HonestOpinion

7 hours ago, silverhead said:

I know it’s a rhetorical question but .... I think you, like me, fell in love with the rich sound and dynamic response of the new Helix modeling technology. That existed in V1.10. The rest has been lots of additional models and very cool bells and whistles.

Got me reminiscing about my first impressions when I received my Helix. The qualities you mention are certainly in there but that is definitely not what struck me initially. As a matter of fact I had to acquire some knowledge and experience with not only how the Helix worked but also how it interacted with my monitoring system and PAs before I was truly satisfied with the sound or "feel". What struck me initially was the incredibly well designed user interface, the I/O options, scribble strips, and the sheer potential of the system.  It was also abundantly clear that flexibility was a prime directive in the Helix's development(with the exception of lacking multiple routing splits). You could use any combination of pedals you wanted, if you wanted three delays and five EQ blocks, that was up to you. You were not forced into using only a pre-designed set or order of pedals with a rigid allocation scheme for available DSP. That was a really appealing approach to me.  Also felt like it was a high quality device, built to last.

8 hours ago, codamedia said:

 

Isn't this normal with acoustic IR's? Unlike cabinet IR's I find acoustic IR's should just be lightly blended in... I don't think I have any as high as 20-25%. In fairness, I do not own any 3 Sigma IR's... but I do own a few others, and I made a batch of my favorites from my Fishman Aura and even with the Aura hardware I never ran the blend very high. 

My experience has been similar. I have some 3Sigma as well as some other acoustic IRs and generally have to turn the blend down low. I have also gotten good results from not using an IR at all and just some compression, EQ, reverb/delay, and sometimes chorus blended in. Also always have an expression pedal volume block and also a gain block assigned to a footswitch for an extra volume boost for solos or a lower volume patch where required.  I find it helps to keep a healthy signal level coming from the acoustic guitar as well.

I have struggled with some presets picking up more string noise than I prefer but can usually EQ it down to acceptable levels or if those efforts are unsuccessful I  just create a new preset with blocks that play better with the acoustic.  Btw, anyone happen to know exactly where that bit of buzzy piezo nastiness is located? That area of the frequency spectrum that makes it sound more artificial and less pleasing to the ear. Some might say the "piezo quack" . I tend to sweep for it with a parametric and adjust per whichever guitar I am using but curious if anyone knows exactly where those frequencies tend to reside.

8 hours ago, SaschaFranck said:

 

Sure - but still, that amount of DSP power is "reserved in any case" as you can still activate the global EQ on even the most maxed out presets.

And as far as multiple global EQs go, that's really not necessary. The option to save presets would be sufficient.

Yup, only the current global EQ setting would need to be have DSP allotted. There is already btw a parameter that allows you to select which outputs you want the global EQ to affect which provides some flexibility at least for those who would like to have two or three global EQs active simultaneously.

54 minutes ago, SaschaFranck said:

 

Sure - but these are reserved anyway. Switching the global EQ off won't free up any CPU resources.

 

 

Why would it not be that way? I mean, global EQ presets would be nothing else but favourite presets.

I would have thought only the currently active global EQ would eat DSP as well. The prevailing wisdom on the forum for quite a while now has been that the single global EQ preset that is currently available stays resident and takes up DSP at all times, active or not. At some point that was extrapolated to "if we had multiple global EQs available they would all have to be resident at all times". That has never seemed like it should be the case to me either. 

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19 minutes ago, zolko60 said:

I think 3.25-4.25% of a single DSP according to https://benvesco.com/store/helix-dsp-allocations/
Maybe less considering present Global EQ already blocks DSP resources.
So yes, if that resources can be shared between patches and globals.

Definitely a high enough percentage that much as I would love to see multiple global EQs, would only want them if only the one in use was taking up any DSP.

9 hours ago, PierM said:

 

OP is from 2018. Today that list would be way longer. :)

I wonder if there is an updated list out there?

2 hours ago, PatronSaint said:

OK I'm an HX Stomp user and I'm getting "The Helix device failed to recall snapshot data properly" since updating to firmware 3.  Firmware 3.01 didn't fix it and neither did restoring global settings. It doesn't happen until I try to change snapshots.  The snapshot won't change but I can change presets with no problem.  So far this has only happened with individual presets after I reorder them.  I noticed people had this issue with firmware 2.8 but I did not ... until 3.0.  I did not see that anyone had a solution (?)  And I also just noticed that when I change snapshots in HX Edit, the parameters do change, but the switches/display on he stomp do not and not all of the parameters actually change (in the output). 

Does this still happen after you restart your Stomp?  There is often a rebuild process that occurs one time after shuffling presets around as you describe.

10 hours ago, cruisinon2 said:

 

Gibson and Fender are already comically overpriced for what they are... I can only  imagine what exorbitant prices they'd demand with Variax guts on board. Maybe they'd have half a chance of working something out with some of the less expensive Epiphones or import Fenders... but then again, that's basically what the JTV's are... the only tangible difference would be the logo on the headstock. Though now that I think about it, anything would be better than having "James Tyler" emblazoned on it 43 times...;)

There's more than one "James Tyler" logo on there? Hadn't noticed :-)  I hear you on the pricing for some of the traditional guitar companies. It has gotten exorbitant and that could well have been the sticking point but as mentioned some of the stuff at the middle-bottom of the line might have worked and Line6 would not have had to reinvent the wheel. Those companies already knew how to make a very playable inexpensive guitar. I would have preferred the flexibility of selecting a guitar that could have for the most part replaced one of my more frequently used gigging guitars and would have been willing to pay a bit extra for it.   I never tried one of the USA made custom Variax models which were an option if you wanted a higher end guitar and maybe they are fantastic but at that price point I would tend to look at other brands first. To be honest though, I have been playing mostly PRS guitars for years and perhaps nothing else would have fit the bill. For the most part the sweet spot for Line6 is probably to keep making fairly inexpensive guitars with Variax electronics installed and offer a few high priced models for those with the means and inclination to buy one.  Time IMHO for a Variax electronics reboot though. There is a lot more they could do with them and I think they would fly off the shelves if they found a way to merge their modeling with a hex pickup(tired old debate).

I never felt the original Variax and even the JTV(still have and use one) were exactly the right guitar for me. Just not overly fond of the build on them. It is the electronics and especially the interoperability with the HX ecosystem that are so compelling, the guitar itself left me nonplussed. Although I enjoy playing and employing the JTV for limited use it is not a "primary" guitar for me. Very cool when used with the Helix and PC+ and incredibly useful for alternate tunings but not an instrument I want to play all the time.  Could just be a personal preference thing. Haven't tried the new generation of Variaxes, I would not be surprised if the build has improved and there is the potential for them to get even better now that Yamaha is involved.  I have always been impressed by how well Pacifica guitars played and sounded for a relatively inexpensive guitar.

17 hours ago, samtowns said:

I have the exact same issue! Playing with tracks and drummer who is on a click - having my delay bpms preprogrammed for each song in the setlist is key!

I've been used to using a strimon timeline with a switcher which allowed me to simply cycle through the banks for each new songs tempo. Now trying to move to the Helix but snapshots don't seem to allow for different tempos - once you change the tempo in a snapshot it changes in all of the snapshots within the preset. I literally can't find a way of solving it at the moment and would LOVE the option to have different tempos in snapshots. 

15 hours ago, phil_m said:

You can have the tempo saved per snapshot. Go to Global Settings>MIDI/Tempo>Tempo Select and set it to Per Snapshot.

After changing Global Settings>MIDI/Tempo>'Tempo Select' = "Per Snapshot" as phil_m suggested you may also want to set Global Settings --> 'Preferences --> 'Snapshot Edits' = "Recall".  At least while you are editing. This will retain the different BPM values as you set them in each snapshot, requiring only one save when you are finished editing the preset. Probably the most convenient mode for editing a preset.

The other option, Global Settings --> 'Preferences --> 'Snapshot Edits' = "Discard" can require a save in between the editing of each snapshot. If you click away from the snapshot and return to it without saving first with the "Discard" setting, the snapshot will have reverted to its last saved state and your changes will be lost.  You may find this is your preferred mode for a live performance.

Btw, related to the above snapshot settings although not particularly relevant to BPM settings is the ability to prevent any parameter from being bypassed by a snapshot.  Including it here if for no other reason than to remind myself it exists. The options for assignment in the HX world have gotten crazy good.  There are also some interesting settings for deciding what happens if you click the same snapshot switch a second time.

Snapshot Bypass instruction from the manual for preventing a block from being bypassed from a snapshot switch:

Helix Floor / Rack / LT

Select a processing block, press ACTION, and set Knob 5 (Snapshot Bypass) to “Off” to disable snapshot control of that block’s bypass state

HX Effects

Select a processing block, press ACTION, and press the “Snapshot Bypass” switch to disable snapshot control of that block’s bypass state

HX Stomp

From Edit view, select a processing block, press ACTION, press PAGE >, and set Knob 3 (Snapshot Bypass) to “Off” to disable snapshot control of that block’s bypass state

Helix Native / HX Edit

Right-click (Mac: control-click) on a processing block and uncheck “Snapshot Bypass.” Alternatively, right-click (Mac: control-click) the Bypass button to uncheck “Snapshot Bypass.”

3 hours ago, amsdenj said:

Variax of course has many more features than the poly tune blocks including: alternative tunings, different instruments, MIDI controls, and rich integration with Helix.

 

I have found that when comparing Variax with the poly tune blocks, Variax has slightly better tracking, and a little less intermodulation errors. This is probably because Variax has a separate pickup for each string and does not have to try to separate them from a single analog wave. 

 

And Variax doesn't have any DSP overhead in Helix.

 

Bottom line, Variax + Helix + Powercab is an incredibly flexible and powerful platform for guitar. I am still thrilled with my investment in Line6 products. I'll be first in line to purchase and updated Variax. 

 

Wish I could be playing gigs again!

 

I feel the same way about Variax + Helix + Powercab. Having everything in your signal path from guitar to amp communicating. Genius!  Probably never happen, especially now that the Line6 family now includes Yamaha guitars, but one thing I wish Line6 had done with the original Variaxes was partner with for example Gibson/Epiphone, Fender, ESP, etc., to install Variax electronics in a line of their guitars. Maybe that would have pushed the price up too high but I would have paid extra to get a brand of guitar I love to play with or without Variax electronics installed.

3 hours ago, SaschaFranck said:

Unfortunately, this is *not* possible using only the reverb block and the expression pedal. For this effect to work as in the video, you'd have to create a split path, keep one path dry and slap the reverb into the other one. In case you're using a Split A/B (which I recommend), all you'd have to do is to assign the "Route To" parameter to your expression pedal. That way, it'll work exactly as the pedal in the video.
Let me know if I should create a demo patch.

Great solution, wish I'd thought of it :-) It addressed the OP's question better than I was able to.  I don't think of spillover as combining a dry and dry/wet signal but I guess that was just the ticket. Good ears!

5 hours ago, Dremag said:

I cant get reverb spill over to work.

 

If you are familiar with the Solid Gold FX Surf Rider pedal, you'll know that you can control the reverb depth via an expression pedal. This is awesome because you can make on the fly adjustments to the depth of the reverb. Also, the reverb that is generated, is not affected by subsequent expression pedal adjustments. It's just "spills over". Great for on the fly reverb stabs. Demonstrated here: https://youtu.be/wcOtj6weHHM?t=205

 

Is there any way to do this with the Helix? I've tried mapping Reverb Block Depth and Mix controls to my expression with Trails set to "on" but, no matter what I do, adjusting the expression pedal affects the Depth/Mix of previously generated reverb which deletes the spill over effect. I've also tried doing this with an outboard reverb through the effects loop thinking I could adjust the mix there but, same thing. Trails works fine when bypassing the verb but, I cant get spill over to work. 

 

Has anybody found a way to do this? Thankyou.

 

Tested this on the Helix and watched the video link you provided but I am not sure I see what you mean. Not to question your assessment of how the Surf Rider pedal works but are you sure what you like about that pedal is "spillover"? I thought the Surf Rider pedal in the video worked pretty similar to a Reverb block with its parameter(s) assigned to an expression pedal on the Helix. Maybe I missed something. Seeing as how an expression pedal is "continuous" I don't how see it would have accomplished the behavior you describe unless it was able to detect for example the depth or mix at only the first position of the pedal and generate those trails as it then moved to ramping through the depth setting as you depressed the pedal. Sound possible but unlikely.  It would make more sense to me that the depth parameter would instead change dynamically in real time(like the Helix reverbs).  It might not be spillover but perhaps some other settings that might explain why you like that pedal's behavior. Maybe someone else here can provide some specifics on how to get you closer to that.

One suggestion might be to experiment with your Reverb block's Predelay and Decay settings to get this working more the way you like it when used with the expression pedal.

Lastly, switching between two snapshots with two different but fixed depth settings is probably not what you are looking for although it offers a less flexible option that would provide spillover between the two snapshots. As you mentioned, make sure 'Trails' = "On". With the new 'Preset Spillover'  global option you can use this approach with presets as well as snapshots now.

1 hour ago, deparko said:

Updated my Helix LT last week with V3.0.1. Went real smooth, have used everyday. Powering up and down no problem. I just powered up the unit for the first time today and it starting rebuilding all my presets. Why? any guidance would be greatly appreciated..thanks

Your statement is a little confusing as you say you have been "powering up and down" but also "just powered up for the first time today". Maybe "today" was the key word there. If it was the first time you restarted it since the upgrade, a rebuild is normal and it is a one time operation that is part of the upgrade process. It shouldn't happen again. If that was not your first restart since upgrading, did you restore any setlists/presets copy any of your existing presets to new preset slot locations or import any presets from backups, CustomTone, Marketplace, etc.? This can cause just those presets to be rebuilt on the next restart.

3 hours ago, hideout said:

I didn't actually notice this bug in 3.0.  It wasn't until I updated to 3.01.0 that it started happening.

The bug was there in 3.0 as well.

1 hour ago, PaulTBaker said:

I think this may be more of a button issue.  I have had the same issue in the past versions as well.  you hit bank down and it skips two banks.  

You're right that can happen on occasion with a dirty or failing switch but in the 3.0 and 3.01.0 firmware this is definitely a known bug.

2 hours ago, A999999999 said:

Thank you to those who are assisting, I appreciate the help.

 

I too was pretty surprised by this bug, and in fact I thought it was something I did.  I usually don't do updates before a practice or a show but 3.0 has so many toys that I couldn't resist and updated before practice.  Of course I got the wrath from other band members when I switched to wrong preset the first time.. I figured I hit the bank down switch twice by accident.  Some of those guys get nervous around any instrument technology that's been developed within the century as it is.

 

Renumbering my presets is a big deal for me, but since others don't see this issue as a big deal, I was just asking their settings, maybe I could learn a different way to do things.  Yes I opened a support ticket with Line 6 and know they will address it (I was really hoping 3.01 would have had it).  Actually it was line 6's quality support that convinced me to jump from the HD500X to Helix .

 

Anyway, this "Other Poster" thanks everyone for their input :)

All I can offer in the way of a different way to do things is you can copy and paste multiple presets at one time by highlighting them so depending on how full your setlist is you could potentially move an entire setlist up one bank in one fell swoop.  Should take less than 30 seconds. Just highlight and copy the presets you need to move all at one time, select the starting slot for your move and paste. Keep in mind you will overwrite the presets below the paste point depending on how many slots you have available vs. how many presets you are pasting. Good idea to backup the setlist and even the individual presets(those can also be highlighted and exported all at once as individual files) first in case you get something wrong in the cut & paste operation. 

Another way to do this operation would be to copy all your presets to a different empty User setlist, again starting at the second bank.

17 minutes ago, cruisinon2 said:

 

"The more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to clog the drain" - Capt. Montgomery Scott. ;)

 

You can try it, but piggybacking pitch shifting effects probably won't end well. The algorithms are imperfect as it is, and now you're gonna shift an already altered signal even further... you're practically begging for wierd artifacts.

 

Besides, the Variax can do what you want all by itself anyway... why complicate matters?

Scotty: I've never beamed three people from two targets onto one pad before!

10 hours ago, A999999999 said:

I do not understand the tone of some of these posts in this thread.  Yes, I could redo my presets and will probably will have to due to this bug.  I try not to make too many changes before shows though I will have to in this case.  All i was trying to say is that this is a big deal to me (that's why I opened the ticket, made video, etc) and wondering why it's not a big deal for others -- do others not switch from 2 to 1?  Do others not have one row of buttons dedicated to presets?  etc.

 

It's up to you I guess to be "bugged" by my inquires.

For what its worth this is a bug that should be fixed quickly and I think it will be. Surprising it was not caught in beta as it is such a basic piece of functionality.  Maybe so obvious no one thought to look for it. Bet they will next time. Or perhaps Line6 knew about it but determined that hitting their release date with a later bug fix to follow was a preferred path. It is almost comical to see a device this powerful and sophisticated, having just delivered polyphonic processing, unable to scroll properly through its own banks. You know that was not their intention.

Others may not be feeling your sense of urgency as thankfully it is a bug with a simple workaround that imposes a minor or no inconvenience on most players. Personally I thought this would get fixed in the 3.01.0 release but they were trying to address an urgent issue with corrupted output and perhaps this bug is more deeply embedded than it would appear at first blush. It might have required more time, effort, and QA then they could afford before releasing the other, much more critical, bugfix in 3.01.0..  Hang in there, a fix is surely coming(probably in short order) and in the meantime, as I'm sure you already know, the 3.0 update has some awesome new features to explore.  Although minor in the scheme of things this is very visible; not an esoteric bug only impacting a couple of users. You can safely assume Line6 is well aware of it and driving themselves to get this resolved.  I sincerely doubt any additional urging from users will be required. 

32 minutes ago, jeancouture25 said:

Thank you HonestOpinion and datacommando for both of your replies! I have already tried removing HX Edit and any other evidence of Line 6 being installed on the Mac. I have tried installing HX Edit 3.0 with all of the boxes checked but. The Helix Floor is still not recognized at all. "No Device Connected" Says the same thing when I tried it on My PC.

Have you also tried rebooting your Mac and then a different USB cable and swapping USB ports?

58 minutes ago, Kevin-M said:

I’m a long time user of Roland/Boss guitar/synth modeling gear and love it, but the simplest response is that guitarists haven’t taken to it that readily and it’s been poorly marketed. Also, the external pickup ‘wart’ is fugly and there aren’t enough Roland-ready options out there.

Adoption has been slow but with an ever growing number of players migrating over to modelers, incorporating polyphony, multi-timbral, and synthesis capabilities will become more and more natural to increasingly tech savvy players who will essentially find it to be just an extension and enhancement of what they are doing already.

On 12/13/2020 at 11:42 PM, Kevin-M said:

The polyphonic effects is a great addition to an already great platform. I think we’re at the beginning of poly stuff that currently requires a hex pickup to implement. I believe in the next 10 years even a tuning like DADGAD will be possible without the need for a hex pickup.  This is really exciting stuff, in my opinion.

I agree, the ability to identify and separate the processing for each string through a mono pickup in real time with minimal lag is definitely coming. My main point over the next few paragraphs though, intended more in the spirit of a suggestion to guitar manufacturers rather than a rant, is we need to move to hex pickups as the norm. Modern processors just have the capacity to work far better with them.

Don't get me wrong, I welcome having polyphony that works with all my mono pickups guitars but it is legitimate to ask, why do we even need it, other than as a bridge for older legacy guitars. We have hex technology now. Hex pickups and cables can be produced relatively cheaply and for everyone outside of the coil-wind cork sniffers(some legitimate sniffing going on there) are essentially a standard pickup with six wires connected to the poles instead of having them bridged. Pickup technology has been strangely calcified for decades now. Adoption of new tech for the guitar has dramatically accelerated  in the past decade or more with the arrival and development of, at long last, convincing modeling and digital processing. Modern digital modeling is in some respects akin to what CGI enabled film companies to do; rendering spectacles that simply weren't possible prior to its development.

The other components feeding modelers, namely the guitar, now have to adapt as well. We have the hardware and algorithms that can vary things like the pitch, level, envelope, applied effects, etc. of each string individually yet pickup technology still lags behind unnecessarily hamstringing processors . Arguably the current modeling/processing technology works best when the signal for each string is provided separately yet we still have primarily mono pickups. At least on the guitars most people prefer. Hex pickups remain a specialty item that require either a guitar manufactured with one(not many made) or a klugey after market solution such as a Roland GK pickup. Why is that? Long after we have developed the ability to track and process six discrete channels in our processors we still provide monophonic pickups as the standard.

I believe that if six channels(or seven or eight depending on the guitar) were the norm there would be benefits to having the channels separated even if you did not use any guitar "synthy" or poly type effects(but you would want to). As a matter of fact poly would become the standard with mono being a "legacy" effect. A few examples: Your strings' levels could be adjusted on the fly so that high and low strings blended together better taking Fletcher-Munson into account and able to adapt and customize the differences between for example high and low string levels after they leave the pickup. Individual strings could have sustain or compression applied to keep them ringing or damping more in sync.  Alternate tunings would be readily and instantly available on any guitar.  Individual EQ could be applied to each string(a little to fiddly for many I know but could be very useful in a studio setting or for acoustic guitar tracks). With hex pickups different strings can easily be processed by different effect or even amp/cab blocks. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

The possibilities are endless and some have been implemented in hex guitar synth systems but not explored nearly as comprehensively as they could be.  Partly due to the fact that this technology is still "exotic" to many players and consequently device manufacturers when, with the modelers now available, it could be part of a standard setup. Look at almost any other area in technology, networking being particularly analogous. Adding more "pipes" for data almost always results in gains in performance, expands the uses possible for the technology, and drives innovative future software development. Having this as a standard would have long since pushed modeling companies to  leverage and develop the multitude of creative things that can be done with six discrete channels to play with instead of one. Instead this is still primarily the domain of the guitar synth where we have barely scratched the surface. Easy enough to provide hex pickups on every guitar with an optional switch for monophonic for those who prefer the old standard.  Some might see that as opting for a modem over your fiber optic connection though. 

If hexaphonic pickups became the standard I would not be surprised to also see some very interesting six channel amps and effects and even surround sound systems and monitors would be developed as well. Gonna require a fat wallet for those.

As I believe someone else here commented all you have to do is look over at your keyboardist's rig. Those who tickle the ivories have enjoyed polyphony and multi-timbral devices as a standard for decades now while the guitar still treats it like an oddity.  Important to note btw, that it is not just about polyphonic but multi-timbral options as well. Not to beat a dead drum but why, long after we have developed the ability to process each of those channels/strings separately, are we still providing a conveyance(the pickup) with only one channel when our source(our guitar's strings) has six? 

8 hours ago, AMountain said:

<<[...] If you have not already try this simple experiment. Select a new/blank preset, add a volume block(don't assign anything), now add a wah block(don't assign anything). Now stand up and apply a fair amount of pressure to the expression pedal's switch in the toe-down position; press hard. You should see the highlight on the scribble strip above your expression pedal move from 'EXP 2' to 'EXP 1'.  If you watch the blocks they should be switching from activating the volume to activating the wah. [...}>>

 

Thank you for the idea with the blank preset - there, it functioned and switched between Exp1 & Exp2. :) Perfect.

 

Don't know what i had done wrong before; however, i had to readjust some settings in Preferences (back to toe-switch) that i had changed in my quest, had to assign in the preset the wah back to Exp1, and now the switch functions too in this preset in which i had introduced the wah. <3

Glad to see you got it worked out!

Have to agree with others here although unlike codamedia I may start with a forum search and then widen it to a browser search engine, depends on my mood. The search on the forum often seems to miss entries and has also been better or worse over the lifecycle of the forum There were times, particularly for a while after they did the major rewrite/change in the forum website (when they lost the emoticons, grrrrr) where the forum's search engine essentially did not work at all.

35 minutes ago, jeancouture25 said:

Hello everyone,

 

Bizzare issue here, I've just updated the firmware from version 2.8 to 3.01.

After a reboot on my imac el capitain 10.11.6. HX Edit doesn't see my device at all. It doesn't show up in my device list. the helix floor has lost complete communication with my mac. I've tried uninstalling all of the drivers and reinstalling them as well as older drivers to no avail. I've tried a global reset hoping that it might reset the firmware, but the reset doesn't bring back the firmware to Version 1. I also have a PC that I tried troubleshooting from with no avail as well.

 

P.S I did check all of my cables.

 

Some help would be very much appreciated!!  

First thing to do is install HX Edit 3.0 with all checkboxes checked. You likely have an old editor version. Updating the firmware is only half the update process. Doesn't hurt to uninstall your other HX software and drivers first, especially if you have experimented with multiple versions.