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Hi Not sure if it helps you any but DMXIS and Helix can play very nicely on a Windows 10 laptop with no other programs or interfaces. I have it set up to do pretty much what you want ie use snapshot changes to trigger change of lighting presets in DMXIS. I also have a separate fottswitch pluggged in to the DMXIS jack input so I can also just change to the next lighting preset without having to change snapshots. This gives you the option to have more lighting presets than Helix snapshots. Unfortunately I can't really advise on your setup on Mac. I know there was one midi instruction that had to be altered as a global on Helix but it may have been something you have already done. The Helix by default is set up to send a midi command everytime you change preset or snapshot [i think] and this has to be disabled to allow your commands to work correctly. It was a while ago and I can't remember clearly but if you haven't done that let me know and I'll go onto my Helix and try and find it.

The editor can already do this. In a preset where you have the stomp set to your liking you just need to right click on the stomp and select "Save block". Then go to your new preset and right click on an empty block and select "Paste block".

Agreed. All my patches and snapshots are set up for Variax. I'm not going to risk having to go through every patch and amend it, or worse still, potentially lose lots of information completely. It's dissapointing that some of the recent firmware releases have such basic and easily identified bugs.

Happy holidays to everyone. If anyone out there is thinking about buying this pack here is my initial thoughts. I had been thinking of taking the plunge on purchasing some presets for a while and these were top of my list. With the special offer on until today I finally decided to treat myself for Xmas and purchased them yesterday. I had a full setlist prepared on the Helix that I had made up myself and was happy with it. It was better sounds than I have ever had and I had received nothing but complimentary comments. But I also knew that my patches tended to be basic and there was some extra polish that could be applied. For me, and all this is of course subjective, this pack of presets does exactly that. I have only had a few hours with it so far but I know that I am going to completely recreate my setlist using these patches as the basis of all my patches. Apart from the learning about programming the Helix that is possible from these patches the main thing is the quality and professionalisn that is inherent in the sounds themselves. I am VERY happy with them. They will be the backbone of a completely new setlist of patches (after I've finished just enjoying playing for many hours, I'm currently on the Heavy 5150 1 patch and loving it). If you are thinking about getting them I don't think you will regret it. I certainly haven't :)

Or volume and tone controls on your guitar if it is a Variax.

I have a Helix and a JTV-89F and they are a wonderful one size fits all combination. I play classic rock and for that I want a lot of different sounds that I can change to easily and quickly. I use mainly the Les Paul, Stratocaster, Telecaster and acoustic models. The only time I use the magnetics is on Stairway To Heaven when I want an acoustic and electric sound simultaneously. Everywhere else I use the modelling and only ever get praise for my sound, even from the rest of the band. The ability to change amp, effects, tuning, guitar type, pick up type and anything else I need with just one footswitch press is fantastic. As with most things it's each to their own but I can't see me changing anytime soon.

Just as an update if anyone is curious (whilst I am still waiting to try it out with actual lights) I have been able to send midi note on messages to a midi keyboard so it will be easy to send them to the DMX controller. You have to use Command Centre but the only way to send note on messages is with the footswitches, not the instants. It's no problem though as you just save the footswitch in an "on" state and everytime you select that snapshot it will send the note on message. Just save the relevant note on message with each snapshot and you're good to go. Every snapshot can have it's own lighting scene. Awesome :) Thanks again.

Thanks to all who've commented but this is how I was hoping to proceed. Our band has access to lights and a DMX controller board so the setting up of the scenes is taken care of (when I get my hands on them). As mdmayfield suggested I have read the section Snapshots>Command Centre in the manual and (if I read it correctly) it seems possible to send midi note on messages with the change of a snapshot as you say. I'm sure there will initially be a bit of trial and error but at least I know it is all possible. Thanks

Hello all Just a quick question regarding using Helix to control DMX lights with midi. Firstly is it possible in general, and secondly is it possible that every time I select a Snapshot a midi message could be sent that would select a specific lighting pattern or combination? I don't really want to control the lights via the footswitches in Stomp mode (although that could work). It would be better to map the changes to switches that I already press i.e. the Snapshot changes. Any help or advice gratefully received.

It should work if you use pitch shifter to raise everything by an octave, then use the Variax tunings on the input block to lower the first two strings (E and B ) by an octave which will return them to the their original pitch, and also raise the low E string by an octave which would leave that sounding two octaves higher than it originally does. Not sure how effective it will sound but the pitches should be what you need.

Well said. Can't add much to that. The reason I play guitar is because of what a guitar is and sounds like. Experiment all you want but if you want to make music that sounds like a synth rather than a guitar, then play a synth.

I've got the red and with the Helix it is an incredibly powerful combination. Definitely worth waiting for :)

The Helix is my first multifx from Line 6 so I can't comment with reference to the HD500 (I previously used the Boss GT boards). But two things to bear in mind if the HD500 is anything like the GT100. Firstly the Helix sounds much more impressive through any system and secondly the Helix has space for loads more presets (over 1,000) and these are broken up into different set lists so all you need to is copy your patches to another set list and tweak them for use through a PA. After you have done it once you can just choose whichever set list you need on any given night. I have one set list for a Variax guitar and another set list for a standard guitar but you could just as easily have two for PA and guitar amp.

I saw a post on rewiring a Roland EV-5 to be used as a Helix Exp pedal. http://line6.com/support/topic/16994-need-expression-pedal-help/?hl=expression+pedal&do=findComment&comment=152555 I can assure you that this mod does work on this pedal. I use an EV-5 plugged into Exp 3 as a general volume pedal for all patches. It hardly gets altered during a gig but it is always available just in case. Then I can use Exp 1 and Exp 2 for anything else on a patch by patch basis eg Wah

It's not just you ;)

Yes that is right. I went through the same process as you and only discovered the Variax after looking at the Helix. I went for the JTV89F as I also wanted a tremolo (showing our age a bit there lol). A couple of differences from the Strat model, the JTV has 24 frets and the tunings supplied already loaded on the guitar are different on both models. The JTV89F is set up more for shredding tunings and the 69 more for classic rock. But since you can preprogram the tunings into the patch as HonestOpinion mentioned the tunings on the guitar are immaterial. They can all be overwritten on the guitar anyway. What I would say is my 89F plays beautifully and with the Helix I can get pretty much any sound I want. I am really happy I took the plunge. Like you I couldn't find one in store to try so I just went ahead and ordered it. It's pretty much the only guitar I play now. Having the different sounds and the immediate retuning after a patch change (with no change of tension in the strings) means I can play a 12 string acoustic guitar sound with the ease of a well set up electric guitar. Awesome :)

Most pros? Not all then. What does Joe Satriani think? Or David Gilmour? Oh, of course, they don't own a Helix. Still thanks for telling me what I should think........

"we generally don't want that kind of feature getting in the way" Is that the royal "we"?

The last few things I have ordered from DV247 have all been shipped from Germany so I assume that is where their main warehouse is. I got my Helix from there at the beginning of December. I was checking a few sites daily and one morning they were showing three. I ordered mine and checked later that day and the others had gone too.

I get what you are saying about one patch per song, and I could certainly do it on some songs, but I play more or less exclusively using Varaix modelling and also have different tunings within songs which it isn't currently possible to manage within one preset. As for your second point, if that works that would be ideal if the variax volume knob only affected the Helix output volume and not the actual guitar output volume (which might be set to eg 50% for the sound required for that particular patch). Do you know if that is the case?

Hello all I play my Helix on a Variax guitar, the JTV89F. I play classic rock covers and have the Helix set up with 2, 3 or 4 presets per song. I'm currently using the built in expression pedal as an output volume control and everything works fine. What I would like to do is free up the expression for other things (I know that the expression pedal is really 2 pedals in one but it is problematic when using the toe switch as it can affect the volume before and after the change). I have experimented with using the volume control on the Variax to control the volume block output but can't find a way to do that in a global way like you can with the built in expression pedal. I currently have the Variax tone and volume controls saved in each preset as I try to keep on stage adjustments to a minimum. The question is, is there a way to control the output volume of the Helix with the Variax volume knob that carries over from patch to patch?

I use quite a few patches and need to switch patches during a song. I play almost exclusively through the modelling part of a Variax JTV89F and so I have the Helix set up to control the Variax model and pick up changes through preset changes (as well as amp and effect changes of course). Consequently the latency is something that I cannot avoid. Most of my patches use only one path and I have just been using path A for convenience. Does anyone know if Path B, if it isn't involved with OS tasks and loading, would be the better option? Then processor A would be loading and unloading amps and effects from Processor B. Or would it be better to spread the chain across both paths? Or alternatively have alternate patches on Path A then Path B then Path A etc as then the amps and effects wouldn't need to be loaded and unloaded from the same path. Hope that makes sense and someone has the answers :)

Thanks for this. You have stated the case very well. There is a poster on here saying he is convinced the Helix works exactly as planned when that is obviously not the case. Just as one example Digital Igloo has stated that he wanted the ability to change settings on the Variax within a single preset but that this wasn't accomplished for launch. That is still a goal so it may be that other things are also being addressed as we speak. I, like you, think that problems should be raised and, hopefully, addressed. The Helix is a fantastic unit and any improvements will only make it better. That is not to say it is perfect is all we are saying :)

Thank you for posting this. The information and your time and effort is much appreciated. As an aside I also want to thank you for your acoustic guitar patch listed elsewhere on this forum. I think you designed it for a real acoustic guitar but I can assure you it works really well and is the basis of all my acoustic patches for my Variax acoustic settings. Thanks again.

As an aforementioned Variax owner this is probably the best thing I have read on this forum. Please keep it up towards the top of your list ;)