gbr13697

If 2.80 or 2.81 rebuilds on every start-up, it will show the numbers of the presets it is rebuilding. They do go by pretty quickly, but they can be read. This will give an indication of which presets are causing the problem. There are 128 in each setlist, and they all go up sequentially from 0 to 127. 128 will be the first preset in the second setlist. So preset 500 would be the 116th (500-128-128-128) preset in the 4th setlist, or Preset number 115 counting from 0. I quickly found that 0-220 (Factory Presets), and another range starting 897 (Factory Templates), and a few others dotted around, were rebuilding every time I switched on. The Factory Presets and Templates were easy enough to get rid of by backing up all the setlists, installing the 2.80 presets, and then restoring my User setlists. This left just a few that were rebuilding each time. Once I deleted those the problem was resolved. These were presets I had created a long time ago, and were derived from old Factory Presets or Templates, and I no longer used them. Of course, if you have a lot of working presets derived from old Factory presets or templates, it will be rather more of a problem. The update from 2.6 to 2.7 did not cause me any problems. This all started with 2.80. Presets created from scratch rebuild OK, and I assume Factory Presets from 2.7 and anything derived from 2.7 Factory Presets or Templates are OK or a lot more people would have problems. It is just much older Factory Presets, Factory Templates, and anything created from them, that screw up.

I had the problem of 2.80 constantly rebuilding presets on every start-up, and I have contributed to a couple of threads about constant rebuilds and corrupted presets. I isolated the problem to "old" Factory Preset and Factory Template setlists, AND any user presets that were derived from those old Factory Presets or Factory Templates. I don't know how old they were because, at some stage, I stopped installing the Factory Presets and Factory Templates with each successive update. They were certainly earlier than 2.7, and leebee implies that he was still using 2.6. Some of the presets he is using may have been created from Factory Presets or Templates earlier than that. As far as 2.80 and 2.81 are concerned, these earlier Factory Presets and Templates are corrupt, and they will not work. 2.80 and 2.81 will try (and fail) to rebuild them on every start-up. My solution was to get rid of the "vintage" Factory Presets and Factory Templates bu overwriting them with the new 2.80 sets. I also had to delete the (thankfully few) user presets that were based on these old factory presets or templates. You can isolate the problem presets by noting which ones are rebuilt on start-up.

I got this problem after the update to 2.80 after restoring my setlists. They included some old Factory Preset and Template setlists, and some presets in my User setlists that were based on some of these old factory presets and templates. They were probably earlier than the ones that came with 2.7, but I don't know which firmware update they came with. For the last few updates I just updated the firmware and BTS, and did not bother with new factory presets. To stop the Helix rebuilding on every switch-on I had to install the new 2.80 factory presets and templates, overwriting these old ones, and I had to delete any derivatives of these presets and templates from my own user setlists. Rebuilds then stopped. I updated to 2.81 without any problems. It does seem that older Helix presets do cause this problem, and the same may well apply to presets imported from other Helix hardware.

Problem solved, for me at least. I weeded out the Factory Preset and Factory Template copies and derivatives from my User Setlists, and backed up all my User Setlists. I then installed the 2.80 Factory Presets and Templates. To save some space I moved the new Templates to unused presets in Factory Preset 2 setlist. I then imported back my User Setlists, and my own Template setlist. On restart the Helix rebuilt everything other than the new 2.80 Factory Setlists. Then on a subsequent restart - no rebuild. It appears conclusive that the problem was caused by, presumably corrupted, Factory Setlists and anything copied or derived from them. I don't know which firmware update these Factory Setlists and Templates came with. I have had the Helix since December 2017. I probably installed new sets of Factory Setlists with some firmware updates, but skipped them later on. In any event, I am pleased that the problem was not caused by any of my own carefully crafted presets, but by presets supplied by Line 6! It is probably a good idea to regard installation of the 2.80 presets as preferred rather than optional, but do back up first because the 2.80 presets will wipe everything else in all setlists. I will retain copies of the problem Factory Setlists and Factory Templates in case they are of any use in solving compatibility issues.

I have opened a Support Ticket: "Helix is rebuilding presets on every start-up. These appear to be all Factory Presets that came with a firmware update earlier than 2.80, or copies of some of these presets copied to other setlists, or modifications of Factory Presets in other setlists. On advice of Silverhead in the forum I switched on and noted rebuilt presets, and switched off without touching anything else. I have repeated this process more than 5 times with the same result. Presets 0-220, 520, 897-915 are rebuilt every time. These are all Factory Presets from earlier firmware, or derivatives from them. I have not installed the 2.80 Factory Presets. Silverhead recommended opening a Support Ticket as this is not "expected behaviour". I fully expect this problem to disappear if I install the 2.80 Factory presets or at least get rid of the old ones and any derivatives. However you may wish to revise your advice as to whether installing 2.80 presets is optional, and whether it is advisable to restore or import any presets that are based on old Factory Presets."

I have done as Silverhead suggested. Helix rebuilt 1-220, 520, 897, and 900-915. I repeated this 5 times with exactly the same result each time. 1-220 are the first 2 setlists - i.e.Factory Presets, which remain in situ from the last time that such presets came with a firmware update. I have not imported the new presets that came with 2.80. 897 and 900-915 are "selections" from the Factory Presets that I copied to a "User Template" setlist as I thought I might use elements from them at some time. I'm not too sure about 520, but it is possible that it started out as a Factory Preset that was subsequently edited. It appears that all of the presets that are being rebuilt are Line 6 Helix Factory Presets (or modifications thereof) that came with a firmware release earlier than 2.80. Should I raise a support ticket, or just delete them, or overwrite them with the new 2.80 Factory presets?

HonestOpinion - It is quite likely that I moved presets around, created new ones, or edited existing presets. I have certainly not done anything with over 200 at a time though. A preset move would normally only involve relocating a preset within the same setlist - say up or down 20 positions. I can't tell which presets are being rebuilt - it starts at 1 and goes up to wherever - a few hundred at present, and then throws in a few more with higher numbers. There does not appear to be any way of identifying which are getting rebuilt. The setlist I am working on at present is in the middle of the list of setlists, in which case I would expect the rebuild to start at a much higher number.

I am also finding that presets get rebuilt every time I turn on Helix. It seems to be a few less each time, and now it only seems to go up to the first 200 or so, and maybe a few random ones after that. It certainly doesn't stop after the first boot-up following the update.

Whilst there are 8 normal stomp buttons on the Helix, I like to cram as much as possible into "do-it-all" presets, and there can never be enough buttons! By using Paths I can have 2 separate tracks through the signal chain in Helix, and populate each with a collection of pedals that are similar in function but alternative in sound (e.g. FuzzFace and Klon in one path, ToneBender and TubeScreamer in the other - same principle for Mods and Delays). Each stomp button turns both equivalents on/off at the same time, whilst the Path is selected using Snapshots. I have every odd number snapshot switched to Path 1A/2A, and even numbered snapshots to Path 1B/2B. Odd and even number snapshots give me a different selection of pedals, all controlled by the same 8 stomp buttons. The alternative pedal switched by the same button is in one Path, and bypassed by switching to the other path with the snapshot. Snapshots 3/4 and 7/8 also have a slightly different EQ/Gain to compensate for single-coil guitars, and whereas 1-4 have 1/4 note delays, 5-8 have dotted 1/8. I also have the expression pedal assigned to progressively increase output level of the Merge block that precedes the Send/Return block whilst simultaneously reducing level from the final output block that goes to my amp return. This enables me to increase gain by pushing the pre-amp in my amp, whilst also compensating for some of the excess volume increase that would normally go with pushing up the gain. Swiss Army knife?

Spring has been gone for a while - it will be mid summer in 3 weeks!

You can do pretty much anything in a computer simulation or Helix etc. Just as long as nobody is daft enough to think they can do this with a real amp, Tubescreamer, and cab. Putting the output from a power amp into a pedal would be disastrous!

As I suggested above, these are not necessarily ground loop problems, particularly if it only occurs when using the effects loop but not straight in the front of the amp. Methodically eliminate anything else first. Eliminate interference to the guitar by turning the guitar's volume pot to zero. Try the Ground Lift button on the Helix, if there is one (there is on my Helix Floor, though it has never solved anything). Noise will always get worse with gain - gain amplifies everything - not just your guitar signal, and that is not indicative of a ground loop. Try removing the Helix from the loop - replace it with just a single ordinary pedal, or just with a patch lead across the amp's effect loop. It is also well worth while testing the rig in another house - if the problem does not occur there, you can be sure that the cause is EM interference in your own house. Then you just have to find the cause.

You are sending signal to your pre-amp via the Send block. If this is set to send 100%, there is no signal at all going through the subsequent effects before the signal from the pre-amp comes back via the Return block. If there is a mix both ways in the Send, then this will cause the dry signal to come through as well. The Send and Return blocks have some odd settings that you need to check carefully. Rather than using separate Send and Return blocks, you are better to just use a combined FX Loop block at the point you send to the pre-amp (i.e. where your send block is now). The signal goes through the pre-amp, and then comes back into the same FX loop block. The subsequent effects are "in the loop" and add to your pre-amp sound before the signal goes back out to the amp's power section. This is unlikely to be the cause of the hum, but it may not be a ground loop. There can be all sorts of causes for this, and it is nearly always external. One that nearly drove me mad was interference to the effects loop only of a Blackstar Artist 15 (didn't happen when just going in the front end). It turned out to be a ripple on the power supply caused by power-line networking. Subsequently I had a similar problem caused by an electric reclining chair - it had always been there, but it had just got plugged into a different electric wall outlet in the same room! If possible, turn off and unplug all electrical appliances on the same circuit, one by one. And I do mean all appliances - lights, TV, TV cable and satellite, clocks, fridges, heating timers, sound systems, alarm systems, - I even turned off the fountain in my garden pond! Chances are it will abruptly go quiet just as you turn off some seemingly innocuous bit of equipment.

There can be all sorts of causes for this, and it is nearly always external. One that nearly drove me mad was interference to the effects loop only of a Blackstar Artist 15 (didn't happen when just going in the front end). It turned out to be a ripple on the power supply caused by power-line networking. Subsequently I had a similar problem caused by an electric reclining chair - it had always been there, but it had just got plugged into a different electric wall outlet in the same room! If you are getting noise exceeding -35db it is almost certainly an extraneous source. If possible, turn off and unplug all electrical appliances on the same circuit, one by one. And I do mean all appliances - lights, TV, TV cable and satellite, clocks, fridges, heating timers, sound systems, alarm systems, - I even turned off the fountain in my garden pond! Chances are it will abruptly go quiet just as you turn off some seemingly innocuous bit of equipment. All noise gates work in the same way and, whilst some may be slightly better than others, they just gate everything below a set level. -35db is pretty high, and more than enough to cut off sustain and harmonic transients on low output pickups like Strats etc. I do tend to use one in my Helix at some point before the Send to the Pre-amp, and another one further down the chain before it goes back into the power amp. You do have to be conscious of the varying levels in the chain, particularly if you are using Send/Return at Instrument level. Always use Line level if your amp can take it. My Blackstar loop is switchable for Instrument/Line level, but my Egnater Tweaker is more than happy with the extra boost - more signal/less noise.

There are various wah pedals in the Helix, and most have very controllable parameters. But they are all controlled using the built in pedal, or a separate expression pedal. There is no AutoWah effect, as such, in the Helix. That said, there are filters such as the AutoFilter and Mystery Filter (based on the old Mutron) that can be configured to act very much like the Boss Autowah. They are just a couple of the effects in Helix, and can be switched on and off using a footswitch like any of the other effects.

You can always download the manual from Line 6.

It does come with instructions. Manuals, in several languages, on a USB flashdrive included in the pack.

No, providing that the Send/Return block in your patch matches. There are 4 so the blocks and the jack loops need to match up.

I do more or less the same as Silverhead. In my Templates folder I have several presets that contain just a bunch of effects each, arranged in Overdrives, Modulations, Delays etc, with each effect optimised to my taste. When I want to add one to another preset I just Cut and Paste.

Hi Jerseyboy - I have only just realised how much your idea of removing the intonation compensation makes sense! It is always stressed to slide beginners that the slide should be held over the fret but, if the intonation is set for fretting strings normally, a slide over a fret will be out of tune. I suppose we all adjust the slide position by ear when playing, but precisely over a fret isn't necessarily right for a guitar intonated for conventional playing. It had never occurred to me before!

I had forgotten about the nut extension - I never actually got one but I did make a DIY version a few years ago. It obviously didn't work very well, or I would still be using it! Perhaps I should buy a proper one.

I had a quick look at the YouTube demos. The HX can certainly do parallel paths, but I couldn't get a clear idea of how the input/output routing works. I can see little point in having 2 inputs, parallel paths, and 2 outputs, if you can't route them separately with different effects. My assumption must me that you can do something pretty similar to what I do in the Helix. My Blackstar has an emulated output, and the acoustic amp has a Line Out, so I could send to FOH via the amps, but the XLR could just as easily go straight there with an IR and without the acoustic amp. With the Helix I could obviously use an emulated amp and IR for the electric/magnetic path, but I prefer to use a real amp. The Helix came with the usual 2 banks of Factory Presets, but also with another bank called Templates. This included some useful templates for Wet/Dry, 4 cable method, 7 cable method, Stereo, super serial, etc. If there is something similar in the HX, it may include a good starting point for what you need. It would be worth checking before you start from scratch.

I don't have a HX Effects, but I use a P245 through a Helix. I go into the Helix via 2 separate guitar cables, one to the Guitar input and the other into Aux. The inputs then go through 2 separate signal paths in the Helix, with whatever effects I want to use on the magnetic and piezo pickups respectively. The magnetic/electric path goes to my Blackstar Artist valve amp using the 4 cable method. The piezo goes out through XLR to an acoustic amp. The micro switch on the P245 allows me to switch between magnetic, piezo, or both, and there are separate volume controls on the guitar (as well as having the coil split available). The P245 is a very versatile guitar! I could also mix and blend the signals within the Helix, but I haven't yet found a need for any more options!

Thanks Jerseyboy. I have experimented with a Dunlop 741 Elastic Capo Slide Converter (much like an ordinary elastic capo but with a bar that sits on a fret to raise the strings) and the results were encouraging, particularly when using the electronics to switch tunings. I wouldn't want to use it all the time as you lose at least one fret at the nut end, which does rather mess things up for open tunings. However, I have struggled just trying to use a slide with normal strings and action. I generally use 12s and a pretty high action on my other slide guitars, but I just leave them tuned to Open G, Open E, etc. If you have found that heavier strings and higher action work OK with the Variax pickups and electronics, it might be worth getting another Variax just for slide.

Anyone tried using a Variax for slide? I do have a couple of other guitars set up for slide, but on those I use heavier strings and a significantly higher action. Using a Variax appeals because I could switch tunings instantly, but I don't want to put on heavy strings and raise the action if it is going to mess up the Variax electronic setup. It's a lot of trouble to go to if I find it doesn't work, and have to put it all back as it was!