PierM

3 hours ago, Ed_Saxman said:

Getting the MIDI output loop commands back will be great, but I have no words to describe what a better MIDI implementation will mean for us.

 

Don't quote me, but... Maybe something like... "The next firmware update promises to be a true milestone for us MIDI fans?".

Im definitely a MIDI junkie, especially because I think it's still the best option for performers, so that you can automate/group/isolate alll commands and actions you need, from more devices, without have to tip tap all the time between controllers on the floor and racks....

If helix would assign a dedicated CC, or Note, and send Midi data for every single knob, button and footswitch, I'd be in heaven... :)

22 minutes ago, zolko60 said:

They are not transparent in case of passive pickups, they load them and overal input impedance is higher.

 

Be sure you understand what people is talking about before posting more tech bubbles.

Get a life.

Helix looper has no sync support.

A cab in the Helix does model a cab+mic in a room. Powercab speaker sim, it's just simulating a specific speaker response, within the actual and physical cab. It's, at the end of the day, like a custom cabinet, with a speaker that you can choose from a list in the PC. Powercab, when used as a speaker sim, it's exactly a cab itself, so it does not match any cab in the Helix.

11 hours ago, rosskoss said:

I'm not using super high-output pickups or anything (pair of Fralin unbuckers) but the difference is amazing on all amp models with input pad on. For single coils, I use Kinky Boost and it sounds great!

 

Now I'm wondering if reducing the input signal further (i.e. from the input pad -6dB) is warranted. Anyone try this? 

 

 

This is why you have a volume/tone circuit on your guitars. :)

Toggle wont work for me, (tested with Midi Designer Pro) that's why I suggested a momentary.

Thanks for the "almost", lol.

Yes you can do it with any controller that sends momentary CCs. You dont need any particular effort in programming that, since it's just a momentary send, so the called snapshot will exclude all the others. CC is 69 for all snapshots, and value to send goes from 0 to 7, to cover the 8 snapshots. So CC 69/0 for S1, CC 69/1 for S2, CC 69/2 for S3...etc. 

6 hours ago, bzaferatos said:

CRAZY THIS IS. I sold my helix floor and was trying to sell my two powercabs until I got my axe fx 3. Im keeping my powercabs. they were not the problem. It was the Helix period!!!!!!!! Plugged in and found the Friedman BE and hit one chord and decided to keep the powercabs. No more fighting the frfr sound because its gone. It sounds and feels real! The presets are actually good. The amp modeling is way better period! the effects are way better period! the ability to customize the amps are light years beyond the helix. I mean, you can actually change the preamp and power amp tubes and a lot more. I can use poly effects and spillovers and set up a patch for a bass player and never worry about the cpu. with helix after picking out your dirty amp youre lucky if you can get the clean amp you realy want or overdrive etc. Especially with poly effects or not being able to use your 2nd path if you choose spillovers. in a recording on you tube you might get close tone wise but in person with you rig beside you........NO WAY!!!!!!! Its not gonna happen. i also have the fc-12 pedal board. yes it was expensive but if you picked one up you would see why. Its built better than the helix. its a TANK. YES THIS IS JUST MY OPINION. DONT TAKE IT FROM ME. ASK METTALICA, DEF LEPPARD OR STEVE VIA. these guys can afford anything they want but have chosen the Axe FX 3. Go to fractal and check out the artist page. Theres a reason the pros use the fractal unit. Notice the same guys on both sites. I promise they dont actually use helix anymore if they ever did. ITS SIMPLY TIME FOR LINE 6 TO PUT OUT A NEWER AND BETTER UNIT ESPECIALLY WITH THE QUAD CORTEX ON ITS WAY.  WHICH BY THE WAY PETE THORN SEEMED TO LOVE IT BESIDES THE AMP MODELING AND THE FACT THAT NEURAL NEEDED IT BACK FOR REPAIRS. YOUCANT MAKE THIS UP. The FRACTAL FX III is the best and most powerful unit there is period. Has nothing to do with taste ot preference.......ITS JUST A FACT.......................AT LEAST FOR NOW.

Got your period?

@Ed_Saxman What do you mean with "Bidirectional communication between your Helix and your iPad."? I dont think Helix is sending back any status information about basically anything...so when you load a preset, none of the FS toggle status get sent over MIDI. Or maybe Im misunderstanding that "bidirectional" term... :)

Well, on paper every send/return are extra D/A/D conversion, so Im not surprised if that is affecting the tone, other than adding more noise to the noise floor.... and yes - it does.

I do certainly get a better tone out of my Iridium when used alone, than when I put it inside an Helix path, using an FX loop. Im pretty sure it's mostly about that extra AD/DA cycle, which cant be totally seamless. Not a deal breaker for sure, totally usable in the mix, but difference it's there.

1 hour ago, roundeight said:

I did as you told me and it works! I am understanding that it is not enough to put the looper at the end of the Rig but the Rig must be exactly the same type. If preset N ° 1 has a linear Rig and preset N ° 2 has a Rig going to the line below (path 2a) the looper will not be maintained even if it is placed just before the output.

That's because MUST be on the same DSP (aka same path).

If you have preset A with looper on path 1 (DSP1), and preset B with looper on path 2 (DSP 2), it wont work...and, I'd say, for obvious reasons. :)

Just try this;

Start from a blank preset, and place a looper block at the end of the path, before the output.

Save the preset as it is, just with a looper block.

Now save again, in the next preset position, so that you have two identical presets, one after the other.

Go back to first one and record something on the looper. Play the loop. Switch to next preset while looper is playing. You will get the looper recording on the second preset as well. Go back and forth, the recording will stay there.

25 minutes ago, roundeight said:

I have tried all the ways but if I switch from one preset on which I have recorded a loop to another, even if I have inserted the looper in the same block, the moment in which the passage occurs, the loop stops playing. To have a looper that "overrides" the presets while remaining in operation, it should be placed on a possible global post location, as happens for example in the Rig 5 software.

@malhavok is right. If you place the looper exactly on the same place in the two presets (like at the very end of the path, before the output block), the recording does spillover when you roll between them.

Just tried and it works.

Nope, you cant (yet). That's from latest firmware;

IMPORTANT! Unfortunately, Looper recording or playback will not currently spill over from one preset to another.

EDIT: That's wrong, you can. :)

13 hours ago, samtowns said:

YESSSSSS!!! This drives me absolutely nuts! There are many times I’m just wanting to quickly sweep through the levels of gain or EQ as I would on a normal pedal - but I have to turn the knobs over and over again to get them all the way through – would love to have them operate more like a “real world” knob! Hopeful that Line 6 sees this and can fix in a future firmware update... 

Yes, that's a pain in the arse.

Takes literally a minute to raise some params to max... ridicolous.

58 minutes ago, talonmm said:

Under new equipment, did you forget the HX-Stomp?  Also no mention of the output meters and improved tuning screen.

 

Also, it's incredible how many effects Line 6 added!

 

The new amps and effects sounds amazing.  It's like getting so much new hardware each update.

 

Great Job!

OP is from 2018. Today that list would be way longer. :)

11 hours ago, zgm676 said:

I just bought another one since they're so cheap.

160€ for a thing that last 2.5hours per charge, I wouldnt really call it cheap. 

That firmware, that was cheap indeed. :)

13 hours ago, spikey said:

If you are going to spend the $$$ get the rack AND the controller. This way you arn't stepping all over the expensive part.... ; )

This!

19 hours ago, tlathbury said:

I've tried this switching between patches with spillover turned on and would view it is a mild improvement at best.  There still is a definite hiccup between volume matched presets....sort of like a very brief volume drop.

 

Am I missing something ?

 

Maybe there's a demo of this available so I can see/hear what to expect ?

Check if you dont have some impedance jump between the two presets. This is from the official notes from L6;

"...note that there may be a slight hiccup when switching between two presets with different impedance values for the Guitar Input."

This would require some layering, like the plus pedal does. Would be great, but does require a different algo for the layering, and more params to control them. You should drop the idea in ideascale.

1 hour ago, LongDuckDong said:

I researched the Helix.  My favorite amp is the Mesa Boogie, Dual Rectifier, which the Spider Jam, has.  

 

I asked if the Helix brought more to the table than the Spider Jam. 

 

Unfortunately, the respondents couldn't answer a simple question, without getting pissy, snarky, or defensive.

You should buy a Mesa Boogie, Dual Rectifier.

You should update to Helix only if you need a joystick.

I did some comparison between variax detuning/uptuning (not Alt tuning, for the above reasons), and the Helix Poly does seem performing better for uptuning (better tone and attack), whereas Variax (JTV59) sounds to me more convincing when downtuning, even if does warble a bit more for lower drops. Acoustic sim on the JTV is still superior than using the Acoustic sim in the latest firmware imho, but I've seen some youtube using that new block in conjuction with acoustic IRs, and it was sounding just amazing. Still the Variax seems the right choice if you dont want to deal to much with presets and stuff.

I dont think Variax is now redundant, at all. Helix can't perform string recognition as the Variax, so I doubt it will ever be a complete alternative.

40 minutes ago, CraigGT said:

 

People say the joystick issue is a soldering problem but it's not, it's caused by the multi axis movement taking it's toll on the wires.

Well, I sent my floor in Germany (two times) for the joystick issue, and in the service description was described as a soldering issue. The pot base is soldered on the PCB.