tedulrich

It sends when you re-select the patch. I get nothing in my MIDI monitor until I do so. What PC message are you sending?

The songs are separate projects within Logic I take it? I'm by no means an expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once. That and I spent half a day yesterday chasing MIDI issues yesterday and learning as I go. :lol:

Funny, I don't recall any promises, just a hopeful projection. But then again I'm just a user that's grateful for an evolving platform that I don't have to continue paying into to benefit from future improvement.

I just checked through a MIDI monitor app, if the PC send function is on, that appears to be the LAST message in the chain sent when you activate the preset, and could potentially misdirect a device downstream as your "instant" message is being followed up by the automated preset change message from Helix. Hope that helps!

Just grasping at straws here as I'm a bit of a MIDI noob, but are you using instant commands set up in command center? If so, are is the global setting for MIDI PC send set to off? I'm not entirely sure it works that way, but if the PC send function is on could there be conflicting messages going out every time you select the preset? Something to try at least.

The Helix and soft synths from the MacBook run separately to my mixer.

I'm currently running a single TS215 on a pole in my home studio, I haven't used it in a live situation yet. Contour is OFF, it sounded slightly better at first with it on, but I fixed how I build presets and it sounds far better than what the contour will do. I don't put it on the floor because it bass couples like crazy and completely changes the sound. I generally don't run the Helix direct to it. I have a little mixing board at my desk, I run a dual 1/4" out from the Helix into the board, mixed with the out from my MacBook that runs my soft synths. I realize that I could use the Helix to mix, but I'd rather not turn it on and go through all that when I'm just sitting down to run the keyboard. The stereo XLR outs from my board go to the two inputs on the back of the TS215, with the levels set halfway unless I need more juice, which is rare in my condo. :D

I found some new factory presets that utilize the autoswell feature, usually in conjunction with a delay. I'd suggest taking a look at those and reverse engineering what's been done there, it's what I plan to do when I have time to explore this new feature. :)

I looked in my backup folder and it seems I'd backed up my factory setlists for some reason before the 2.12 update. Here they are if it helps: https://www.dropbox.com/s/el4tj8j5ll4trib/FACTORY%201.hls?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/5i833sh6vd5khfi/FACTORY%202.hls?dl=0

I had a hard time bending my head around snapshots at first, but I'm getting better. My last setup before getting the Helix was pedalboard + amp, so of course I fell right back into the comfort zone of building my presets, then running the helix in stop mode and individually toggling the effects on and off when needed. That method has its place sometimes, but honestly it's wasting a good portion of the Helix's talent. Since the Helix is a bit more complex than the modelers I used back in the 90's, you can't really hot-change patches mid song because there's a slight delay in the changeover. Snapshots are a partial way around that. Basically you load the signal path(s) with all of the amps and effects you'll need for a song, then use snapshots to handle multiple bypass or setting changes in one punch of a footswitch. They will NOT reconfigure the signal path or add/remove individual effect blocks from the chain, but creative use of bypass states and signal splits allow you to run multiple configurations within the same preset, to the extent the processing power will allow for. In the cases where I do run out of DSP on a path, I have an M5 stompbox modeller I plug into one of the loops since it has much of the same effects the Helix does. The really cool thing about that is that the Helix will send preset change messages to the M5 over MIDI, the only hook is you can only use that loop once in the same preset, so you have to choose its place carefully and not expect to be able to use it both as a pre-amplifier distortion and a post-amplifier delay in the same preset.

THIS. I'd buy a Helix control today if that were possible.

I think it's an issue of people jumping into FRFR without a clear understanding of why they're doing so. The more capable the tool, the more you need to put into learning how to use it to get the best results. FRFR and PA cabs certainly aren't for everyone, those that just want to have a simple plug and play sound are probably better off to playing through a traditional amp anyway. On the other hand, if one wants to take full advantage of cabinet simulation and all the different sounds it offers, it may be worth taking the time to learn how to craft their sound down to the finest detail. For me, I play through a powered PA cab because I run multiple different instruments (electric and acoustic electric guitar, bass, soft synths) and didn't want to deal with dedicated cabinets for each type of sound. I certainly had my share of WTF moments when I first plugged straight into it, but I'm an explorer by nature and the time I put into learning even the basics of EQ and filtering paid off in the long run. While I'm certainly no expert, I have a grasp of how to shape my tone that has only made me a better musician in the long run, and has pushed me to learn more about the interactions of different instruments within the sound spectrum, making me a better producer when it comes to recording my own music.

Wow, I really like this idea, both for Helix parameter control and for my soft synths as well. Thanks for bringing this up! Had one, but I never replaced a PROM chip in it. I think I remember reading about it though. For its time, that was a great little amp. Can you imagine this being in a modern day cartoon? Man the things they used to get away with. :D

I think that's more because Line 6 can't do much with the unit if they take it back. Musician's Friend on the other hand will send it off to have it fixed then resell it as "open box" or "refurb" for maybe 5-10% off MAP. That's just the nature of the manufacturer vs. retailer, and what resources they have available. It's kind of counter intuitive.

I'll check when I go down to my studio next, but I believe it's 8mm.

I finally got a moment to call customer support, and after explaining my situation I was very curtly told I needed to take my issue up with the local store. I'm going to try that one more time I suppose. It seems like no one wants to actually deal with the problem.

The novelty of the "quick fix". A lot of them think they can jack straight into that Page or Hendrix sound but don't realize the amount of experimentation and tweaking those guys did to get their sounds. 2x12 combos were my drug of choice for ages, the last of which was a Mesa Boogie Heartbreaker (Backbreaker). While I was a tad sad to see it go, I wasn't sad to know it was the last time I'd be sore for a week after getting that beast in and out of my Jeep. THIS. For someone like myself that gets "tone bored" in a hurry and likes to play with a lot of different styles and sounds, I could go broke getting separate gear for 10% of what I like to mess with. Oh I CLEARLY remember those little four trackers, especially as a teenager lamenting about how 'expensive' they were, especially when the high dollar tapeless digital units first started appearing. It's so amusing now to see one of these things pop up on Craigslist for $20 or $50 or so depending on model, generally from someone that found one in a storage unit auction.

While the Pet was before my time, I cut my code teeth doing that stuff with my parents' C64, complete with a cassette tape deck until they splurged for the 1541 floppy drive. You just brought back some memories... :lol:

Hell, mine was a local purchase (oddly there's a GC here in Virginia Beach) and I've got a runaround over it and have all but given up and explored other options, which irritated me because that's one of the reasons why I pulled trigger on a Helix at that time to begin with. I'll give that a shot, for some reason I hadn't thought of going beyond the level of my local store. I figured since it was a "participating dealer" offer that L6 wouldn't have much to do with supporting it directly.

Let me know how that works out. I got bent by GC on the first case promo when I got my Helix back in December. :(

I've found that if it wasn't set up correctly, or if the tension bolt has been backed off enough, the alignment can get tweaked. Have you tried loosening the bolt and adjusting the position, then tightening it to the desired tension again? If it still squeaks then, it probably just needs some lube. I had a bottle of this stuff left over from my home's previous owner: https://www.3inone.com/products/silicone/ I put a drop of this stuff in a bottle cap, dipped the end of a paperclip in it, then loosened the bolt and barely touched the washers on the pivot bolt with it. Worked it in some and my pedal hasn't made a noise since. I refuse to spray anything in there other than canned duster air.

Hope it wasn't an LDC mic. :lol:

Hadn't heard that one in a while, such a good song.

It's a VERY personal setting in my opinion. It took a lot of tweaking to fit my preferences, and depending on the song I may do either auto-engage or toe switch. It varies, but I'm glad to have both options.

Wow, that's SOLID. I've read books about producers like Jimmy and the wild stuff they used to do in the studio to get different sounds back in the day, and sometimes I hesitate to even begin trying to duplicate it. Sounds like you nailed it!