Motto85

Having the same issue---I just simply restarted the Helix (didn't factory reset, just a cold off/on) with the expression all the way down and it's returned to normal function. My issue now is the squeaking. This is my second floor Helix (third Helix if you count my rack version). When I first bought this one about two months ago, like the other, I had to loosen the expression to be JUST comfortable enough to get a smooth sweep (especially while heeling back down), but that seemed to cause it to squeak with this one. So it definitely needs some kind of lubrication this time around. But as far as the 0-100% thing, the reset pretty much did the trick. I'm not stressing too much as long as it's hitting that 100%, since I use whammy and wah effects. You NEED the top end of that sweep more than anything with stuff like that.

Dude, this one. I set mine right to the point where the sound "opens" up. For the wah (Conductor Wah) on this particular preset, the mix is at 58%. Game Changer! My gain isn't being sucked out (as usual with wahs, even in real life) and the response fights you back less.

So 3-cable method (not counting the required speaker cable to the Captor's red input) Guitar to Helix, Helix send 1 to guitar amp input, Line Dry of the Captor to Helix return 1...then bring up the send/return block and choose FX Loop 1 and put your cab/IR block behind it and route your effects as you would normally. It worked for me. Got the amp's output from the Captor working perfectly and effects all behave the way they should be!

Truth. I wasn't seeing anything directly trying to solve the issue, so I had to add in some of my findings with that situation.

I know of a few solutions: 1) matching the "USB in 1/2 Trim" to whatever you're playing/monitoring. It's in the hamburger menu under Ins/Outs. 2) Lower the output of the preset so it's matching the output of your DAW. You end up with a lower signal/waveform but your monitoring will match and also the recording quality SEEMS to be a bit more articulate. 3) setting your preset's output volume higher, then going back and matching the "USB in 1/2 Trim" to it. For some reason, option 2 seems to sound slightly better in terms of sonic quality. Not sure why that might be other than maybe the volume of the ouput causing it to lose some definition at 0dB?

100% agreed. But here's hoping when the new one comes around (I'm sure one will eventually) it totally dominates. Helix floor as-is is still my favorite of all the modelers, but it can definitely be improved upon internally to compete with--or best--the sonic experience of the Axe FX III Mk II. Fractal's converters (or whatever is going on internally) make that thing sound INCREDIBLE, like audiophile grade or something. I find the the amp models FEEL largely the same as Helix, but man...as an interface, the Axe Fx is terrifyingly good, just on the ears. With headphones on, there's immediate width, depth, "weight", where the Helix sounds a little piddly, switching between them with good headphones on. I will say though, my star presets on the Helix are competitive though..adding the (stereo) dynamic room and stereo imaging blocks at the end of a chain get it pretty close.

This is why I sometimes kinda prefer making a whole preset for each channel of an amp over using Snapshots...for one, not every amp has all of it's channels modeled, so in those cases you have to bring up another amp to fill it out for a legit "rig". I also don't want to waste DSP having two (or more) amp blocks in a preset to switch between since sometimes I want a really "involved" clean tone just as much as my dirty tones can get. It's difficult to do that when the second amp is gonna max out the DSP by the time I've got everything I need for my main dirty sound, which takes priority.

The features highlighted here are some of the most banal stuff to be harping over on a next-gen modeler. I can understand cloud preset storage to a degree, but you have exporting to pc already, plus Custom Tone. I'd be asking them to reshape the modeling engine, update as many amps as possible (adding new ones of course), increase DSP and A/D conversion, etc and biggest of all, possibly consider integrating a tube buffer and an internal power amp so it can go direct to a cab without any external devices. Make the new Helix so fully self-sustained that nothing can compete with it. Right now, we're seeing everyone just copy each other's homework and there hasn't been any real big steps forward with modeling hardware. If there is to be a Helix II, it needs to come out SWINGING.

The below article was taken from a MusicTech article and will tell you what you need to know about the Helix mod: Basically stating the inputs on the Helix are perfect. The mods they do to it are OUTPUT. So, if you buy the mod, it's not gonna give you "MOR TOOB TOAN". https://musictech.com/features/interviews/black-lion-audio-nate-bierdeman/ What about at the higher end? Is there any gear that sounds so good, you can add nothing to it? Within reason, yes. We’ve definitely got devices in where we’ve modified it and it’s like splitting hairs between the results, so we don’t offer those mods at all and only offer mods to devices where we hear a big difference when we A/B them. Years ago with Fractal Audio, the guitar-processing company, we checked out one of their models and the analogue stages were super clean, everything was really well done. I personally have a Kemper, which is along those lines and also really well done. We offer a Line 6 Helix mod where they did a phenomenal job on the hi-Z input, the DI, but we were able to offer a lot on the output side where we were able to modify it, so within the same device there is room for improvement somewhere else. There are also certain brands that we don’t bother with because their price point is so high already that to entice people to spend an additional amount is too hard to do.

Maybe I'm alone, but the new update has me FLOORED. After first getting a Helix about 6 months ago and learning how to really dial it in, I said to myself: "This has everything I could ever want, but as far as amp models, the ONE amp that's sorely missing is the Ecstasy". Now we have it! Also, I've been wanting them to update the legacy Soldano 412 because I find Soldano cabs to be my favorite. I've owned three--the older 412 with Eminence Legend V12s, the newer 412 with V30s, and now I have the new 212 slant. Sonically, I've always preferred the older V12 version, so seeing it get an update in Helix is exciting as heck. I've had my share of expensive tube heads and let me say this....there's really only a handful of flavors to play with, and the only thing that TRULY separates them is form-factor and QOL features. That's it. A 5150, Rectifier and SLO aren't so radically different that if you owned either one, you wouldn't be able to do most of what the other does with the proper boost. My honest opinion is there's a subset of people that just want SOMETHING new to spend their money on. Maybe they're tired of seeing the same piece of gear for a long time, maybe they're lusting at some of the things other brands are doing and just feel left out. I'm WAY late to the digital game because I was a staunch tube amp guy, got sick of all the mucking around with mics and all that, so I spent about 2 months deciding between the Helix and other modelers and found that the Helix is the most full-featured and fleshed-out. I was right. They're the Apple of their kind--Maybe they don't always have the newest thing as soon as it's out, but what works REALLY works. Even aesthetically, the Helix is THE best looking modeler available...a 10 year old device that still looks modern, and STILL has more effects than it's competition. I don't know what more they could do other than maybe incorporating nano-tubes or something in it, like the BluG stuff. The real-world connectivity is already there, the form factor and aesthetic is still top-notch after 10 years, it's got nearly all the amp flavors you could want. The rest is just (some of) us looking at the Youtube videos and wanting to burn a hole in the pocket for the latest thing, not realizing how redundant it is. Every new amp coming out is the same stuff--modded Fender, modded Marshall, modded Rectifier. Another thing I've learned from owning expensive amps: modding is a waste of your money if you have the right drive paired with the amp. You have dozens of drives in the Helix to solve any "deficiency" each model has. I've spent a few grand on amp mods that I'll never get back, when all I needed was the Helix. Lesson learned. IMO, all Line 6 has to do is keep fixing bugs, keep making the cab block better and tweak the synth/octave stuff to track better.