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On 2/6/2024 at 7:27 PM, rd2rk said:

I think the full-fat Helix is still on sale...

I've had a helix floor for about 5 years now...I needed a smaller footprint pedalboard...and lighter. My helix board was over 70 lbs and way too much for live performances.

Thanks as always for your help!

I didn't include that I have the Specular Tempus in the FX loop.

The problems that I have with the tuner are;

I have been using Patterson tuners for a long time, their new mini tuner is great. I like using the "sweetened tunings" 6 string, 12 string and Mandolin.

Line 6 tuner negatives...I don't like have to hold down the FS to activate/MUTE. I play in worship setting where silence between songs is vital, I can't maneuver between presets or change pedals, if in stomp box mode, without UNMUTING. 

I forgot to mention that I'm also comparing my preset volumes with and without the amp model engaged, even with the origin effects off.

I've been trying to figure something out, with no success. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've put together a small pedalboard featuring the HX stomp XL.  My signal path prior to the XL is a tuner and the Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact , JHS compressor, Greer lightspeed. 

My question is....when I use a preset with the amp model turned off, (I use a PC+ for speaker modeling), and use the Revival Drive as the amp simulator, I am able to set all external pedals and modulation effects in my preset to unity gain. For an A/B comparison between the revival drive and a XL amp models, when I turn on any amp model, there is a noticeable reduction in volume, maybe 15db????my guess. The only way I can achieve the same volume from the HX amp model is to max out the master and channel volumes, and increase the gain...not what I'm after!  I know the output signal from the revival drive is correct, judging by the LED on the PC+. I've tried adding 15db at the end of my preset signal chain, but the amp still has to be maxed out. 

I hope I explained it well enough for you to understand, thanks again for any help.

Mike

On 3/30/2023 at 5:07 PM, theElevators said:

Try resetting the global settings.

Thanks for the advice, but it still remains out after resetting the global settings and verifying that it is turned on in the preferences. I'll have to check if the warranty has expired. If it has, I'll just get used to it, for now. 

Still can't download pictures here! What a shame!

Hello to all,

After updating my software to 3.5 the LED for my Tap Tempo stopped working. Global settings are correct. The LED test screen also shows no sign of life. Is this just a fluke? Or has there been any other reports of this?

Thanks as always,

Mike

Pictured is the latest version of my board!

On 8/26/2022 at 2:03 PM, MusicLaw said:

P.S. From your username, I presume you have a Callsign? 

I have given up the HAM stuff years ago. After getting involved in contesting, etc. I think the hobby ran it's course. Callsign K2VZ. Just never got around to changing my email.

Hello to all,

  I was just sitting outside on my deck, where I have 2 bluetooth enabled speakers. I had a thought, if I could send my audio out from the Helix floor via bluetooth to the speakers, I could have my pedalboard and everything inside the house and just jam away outside, wireless for the guitar of course. 

Is this possible? What would I need?

Thanks as always,

Mike

OK I've tried every way I can think of to post a jpeg with a new thread. What am I doing wrong?

Hello to all,

I finally received the last piece to my new pedalboard today, a Boss OC-5 Octave pedal. It's been on backorder for over 4 months. I have it running thru my effects loop 2. I've never used one before, and have been going back and forth on where in my signal chain it should be. Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

Thanks as always,

Mike

Hello to all,

  I recently completed a pedalboard which features the Helix as the centerpiece. My friend asked for my help in building a smaller pedalboard for him. I am unfamiliar with the other line 6 products. Is there a more compact option that can still act as a MIDI controller, Variax input and the AES output? If not, which one would have the closest inputs/outputs as the Helix floor? 

Thanks as always,

Mike

I actually did a A/B test with the Helix and my '89 JCM800 2210 stack, pictured. The results were actually closer than I would have thought. The sound was similar and distinct, but trying to use your ears to compare a 100 watt stack vs a Helix with 2 PC+'s was, as you can imagine, kind of apples and oranges. If you are a fan of the JCM800, I don't think you would be disappointed.

5ED4764B-F2C6-4D8D-8647-219BE7BE77AA.heic

On 6/23/2022 at 10:09 PM, rd2rk said:

However, to get back to the original Pedal Preset you'd have to reload the Helix Preset

Originally, I created one preset for a specific venue, and had my Helix set to 8 SS's. I then went through each SS CC loading the different pedal presets, thinking I could just randomly select between SS's. After reading your response, I now realize that the easier way to approach this would be to change the SS's to presets, and change the FS layout.  I tend not to change my tone mid song so latency isn't a problem, I'll just create a specific preset for that situation if the need arises.

Do I have this correct now?

You're a lifesaver...thanks again.

On 6/23/2022 at 2:37 PM, DunedinDragon said:

The thing you have to get clear in your head about snapshots and presets

I have a few other midi questions I would appreciate your input on.

If I have pedal "A" and pedal "B" in series in that order in the midi loop, can I have pedal A assigned to channel 3 and pedal B on channel 2? Or do they have to be sequentially in the correct order?

Do the instant commands in command center have to be in the correct order? If I have a IC to load a pedal preset from bank 0, and I change the preset to a selection in bank 1, the pedal manual says to send a CC to select the other bank, does this IC have to be inserted before the IC for the preset in that bank? When changing back to a snapshot using bank 0 from there, do I have to insert a IC for bank 0 again in all the snapshots using presets in bank 0?

If I have a snapshot containing a CC to bypass a pedal, do I have to insert a CC for every other snapshot to engage the pedal, before I IC a preset for the pedal?

Thank you so much for your help, I'm having a few intermittent problems when going back and forth between snapshots. The answers to my questions will let me know if I've located the problem.

Mike

On 6/23/2022 at 1:07 PM, rd2rk said:

Hitting the "ambient" FS for a blues solo would be embarrassing at best!

I was interested in combing the various snapshots, only to find/develop some new sounds. Once I discovered what reverb sounds good with what delay, I would then just make a new preset/snapshot via command center with that combination. I guess I went about this wrong... oh well...I've gotten pretty good at programming Midi commands now...

I'm in the process of setting up my new pedalboard which I use the Helix as a midi controller for 2 pedals, Timeline and Big sky. I went through all the factory presets, selected my favorites, then assigned each to a snapshot within presets,(Reverb1,2... / Delay 1,2...). I did this so I could easily switch to various effects while experimenting with different sounds. 

My question...Is it possible to have access to a snapshot within a different preset than you are in? I would basically like to have the ability to select any combination of snapshots, from different presets? (reverb/delay).

Or...did I go about this wrong?

Thanks as always,

Mike

On 6/17/2022 at 12:13 PM, silverhead said:

You can use the Swap or the Copy/Paste method. 

Thanks again for your help... I was trying to do it in HX edit, much easier using the foot switches !

I just might be having a mental lapse, but how do you change the order of the snapshots within a preset?

Thanks as always...

On 6/15/2022 at 10:57 AM, silverhead said:

I thought you wanted a way to identify the tuning being used.

That solves my immediate need, the alternate tunings as you described so well, I will try at a later time, when/if I have the time. 

Never having tried the alternate tunings with the Helix, it sounds a lot more complicated, than using the custom tunings via the Variax, although it would be a great deal simpler once incorporated. 

For the custom tunings in Helix, it is still necessary to connect the Variax via cat5?

On 6/14/2022 at 2:57 PM, pianoguyy said:

change your preset when a song needs a different tuning?

I thought of that, in fact I just purchased a WIDI jack, (bluetooth MIDI controller) for the HELIX so I can use Forscore in my iPad via the WIDI jack, to automatically change to the appropriate snapshot and tuning when I select a song on Forscore. My only obstacle is that I just finished building a new pedalboard centered around the Helix. To make everything fit, I had to build a riser for a few pedals, which blocks the top of the Helix, I installed remote 1/4" stereo input jacks for the output. I'm pretty sure that to send MIDI to and from the Variax, that the cat5 cable has to be used, which as I said is not accessible at this time. I have to look into a remote surface mount for the cat5 also the XLR/AES outputs, (I run 2 PC+'s in stereo). It seems that just as soon as I get everything all set...I have to change things for one reason or another, never changes!

Hello, I've been screwing around with the virtual capo for over an hour now, and I've gotten absolutely no where. I'm confident I have been following the instructions properly, I just can't get any repeatability, I've managed to get 1 capo set, every other attempt has select strings not in tune. Repeated attempts have gotten the same results but no common string(s) out of tune, it appears random.

I'm getting close to putting this back in the closet...it shouldn't be this hard! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Hello to all... I've been an avid line 6 user for a number of years now, helix floor, wireless and JTV-59. I purchased the Variax to help maintain my sanity during the pandemic, and it worked great! With no performances going on, it helped maintaining my love for playing. As things returned to normal, (somewhat), it's been sitting in the case for the last year or so. Now I've been involved with a group which as of our last performance 2 days ago, required 2 guitars, 1 tuned to open D, various capo positions etc... thats too much for me! I decided that it's time to put the Variax to work! 

  I plan to use the virtual capo in place of most of the presets after the full step down.

My question: For those that change any of the presets to custom, how have you found the best means to label the knob? I'm kind of hoping that I don't resort to blue painters tape with writing. I think that would look pretty tacky! But tacky is better than selecting the wrong position!

Thanks as always for your help,

Mike

On 6/9/2022 at 6:33 PM, rd2rk said:

Remote XLRs?

I forgot that our soundboards XLR inputs are all being used for mics, thats why I use the 1/4" stereo inputs. I'll give the HF a try first.

On 6/9/2022 at 6:33 PM, rd2rk said:

What you've done is kind of like lowering your car (to improve aerodynamics) by removing the tires. :-)

I know it may seem like that now, but at the time, I did the best I could, in the small time window which I had to finish the pedalboard. I accomplished what I needed at that time, for my purposes, with the intentions of making all the connections available as/if needed...I guess I've come to that point now if I want to solve this latest hurdle...

Thanks as always for your help, you've been a great resource!

Mike