DBCrocky

All Variaxes come with the USB interface. If you've lost it, or you bought a used Variax and didn't get the USB interface with it, that's hardly Line6's fault. You'll have to suck it up and find/borrow a USB interface. Line6 will sell you one if needed so you can reflash your guitar.

I do like the feature. Here is my workaraound: When starting out the patch, I FIRST set my snapshots of all switches. Usually I have five, on the bottom five buttons. So I set Footswitch 7 = Snapshot 1, Footswitch 8 = Snapshot 2, Footswitch 8 = Snapshot 3, Footswitch 9 = Snapshot 4, and Footswitch 10 = Snapshot 5. The trick is to make these assignments before actually ever changing the current snapshot in the patch. Now, when I go to Snapshot 2, it starts out with all of the snapshot Footswitches set, and I can start making changes for that snapshot. Hope this helps, Dave

Hey folks, I bought the guitar from Sweetwater. They were excellent and overnighted me another, and it works great. They even gave me a Fex Ex ticket for free shipping of the defective guitar back. Thanks for everyone's help.

Punkyboy - thanks, I've done all that and it works on my JTV-59. But not on the new JTV-69s I just got. silverhead - When I go into Line6 Monkey, it shows the Variax USB Interface, but not the Flash Memory. I have the interface plugged into the JTV-69s, a charged battery installed, a 1/4" cable plugged in, and the models selected with a light on the model knob on. Looks like the guitar is defective. :(

Thanks, I will try that this evening.

Yes, same VDI cable. I plug it into my JTV-59, it controls model and tuning, and turns on the modelling when I switch patches. Plug the same cable into the JTV-69S, and it does not turn on the modelling or control the model and tuning.

I just got a new Variax JTV-69S. It seems my Helix cannot change the models or the tuning. The same patches work to control my Variax JTV-59. Is there some setting I am missing, or is my JTV-69S defective?

Thank You PerS! I have ordered some of the ones that look right, will let everyone know if they work, and of course I will post pics!

Hi - I am wanting to make a few decorative grill cloth/frames for my PowerCab 212. I was wondering if anyone knows what the small plastic round connectors are, the ones that are attached to the grill cloth frame and fit into the holes in the cabinet to attach the grill cloth. Names, part numbers, places to purchase if possible. Any info at all is appreciated. Thanks Dave

You can tap the send from your Rectifier preamp without sending it a return back, it's not a problem. Or you might try this: Guitar -> Helix Input Helix Send 1 @ instrument level -> Rectifier Preamp Input Rectifier Preamp Main (Live) Output (just use one of them...) -> Helix Return 2 @ Line Level Helix Outputs @ line level -> Power Amp Inputs In this setup you don't even use the FX Loop of the Rectifier Preamp. On my Triaxis, using the Output instead of the Send includes the volume knob on the front panel, so I can turn it down and use the same Send set @ instrument level. - or - You can set the send/return block to Line Level and turn down the send level of the block, as rd2rk suggested. (The issue is that a your rectifier preamp definitely takes and instrument level input, and probably sends line level out of the output for a power amp.) Another little trick is to use the circular output block at the end of the first line/DSPchip as your Send, and then use the circular input block the beginning of your bottom line/DSPchip for your Return. The Return input block will have a Noise Gate built in. This can save you two or three blocks, but has the side effect of putting all the pre-Rectifier blocks on one DSP chip and the post-Rectifier chips on the other. However, since you are not using any Amp/Cab models in the Helix, processing power limitations probably won't be an issue for you. Yet another option would be to run Helix -> Rectifier -> Power Amp. This means all of your effects, including delays and reverbs, run before the Rectifier, but a lot of folks put delays and reverbs on their pedalboards and run them into their amps and are just fine with it. It all comes down to what you prefer. It also turns your rig effectively mono, so that might be a dealbreaker for you. EDIT: I just looked at the Rectifier Preamp manual, and it doesn't look like you can completely turn off the dry signal back to the FX Loop return, you can only turn it down to 10%) Also, on page 12 there are a couple of paragraphs that basically say people prefer the sound by NOT using the FX Loop.

I ran something very similar with my Mesa Boogie Mark I reissue: Helix Send 3 @ instrument level -> Mark I Guitar Input Mark I FX Loop Send (level knob maxed) -> Helix Return 4 @ line level Helix Main Output @ line level -> Mark 1 FX Loop Return I always get some hum from a tube preamp, I put a Noise Gate Block directly after the preamp return or send/return block. If the hum is too loud that it is noticeable against the guitar volume, I would look at the preamp, possibly it needs to have a gnd switch flipped or just better conditioned power or a tube replaced...etc. Sorry if any of this is repeated from above. Anyways, you will always get a little hum from the tube power amp as well. I recently switched to a Line6 Powercab, I use a Triaxis preamp always followed by a Noise Gate block, and I get complete silence when I am not playing, even at extremely loud levels, it's a bit spooky! Edit: Not sure why you are running back through the Rectifier preamp to get to your power amp. Have you tried running directly from the Helix to your power amp? Edit: You are using a LOT of gain - rectifier gain on 9 and sending it a boosted signal, that is going to create a lot of hum.

After much experimentation, I have found using an Amp model without a cab in conjunction with a real tube preamp on an effect loop into the PowerCab to be a really nice sound. Also, just a real tube preamp directly into the powercab without any Helix amp/preamp/cab models at all is excellent as well. If you are just going to use Helix w/o an external tube preamp, I think the Amp models do a better job then just the Preamp models. Just how I hear it, YMMV.

So FYI, I just found out today you can order the Mission Ep-1-L6 from the Mission Engineering site with a Spring Load option. This means when you take your foot off, a spring will return the pedal to heel position. Then in Bypass assign for your wah/effect, you can turn the wah off when the pedal is in heel position, on otherwise. Now you've got the Morley Bad Horsey type wah where you turn it on just by pushing the pedal, and when you take your foot off the spring will put the pedal into heel position, turning it off. No having to use a toe switch! This is for Helix, not sure if the feature is available in HX Effects...

I don't generally use large ambient reverbs, I am sure you are correct.

A reverb hint that I really like is to turn the PreDelay up to about 130ms