HonestOpinion

Every now and then I seem to end up constructing a preset that really accentuates unwanted string noise to the point where is close to or as loud as the guitar signal. String noise as in when you can hear every little slide and bit of friction applied by your fingers to the strings as if there was a microphone right next to your hands. It tends to happen more often as you would expect on higher gain tones but also sometimes on clean sounds. Haven't really analyzed it well enough to know whether it is a particular amp model or setting, EQ issue, compressor or other effect setting or whatever. When I do stumble across these I start mucking about with my amp settings and EQ primarily, bypassing effect blocks, etc. and generally trying to locate the source of the string noise but I have not really discovered the magic bullet. Most recently I am encountering it on a preset based on the 'Archetype Lead' amp set up for higher gain crunch and lead snapshots. Anyone have any specific suggestions in general on what the most likely sources of string noise are and what to tweak to minimize it? I believe I have tried most of the more obvious cuts in the mids and highs but I seem to be missing something and could use some more specific suggestions. Could it be a pad or impedance setting? I usually use 'Auto' for the impedance unless I am using a fuzz block or something else that requires custom impedance settings. It happens on different guitars with different strings so it does not seem to be linked to one guitar, particular string set, or set of (microphonic)pickups.

Instant commands are also sent with snapshot changes.

I feel the same way and have had this in IdeaScale since October 2015. Seems like years ago. ;) Vote here: https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-text-labels-and-or-customizable-Icons/787888-23508#idea-tab-comments UPDATE: Modified idea to include the use of text labels as a first choice. Second choice would be to allow custom labels where the user could design or use icons that were more meaningful to them or even an icon that included desired text.

LOL, funny you should mention it, as you may know they actually do make a less extreme version of your suggestion for headstocks that is supposed to add sustain. Great idea if you want to add some neck dive and an unsightly appendage to your guitar. ;) https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FatFingerG?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5M3MvoOS2QIVQQOGCh3lkgacEAQYASABEgJLv_D_BwE

Still hoping for an effect like the FreqOut to come to the Helix. I'll bet the players using IEMs feel even more strongly about it. Coincidentally I just learned the solo from an oldie but a goodie, BOC's "Don't Fear The Reaper" and was looking to nail that long sustained note coming out of the solo. Cool video! Not to nitpick but for anyone trying to replicate this I just wanted to mention I think the guy in the video misspoke and he is actually using a 5th above the octave, not the seventh he states in the video. Assuming the Axe-FX is setting the pitch block intervals in half-step semi-tones, nineteen would be seven half-steps above the octave(19 semi-tones total; 12 for the octave and 7 for the 5th) making it a fifth above the octave. If anyone has some more ideas on how to get a long sustained feedback/harmonic out of the Helix other than the traditional methods of perhaps getting the right setting on a compressor or overdrive, cranking things up, pick harmonic technique, shaking the hell out of the string, working the whammy, facing your pickup into your monitor/amp, etc., I would love to hear them.

Thanks for posting this! You highlight the fact that as long as you are not interested in doing a full state backup before going to HX Edit (2.3 at the moment) it looks like it is no problem going directly from an old version of the Editor/Firmware to what is currently the latest without an interim update. A particularly handy piece of information for people who have just received a new Helix and don't have to be concerned yet about restoring full backups (setlists, IRs, and global settings). Here is the quote from the HX Edit 2.3 release notes: - Full State Backup and Restore—Helix supports the all-new HX Edit application’s ability to perform full-state backup and restore. IMPORTANT! You MUST be running Helix firmware 2.20 or higher to use full state backup and restore!

If it works anything like the Helix and you were on a Windows PC it may be because installing the latest HX Edit package by default also installs the latest Windows driver for the HX Effects. This is assuming the update procedure for the HX Effects is similar to that of the the Helix. Good chance it is as they have been attempting to unify the codeline and update process for the entire HX family of devices. The best practice for an upgrade is, after backing up, to always download and install the version of HX Edit that matches the version of the firmware you will be upgrading to. The HX Edit download when installed will, by default, unpack the HX Editor, Updater, and if you are on Windows, the driver that matches the target firmware version. Downloading just the Updater and updating the firmware is usually a bad plan and will usually leave you with mismatched versions of the Editor and firmware as well as sometimes an old driver version(if you are on Windows). This can definitely cause all kinds of problems with everything from firmware updates, Editor backups, crashes, effects from the new firmware that will not be available in your old Editor version, and overall unpredictable behavior on the Editor. Easy to avoid all that by downloading/installing the correct version of the HX Edit package.

Sounds like sound advice. If I remember correctly the Helix only had a library function app when it was first released and I must say it was still well worth using the Helix until the full Editor arrived. Some devices never get Editors or they have to be written by a third unaffiliated party so you are already ahead of the game.

I get your point but I don't think this analogy holds. Learning how to use the tuner is in no way "exactly like learning how to dial in the tones you want". If someone told you that the only way to get a good tone out of your Helix was to use only one particular pickup, with your tone knob set a in a certain manner, and only pick your guitar a certain way, you would politely decline and move to another modeler. The suggestions for better tones require you to make changes on the Helix or your monitoring equipment, they don't demand that you change your playing style or the settings on your guitar. The closest suggestion that fits your analogy was the one to change the input on the tuner from "Multi" to "Guitar". That does seem to help a bit but does not get many of us all of the way there (depending on your guitars and your performance requirements). Most people generally understand how the tuner works, they don't have to "learn" it, some of them just think it requires improvement or an alternate mode. Tuning is a vastly less complex process than learning how to use an advanced modeler properly to get a good tone. There are no elaborate options to tweak the operation of the tuner like there are with your tones. Additionally, tweaking your tones happens ideally before the gig and happens on the Helix. We are being asked to change our tuning methods that work just fine on most other tuners but don't seem to yield great results on the Helix. That might be acceptable if not for the fact that most of the suggested adjustments for proper Helix tuning unfortunately add even more of a delay to the time required to tune properly and still don't guarantee a good result. Generally you have the tone you want nailed with a preset or snapshot before you get to the show and the only reason you change your pickup or tone knob on the guitar is because it fits the tune. You don't want to have to do it twice, once to tune, and then again to reset for the song. Just my opinion, this never ending debate has plenty of traction on both sides. So we can keep the suggestions for how to tune, or recommendations for alternate tuners rolling for now but ultimately you are never going to convince those having a problem with it that the ideal solution wouldn't be a Helix tuner that suits a wider user base, any more than users having an issue with the tuner are going to convince the folks it is working fine for that it needs modification. Btw, if it was not for the fact that the Helix tuner is so freaking convenient and has such a large graphical display with so much potential I would have abandoned this tired discussion long ago and just resigned myself to using a third party tuner forever. I think this tuner is worth improving, it's a beaut. Additionally fast tuning is such a necessary core function for performing that it is not IMHO a minor issue easily ignored. Round and round we go, checking out for a while again. :huh:

I see the comment you are referring to in the release notes. - HX Effects support: HX Effects can now utilize the HX Edit application as a preset librarian and IR loader. Full preset editing capability is coming to HX Edit spring of 2018 Sorry to hear this. Gonna be a long Winter for HX Effects owners if they wait until Spring to fix this. For what it's worth it is not that unusual in the industry for it to take a bit after the release of a device for the Editor to appear and judging by the "Full preset editing" capability comment it sounds like you might be able to stumble along with partial functionality until then. Not an ideal scenario I grant you. Did you actually get a response in your support ticket that this was the cause of this error message?

Just spitballing here because I only have a Helix. Is there a global reset option on the HX Effects? I wonder if it might help to backup the presets, do a global reset, and then restore the presets. If the HX Effects is anything like the Helix you will have to restart the HX Effects one last time after the restore to allow the presets to rebuild. Not saying this is the case but a lot of people would also get errors similar to this from the Helix due to either a corrupt preset or zero length IR or because even though they had updated the firmware they had neglected to download the latest version of the Editor. Make sure you check the About section in the Editor menu and ensure that you have the newest version that matches your firmware version. Also, sometimes it is best to actually uninstall the old Editor version and then reinstall. Update: You can probably disregard my suggested possible fixes above. Judging by later posts in this thread this may be a known issue with, barring an interim fix(always possible), Line6 planning to release a fully functional editor for the HX Effects at some point in the spring.

I am not familiar with the update routine for the HX Effects as I don't have one (yet). Here are a couple of suggestions though if the process is anything like updating a Helix. Connect via USB and start the HX Effects before starting the Updater. As you observed the Updater will not be able to see the HX Effects otherwise and you won't even be able to begin the process. Try every USB port on your computer until hopefully one of them works without crashing the Updater. Make sure you don't have anything else unnecessary hooked to the USB ports for the duration of your testing. If the crashes continue, reboot your computer and consider uninstalling the updater and then reinstalling. Make sure you have the correct version of the Updater, you may even want to download it again to make sure it is not corrupted somehow. If that does not work try to find another computer to do the update with. At least on the Helix these kinds of issues were often related to specific USB ports not working properly with the Helix or sometimes specific computers or versions of the OS. And of course there is always Line6 support who can usually lend a hand. Good luck!

:)

Not sure if you were referring to my comment above, if so, allow me to clarify. If they ever do provide the ability to fill a few slots in each effects category(Mod, Delay, etc.) with your own customized copy of a block with the parameters that you always use pre-selected, chances are you would be allowed to name it whatever you wanted to differentiate it from the effect names already provided by Line6. In other words you might rename your customized version of the Vermin distortion "MyVermin". Since the default behavior of the scribble strips already is to reflect whatever effect name you assign to the footswitch, your footswitch would automatically pick up on your custom name, as it does now with the Line6 names and read "MyVermin". That is why I was saying if user customized blocks get added in a future update he might get his wish at least on the issue of not having to rename the effect. They will still have to be assigned to a footswitch manually but I would think would show up with your cutom name. Pure speculation though, who knows what the future holds.

The Helix can absolutely utilize both chips. Although each Path (1 & 2) is allotted one DSP each, you can use a Super Serial(x2) routing scheme to leverage them both into one long path that uses both DSPs. That and the fact that right now the Helix only allows one split per Path is why I think rd2rk was suggesting the option of an external splitter box. That way if you decided you wanted to continue using your own audio interface rather than the Helix's you would not have to compromise or juggle in any way with the full routing flexibility or DSP allotment options on the Helix.

Interesting approach. I must confess like other posters here I have never found the need to have separate channels on the mixer for rhythm and lead. But you asked about some alternative suggestions on how to go about this so here goes. Was wondering if it might not be possible to use one or even two sends set right before the output block set when activated to route all the output to the sends instead of the Output block, (or just assign the 'Level' parameter on the Output block to go to -120db when you stomp the "lead" footswitch or snapshot so there is no sound out other than the Send(s)). You would assign the sends to activate when you hit your "lead" snapshot or stomp. If that works it should allow you to preserve your stereo signal path, as well as perhaps simplify your current panning requirements. In short, leverage the Send block(s).

Outstanding, thanks for this info kylotan! I stand corrected, was not even aware of this feature as I tend to do all of my setlist reorganization through the Editor. Looks like this would be a nice feature to add to the Editor (assuming it is not already there, don't want to be incorrect twice). I usually preface all of my statements about these kinds of matters with "As far as I am aware of", reminder to self, keep doing that. ;)

At the risk of sounding ageist I have to admit you did just find the exception to the rule, you may need to discount a significant number of those reviews and probably safer to provide plastic forks. ;)

Btw, no pressure but if you feel so inclined please save off a backup of at least one of those split color presets and upload it to DropBox or attach it to a message. I am sure many of us would love to see if it does the same thing on our Helices and if so, why. Hopefully it doesn't permanently corrupt something but I find that highly unlikely. :)

You are way behind on your firmware version so that is probably a good move(get backups first) but I would not be surprised if this is an issue with corrupt presets or presets created with an Editor that did not match the firmware. Recreating one of the affected presets from scratch might be a good test. When you do upgrade make sure you have the correct Editor version to match whatever firmware version you go to. You are going to have to go through the interim firmware release 2.20 or 2.21 first before you can get to the latest 2.30 firmware. Make sure to pay close attention to the firmware release notes and update instructions. The 2.50 firmware is also ready to drop any day now so you have some work ahead of you to get on the latest and greatest. Well worth it though! Again, make sure you get good backups every step of the way. I suggest getting bundles, setlists, and individual presets backed up but I am extra thorough that way.

There is no way to swap presets right now. You could probably edit the backup files directly and pull it off but at that point you might as well cut and paste.

Hmm, the fact that it is capable of showing solid colors on some/most presets certainly holds out excellent hope that perhaps you have some corrupt presets or maybe a firmware issue and not a hardware problem. If it is the presets I would love to see them so I can recreate this effect on my Helix. :P

Heh, very psychedelic. I would try upgrading to a more recent version of the firmware or maybe sticking with that one forever it looks so cool. Seriously though, it is not supposed to do that. Unless this is photoshopped I suggest you try upgrading the firmware, if that does not fix it I would contact Line6 there might be a problem with the LED rings. There is no "split-color" option on the Helix. :)

Although I grant you there is a little bit more technique required for proper tuning, responding to an experienced guitarist who is having a problem with the tuner with recommendations on how to tune is like responding to a Yelp restaurant review by telling everyone who posted a negative review "no their meal was fine, they just did not eat it correctly". Short of sticking the fork in their cheek or smothering everything with ketchup you can probably safely assume they have mastered the complicated art of dining out. I get that people are just trying to help with techniques that minimize the problem and it is appreciated. It is of course expected that there may be a few novices or outliers with ridiculous expectations or complaints who can be discounted. Enough negative reviews though would generally steer you (and the restaurant owner) towards thinking there is an issue with the food or service and not the people dining there. I know the community is just trying to be helpful but the problem here is not with tuning technique. Others are trying to assist with suggestions to use alternate tuners but it still appears the best outcome would be to provide either a different "performance" mode for the tuner that is not as sensitive or an overall more stable tuner that finds the right balance between speed(stability) and sensitivity(granularity).

I think Tehzim may have the answer here. Set up some preset/snapshot "templates" that have your preferred scribble strip names and their corresponding footswitch assignments and start off your new presets by copying in either the entire preset or the snapshot you prefer from your template. That should save you some time renaming stomps as well as assigning them. Many people use footswitches for the same type of stomp, e.g. distortion in the same footswitch position in every preset anyway. As phil_m points out, it appears that, per design, names are tied to the assignment right now and this does sound like the intended behavior. Given the current architecture to do what you are asking would require some new and fairly complex behavior on the HX Effects(or Helix) where you had an "Assignment Copy" function that not only copied all the stomps potentially assigned to a footswitch but also any CV or MIDI commands. Not to speak of having to reconcile issues like the fact that the preset you are trying to copy into may not have enough blocks or DSP left for everything connected to that footswitch assignment. Also, what order would it put those blocks in, especially if those blocks were already allotted to other effects? You would have to have some kind of "override" prompt that just overlayed them on top of whatever blocks you already had set up in that preset. I think this would probably be a fairly substantial and labor intensive coding operation and unlikely to happen any time soon or maybe ever. However, maybe they could pull this off as they already have the footswitch swap capability coded in. That would appear to be a much simpler operation though. Or I guess they could provide a simpler extremely limited assignment copy that only worked on single stomp assignments and brought the name and maybe the LED ring color along. If Line6 gets around at some point to providing some custom slots where you can save an effect with a custom name and your preferred settings you may get your wish without having to use a "template" copy and paste approach. I know that feature has gotten a lot of upvotes on Ideascale. Either way, even if you had custom effects blocks you would have to copy them in and then still potentially have to manually assign them to a footswitch. One way or another some manual interaction is going to be required.