HonestOpinion

:D

Line6, thank you very much for your latest efforts on the editor! I think it is a thing of beauty in many respects. I have to say however, as a "beta" user/tester, I would like to have seen more suggestions from the users who gave feedback during the beta period actually implemented. I thought the purpose of a beta period was not only to find bugs but also to implement the best of the suggested modifications submitted by end users. I know the editor will probably get at least one more revision and I hope you consider some of the best ideas submitted by your user base. Either way, it is a phenomenal tool and a magnificent accomplishment! I am looking forward to the focus shifting back to additions and improvements to other areas on the Helix.

Superb! Without a doubt one of the best things I have heard posted on this forum. Hendrix flavored, rockin' awesomeness!

I have to agree that not publishing specs necessary to something like guitar setup simply because of some disastrous episodes with people who probably should have taken the guitar to a tech does not appear to be a good policy. I would hope that Line6 at least provides the specs to guitar techs and luthiers. More info usually results in less problems; especially if that info is accompanied with explicit warnings and details about what the possible gotchas are and what not to attempt without the proper level of expertise. It can also include what actions void warranty service (within reason). I would encourage you to reconsider this policy and put a little more faith in the majority of your customers who could then make informed decisions about what they should and should not be attempting to adjust on their guitar. Basic setups are something that can be required on a fairly regular basis and something every guitarist without the means or desire to pay for them should learn. Even if you have the means, learning to do it yourself can get you a lot closer to your ideal setup than one done by anything but a superb tech (and there are a lot of hacks out there). Setups are expensive in my area, and for anyone with multiple guitars they can quickly become unaffordable. Any assistance regarding setup guidance and specifications is of great value. I know I will be setting up my own Variax even if I have to do it while flying blind. For anything beyond my level of expertise or that might damage my guitar, I will take it to an expert.

Good point! I guess the numbers would have to work in terms of increased sales for the Variax and the proposed "converter module", and even then, perhaps as you point out it simply would not benefit them to help a competitor. Just seems a waste of potential not to leverage even further the fact that the Variax already has the hardware to process each string separately. Guess we just need more in the way of guitar synth capability in Line6 products like the Helix and for the signal for each piezo to be able to be output individually ;)

Hmm, a few things I might try troubleshooting. First, if you have not already(after backing up your presets) try doing a global reset of the Helix. Try starting the updater without the Helix plugged in. Does it crash then? If it only crashes when the Helix is plugged in you probably have a driver conflict of some kind that causes the crash when the USB driver loads. The tedious process of disabling other drivers from the System screen under Control Panel may help you detect what is causing the conflict and allow the Updater to function normally, unless the Helix is simply plugged into an incompatible USB port. Also, it might be worth running the "Line6 Helix Uninstaller" from Windows Control Panel/Programs & Features, restarting the PC, and then trying a fresh install of the Helix App installer.

Yep, I see what you mean, my comment requires clarification, the main screen preset name and the scribble strip for the preset title can be updated from the editor. However, if you select, for instance, a different amp or effect in the editor, the scribble strip name will follow the default Helix name for the block, but the scribble strips above the footswitches and expression pedal for blocks (amps, pedals, etc) cannot yet be custom named from the editor although they can be custom named directly from the Helix UI.

No doubt!

What error are you getting when you try to run the Helix App installer? You may want to start by downloading and running the Helix App installer again. If you have not already, try plugging into a USB port on the back of the computer rather than the front or a hub if possible. If this does not help, try downloading the latest firmware first from the L6 downloads site. Then use the Line6 Updater by browsing to the file you have downloaded rather than having it download through the Updater.

You can type in the Preset name now over on the left side of the editor. It is the scribble strips for block names you can't rename in the editor yet.

At the risk of sounding didactic I would say to all Helix users out there: Update your Helix to the latest firmware!!!!! I see a lot of posts from users with issues or questions who are still on older versions of the firmware. Do yourself a favor, go out and download the latest version of the Helix App installer and update your Helix. This should be the first thing you do upon receiving your Helix after perhaps a basic functionality check. It gives you all of the latest models, effects, presets, bugfixes, and enables you to use the latest version of the editor. It puts us all on the same playing field for making recommendations on how to get the best sound as well as identifying bugs. It will save you hours or days troubleshooting issues that have been fixed or trying to figure out why a preset you made in an early firmware version will not load properly. I know some folks have found it challenging on certain versions of Mac OS or with certain USB hardware but I encourage you to find someone with a computer that enables you to get on the latest firmware version, and the bonus is the additional features that have been added along the way. I know for many I am stating the obvious with a profound sense of discovery but if you haven't upgraded to the latest firmware yet, you are missing out and causing yourself needless headaches.

Point taken regarding pickup dynamics/response as well as tone. Even if a small, perhaps negligible bit of resistance/capacitance is present on true bypass pedals, I think that the rabbit hole on a conventional pedalboard could include not only whether the initial pedal and even subsequent pedals are true bypass or buffered (which could be a significant rather than negligible difference) but the rabbit hole may turn into a rabbit chasm when the actual circuitry kicks in when the pedal is engaged which I imagine could also interact with the impedance setting. These kinds of behaviors might have analogous implications on how "Auto" is implemented on the Helix. Until there is a more sophisticated or elegant implementation of the "Auto" impedance setting perhaps amsdenj is correct in that a good rule of thumb might be setting the impedance to "1M" rather than "Auto" and seasoning to taste where necessary depending on the guitar and preset being used.

Here is an alternative to conventional strap locks. They are really just rubber washers, I have heard the washers off Grolsch beer bottles work as well and are made of better, longer lasting rubber. You also might be able to get cheaper, better fitting ones at the hardware store. They are not near as bullet-proof as conventional metal strap locks but they work ok and have the advantages of being dirt cheap, installing in seconds, requiring no alterations to the strap or guitar and most importantly do not involve a long replacement screw that could damage the Variax electronics. http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Strap-Blocks-2-Pair/dp/B00B5LDMH6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1462574742&sr=8-5&keywords=Guitar+strap+locks http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Savers-Premium-Strap-Locks/dp/B019WTLVKW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1462574742&sr=8-4&keywords=Guitar+strap+locks

I still think it is a bloody shame that given the fact that you already have six separate piezo ouputs (in essence a hexaphonic pickup) on the Variax that it can't do double duty as a Roland "GK" style synth guitar. An additional GK style ouput would be ideal but even if you had to purchase an optional VDI-GK converter module, this capability should definitely make its way into the Line6 tech at some point in the future. This would make the Variax a no-brainer purchase, sales would skyrocket!

Thanks for the response. I am not surprised to hear that the interaction of the guitar input's impedance and the operation on a physical pedalboard might well be a "rabbit hole" that depends on the type of pedals being used. This post was total speculation on my part but it just occurred to me that impedance matching with the first active block might work better than the first sequential block depending on how bypassed blocks are implemented in the Helix signal chain. I will leave this in Line6's capable hands as I don't have all the details on the operation of bypassed Helix blocks, or any other ideas on how to better implement this.

If I understand your comment correctly you are addressing two separate issues. I am not commenting on having the impedance/"Auto" setting on a per preset basis versus a global setting although I suppose being able to set it per preset would be a nice feature. I think there could be a difference between the operation of a physical ("real") pedalboard and the Helix. I am assuming on a physical pedalboard, the first pedal in the chain will interact with the impedance at the input, regardless of whether or not it is bypassed. On the Helix, a bypassed block may well just be completely out of the virtual chain implying that it should be the first active block that interacts with the guitar's/Helix's impedance setting, not the bypassed block. This is potentially a stark difference from the way a conventional analog pedalboard operates. If this is the case with the Helix as I was alluding to in my post, then the Auto setting should interact with the first active block, not the first block. If however, a bypassed block on the Helix is still "in the chain" and that bypassed block's impedance characteristics are still interacting with the guitar's impedance setting, and the sound being passed to the active blocks, just like a physical pedalboard, then this is a non-issue and the "Auto" setting should work as intended.

Thanks, looking forward to taking a look at your scene. I could hear the harmonizer kicking in (nice subtle usage) and was wondering whether it was something like the TC or the harmonizer on the XR16. Btw, you may want to try using either Chrome or Firefox with the Line6 forum if you are having trouble using the "Quote" or "MultiQuote" functions for posting. Internet Explorer does not always play well with the forum.

This is an important detail! My first block(s) are usually pitch, wah, or, autowah blocks which tend to be off/bypassed most of the time. Most prevailing wisdom on where to place these kinds of effects says to put them at the beginning of your effects chain. I doubt a bypassed block impacts the sound as determined by the impedance setting; if it doesn't, this means that ideally, the impedance setting when set to auto, should always set itself to the first active block in the preset, not the first block. Line6 should really think about implementing this feature, otherwise, if you are using the "Auto" impedance setting you should always have an active block first in the chain. This would dictate a signal chain with truly poor placement of effects in many scenarios.

Not only are you getting fantastic acoustic sounds on the Variax but your wife has an unbelievable voice. A truly accomplished duo, great stuff! I have a Behringer XR18, just curious what settings you are using as far as effects and EQ on your vocals and acoustic(Variax) guitar? If you can upload a Behringer scene save from your board I would love to check it out.

Thanks, between the comments here and reading through the Workbench documentation I have it sorted out. I am on the latest firmware now and have been using Workbench with no issues.

Thanks for the great tips and I have to agree it should not be possible for a broken string end to fall into and cause a short in the electronics cavity, as unlikely a combination of gravity and bad luck as it may require. Good to know about the long screw issue as well as I often install strap-locks on my guitars. The burnt smell Variax is going back, it had other issues as well that made it appear to be a previous return item, or at the very least a problem child being sold as new. I received the new one and am forging ahead.

Thanks for the answers and the details on the 1/4 plug and volume, I know this question has probably been answered before. I think I need to ask for clarification, the two answers above seem at odds with each other. The answer from psarkissian seems to indicate that the Variax can be powered by a USB hub (or powered USB port?) via the Variax USB adaptor; the answer from Charlie_Watt says it can't. Is a battery required if the Variax is connected to the USB adaptor and then to a powered hub or powered USB port? Still not sure whether I need the battery for Variax firmware updates and Workbench. I am surprised the USB adaptor is not powering the Variax through the supplied VDI/ethernet cable and I am trying to establish if my USB port is simply not powered properly or if it is a simple case of the Variax always requiring the battery installed and charged to use Line6 Monkey for a Variax firmware update, or Workbench. Sorry for the newbie questions, it has been 10 years since I briefly owned a Variax.

Does the JTV Variax require the battery to be installed to update the firmware? I plugged in the USB adapter and cable that came with my Variax to the PC but I have not installed the batter yet as it is charging. The Line6 Monkey software sees the USB adapter but does not see the Variax. Does the battery have to be installed to do a firmware update to the Variax? Does Workbench HD require a baqttery to see the Variax?

Here is some good info on building a cable for amp switching for the CV out: http://line6.com/support/topic/16513-allow-cv-output-to-double-as-a-2nd-ext-amp-controller/?hl=fet&do=findComment&comment=149476

I just purchased a "brand new" Variax JTV69s guitar with a serial number starting with "W1306". I am assuming this means it was produced in June, 2013. Why would I receive a new Variax with such an old production date? Is this typical? Has anyone purchased a Variax lately and gotten a more recent production date? Should I be concerned about the age of the battery and its shelf life?