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Thanks for your description – I am not using a Marshall amp but a Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 40 deluxe. But there is something strange: I did everything as described there (exceptional that my Grandmeister 40 Deluxe has no midi leard - but that is not the problem because I know the right midi commands). The strange thing is: Using different snapshots inside a preset works fine but opening the preset (with snapshot 2 as standard) does not set the amp to the desired sound. It is always muted. There must be something wrong so that opening a preset in Helix does not send the midi command of the standard snapshot. Do you have maybe any suggestions what is wrong? I can't explain why all snapshots work fine but opening the Helix preset does not send the right midi command. After choosing a preset I have to change to snapshot 1, then back to snapshot 2 – now all is ok.

Thanks for the link – I did everything as described there (exceptional that my Grandmeister 40 Deluxe has no midi leard - but that is not the problem because I know the right midi commands). The strange thing is: Using different snapshots inside a preset works fine but opening the preset (with snapshot 2 as standard) does not set the amp to the desired sound. It is muted. There must be something wrong so that opening a preset in Helix does not send the midi command of the standard snapshot.

Well, the situation is a bit weird … I defined for instant 1 for every snapshot a bank/program midi command (snapshot 1: midi channel 1, program 0; snapshot 2 Midi Channel 1, program 4 etc.). Switching between snapshots works like it should work - on my H & K head the presets of the amp change. But when I open the preset with my snapshots in Helix there's no sound coming out of my amp. My standard snapshot is number 2 (Crunch Mode on my amp). So before I can here my crunch sound I have to activate snapshot 1, then reactivate snapshot 2: now everything works like it should. To say it in fewer words: Everything works fine inside my Helix presets. Every snapshot changes the sound of my H & K amp. But when I change my Helix presets - every time I choose a preset on Helix for my H & K amp, I cannot hear anything … (It's all setup like in the YouTube video that I already knew before.)

I know that – but where do I have to place the midi messages? It does not work having working commands on snapshots …

I own a Hughes & Kettner amp that I would like to control with midi via my Helix. I am able to switch my amps channels via Midi inside one preset with different snapshots (commandcenter > instants) … But how can I determine what Amp Channel is used when I choose a new preset? When I choose a preset that starts with snapshot 2 (my crunch channel of the amp) the midi command of the snapshot is not sent to the amp. There must be a way to sent a midi command to my amp when activating a new preset. Thanks for your suggestions … Ulf

Ian, thanks for your video – that's exactly what I was looking for. And now it works!

I own a Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 36 and I am using it via the 4 cable method with my Helix. The Tubemeister can be controlled via Midi – I succeeded in changing the Tubmeister's sound from Clean to Crunch and Lead with the footswitches in Helix. I used the CommandCenter to assign the footswitches to the amp's channels. But what I want to do either is to create different sounds with the Helix‘ snapshot feature. Is it possible to send an Midi command (e. g. for the Clean channel) to the amp when activating Snapshot 1, another Midi command (e. g. for the Crunch channel) on Snapshot 2, etc.? I did not find any option to assign a Midi command to a snapshot … Thanks for your answers! Ulf

Thanks for your immediate reply, Peter. I finally got it. I did it the right way – except the output. The problem was that it was set to "Multi" – that caused problems with the USB channels. After setting it to XLR everything worked fine. I know that HELIX sounds great but I was curious how other amp simulations like BIAS Amp and Kuassa Creme (Dimitar Nalbantov creates astonishing sounds with the plugin) sound compared to HELIX.

Is there any way on my Mac that is connected via USB to my Helix to use an AU amp simulation as amp in Helix? I want to have stomp effects in front of the amp and some effects like delay after the plugin. I succeeded in using stomp effects before the amp but not in using also some after the amp. Can anyone help? Is it possible - how do I have to route the signal? Ulf

What I noticed. Starting Helix needs less time … That's great. But I am disappointed about the Auto Swell pedal. I did not find any settings until now that work properly. But that should be discussed in another thread.

I bought the Orange IRs from CabIR two weeks ago, and one of its IRs has become my favourite IR (I own a lot from Ownhammer): OR-4X12_SIG_05_TR - one of the Signature-Mixes. Using it with the German Ubersonic or Anchor Lead you can create impressive crunch and lead sounds. I must say: All the IRs that are delivered in an IR pack are too much for me … It's hard to find the one you like. But the Signature-Mixes are a good starting point for the Orange IRs.

Well, for my ears the Engl sounds better on Helix, the other both on AX8. And I think that's what it's like: Some amps and cabinets are better on the one, some on the other …

I did not want to complain about the features of Helix today – I do not like all amps (like the Vox simulations), effects and cabinets, but there are some where Helix sounds really good. But more amps, more cabinets and effects would be nice.

Well, Helix firmware and software 2 with new features, amps and effects are more than 3 months old … Will the journey go on and will we get more amps and effects in the feature? Line 6 told us that Helix is not a finished system when the sold it for the first time. And I am impatiently waiting for new features, amps and effect … I hope we won't have to pay for it. Regards, Ulf

Ok, thanks for your halp. I finally got it!

Maybe I have to explain, how I tried to change parameters for different snapshots. I was using the Helix app (on a Mac) and choosed snapshot 2. Here I changed gain and volume inside the amp settings – but after doing that the changes were also present in snapshot 1. I was expecting that the app would differentiate between two snapshots. But it did not work.

Snapshots are a great feature of the new Helix 2.0 firmware, but there are a few things where in my opinion Line 6 has to improve the workflow. Or maybe I'm too stupid to see, how it works. 1st question: Can I chance the parameters of the same amp between snapshots? I would like to have the amp e. g. with more gain in snapshot 1 and not so less gain in snapshot 2. (I know that I can integrate two amps - assumed Helix got enough resources - and choose only one per snaphot.) 2nd question: Is it possible to have a combination of stomp and snapshot footswitch mode? I would like to assign e. g. three controllers for snapshots and the rest for changing stomp effects … Best regards, Ulf

Thanks for all your feedback and suggestions. It helped me to go on tweaking. And now two days later I am more than before convinced that it was no mistake to buy the Helix. I found it helpful to change low and high cut on IRs. What I am astonished about is that playing with different guitars and pickups causes much more differences on sounds than on other devices (my old POD HD500X) and software (e. g. Bias FX). In the end you have to create patches for different guitars and pickups.

Ok, guys, I used the patch of Jack Thammarat with other guitars – especially with Seymour Duncan humbuckers. You're right, the sound is more similar to the one in the video of Jack Thammarat. But still his patch sounds more like an tube amp. I listened to the YouTube video on the same studio monitors that I am using for my Helix. So that might not explain the differences. Jack Thammarat wrote that he recorded his guitar directly over USB - that's the way I am working, too. But what I was asking you: Do you have any tips & tricks, how you can make helix sound better? What I am missing is a sound that is more familiar to a tube amp – like in many videos. That's what my patches until now are missing.

There are a lot of promotional videos from Line6, and they all sound much better than any preset I created with my new Helix. Jack Thammarat e. g. shows how to create a lead tone for Helix: I reproduced everything like shown in this video, I also used an Fender Stratocaster – but my patch sounds not as good as in the video. Much less brilliant and not as much like an tube amp in this video. Well, Jack Thammarat wrote he recorded the sound directly via USB … I can't believe it. Are there any tricks to get my guitar and Helix sound better? Preamps? Post production? Other things? Has anyone any suggestions? Ulf

I can't believe it … OS X El Capitan is out for 45 days, with OS X 10.11 I was not able to use my POD HD500X anymore as an audio interface via USB, OS X 10.11.1 let's me hear something again, but it sounds terrible and there are many glitches … It's still unusable. I'm really disappointed at Line6 about their support. You should not treat your customers this way.