HonestOpinion

I agree that user error is not a bug and I also think that opening beta tests to EVERYONE might well result in a flood of false error reports, people screwing up their presets, install problems, floods of negative comments on the boards, etc.. But.... part of me says, go ahead and release beta versions of the software to the larger community for those who want to take their chances. Other companies including L6 do it so there is precedent. One of the earlier Helix firmware versions was initially released as a beta version. There are so many more users with so many more alternate configurations and methods for using the Helix that the chances of catching actual bugs could potentially be way higher (providing L6 could filter out the false bug reports). That way the firmware you have spent months waiting for has less chance of arriving with bugs that the relatively small beta testing community simply had no way of catching (through no fault of their own, their sample size just isn't large enough). I am sure there are plenty of folks who would be strongly opposed to doing things this way for some very good reasons but I am not convinced the net effect would not be a gain. Line6 and our beta testers (most of whom contribute to the forum) do a fine job, perhaps even an an amazing job, of catching most bugs but perhaps a larger beta test community would reduce the number down even further, contribute some good ideas on how to better implement the new features earlier in the process, and mean that those months spent developing were maximally efficient and that an official firmware release had the highest possible chance of arriving bug-free. I am in no way challenging the way beta testing is done, L6 may well have determined that the current process is the best method and be correct in that assumption. I hope this post does not sound critical of the way they are doing things in any way. One possible pitfall for any company opening a beta test up to a large community would be that the beta caused a catastrophic problem (like a frozen firmware update that could not be remedied by the user) that caused thousands of people to have to send in their devices for factory intervention, or, as mentioned earlier cause needless bad publicity. Hopefully these sorts of problems would be sorted out in alpha tests though. Another good reason I can see for not releasing the beta to the wider public is the sheer amount of moaning and griping that would occur on the forum as users realized that their pet feature was not going to be appearing in the upcoming update. Of course that happens anyway already but I could see it reaching epic proportions and potentially impacting sales. There is also the issue of giving an edge to your competitors by giving them a huge headstart on what you are planning to release, Heh, the more I think about it the more negatives I see but there are some potential advantages as well. :)

Probably the right move, looks like you went through all the proper troubleshooting steps. I suppose the next one will tell the tale as the odds of getting two devices in a row with a bad 1/4 output are beyond infinitesimal. Good luck!

The 'Volume Knob Controls' parameter is on the second page of the Global Settings > Ins/Outs. Sorry to hear a reset did not help. There is a always the blunt force approach of reflashing the firmware. Perhaps some other folks here will have some alternate suggestions, it is starting to sound like a faulty 1/4 output or wonky firmware install, unless you have missed something in your setup and it looks like you have done some pretty thorough troubleshooting.

The only other thing that leaps to mind is check the 'Volume Knob Controls' parameter under Global Settings and make sure the large volume knob is controlling the 1/4 outputs so that you are getting the signal level you expect. If all else fails it might be worth trying a FS 5&6 (global reset) in case some buried setting got wonky. This combination should not impact your presets but it never hurts to have a backup just in case.

Sounds like you may already have done this but make sure your Output block is set to multi or 1/4. If you have another speaker I would also try testing with that to make sure the 1/4 input on your Alto is working. This is also obvious but worth checking, make sure you are using the correct 1/4 output on your Helix and not one of the loop jacks.

Might be one way of improving the tone according to some others here although I am not sure why this would be any different than summing to mono at the output, perhaps it is better to sum earlier in the signal chain. I wouldn't exactly call this 'the win' as it does not address the use of the unnecessary additional DSP or perhaps the improved tone a true mono spring reverb designed from the ground up might have (maybe?). Great suggestion though.

Isn't that what the "A" in U.S.A. stands for? ;)

LOL, oh no! :huh:

XLR is balanced and is better protected against interference so generally has less noise issues for longer cable runs, that is one advantage.

Hey, at least your Helix is not made by Samsung. Now that would be truly worrisome although it might make for some interesting pyrotechnics on stage.

It is no longer a global option but is now located on the Input block for each preset. I assume it was done to make each preset more customizable for different guitars and provide more flexibility to correspond to the first block in the preset.

If past updates are any indication there will definitely be a new Helix app that you will want to download and install. As always backup your presets and IRs first.

Here is the link for the 2.01 version of the Helix app for Windows which includes the Editor, driver, and Updater. http://line6.com/software/readeula.html?rid=7106

What a phenomenal lineup! The live version of 'Lights Out' features some of my all-time favorite pieces of guitar soloing. And Captain Beefheart, oh yes, what avid Zappa fan like myself can possibly avoid having discovered and developed a deep appreciation for Mr. Don Van Vliet at some point. Sorry I never got to see him perform.

Btw, I was the first kid in my neighborhood to have a quadraphonic Hi-Fi system ('Dark Side Of The Moon' in quad was awesome!) so I would be perfectly within my rights to look askance at all you folks willing to settle for something as pedestrian as stereo. But no, I'm better than that. :D

Heh, clearly you've got me pegged, didn't want to disappoint :D

LOL, fair enough, I was actually striving to be brief and surgical, I could certainly use the practice. For the love of all that's holy, bring on the latest firmware already Line6, it's getting hot in here. :D Disclaimer: "Holy" is used here strictly as a figure of speech and should in no way be construed as an invitation to start up the theist vs. atheists wars in this thread. ;)

Sheesh, lighten up people. I am perfectly happy with the Helix. If "chopping an ear off' is a metaphor for making a stereo reverb mono, yes, that does not sound like such a bad idea. My post was more in the spirit of asking why reverbs were being treated differently than other effects and wondering if it even made a significant difference in DSP usage. How am I all of sudden being cast as the guy who is asking for 'two years of development' for something you obviously don't need or consider trivial. I love the way when it is something other people (you) want they are convinced it is a matter that could be dispensed with by the Line6 receptionist doing five minutes worth of coding on her iPhone whereas when it is a request from someone else all of a sudden it turns into a two year ordeal that will rob the Helix of all other feature requests and require the ghosts of Einstein, Alan Turing, and Madame Curie along with a 24x7 dedicated team of rocket scientists to program. :)

Can we please not make this a conversation about who needs what in a preset and how much is too much. You may be switching back and forth between effects, have multiple amp channels and IRs, or be using more DSP intensive effects like the 3-OSC Synth, Tri-Chorus, Pitch blocks, etc. that eat up a lot of DSP. The point is not about trying to convince people why they do not need the extra DSP but instead why are the reverbs different from every other effect in that they don't offer a mono option. Btw, if you have never used up all the DSP in a preset you are just not trying hard enough... :)

Good to hear! I opt for inexplicable smooth operation over prolonged issues any day of the week.

Nice 'Hitchhikers.. ' reference. :) "BACK TO MONO", no one is advocating that here. If you are implying that running your PA in mono is archaic there are some great debates and good arguments for both mono and stereo that have been had at length in other topics (was hoping to avoid that here ;) ). We run the PA in mono to keep things simple and to avoid the sound being poor depending where an audience member is sitting in a venue. We don't want someone only hearing the 'pong' in a ping-pong echo, or only the delayed/detuned half of a chorus effect's signal. I understand, appreciate, and love the sound of a good stereo setup as well however. If you can get away with it there are awesome sounds and effects to be had there. There are already plenty of mono effects in every other category; they just left the reverbs out and that is what appears to be an unnecessary DSP loss to people who run in mono. The point has already been made that although the stereo is summed to mono it also uses up more DSP in the process. There is a cost attached to using stereo in the Helix when it is not required. Why not have all the effects be stereo and for that matter why not triple their processing requirement for increased definition? The answer is that you might then only be able to fit one effect in your signal chain before your DSP was exhausted. Mono preserves and extends DSP resources. So why have this one exception that may well be attached to the fact that the reverbs have not yet been updated yet for the Helix? Perhaps mono reverbs are coming in the future, or perhaps as phil_m postulated the effort is not worth the return in the amount of extra DSP it would free up. I have no idea, just asking questions. Btw, Phil Spector was a genius producer albeit quite possibly homicidal as well. Definitely not the guy I am trying to emulate... :angry:

There is also a ground lift switch on the Helix that usually helps more with hum then the noise you are describing but it might be worth a try.

^^ Yep, what DunnedinDragon said, been there, done that, very disconcerting the first time it happens.

Only if the temptation is too great and the patch starts with a weak ethical foundation... ;) Seriously though I think the answer is probably that it is rare but does happen. Firmware/software can also get corrupted or not install properly. Certain older presets may occasionally have issues in later firmware versions. Most likely though I think a buried parameter somewhere gets changed unknown to the user.

Thanks for the response phil_m. That sounds correct about the decision not to expend the resources on developing mono reverb models that would perhaps require total redesign. Wouldn't that rationale extend to any of the other effect models though? Mono models have been developed elsewhere not only because a stereo model for that effect was not required or not ideal but from what I can see in some cases to preserve precious DSP. Why not extend this to reverbs as well? Not only are there models like 'Spring' reverbs from mono amps whose original character should perhaps be preserved but additionally they are not necessarily used in stereo configurations. There are probably many users like myself who run primarily mono signal paths straight to the PA and would prefer to preserve extra DSP by not using any stereo effects as they will be summed anyway. I think at some point some 'lean and mean' mono reverbs would be a nice alternative to have for DSP greedy presets but as always I understand the need to develop with an eye towards the biggest bang for the buck.