HonestOpinion

Glad to hear it is working! The method you are using for drag & dropping that is working is also how I was doing it.

I am also on 2.81/1.81 on Windows 10 and the drag and drop works perfectly from HX Edit 2.81 to Native 1.81 for me. I did do a global reset when I upgraded to get the Factory & Template setlists from the new firmware as well as reloaded my user presets. Also restarted my Helix to make sure the presets rebuilt. Just to get more info here and not that I know that it would even matter but are you dragging your HX Edit presets into a 32bit or 64bit DAW; is your OS 64bit? What happens when instead of dragging and dropping you export a preset from HX Edit and then import it into Native; does the preset import fail then? Is the drag&drop failing for all/multiple presets or just specific ones? Do you have an alternate DAW you can try with Native and the drag&drop operation? Btw, probably already did this but one of my troubleshooting steps would be to swap USB ports/cable and restart my PC just to make sure my Helix to PC connectivity was not partially gakking during a drag and drop operation.

I would focus on the speakers that are used in amps that are more famous for their clean sounds, e.g. Fender Twin, Hiwatt(when not cranked), Roland Jazz Chorus, Gallien-Kruger, certain Boogies like the Lonestar (not triple rec), etc.. This is a good place to start although the clean tones through some of the amps known for their crunch/lead tones can surprise you. Often although not always the speakers that have higher power handling specs like the EVs ric1966 mentioned tend to yield more pristine clean sounds as they usually break up later. As you noted snapshots work well for switching IRs and can also switch between Helix built in cabs although you will need two cab instances so it will require more DSP. Experimenting with the Helix cabs may give you a better idea of which IRs you want to purchase. There are also acoustic IRs that can be used for clean tones although they are generally most useful if you are going for an acoustic guitar sound. Clean tones can also be a bit subjective. A jazz player generally is often looking for a pristine clean sound with infinite headroom and no chance of breakup. Rock players will often use a clean tone on the edge of breakup and may be perfectly happy with for example a Soldano, Bogner, or Marhall clean tone, so to some extent it depends on what tone you are going for and the material you are playing. Adding compression and and a bit of chorus can help too and make sure the 'Headroom' parameter is maxed out on the delays on the Helix to minimize breakup. Lastly not to state the obvious but the amp you select is going to make a huge difference as well.

Here is the general process. If anyone who has rolled back from this version wants to chime in please do. I am still on 2.81 Make backups first as always Run the version of the Updater(1.18) that was unpacked with the 2.81 firmware. Do NOT install the old version of HX Edit yet. Scroll down and find the version of the firmware, for example 2.60, that you want to roll back to. Follow the instructions and rollback your firmware. Download and install the version of HX Edit that you rolled back to, for example 2.6. This will include that version's matching copy of the Updater, driver, and HX Edit. Do a global reset on the Helix to restore the Factory and Template directories for that firmware version. Use the rollback version( 2.60) of HX Edit to restore your backup or setlists from that version of the firmware(2.60). Do NOT use your 2.81 backups as they may have parameters and blocks that will not exist yet in your 2.60 firmware. Restart the Helix to allow your presets a final rebuild. Don't forget to downgrade Native if you want all your HX versions to match up for max compatibility.

Just scroll down the list under Amp --> Guitar and look for "Revv Gen Red".

I get why a global option would be optimal for your setup but I would second cruisinon's suggestion as the easiest way to go for now. Just load up the setlist you need with all of the presets always in the same slots, regardless of which setlist. Pretty much what you do now but you won't have to change all the default snapshot selections each time. Then bring a laptop with you to rehearsals and gigs in case you forget to swap in the correct setlist. I made a habit of bringing a laptop with me to rehearsals/gigs just in the event of a worst case scenario I have to reload my presets or horrors, reflash the firmware. Could happen. Comes in handy if you need a surface for a digital mixer or want to record as well. The biggest drawback with the multiple setlist approach is that you have to keep three setlists in synch with each other as you modify them. Come to think of it, go back to your current approach, hey Line6, this guy needs a global snapshot default option and we all need enhanced setlist functionality where a preset is only a pointer to the underlying song's actual location. That would rock everyones' world and also solve moehuh's dilemma. Scratch that global snapshot default request :-) Shameless plug for enhanced Setlists on Ideascale: https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-Setlists-to-Helix/911976-23508

I get it, I guess one alternative is to load and run HX Edit 2.81 on another computer until there is a fix out. I will say one benefit of updating your MOBO drivers is you may get better general performance in all your apps as well as possibly getting HX Edit 2.81 to work. 'Course, there is always the chance you make things worse :-) A Line6 fix could come out tomorrow or be a long time coming, especially if it turns out it is a problem with the AsRock's MOBO drivers . As they stated "No ETA". Good luck with this!

Do you have the latest firmware on your PowerCab+? Does HX Edit still have connection problems when your Helix is not connected to the PowerCab+?

I can get to line6.com with no issues. Unless you happened to try this right when the site had a momentary outage(try again later) it could be your browser or firewall is preventing you from connecting or you are having login issues. Obviously your login is working since you are posting here, if you haven't already I would retype it into the screen above. If you are trying to upgrade take backups first and then download and unpack the latest HX version, "HX Edit" 2.81 from the download site. Don't try to update your firmware with old HX software.

This is not exactly what you are looking for but may be enough info for you to set up what you are going for. It is a template I put up in CustomTone a while back that demonstrates how you can activate a wah with a footswitch instead of the expression pedal switch. This allows you to leave the volume level on the expression pedal wherever you want without having it max out when you go to the wah. There is also a link in the CustomTone description if you want to see the steps for creating it explicitly spelled out. You may find it applicable. CustomTone template: https://line6.com/customtone/tone/4397153/

I would be curious if you uninstalled your graphics card driver if HX Edit would come up normally. Btw, it has been exceptionally rare but I do remember seeing one fellow a while back who had to either uninstall or update some of the drivers that came with his motherboard. This was a very specific case only impacting his hardware configuration but I believe he was also using a gaming PC. You might want to see if there are updated versions of your MOBO drivers that might help

I would not get the used Alto TS112A, it is an older lower powered version and too close in price to a brand new Alto TS312. When used powered speakers get too close in price to new I will go for the new one with a warranty every time. The Alto TS112a has twice the power of the Yorkville (400 watts continuous) although I would not be surprised if the Yorkville has superior build quality. If I was going to jump up to $200 though I would probably get a new Headrush 112 (1,000 watts continuous) though instead for $299 (less "open box" or if you can find a discount coupon). The Headrush is essentially equivalent to the Alto TS312(1,00 watts, much more powerful that the Alto TS112A), the Headrush version comes without the mic preamp and is specially voiced for guitar. Btw, Headrush FRFR-108 is only $199 brand new. It is a smaller version of the Headrush 112 and still sounds great and is extremely light and portable. And of course, if you want to jump up in price, there is the PowerCab. For example, an open box Alto TS312 for $219: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/open-box-alto-ts312-12-2-way-powered-loudspeaker

With the Variax Standard there is a least partial if not full compatibility with the Helix. The Standard is listed many times in the Helix manual as compatible with no special exceptions or caveats. I don't own one any more although I have a JTV so I can't attest to this personally. I'm sure some other Standard owners here could give you more details.

The Ideascale link for unifying Native's revision number to the rest of the Helix software/firmware. https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Please-Unify-the-Revision-Numbers/960096-23508

Sounds like you're pretty update savvy. This one is a head-scratcher. Just curious, what firmware version were the presets you loaded to HX Edit 2.81 and what version of HX Edit were they backed up with?

I'm a big fan of workarounds but unless you only have a few presets this seems like a particularly onerous one. I am on 2.81 and use snapshots with many parameter changes and my Helix does not "freeze". Does this happen only when you are connected to HX Edit or when you are disconnected as well? Had you already tried all other available avenues like doing a global reset and/or reloading the firmware and also reloading your presets? Did you ensure you have both the 2.81 version of HX Edit installed as well as updating to the 2.81 firmware? I don't think most users here have experienced the kind of freeze you are encountering when switching snapshots. Maybe I missed some critical topic on this but it sounds like an upgrade issue that might be resolved in another way that does not require you to clear your controller assignments. You kind of selected the nuclear option for working around this.

No, it is working as intended. The parameter you are setting is 'Output' so unless you select "Mute" as the value, all output will be sent to the output(s) you select. What you are asking for is essentially a 'Mute' parameter where the setting would determine which output(s) to mute when the tuner is engaged. You can submit this request to Ideascale.

It's reasonable I suppose to assume that touching the Tap switch with 'Stomp Select' = "Off" would not display the tempo. Is it having any negative impact though?

I contacted the fellow who administers and created that site about that 404 issue when you provide someone the link directly to the reset options page. If it is something he could fix I would prefer to send people the link directly to his page rather than cutting and pasting reset codes from there. Makes me feel dirty, like plagiarism :-) Update: The kind soul, forum name, jshimkoski, who administers the Helixhelp.com page got back to me(immediately I might add, thanks!) and says he will try to fix the link this weekend.

I'm curious, did any of the folks experiencing this issue do the global reset step to install the latest Factory and Template setlists? Did you just do an "upgrade in place" and are using the presets that were already on your device from your previous firmware? Or, did you explicitly load your presets from backup? The first thing I would try here would be to get backups, run the global reset and then reload my presets and see if the problem persists. Make sure you restart the Helix after your reload from backup to allow your old presets to go through the one-time rebuild process. If the problem persists after this I would try loading my backups(hopefully you created them) from the backup of the last firmware version where they were working properly. Or... this could just be a bug in 2.81 and the above won't help.

Per the other comments here the rebuilding has been pretty standard after all the firmware updates but should only occur once. Doesn't matter if you restart the device one day or one year later, you will still get that one-time rebuild. Also as others have indicated, and this has varied slightly in different firmware versions, but loading a third party purchased preset or one from CustomTone, which may very well have been backed up with a prior firmware version, will cause only that preset to be rebuilt upon your next startup. There were even a couple of firmware releases where simply copying presets from one location to another would cause just those presets to be rebuilt upon the next restart. Totally normal behavior. If it is happening every time that usually indicates problems either with particular presets or with the firmware update and may require a backup, global reset, and reload of your old presets, or even rerunning the upgrade procedure. As always make sure your version of HX Edit is matched to your current firmware. Btw, just as a best practice it is not a bad idea to restart your device every time before a gig, especially if you have been loading presets from elsewhere. If nothing else you ensure it is working properly and if it needs to rebuild any presets you won't have to wait for them to do so at your gig. Usually doesn't take more than a few seconds anyway depending on how many presets you loaded.

Yes, in general you always want to backup up your device before you download and install any new software. That should be the first thing you do with any update. In the case of moving to 2.80 or if you skipped 2.80 and went to 2.81 this was particularly important because once you update your firmware to 2.80 or 2.81 your backups will not be compatible with HX Edit versions prior to 2.80. This is because of the new CORE code rewrite. Because you are doing this on a new machine if it were me I would install and back up first with the version of HX Edit that matched my current firmware but I tend to be extra careful that way. You could also just use your old computer to do the backup if it has the version of HX Edit on it that matches your current firmware. Theoretically though you should be able to back up your older version of the firmware with HX Edit 2.81 don't update the firmware first. Again because I tend to be very cautious during upgrades before upgrading my firmware I always make a backup first with the matching version of HX Edit and then after downloading the latest HX Edit version, in this case 2.81, I make a backup again before upgrading my firmware. That way you have every conceivable version of backups to ensure that you can rollback or troubleshoot if necessary if the new firmware or a failure in your firmware upgrade introduces issues into your old presets.

No offense intended and quite reasonable IMHO.

Maybe "joy"stick is not quite the right name for it :-) Would be happy to see Line6 go to a recessed rotating dial surrounded by four recessed buttons in the next Helix iteration like the one Boss/Roland has used on some of its multi-effects and synths. Not only do I like the action better but it is pretty much flush with chassis so you don't have to worry that a tight fitting case might damage the soldering/assembly and disable the "joy"stick. https://www.roland.com/us/products/gr-55/

"Black screen", that doesn't sound good. Not sure what you are indicating? Not exactly sure what you mean here. The FS combinations to get into the test mode are listed above. If you are asking how to execute the tests listed in the test mode once you start your device in test mode, move(don't press) the joystick down and up to navigate to the test you want to run(LED Test), and then press the joystick to initiate the test. Additional actions may be required for different tests. Follow the instructions on the screen. On the LED test it will have you press the footswitch you want to test multiple times to cycle through all the possible colors. Alternatively for example on the UI test you need to press all the footswitches and flat switches, press and move the joystick in all directions, and move all the buttons and expression pedal, etc..