goat-n-gitter

I just added a Variax Standard to my guitar arsenal, I've been using a Helix as a switcher/pedalboard for my amp rig for nearly two years.  One of the things I really looked forward to with the Variax was being able to play one of my tunes live that switches from a Nashville tuned acoustic to a Drop-C heavy electric (the acoustic sound routes to the PA and the electric to my Mesa). I keep a beater acoustic strung up for Nashville tuning in my studio and I just love the tones I get.

I am very pleased that I was able to easily set all this up in workbench HD and my Helix, but my big complaint is the electronic sound of the acoustic patch once the strings transpose a full octave.

What I was wondering was since the Variax/Workbench already have samples of higher pitched, unwound strings, what would it take to be able to reassign what strings types are at each of the six locations?  If I could assign a wound G-style string to the low E position, it would not have to transpose far and would sound much more natural, likewise placing unwound strings for the A, D and G positions to make them more natural.   Hopefully this wouldn't be a complete game changer that cannot be accomplished with Variax, maybe it couldn't be done for parallel 12 strings where it would require more than one string sample per position, but it would seem possible as long as only one string sample per real string was used. 

On 7/6/2018 at 11:39 PM, phil_m said:

 

 

So, I finally got a chance to mess with this tonight, and it seems to be working as expected for me... I started with a blank preset and added 4 CC Toggle commands to footswitches, and set them different in each snapshot. According to the MIDI OX monitor, the expected CC messages with the correct values are being sent when I change snapshots.

Thanks for testing this - phil_m.

Here's what I found:

First, I owe Line 6 an apology, as the CC functionality within snapshots DOES work for me in V2.60.  That being said, it was a royal PITA to get all my presets/snapshots working right again.

After installing V2.6 and restoring from my backup, any footswitch assigned to a CC toggle in any snap of any preset, if it was stored in the LIT state, would not toggle with snapshot changes.  I had to go to each preset one by one, activate each snapshot which needed a CC footswitch ON, toggle to stomp mode, touch the switch to enter command center, turn the lit value down to zero, toggle the footswitch to the UNLIT state, turn the LIT value back up to 127, then the CC footswitch would work properly, save the preset for that snapshot, move on to the next snapshot, and repeat ad nauseum for every LIT CC footswitch in every snapshot of every preset I had programmed.  Luckily, I only have 2 sets worth of songs set up this way!  Any CC footswitches which were stored in snapshots in their UNLIT state, seemed to work just fine once I switched to stomp mode.

I use the CC toggle footswitches to operate a Voodoo Labs Control Switcher to activate crunch channel, lead channel and solo boost mode on a Mesa Boogie MKV, with the Helix wired using 4CM to the input and FX loop of the amp, and the aux input of the Helix connected to the Piezo out of my PRS guitar, driving acoustic IR's into my PA system.  Everything else I've tried so far seems OK, although I don't use amp modeling hardly at all with this rig, mostly just FX. 

5 hours ago, phil_m said:

 

Oh come on now, this is one bug... Line 6 support has actually been phenomenal with the Helix. I've seen them do crazy things to help customers. I imagine once they are aware of this, they will try to fix it quickly. It looks like it slipped through testing.

While I generally think Line 6 support is outstanding, I am hugely disappointed that the CC functionality in snapshots is still an issue. Since I use my Helix as a control center and multi FX for my amp rig, I've been forced to stick with V2.21. I sure would like to get all those cool added FX, but if I can't switch all my amp functions using snapshots, I'm sunk. I've been waiting patiently since March.

I have the same issue and have it logged with tech support. If you can live without the newest models/effects, you can downgrade your firmware back to 2.21 and get your full snapshot functionality back. It worked for me.

FYI - I did successfully upgrade to 2.52 while it was up and live.  In fact I'm still running that firmware.  The bug for MIDI CC Messages and snapshots I mentioned is present in 2.50 and 2.52.  Unless they have additional fixes for the next patch I don't think the issue my passionate friend above and I are experiencing will be resolved.

 

Please help.  I'm spoiled after replacing my pedalboard with this setup, and I'm not a fan of tap dancing, even if I use fewer exclamation points to make my  case.

I updated to 2.53 this morning, and the bug for MIDI CC message transmissions not working when changing snapshots has not been fixed.  So you still cannot switch external devices via CC messages when changing snapshots.  CC messages do work in stomp mode.

I have downgraded back to version 2.21 to restore the CC message in snapshot capability.  I guess I'll have to wait to get back all my old M13 effects :(

(look, no exclamation points)

Man, if you would have just added a 19th exclamation point at the end, they definitely would've listened to you... Too bad...

 

This item will be addressed shortly. The hotfix firmware to address this was actually released this past week, but they ended up taking it down because some people were having some weird issues during the installation process.  The new one should be out on Monday.

Well phil_m, forgive my anxiety, but an update that breaks important functionality is no good. I hope you're right about the release day. I never even installed 2.3 because I didn't need its' features on my live rig. I only updated to 2.5 for the legacy FX. I only use amp modeling via Helix native on my DAW. My helix floorboard is used strictly for FX and switching of my amp, so at best I'm back to my old tap dance.

Here's a few more exclamation points in case you run out.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm encountering a bug that first appeared in 2.50 and still seems to be present in 2.52.  I have foot switches assigned to midi toggle for effects in my rack.  These work as intended when toggling the switches manually.  In 2.30 snapshots would save the state of the footswitch and when changing to that snapshot the appropriate midi messages would be sent.  Now the indicators are lit, but no MIDI message is sent.  Seems similar to the reported, and now fixed, bug with external amp switching though I don't use that feature.

 

Please look into this bug for your next release.

Line 6, you've rendered my Helix as pedalboard for my MESA MK v useless!!!!!

I use snapshots to switch amp functions via midi CC messages assigned to footswitches via a Voodoo Labs control switcher, and just as awatson 80 experienced, CC messages no longer function via snapshots!  Fix it NOW please!!!!!! I can't use this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit - this is for V2.50

Hi there and greetings from Cologne, Germany,

 

I run the Helix via 4CM using Mini Amp Gizmo into Mesa Boogie Mark V.

Everything is fine, everythings works with Stomp switching.

 

I Assigned the 3 Mesa Channels in Control Center to Foorswitches in Stomp Mode. Changing via Stomps works also fine.

 

But:

When I save Channelswitching in Snapshots (Snapshot 1 Clean, Snapshot 2 Crunch, etc.) assigning the "Stomp Clean" or Stomp Crunch to different Snapshots it doesn't work. After pressing different Snapshots the Channelsswitching is not as saved.

 

I think the reason might be that the Channelswitching on the mesa in "interactive" (?) (When i press Channel 2, Channel 1/3 "goes off" (???))

 

Pressing the Footswitches in Stomp mode works, but the Lights (Lightring around Footswitch) is not korrekt. For Example: Clean Channel is active, than pressing Crunch -> Channelswitching works correctly but the lightring from Clean stays on.

 

Thanks for any help.

Tom

Tom,

I used to use the mini amp gizmo with my M13 and Mesa MK V, I think the problem you're having is because the channel switches are momentary (not latched).  Perhaps if you set up the gizmo to work in program change mode, and then had the footswitches (or just the instant command from the snapshot change) on helix send a program change command, it should work (I'm trying to remember how I set up my gizmo, I no longer use it).  You would have to have a different program # for each state of the gizmo (ch1, ch1+solo, ch2, ch2+solo, etc.).  If that doesn't work, you could ditch the MK V specific cable and go to the individual 1/4" footswitch breakout cable to run the two channel switches and the solo.  I use the voodoo labs control switcher now with my helix to control the two channels and solo with CC messages and it works great with snapshots.

Did you add anything special to your patch besides the IR block? I'm trying to figure out what's the best way to use the 3SA acoustic IR's. Right now my signal chain/patch is pretty simple: classical guitar w/piezo -> Helix Aux -> volume block -> 3SA IR -> reverb. I've also tried to add a pre-amp block after the volume block to color the sound and it works well. Also I'm not sure if the reverb should go before or after the IR block. I cant really decide what I like the best.

The only things I might do different are to add a studio compressor block before the IR, and possibly move the volume block to after the IR, so that the piezo signal is always processed by the compressor/IR. You probably want to adjust the low and high pass filter settings of the IR block as well, to cut any boominess or harshness.

I sometimes add other effects to my steel string sounds, depending on the song, but in those cases I'm looking for a special effect, not the purest acoustic sound I can get.

I use my Helix with a Mesa MK V, and I have not even tried the built in switching jack on the Helix.  I use a Voodoo Labs Control Switcher, which will work up to 4 footswitches, and works with midi CC messages or program change messages (I use CC).  This will work with just about any amp, and at around $100, it's not that big an additional cost to not have to worry about compatibility.

I use a powerbridge in a frankenstein guitar I put together myself, and the LR Baggs piezo system in my PRS P22.  I run both into the aux input, and always use a 3 Sigma IR (unless I'm going for a special effect) into my PA system. For my electric signal, I'm just using the Helix for FX and amp switching, using 4cm and a Voodoo labs control switcher, into my Mesa MKV.  I am really over the top happy with the acoustic tone I get with this setup, and with the ease of switching through my fairly complex original songs using snapshots.  As far as the two piezo systems, they're pretty comparable, enough so that I couldn't really say one is better than the other unless I heard them both in the same model guitar.

I just added a couple of the new 3 Sigma audio classical guitar IRs to my Helix yesterday.  I have a very basic 35 year old Ovation classical w/piezo, but reamping a track done with the piezo through the new IR's really woke it up. If you have a Helix already, for 10 bucks a pop I would give these IR's a try!