instead of doing it on the device itself. My output blocks are at 0dB, I level my presets at certain other points in the chain, if needed I add a volume block at the end so I have visual control that I indeed levelled the whole preset. I can't push my Power Cab into "yellow LED" territory, only with the output raised to max and hitting the Floor hard from the front. Confirmed with a second Floor and also with a second PC. I have no such issues using a Stomp connected via TRS. I think the issue is somewhere with the L6 Link. I always thought my DT50s sounded a bit choked when connected via L6 Link, too. The connection is digital, so there can't be a loss of level/volume along the cable. But it might be that the level of the ADDA for the L6 Link is significantly lower than what the balanced outs of HX deliver.

I made an ideascale voting for this one: Persistent tempo display on the scribblestrip instead of TAP. More info in the post. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Persistent-tempo-display-instead-of-TAP/959949-23508

You find the DT poweramp settings in the output-section if the DT. Go to the output and go to page three (to the right). these options only work if the DT is connected with an XLR cable via the L6-Link port. Does that help?

The feature I would like to see is «converting» of Amp+Cab/Amp/Preamp blocks I use the Helix with two DT50 but also direct out or with headphones for practice at home at night. I dial my tones mostly connected to the DT50, where I use preamp-blocks. When I'm satisfied with a preset, I make a copy for direct out/headphones. There I have to replace the preamp-block with an Amp or an Amp+Cab block. Switching the block resets all settings to default. That means, I have to manually write down the settings, change block and apply them again. I like so see the possibility to either a) change the block type between Amp/Preamp with all settings kept, or b) copy only the amp-settings and apply them to preamp-block and vice versa

Midi control of DT amps doesn't work for me as soon as I connect them via L6-Link. I use two DT50 in stereo on a Helix. Did that for a long time now. I controlled the amps via Instant Midi CCs and the other way round I control all my Helix-preamp settings with the knobs of the DT heads. The setup hasn't been touched and worked pre-2.8 like a charm. Since 2.8, I can use the (sadly very limited) control options for the DTs in the output menu, but as soon as I plug in the L6L-connection, the amps don't recognise nor send out any midi; I pull the L6L cable out, midi works again. Midi-Through does work always. The installation of 2.8 went without any unexpected issues. I did a factory reset twice, checked all connections/cables. I hope that @Digital_Igloo or @phil_m can help me out here? <EDIT> It seems that Helix 2.8 shuts off any midi transfer once connected via L6L: I now tried a DT50 head via USB midi interface to my Macbook. Sending CCs works (ie. #66 for A/B switch, …). When I plug in the L6L cable, midi doesn't work. I unplug, it works again. Same with the encoders on the front: sniffing midi traffic, I can see every encoder I use. L6L plugged in, no more traffic. </EDIT> <EDIT 2> Okay, I found out that the Midi channels of the DTs get reasigned: they have always been fixed on channel 1, now they get channel 2/3. I can send commands. But, I no longer get the CC messages from the encoders back – I need to tweak my preamp settings from the DT heads as I always did. </EDIT2> <EDIT 3> Setting the midi base channel in Helix (Global > Midi > Base Channel) to one of the DTs (2, 3 or «omni») gives back the reading of the DT encoders. If set to omni, the behaviour is back to pre-2.80, where both DTs can be used to send midi CC from the encoders, if the base channel is set to 2 or 3, only the respective head's CCs are recognised. </EDIT 3>

@JimGordon thank you for sharing this! I think that your creative use and exploration of the tools you have at hand is something that more people should do and share. And it is exactly the mindset that gave us musicians the wide variety of tonal expression and styles we have today. I agree with you, that many of our heroes in music broke some if not all rules of howto use their gear, also the rules of music itself, to create new and interesting stuff. Exploring within the boundaries of a system is not less important to me, but it rarely leads to development of something new. I also think that it is important to know the rules/boundaries, their origins, to break them. The amp-preamp-stacking is something I rarely tried. My own experiments are more of the “putting effects somewhere unusual in the chain”-type and not as systematically as yours. I’ll have a look tonight at my presets for some share-worthy stuff.

For one, my message was clearly to you, DI, officals and insiders in here. Not for you alone, @phil_m. And once more – I did not intend to offend anyone! If I did, I want to apologize for that! I only know a little about software development, but I understand the basic principles behind dev projects and I’m even a certified SCRUM product owner. I understand the road to a final release. With no word did I say, that you should release sooner or even that you’re doing something wrong in your job. But I do know a thing or two about community management and communications. And I see, that the community management here is not at its best right now. (Not your job, @phil_m, if you’re not an official!). I can’t be that hard to give people an estimate. Especially, if a release date is clearly weeks rather than days away.

Thank god there are even more sides to the story! My customers all have learned to communicate without polished BS and still be transparent.

No, you got that wrong. I don’t talk about memes, not the humour! I didn’t want to offend anyone in person! You or DI wrote “with a luck, an RC is ready by the end of [last] week”. I think it was over on TGP. This, combined with springtime over, got everyone excited. There are quite some concrete questions about the timing in both forums. “Do we get it today/this week?” … you answer to a lot of details about the release, but not once since 10 days did you give people any estimate about the time. And that’s what everyone is after. If you say “in two weeks”, than the crowd can calm down again and besides the usual nagging, no one will be mad. People get mad when you don’t manage their expectations!

To @phil_m @Digital_Igloo and all officials and insiders in here: No, you’re not anyones monkeys. At least I hope so. But as of now, you have a community full of monkeys going crazy – and you are the zookeepers. I’m a business communications consultant with 25 years of experience and it really hurts me to see, how you constantly incite this mob but do nothing to calm it down again. The tone in here and over at TGP gets more aggressive, slightly but steady. People are on the edge, constantly checking the forums, your site, the updater. They are waiting for the update to be released every second, especially since one of you officially wrote about an RC by the end of last week. Three days ago, the big silence was broken and many small details have been leaked. But no word about the time of release. From a professional perspective, I think you should be transparent at this point, when or when not people can expect the release. At NAMM, you made a big deal out of your community stats. This is a time, to manage this community. To manage people and foremost their expectations. Please, give everyone here a realistic estimate. Thank you.

@PDKTDK The Helix is way more than a preamp, it is even more than a multi-effects pedalboard. It is a all-in-one control center and for me a highly creative tool. I stick with the DTs, because I like the concept, they sound good and I like that I can use them as very versatile plain tube amps without any fancy other stuff. For me, Helix+DT are the perfect combination. And, the preamps in the Helix sound very very good to me! And there are a lot more preamps than in the DT alone. It's just this little feeling. Maybe it comes from the signal processing, a teeny tiny lag that you'd never hear but somehow you feel it while playing. I don't know, maybe it's just me. No, you don't. Every aspect of the DT can be controlled via midi, thus by the Helix. One exception: Master Volume. I found out something very interesting about the DT-Helix combination yesterday. I'll try to make a write up, maybe a video if I find the time. I think on the weekend.

Short: Yes, Helix + DT can put effects in front or after the preamp. With the 4-cable-method you place a FX-Loop-Block in your Helix-preset. Everything behind that block will go after the pre- and directly to the power-amp. With the L6-Link cable, you circumvent the DTs built-in preamp and you place a preamp-block in your Helix preset. Everything behind that block will go after the pre- and directly to the power-amp. As far as I can tell, the POD-HD + DT combination does exactly the same with one difference: it turns the knobs on the DT into a midi-controller for the Pod. When you connect a POD-HD to a DT, the DTs preamp will be replaced by the POD-HD-preamp. Because all standard preamps int the POD match one in the DT, Line6 can send midi-commands to the DT to recall the corresponding power-amp config. With the Helix you do exactly the same but you have to set the midi-commands yourself per preset, they are not stored in the Helix by default. I read at some points, that Line6 did some kind of special-sauce-voodoo with their dream-rig, but I don't believe that at all. It doesn't make sense. The only real difference is the midi-return from the DT's control knobs to the POD over the digital L6-Link. And midi over a digital connection is no big deal in my opinion.

@talonmm It really isn't that difficult. The Helix has a section called "Command Center" (owners manual rev. D p45). Here you can "attach" different kinds of midi commands to each switch and up to 6 "instant commands". These are midi commands that get sent out when the preset is loaded (or snapshot). With a midi CC command on a switch you can use the Helix like a traditional amp-switch-pedal, to change channel or topology, or reverb on/off, etc. With a midi CC "instant command", you can set the DT amp to the settings you like to go with the preset when loaded. Try this: Connect your Helix midi out to your DT midi in. Set your DT Channel A to Topology 2 and switch to Channel B (just so you can see/hear the changes later) Create a new preset on the Helix. Go to the Command Center on the Helix (Menu > Command Center) Navigate to the first flash icon in the upper row. Set it to "Command = "Midi CC", Midi Ch = "Base (1)", CC# = "19", Value = "0" (will set DT to Channel A) Navigate to the second flash icon in the upper row. Set it to "Command = "Midi CC", Midi Ch = "Base (1)", CC# = "11", Value = "1" (will set DT amp model + all default values) Save the preset. Reload the preset (by pressing the preset-switch again or changing preset back and forth) If you follow this, as soon as you call up this preset, your DT will switch to Channel A with "Blackface Double Normal" as model with all its defaults (Topology I, Class A/B, Pentode). A list of all midi CC commands for the DT series in the "midi implementation guide", the pdf is linked here. If you want to use the Helix's preamps, than you can turn off the preamp in the DT (CC#11, Value 0). When I do that, I first set an amp with defaults that I like (i.e. CC#11, Value 0 for the Brit J-75 model) and as second command I send CC#11, Value 0 to deactivate the preamp-model of the amp. That way, the power amp section will be set to work like the "Marshall-esque" models. In Helix I then use a "Preamp" block that I like to go with that. Basically, this is how the "Dream Rig" (POD HD + DT) works. The difference is that the POD gets information from the DT's knobs and buttons so you can make changes there instead of the floorboard. If this is still to much for you, then wait a little for firmware 2.8. It seems that Line6 implemented the control of up to two DT amps over L6-Link in the menu of the Helix. IMO this will do exactly the same as my method above (very basic one way midi commands), but it'll be more accessible for sure. Hope that helps a little.

@PDKTDK I use two Helix with DT50 212 combo and stack, sometimes with a DT25 head + 112. I still have a HD500. I really like the sound I get out of the DTs solo but I was never satisfied with the sound of the «dream rig». When I bought the first Helix, that changed. I tried all connection methods (2/4/27-cables, L6-Link). I settled on basically two configurations: L6-Link+Midi and 4-cable. I still like the sound of the DT integrated preamp a little better than the same models in the Helix. I can't really "hear" but "feel" it. We tried it in a blind test in the rehearsal room once and me and our other guitarist (who is a tube-purist) both found the integrated preamps to feel more "responsive" and "alive" than the Helix. But recorded, you don't hear the difference. The Helix is super versatile, and foremost a creative tool because of its very intuitive user interface. I still use some pedals with it, especially the new Strymon Volante. In a nutshell: I really dig that combination. and I'm really looking forward for a hopefully easier DT integration with firmware 2.8. I'd go for it.

From the info that is floating around, I get that the new „DT Integration“ is basically nothing more than a nicer way to send instant CC messages to the DT amps. Which is what the Helix already can do, but it takes a list of commands and setting them for each preset. And with a limit of 6 instant commands, that can be quite tricky. @talonmm The DTs can be set to „model + defaults“ with one command per channel, means even now you can send one midi command from Helix to DT and it‘ll set preamp model with default setting and the complete power amp configuration. The big difference is, that the DT doesn‘t send it’s settings back to the Helix, so when you turn a knob, Helix doesn‘t know that it happened. In my Helix patches, I set the DT to a model+defaults, than I reset the preamp and use one in the Helix. This way I have the power amp set all right with only two commands. Three actually, because I set the channel of the amp to A as default.