HonestOpinion

The link from Line6Tony describing the 2.80 update. DI from Line6 lays out some details for the 2.80 release at NAMM in this video. Starts at a little over 26min into the video.

The post you refer to(Feb. 2018) may be only a historical curiosity by now and was specific to that firmware release. At the time it may have had something to do with how the upgrade would process user presets. The interim upgrade is probably no longer required by the newer firmware/editor versions (e.g. 2.71) unless the firmware install notes explicitly indicate it. If you are not seeing any issues, everything is probably fine and no interim upgrade was required. Perhaps our resident expert phil_m can weigh in on this.

I suppose this could be caused by a couple of things barring an outright failure of the expression pedal's switch. Some folks have found the switch to be harder to press down than they anticipated, especially at first. Make sure you have your Helix on a hard surface and give it a firm press. Alternatively it could be your assignments. Would assume you are testing without any other external expression pedals plugged in and at least for the purposes of testing I would find it easiest as per my original comment to just accept the default switch assignments for volume/wah blocks. Good luck with this.

Yep agreed, snapshots/scenes, pretty much the same thing, but that comment is only of historical interest now. I wrote the comment you referred to in March of 2016 asking for scenes before Line6 had released its first firmware with snapshots. Snapshots and with them the addition of spillover were significant improvements to the Helix. Ha, we've had 'em so long now I almost take 'em for granted. Had forgotten how much I wanted to see those features added "back when" until you brought up that old post.

Have you tried reflashing the firmware on the Powercab+? The Line6 downloads page has the latest firmware, Updater, and editor for the Powercab+. Even if you are on the latest firmware it might be worth rerunning the update anyway. Certainly can't hurt as a last ditch effort before returning it to Andertons. I would also check my global settings input/output levels etc. on the PC+. The only other thing that occurred to me other than an actual problem with the Powercab+ is that you have an object(s) with a sympathetic vibration in the room that corresponds to a frequency that is emphasized by the PC+ but not for example the Tech 21. Have you tried playing through the PowerCab+ in another room? Lastly I would say suggest checking if the FRFR clarity of the PC+ and the existence of a "tweeter"/horn on the coax speaker might be surfacing a string buzz issue although that is probably not the problem if this is happening on multiple guitars.

Sounds like you may have downloaded the Updater but not downloaded the HX Edit 2.70 package. When you download and install HX Edit 2.70 it will unpack and install the latest editor (2.70), the Updater, and the driver. You will then need to use the Line6 Updater to update your firmware to 2.70 and then you can use your Helix with the latest editor(HX Edit 2.70). Remember if you have the Line6 Updater and HX Edit up at the same time one of them will not be able to properly see your Helix. Close one before you use the other.

Sounds like you may be downloading the firmware file directly and clicking on it rather than downloading HX Edit. If that is not the issue try changing USB ports and a different USB cable. The following should roughly be your procedure: Scroll down on the Line6 website's downloads page for your device and OS and download "HX Edit". Click on the "HX Edit" file and it and it will unpack HX Edit, the Updater, and the driver onto your computer. Use the 'LIne 6 Updater' to update your firmware(do backups first with HX Edit). Remember, the Updater will not see your Helix if you have HX Edit up at the same time as the Updater; you need to close HX Edit before bringing up the Updater.

Helix Native 1.70, the latest version of Helix Native has also just been released alongside the new HX Edit 2.70.

Oh hell yes to the new tuner versions! Just fantastic that a strobe tuner was added. Both the "Coarse" and "Strobe" modes are easier and faster to to use for stage tuning than the old tuner. I know it's probably too soon to comment but if I were going to improve them in the next firmware (other than adding a polyphonic mode) I would have the yellow not fade to green so far from the center tuning position. Better yet, don't fade to green at all, but instead just switch from yellow to green such that you had to be closer in tune before the bar went green. This applies to both the Coarse and Fine settings. Is that chartreuse or goldenrod yellow, mustard yellow or lime green? Oh, it's emerald green, I must be in tune. Might just be me but I prefer a distinct color switch to green when the guitar is in tune rather than gradually sliding from yellow to green. The color gradients moving between these two colors represent some slick programming but can be hard to differentiate on the fly or when you are playing outdoors and getting some sun on the screen. You do of course have the center position to go by so that observation might sound a bit nit-picky. I agree with Spikey's comments on the strobe, it is a bit different looking than others I have used and the graphics could probably be enhanced on it but at the end of the day - THEY ADDED A STROBE TUNER, JUST AWESOME! It seems to work very well. Always room for improvement but the new tuner versions are in now and super useful. I think the additional tuner options will prove themselves eminently stage-worthy for those of us who found it too jittery in the past. Overall this will rank as one of my favorite updates due to the improved tuner(s). Can't overstate how much I prefer this update to a couple of new amp models. Looking forward to the next major version firmware release. Bring on the funk! Great job Line6, this device just keeps getting better and better, thanks!

I have found that I quickly got used to looking at the active LED footswitch to indicate which snapshot is active. Also you will notice that the numbered circle inside the camera icon inverts to white on the active snapshot. While perhaps not as blatant as an all white background it is an additional cue along with the LED ring as to which snapshot you are using. I have seen other comments on the forum before regarding inverting the background so you may find an entry in Ideascale for this or as has been suggested you could create one. I could see it being a useful additional visual cue as to which snapshot is active although I doubt it will rank highly on the developers to-do list.

There may be updated drivers you can download from the website for your MB. There's always the possibility that if they exist they will play nicer with Helix than the ones that came on disk when you purchased the MB. Although it sounds like the problem is the MB drivers in this case, a good test also is to try different USB ports and even an alternate USB cable, especially if all your other devices are working properly. From your description so far though it sounds like a conflict between the Helix driver and one of the drivers for the MB.

Might not hurt to create and save Windows restore points on a regular basis going forward. Doing a backup of Windows now and then is probably not a bad idea either. Just a hedge against stumbling back on the same combination of hardware/firmware/software/peripherals that was rendering your system unusable previously.

The rebuilding messages you saw after a restore upon restart are normal and expected behavior. Differences like the ones you mention where presets end up in different locations with different blocks are not. I would either be double checking the date on the backup I restored to make sure it was as recent as I assumed or perhaps you discovered a bug. I personally have not encountered the issues you describe although you are not alone among those who have reported differences upon restores, usually having to do with the lit/unlit states of the footswitch assignments or a different parameter setting here and there. Barring pilot error, there are occasional restore aberrations that crop up now and then depending on the version of the backup restored and what exactly was used in a preset. For the most part I have been lucky and found restores to go fairly well with minimal issues, YMMV.

So is the takeaway here that at least for now every time a split is used on the Helix 3db should be added at the merge block? If so you have to hope that they never fix/change the split block's behavior or you may end up with an unwanted 3db boost on every preset you made this adjustment to.

I haven't found EQ'ing the Helix to be a "Volkswagen problem" at all. Getting the EQ right on the high and low end via FRFR without stripping away frequencies I want to retain has actually been one of my biggest challenges on the Helix. If there is a simple and better way to do it I'm all ears. I'm definitely not going to write it off without experimentation and a fair trial. I think some of the resistance to this idea is lack of familiarity with the multi-band compressor as it is a tool that guitarists don't often employ unless they run sound as well and it is not that common there yet either. But maybe this method doesn't even work well, have not tried it yet and it remains unproven at least for me. And hey, I'll take a Cadillac over a Volkswagen any day of the week but I get your Occam's Razor point. :-)

Agree with every point you made here. Great that it can be done and loopback is a perfectly viable method if you need to change setlists on the fly and don't want to use external switchers. I would probably go with the FCB or another external pedal if I were going to be jumping between setlists on a regular basis but its nice to have an option to have everything self-contained in the Helix. For me though and I think many others, we simply don't require setlist changes during a performance. I just reserve one setlist for the gig and copy every preset I need for that performance there.

I own an FCB myself and they are a great option if you have the floor space and don't mind two large pedalboards. There are also smaller MIDI pedals that will do the trick if you want less options but a smaller footprint. Hmm, did not do extensive testing but I was able to get the loopback trick to work correctly every time by using two instant commands(lightning bolt). First set 'Global Settings' --> 'MIDI/Tempo' --> 'MIDI Thru' = 'Off'. This is a critical step or you will get infinitely looping MIDI commands once you connect the MIDI cable. Then connect a single MIDI cable from the MIDI In to the MIDI Out. I then set up, named (e.g. "JumpToHiwatt") and saved a blank preset with only two instant commands(set these up in the Command Center) and nothing else. Keep in mind the MIDI numbers start at 0 so everything is offset by +1 except for some reason the snapshots. I listed an example below. Note some of the parameter values are fixed and some require you to select the setlist, bank, and snapshot you are trying to jump to. Instant Command #1 Command = "Bank/Program" MIDI Channel = "Base" CC#00 = "0" (Always set this to zero) CC#32 = "5" (This is the number of the setlist e.g. pick a number between 0-7. Select one of the eight available setlists) Program = "3" (This is the number of the preset [these are set up in the Helix in banks of four]. Pick a number between 0-127) Instant Command #2 Command = "MIDI CC" MIDI Channel = "Base" CC = "69" (Always select "69" (grin), this is the CC number designated for snapshots) Value = "3" (This is the snapshot you want to jump to e.g. pick a number between 1-8(no offset). Pick from one of the eight available snapshots) Once your preset is setup with the instant commands you can click on the footswitch for that preset and it will jump you to the setlist, bank/preset, and snapshot you set indicated in the instant commands. Important Note: Once you have the instant commands saved in your new preset you will need to unplug one of the ends of the MIDI cable if you want to go back and edit the preset as otherwise selecting that preset will jump you every time to the preset you pointed it to in the instant commands and not allow you to edit it.

Yup, no way I know of to change the setlists directly from the Helix footswitches unless maybe you send MIDI setlist change message from a footswitch by using the loopback trick and jumpering the Helix MIDI OUT to the MID IN. If you decide to go the external MIDI pedal route as rd2rk discusses there is some good info on page 10 of the Helix Owners manual (illustration referred to is in manual): TIP: The dark text above Knob 2 displays the required MIDI messages for recalling the Helix device's setlists, presets, and/or snapshots from external MIDI devices or software. In the illustration above, the FACTORY 1 setlist is recalled with a CC32 message of 007, the 16B Bottle Message preset is recalled with a PC (program change) message of 005, and SNAPSHOT 1 is recalled with a CC69 message of 000.

Agree with your point addressing sitting in the mix and granted the multi-band compressor is definitely trickier to set than a high/low cut. Regarding to what end, I think the intention is that by reducing/compressing rather than eliminating problem frequencies this approach may help out users who find that when they apply their high and low cuts with high/low bandpass EQ filters they are also losing frequencies they wanted to retain. At this point many probably resort to more surgical multiple parametric or graphic EQ cuts. For those users they may actually find using the multi-band compressor to be less work and fewer blocks. Anyway, pure speculation on my part as I just saw the post suggesting this and have not attempted it yet. Just seems like a promising or at least alternative approach to the usual approach of taming the low/high end with high/low EQ cuts, perhaps particularly useful for FRFR users. If it turns out to be a superior sounding(subjective) and subtler method for cutting the high/low end I will be a fan.

Saw some interesting posts over on The Gear Page(TGP) and not being sure if this has appeared yet on the forum, posted it over here. The idea indicated by the post I saw was thanks to a user named benefin. The approach is to use the multi-band compressor instead of high/low EQ cuts to cut the boom/mud on the bottom end and ice-pick/shrillness on the high end. This way you can use the multi-bandcompressor to reduce instead of cutting the frequencies below for example 90hz and above 5khz. Essentially you have the compressor either ignore or gently compress the midrange while having it much more dramatically compress the low and high end (note the -30db setting below). Seems like a very interesting and appealing concept. Set properly it might do a good job of attenuating the problem frequencies e.g. below 90hz and above 5k without cutting them out completely(albeit using a slope) as a high/low pass filter does. In other words the compressor unlike the EQ cuts will still allow the designated frequencies through but at much lower volume, as opposed to cutting them completely as a high/low filter cut might. Anyone doing this right now, if so, is it yielding a better tone that using high/low EQ cuts? What settings are you using? Some recommended multi-band compressor settings(with some settings missing/optional) from Benefin also from TGP: Ratio = 4:1 Attack = 10ms Release = 50ms Lo X Freq = 90hz Hi X Freq =5 k Level = As Needed Lo Thresh = -30 db Lo Gain = ? Mid Thresh = ? Mid Gain = ? Hi Thresh = -30 db Hi Gain = ?

If you have properly installed the editor, driver, updater as DD indicated above you may want to try testing different USB ports. If that does not work try a different USB cable. Is it HX Edit, the Line6 Updater, or both that are not seeing your Helix LT? Also, which version of the firmware are you on and which version of HX Edit did you download and install?

In violation of the "Rule #1" that Codamedia references as well as in the spirit of providing a trailer of the film cruison2 mentions I just have to say the tuner on my Helix still sucks. Sorry all efforts to be diplomatic regarding this feature fail. Simply the worst tuner I have ever used. Display size and layout are superb, but it also needs to do its job well, and at least for me, it does not, although it does provide lively and jumpy visuals. I use it for entertainment when I'm bored and to test my visual acuity and ability to track fast moving objects. And yes, I know, others will post they have one of the magic Helices where it works properly. If we get polyphonic processing and with it a new tuner hopefully that fixes it for most everyone.

Glad to hear you removed it without mishap. Btw, what brand of cable was this?

I'm a fan of subtractive mixing as well where possible but depending on your fellow bandmember's temperament, good luck "subtracting" your other guitarist's mix. You can work on your own though and pull the mud out of your own mix (usually a low cut anywhere from 70-120hz) as well as making sure you don't have too aggressive a high cut; this can help you hear your guitar more clearly. I have found that when I design presets at bedroom volume levels with an ear to dialing out brittle highs that preset sometimes don't cut through the mix when I use it with the band. 'Course sometimes they go the other way (Fletcher-Munson) and sound ear-piercing. Designing your presets at as close to rehearsal/gig levels as possible(use earplugs), or even just anticipating that you may need a little more in the mids/highs to cut through the band mix can yield more predictable results when you hit the stage without necessitating an uncomfortable increase in volume.

Glad you got it worked out. One of those cases where a picture is worth a thousand words.