waymda

I don't think the question is how is it possible, but is it possible? The answer (AFAIK) is no. That would require something like a sidechain triggered by a gate, which the Helix does not have. All time based/mod effects in the Helix run off their own clock and are not 'triggered' by an input. Your sound bite is very cool, but also sounds very DAW/Studio based and outside of what the Helix can do. It'd be cool to define (for example) the point on the curve a flanger starts when triggered by a sound, but no.

It sounds like you're comparing apples and oranges. No FRFR (and I mean none) will sound the same as your amp through a guitar speaker direct to your ears. When modelling there is always a microphone between the amp/speaker and the reproduction system (then your ears). So, unless you're mic'ing your amp into the B1s you, and the audience, are hearing a raw guitar amp/speaker sound. To acheive a similar sound with a modeller you would use an amp model, into a power amp, into the speaker cab - no speaker model. If you mic your amp/speaker and run it through the B1s as well as stage, you need to work out how that sound compliments the stage cab sound in the room and aim for that through the B1s, or the compromise that emulates that mix. The latter will be very tricky. You might need to change your mindset about what you want/need to hear and accept the inherent compromise of ALL modelling. As to the volume jumps between amp models - that's why the Helix/Stadium chain has a heap of post production tools like compressors and gain blocks to normalise the levels, and EQ to assist with getting common perceived volume. The analogy of modellors being amps and effects in a box is fundementally flawed, they are a studio in a box with guitar amps and effects and need to be treated like that.

Maybe a stupid question, but as you've not said, is it connected - as in with a USB cable? Have you tried different cables, and/or USB ports? Not much else I can suggest with limited info, AND not being a Mac user. Howver have seen lots of posts about specific Mac OS and Line 6 incompataility, so maybe post your OS version as well and any other info a Mac user might need to help. They are all just end users here, not Line 6 support, so need all the info you can give.

Why would you post to a user forum rather than contact line 6 support (maybe raise a ticket) and/or the retailer? Its a day old.

Best be asking Line 6 that, not a user forum. Maybe raise a ticket?

Cross-posting won't change this from being an end-user forum to some form of official L6 user request forum. But at least you've found someone else who wants that feature.

For stage I've run: 2 x L6 PC+ Various powered wedges Yamaha and QSC FoH boxes set-up as monitors Valve power amps and speaker set-ups All sound and feel different, and have tempted me to tune my patches to them. Unfortunately that impacts on FoH (generally negatively). You will need to be clear (for yourself) what you want and try things until you find what works for you. If you don't run through FoH and just have stage sound I'd reccomend good FoH style speakers for the best reproduction, accepting the stage sound will not (should not??) be an amp in the room sound. If you want that amp in the room "spill" type sound, good guitar speakers and a power amp (not necessarily valve). This will limit your pallet significantly as guitar speakers significantly colour your sound. Its part of their charm. For studio - you want the best monitors you can afford for whole of recording reproduciton, and the Helix will just be part of that.

Along with raising a ticket as siverhead mentions, some observations: L6 products have always been finicky with USB (at least in my experience), across multiple iterations of Windows They were even worse with USB to Midi implementation and needed specific devices to work - thinking Variax updates here For my Helix and LT: I have had to test different ports on the same machine to get stability I have had brand new cables out of the wrapper not working - to the point of not detecting the unit(s) Tested multiple cables over extended perios of time to get a solid consistent connection - and kept those cables aside for L6 use So it may not be the unit.

Or jump to the Stadium and get the updates it has got: Stabilty and bug fixes - not an issue for Helix OG Agora amps - not possible for Helix OG Proxy - not possible for Helix OG None of this has relevance for the OG, which is a stable and mature product with the Stadium following a very similar maturation route as the OG. Have a quick delve in this forum to see the early OG complaints and concerns, and don't ask anyone who was there what updating was like. You brought the OG at a great time - its a fully functional unit, stable unit, and updates are genuine updates (when and if they occur). As a "working pro" what exactly is it that is NEEDED? I couldn't trust the Stadium for live work at this point, BECAUSE it NEEDS frequent updates. OG is in the "Plateu of Productivity", Stadium is on the "Slope of Enlightenment" (just). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gartner_hype_cycle - choose your poison.

Q1 - Yes - just make sure midi over USB is turned on for the Helix. I turn it off as a matter of course and it catches me out everytime. Q2. Don't know, but its fallacious to think there will be a parallel. Different hardware, with different corporate owners, and likely different priorities. FWIW, whilst the D10 is said to support Variaxs I won't be holding my breath of the depth of that support, or for how long given since Yamaha took over Line 6 they've killed the Variax product. Says a lot to me about where the dev team will be able to expend effort. Unfortunately, as someone who uses variaxes with within song guitar and tuning changes via snapshots on the OG.

How do you dial in your overdriven presets? With my ears - not meant to be facetious, but really that's all that matters. 'Standard practice' is BS, it's just doing what others do and may not work for you. You may want/need to change your mic/cab approach for dirtier sounds, or even the amp settings. Luckily you can do all those changes with one button push using snapshots. I think you need to throw away analog approaches (which frankly were always a massive compromise (amp + cab with pedals in front) and embrace what digital offers in terms of clean and dirty and 'disgusting' can all be highly independent. You are no longer bound to amp/pedal/can settings based on what you have onstage. Play and learn, and have some fun.

Having tried many power-amp cab combinations (SS and valve) and FRFR approaches over many years my view is what works for you (at this moment in time) is what works, and that everything is a compromise. I now run direct to FoH and use (damned good) IEMs, and adjust tones to fit in the mix for FoH. The IEMs sound good, but its not the same 'experience' as loud onstage cabs. I would never go back though. The audience gets better sound and the sound is consistent(ly good). Something I can't say for running loud on stage and having to hit that volume level both for tone and so I can play well. My opinion is that its all marketing and hype, musicians play into it, and sunk costs drive opinions about what works more than anything else - before the next best and greatest potential purchase comes along. Audience be damned and internet opinions are worth what it costs to read them - nothing.

TLDR: Don't expect global assignment of a cab-free output in a hurry. Its not stumbling over this, its how its been done with the Helix since the OG. The exception to this is the Pod Go, which has fixed block placement. You will need to adjust your workflow, and quite possibly your approach to patch building (see below). The flexibility the Helix allows (1/4 inch, XLR, Digital, sends and returns) makes a global response near to impossible and, for many, highly undesirable as their needs may vary in terms of how outputs are used and can be managed on a by patch basis. If you want a standardised approach use templates to set-up your master approach and add/change as required. The idea that the cab should or must be the last block is also false. There is lots of post cab processing you may want to apply before going direct - eg compression or patch specific EQ - that you do not want going to your cab. The only consideration for your tap point (to cab) is does it include all the processing you want/need for the cab. Some users have a wetter send for FoH than to onstage monitoring/cabs. Again, why a global setting for no cab on output X is problematic. I can't answer your other question re the Agora amp interaction with cabs - however logically, if you're tapping the signal before the cab, and the cab still exists, the relationship between amp and cab still exists, and should impact all signal leaving the cab independent of tap point.

Slow reply - I didn't get a notification. I used to use poweramps into guitar speaker cabs, but it limited my pallette too much as the speaker has such a huge influence on tone. That aside, when I did I much preferred using the full amp model even though it includes the power amp section. Yes the preamp models are substantially quiter and need additional volume, but they also sounded thin to me. Irrispective of what you use, pre or full, you should be aiming for consistency in levels at the patch stage and then tuning the actual output to the out put device (eg line level PA vs instrument level amp head). I've always used a full Helix and/or LT so can't advise the easiest approach for that on a XL, but on the Helix I would use a gain block at the end of the patch, or the output level to adjust. If using different set-ups, copy the patch, adjust output levels and name for that output, or keel in a seperate user list.

If you understood the 500, you will (with time) get the Helix. I went from the 500xHD to a Helix about 10 years ago. The sound quality jump was amazing, as was the learning curve. Stick with it. Jason Sadites has already been mentioned. I also used Marco Fanton (youtube) as a resource and dropped a couple of each's presets to help understand it. FWIW I went from tweaking every preset on the 500HDx EVRY gig to reviewing patches occasionally with the Helix once I got it. I use a patch per song with minimal reuse.