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Posts posted by HonestOpinion
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No, it only has low-pass and high-pass filters. What we need is a preamp that has tone controls specifically designed or voiced for acoustic guitar. There are other EQ blocks that can come close, but they are general purpose, not designed for acoustic guitar. To some extent this is just convenience. But its nice to have fit for purpose tone controls and a gain/drive control in the same block.
Support for acoustic guitar should include an acoustic preamp and some guitar body impulse responses. I have created something close by capturing some IRs from my Fishman Aura Spectrum DI and using a couple of parametric EQ blocks. This clearly indicates the usefulness of Helix for acoustic guitar. I hope Line 6 follows up on this in future updates.
I feel the same way, the "Studio Tube Pre" does not provide enough flexibility for shaping your acoustic tone. I have been using that preset at practice and without even basic EQ it is just not able to get a great acoustic tone, at least not for me. Using the graphic or parametric EQ, compressor, etc. helps a bit but still does not quite get it. I still have not been able to produce an acoustic tone I can live with although there are probably more wizardly tweakers who could. I am confident in time with enough twiddling I could get there but a little help sure would be nice. The Helix really needs at least a couple of acoustic preamp/amp/cab models and IRs as well as a couple of acoustic presets. I posted a request for them a while back in Ideascale, you can vote for it here:
http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/More-amp-cabs-effects-and-presets-for-acoustic-guitar/791672-23508
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Have you tried high cut on the cab?
I cut it way down to somewhere between 2000 and 4000.
Before I did that it sounded like crap to me.
I wonder why it goes to 20.000. As far as I know guitar cabs don't have that kind of range
Most guitar speakers drop off dramatically after about 5khz so a high cut anywhere from about 4-8khz will definitely help take the harsh high end out. Low cuts anywhere from 60-120hz can help with the mud and flub at the low end. I think many guitar modeling units provide the full range as the manufacturer cannot anticipate whether you will be using the modeler with a full range speaker such as an FRFR or PA speaker, or if you will be going through a guitar amp. In the case of a guitar amp the low and high end may be cut naturally by the guitar speaker, and providing a full range 20-20,000hz signal may or may not sound just fine without a low or high cut. Through a full range speaker or PA you will often or almost always want to provide at least a high cut depending on the preset. I like mine around 5khz depending on the preset. You may want a low cut as well if you are having issues with too much bass response. You may want to experiment on where in your signal chain you want to place the cuts, from the various locations available to cut in the Helix to perhaps the EQ on the guitar channel on your mixer. As always use your ears when you set up your low/high cuts and cut as little as you can to get a great sound.
Once you have the most egregious high and low issues taken care of, if you are still hearing nastiness(not the good kind) in your tone you can use a parametric EQ to track it down. Crank the level on the parametric EQ all the way up and sweep through the frequency range until you pinpoint the offending frequency. It will be obvious because the sound you only had a mild lack of affection for will start to sound absolutely horrendous. Then cut that frequency's level with the parametric EQ. You can use the Q on the parametric to widen or narrow the range you are cutting. You generally want to cut the level as little as possible with as narrow a Q as you can get away with to get rid of the offending frequency range. You can cut more dramatically if you need to or in multiple locations using the same strategy.
As has already been pointed out, try cranking up the large physical "Volume" control on the top of the Helix and lowering the sensitivity/volume on your amp/speaker/PA channel or whatever you are plugged into. I set the "Volume" control to 3/4 and have even seen some recommendations to crank it all the way. I like having a little play for volume adjustment on the Helix but do whatever sounds best to you. Just some rough guidelines.
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i´m actually not sure, if my unit is working the way it should...are there some videos, where somebody plays one stock preset at a time, so that i could compare mine...?
if i let the unit do the upgrade, does it automatically also load the newest presets...? a place for sharing presets, like fractal offers it, would be cool as well...;-)!
thanks
You can find presets for the Helix here at the Line6 CustomTone page http://line6.com/customtone/browse/helix/
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I got the Gator G-Tour Pedalboard LWG. The one with the wheels. Fits perfectly.
Did you have to remove some foam to make this work? I see interior dimensions for this printed as only 3" high.
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But then you can't change the blocks, just tweak the existing ones! Right?
Yes, you are right. It's just for tweaking an existing preset, so you need to put it on the table for building presets from scratch. I do think it's nice though that you can tweak parameters without bending down. :)
As SWoRd points out I don't know of a way to add blocks with your feet unless you want to work the joystick/toggle with your foot. Would take a lot of ninja talent and is definitely not recommended for Helix knob longevity. You can change from block to block while standing up if you tweak presets barefoot by touching the capacitance sensitive footswitch; as long as the block is already assigned to a footswitch.
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I created the following Template as a routing scheme that devotes up to the maximum DSP power(both DSP processors) and 24 blocks to the electric guitar while leaving 8 blocks available for a second separate input and output such as acoustic guitar, mic, iPod, etc.. I use this for presets where Path 1 alone does not have enough DSP for my electric guitar patch but I also require a second input/output. This routing scheme gives me up to all the available DSP (both DSP processors) for the electric but also allows me to have a separate input/output for my acoustic guitar, mic, iPod, etc..
This Template sets up the first pair of input & output blocks from the Guitar input to the XLR output, and the second pair of input & output blocks from the Aux input to the 1/4 output but you can modify these to whatever you require.
You can download my Template from the L6 CustomTone library here: http://line6.com/customtone/tone/1460280/ -
Has anyone had any issues updating..I have had problems on other updates but managed to get through it. This last one just wont do it. It starts, then I receive the error while downloading message then I have to reboot and start again. any input would be appreciated
Try downloading the firmware from the L6 Download site first to your local machine. Then try using the L6 Updater with your local copy. Thanks to BigRalphN for this suggestion.
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Does anyone know if it would be possible to make a software update, where you can choose how much DSP-power you would send to each path ?
I have a tele with an extra Piezo (which makes Bass-octave on the lower strings)
Short story: I need to paths, but in one of them i only need af mute switch, which shouldn't take up that much power :)
Could you try that link again? Thanks
I added a Template for a routing method to use up to the max DSP (both DSP processors) available to the first input/output and whatever is leftover to the second input/output. I think this might be helpful by giving max flexibility to you in which input/output pair gets the most DSP. It is particularly useful when you have one input/output, like an electric guitar, that requires more than just one DSP's processing power and you also require a second input/output, for example mic,iPod, or acoustic guitar, that consumes less DSP.
The "Super Serial x2 + 1" Template is in the Line6 CustomTone library. You can download it at http://line6.com/customtone/tone/1460280/
The post (over?) explaining it is http://line6.com/support/topic/16847-get-max-dsp-processing-available-for-electric-guitar-when-also-setting-up-acoustic-guitar-or-mic-patch-within-the-same-preset/
Or the much more concise explanation here: http://line6.com/support/topic/16954-download-template-for-super-serial-x2-1-here-max-dsp-for-electric-and-a-2nd-input-output-for-acoustic-mic-ipod-etc/
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Does anyone know if it would be possible to make a software update, where you can choose how much DSP-power you would send to each path ?
I have a tele with an extra Piezo (which makes Bass-octave on the lower strings)
Short story: I need to paths, but in one of them i only need af mute switch, which shouldn't take up that much power :)
Here is a post for the "3+1" method which gives you the max DSP for your first three bars and you can use the last bar (2B) for your mute switch. Skip down to the section entitled "Method for using more DSP intensive electric guitar patch and also setting up acoustic guitar or Mic patch within the same preset:"
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Could you try that link again? Thanks
Thanks for the heads up BigRalphN!
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thanks,
tried it all... my preset-bundle is not getting importet back again...;-(
Really sorry to hear this. You might want to open a ticket with, or call Customer Support if you have not already. Maybe they can think of something else to try. Best of luck!
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How does the Pod HD's Dimension Chorus stack up to the original? Man I really hope it's added. At least now I have reverse delay. The Tri chorus is a cool substitute for the time being.
I never owned a Pod HD so I don't know how they compare. I doubt anything will ever sound exactly like the original but I hope they can come close, it is worth the effort.
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Can you describe an example of the kind of situation where you absolutely need two separate patches, and wouldn't be able to make the sounds you want with various paths, blocks, and multiple-changes-per-switch in one patch? It's not that I don't believe multi-patch-requiring situations exist, but just that I haven't encountered one, so I'm curious.
I've created about 45 patches on my Helix, some for very complicated songs with multiple vocal and guitar effect changes, and haven't had any problems using one patch per song. For example, I do a cover of Band on the Run with 2 different electric sounds, an acoustic sound, and 2 different vocal effects, all in a single patch.
I have often used a patch switching strategy within tunes. Many pedal boards until you get to the Axe & Helix either didn't have adequate functionality to do multiple assignments of effects and parameters with one footswitch or were a programming hassle and it was just easier to make multiple presets. Changing presets was the most effective and easiest way to toggle multiple effects, amp type, and various parameters at one time when you wanted to go from let's say a clean tone to a lead tone with different effects. As you know, multiple assignments on one switch saves you from having to do the pedalboard dance.
On the Helix I am primarily setting up my presets as flexible virtual pedalboards that I can play an entire song on but I still often prefer just switching to another preset entirely and set up my bank with a clean, crunch, lead, and "super" lead preset so that I can switch to the one I need within the song. I set up a bank of presets to mimic a channel switching amp. One bank may be set up as a Marshall, another as a Fender, with different effects. Each preset in the bank is a channel on one type of amp, or sometimes multiple amps, for example, a Fender Twin for my clean and Soldano for my lead.
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I really hope Dimension Chorus is added soon. It's the only thing I'd keep my Pod HD for which is lame because I need to sell it.
I hope it is added as well! I actually owned an original Roland Dimension D chorus rackmount and it was simply the most transparent and simultaneously lush chorus sound I have ever heard. No weird pitch modulation, just truly musical "thickening". It is my favorite chorus and the easiest one to use (just four presets, no parameters to tweak)!
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FWIU, the Helix app version used when backing up isn't important, only the version used when restoring.
This is me leaping madly around the room celebrating! DI to the rescue as usual. Very glad to hear it, much ado about nothing. We are sculpting the bust in your likeness for prominent placement on the fireplace mantle as we speak. Thanks very much for the response!!! :D :P :)
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after upgrading to 1.04.1, i can´t import my bundle that i exported right before upgrading...also, what´s strange is, i can´t close the helix app...i downloaded the app once again, but it doesn´t make any difference...when i try to import the bundle, after a while it says "request for device operation failend; returned NACK"
i think a bad mistake of mine was, that i first installed app version 1.2 for windows7 instead of windows10...after i realized this mistake, i installed the right version for windows10, but it still doesn´t work....
any hint, what i could do...? should i go back to version 1.1 of the app and try it...? ...try it with firmware 1.04.1? (with 1.1 it worked fine with firmware 1.3...)
thanks
Last time I got the "knack" error it seemed to be persistent until I reinstalled the firmware and reinstalled the Helix app. I also tried using a different USB port. Not sure which one of those fixed it. Make a copy of your presets backup, you do not want to overwrite this file(s) by accident or risk it being corrupted. You might try the following, take backups of your presets with different names at every step if you manage to get your presets reinstalled just as a precaution:
- Reinstall the latest firmware update 1.04.1 and the latest Helix app v.1.02
- Try reinstalling your presets
- If that does not work I would rollback and reinstall the 1.03.1 firmware and the Helix app v.1.01
- Try reinstalling your presets
- If that works, try making a fresh backup of your presets with the v.1.01, make sure to use a different name as you don't want to lose the backup you have.
- Now go back through the upgrade process.
- Reinstall Helix app v.1.02
- Upgrade the firmware to v.1.04.1.
- Run the 9&10 reset procedure
- Reinstall your presets with the Helix app v.1.02
Btw, I copy the presets I like to a User list and modify them there leaving the original presets in the "Factory" lists intact. That way I can refer back to the original preset. Also, at least as of this last firmware update, I do not believe the User lists got overwritten until I ran the 9&10 reset procedure (don't hold me to this but that is what I seem to remember). That gives you more opportunities to run backups. Also by using the User (1-5) lists for my custom presets I not only do "Export Bundle" to capture everything, but I also run "Export Setlist" so that I have individual backups of each User list and the custom presets it contains. A little extra redundancy in case I get a bad export somewhere. If you want to get really thorough you can backup your presets individually as well with the "Export" function.
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I dont think it matters what version backed it up as long as you do the restore portion using the latest Helix application. I am assuming that by doing this it will format your previous presets to accommodate the newly added effects and changes/fixes from this firmware update.
I'm no expert but I've reinstalled my presets from the previous version on all of these updates. For example, I just reinstalled my backups, made on FW 1.03, in the latest update.
I don't believe that it matters as one of their goals when making FW updates is to not affect user's presets.
I updated the application first, then did a setlist backup, then firmware update, then 9 & 10 reset, then restored the backed-up setlist. Same thing you did. I don't notice anything that strikes me as out of place with my presets. Honestly, I wouldn't worry at all about this.
Thanks for the replies folks! Much appreciated! I would tend to agree that it probably is not an issue and you are helping to put my mind at rest. I would still like to see Line6 not only weigh in and confirm that it does not make a difference, but also clarify the text in the Release Notes so no one else has to wonder if they are following the instructions properly. I had not even considered this very subtle point regarding the lack of direction in the Release Notes on the backup (not restore) process until Silverhead brought it up and I think it is worth clarifying. There is nothing quite as fun as going to do the next firmware update (1.04.2?) and finding out that your custom presets won't load due to a glitch in the procedure from the last update. Or maybe there is just something that did not get translated properly that is occurring in every preset. My concern is that the v.1.02 version might run some conversion routine that modifies the presets to match the new firmware and Helix app from a backup that it is expecting to be made with the v.1.01 version.
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Why is there no Helix in the Drop-down menu for configuration in Line 6 Monkey?
The Helix does not use the Monkey software. You need to use the Line 6 updater application. It is in the downloads section under Helix at:
You will also want to make sure you download and install the Helix app and drivers as they will allow the Updater to see your Helix.
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Helix Firmware v1.04.1 Release Notes
IMPORTANT! Before restoring your backed up presets to Helix, you must first install the latest version of the Helix application!
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I loaded my custom presets from a Helix app v.1.02 backup, not a v.1.01 backup after yesterday's firmware upgrade to 1.04.1. Although the Release Notes for the new firmware specify the new version of the Helix app for the restore, they do not specify which version of the Helix app to do the backup with so I am not sure if this was ok.
Could someone at Line6 please chime in and let me know if it was ok to restore my custom presets from a Helix app v.1.02 backup after the 1.04.2 firmware update . I would prefer not to spend days, weeks, tweaking my presets only to find out that something subtle went wrong with my restored custom presets because I was supposed to have reloaded them from a v.1.01 backup. Before I bother doing any more customizing of presets I need to know if I am going to have to reload them from the backup made by an earlier version of the Helix app. I really need this question answered to proceed happily down the upgrade road with my Helix.
I have asked this question several times in several ways elsewhere, but alas, no response. I could open a trouble ticket but I think this detail would benefit everyone who is doing the update. So, what does a brother need to do to get a little help here? I know you guys are busy and I never expect a response directly from Line6 but you just issued a firmware update and inquiring minds want to know. Is a backup from either version of the Helix app ok as long as we use v.1.02 to do the restore, or, do we need a backup from a specific version of the Helix app? This detail could potentially impact many users. Please add some clarity here. Thanks!
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Nice update.. I guess they go with numbers in popularity or ease of updates with choices. I had really hoped for a couple phasers but I understandctheyccant hit everyone's wishes. Not sure why dual delay is needed when you can just add two delay blocks.
I'm with you, the Helix is really hurting for some more phaser options and I don't think the dual delay was as critical, but I was very happy to see a reverse delay added. I guess they were specializing on delays this go round.
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yes...after latest upgrades...it says "request for device operation failend; returned NACK"...;-(
the newest heloix app is simply not working on my windows 7 pc...
is it ok to try it with helix application 1.1...?
Before you rollback to the previous firmware version and try to restore, you may want to try and find a Windows 10 system you can use to install the latest version of the Helix app v.1.02. The new Helix v.1.02 app installed no problem on my Windows 10 machine and I was able to restore my presets to the Helix I had just updated with the 1.04.1 firmware. I guess Line6 will have to answer the question as to whether it is ok to load the latest software from the Helix app v.1.01. The Release Notes seem to indicate that you should not restore from Helix app v.1.01. Btw, which version of the Helix app did you use to make a backup of your presets?
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...that´s really lollipop!!!! all my presets gone...!!!
Is this after upgrading to Firmware v.1.04.1? If you are on Windows/OS X, you might want to try another computer or operating system. Some things you might try if you haven't already. Install the new version of the Helix app v.1.02 if you have not already and use this restore the presets. If all else fails, I suppose you could roll back to an earlier firmware version and try restoring the bundle you saved off with the older v.1.01 version of the Helix app. Good luck, hope you get your presets back!
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Helix Firmware v1.04.1 Release Notes
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Known Issues
- Assigning a custom label to the EXP Toe Switch scribble strip disconnects wah blocks’ Position parameter from EXP 1; can be manually reassigned
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I don't think "manually reassigning to EXP 1" as stated in the Release Notes works, at least on my Helix or unless I am not executing the custom naming procedure correctly. Maybe the intent of this "Known Issues" note was to say that after adding a customized name and losing wah pedal operation it could be restored by removing the custom name and making sure the volume and wah blocks are properly assigned.
Once I have customized the toe switch name , even if I manually reassign the wah block's position parameter to EXP 1, I still cannot get the expression pedal to work properly with both the wah and the volume pedal. This effectively renders custom naming of the toe switch unusable for me. Btw, on my Helix, after a custom toe switch name, the Wah pedal still shows that it is assigned to "EXP Pedal 1" for the position parameter, it is just not reflected in reality by having the expression pedal able to control the Wah and position parameter. As before, clicking "Remove" on the customized name restores normal operation to the expression pedal for the wah. Does anyone have a procedure that enables the wah and volume pedal to work with the expression pedal once the toe switch name is customized?
Less importantly but I thought it worth mention, the grayed out custom name reflects the name of the EXP 2 assignment (by default volume), not EXP 1 (wah), which seems kind of counter-intuitive. For proper operation with a custom name without swapping assignments around you would have to use "Volume" as your custom name.
Once you customize your toe switch name to be for instance "WAH", you would actually have to reverse the default assignments for the wah and volume pedal blocks of the Helix to "EXP Pedal 1"="Volume" and "EXP Pedal 2"="wah". Otherwise, when your custom name "WAH" is toe clicked from greyed out to bold display, it will be your volume that is being controlled by the pedal rather than your "WAH". This may seem like a minor detail but I would imagine most people will want to use the custom name to indicate whether they are switching between the volume pedal and some other effect/parameter such as a wah, pitch bend, parameter like "Rate" or "Mix", etc.. They will assume that the grayed out custom name is the volume pedal by default. Once again to achieve this operation you will have to swap the default EXP1 and EXP2 assignments for the volume pedal and whatever you chose to operate on EXP1. To sum up, by default, the volume pedal (by default assigned to "EXP Pedal 1") should have the grayed out custom name and the effect/parameter you have assigned to "EXP Pedal 2" should be the bolded custom name.
Ultimately I hope this will be all moot as L6 already has some better ideas of how to implement custom labeling and enhanced operation of the toe switch scribble strip.
Will be glad to see a fix for this in a future update. Would loved to have seen a fix in this update but I understand that there are other higher priorities right now.
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Helix Firmware v1.04.1 Release Notes
IMPORTANT! Before restoring your backed up presets to Helix, you must first install the latest version of the Helix application!
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Could you please make it clearer whether the backup of presets should be done with v.1.02 or v.1.01 of the Helix app. Does it make a difference whether I restore from a v.1.01 backup or a v.1.02 backup after I have upgraded to firmware v.1.04.1? I assume I should use the v.1.02 Helix application for the restore either way per the Release Notes but can I use either version's saved backup?
zZounds Shipment
in Helix
Posted
I think Digital_Igloo mentioned in a post that some Helix boxes had been opened by Line6 in order to flash them with the latest firmware update. However, I agree that is a terrible practice by almost all of the online stores and I have had to send "brand new" items back because they had clearly been opened, tampered with, and were sometimes even missing items.