HonestOpinion

Good advice. A large number of upgrade problems (other than not following instructions or not starting by backing up and downloading HX Edit) seem to be related to Windows losing USB connectivity with the HX device. That is why so many people have been able to resume the firmware upgrade simply by swapping out their USB cable, trying other USB connections, or simply rebooting their PC.

Just think of the "^" up arrow as a higher number and it will make perfect sense to you, e.g. up=higher.

I know it's a pain but I think it is time to do the following. Create backups Uninstall all Line6 software Download the latest version of HX Edit 2.81. Do NOT download the Updater, firmware, or drivers separately. Reinstall HX Edit with all boxes checked so everything gets loaded. Start the Updater (make sure HX Edit is not open). Rerun the 2.81 firmware update. If this doesn't work contact Line6.

I would start by unplugging everything from my HX device - USB any peripherals, guitars, etc.. Which device do you have? I would double check to make sure you have Global Settings > Displays > Tap Tempo LED = "On" after your latest firmware update. Make sure you are not in the "Edit" mode(scribble strip above the tuner FS displays "Exit"). Are the 1,6, and 7 footswitche's LED rings still not working? Does this happen on all of the Factory presets? Are there any presets where it is working? I think it is time to contact Line6. It sounds like you either have not gotten a clean install of the latest firmware or have a hardware problem.

:-)

This ^^^^^

Not that it is a bad thing to create backups in as many forms as possible(full backup, bundle, setlists,presets) but why are you still talking about bundles? Is this in reference to sharing Helix presets with Native? Are you updating Helix to 2.81 from a really old firmware version? Doing a "Create Backup" will backup your setlists, IRs, and global settings and allow all of them to be restored. The problem with bundles was that they did not include IRs and global settings originally and that meant you had to use all kind of wacky naming/numbering schemes with your IRs to replace them to the correct slot when you upgraded. Create/Restore Backup replaced the bundles restore method and solved the IR and global settings restore problem. With the exception of Native, bundles are really a legacy backup format at this point.

Nope, candidate for Ideascale. If I had my druthers Line6 would at least change the default setting when adding a volume block to have the 'Curve' parameter be set to "Logarithmic" instead of "Linear".

Have you tried setting up the gate on your clean channels with a higher threshold(you can assign the 'Threshold' parameter to a snapshot)? Not enough to choke the sustain but maybe just enough to prevent the momentary problem you are having. Also, are you using instant commands with your snapshots to change channels on your amp? From your description of your setup it sounds like you have it right. An external noise gate might be your best bet. Maybe someone else will have a more creative solution that keeps the gate engaged while you change the channel on your amp.

There are already a ton of great tips here and as has been suggested load of informative videos on Youtube on how to get a great tone. The biggest general tip I would give to anyone new to modeling is this: If you use an FRFR be ready to learn how to EQ it properly as it has none of the built in limitations on frequency range nor the frequency response of a guitar speaker that you are used to hearing. If you are looking to ramp up more quickly use a guitar cab but recognize that you will be hearing something different than the FOH. In addition cab models and IRs (if you are even using them with your guitar amp) will not be as well differentiated as they are with an FRFR. Amp models will be better differentiated using a guitar amp/cab if you run them either through the effect loop or use a 4CM setup. Regardless of what you use as a monitor be prepared to have to ramp up as there is a learning curve, instant gratification is rare or limited but it is well worth the effort once you get your head wrapped around this incredibly powerful tool. Oh, and finally, there are guidelines and tips but no rules, if it sounds good to you give it a try.

The smaller the -db number you set on the noise gate's 'Threshold' parameter the more aggressive the gate will be. So -20db is a much more aggressive gate setting than -90db and will kick in earlier and require less noise to be present before activating. In other words it will take less noise volume for the gate to kick in. I don't think you require a meter, just use your ears. I usually set it to as high a negative number as I can get away with ("high" being a relative term in this context as we are talking negative dbs) and not have excessive noise. This avoids choking off sustain. I also always assign the Threshold parameter to snapshots as for example most clean snapshots require little to no gating(depending on how quiet your pickups and cabling are). I only want it kicking in where it is required on for example high gain or distorted snapshots. So for a clean tone's snapshot I might for example have the threshold set to -95db whereas a distorted lead tone might be set at -65db. The lower the number you set for the 'Decay' setting the more quickly the noise gate will release after kicking in. Here is a post on it from vmoncebaiz, a Line6 product specialist.

If you have already set the global setting properly per kent1113 and tried the factory reset as rd2rk suggested I would get backups and rerun the firmware update. Definitely works fine for me so given that you have multiple LEDs not working all of a sudden, barring a spontaneous hardware issue which is unlikely, it is probably a problem with your settings, requires a global reset, or rerunning the firmware update. Reset options: Helix Floor/LT Button Combination Description 2 LED light Fun 3 & 4 Test Mode 5 & 6 Global reset 7 & 8 Reset setlists to factory, Keep IRs 8 & 9 Reset setlists to factory, Clear IRs 9 & 10 Reset setlists to factory, Global reset, Clear IRs 10 & 11 Upgrades existing presets to latest format 11 & 12 Clear current preset 5 & 12 Clear setlists, clear IRs, Return system settings to default 6 & 12 Safe boot mode To use Reset Options: Power off the Helix Hold the desired button combination Power on the Helix Release the button combination Please note: Buttons are numbered from top left to bottom right. # Helix Rack Since the rack doesn’t have footswitches, you’ll instead hold down a combination of the 6 encoders that are below the main LCD screen as you’re booting up. Button Combination Description ENC2 & ENC3 Reset globals ENC3 & ENC4 Restore stock presets and setlists ENC4 & ENC5 Restore stock presets, setlists, and IRs ENC5 & ENC6 Reset globals and restore presets, setlists, and IRs (entire factory restore) ENC1 & ENC3 Rebuild all presets ENC1 & ENC5 Clear all presets, setlists, and IRs ENC1 & ENC6 Will enter Update Mode (This feature is only available on firmware v1.06.5 and higher) # HX Effects Button Combination Description Holding FS3 + MODE Will clear all Presets and IRs Holding FS4+FS5 Will reset Global Settings Holding FS5+FS6 Will reset Presets only Holding FS6+TAP Will Perform factory restore (reset, Globals, IRs, and Presets) Holding the right arrow ">" Will put the unit in a fail safe update mode. Use this when the HX Effects is in an un-recoverable state # HX Stomp Button Combination Description All 3 Footswitches Clears all presets/IRs FS1+2 Resets presets and IRs FS 2+3 Factory restore (globals, presets, IRs)

Posted this a few days ago but as of 2.80 Line6 does not use the dots any more to indicate multiple pages for parameters. Instead there is a bar now with a highlighted portion that shows if the selection has multiple parameter pages. If the entire bar is lit there are no additional parameter pages, if it is partially highlighted it does. Doesn't make much difference either way but I actually thought the old method of using the dots was a more obvious and superior visual indicator. The dots for example indicated at a glance how many pages additional pages there were. Maybe I prefer it just because I got used to looking for it over the years but it seems like it was easier to notice and see.

Nothing as dramatic as what you are describing but I also noticed that when I created a patch in 2.80 with the new Grammatico amp/cab and added the KOT that it seemed to be fairly DSP greedy and I could not add as many blocks as usual on that route. Have not tried it again yet in 2.81 but perhaps some of the new blocks could find some greater efficiencies and optimizations in DSP usage in the future. Some blocks do just use a ton of DSP and perhaps always will.

Well done!

Personally I don't want to in any way discourage an honest accounting of known issues. Helps to get them addressed and prevents users from updating when they shouldn't as well as wasting their time troubleshooting known issues.

Or if there is, it is because it is usually because there have been no features added or improvements made, just fixes.

I end up ordering off Amazon all the time as well but Amazon, the largest company in the world in market value, apparently managed to avoid paying any taxes at all last year; you can dump a lot of product on the market inexpensively with a dodge like that. You're right. Why wouldn't every state in the union ultimately take advantage of this Supreme Court decision? Prima facie you would think for simplicity's sake why not just have one state, the one the online company operates out of or is incorporated in collect the state tax. This is problematic though in a variety of ways. With a single state tax collection model all sales from around the country accrue to just the state with the online retailer. It is also all too easy I guess for an online company to incorporate in a state like Delaware with no state tax . Alternatively states that want to attract online company jobs simply woo these companies by exempting them from normal state taxes. Another approach to simplify things would be to have taxes on online sales be collected once federally and then divvied up among the states but I suspect that would not go well. There would be internecine battles between the states where the wealthier states who spend more online would claim that they deserve the lion's share of the split. Federal level taxation would be incredibly sticky and it would insert a layer of administrative cost between the states and their tax money. The question again also becomes how do you prevent large online companies who could now theoretically be taxed by all fifty states from picking up and moving offshore. This is probably at least in part the motivation for giving companies like Amazon such a huge tax break. How do you effectively collect tax from a company not within your borders or legal system. Surprising to some extent that this long into the online retailing revolution we are still wrestling with these taxation issues and the rules are still changing. Lastly there are the anti-tax libertarians jumping into the fray saying all taxes are fascism :-) I don't feel that way but I know there are those that do.

I wonder if changing the resolution might help with the blank screen?

No doubt, that is crazy cheap. Not as powerful as some of the other FRFR choices out there but hard to resist at that price. I would go for it if it is in decent shape.

There is no Native 2.60 or 2.80, the latest version is 1.81. What you are showing there is HX Edit 2.60. What version of the firmware were you on when you took this screenshot? What version of the firmware were you on when you tried HX Edit 2.81? Have you tried disconnecting the Helix from your PC and rebooting it? This has helped a lot of people by resetting the USB connection. Also try every USB connection on your PC.

The title of your topic refers to HX 2.81 but you mention only 2.8 here. The latest revision to 2.80 is 2.81. You mention "crashed immediately when I connected the floor." Are you physically connecting the Helix while HX Edit is already up and running? If so, not that it should crash it anyway, but I would instead connect the Helix first, turn it on, and then start HX Edit. Btw, assuming you have restarted your computer at some point. Not sure what you mean by "Disconnect every Option in the menu bar was available (not faded out in grey)..."? I assume you mean you have not been able to authorize your computer with Native. I would definitely resolve that just to eliminate it as a possible problem. Just wanted to reiterate that you must get the versions of HX Edit, your firmware, and Native matched up if you want everything to play nicely together. Whether you rollback or not. That means for example if you want the latest and greatest you need HX Edit 2.81, firmware version 2.81, and Native 1.81. If you can't remember at this point what you have tried I would uninstall and reinstall again.

Just spitballing here, you may have done this stuff already. Did you also install Native 1.81? Have you tried explicitly uninstalling all of the Line6 software before reinstalling? Have you reinstalled "HX Edit" 2.81 and checked all the boxes so that it would install the new HX Edit, drivers, and Updater? Did you follow this by updating the Helix firmware to 2.81? You said "the old Helix editor is starting". This sounds like you have the wrong version of the editor unless you were just running a test with it. Even your screenshot looks like some ancient primordial version of the Helix editor although it is hard to tell as it is mostly white screen. Again, I would uninstall before reinstalling. I don't believe your Line6 login has anything to do with the inability of HX Edit to connect to the Helix. I know that Marketplace has added a new online component to HX Edit that did not used to be there but I don't believe a login issue would cause connection problems. If that turns out to be the case please let us know. Seems extremely unlikely though. If you are saying that a problem with your Native authorization is causing the crash I can't speak to that.

Absolutely no reason you can't do that if it sounds ok but personally I would not want to run the degraded signal from a "large number of Stomp boxes" into the Helix. I would probably take at least a few of my stomps and try to incorporate them ideally into an effects loop on the Helix or run them after the Helix . Or if it works in your setup you can split the signal so that you can send it directly from your bass to the Helix as you proposed .

Interesting, I read up on the decision and it essentially as you indicated gets rid of the requirement for brick & mortar and gives each state the discretion to impose a tax on "remote" sellers and as a result the buyers as that cost will inevitably be passed on to them. This has yet to be imposed in many states but it looks like they can do it now if they want to, regardless of whether or not the online seller has a physical presence in their state, which the old precedent required. I know there are still plenty of online orders I make that do not collect tax explicitly (no tax fee listed) although perhaps some online sellers are paying taxes in some form or another to their state anyway. Worth noting that the court was debating how best to exempt or minimize the expense imposed by potentially fifty different states, with different tax structures, requiring a small online retailer to collect, administer, and pay each state the correct taxes. Really drives up the annual accountant fees. For a tiny online retailer selling wax candles out of a garage in Berkley those administrative fees can be an undue burden on the business and a "barrier to interstate commerce". Much as I love being able to order online and not have to pay a sales tax it has always struck me as a bit of an unfair competitive advantage over the brick and mortar stores who are required to pay state tax in most states. In the past the shipping and handling fees could be a bit of an equalizer but with new efficiencies, automation, and inexpensive shipping that has long since ceased to be the case. As Spikey referred to earlier for a Guitar Center to be competitive on price they now have to not only match the price of an online retailer but beat it by enough to account for the tax. Btw, this is the first link that floats to the top in a Google search on the topic. Search engine precedence rules producing old news to push product for Intuit but it lays out the law as it was until recently. https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/self-employment-taxes/sales-tax-101-for-online-sellers/L4uTQCaIx