lespool79

Thanks everyone. I think I need the G 50. I can return it by mid January if it sucks. I have a few gigs to try it.

I'm looking at the line 6 G 50.

I have a helix and right now I gig with 3 different guitars b/c of tuning issues. I use one guitar 95% of the time, however. Anyone have any thoughts on how to logically get that 1 guitar to be hooked up to a wireless system? Or I suppose I can perhaps keep the wireless pack on my jeans and then step on the tuner button to mute and unplug the 1/4 inch jack and change guitars (then all 3 can be wireless). Im just curious the logistics of this and whether there is anything clever the helix offers to meet this need?

Wow I did it. It was easy after I followed the directions. Thanks again! All my presets are restored with no issue that I can see so far and I let the new factory 1 and factory 2 come from the update so it has the new cabs and tones. Will be fun to play with.

Thanks, I have gathered that this is the case but it helps to hear it specifically. I actually have this coming weekend off so I could give it a try. that would give me 1.5 weeks to undo any problem. Thanks!

My first Helix had to be sent back to Sweetwater b/c of a USB computer connection issue so I am very sensitive to this thing being a pain in the rear end for anything computer related. The replacement Helix however has connected and worked perfectly. I say this b/c I hate the computer/firmware/connection aspect of this device but I know this thing is powerful and I want the most out of it. I am not one to tinker into the details of various cabs and mic placements. I have about 75 presets that most of them are designed off just a few basic tones that I have created myself. I'm in a cover band and gig weekly or every other week and these presets are different songs with snapshots. I'm terrified that I will do this update, that I read amazing things about, and then it will change my tones and cause all sorts of trouble. 1. will the new update change the current tones of the cabs that are in my current presets? 2. if I download the new firmware is there a way to undo it and restore to a prior firmware backup just in case something dumb happens? (like a restore from backup?) 3. if I dont update, is there a way that I can just keep my current version and HXEdit at their current versions and just quietly live off the grid (kidding) or will I eventually have to bite the bullet and do this update. my dilemma here is that I'm not one to enjoy tinkering as I enjoy playing for crowds and if this causes me to have to redo a bunch of work and possibly have a panic that the Helix isn't gig ready... well that sucks. Am I overreacting?

Thank you!

I use snapshots in the Helix, so I have a new preset to mess around with called Loop. It has 3 snapshots, clean, hard, flange. I have the device set up to show presets on the top row and snapshots on the bottom row. The only way I can access the looper is to step on PRESET STOMP (button 6 I believe), then I see 1 switch looper on button 5. When I step on it, it turns red and records. When I step on it again it turns green and plays back. Great! So I can exit and then step on any of the 3 snapshots and I can solo over top. My question is: how do I stop it from playing? The only way I can figure out is to step on PRESET STOMP, to get out of the pedal mode (I guess?)and then I have to step on another preset. Then it stops. Is that the right way to do this? This is the only looper I can figure out how to work. I have a GUESS that b/c I am using snapshots in this view that the 6 switch looper won't work. I haven't figured out how to get that one to work but I'd be content with just the 1 switch looper, at least it works. Thanks

I guess that could be it. But at least it is functional now. For example if it is 100% down and I enter into that preset the preset starts with WAH OFF. which is what I need. I want it to function when I ROCK it. for some reason it was always showing 70 some % and ON. But when I rolled the dial down to zero manually and saved it it now starts OFF no matter where the pedal is positioned.

I tried the above and it didn't have any change. Then I looked at the screen on the floor unit and noticed the "position" knob at 70% or so. So I dialed it down to zero and hit save. now it holds at 12% which is my minimum to engage the wah. now it rocks and engages appropriately. Perhaps it was something with the setting of THAT KNOB (bottom left side of the screen) on the new helix. I've tested it over and over and now when I click on that preset the wah is off even if the expression pedal is all the way down. That's what I need! So the wah now only works when rocked. Whew. FUnky! clever... haha.

I used to have the wah set where it came on after a 12%min and 88% max with exp pedal 2. (I followed a YouTube video on how to set this up). I had a new helix sent to me because of a USB issue and now the Wah seems to act funny even though the presets are the same. For example when I move from one preset with no wah to one with the wah, the wah says it is engaged at 71% even though the foot pedal is fully down at the heel 0% and you can hear the nasal sounding wah sound. The preset starts on and then to turn the wah off I have to rock it and then put the heel back down. Clearly I'm missing something here. I do not recall having to do this with the old helix. Something must have changed that the presets are not overriding.

Follow up to this. Sweetwater sent me a new one and now it works and connects 100%. The issue wasn't software or anything, it was a bum Helix unit. Been working perfect for weeks. I notice a big difference, it connects very fast and doesn't matter if I have other apps open or the order of connecting or anything like that. it just works. Luckily I had a backup and basically I have a new Helix with my old presets and now it connects. Sweetwater saved the day.

I was going smooth for over a week with 100% connectivity. Then I download this preset https://line6.com/customtone/tone/5031479/ b/c we are going to add this song and now im about 50% connectivity. It's disconnecting and telling me the same old error. It will however connect back much faster and now I can still work with it but damn this is unacceptably annoying. I guess I'll try to take notes on what this guy did on one part of the song I needed help designing tone for and then just build it myself and see if I can delete the preset and test it again.

Thank you so much for the response. The weekend of gigs ended and I was ready to do exactly what you said. Then I plugged in the helix and it magically connected (now it has connected before just every once in a while then it will quickly disconnect). I figured id try and grab a more recent backup so I did a backup yesterday. It connected and stayed connected for the backup. I then thought to try the updater. So I closed HX Edit and ran the updater. It showed me having the option of 3.15 firmware so I did it. I am pretty sure I already had 3.15 installed but I followed the updater and did it. It took about 10 min after the update and a reboot and I watched it rebuild my presets. Then it connected ALL NIGHT. I tried everything to get it to FAIL and it didn't. I unplugged it, switched USB ports, turned it off, closed HX Edit and opened it again.... it worked 100% of the time. So ... I was hesitant on posting this so I dont jinx it but so far so good! If this carries on to be functional then I will attribute this to the firmware needing to be updated, even though it came with 3.15 I believe. Maybe it was something changed with 3.15 or ... well I just dont know.

Ok but that's after a global reset? I have HX Edit V3.15 on my computer. So the plan is global reset then delete HX Edit and reinstall it. Then connect the Helix. Hope it connects and then it will invoke the Updater?

Rereading all this I guess I need to use the updater and let that drive what happens. Right?

and a "global reset" is what I want right? power off, hold buttons 5+6 and power on, then release buttons. then connect helix to computer, pray the USB connects to it and then restore from backup. If it doesn't connect to the USB then I assume I run right to some local store buy another Helix and restore that one to my backup so I can play next weeks gigs. Then complain like hell to get this Helix returned. (or call Sweetwater asap and see if they can help)

I never did a firmware update. It came with the most recent firmware installed I believe and that was in March of this year. I am pretty sure I hit "create backup" I have just never done this before and I am SO PARANOID that I do not know what I am doing. But before I do this for real I will read everything on restoring from backup after firmware update. I mean "factory reset" is what they are telling me but after I do that I will then "restore from backup" and hope to God I see the ability to bring that .hxb file up.

I called Sweetwater and they provided some good help. He said all signs point to needing a firmware update. I also tested the connection on a friends PC and got the same error. So two computers now won't recognize this. The PC gave the error "the last usb device you connected to this computer malfunctioned and windows does not recognize it." So now I will perhaps do this on July 4 AM. I have two gigs this weekend so I can't risk this. I have a file on my computer in the Line 6 folder called "Helix Floor Backup 2022-June-15.hxb. Is that the file I need to save my a$$ when I wipe out the firmware and then load all my presets back in? I also have Helix Bundle (2022-June-15).hlb. I also have my setlists in a bar set.hls export. For the brief 10 seconds I was able to get the Helix to connect I managed to export and back up as much as I can. I just have never TRUSTED all my work to a file import after a firmware wipe out. That terrifies me with our gigging schedule. Thoughts on this? Do I have the files needed to recreate my Helix after I use the updater and update the firmware and wipe it out?

...so this does lead me back to my solution which I dont like: try it on a friends computer and see if HX edit works. If its flawless then just buy a $150 laptop and keep that laptop specific for the helix and move on.

Ok this is my last stab at fixing this myself. Problem: Helix won't stay connected to HX Edit. I get a "no device connected" red message at the bottom center of my HX edit. If I restart I might get lucky and it will connect for a few minutes but then it will disconnect. Setup: Helix with about 4 setlists each having 45 songs, each one having 4 snapshots. 3 foot USB cable into a USB to USB C (I think?) connector into my MacBook Pro running OS Monterey. Things I've done: I tested the USB. It works. I can run a focusrite into Logic Pro and it always connects. I have reinstalled Hx Edit multiple times. I have plugged and unplugged the USB. I have restarted multiple times. I asked Line 6 with a support ticket and their answer was to "keep the window focused and dont move it around" and "use a shorter USB cable." I find their answers very annoying as I dont move around the window and I have the 3 foot cable that came with it. They also said to wait for the new firmware update which is "right around the corner". I do have the Helix backed up, setlists saved and a bundle saved. I'm not really sure the difference between those three things but I did them all to make sure I'm safe. I've spent so much time working out these presets. Any thoughts now on what to do? I posted another post about getting a new cheap computer but damn that's annoying. I have a Mac, which was expensive. I could possibly do a factory reset on the Helix but that scares me. Otherwise I'm just stuck. I at least have all the presets made and I doubt we will be learning any new songs requiring me to do major preset adjustments. I can always just copy a preset and tinker a little on the floor unit if we need a new song preset but still I find this extremely annoying for such expensive stuff. Thoughts? Thanks!

I've posted before about this but my problem is now worse. I have a support ticket in with Line 6/yamaha but I can't imagine them helping. Hey maybe they will but .... I have a helix which is fantastic. It is updated and its 2 months old. When I updated to Mac OS Monterey my USB connection turned to total garbage. I haven't been able to connect to to Mac in over a week. I have 2 weeks until our next gig and I need to be able to quickly modify setlists and move on. (I know I can do all this on the floor unit but damn I dont like that) I'm guessing it is either a Mac OS issue (which I tried to restore to Sierra but my restore gets a failure), or some sort of audio interface issue (have all this sound flower stuff on my Mac and I have no idea how to get it off), or perhaps there is something wrong with the USB connections (I've tried multiple connectors). Basically im stuck. I just deleted HX edit and downloaded it again. "no device connected" is my error that I always see now. The only thing I have not done is erased the helix and started from scratch on everything. It just doesn't seem like a Helix issue to me and with our busy gigging schedule I'm terrified of losing something and not backing up correctly. SO WITH ALL THAT I'm ready to go buy a cheap PC laptop and have it dedicated to my Helix. I could connect to the internet on day 1 and download HX Helix then turn off the internet, and never update anything again. I'm happy with my Helix and HX edit as is and I dont need all the fancy upgrades and new releases. I can make due and play amazing with what I have. Has anyone done this? Just a cheap PC laptop with a USP connector to speak to the helix? I'm really frustrated. Thanks.

Slight update. It must be the computer and multiple USB inputs. I am running the helix's headphone out into my speaker and now the helix is connected through the single USB port to HX edit and I have not had a problem in 20 min. I have bypassed the focusrite into Logic Pro. Now this works but I usually play along with music so now I have to have the music coming out of the computer speakers or I need to get another speaker connected to the laptop. so its a workaround and its annoying but at least it works. At least it works for setting up new presets. I can always just not load HX edit and do it my old way and when I want to simply play along with songs.

so frustrating. I did the HX edit reinstall and its still the same. It seems to me like its either the USB adapter or the new Mac OS update that is messing with the USB inputs. It will connect but it won't stay connected and most of the time it won't even connect. So annoying. I guess I can try something with a Mac OS update or a revert to the old OS or try a new USB adapter (since these Macs have no real usb input). any other thoughts surely welcome. Now that you mention it my keyboard player grabs a guitar every once in a while and his HX stomp is on stage. so worst case I grab that and he sticks to the keys.

Ok - I won't panic! haha So to reinstall this HX edit I am just re-downloading it and then installing it again. That should fix any driver issue? That's the plan? I do not have this issue when the helix isn't connected to the computer so I think im ok with the firmware. No backup plan! The band does a silent stage so we all have modelers, electric drums, keys.... uh oh!