HonestOpinion

After backing up everything with your current Editor version (the one matching your current firmware), make sure you download the latest 2.21 version of the "Helix" app. Make sure you backup the individual setlists as well as a bundle. Install the "Helix" app and it will place the latest version of the Updater, Editor, and Driver on your computer. Only then go for the firmware update and follow the release instructions closely which will include a global reset. Do another set of backups after you have upgraded using the latest 2.21 Editor version.

I think Line6 should take its time and release a product as bug free and robust as possible. If it takes off though I hope it gets its own additional dedicated developer(s) who can work in tandem with the rest of the Helix team so that development on the Helix and LT can proceed at lightspeed. The Helix remains my top priority. :)

The Alto is a proven quantity and used by many for the Helix. It would definitely give you the closest sound to FOH for a stage monitor, would probably sound better than the Roland, and is a great alternative for monitoring when designing presets. Not absolutely necessary though as the Roland keyboard amps can do surprisingly good double duty as relatively neutral monitors if you don't want to spring for a new powered speaker you may not use frequently enough.

I would definitely bring the Roland or Bogner just to have a little more control over my stage sound and in case the sound man insists on micing your amp. I would experiment with both amps before the festival, the Bogner and the Roland, to see which gets you the sound you prefer; you may not have the option of going direct to the PA. Seeing as you have been running your Helix direct through your own system the Roland will definitely be more neutral and not color the sound of your models as much. If the soundman allows it you can run your Helix direct at the festival but be prepared to have to mic your amp if he insists on it. If you do end up being able to run the Helix direct to PA the Roland will probably be a better choice for a stage monitor sound that is closer to what is being delivered to the FOH (a monitor mix from the board as ellendr mentioned would also give you a close approximation of the FOH sound). If you decide to go with the Bogner I would not bother with a 4CM hookup if you already have all of your presets dialed in previously for going direct. If you go 4CM you will have to modify your presets and you will add cabling complexity you are not used to dealing with. Lastly, I think gunpointmetal's suggestion as a method for retaining your IEMs might be worth pursuing. Just make sure you bring an amp because the soundman may not be flexible on amp micing vs. direct.

This video may help you out. He starts specifically addressing snapshot MIDI setup at about 7:00 minutes in but the whole video is helpful for MIDI setup.

I am one of the users who long ago filled up all 128 IR slots and could use more. I posted this exact idea a while ago for allowing the user to designate a setlist for either presets or IRs. The saved presets and the size of an IR .wav file appear to be roughly the same. This approach would leave all the setlists intact for those who don't need the IR space but give users who require more room for IRs an option. Please vote it up: https://line6.ideascale.com/a/idea-v2/892101

I know exactly what you mean. You have to be extremely careful with that functionality. The key is backing things up before you modify a "global" custom block in that sort of implementation. It might even make sense to have it automatically invoke a bundle backup or a backup of all affected presets before allowing the change. It is powerful but has the capacity to make unanticipated changes to presets if not used carefully. It is great functionality if used properly though as it offers an almost 'evolutionary' capability to constantly improve your tones en masse and update many of your presets at once.

I see advantages to being able to have multiple favorites for a given block although even one would be a great addition. It would also be cool to have the option to designate your "Custom" blocks as a global default such that if you changed its settings they would change in every preset that contained that custom block.

Very convincing acoustic sound for coming from an electric!

LOL :D

I agree, we definitely need at least an option to use more IR slots and I think Line6 is probably looking at this. Call me an eternal optimist but my sense is that Line6 will address this at some point.

It has probably been mentioned but I have to wonder how the new proposed airline laws regulating laptops are going to impact carrying things like a Helix on a flight in anything other than cargo?

Not to put a name to it but I would venture to say that the company everyone would look at for reverse engineering everyone else's products in the past rhymes with "Derringer". Of course they have come light years forward in the last few years since they were acquired and are actually making some fairly innovative products now, particularly their mixers, even if they still have a few "reverse engineers" hidden in a secret lab.

"Momma don't take my Kodachrome awaaaaaaaay". How about two modes "jumpy" and "not jumpy"? :P Maybe two modes is the way to go, but I think we can get more stability with a negligible sacrifice on granularity for the "live" mode. We are looking for a workable compromise between the two, granularity and usability, which is I think the same decision most other tuner manufacturers have successfully accomplished. It all comes down to that momentary freeze/pause that provides a usable reference point. To go back to the "Kodachrome" analogy the aperture on a camera is timed to open at the ideal moment with the peak of the flash for flash photography. Of course the light emitted by the flash will immediately start to dim and the light fluctuate after it is first set off. The camera's job is to synch the two as best as possible. Another admittedly rough analogy - atomic clocks are very precise but wouldn't be very handy for telling time if the hour and minute hands were wobbling constantly between the numbers or the 'second hand' kept jumping backwards.

Agreed, L6 support is absolutely stellar! Your off the clock time and input is hugely appreciated and incredibly helpful. Big thanks! Btw, "doomgaze tuner fix"... :)

Just look at them as 'untuning' videos, not much of a stretch with the Helix. That way they're equally boring as the unboxing ones. ;)

It sounds like amsdenj may have had the answer in his post above. Are you seeing [square brackets] appear around the string tunings you are selecting in each snapshot? If not you will get the same tuning for every snapshot. Assign the string tunings by either pressing and quickly turning the parameter button for the string tuning on the Helix or alternatively by pressing Alt-click on the string tuning parameter in the Editor. When done correctly square brackets will appear around the altered string tuning. Just want to make sure I understand you correctly. It sounds like you are but just to make sure, are you changing the individual string settings on the Helix, e.g. E string = "-2"? The tuning you change to using the Variax model selector knob will not be saved on the Helix. You must change each string's setting in each snapshot directly on the Helix's Input block and save. Additionally, if you want to use a different tuning in other snapshots, the string tuning must be assigned to snapshots (brackets displayed). Also, did you try unplugging and replugging the VDI cable?

There could be other causes for this but some people have seen this behavior when they hit certain presets that are essentially corrupt. If you take note of what you are scrolling through when this occurs you may notice it happening on the same preset(s) each time. Also, did you do the global reset after your upgrade and do you have the matching version of the Editor to your firmware?

Not surprised to hear that someone more savvy about those areas would know where the better clubs were. Just recounting my experience from the viewpoint of a tourist at Miami Beach. I remember coming away from there thinking the town had the worst music scene I had ever witnessed. I have had no such difficulty finding decent music made by full bands in other major cities and even some smaller cities. Perfectly happy to admit though that it could just have been my own ignorance about where to go. I will say however that it was club after club that had acts that fit my description above. This was not one or two isolated venues. I remember coming away from that trip thinking that it must be a "thing" at Miami Beach to not have real drummers or full bands there were so many clubs doing it. Maybe it was a passing fad or bands trying to economize by hiring the minimum possible number of musicians to pay. Glad you had a better experience there as a player despite the noise ordinance nonsense.

Interesting, I wonder if this had anything to do with the relatively geriatric demographic in those towns, particularly in the eighties. At least you had a genuine band going. I don't know those areas well but I remember walking down the nightclub strip in Miami Beach sometime in the late 90's, maybe early 2000's, and being horrified that every club seemed to have either a DJ, or if they were really going for an authentic band sound, a keyboardist with drum tracks rolling and maybe one other accompanist. There was nary a real full band to be be seen. Everything was like ersatz music played on a Casio or alternatively a wedding DJ. It reminded me of those old Saturday Night Live routines with WIll Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer. I hope their live music scene has improved since then. My memories of the Miami Beach Music scene:

General discussion on compressors with a bit of Helix specific info: http://line6.com/support/topic/23488-compressors-explained/?p=178763

You should absolutely be able to get the custom tuning on a snapshot change. You may want to try turning off the Helix and unplugging and replugging your Variax VDI cable on both ends and restarting the Helix. This has fixed this issue for other folks who have encountered it. Also make sure you highlight the Input block after you change snapshots to ensure that the new snapshot has your custom tuning.

Great cover! Just curious where you had the high cut or EQ set on this preset? It cuts through the mix nicely without ever sounding brittle on the high end.

A couple of great videos on the Helix and the Fletcher-Munson curve. The second video in particular gets down to the nuts and bolts of how to design presets on the Helix to account for it.

By this I just meant it may be some interaction between my ears, requirements for the effect, routing, what equipment I am connected to, etc.. There are a lot of moving parts here. There is also as discussed before the fact that for most effects 50% is an evenly split wet-dry mix so depending on your routing you may really only be dealing with half of the parameter knob's travel (0-50%); therefor the taper and the point at which the effect becomes audible is more important than if you were using the full 100% travel of the knob.