phil_m

Who did you buy it from? What's their return window?

That's what I would do as well. Obviously, you don't want to keep one with a bad scribble strip long term, but it's not necessarily something that would prevent you from using it altogether.

It works polyphonically in the sense that there's no actual pitch tracking taking place, so there's no artifacts or glitching on anything like that. It works like a crossover in a PA system. It sends audio below the set frequency and above the other. It's not exactly a hard cutoff, though. Also, each string on your guitar is going to be producing all sorts of overtones, so it's not going to be a perfectly clean split. But, you could still set it up so each path had different effects, and it would probably sound OK. It would be a cool way to emphasize the bass notes more.

It would be worth re-flashing the firmware before sending it back.

Yes, sorry, the StageScape mixer.

Yep, you can theoretically have up to 32 effects per preset. I say theoretically because unless you want 32 EQs, you probably won't hit that, but I can't imagine ever really needing near that many. Essentially, there are 4 paths in Helix, and you can have up to 8 blocks in each path.

The mic pre in the Helix is the same as the pres in the StageSource mixer. So, yes, it's very nice.

I wouldn't put a ton of stock in the dates that vendors put up on their sites. I've ordered things from MF and its affiliates that have ended up beating their projections sometimes by weeks or even months.

The Express doesn't support bank changes. I'd be very surprised if it ever did, really.

Frankly, if people are really pros, as in they're depending on their software and hardware as a source of income, they wouldn't update to a new OS the first day, first week, or first month it's available. That's just silly. I depend on very expensive software every day to do my day job. I put off updating stuff as long as possible just because I know there's a risk of it causing disruptions. We always try to schedule things so we do updates during a time when we aren't faced with critical deadlines.

If you're a POD user and decide to buy a Helix, it probably will replace your POD in the sense that you'll probably use the Helix in the situations where you were previously using the POD. Since having the Helix, there hasn't really been an instance where I've found something that the HD500 can do that the Helix can't (although, right now, the Helix doesn't work as Workbench interface for the Variax - I'm sure that's only a matter of time). But Line 6 isn't discontinuing the POD HD500X or HD Pro X. They know as well as anyone that a good number of people aren't going to be wanting to drop $1500 on a piece of gear, and there's still a need for great gear at a lower price point.

Well, I'd suggest checking it out. I'm going to be using it as my gigging pedalboard, and I was previously using some pretty nice effects. The scribble strips make it feel much like using a real pedalboard.

Seriously, Line 6 is hardly alone in this. I feel these updates always cause disruptions in the MI world. Was just reading somewhere how MOTU issued a statement telling users to hold off on upgrading. El Capitan broke Microsoft Office installations on Macs. The thing is that companies simply can't live in a way so there always just reacting to what Apple decides to do.

Yes, I have used a few IRs with Helix, and it's super easy. I honestly haven't spent a ton of time trying a lot out, but I know there are tons available, especially if you're willing to spend a little money. I actually think the Line 6 cabs sound very nice, so I haven't had a huge incentive to try others, but it's a nice option, especially for people who've already invested in them.

Hi, I got your PM. I'll answer here so everyone can see the answer. Sorry for not replying sooner. The post above me here is pretty much 100% correct. In order to get to make the 4CM work, you have you either have an effects loop block in your tone or separate send and return blocks. I'm not sure there's necessarily any advantage to using separate send and return blocks, though, so just use the FX loop block as a starter. You have to go to the Send/Return portion of the menu, and pick the FX Loop 1 block. The items in the preset that come before that block will be before your amp's input, and the one's after that will be in your amp's effects loop. Really, most of the time you're using the 4CM, you wouldn't be using an amp model in the Helix. You'd be using it for effects only. That being said, you can make it so you could toggle between using your amp's preamp and the an amp model (or preamp model) on the Helix. If you bypass the FX loop block, everything in your chain will be fed right into your amp's effects return, so you're basically just using your amp as a power amp and cab for the Helix at that point. So a cool thing you can do is have the FX loop and the amp model (I would actually recommend that you try using a preamp model rather than full amp model first) assigned to the same footswitch, but just have it set up so that when one is on the other is off and vice versa.

The latest firnware version for the JTV is 2.21. 1.80 is a pre-HD version and will not work with Workbench HD. It sounds like you actually don't have the latest version of Monkey installed.

You have to update the guitar separately. Download the latest version of Line 6 Monkey from the "Downloads" tap above, and install it. Connect your guitar with the VDI connection either through a POD with a VDI jack or the little VDI interface that came with the guitar, and Monkey will guide you through the update process when you start it. If you're using the VDI interface, make sure you have to have a 1/4" cable plugged into the guitar with charged batteries in it, and the volume knob turned up.

Without seeing the preset, it's hard to say for sure. Are you using the effects loop block in the Helix, or are you using separate send and return blocks? You can definitely get the 4CM to work, and you should be able to use your amp's tone stack controls. I've been using it for months with my Egnater Renegade and the Helix.

The GC near me actually has had a number of JTVs in over the years. I'd say half a dozen or so, at least that I've seen hanging. They also have a few Variax Standards as well. This is the one in Edina, MN, just outside of Minneapolis. I know it's considered one of their premium stores, though.

Sure, just hook up Helix to your computer via USB, and you can set it as your default output device and stream all system audio. You can actually do that with your HD500 as well.

Yep, that's correct. The clips non-4CM were all recorded direct over the Helix's USB connection. Actually, I could have still used the Helix's connection if I wanted to for micing my amp even while it was connected to the amp. Even while dual micing it, I could have gotten it to work by using an external mic preamp (the Helix only has one).

Here's a couple more I did using my Egnater Renegade with the Helix connected with 4 cable method. The first is through the clean channel, and the second through the overdrive channel (although, I'm not using a ton of gain). Clean is with my Strat Plus again, and the overdrive is with my AVRI Jazzmaster. Miced with a Sennheiser e609 dynamic and an MXL R40 ribbon into a Tascam US-1800 interface and into Reaper. No post-processing. Each clip starts off completely dry, and I add effects in throughout the clip. All reverb is from the Helix, and I have the Egnater's reverb completely turned off. I'm basically just making this stuff up on the fly, so please excuse my sloppiness. https://soundcloud.com/phil-miller-20/renegade-helix-4cm-1 https://soundcloud.com/phil-miller-20/renegade-helix-4cm-2

Yes, all recorded direct into Reaper via the Helix's USB connection with no post-processing.

Post 'em if you got 'em... :) I'll start with a few of mine. I'll add this disclaimer even though it's probably not necessary, but these are simply some of my tones, and should not be seen as official Line 6 samples or anything like that. I hope to add more in the next weeks and months. I know these are just a small offering, but I figured we'd get the party started. Here's a playlist: https://soundcloud.com/phil-miller-20/sets/helix-clips Here's the descriptions: 1. Twin Normal Samples - Just some noodling using a simple Fender Twin preset. It's just the Twin Normal channel with the '63 Spring Reverb and the Klon model in front of it. I also turn on a rotary at one point - pretty obvious when that is. I bypass the cab when the rotary is on. The guitar is my Eastman T486, which is basically a Gibson ES-335 clone. 2. Fly Me To The Moon - I made this track using an acoustic IR I downloaded over on TGP. Only thing in the preset is the Studio Compressor model, the IR, a 10-band EQ to lower some of the boominess and the Chamber Reverb. The acoustic is my Breedlove Oregon Concert. This is recorded direct, no mic. 3. Mandarin Gaze - A clip from a Helix preset I made that made it on to be one of the factory preset, also called Mandarin Gaze. This is using the Orange OR80 model with dual cabs and multiple delays and reverbs. I was trying to go for an 80s Dream Pop sort of thing. Guitar is a Fender Strat Plus with Gold Lace Sensors. 4. Cry Me A River - Using the same Twin Normal preset above, without the Klon turned on. My take on a jazz standard my band does. Eastman T486 used for this as well. 5. Acoustic Strat - Someone asked me to record a clip of an electric going through an acoustic IR. This was a quick attempt. Some of the woodiness is there, especially on the strumming. If I wanted to seriously pursue this, I would work some more with the EQ to sculpt it some more. To me this is getting pretty close to the sound of piezo pickup in an acoustic.

We're gonna need more cables...