HonestOpinion

If this is indeed the case then Line6 should release a quick fix. Ostensibly the reason this update contained less in the way of new features was primarily to provide an editor for HX Effects and to squash bugs. How does something like this slip through the cracks? The bugs in the MIDI functionality have been outstanding for a while now and have been extensively covered on the forum and probably directly with support. I have to echo phil_m's sentiment here and say Line6 support is generally excellent! It seems to be the QA process that continues to need shoring up (assuming this is actually confirmed as a bug). I understand the incredible challenge of catching every bug on such a complex product but if there was not a thorough process in place for testing the MIDI output during preset and snapshot use then one should be implemented. It is a simple proposition to monitor MIDI output so this bug might well be repeatable and easily detectable. Firmware versions with broken MIDI functionality should not continue to be pushed out (stating the obvious). The Helix makes such an amazing MIDI controller, it is almost worth the money just for that functionality alone. Let's squash this thing already!

Great to see Line6 take a breather on adding features and to instead work on bug fixes that make the HX line more reliable and resolve some long standing issues. Time well spent! Here's to hoping their fixes took and relatively few new bugs, or better yet, none, were created. They still managed to get some nice adds into the update - a few new amp and effect models, editor for HX Effects, MIDI support for Native, etc.. Like everyone else I am looking forward to firmware 3.0 as well with whatever features that brings (improved tuner, polyphonic effects, some more HX reverbs?).

Just set the Helix looper to 1/2 Speed. That should give you 120 seconds of loop time.

Could be wrong but my first thought was that your presets may have sounded fine at home in perhaps a much "softer" room and at a lower volume. In your "practice basement" the walls and floors are likely much more reflective and the volume probably louder so you may be hearing the highs that were actually always there but inaudible or at least more attenuated in your home environment. I don't think it is necessarily the Behringer. I have gone through similar PAs without requiring a whole lot of EQ. I would look to taming the highs perhaps with the Helix's global EQ at first to get an idea of what sounds good with your PA. Then look into shifting those high cuts into the individual presets/snapshots as well as perhaps employing other more specific EQ cuts to rein in the highs without requiring the global EQ. If you decide you prefer you could do a high cut on your mixer for the guitar channel. Don't be afraid to crank it down aggressively until things sound good to you. However, doing the cuts at the Helix does ultimately give you more flexibility as each preset/snapshot can have different EQ settings. For example a sparkling clean with little to nothing taken off the top end versus a lead with a more aggressive cut to keep out the brittle.

May be unrelated or only part of the problem but if your Global Settings > Preferences > Snapshot Edits = "Discard", then you will want to save each edited snapshot before switching to the next snapshot you want to edit. Otherwise when you return to the snapshot, if you haven't done a save, your edited changes will be lost. If you prefer to only save once per preset then select the "Recall" option. Editing Behavior "Discard" = Edited snapshots must be saved individually before switching to another snapshot "Recall" = All edited snapshots saved simultaneously with only one save before switching preset

So an external MIDI foot controller should work. Unless I were going to use MIDI to control considerably more Helix functionality than just the looper, my inclination would be to buy an inexpensive external looper like a Digitech JamMan instead. It will cost you less than most MIDI foot controllers and give you much more sophisticated and longer looper functions with the ability to save your loops. https://www.guitarcenter.com/MIDI-Foot-Controllers.gc

Respect! Great sounds and excellent chops! Would like to see these presets up on CustomTone.

Given the competitive environment Line6 produces products in, between existing companies and new ones coming on the scene, I understand why they would be relatively tight-lipped about what is in the pipeline lest they see it come out on a competitor's product first.

This ^^^^^! You need that Windows driver! Once you have the driver installed make sure HX Edit is not open when you use the Updater. Try alternate USB ports if the device is still not being recognized. As a last resort you can try a different computer or USB cable. Every once in a while it turns out to be a bad cable.

Nope, if you assign the volume knob to control only the XLR out it will control both XLR left and right. If you have both XLR outputs plugged in the volume knob will control both. There is no setting to only control for example the left XLR while the right XLR is also plugged in. It is hard to envision why you would want to run it this way. It will needlessly complicate and limit your preset design. If the problem is that both your FOH and monitor only have XLR inputs then use a DI box, a convertor, or a 1/4 to XLR cable for the monitor using the left 1/4 output on the Helix for the monitor and the left XLR output for FOH.

DD is correct. The output coming from the XLR and 1/4 outputs should be almost identical if they are both set to instrument or line(and close even if they aren't) unless you have different Helix routes feeding them. Either the left 1/4 or left XLR outputs automatically sum the Helix's inherently stereo signal path to mono. So... although you could make the last block in your signal chain a mono block which would ensure the same signal from the left and right inputs that approach is inherently limiting and unnecessary. Just use the left summing outputs instead for mono and run XLR (usually to FOH) and run 1/4 to your stage monitor.

I frequently find I am able to put two or three different amp blocks in a single preset going through one cab or IR. The trick is to split the amps across the two routes connected in series. This leaves me effectively with a two or three channel amp and still DSP left over for a decent selection of effects. The multiple amp blocks work great with snapshots.

This ^^^! The easiest way to go about things is make backups and then download the latest version of the HX Edit package matched to your device and OS as Silverhead states. Then install it and let it place the proper components(Editor, driver, and Updater) on your computer. Now run the Updater. If when running the Updater and you do not see a picture of your device saying what firmware version you are on try using other USB ports. Once you are getting the picture of your device with the firmware version just click on it, select the firmware version you want to update to, follow instructions, and the Updater will walk you through the rest of the process. Btw, make sure not to run the Editor and the Updater at the same time.

Definitely a disturbing post as I am still constantly dealing with excessive high end and forced to use substantial EQ cuts for use with an FRFR and playing at stage volumes. I still think modelers would benefit from some specific EQ profiles/filters included from the manufacturer for use with FRFR speakers. FRFRs provide a more realistic emulation of various amps and cab models but definitely require a lot more work. What are you using as a stage monitor?

I don't fit the profile you were looking for of using an acoustic guitar solely for singer-songwriter events as I play mine in an electric rock band but I have used an acoustic with the Helix for a few songs at every gig for a couple of years now. Nonetheless, some of this may be relevant to the solo singer-songwriter scenario and it took me a couple of years of tweaking acoustic presets to come around to this current opinion(it might be different again in a couple of years, ha :-)). When I started dialing up patches for acoustic guitar for quite a while I used the tube pre, cabs, and various amp or preamp blocks such as the Jazz Rivet that I thought might be ok with an acoustic guitar, experimented with 3Sigma acoustic IRs, etc.. Although I got some good sounds that way and used those acoustic presets for quite a while I ultimately found that I preferred acoustic guitar presets with no amp, cab, or IR blocks. My recommendation for general use is to just dial up a patch with a compressor set gently, boost, gain block, a few delay, reverb, and chorus options, and various EQ blocks for molding the tone and dialing out piezo quack(if you have a piezo pickup). I find the Helix choruses have such different characters it is nice to have a couple to choose from in my acoustic presets. You can also use a second compressor like the 'LA Studio Comp' or Multi-Band at the end of your signal chain set gently so you don't destroy your dynamics. Acoustic guitars are particularly sensitive to their dynamics being crushed by excessive compression unless you are intentionally going for that sound. The only specific instructions I have for the Multi-Band is to put it at the end of your signal chain where it can act to some extent like a mastering compressor. One of the delay blocks I include in my chain is the 'Ducked Delay' to decrease the busyness during finger picked or fast strummed passages but it still adds a nice delay to the tail. I find matching the delay to the tempo and reverb to the size and type space I am in is generally helpful and sounds more realistic as you would expect. I use a couple of different delay blocks; same for the reverb. I use a compressor near the front of my signal chain. If you are using one of the compressors with attack and release times I set the 'Attack' low, e.g. 25ms; I tend to set the 'Release' parameter at 300ms or greater depending on the song's tempo. The higher release times can work well with an acoustic guitar but experiment and make sure you are not holding the compression too long on faster tunes and failing to compress subsequent peaks. You can also experiment with dialing down the 'Mix' parameter on the compressor to allow more of the initial unaffected sound through. I run my "Mix" at about 90%. Some other specific blocks I put in my preset although they are not necessarily switched on at any given time are the 'Ubiquitous Vibe; 'Trinity Chorus' (sounds great with acoustic), and the 'Kinky Boost' . Proper use of the combination of compressor, boost, and EQ blocks should get you the additional "saturation" you are looking for. I then throw in any effect in I think I might use with my acoustic. It is amazing how much you can throw into a single preset when you don't require multiple amp or IR blocks. You may want to include an acoustic IR that you can switch in now and then to change the character of your specific acoustic guitar but I generally found that I preferred my tone without it. I always have a gain or boost block set up on a footswitch for boosting leads. As many have said before, often less is more when it comes to acoustic. It is easy to overwhelm the sound of a great acoustic guitar with too much processing and it is important to let the "room" inform your block setting choices. The above is just what I found worked best for me when using an acoustic guitar with piezos via the Helix out to an FRFR stage monitor and FOH. Those using an electric guitar with piezos or Variax or other types of monitoring may want to take a different approach.

I don't need to wait for "some day" I can thank you now for your posts regarding this issue. It would be nice to see Line6 fix this at some point.

Seems like you are already aware of some of the reported issues such as the problem some of the Variaxes have had with palm muting causing weird artifacts from the piezos and the widespread dissatisfaction with the neck on the JTV69. I would suggest playing the model you are going to purchase if you can find one to try at a local music store. So..., seeing as you are already savvy regarding some of the reported issues I will just describe why I find mine so useful. I use my Variax JTV69s almost solely for live use so I have not used it in the studio where I would tend to just use, for example, an actual dobro if I needed one. I find it incredibly handy for alternate tunings. My other guitars have whammy bars and tuning them for one tune and then having to retune back to standard tuning is a prohibitively lengthy process during a show due to the whammy. The alternate tuning usually knocks the other strings out of tune as well on my main guitars requiring the entire guitar to be retuned so a quick switch to the Variax is a far superior option. The Variax is also great as you would anticipate for songs that require an acoustic and electric part without necessitating guitar switches mid-song. I am not particularly good at getting a great acoustic strumming sound out of my Variax but I find the fingerpicking acoustic tones more than convincing enough for live use. I know some users have gotten good acoustic strum/rhythm sounds though so they seem to be in there. I prefer using my acoustic guitar unless the song requires both electric and acoustic parts but for those who can make it work that is one less guitar you require at the gig. I have had issues periodically on my Variax with string buzz requiring saddle or truss rod adjustment, could just be humidity or temperature issues, YMMV. Then there is the superb ability to assign parameters to the tone and volume knobs, e.g. turn up distortion and volume level with the Variax volume knob simultaneously. The ability to dial up an alternate guitar model just by stepping on a stomp switch is great - dobro to banjo with a click of a footswitch. Be prepared to have to spend some time adjusting your presets to sound good with the Variax models, I find they sometimes require some tweaking as you would expect depending on what Variax model you are using. Overall very happy to have a Variax in my arsenal, it is great way to leverage additional synergies between the Helix and Variax controls and as mentioned it really helps with alternate tunings, songs that require electric and acoustic parts, and potentially cutting down on the number of instruments required for a gig. It is also a great option with a ton of built-in flexibility for traveling light to a local jam session.

Sounds like a pain, I'm sure Line6 will get back to you soon regarding your registration issue if not I would ring them up. I am wondering though if Line6 changed their policy. I was always able to download from CustomTone as long as I had a valid login, it did not require a registered product. Has this changed? What happens when you try to download from CustomTone?

There's also a Line6 "Lounge" forum - https://line6.com/support/forum/13-line-6-lounge/

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a way to make it work but the UM2 does not seem to be one of the easiest cards to use with the iPhone/iPad. People have definitely gotten it working with their Macs and the link below claims to have gotten it working with Cubasis LE on an iPad. Maybe someone else on the forum has implemented it successfully and can shed more light on the subject. https://www.engadget.com/2017/03/10/the-best-usb-audio-interface/

Typically it would be something like the device in the link below that uses the Lightning port on an iPhone or iPad to provide a USB port from the adaptor. The name "camera" kit/adaptor is a bit of a misnomer as the adaptor has multiple possible uses. https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MK0W2AM-Lightning-Camera-Adapter/dp/B01F7KJDIM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1528911365&sr=8-3&keywords=apple+camera+connection+kit

Glad to hear it worked!

You probably already tried this but the easiest solution might just be to put the laptop charger and the Helix on different and ideally separately fused outlets if possible. Aside from solutions like the Lehle isolation transformer proposed above by Pers it might also be worth trying a replacement laptop charger from Amazon. They can be had relatively cheaply these days.

Maybe the link below might help. Looks like you have to start the iPhone camera app first and select video, and only then plug in your camera kit USB. Hmm, sounds klunky. Apparently there are some paid apps like FiLMic Pro that give you more control over audio options but I have not tried it so I have no idea if that would help. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/229346/how-do-i-record-video-on-ios-with-external-audio-interface

Extremely tiresome, this persistent logout issue threatens to undermine all the other ground the forum has gained lately.