trinitypc

Interesting... HX Edit 3.0 will not start on my Windows 10 laptop with my SD card inserted.   If I remove it, it starts just fine (then I can reinsert the card back into the slot with no issues).

If I close HX Edit, I need to remove the SD card again to restart the app.

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused... Does the Big Sky allow you to blend both the "Bloom" and "Cloud" reverbs together? Is that what you are trying to approximate by blending the "Cavern" and "Particle" verb in parallel on the Helix? Any chance of an audio clip comparison?

Nice price on the connectors!  Are you using ruggedized cables or standard fare?  I'd love to go down the same road, but I'd prefer to stick with the added flexibility and durability of ethercon cables offered by L6/Bose/etc...

For the most part, standard fare.   They do have a boot/strain relief molded to the connectors, similar to the picture below (I cut off that little rubber bump so it would fit in the NE8MC-B ethercon housing).   Besides two of the Line6 branded cables, I also own a 3 meter custom VDI cable that I purchased via eBay from a seller in the UK that uses Van Damme Tourcat Cat5 cable, at a cost of about $30 shipped to the USA.   It's a good solid cable, but I like being able to keep a few of my "cheap" cables in my gigbag as backups.  For my purposes a 25ft cable is just way too long and unwieldy, considering I'm connected to a floor Helix that I wouldn't normally be more than 10 feet away from it while on stage.

I wanted some shorter 10ft VDI cables, so I recently purchased a pack of 25 Neutrik NE8MC-B ethercon connectors of off eBay for $30 shipped, along with some cheap 10ft Cat6 ethernet cables (total cost came out to about $5 USD per cable).   The NE8MC-B's fit over a standard ethernet cable, as you can see from this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02dksd-eTzg.   So far they've worked out perfectly.

I ordered a set of 10-46 gauge to try out.   I put a GFS X-Trem on my JTV-59, and had trouble with the high E breaking near the ball end.   Switching to M-Steels has seemed to addressed the issue, but I still get nervous every time I do a bend on that string above the 12th fret.   After watching the Petrucci and Gilbert videos, I figured I should check them out.

What you're describing could be accomplished by incorporating "Scenes" (like Fractal has with the AX8 and FX8)

In some ways it most likely is a hardware limitation.  My understanding, after reading forum posts by Cliff from Fractal and the boys at Line 6 on the subject, is that you need a dedicated DSP to handling the change over from one patch to another to avoid a drop out.  In a box with two DSPs handling multiple paths (like the Helix), chances are you'd need two additional DSPs to handle seamless patch changes.   This is specifically why the Digitech GSP1101 was designed with two processors... one specifically to handle seamless patch switching.

Just curious, which specific IRs from the free pack worked best for you?

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've spent a fair amount of time over at the Fractal site, particularly the AX8 forum and I can't say I've seen all that many posts by Cliff himself. M@ maybe, but not Cliff.

I've never owned a Kemper, but I just located this video on YT.   It looks like the Kemper solution appears to be that it buffers the signal somehow as it switches over to the new patch.  Notice that while there's no audible dropout when switching patches, the switch seems to lag a half second or so behind pressing the footswitch...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VHzDTri_Gc

I would think by now it's fairly clear that the only way to implement seamless patch switching is to add a redundant DSP.  In the case of something like the Helix, which uses two DSPs, that would mean adding two additional processors to handle the switch-over.  One might assume that this should only add a $100 or so to the overall cost, but in addition to the hardware there is an immense amount of code needed as well.   Perhaps adding another $200 or $400 to the price just for this one feature is worth it to some.  I'd wager that most customers wouldn't be willing to dish out that much more $$$ for it however.

It drives me crazy that Line 6 does not believe this is an issue. It is disheartening as a long time customer. Yes, there are in patch solutions, but I prefer to switch patches like I have with every modeler I have owned. I hope it will be addressed instead of giving work around or reasons why it isn't an issue. I'm a loyal customer and it's an issue to me.

Just curious... What modelers have you owned that have NOT had a dropout when switching patches?    The only one I'm aware of is the GSP1101.

I've tried again, again and again...

YES NEARLY HALF A SECOND GAP!! Perhaps 0,45 seconde.... So...

IMPORTANT to make a non marketing notice!!

I bought a HD500X and nothing could justify a so big difference a price!!

Sure, HELIX is a very good product , it's sound good, interface is near the perfection!! But I try to find information about the gap, I asked to the shop I bought it and I would like someone tell me : "You've got a gap when you switch between patches! Enough to be bad when you play live!"

THAT' S A VERY IMPORTANT POINT!!

 

Last point: At the beginning, I asked for HELP!! NOT to be taken for a fool or to cry I'm UNHAPPY!

 

Just need a SOLUTION, PLEASE!!

You may want to switch over to Fractal's AX8 or Axe FX II... oh wait, both of those also have that dropout delay when switching patches.

Well sort of... I have a few patches where I have used one path for my acoustic model with my favorite acoustic setup -- compressor, EQ's, reverb, and delay for the JTV model, with the input set to Variax Model only, then the other path set to my JTV mags only, and set a switch to mute one path and un-mute the other path, using a gain block. I switch between the mags and the model within the same path, and set the Variax path to choose the appropriate model and tuning. I could see setting 2 inputs to the same amp model on a path, using a switching scheme to opt for the mags or model for 2 contrasting electrics as well. But to change between 2 different models in the same patch, no... You'd need 2 different patches at this point.

 

I love the sound of my mags on both my 59 and my 69S, though I set up 2 groups of similar patches due to the level and tone differences between the mags of the 2 JTV's so I can switch from one to the other if I break a string, or between sets if I just want to play one or the other.

 

Dave

Hey Dave,

Any chance of posting one of these patches on Customtone? I'd like to do the same thing with my Variax.

Thanks,

Frank

Ahh, I see. Just for my own morbid curiosity, are stainless frets an option? Different size fret wire, etc?

Not 100% sure, but he's easy to contact via the website... http://stores.ceghardtails.com/contact-form/

His communication with me throughout the process was fantastic.

Nice...The 69 is a whole different instrument with a neck that's actually usable. I'll hafta check out CEG hardtails. Not familiar with that one.

It's a Might-Mite neck.  Stephen (CEG Hardtails) hand-picks them right from the distributor, then he does a complete fret dress... reseating, crown dress, leveling and micro-polishing to bring the frets to a mirror-like finish.   All I can say is the one I got from him is miles above the stock neck on my JTV.

Shots of the two sisters...

Pics of the tremolo mod to my JTV-59 can be found here

I did some modifications to my JTV-69 last weekend, replacing the neck with a beautiful birds eye maple one from CEG Hardtails.   I had Stephen replace the nut with a Graphtech Tusq and apply a satin lacquer finish to give it a slight yellow tint.  The tuners are Hipshot staggered Grip-Lock Open Ultra-Lights (like the ones that come with the USA version of this guitar).   The mother-of-toiletseat pickguard was purchased from Full Compass.

The new neck has taken this from being an "pretty good" guitar to a "GREAT" guitar IMO  :)

I installed some Grover 406c locking tuners and a GFX X-Trem tremolo on my JTV-59.

Special thanks to Christian at www.townerusa.com for selling me his Bigsby V.Block spacer and straplock extender, which was needed to move the X-Trem back from the bridge...

The V.Block fit perfectly, but the straplock extender was just a bit too long to fit inside the X-Trem so I used a dremel tool to lengthen the staplock hole on the X-Trem.   

I have no problem with that and I'm very happy with my helix - just thought that I'm missing something because such a scenario isn't any problem with HD500 (also understand that it is different modelling). But also was wondering because it doesn't only happen with the Cali Rectifier but also with other amps - just try it out.

 

I'm a little confused because in the manual on page 17 there is a picture under the sentence "...or two separate Amp and two separate Cab blocks..." that shows exactly what I wanted to achieve. But this isn't possible with most of the amps.

Note that user IRs are going to eat up more DSP than Helix's built in cabinets.  If you're not already doing so, may want to load them as 1k IRs instead of 2k as that would lower the DSP usage of the user IRs.   Also, make sure all blocks are mono... That would also help with lowering the DSP usage.

Not to mention that I also own a Helix, which should have worked with Workbench via VDI "at launch", but is even more disconcerting as we have had at least two Helix firmware updates since it's debut 3+ months ago and Variax --> VDI --> Helix --> Workbench is still not supported :(

If it were me, I'd tough it out until the Helix integration arrives...because I'd sooner set fire to a hundred dollars before I spent it on a USB dongle.

I may end up doing just that.   The guitar should arrive in a few days.   I guess there's no way of being able to tell what firmware version is installed without connecting it to Monkey/WorkBench, huh?

Believe it or not, FullCompass.com (who is an authorized parts dealer for Line6) is selling the one that comes with the JTV-69 for $155!!!!

http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/503900-Line-6-99-065-0005

Unforatunately, I don't have an HD.   I do have a Helix, but it doesn't support Workbench via VDI yet and I haven't seen any mention from Line6 when that will happen.

I have an "open box" JTV-69 on the way, but it doesn't include the USB interface.   Does anyone know if this version work with it?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Workbench

@Digital_Igloo  Any idea when Helix might support connection to Workbench?   I just purchased an "open box" Variax JTV-69, but is missing the USB Interface.   I'd really rather not have to spend another $99 on the interface when I should just be able to connect the JTV to my Helix via VDI and access Workbench that way.