HonestOpinion

Posted this a while back so it is getting a little long in the tooth but you might find an idea in it and it has a link for an unofficial Helix MIDI guide. If you come up with any cool loopback ideas feel free to post them over there. Was attempting to gather them up in one place for easier reference.

Glad to see you got this figured out. Just one note, it is generally a good idea to download/install the latest version of Updater if you are going to the latest firmware version.

Workbench is another tool to customize Variax settings but you are missing out on the elegance of the connection between the Variax and the Helix. If you have one the Helix is arguably the best place to set the Variax instrument model that is invoked when you change presets or even snapshots, as well as individual string alternate tunings and levels and even customized settings for the volume and tone knobs. That way when you switch to a Helix preset for a banjo, 12 string, Les Paul, etc. the Variax settings immediately change with it. Check out the level of additional control with the press of a footswitch that the Helix offers in tandem with a Variax. To me it is the best part of owning one. To leverage this however you need to enable all that control. You need 'Variax Settings' = "Per Preset", 'Preset Variax Tuning' = "Custom" also the 'Preset Variax Lock Control' if you want the Variax tone and volume knobs to remain at a particular setting. All of these parameters can be found in the Input block when Variax is selected.

This is a really important detail to draw attention to about the PC versus the PC+ when people are making their purchasing decision and bears repeating. There is no L6Link or MIDI control on the basic version of the PowerCab. As you pointed out changes to speaker selection must be made from the PC manually unlike the PC+ which features extensive remote control from the Helix/LT. Definitely a nice price point on the PC though.

Did you set the preset setting for the Input block as I detailed previously in the paragraph below? Until you do every Variax preset will show up with the same Variax setting you last set. Doesn't matter which preset you set it in. Also goes without saying you need to save the preset after customizing the Variax settings. "Btw, although it is located in each preset the 'Variax Settings' parameter is actually global. Unless every one of your Variax presets was the same previously, go to the Input block of any Variax preset, then go to the second parameter page and change the parameter 'Variax Settings' = "Per Preset". This will affect every other preset for your Variax and restore your custom settings in each preset for the Variax."

It does appear you understand the backup process. Just want to throw this out there. Regarding the two presets you exported which I assume resulted in two files with different names(if you named the presets differently). Is it possible you copied one to the second slot and then did not save your changes in the second preset before exporting? Easy mistake to make. If this was an actual bug I would expect to have seen it reported here widely. I will say that there has been wide and lengthy discussions on why presets can sound great one day and like lollipope the next that have included everything from advanced physics discussions to simple points about the way we hear and perceive sound, changes in the listening space, or even the weather. You make a good point, testing with the passive pickups on the Variax is a fine idea. Another guitar might enhance your "control" group for the experiment though. Lastly I find generally that if I do a proper upgrade, backup properly, and keep my global settings consistent, I can trust the Helix to retain my presets faithfully. I suppose there is always the possibility that something on your device is failing but I would not jump to that conclusion yet. I wish you luck in getting this sorted out to your satisfaction and urge you to open a ticket if you continue to get substantially different results from day to day. That is not normal behavior for this device.

Are you using the terms "setlist" and "preset" interchangeably? Maybe I am just not getting it, wouldn't be the first time, but it still sounds like you may have some confusion regarding how the backup/restore process works, at least when you describe it. If you used the "Create Backup" and "Restore From Backup" commands from the File menu in HX Edit, those are setlists you backed up. They contain all of the presets as a group for that setlist but are not available for individual restore. If you want to be able to load presets individually you have to use the 'Export' link in HX Edit although all the presets in a setlist can be highlighted and exported at one time as individual files. It may be worth your while to start from scratch as you say and get a preset sounding the way you want and make sure it is saved properly. Also wanted to echo and reinforce cruisinon2's suggestion and encourage you to get a hold of a garden variety guitar with passive pickups to test with to eliminate the Variax as a possible source of the problem. As he also pointed out neither of the guitars you are testing with are a great platform to use to eliminate the Helix as the source of the problem although they should sound great once you get them dialed in properly unless they require repair. Acoustic guitars take a while to learn how to dial in correctly and the Variax as pointed out is not unknown to have piezo issues and also adds additional features and complications which can also take time to learn how to mesh well with the Helix. Hang in there, this sounds like it may be a learning curve issue. If not you can always open a ticket with Line6.

Looks to me like there might be a problem with the Line6 driver. I would uninstall HX Edit and download and reinstall HX Edit 3.0 leaving all the checkboxes checked. This will reinstall the Line6 driver. Then try either updating the firmware from within HX Edit (click through the link with the icon at the bottom of HX Edit), or try again with Updater and see if it is recognizing your device. Also try swapping your USB connection and cable as well as rebooting your computer. Btw, make sure you don't have HX Edit and the Updater on at the same time.

As VirtualGuitars suggested I would try an alternate browser(Firefox, IE, Brave, Chrome, etc.). If that does not work open a ticket or make a phone call to Line6.

One thought is perhaps something has changed in your global settings. I know you said you already tried restoring but if you took a backup before you upgraded it might be worth trying a restore again of just your global settings from that previous backup before you started having issues . You can uncheck everything else in the restore from backup dialog box and just restore your globals. Sounds like you tried multiple guitars already so it is probably not cabling but I would make sure everything is plugged in tight including headphones and swap out cables where you can. Make sure you have a fresh battery in the Taylor. One area people have had issues is the global setting for the expression pedal changing(e.g. snapshot, preset, global) after a firmware update. This can profoundly impact a preset's sound particularly if the volume block was placed early in the signal chain. Btw, although it is located in each preset the 'Variax Settings' parameter is actually global. Unless every one of your Variax presets was the same previously, go to the Input block of any Variax preset, then go to the second parameter page and change the parameter 'Variax Settings' = "Per Preset". This will affect every other preset for your Variax and restore your custom settings in each preset for the Variax. Not sure I follow what you mean here, can you shed a little more light on your statement above - " I've reset the Helix to factory and tried importing my patches again (which is another problem as it seems that every patch is loaded exactly the same despite being saved separately with according names)". This makes it sound like you may not have successfully saved the presets you dialed in to your satisfaction previously or that they did not reload properly.

You may prefer displaying some or all of your snapshots by default. Perhaps set to something like "Snap/Stomp" which will display your snapshots on the top row and your stomps on the bottom. Take a look at the global settings --> Footswitches --> 'Preset Mode Footswitches' setting. You can also use Command Center for more options for customizing footswitch assignments. Go to the Command Center, select a footswitch and rotate through all the options available in the 'Command' parameter(PB1) to get a feel for what's available. I don't own any Glen DeLaune presets but if what you say is true about using the MODE button to get to the "snapshots" I would think you are correct. These would not be snapshots but probably multiple block/parameter assignments to a single footswitch which can be named whatever you want. This is the way we used to make multiple changes with a single tap before snapshots came along and I suppose it still comes in handy depending on the preset you are constructing. One way to give stomps custom names is by touching and holding the switch for the stomp switch you want to name. Then select the 'Customize' parameter button(PB5) and dial in the name you want. I find this easier to do through HX Edit however using the 'Customize' option under the 'Bypass/Controller Assign' tab.

Finally some expert technical justification for my favorite repair technique - give it a good knock to the side. Served me well for years now.

Btw, thought I would be remiss not to ask if you had tried testing this with headphones to see if the sound is lost there as well. I have had more than a few powered monitors or PA speakers exhibit this behavior where they work fine for a while and then one of the boards overheats and it cuts out. May have already but I would eliminate my monitors as a possible source of the issue.

LOL. As much time as we have all spent typing this message out over five years worth of updates we would have been better served getting an open source team together and rewriting the update process or a wrapper for users that takes care of HX Edit and the firmware.

Have you tried downloading and installing HX Edit 3.0 before updating your firmware? Also phil_m's suggestion of using the Updater instead of HX Edit to update your firmware? Did you have HX Edit up or maybe even Native(never heard of this interfering with an update but who knows) while you were running the standalone Updater? If so shut down HX Edit for the duration of the update. Edit: See datacommando's post below.

Agree with you about new bugs, give them time to be sussed out after a new firmware release and maybe his entreaty to Line6 should not have lumped new and old bugs together, and #3 which is more of a feature request. Not sure if everyone is seeing the same bugs this fellow is but to be fair the majority of the bugs he listed existed prior to the 3.0 release, at least on his device, and it is natural to be disappointed to see them persist after a new firmware release. Never a good thing when the same bugs remain after multiple firmware releases. With that said this does seem more like a topic to celebrate the new release but that might just be the way I see it. There are probably other topics and definitely the ticketing system that provide a better opportunity to address outstanding bugs.

Lots of great points made already in this thread and it is easy to see why this topic inspires discussion. Personally I am an advocate for a modular approach to modeling. Modelers are essentially computers with specialized hardware optimized for live and studio use. This discussion reminds me a bit of the naysaying regarding touchscreens, plugins, multiple loops, headphone amps, etc.. Name a feature that now exists on a modeler and you will find a thousand users who find it useless and therefor declare it shouldn't or will never happen. I think a modular approach to modeling is coming. How widely it will be adopted and sell I have no idea but fundamentally the ability to add memory/storage and additional or more powerful processors(DSP) as they becomes available makes perfect sense to me and is already a viable and well established approach in the computer world. When it comes to modelers people have no problem with another parallel to computers, namely the ability to add peripherals. That's exactly what the option to add an expression pedal or a MIDI controller is. Why not extend this to onboard hardware as well. Daughterboards, motherboards, larger faster memory, improved processing. Let us swap them out or add to them. Why not? Why not offer the ability to expand the total number of blocks, particularly DSP intensive ones? Add preset or IR capacity, add additional speed or gapless preset switching with multiple routes with lots of blocks. The bones/platform of a Helix for example, with its extensive I/'O, loops, and switching options are already so extensive and well thought out. I think it would be a desirable extension and future proofing of these devices to be able to improve and accelerate their processing and storage capacity over time. Just as in the case of computers some users will never crack the case to add faster/additional memory or a new CPU and motherboard/daughterboard but others, particularly "power users", will. Native allows us to add memory and processing power to our computer for studio use. Why not have this capability on the device as well. I doubt we will see modular capability come to the existing line of HX devices but I have no doubt that Line6 or some other company will offer this in the future.

Have you also upgraded the firmware? You have to download and install HX Edit 3.0 and also update your firmware separately. Look for the link at the bottom of HX Edit with an icon showing your device. Click through and update the firmware if you have not already.

Make sure the heat vent on the bottom of the unit is not blocked by carpeting. Might be worth running a fan across the unit to see if this extends the time before the sound drops out. It does sound like you may have to open a ticket on this however. Curious btw, does this happen regardless of which preset you have selected? I've had my Helix out in the blazing sun as well as sitting on a carpet and never experienced the behavior you are describing.

If HX Edit is no longer seeing the Helix and you can't run the firmware update process again you can try downloading the Updater and the 3.0 flash file. You may get lucky by attempting a manual update this way. If the updater can see the Helix it may be able to reflash the firmware and get you back in business. Try multiple USB ports and alternate USB cable if necessary.

Nope, sounds like you have not updated both(firmware and HX Edit) yet. You have to update HX Edit to 3.0 by downloading and installing it and you also have to update the firmware to 3.0 which can be done from within HX Edit. HX Edit and the firmware do not automatically update together yet. As datacommando pointed out there is also always the possibility you have a corrupted preset.

Did you also update HX Edit to 3.0?

Yes, 3.0 will include all the features from former updates. The factory presets are somewhat different through the versions. You should be able to go straight to 3.0. Start by taking backups with your current version of HX Edit. Follow the update instructions carefully.

Sounds like you still need to update to the 3.0 firmware. Look for the link at the bottom of the HX Edit screen for the firmware update. You can update the firmware by clicking on the link with an icon/picture of your device and the version number. Just a heads up. I have seen a post from at least one user who said they had a problem updating the firmware from HX Edit 3.0. If you run into that issue I would revert to and reload the HX Edit version that matches your current firmware version (e.g. 2.92), create backups and then update the firmware from the bottom of the HX Edit screen. Then download and install HX Edit 3.0 again.

Seems a bit early to start asking for new features but why let that stop me. My main feature requests right now are: Improved setlist management with search and the ability to create setlists with virtual pointers to the presets instead of having to copy presets to multiple setlists. Add more IR slots. Perfectly willing to give up a couple of setlists if necessary if that memory could be used for additional IRs instead. Make it optional so the user can select to have the current default of eight setlists or choose to swap them out for additional IRs instead. Have not done it in a while but I compared the backups for presets and IRs a while back and they created files of roughly the same size. If you add the setlist functionality as described in #1 many users might have less need for 1,024 preset slots anyway making it a no-brainer to dedicate some of that memory to IRs. For all I know there is enough memory on board to provide more room for IRs without the setlist/IR swap. For users with a lot of IRs the ability to store more of them on the Helix would be most welcome. More guitar synth options