HotRats73

I've not tried your preset because is too late now. 

But I'm sorry, when you assign an ext amp to a FS, the on/off state of that FS is snapshot dependent.

Any change of snapshot will recall the state stored in that snapshot. This behavior makes the assignment of the ext amp command to a FS basically useless (unless you need it to work that way).

Works exactly how helix worked before fw 3.5 when the use of both direct parameter assignments to footswitches and snapshots was impossible.

That's why they added a snapshot control option for all parameters.

(And they added the snapshot bypass options because having a blocks that can stay

on or off regardless which snapshot you're in is incredibly useful)

I'll add, as a side note, that using a FS for simply changing a tube amp channel makes little sense, you can bring the actual amp pedal and free a footswitch on your helix. 

All that said, is nonetheless cool having all the switching on your helix floor with all the color coding and scribble strips.

anyway, what makes really sense is integrate the amp channel switching capabilities with other stuff inside the helix, like turning on/off things,  adding a compressor when you select a clean channel, or selecting different routes in the signal path or modify your reverb mix and length, etc. 

On 10/19/2023 at 2:23 PM, joanesinu said:

I don't know if I understand you. You can send different ext.amp command PER snapshot. You have to save all commands from EVERY snapshot. So if you have 4 snapshots, you have to go to the snapshot in the editor. Change the ext.amp command behaviour and SAVE. Then change snapshot. Repeat.

 

Different amp channels per snapshot IS POSSIBLE.

Is this your problem? 

If you assign ext.amp command directly to a toggle, lets say FS1. The command state will be as it was saved on that snapshot1. If I save that snapshot1 with FS1 in amp crunch channel, then If I change to snapshot2, change the amp channel to clean, and go back to snapshot1, the toggle state will be as it was STORED. So, crunch mode (This is your problem).

 

You have 2 solutions. Add Snapshot toggles in footswitch mode and save ext.amp command per snapshot with the lightnings. Or change the snapshot changing behaviour from the menu, you have an option for the device to remember the last snapshot state. So it will be as you left it when you leave that snapshot. 

 

For me the best solution is to add snapshot toggles in footswitch mode and add lightning commands for ext.amp switching.

Thanks for your answer but my problem is that I want channel switching via ext amp relay to be independent from snapshots just like you can do with any block or parameter assigned to a single FS using the "snapshot bypass" and "snapshot control" options.

Within helix, for example, you can assign a block bypass to FS1, set "snapshot bypass" parameter to off and that FS (and block) won't be affected by any snapshot you are in/recall. 

Is a great feature. Same applies to parameters directly assigned to footswitches. They can be independent from snapshots using the "snapshot control" parameter.

I want the same thing when I assign the amp channel command to a FS; I want, let's say, use FS1 to change amp channels and snapshots to do other things that not include channel switching.

This is currently impossible. 

I'm forced to use snapshot for everything or don't use snapshots at all.

I've got a question: I'd like to know if the behaviour explained below is by design or are somenthing might change in the future.

Preface:

firmware 3.5 introduced a great new feature that I love and made Helix way more powerful than before (along with the snapshot bypass option) as a main rig brain on stage.

See below the quote from the release notes.

Quote

 

Disable Snapshot Control over Parameter Assignments

Helix Floor, Helix Rack/Control, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Effects (IRs only), HX Stomp, HX Stomp XL
Prior to 3.50, when assigning a parameter to a physical control (EXP 1, footswitch, etc.) or MIDI, Snapshots are also always assigned. In 3.50, they still are, but there's an additional "Snapshot Control" parameter on the Controller Assign page that lets you bypass this default.
From the Controller Assign menu, select the desired parameter and turn Knob 2 (Controller) to select any value other than "None" or "Snapshots." A second page appears.

 

I've discovered that when you assign an ext amp instant command to a footswitch that footswitch is not independent form snapshots (like happened before 3.5 for any fs with an assigned parameter) and there's no Snapshot Control option.

This mean that at the moment you can't use a footswitch for controlling your tube amp channel and also use snapshots for other things because, for example, if you switch your amp to ch2 using FS1 and then select a snapshots the helix will revert the FS1 state triggering the tube amp relay putting it back to ch1. 

Please vote this up if intrested
 

The 3.5 feature Disable Snapshot Control over Parameter Assignments doesn't work when the parameter assigned to a foot swtich is an ext amp command.

At the moment is not possibile to use a foot switch for (physical) amp channel control and snapshots because when you change snapshot the helix will trigger the ext amp relay inverting the footswitch state (and any other assignment eventually made to that switch).

I suggest adding a Snapshot Control on/off option like it happens for any block parameter.

On 4/15/2022 at 5:01 PM, cruisinon2 said:

 

Well one certainly wouldn't want to put the IR as the first thing in the chain... or anywhere else before the amp block for that matter. Yes, we all like to repeat the "no rules in modeling" mantra, but blanket statements like this overstate things a bit, because you really can't just toss your signal chain in a blender and let the chips fall where they may....because nine times out of ten you'll end up with a boiled turd as your end result. 

I was obviously referring to the normal use of a cab emulation and answering a question that clearly is about IR blocks placed after the amp.

But ok, next time I'll make it clearer for you.

Tone is not affected by IR block position but beware that: 

• IR blocks can change the signal level (usually the input level will differ from the output level) and this can lead to tone differences depending on the blocks following the IR (any block that reacts so input level will sound different, like the tape saturation block, for example)
• IR blocks change the frequency content and this can lead some to blocks behave differently (the LA2A compressor for example)
• IR blocks are mono, therefore any stereo signal will collapse to mono after the IR block.

On 2/17/2022 at 2:59 PM, Andre_B said:

Claypod, thank you.

That's what I wanted to know.

I was wondering which one to buy, 112 plus or 212. I'll go for the 212.

And maybe later a second one...

I have two 212, one is mine the other on loan from a friend, and I really love to run them both. 

Placed side by side, tilted, they give you a very wide sound stage where you can immerse yourself in.

Placed one on top of the other is closer to a 4x12 experience.

I use them as FRFR only, though, because I can't stand the speaker emulations.

4cm uses 1 input, 1 send, 1 return, 1 output

a parallel amp to powercab uses 1 output or 1 send

a second guitar or a guitar with a piezo uses 1 additional input.

stomp xl has 2 in, 2 sends, 2 returns, 2 outputs so I guess you can do it as far as hardware goes.

You need to figure out the best routing for your needs, though.

During the first lockdown in 2020, had to work at home like anyone else,  and I used the helix floor as a soundcard 10 hours per day (because performed much better with protools than the other interface I had at home at the time.

All that said, I always turn it off when unused.

1 minute ago, themetallikid said:

One is a guitar IR (Strat 3rd position) and the other was a cabinet.  I thought the same thing, but the names werent close at all.  My guitar IR was named Strat 3p and the cabinet was named BGNR 4x12 V30 57c

oh my bad. I thought strat 3rd position was referring to a variax thing.

so I guess that when happened to me, the fact that the 2 irs where related was just a coincidence.

What it is stored in slot 44?

What you're describing happened to me once and the reason (in my optinion) was that o had 2 IRS very close to each other stored in two different positions.

One was an IR with a 57 mic only, the other was a 57+121.

I think the fingerprint thing that make the helix able to follow an assigned IR if you move it to a different slot, something doesn't work properly or get confused.

7 hours ago, rd2rk said:

 

Thank you (Blush).

However, sometimes the Powercab baffles me. I just edited my posts in the "My thoughts...." thread over on TGP as follows:

 

EDIT: I was wrong about being able to use MIDI to add HF Driver to taste in Speaker Mode. Although PC Edit reflects the change, it doesn't really work!
@Digital Igloo @Frank Ritchotte FIX THE POWERCAB/PC EDIT BUGS! PLEASE!
 

 

Yeah, is a product that has an unfair treatment compared to the HX family.

(I've been banned for a week from TGP beacuse I wrote Mr know it all Jay M "I've added a useful information, you should thank me instead of being the usual @$#&" the symbols @$#& are mine, I've censored my self in the message. I think a week is unfair :(" )

On 8/11/2021 at 6:51 PM, roscoe5 said:

Wow, thank you SO much for going through that with me. Hopefully it's helpful with others.

 

I may open a support ticket and or post on Ideascale on the issue and refer to this thread.  Maybe this is something Line 6 can fix in a future HX stomp update.

Rd2rk is a great guy!

On 2/8/2021 at 5:53 AM, ClayPod said:

 

 

"I play in my studio and not live and perhaps that's why I don't understand why anyone these mid-range infested "speaker sims" in Powercab. In my studio they sound like crap when compared to even the free Alure IRs, let alone some of the others."

 

 

you mean you don't understand why people like speaker Sims?

I've got a 212 and I don't understand that either  

I've done my tests and you're right the HF trim works wrong only if a preset with FRFR voicing is selected on the powercab, good catch.

This is obviously a bug because there's no reason for the cab to behave differently depending on what preset was loaded in the cab.

I'll tell that to the support to help them sort it out.

I don't have helix presets to give you because I never change voicing. my helix presets recall Flat Mode & FRFR voicing or set the cab in user IR mode and recall IRs loaded in the cab.

this HF trim issue is something I've noticed by chance while fiddling around.

but if you follow my steps you can replicate it too. tomorrow I'll write you a step by step sequence to follow.  

I use the l6link and all my helix presets recall the mode/voicing and settings I need so I never use powercab presets unless I'm auditioning things out of curiosity or I'm using the user IR presets I've made for easily auditioning IRs during rehearsals.

basically, when I've bought the cab I've modified the stock powercab preset #100 to frfr voicing, renamed it is as "helix remote", changed the led color. later I've moved it to location #000 and deleted all stock presets.

This apparently happens only on 212 cabs. The HF driver, under certain conditions, doesn't turn off like is supposed to.

The HF Trim is a global parameter but the HD driver is supposed to be on only in Flat Mode/FRFR voicing or User IR Mode.

With Flat Mode/LF Raw & LF Flat voicing and Speaker Mode the HF is supposed to be off.

Because of this issue, it can happen that moving from an Helix preset that controls the PC voicings and modes to another preset with different modes/voicings the HF driver remains on resulting in a totally different sounding preset.

I've logged a ticket about this a while back but the support, due to covid-19, have been able to test it on a 112 PC and couldn't replicate the issue.

With my 212 I can replicate the bug (?) every single time.

On 12/19/2019 at 11:37 PM, monnkey2 said:

I'm thinking of getting a couple Powercabs to run in stereo to play my backing tracks through, so I can jam along with my tube amp.  Has anyone tried playing music through these? How does it sound?

A pair of powered PA speakers will be a better and cheaper choice if you need them only for playing back music.

I have a PC 212 and tried to play backing tracks through it just to hear how it works. 

It works but is not ideal. I prefer using my studio monitors for the same task.

15 hours ago, rd2rk said:

 

LOL! We should start calling that RubyTopaz syndrome!

HAHAHAH he is the one and only master!

1 hour ago, rd2rk said:

 

Nope. Nor can you copy over them with a blank slot if you've filled all the slots like I did.

Only way I found (and what I did for the sale) was to do a re-install of the FW.

I've since discovered that if you EXPORT an EMPTY.wav BEFORE you fill up all the slots, you can then IMPORT it into a slot and, by repetition, clear all of the slots. AARGH!

 

I know from your posts over on TGP that you have (had?) a PC212. Still have it? Still liking it?

LOVING mine!

oh sorry, I've confused with how helix edit works, I guess.

yes, I still have and love mine a lot, especially with irs.  

I've used it with my band few times (unfortunately only few due to covid restrictions) at full volume and I've been really happy.

so happy that I'm thinking about getting another one, Lol, because I had the opportunity to play with 2 of them at adequate volume and love that.

placing one on top of the other like a 4x12 you get some serious air movement.

anyway I'm stuck to IRs in FRFR mode and never really bonded with the speaker simulations.  

right click -> clear, If I recall right.

I'm sure they will make some updates sooner or later.

I have few ideas for making the 212 an even  better  product

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-LR-RL-stereo-option-for-212+-L6link-connection/1007441-23508

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-stacked-cabs-stereo-option-for-the-212+-l6link-connection/1007321-23508

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Recall-presets-using-L6-Link/991009-23508

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-an-eq-on-the-powercab-line-cabs/988052-23508

I'd like to have multiple 10 stomp pages accessible within a preset using FS6 or FS12 unleashing the full potential of the command center.

I think 2 pages (20 foot switches) would be enough in most cases and would be really easy to navigate between them using a single FS, for example using FS6 (losing pedal edit mode and moving "mode" access to press & hold) for cycling through page 1 and 2 would be a nice and fast solution.

20 footswitches and the new command center that let us build our layout mixing stomps, snapshots, presets, looper & hot keys , will turn the Helix Floor in an unstoppable gigging machine.

I'd also add the "turn page" to the command center, just in case.

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Multiple-10-stomp-pages/1007625-23508

You can feed your 212 with a mono signal without affecting everything else.

meaning you can use it as a stereo speaker for your guitar and at the same time as a FRFR monitor for your vocals (or whatever).

form the manual:

On Powercab, navigate to Global Settings by holding the 
HOME button and set Input 2 Mode to Monitor. This will use a 
separate crossover and filters to provide flat-response, full-range 
audio through the Powercab built-in amplifier and speaker(s) – just 
like an active PA monito

another option is to add an eq to the powercab firmware  

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Add-an-eq-on-the-powercab-line-cabs/988052-23508