theredguitar6

I’ve got 2 units running side by side . one on 2.80 one on 2.81 ... this is definitely a 2.81 bug ... which effectively renders the unit unusable. I’m going to have to roll back my main rack to 2.8 for live work this weekend. Sigh.... ever wish you hadn’t started something. On a brighter note... built some superb live presets using ‘Fullerton jumped’ with heir apparent!! Really cuts through the mix . So I don’t really want to go back to 2.71 ... but it was stable

Yep , I’ve got this .... but only some of my presets... about 10 of them ... and nothing in common. Very weird... tried renaming snapshots etc ... no difference. I have rack with controller. Weird thing is ... the snapshot parameters do actually change but there is no feedback from the foot control . Just stays the same. If I use hx edit to switch snapshots... error message appears failed to recall snapshot parameters code -4

Modern Fender amp switching is logic controlled. The footswitches actually use active circuits internally to supply different voltages which are then interpreted by the amp. So ..short answer is NO. However if it's vital ... you could modify the existing switch ..but you'd still require it to be in circuit. That said ...what particular function to you want to switch? channels? ... My experience of the super sonic with Helix is: ...I love the SS gain channel but found it very easy to replicate and indeed improve on the clean channel with one of the Helix preamps/amps . So i ended up using 4CM and leaving the SS on the gain channel....therefore no amp switching required.

It's not really the right way to go. The amp is designed to have it's own signature sound and from memory ( i heard one a while ago) that's along the bad cat/matchless lines. Ideally for helix - if you want to go into a guitar amp - you want something that may be considered a good clean pedal platform. ...with plenty of headroom. Maybe fender blackface or even hot rod series. Otherwise you're never going to achieve all the amazing cleans that helix can deliver. A 2 x EL84 amp is always going to break up pretty quickly. You will have the same issues even if you use a loadbox. I just can't see the benefit of using this amp - unless you love the sound .... in which case ...use the amp! ...maybe just use the helix as a multi effects unit and skip the amp modelling

Mystery solved .... or at least dramatically improved. It's not the A/B split that causes the problem ...it's the merge mixer!. We've taken a whole bunch of measurements this morning ( i'm in the pro audio industry) and the merge mixer is dropping 3-4db in the signal chain. If you have a reasonable number of effects etc after this ( even reverb) it has quite a dramatic effect on tone and dynamics. Fortunately this all came back by raising the A & B levels on the merge mixer by 3db ( 3.5db on a clean amp). I did try some other tests - putting 3db gain block in front of the amps ( or A/B split) and that just slightly compresses the amps - last thing i wanted. Also made up some presets to see if amps in series affect each other when bypassed. It's small. but the merge mixer affect is BIG. I think this may have repercussions on other things as well ... anywhere a merge mixer is used. Hmmm ... Hope that helps - it's certainly cured my issue.

Good call... hadn't realised that. I'll have a play around and restore that 3db with some gain blocks. That a least will restore the perceived vol drop....and may indeed brighten the amp by pushing a little more. I should say that actually i'm very happy with the sound i'm getting switching the amps in series. Just puzzled by what's going on ...i know a lot of folk prefer the two amp A/B switch scenario for operational reasons.

yes i did ... and many thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. I'm absolutely 100% sure on this so i'm to do some more work on it and report back. Whilst we're on the subject i also have 2 identical presets ( by accident actually) apart from one has a parametric just before the output. So they should both sound the same if the para is bypassed right? ... well the don't. It's subtle but the para adds a little more mid and less HF even when it's bypassed. Which is weird because thats what it's actually there to do. ...but not when it's bypassed.

No it's definitely the the split at A100/B100 ...so it shoudn't affect the signal. I think that the amp blocks - even when bypassed affect the signal chain- slight lift in level and perceived brightness. I'm going to do further experiments

Nope don't understand that... The split is 100% A or B ...not in the middle so it should not halve the signal

sorry if this one's been covered before. Let's keep it simple and imagine a single signal path with nothing else on it: Add TWO different amps in series ( archetype clean + archetype lead ). set up bypass switches to flick between them - so theoretically each amp is bypassed whilst using the other ..although the signal chain does still pass through the by passed amp in each state. THIS IS SOUND A ( Preset 1) Create another preset and do the same thing but pull the second amp block down to a signal loop and put a A/B switch in front. The A/B is set up 100% A or 100% B depending which amp you are using. all amp settings the same THIS IS SOUND B ( preset 2) switch between the presets - VERY DIFFERENT SOUNDS on each amp. Have i missed something here or does the bypass function not fully bypass - because in example A each bypassed amp is definitely affecting the sound of the active amp. In my case - actually in a good way. Kind a sounds the same as putting a buffer in a signal chain. Is this right?

Hmmm .... is yours a rack ? do you have expression pedal connected to floor controller when this happens? I spoke to the line 6 engineers today. They've diagnosed hardware ... it's going to get repaired/replaced. Totally brilliant service from them ...very pleased.

Lots of good advice from others. However. ... just something to think about. What did you do before using Helix? .. presumably you were using amp/combo and mic'ing speakers? How did you set your amp and pedals to get that solo boost and cut through the mix? One of the great concepts of helix is that it really can ( and does) emulate how a conventional set up would work...but with some exceptions. IR's and cab sims don't really capture what happens to guitar speaker(s) when the amp vol goes up. As we know .. two main things change (1) the response of the speakers (2) our own perception of how the balance of that sound is when louder - more bass for example. IR's don't and can't capture these changes unless you use many many IR's. We've all sat at home ( or in a shop) and played an amp that sounds good ( or bad) but when that amp is taken up to gig volume -- it's a completely different beast. So try to think that through. Bear in mind when you 'were' mic'ing your cab .. that sound would change when you kicked the amp harder and also may even have compressed the mic ( SM57?) So just making your helix output higher won't always do it....and you may overload ( or compress) the front end of the desk which will in turn, change the sound ( for the worse). Obviously a lot of high gain sounds tend to have loads of low end -slightly scooped mids- and very 'present' top ends. None of that will cut through a mix in a PA speaker with everything else going through it . Take some bass out, push the upper mids and take some presence out ....either at the amp or with an EQ block. In isolation that might be a bit 'in yer face' but it will sit well in the mix without having to push the output too hard. Just think old school and then apply it to Helix - it's all in there!

Yep, did the global resets each time also ...more recently did full factory preset reset as well. + global ....and still the same. good point about the USB port - thanks Interestingly .. there's another recent thread on here about loss of audio when scrolling presets ... There are several users that are experiencing similar issues on there -- we're all using slightly different language to describe similar problems though -- loss of audio. Those units seem to have ended up back at line 6 as no amount or firmware re install and resets etc etc made any improvement. So i'm starting to suspect hardware.

Yes Peter, i have tried all of that several times. It's heartening to hear that you guys have had zero ( or very few ) issues over quite long periods. I'm going to request a replacement unit as something is most clearly ...very wrong with mine. Thanks all

Thanks for the replies. I guess i just wanted to hear from folk who've NOT had issues - particularly when using live....and i do use fairly BIG presets so that i can use 6-7 snapshots instead of switching presets all the time Looking through the 'helix bug issues' topic ...there are some people having the same issues. Loss of audio , black screen and freezing ... they're just not having ALL the issues in the same unit. I WILL contact tech support. I absolutely love the sounds and the whole concept ...my pedal board used to be the size of mars! .. Just desperately want it to be stable.