phil_m

Back when I first heard about snapshots, and was given the rundown about how they would work, one of the things I first asked about was tying the snapshot mode to the Mode Switch instead of the Bank Up and Down switches. I think the reason they didn't do that is because of what DI said in another thread here about wanting to make snapshots totally transparent in the sense that if you didn't want to use them, it would be like they weren't there. So they wanted to make it so you couldn't accidentally get into snapshot mode and have a "what the heck did I just do?" moment. I like the concept of what you've laid out here, but I do think it introduces a layer of complexity that Line 6 isn't probably willing to implement. I can see users getting confused. I think the problem is that with every different configuration option, you get exponential growth as to the possible configuration. I think people would have a hard time keeping all the options straight in their head. Personally, I think the one thing I could see being implemented is maybe another option for Stomp mode which would allow anything to be assigned to switches - snapshots, presets, stomps or controllers.

Is that Mono + Pod bag you're talking about the Guitar Tick plus the guitar bag? Those are pretty cool. Unfortunately, I think the Helix is big enough that it would make such a configuration really awkward and probably not really wearable as a backpack. The Helix backpack itself with expressions pedals and cables and whatnot in the front pouch is actually relatively heavy and big. I've worn the Helix backpack and carried my guitar in a gig bag, and that's doable. It might be a little tough on a crowded train, but I think that's always going to be the case... The Helix is a little bigger than the HD500(X), and it's heavier as well. If you're not using external expression pedals, perhaps a bag with a shoulder strap might be a better way to go than the backpack.

I don't think that's going to help anything. I think the issue is that if there's a USB connection at all, the HD500X drops out the SP/DIF connection.

You can only use one digital output on the HD500X at once. I realize you're not really wanting to use the USB audio, but I don't think there's any way around it because even to just use the USB for data in and out with the editor, you're using the HD500X driver.

Not that I know of... Do you have other pedals as well, or just these two? The issue is that the M13 requires 9V AC and draws something like 1200 or 1300mA. I don't know of any pedal brick that has an AC output of that capacity.

In a way, I'm kind of surprised myself that I like using snapshots as much as I do. Your approach actually doesn't sound too dissimilar to what mine originally was. I have always been more of on-the-fly type of player when it comes to effects, and originally that was my approach to Helix. I've found, though, that while playing with my current band I'm doing less improvising with the actual effects and more with the playing. I think a big part of it is that with another guitarist, we kind of commit to certain sounds so we're not stepping on each other. So I treat the snapshots as a bunch of different one-shot presets that I can call up quickly. The other nice thing is that I use two external expression pedals, so I'm able to change things quite a lot still. I don't really have a straight boost function. I do have a snapshot in each preset labeled "Heavy Lead" or something like that though. That's kind of my go to lead sound (but not always).

Yes, I suppose you could say you're always in a snapshot. I'm not sure I understand, though, what you mean by "just have my default settings". I guess if you have a default setting for a preset that should be one of your snapshots. The snapshot that is active when you save your preset is the one that will come up when you load the preset.

I use the 8 Snapshots setting for Preset Mode. I've played a few dozen or so shows with snapshots now (I was a beta tester, so I've been able to use snapshots since February or so), and I find it works best for my needs. I actually find that I very rarely go into Stomp Mode now. So basically I never change presets during a song, and having the ability to change snapshots mid-song is key.

Yes.

Not really... If you want to keep those parameters assigned to a footswitch, you still can, and you can still have the footswitch toggle between min and max values. And you can still manually set a specific value for that parameter in each snapshot. The way I think of it is that every controller is really a snapshot controller. It's just that the footswitches and expression pedals give you a way override the values saved in the snapshots (the values tied to the expression pedals will only be recalled with the snapshot if you have the pedal position parameter(s) in Global Settings > EXP Pedals set to "per snapshot"). So really, if you have a stomp mode layout that you really like, you can still have it behave the same way even with snapshots. You could keep all your controller assignments and still go back into stomp and control everything on the fly if you wanted. The one thing is that any parameters you have assigned to controllers count against the 64 controller limit.

The Helix doesn't remember every parameter automatically. What was happening in your case was you already had parameters set up to be controlled by footswitches, and any parameter controlled by any controller (not just a snapshot controller) can have a specific value saved with a snapshot.

+1 Do this update, and you'll get the factory presets. Note, though, that this update includes some new factory presets, and I believe it got rid a few from before. You'll have to reload your user presets via the editor.

The big thing is that the way snapshots save is dependent on how you have the Snapshots Edit parameter under Global Settings > Preferences set. If you have it set to "Recall", your changes will be saved automatically, both when editing on the unit itself and in the editor. If you have it set to "Discard", you have to hit the save button (twice on the unit, once on the editor) to save your changes (your essentially re-saving your preset). Personally, I like leaving that parameter set to "Recall" because it just makes more intuitive sense to me. I also like that you can make a change to a snapshot without having re-save the entire preset. That way it's easier to just start over if you end up wanting to go back.

Test... test... is this thing on? :)

It should... You just have to make sure you're not holding down the buttons too long (holding them down for two seconds changes the function of the bank switches themselves).

I don't understand what you mean by "granular effect thing"... Pitch shift is kind of related to chorus in the fact that a chorus is kind of a light detuning effect. The Digitech Whammy has a detune setting which is very chorus-like, so I think sometimes people use a pitch shift effect with small intervals to try to recreate that.

Very true... Not sure why I forgot that in my earlier comment, as I actually use a few acoustic IRs.

I wish Firefox would implement this fix... I don't know how many times I've accidentally gone back after typing something in a form, hitting backspace to delete something and then going back to the page only to have everything I've written be gone forever. Dumbest shortcut ever.

The IR block in the Helix can only support IR files with 1028 or 2048 samples. A good convolution reverb probably has 20 times or more samples than that, and they require a lot in the way of DSP to process - like it could possibly use the resources of an entire SHARC processor. So, to answer your question, the IR block is just for cabinet IRs.

http://line6.com/data/6/0a06439c4dbd577d594db0bd0/application/pdf/Helix%20App%20Pilots%20Guide%20-%20Rev%20B%20-%20English%20.pdf There are some things you can do on the unit that you can't do in the app - namely, changing settings in the Global Settings menu.

By the way... I don't disagree with the assertion the new fuzzes should be added. I would never discourage anyone from suggesting the addition of new effects. I do disagree, however, that the fuzzes that we currently have suck. They may not be what you're after, but that doesn't mean they suck.

Well, like I said, I think the Vibe Rotary model does this pretty well. Technically, it's still a model of a rotary cabinet - the Fender Vibratone, to be exact. But it seems to be a bit more transparent to me.

In my recording, the rhythm track was recorded with the low fuzz level. The lead track was higher, 6.2 or something like that. I kind of like how the Fuzz Face gets that squelching thing going on in the lower settings. I can understand the "fart machine" comment, but I think that's what makes it kind of fun. I don't really think either of the categories of effects you mention suck. I mean, yes, the Helix fuzzes do sound more extreme than the ones you like, but sometimes more extreme fuzzes are called for. I actually think that many of the fuzzes you put up sound closer to overdrives in when the fuzz is down low. I wonder if there would be other ways to come close to those sounds with other effects in the Helix... As far as the rotaries I have the Strymon Mobius, and while I would say I like the rotary effect in it better than the Helix, it's not like it's complete night and day difference. I think for use a stomp in front of an amp, the Helix's Vibe Rotary model actually works better than than the other two (the other two seem to work better as cab replacements). The Strymon rotary model is using a dedicated SHARC processor just for that one effect, though. So in that sense, something would be wrong if it weren't more detailed. The main thing I like about the Strymon rotary it behave when you ramp the speed up or down. That's really where I notice the most difference.