HonestOpinion

I just purchased a new Variax JTV69s. This might be a dumb question but is it typical to have a hint of burnt electronics smell coming from a new Variax when it is plugged in via the VDI cable? Has me a bit concerned.

This topic deserves its own section in HelixHelp.com. These posts represent an unbelievable amount of elbow grease, research, and know how and are an incredible contribution to Helix users. Huge thanks!

I am not sure what the issue is with the presets but in some earlier versions of the editor people had good luck by actually dragging the IR onto the desktop and then dragging it into the editor. Sounds weird I know but many people have had success with this method on problematic IRs (this tip was contributed originally by Arislaf).

Would love to see the bug on the expression pedal switch custom label on the scribble strip fixed in the upcoming firmware update. It has not worked properly since the Helix's release. This is the bug where the pedal switch does not dim/bright properly on the custom label and stays in the same state for the first two initial presses.

If resaving the preset permanently eliminates the rebuild on reboot then perhaps the solution is, that in the next firmware version, have the rebuild process include a save of the affected preset.

I see this as a very minor bug that probably/hopefully goes away at some point. Certainly an apparently incredibly inconsequential issue but one that they may figure out and eliminate at some point. Boot time is still excellent on the Helix IMHO.

It sounds like this is not the issue as you said it happens with two identical presets but thought I would ask anyway -- are the loopers in the same position, for example, the last block in the preset in both presets? If not, I wonder if this could cause it. If you have not done it already, there is always the nuclear option of saving off your presets/setlists and doing a global reset to make sure nothing got wonky from your last firmware update. Or... it sounds like this may be a bug or an unwelcome "feature" in the looper from your description.

Not sure exactly how you have everything routed in this patch but you may want to compare the settings for the input and output blocks on the factory preset that is working to the one you setup.

You may want to download the latest version of the Helix App installler, 1.11. Make sure you check the "Beta" checkbox on the right side of the Line6 download page. The Helix App installer will install the latest driver, Updater, and the Helix App/Editor. If you are still getting the message when you attempt the download you can use Firefox or Chrome as suggested or depending on your Microsoft IE or Edge version you may be able to click “More info†and select “Run anywayâ€.

LOL, wireless transmission of power is also being worked on, that can be 2018's project. We're not magicians dammit ;)

DI, I think you are right in that there may be two questions conflated here. One question appears to be how to assign the bypass state for a multiple assignment. That has been explained in your post here and elsewhere. The second issue is how to get the dim/lit state to be reflect properly in a preset. Here is an example, you have a distortion(bypassed), flanger(bypassed) and compression(on), set up as a multiple on a footswitch. You want the preset when it is first selected to show the multiple footswitch as dimmed, pressing it should light the LED ring, turn the distortion(on), flanger(on), compression(bypassed). The problem users are having is what state the LED ring is in, the dim or on state, after saving the preset, using another preset, and coming back to the preset in question. The prevailing advice has been that by using the touch (not tap) method you should proceed to any dimmed or lit block on the multiple footswtich. Choosing any of the dimmed blocks and saving should have the preset with the multiple footswitch showing as dimmed, choosing any lit block and then saving should have the preset with the multiple footswitch showing as lit. This does seem to work on the whole although I could swear every once in a while I come back to a preset and the LED ring is not showing the proper dim/lit state. This could just be pilot error or perhaps I inadvertently touched the footswitch with a bare foot or finger and selected one of the blocks that is not in my preferred dim/lit state for that preset. I think this is the source of confusion with multiple footswitch selections (unless there is an actual bug where the LED ring state either does not stay consistent or does not follow the rule of reflecting whether the preset was saved while a dimmed or lit block on a multiple assignment was selected before the save). In other words, the assumption is that whatever the bypass state of a block is when saved is how it will come up when the preset is first selected but the big question is: What is the procedure to: Save a preset with a multiple footswich so that the preset always comes up with the LED ring for that multiple footswitch dimmed? Save a preset with a multiple footswich so that the preset always comes up with the LED ring for that multiple footswitch lit?

There you go Line6, your community has provided the answer. Next-gen WIFI for wireless VDI. Royalties and one of each L6 item(for life) please! ;)

Chuckle, I am silently cursing those who called the JTV neck a "baseball bat". Now, despite the fact that I find the neck ok if not fantastic I can't look at it without seeing a half of a "Lousville Slugger" that has been shaped, sanded down and finished. The maple neck and its grain has a disturbing similarity to the aforementioned sporting equipment. My perception may now be permanently warped for any maple neck, much as I love 'em. Composing a neo-classical version of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame, Etude For Variax" as we speak. :D

Question for you more experienced Helix/Variax users. Is there a way to use the modeling (piezo) and magnetic pickups at the same time? I read somewhere that it is not advisable to plug in the 1/4 and VDI outputs simultaneously. Is the "Variax Magnetics" input block setting solely intended for when you are going to use a 1/4 guitar cable from the Variax and only use the magnetics output? Not quite sure of the intended utility of these two Helix input settings for the Variax.

Having just received it I have only started to dive in. Not sure exactly what info you are looking for but here's a quick look at how I am using it. I have it plugged into the Helix which is powering it with just a VDI cable, I don't even have the battery in the Variax. I have not upgraded the firmware yet although I will do that in short order. I tend to use my PRS with humbuckers as my primary guitar so I intentionally got the "Strat" version of the Variax to have single coil mags available when I switch off. I have to admit though I was really enjoying moving through the Variax models though and barely used the mags. I use the Variax alternate tunings for songs that require them. I set up and named one of my Helix setlists "Variax", copied over a bunch of my existing presets, and have configured them there so the input block is set to "Variax" (in short order thanks to the Helix Editor). You can also set the input block for "Multi" but I prefer it to be specific to the guitar being used in my setup configuration. There is also a "Variax Mags" input setting on the Helix but I am using the VDI connection and don't appear to need it at the moment. I am starting to fiddle with controlling the Helix parameters from the Variax tone/volume controls but don't have anything significant set up there yet. I think you will really enjoy yours but it looks like the first order of business will be to get a proper ethercon (VDI) cable, luckily I already had one. I suppose you can CAREFULLY use the one provided that is intended for the USB adaptor until you get a proper cable. You would not want the supplied cable to break off during a jam. There are probably some other more experienced Variax/Helix users on the forum who could shed much more light on best practices.

And potentially a very powerful vocal processor. We are not currently in any danger of putting too many reverbs in Helix. A couple of Lexicon and other reverb emulations would be welcome. Even Line6 has pointed out this is an area that could bear improvement. However, point taken, the Helix is first and foremost a guitar processor and there are other areas to focus on as well.

I am on 1.10.0 and have had exactly the same crash a couple of times with exactly the same symptoms, the Helix becomes completely unresponsive, no footswitches or buttons work but the sound for that preset continues to function. A power cycle is required to restore normal operation. I am almost certain this is a bug in the current firmware.

Well said, "it's not what's enabled and disabled, it's the one you leave "the cursor" on within that footswitch" when you execute the save, exactly right!

Look at the big brains on bobguido and DI. That is some next level sh***t regarding reverbs. Can't wait to see some of it show up in the Helix ;)

Latency would have been the issue I would have assumed was the showstopper as well. If that is the issue I wonder if the ever evolving WIFI protocol will get fast enough at some point. The new WIFI "AC" standard is already a lot faster than the old "n" wireless standard. Maybe WIFI will get fast enough at some point in the hopefully near future. Anyway, way out of my depth here, I have no comprehension of the challenges with this type of connection, just spit-balling.

Damn, was really hoping that was my imagination or the power of suggestion from reading others' including your post. Went to band practice yesterday with the Variax and did not seem to present any problems but time will tell as I spend more time and cover more tunes on the Variax. Regardless, I have not broken out a ruler yet and can't offer any empirical data but from all appearances the neck is definitely not an ideal design, however, I think I can live with it or if it is enough of an issue, replace it. The capabilities the Variax offers right now are outweighing any issues I have with the neck but future models can definitely do better. Looking forward to a True Temperment Variax model with a superior neck design. That is some intriguing technology :D

Ah, makes sense, luckily I already had an old Line6 VDI cable. Would have been nice if they had included one. Thanks for the info on the generic cable, will probably purchase that as backup.

Don't know anything about the VDI protocol. It looks so much like an ethernet connector, too bad wireless can't just be done with WIFI.

If these really do correct intonation problems all over the neck and contribute to sustain as much as people claim, I hope these necks become a lot more common and affordable. I will definitely be all over one of these when they get less expensive. Seems like they are really onto something critical to the evolution of the guitar here.

That is some seriously impressive expertise on reverbs!