Doug6String

There are quite a few ways depending on what you want to do. It sounds like you are not aware that you can have almost every setting change between snapshots. For example, if you use HX Edit, click on your dist block, then hold the Alt key (Windows) down and left click (mouse) on the gain number OR the block at the end of the bar corresponding to the gain number. This works on almost everything in a preset. For overall vol, you can do this with the output level and have a diff vol for every snapshot. That'll change your life - it did mine when this forum pointed this out to me! I don't know about question 2.

MooidJ - yup, the same issue I have have! I opened a ticket on this last night. I suggest you both do the same. I'll reply here if I get anything helpful.

Hey George - I'm going to open a ticket with L6 on this. Here's what I did. I created a dual path preset from scratch - I did not copy any blocks from other presets. It works as it should. If I drag it out of Helix and then back into a New Preset slot, it still works as it should. If I then close HX Edit and turn the Helix off and restart it (no presets are rebuilt during startup), that preset has every IR on path 2 off even though it was saved with them all on.

Welcome to my world! I have had this issue for quite a while, incl before this update. I can recreate this issue even after "fixing" the issue and saving all my presets by simply dragging certain presets out of Helix and then back in. For me it only happens if I have a dual path and only on the second path. It happens with IR, amp, and EQ blocks, depending on the preset. I have a Helix friend on this forum and we think it might be related to a preset from a previous Helix update, which is relevant to you. I have literally been experimenting with this issue this weekend because we did a bunch of organizational work on my IRs and presets last week and after a factory reset and dragging my fixed presets back in, I was surprised they were again doing what you are describing, just like before. One option is a support ticket, but I feel like the effort to get them to understand and recreate this might be more than to recreate my presets from scratch. I did that just today for one presets and am going to test it. If that fixes this permanently, I'll probably spend my time recreating the offending presets based on this new one. I'll let you know if this solves it!

A bit more than a year ago I bought the Helix and thought the sound sucked and I didn't like a single factory preset. Been playing more than 50 years and using modelers since the first POD so I had some experience. I came to this forum for help and "discovered" fizz. Between previous posts and answers to a few specific questions, I went from hearing junk to loving the Helix almost over night. It was not hard once I understood the Helix just a little bit and now I don't even use the often suggested high and low cuts (I do use EQ). L6 could include a sheet (READ ME FIRST) that addresses a couple of the typical newbie complaints, like fizz and how to get a good starter tone, to get customers off to a good start. But it is inconceivable to me that anyone cannot get an excellent tone if they follow the basic suggestions everyone here has, assuming they have a good enough guitar, pups, headphones, etc., and they are not trying to copy someone else's tone (can be done but obviously harder for a newbie). And I'm NOT accusing anyone, but if one's playing sucks, the Helix ain't gonna fix that (insert smiley face since I couldn't)!

I'm doing a major reworking of presets and IRs right now and luckily I have a friend from this Forum who has a program to help sort it all out!

Yeah, I have literally never done anything on my rack that can be done with the editor! I'm "old" but I prefer to credit my exclusive use of the editor to my technological proclivity!

"Best" is a loaded question but I have two of these, one for mag pups and one for piezos to use both at once. I use the standard 1/4" jack on the front of my rack for mags and for the aux input on the back for piezo. Is there a reason you're asking about rear inputs vs the obvious one you'd typically use on the front? I love my G10s!

I assume you got what you needed from jbuhajla. I have the Yamaha HS8 and they work pretty good, depending on what you want. I tried 1/4" vs XLR to see if there's a diff and I couldn't hear any (I've been playing a very long time so I have a pretty good ear). All of my playing is jamming, writing and recording and for me, headphones are the way I usually go. Based on recommendations here, I settled on the Beyerdynamic 770 (I think - I don't recall the model number). Since you're a complete newbie, I'm sure you'll have other questions. I was a newbie a year ago and this forum made all the difference for me!

This comes up once in a while. Save As would be great (I want more IR slots instead of preset slots too!), but there is a workable alternative for now. If you change a preset and do NOT save it, if you copy that changed preset to another slot, the original preset is in the new slot and then if you save the preset you edited, you have both. The down side is that if your preset locations matter, you have to swap them (put the original back where it was). I number all my presets like I do my IRs, which helps. Between presets, IRs, Helix and Native, it's become a bit of a data management nightmare to keep it all straight!

Hey Mark - if in your number 2 you mean a preamp before an amp, I do that occasionally and get a nice tone enhancement, depending on what I'm trying to do. I typically don't pair the same amp and preamp only because that doesn't give me a tone I want (usually crunch or driving a dist block). I could probably get the same tone through other means since the Helix is so versatile, but in scrolling through the preamps I found a few that I like using.

Well, thanks for making me laugh out loud! We were all kinda desperate, I think, so I thought this approach might get some attention since support tickets didn't seem to be getting any traction. At least as far as we knew. Kinda like flying (where's flyings cool when you need him!) - stuff happens but getting timely, accurate info can help.. I feel bad for rd2rk since it seems like a diff issue that will require way more time and trouble!

I am. It goes to my Presonus Studio 192. Before the fix I was using SPDIF to free up 2 more inputs on the 192 and I had the dropouts 100% on the time when playing 1-3 hours, which I do pretty much every night. No dropouts since the fix (sorry!).

I'm beginning to think you/your Helix is cursed! I also have 2 G10s and have never had an issue.

On the original thread on this that started more than a year ago, I think everyone that replied after the fix except one person (maybe rd2rk?) indicated it is fixed, incl me. It seems this is not the same issue. RD2RK - I hope the suggested fix works for you!

I don't want to frustrate you more, but I assume you're sure it's the same dropout issue? Prior to the fix, 100% of the time if I played 2 hours the dropout happened at least once. Since the fix I have played 2-3 hours quite a few times without a single dropout.

I sent you a message through your profile.

Now here's a post I like! Yup - I have a JP15 7 string (has piezo and mag outputs) and use dual paths and it sounds surprisingly like two different guitarists playing (clean) when panned L and R. I also do a version of this for dist/crunchy tones which is surprisingly good too. Later today/tonight, I'll send you a short clip I recently did and I'll include a fav preset for this approach. Feel free to send me what you're doing if inclined. Doug

I love your reply! I am pretty sure someone on this Forum told me that great tip when I started about a year ago.

Another option is, if you make changes to a preset and then realize you want to keep those changes AND the original preset, BEFORE saving the edited preset, copy it to a new location. The original preset is now at the new location, unedited, and the one you edited, which should still be the one you have activated, can be saved and you have both.

I'm waiting for one of "us" to actually try this and play a few hours and see. I would normally take the chance and do this right away since I use the spdif and suffer with the drop outs but I have something I need to do playing with the Helix tomorrow and I'm too chicken to update tonight!

I was where you are just about a year ago to the day when I got the Helix. As PH said, I urge you to create your own presets. Some like factory presets and many rave about ones you can buy, but others (incl me) are not fans and create their own. It took me some time but I found I really needed to use EQ to get the sound I wanted. Don't use Global EQ - that's best for adjusting everything to the environment you're playing in. It doesn't sound like you are into IRs so stick with the Helix cabs as a starting point. There's a huge amount of discussion about IRs vs. Helix cabs with both sides being adamant on their opinions. I used the cabs and moved to IRs once I had a clue on building presets and had tones in mind. At your stage going down the IR path would add an awful lot of extra variables you don't need right now. I also suggest stepping away from presets to rest your ears. What sounds good one day may not the next. I can't explain that but many here experience that. Now I have created presets that I've been using a while without editing them. Remember that loud almost always sounds better and I've found the same thing with EQ (more highs sound better) so keep that in mind. It's surprisingly easy to create a good sounding preset. The stock settings for LA comp and other compressors is pretty good. There are amps that are known to have good clean sounds and excellent dist. Put a delay, verb and some EQ after that and you get a good sound (depending on what you're trying to). I didn't mention cabs. With no mic-ing experience when I started I was overwhelmed with mic choices and distances. RedWirez has a PDF on how to use their IRs that lists some mics and mic distances that are typical for recording studios and a good place to start. I started there with the Helix cabs and that was helpful. If you need more info on this, write to me and I'll send the doc and explain what I mean. To be clear, I'm not saying buy the IRs, but their guidelines for mics is useful for the Helix for a newbie.

Hey Dan - awesome! Enjoy - Doug

I think most folks here agree that one should use global eq to compensate for different live playing environments. I'd be shocked if very many people use it for their daily sound (always exceptions, of course). And I think this is obvious unless you don't record, but in most video with a great sound, it isn't a single guitar through a Helix played in mono. They use all the techniques of recording at their disposal and that gives a huge sound. I play at home and write and record my own music, but when I'm jamming I typically use one of a couple methods to give me a big stereo sound - dual delay or dual paths with a pitch shift. If either of those presets would be useful, send me a message with your email and I'm happy to send them.