HonestOpinion

Hate to ask but if you did a firmware update did you do a factory reset and restore afterwards? If not, start there.

Oh, and if you haven't already make sure you try going in to two different channels on your mixer(other than the two channels you have already tried). Always a chance one of mixer channels has gone bad.

Check your cabling and try swapping cables out and check all connections. Might even try swapping out guitars, especially if one is active and has a battery. Looks like you are going direct but if you are miking amps you could have a problem with a defective "microphonic" amplifier tube introducing distortion as the amp's input level increases from the Stomp. Double check your mixer's channel settings especially the input trim/gain(not the faders) and make sure it is not set too high. Test it at a lower level. Are both channels EQ'd the same way with the same FX? Start troubleshooting by removing any EQ and FX from the guitars' channels and test them flat. Maybe something like a reverb or delay on your mixer is "running away" once things get cranking. Post EQ and FX could easily be at fault if the issue only exists in the PA. Make sure your mains are not overloading. Keep an eye on your meters if you have 'em. Are both players running either Line or Instrument level out to the board? The board may be responding differently and more prone to clipping if for example only one of the Stomp's outputs is set to "Line". Set them both to Instrument level. What do you hear in the mixer's headphones feed when you solo each channel during a "distortion" event? That might help you narrow things down to a single Stomp as the culprit if the issue is not cumulative. Make sure you don't have phantom power turned on in one of the channels. Just some of what I might do to try and hone in on the problem. Also, as always having adequate and clean power is critical. Some folks have reported problems with the Stomp when their power isn't dependable.

I was just going to say. If you did the 3.11 update and did not do a factory reset and backup restore that is definitely the first place to start. I would even go so far as to update the firmware again(and again do the factory reset and restore) before I assumed it was hardware related. You have to eliminate the firmware as a possible cause before assuming you have a hardware issue. When your update/reset is completed check the 'Help' --> 'About HX Edit' dialog box in HX Edit and make sure your firmware and editor version are both 3.11.

Another way to approach this is much the way you would during a soundcheck for a mixing board. For a soundcheck you don't play your quietest passage through your guitar or whisper into the mic. If that level of signal was the source the soundperson used to set your input gain/trim it would just cause the PA to overload/clip the second you went to play a loud distorted guitar passage or belted a vocal into the mic. Use your hottest/loudest snapshot with the boost on to set the level on your PC+. Then set the PC+ with as hot an input level as you can get away with without clipping, as the level to the PC+ is going to drop when you don't have a boost on and you don't want it to slip under the PC+'s usable input threshold. If the result is that the level for the unboosted snapshots is now too low then you will probably need to attenuate the boosted snapshot a bit and work out a compromise between your boosted snapshot's volume and unboosted snapshots. This compromise is often necessary to get ideal gain levels on a piece of equipment downstream like a PC+ or PA. As rd2rk advised using your Output block is a great way to add a more predictable volume boost. Alternately you can use a gain block somewhere close to the Output block. By putting it at the very end of your signal chain it won't kick something like a distortion block into hyperdrive or alter the tone significantly by changing the gain level into another block when all you want is some more volume. It is also critical to level your presets and snapshots up with each other as much as possible. You can use a db meter and most importantly your ears for this. The less variance between levels on your presets and snapshots the easier it will be to keep your PC+'s input level in its ideal range.

Rd2rk already suggested the ideal solution and that is the best way to proceed. If you had no alternative the answer is "Yes" you could probably use an unbalanced 1/4" cable if necessary. Take a look at pg.2, sec. 2.1.1 of the manual for the Presonus Eris e3.5 which seems to indicate an unbalanced connection is acceptable as well but why bother when you have a superior solution, as rd2rk provided, available so inexpensively. Worth mentioning too that the Presounus are expecting a line level signal so that is probably what your output on your HX device should be set to. Again, will it work at instrument level? Probably and if it sounds better to you, use it, but Line level is recommended.

Yep, as Waymda suggested, you'll want to combine anything that you find yourself repeatedly doing in most presets/snapshots into a "template" which is just a baseline preset to start with. Copy it into the intended destination as your starting point whenever you design a new preset, rename it, and save yourself time on repetitive tasks. You can also make good use of the Favorites and Defaults for inserting blocks that have your settings already dialed in.

Great advice as always phil_m but I think you have a typo and meant to say "...and 'EXP2' assigned to the volume."

Not sure if the solution below will work on a hung upgrade but you can try it. Might want to try MusicLaw's recommendation first though. Depends on whether you have backups or not. If it is starting and hanging on preset 530 every time you can hold down FS 11&12(this is the delete/clear current preset reset combination for the Helix) while you start. This might delete the current preset(in this case 530) and may enable the rebuild to complete if you don't have more corrupt presets or a corrupt setlist. Might be worth a try if all else fails or if you want to try a quick fix.

"When you go down to 'Deep Edit' put your money in your shoes". Sorry, rd2rk and MusicLaw already answered the question so I couldn't resist the lyrical reference.

Although they can serve as a starting point and you may luck into some downloadable presets that work perfectly for you with little to no editing you will generally find that you need to go through the process of investing some time into the LT to get things set up to your satisfaction. There is a bit of a learning curve and no way around that if you want to get the most out of your device. The Line6 site CustomTone has lots of free presets available. Most users find they still have to configure them to their rig to their preference. You may also have to change the settings on the Input/Output blocks or footswitch assignments depending on how you are connected and how you set up your footswitch layout. https://line6.com/customtone/browse/helix/ There are also presets available for purchase on the Line6 marketplace. Be aware that if you buy IRs from the marketplace they will have to be registered and may only be available to be used on your HX device. https://line6.com/marketplace/ Here is a link for free IRs. There are others available as well if you type "Free IRs" or "Free Impulse Responses" into the forum's search box.

Once you feel like you have rebuilt an indispensable tone or two, which may prove to be a great exercise in getting a tone you like out of your new Helix, you can move on to leveraging your freshly acquired preset editing skills to make some new tones that were not available in your old gear. Not a bad way to transition to your new device.

I will admit to agreeing that some of the suggestions for inclusion in the next generation of the Helix might fit better somewhere further down the product line. I do however think sometimes the whole idea of trying to dictate or determine what is "pro" and what is "amateur" can get a little absurd, subjective, and short-sighted. I've seen plenty of undiscovered talent come up with amazing innovations to their sound or equipment. There are technically advanced musicians and also those who don't want to have anything to do with a computer or even a tube swap in both the amateur and professional realms. Some professional musicians can be slow to adopt new technology. I don't really relish the idea of "pro" luddites dictating what features should be included in new equipment so their status is not my standard for innovation. IMHO it never pays to get too lofty about what is professional and what isn't. If it helps you in your creative process, and hits some baseline of reliability it might just have some legitimacy up in the vaunted heights of the "pro". Even if they are not using it... yet. In the world of computer based musical equipment, where the internet can play a part in tone sharing, remote collaboration, cloud backups, catastrophic recovery, etc. it can sound a little extreme to call the inclusion onboard of any form of Wi-Fi, USB, or other forms of connectivity "amateur". Admittedly Bluetooth is still laggy and unreliable but it may get much better in short order. It is already far better than when it first came out. You definitely see Wi-Fi connectivity in some fairly professional or if you prefer semi-pro mixers. Sadly I don't play stadiums but I would not be surprised to see Wi-Fi and a tablet in some of them these days either. There is something to be said for equipment geared towards touring musicians taking a more modularized approach to things. Allowing things like a wireless guitar transmitter/receiver for a guitar or a router to be swapped out rather than being built-in and potentially bringing the rest of the device down with it when it fails. This also allows the musician more choices and possibly superior alternatives to a built-in solution. With that said I think a wide range of connectivity options can be a plus. This used to mean that perhaps your device could accommodate XLR and 1/4" or maybe if the manufacturer went all out, a combi-jack. Now connectivity also encompasses connecting instruments and mics wirelessly, computers and tablets, phones and sometimes even watches. Musicians get to enjoy a level of control over their instrument's or even PA's sound or monitor mix from stage that was never available in the past. The vast majority of HX, including Helix, users are probably at what would be called the "prosumer" or amateur level anyway. Many of them might welcome a richer feature set over a strictly "pro" offering or at least the option. Some can be a little hasty to pronounce and dismiss something as amateur in earlier iterations and it is worse yet to keep maintaining that assertion long after it has reached maturity as a technology. Although Wi-Fi is admittedly much more robust and in many ways not even comparable, both it and Bluetooth has been getting faster and more reliable with each iteration. Although I am currently not a fan of it, after a couple of more revisions Bluetooth may be ready for prime time. You probably would not have wanted to use the first couple of generations of Wi-Fi routers with your musical equipment either. Maybe Behringer X32 mixers are not the device of choice for major stadium gigs but I would hazard a guess that there are plenty of Line6 users who have done many a gig with worse so it makes no sense to me to dismiss Wi-Fi/tablet technology based on where you place Behringer in the "Pro" pantheon. I have used tablets with multiple mixing boards and other devices and they are handy and useful. I do agree with Codamedia that some of these tablet based solutions are all of a sudden unresponsive when you need them most but that will also probably get better with time. Physical buttons and switches fail too although generally with less frequency than dropped connections. To me this is more of an argument for having both analog buttons/switches combined with tablet or computer based solutions. Redundancy is a plus especially if it brings additional convenience or features with it like being able to mix sound remotely from multiple locations in a space or being able to make a quick change to your PA, monitors, or guitar sound or even restore a device's firmware or backup after a catastrophic failure. All from a tablet conveniently clamped to your mic stand or even a phone. As it matures it is a natural trajectory for some, not all, of today's "amateur" tech to move into more expensive and professionally targeted equipment. Vice-versa as well as expensive tech comes down in price. I think that migration will continue to include some form of enhanced connectivity whether it is a combination of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, S/PDIF, AES-EBU, etc. - or whatever replaces it. To me that appears inevitable. Some of the technologies that are currently considered state of the art will conversely be phased out. I remember when Firewire was the new hot standard and the mantra was no truly "pro" level device would use USB any more. Firewire cards, modules, and cables like so many other technologies that cost good money to upgrade to are now gathering or returned to dust along with the Dodo bird. Almost anything you buy in the digital age will probably be obsoleted in the future. Sometimes you just need to get on with it and use the best technology you have available at the time of production. Even if it is not ideal or "pro" sanctioned. Sometimes you include a piece of tech just to future-proof a device knowing full well that it will be a couple of firmware revisions before it is worthy. This whole conversation about what tech is "pro" enough for higher end modelers is somewhat ironic anyway as all modelers, regardless of their feature set, were considered strictly the domain of amateurs until relatively recently. Maybe useful on occasion in the studio but by no means to be used when touring in front of a live audience. With a few exceptions no famous guitarist would play a gig with them in the past. So many users of modelers still find it reassuring and validating just to see a major band show up with a Helix. Despite their great merit, modelers have taken quite a while to gain real traction and acceptance at the top tiers of the "biz". Some of the arguably more interesting or useful of the proposed or even already implemented innovations to modelers continue to be greeted with the same sort of resistance. I suppose its all for the best in the long run. Hopefully the criticism will drive excellence and let the cream rise to the top.

Assuming that you are using Native 3.11 it is weird that Native shows up as "3.1.1" in the Plug-In Manager. I am on Windows and don't use Logic Pro as my DAW but where Native shows up in my DAW, it shows up as 3.11, not 3.1.1. Probably means nothing and another Logic Pro user on Mac might be able to confirm this as being what they display for a Native install in this environment. Just find it a little bewildering and inconsistent with the Line6 versioning.

You can also use HX Edit for snapshot assignment. Some methods in HX Edit: For PC - Alt+LeftMouseClick on a parameter's bar or value will assign it to a snapshot in Windows. Do it a second time to unassign. Love this one! For Mac - Option+LeftMouseClick on a parameter's bar or value will assign it to a snapshot on a Mac. Do it a second time to unassign. RightMouseClick on a a parameter's bar or value and select "Snapshots"

You provide a good clarification and I would add that the Line6 release notes for many/most of the updates including the latest(3.11) versions of the firmware or HX Edit take it one step further and have you restoring everything which includes globals, but also setlists, IRs, etc.. The factory reset footswitch combinations they recommend for each device are a comprehensive factory reset, not just global settings. There has been much debate over this in the last couple of years as to whether you need a full reset or just globals but until Line6 stops giving guidance to do a full restore that is what I will continue to do. Just restoring the global settings might be sufficient but it is hard for me to believe that Line6 would go through this many updates giving the same guidance(do a comprehensive factory reset) unless there was a reason. Nobody I would hope can forget to change the release notes that many times in a row :-) There have been sufficient reports over the years of people having problems restoring there backups/presets where a full restore just seems like a more thorough preventive measure to ensure a smooth upgrade path through multiple firmware and editor revisions. It's worked for me. Some here are probably already tired of me being an evangelist for what appears to be the relatively under-used command in HX Edit, 'File' --> 'Extract Files From Backup', but it is such a convenient way to help bulletproof your upgrade process and provide added insurance against losing setlists or presets between upgrades(not that this is likely). It only takes a second to run and will provide you with a one-click extract of all your presets divided into directories named after your setlists. Do it before every upgrade.

Probably the easiest/fastest way to deal with this is to hit the 'Action' button and turn Encoder #5 to 'Snapshot Bypass' = "Off" and bypass the new block. You can turn it back to "On" if you want after saving. Not a perfect solution I know. You may want to also experiment with how the global settings 'Preferences' --> 'Snapshot Edits' being set to either "Recall" or "Discard" affects both the creation of presets and how they behave after a block is turned on with a footswitch while playing live. Maybe someone else has a better suggestion. The behavior of this has changed over time. In some of the older firmware versions if you bypassed a newly added block in Snapshot #1, all the other snapshots reflected that state as well. I actually preferred it operating that way.

I am assuming you have either the Helix or the LT(they have a VDI input) if you are talking about connecting the Variax . Definitely lots of good stuff you can do controlling it from an HX device. Great attitude and keep digging in because these Line6 devices will put any reservations you had about upgrading to rest in short order. There is in my mind no comparison and I am a big fan of some of the Boss and Roland products. As you have probably read about already there is a bit of a learning curve but one well worth driving around. Once you learn some of the intricacies regarding how to build a great preset with your rig and get a chance to explore the myriad features available most users find the UI to be on the whole incredibly well thought out both on the device and HX Edit and quite easy to work with.

Unfortunately I don't know of a way to maintain the block processing and have the tuner on simultaneously. You can have it pass sound of course but it seems to bypass all blocks while it does that. You can as you are aware of select an output rather than mute while the tuner is engaged but that does not solve what you are asking for. I hate to say it but your best option if you need that functionality is to use a third party tuner that is always on. Perhaps Line6 did it this way so that they would not have to keep the required DSP for the tuner reserved for every preset. The tuner might be DSP greedy. I agree having it available and still being able to have the preset fully engaged would be a nice feature to have. My guess is that if they tried to implement it now they would have to find a new efficiency in their code that provided enough DSP overhead for the tuner without disrupting anyone's presets that are currently maxing out the available DSP. I suppose another approach would be to have a global setting that allowed this functionality. Then either grey out/disable any preset that was already using too much DSP for the tuner to run simultaneously, or alternatively kick back a message that there is not enough DSP available to allow the tuner to function in that mode on the current preset.

Which HX device do you own? Many users had no problem with the factory reset and restore so this is quite possibly caused by something not taking with your HX Edit 3.11 install or the factory reset. Either that or it is something specific to your setlists or presets. Maybe an entire setlist got corrupted or maybe just a few corrupt presets. Hopefully just a problem with HX Edit or the firmware though so that is where I would start. Given that none of the three backups you made are restoring properly I would probably begin by uninstalling HX Edit and doing another factory reset and downloading and reinstalling HX Edit 3.11. Once you do the factory reset and reinstall of HX Edit don't restore your old backup yet. If you don't have backups of your individual setlists backed up from before you can now use the 'File' --> 'Extract Files from Backup' command in HX Edit to extract all your presets into separate directories named after the setlist. You can run this against any old backup file you have. This will provide you with individual presets organized by setlist that will allow you to skip any setlists with corrupt presets during the restore if you end up needing to do a brute force manual restore. So... now that you have reinstalled HX Edit 3.11 and done the global reset again you can try a normal restore from backup. If your restore is still hanging you can do the factory reset again and use the usual 'File' --> 'Restore from Backup' command to skip the setlist(s?) with the corrupt presets. Just expand the arrow next to the setlists in the 'Restore from Backup' dialog box. That should hopefully get most of the setlists out of the way. You can then use the presets from the setlists you extracted with the 'Extract Files from Backup' command to restore most of the setlist that is not loading and figure out which presets are causing the problems. If all else fails you might want to use the Updater to reflash the firmware again as well.

This has nothing to do with the firmware; strictly related to the software. Some users who still had the oldest versions of the editor installed would pull up the wrong version of the editor when they had not removed the old executable. It's been several years now and I am forgetting exactly what the old one was called(believe they changed it from helix.exe to hxedit.exe) but they changed the name of the executable file for the editor at some point and it didn't uninstall automatically when a new version of the editor was installed. My advice, don't worry about it unless it causes a problem. Was just trying to give you all the details on things that can crop up when upgrading from an old version of the software.

If the update proceeds normally you will only need to use HX Edit's upgrade process. HX Edit is where you should start and hopefully finish. The Line6 Updater is primarily only required in two scenarios. The first is for users with a spotty internet connection. If this is the case you can download the flash(firmware) file manually and use the Updater in offline mode to update from the file you downloaded instead of the HX Edit update process which searches for and downloads the file dynamically online. The second scenario, often executed in conjunction with one of the factory reset options, is where for example a prior HX Edit upgrade attempt has not completed normally potentially leaving your device in a hung state, or, perhaps your device's USB connection is not being recognized/seen by HX Edit. The rule of thumb is to always try to update via HX Edit first and only resort to the Updater if it is not working. Important to be aware too that you cannot have HX Edit running while you are using the Updater. Btw, as you are coming from such an old version of the firmware it is not a bad idea to uninstall it at some point once you have successfully installed 3.11. If for some reason the old version is still coming up after you successfully upgrade you are probably still pointing to the old version.

I also prefer the old look but definitely not one of those issues that I feel adamant about. Glad you opened a ticket though as it may indeed have been an unintentional change in the 3.11 firmware.

I suppose you could do this in a relatively simple fashion by having some kind of auto-adjust function that modified the level at the Output block such that all the presets/snapshots would have the same output level. That at least would sidestep the issue of changing the gain to various blocks upstream which would definitely change their tone/operation. You would still be left with at least three problems/variables though. Firstly there is potentially the issue DunedinDragon alludes two which is that unless you gain stage all your blocks to unity the second you activate/bypass a block your levels would change anyway. Secondly, Fletcher-Munson - just because two presets have the same output level does not mean that their perceived loudness would be the same. The third issue would be how the modification in the level might impact your monitors downstream. Still, I could see auto-leveling on the Output block being useful in sort of a broad brush way, especially if it could dynamically account for volume changes caused by activating/bypassing blocks and getting a smooth transition doing this would probably be difficult and possibly require some not wholly insignificant processing power. Ultimately it would still require further user adjustment to truly get your presets and snapshots sounding level in relation to each other.