HonestOpinion

See this thread, it is a bug in the conversion process for presets from a prior firmware version. http://line6.com/support/topic/24048-fw-210-expression-pedal-question/page-1

The problem may be that it appears from your post that you have the 2.0 version of the firmware on your Helix but the 2.01 version of the Editor on your MAC. If that is indeed the case and you have the 2.0 version of the firmware on the Helix (NOT 2.01) I would download and install the 2.0 (NOT 2.01) version of the Helix app and let it install the 2.0 version of the Updater, Editor, and Driver to your Mac. This may or may not solve your issue but is definitely the right place to start. Often it is not a bad idea to actually uninstall your current version of the Helix software on the Mac before reinstalling the appropriate version.

I posted a suggestion to potentially break out the preset upgrade process into a separate 'Convertor' app. Not sure if this would make things worse or better but it would at least mean you would only have to do one firmware update. If the conversion had issues you would just wait for a new version of the Convertor which would hopefully come quickly as it would not risk breaking the firmware. An alternate approach, not sure if it would be better but maybe...

Good luck with the swapout! :)

Agree with most of this although I am not sure breaking out the preset conversion process might not be helpful. It is not the same to have the preset conversion included as part of the firmware upgrade; many people have problems with the firmware upgrade so having them do it multiple times solely to get the preset migration correct is riskier. Running multiple conversions with a standalone Convertor would not leave people with the same level of risk of bricking their Helix as having them do multiple firmware updates. Some of the same issues would apply though if the processes were split out, people might then start having issues with doing multiple conversions but at least their Helix would remain in action while they got it straightened out. I don't mean to come off as sounding negative, there are a lot of people who put a ton of hard work into this update. Their efforts are hugely appreciated! Just trying to make suggestions to make the process better, many of which I am sure have already occurred to them and perhaps been rejected for good reasons. :)

Yes

Scribble strips figured heavily into my purchasing decision as well, I know how you feel. This is probably a bad scribble strip and you most likely will end up having to contact Line6 for repair or replacement. However, it might be worth not just doing a global reset but also reflashing the firmware first to ensure it is not a corrupted firmware issue.

This could be a terrible idea but I wonder sometimes if it might not be better to have a standalone converter program for converting older preset versions to the proper format for the latest firmware. Each bundle, setlist and preset would have the version number and build number as part of its header after conversion. If it did not match the version of the firmware you were trying to load to it would issue a message to that effect and bail out. Having the header version of the intended firmware in the converted backups would guarantee that you could not load presets converted with an outdated 'Converter' version or with the incorrect version of the target firmware. To do this the 'Convertor' would need to be able to do an internet call to a Line6 site to check the latest 'Convertor' build number before creating the backups to make sure you are using converted backups created by the latest version of the 'Convertor'. The Editor would also need to contact this same site to ensure that the backups being restored had been created using the latest version of the 'Convertor'. You could potentially have an override on the Editor's internet version check (load at your own risk) for emergency restores at a gig where there was no internet connectivity. This is no quick fix and would take some work. Potentially as well a converter would be able to render your backups in a format that could match whatever firmware version you selected, making rolling back firmware versions simpler. Perhaps not as ideal or convenient as having the conversion built into the firmware upgrade but one advantage might be that if there was a bug in the conversion it would be a quick fix to the converter instead of having to dive into and reissue the firmware. It might make the testing process easier for L6 as it would not require rolling back firmware versions to test the conversion process. Converted presets rendered by the converter could easily be tested at the 'last minute' (hopefully a bit before) when the final version of the firmware was ready for release. Right now the beta testers have probably gone through several builds of the firmware with their already converted presets by the time the final build arrives. A converter might clarify and simplify that final part of the testing process (making sure prior version's presets load properly in the new firmware). I am also still not convinced that we do not need a larger beta testing group. I think the guys doing it are some of the best and brightest here but a larger group seems to be in order. Not advocating to do it myself btw, not sure I want that responsibility, just saying perhaps we should add some folks to the beta test of varying skill levels.

Have not seen any other reports of this yet so it is most likely physical and coincidental. I would definitely try backing up and reflashing the firmware or even rolling back to experiment and find out though.

Just in case no on has mentioned it, did you do the global reset (FS 9&10) after upgrading your firmware?

I think I remember seeing similar behavior to this in the last firmware version.

Thanks for this link, would you mind adding it to this topic as well if you get a chance, I am trying to compile as many free IRs in one topic as possible. I would do it myself but I don't want to take credit for your find. Thanks! http://line6.com/support/topic/17076-links-for-free-impulse-responses-ir-here/?hl=free+impulse

You should be fine if you already did the firmware update and global reset, you just need to download and install the 2.10 version of the Helix app. It is very important to do the global reset after a firmware update or you are asking for potential problems down the road. If you already went through that process (firmware upgrade, global reset) and you are installing the latest software on your PC after the fact, then you should not need to do the global reset or have to load your presets/IRs again. Next time you upgrade: do your backups, download and install the new software, and only then do your firmware upgrade and follow it with a global reset, and the restore of your backups. A lot of people here prepend the name of the IR with the number of the slot they keep it in. Another method is to take a screenshot so you can reconstruct the list after a reset. This area of the upgrade process could definitely bear improvement.

Yes, you need to download and install the new 2.10 version of the Editor. Also make sure you follow the install instructions by doing a global reset after your firmware update. Hopefully you took backups with your prior version of the firmware.

True, if you are organized you should be able to recover them from your original downloads. That brings up an interesting question I have wondered about when restoring IRs. Many IRs that folks download are not in the Helix's 'native' format but are converted when first loaded to the Helix. It may not matter but I have ruminated on that fact when restoring 'backed up' IRs. Do they get converted again or do they load as is once they have undergone the initial conversion process from their first load?

$2500+ per gig, nicely done sir! You must be a wedding band, business events, or touring national/international act. That is decent money! Need a second guitarist? Just kidding... :D

Agree with everyone else here. I backup all my setlists and presets, twice! I also backup my IRs. Copying or better yet backing them up to a second PC is a good idea also. Sooner or later someone is going to have their PC crap out during an upgrade, just Murphy's Law at work. That second PC backup is going to be looking really good to them, especially if you have years worth of presets. I also backup the bundle just for an extra level of redundancy but I never use it for a restore.

Once they have a fix depending on what Line6 recommends you may want to reimport your old presets anyway so that if you decide to use snapshots in the future you don't hit the bug down the road on presets you have been refining for a long time. Happy Thanksgiving! :)

No, there are problems with functionality as well, it is not just the display. See this topic for a workaround: http://line6.com/support/topic/24048-fw-210-expression-pedal-question/

Could also be the usual process of check all cables for secure connection, amp/speaker settings. Also, disconnect USB and also try plugging into a different outlet. You can also try lifting the ground switch on the Helix. Also, if you are plugged into a mixer make sure you don't have phantom power on.

Speaking of Easter eggs, was there any stabilizing of the tuner? Might be these fresh strings or the firmware placebo effect but it seems a bit more stable today.

My guess would be something in your global settings as they were all reset. Perhaps check your Mic vs. Line settings on your outputs.

The 'Barrister', 'SpecialCounsel', 'DaMouthpiece', 'Shark', or best amp name ever, the 'AbmbulanceChaser'. ;)

I don't think the Editor handles it entirely as you will almost certainly see rebuild messages after the next time you reboot. Like all presets loaded from previous firmware versions I think it is not a bad idea to wait for a clean boot with no rebuild messages before you start editing them. Line6 has never confirmed or denied that this is the case but as with other software that does updates/rebuilds I don't edit before that process is completed.

I'm also inclined towards Silverhead's hypothesis but I think proceeding forward with any firmware update without doing a global reset after as recommended by Line6 until they stop saying to do it is a recipe for headaches down the road, particularly when it comes to using prior presets in subsequent firmware updates. Good luck recovering these going forward. :)