HonestOpinion

If you don't contact Frank Ritchotte through TGP as MusicLaw mentions above you can just open up a support ticket and ask them your questions regarding warranty and Native if you don't have time to contact them during their business hours. You may well get a better result by contacting them directly however. One thing I will note is that they are generally really good about answering the phone quickly so it usually doesn't take a large window of time to contact them that way.

Sounds like it is definitely time to contact Line6 directly and ask them if they will honor the second year as well as whether they will allow you to purchase the extended warranty.

Never a bad idea to contact the manufacturer first for the final word on warranty and Native discount, but the remainder of the warranty should be transferable to you if the seller provided you with proof of original purchase and you are in compliance with the conditions listed on the Line6 warranty page. As long as you are still in warranty I would think it would be no issue purchasing the extended warranty as well. You can see the warranty requirements at the Line6 Warranty webpage. https://line6.com/warranty/ The registration discount for Native is tied to the serial number for the Helix so as long as it has not been used already for the discounted version already you should be able to purchase Native for $99; even if that Helix has been registered by someone else first and is now transferred over to you. Again, just so long as they did not already purchase Native using that serial number.

I would find out if the former Helix owner ever used the $300 discount that the Helix gets you for a copy of Native. Also I believe the Helix warranty is transferable if the seller can provide you with proof of purchase. I have to say if the Helix is in good working order and only a $100 more than an LT, especially if the discounted Native was still available, I would be inclined to go for the used Helix.

You could add the Line6 StageSource L2 and L3 speakers to this list as well.

I'm still waiting for them to fix the new mono reverbs. The mix parameter is not functioning properly, at least not on my Helix and I am assuming anyone else who is using the mono versions. Also would love to see a full array of mono HX reverb versions of plate, spring, hall, cave, and stadium added.

Like the OP I'm looking forward to seeing polyphonic processing arrive on the HX products but I wouldn't hold my breath. If you want the Digitech you may want to just go get it. There is absolutely no telling if and when polyphonic processing will drop into a firmware release and if so what effects it will include. The chances are minuscule that you would see anything like that in this update and given how long it is taking to get to 2.6 you probably have quite a wait until the next firmware release. With that said since the new update is supposed to be coming in approximately the next two and a half weeks or so you can always wait and see what it will include.

Are folks still finding the bug in the Mix parameter on the new mono versions of the reverbs where at 50% the reverb is not adequately in the mix? For some reason I thought I remembered a quote from Line6 staff saying this would be fixed in the 2.54 firmware but it does not appear to be. At least not for me. I hope the fix is coming in the soon to be delivered spring update(2.60?).

DI's response at The Gear Page: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/26554566/

Forum is still logging me out randomly and relatively frequently when hitting the Helix hyperlink or even using the last icon in the browser.

Yep, that was exactly the quote I was referring to. I had posted the link to it in another topic a while back but lost track of the URL. Thanks for posting it.

I suppose this could be a result of the compression settings. I would turn off one block at a time starting with the compressor and see if the undesired effect is eliminated. Also check your input block's noise gate settings. A chord strum dying out initially in the case of the noise gate, or a loud strum in the case of a compressor, could be activating the gate or compressor and clamping down on the subsequent arpeggio.

Also a good read and goes to the heart of the discussion about whether to use cuts in the cab block or in an EQ block. Didn't read the entire thread but in addition to any differences in the curve between cab and EQ cuts there was also a comment a while back from Line6 staff that the EQ blocks had some kind of adjustment to make the cut sound more "musical". No specifics on that but I will take them at their word.

I agree that the "proximity effect" where mics like an SM57 lose low end as the sound source is moved away from them can be instrumental in how they are placed. However, depending on how you are recording in the studio there can still be a need for isolation, particularly if you are going for a "live" feel that some producers prefer where you have the whole band being recorded together, at least initially, before any layering of tracks where you may just have the musicians playing a part individually.

This was a worthy read, thanks for the link. It is validating in the way of a second opinion to see many of the same recommendations regarding low/high cuts on the Fractal forum as we see on the Helix forum. Particularly in reference to using an FRFR whether it is FOH or stage monitor. One thing that strikes me as I read through the Fractal posts is that a nice feature to add to the Helix would be the ability to change the slope setting of the EQ cuts, e.g. 6db, 12db, etc. - something that has been suggested on the forum many times. There are different slopes available now however depending on whether you use cab, parametric, or crossover cuts.

Definitely many of the bugs listed here have been fixed and quite a few turned out to be issues where the user just required further assistance rather than being an actual bug.

You're right, there's a lot of potential there right now but not a whole lot of functionality that has been provided. On the Helix it does seem to solely provide a digital audio feed which is not the same as just using the D/A converted XLR connection, but that seems to be about it. Maybe the L6 Link also allows chained dual StageSource speakers used with the Helix to set them self up as left and right, don't know as I haven't tried it. On the M20d Stagescape mixers the L6 Link actually provided a graphic EQ mix if you used StageSource(L2 or L3) speakers. The graphic EQ on the mixer did not work however without Line6's L6 Linked speakers. If you did not use Line6 Stagesource speakers with your M20d mixer this was a huge drawback rather than a benefit. Would like to see better use made of the L6 Link in the future, otherwise they might as well just supply an AES/EBU connection and be done with it. Hopefully we will see some integration of the controls between the Helix and the PowerCab which would be a definite step in the right direction.

Still logging me off constantly.

Have to agree that going forward if something is labeled "L6 Link" wherever possible it should be able to communicate, preferably bidirectionally to as full an extent as possible with other Line6 devices. Much like the unification of the codebase for the HX products, the codebase and communications protocol for 'L6 Link' should be somewhat standardized across products that possess it so they can leverage as much functionality and synergy as possible. In way of an analogy, when you have a USB port, other than perhaps transmission speed you expect most USB devices to be able to be fully functional and usable with it, even if they need to take advantage of backwards compatibilty between USB versions.

That was my first thought also as I use an iPad for lyrics but it occurred to me that my notes on the iPad tend to be related to song arrangement rather than the preset involved. Plus my presets tend to change over time, it would make more sense to have preset notes attached to the preset rather than the iPad. I could see having notes on the Helix being a handy feature for specifics on the blocks in the preset being used as the OP mentioned, snapshot changes, guitar and pickup the preset/snapshot was intended for, etc..

Great idea!

Personally I vary my EQ from snapshot to snapshot and use the Global EQ for adjusting to the room or PA. However, I don't think there is any one way to do things here. Some may prefer to set up presets with minimal EQ and cuts and use the Global EQ to sculpt their overall sound. Others may use the Global EQ to switch between different guitars or switch between say an FRFR or a guitar amp as their monitor although I prefer to set up alternate presets for these contingencies. Global EQ can also be a useful tool when you are first starting out with the Helix to get a general idea of how to EQ your presets. That way you don't have to go back and edit every preset again as you gain experience with the device and get a better notion of how you want things dialed in. As you gain familiarity with the Helix you may want to turn the Global EQ off and edit each snapshot or presets' EQ individually. As has been pointed out the Global EQ can impact individual presets quite differently and some adversely - Global EQ is a blunt instrument compared to snapshot or preset level EQ. As usual with the Helix there is more than one way to go about things depending on your tone preferences, equipment, and the level of effort you are willing to expend crafting your sounds.

I probably wouldn't buy any of the following mods either, due to as has been pointed out they would most likely void the warranty, and would almost certainly cause future firmware updates to fail or have issues. There are those who will dislike many of these options anwyay. Some of them are more in the realm of a firmware than hardware mod (think UNO/Behringer chip) and put a few of these together and they might triple the price of the Helix but I think they would make a bigger difference offering mods such as: Additional impedance adjustable guitar inputs for acoustic/electric USB port for additional preset and IR storage, backup save/restore, as well as loop saving on a USB memory stick. Would love to see this as an option. DSP chip upgrades or additions Mod to allow any existing footswitch to be used for any function One sustained press on a footswitch takes you directly into foot editing mode for that effect (like the Headrush) A more sophisticated setlist management system (also already on the Headrush) Built in wireless (I prefer an external wireless but I know some folks would want this, especially if they made a wireless that worked with Variax guitars) Touch screen capability Compatibility upgrades for older Variax guitar models Compatibility upgrades for certain Line6 amps like the DT series Direct settings management of the new Powercab speakers from the Helix (I could see this coming anyway from Line6 at some point) Multiple global EQs or guitar profiles and the ability to bypass cabs and/or amps globally Additional External Amp and/or CV output Enhanced looper with more memory (would go well with the USB port idea above for saving loops) Plugin engine to allow onboard plugins to be looped into Helix signal path Coffee maker, fog machine, and fondue pot

As you are probably aware the toe switch can be used for activate/bypass operation of a block although as Phil pointed out I know of no method currently for it to be used to switch back and forth between a min and max or for example a slow/fast parameter on a block. It can however be assigned for multiple blocks' bypass states. So if you wanted to do something simple like activate/bypass a 'Rotary Vibe', boost, distortion, or volume block you can assign that block's "Bypass" parameter to "EXP Pedal Toe". The ability to assign multiple blocks to the "EXP Pedal Toe" switch would allow you to for example to switch between two instances of the same effect which might accomplish the parameter setting change for you. This allows you to set one instance of the block speed parameter to slow and one to fast and to activate one block while the other is bypassed using the toe switch. Of course, snapshots can achieve all of the same results using less DSP but the dual blocks approach with toe switch would allow you to achieve this from within a single snapshot or preset. It might be easier just to assign one of the other footswitches rather than the toe switch to the Vibe Rotary's "Speed" parameter and use that instead of the toe switch. Don't know if that works with your usage scenario though. Also, haven't delved into this and I don't even know if the MIDI implementation is granular enough on the effects to accomplish what you are attempting but as the toe switch can issue MIDI commands I wonder if you can get some additional control over the parameter you need to change by using the MIDI loopback approach using a short cable to loop MIDI commands assigned to the toe switch back into the Helix.

Me too.