datacommando

Ha ha ha - just wait till you get to the dots!

Hi pilottes, Re: Headroom parameter. Check this out and see if it makes any more sense - save me typing another explanation. http://line6.com/support/topic/18675-what-does-the-headroom-parameter-of-the-flanger-or-chorus-mod-fx-mean/?do=findComment&comment=139356 Hope it helps.

Hi rwhite137, I spotted that question on TGP and thought you guys would have come up with an answer pretty darn quick! O.K. Don't hold me to this but, the way I understand it to work is, the Scale is equal to the percent value shown against the Time value. e.g. if a Ping Pong Delay Time set at 600 ms and Scale set at 50% it will give a result of Ping = 600 ms and Pong = 300 ms (300 being 50% of 600). AFAIK "ricksteruk" is correct in stating it is a stereo only option. You can find it In Ping Pong, Transistor Tape, Bucket Brigade and Adriatic Delay, although it is more evident in the Multistep Delays where each Tap has a percent rate of the main Time factor as well as an individual Pan and Level setting. So if the Time value is 1.000sec and T1Scale is set to 25% it's repeat will happen at 1/4 of a second, T2Scale on 50% will repeat on 1/2 second and so forth. Experiment - it's software, you cannot break it! Hope this makes sense. Regards

Well "DI" for my part, I have to say, your comment "FW 1.12 adds nothing", unfortunately, turned out to be correct! I did all the upgrades as usual, added the L6 custom OS X driver, factory reset Helix back to box fresh and ran all my test configurations again but still, I can only get a stereo, fully processed signal from Helix into Logic on Chl 1&2. Channels 3 through 8 appear on the inputs as stereo pairs, but carry no audio signal! Why, oh why does the Mac AMS application show Helix as 4 Audio Streams and not 8 discreet in/out? Nobody has given me an answer to that one! Audio output from Logic, GarageBand, Reaper, ProTools, UTube, iTunes etc. is perfect. I cannot get an unprocessed mono or stereo sound, that I can re-amp, into the Mac This is exactly the situation I had before - absolutely no change there! As for the MIDI issue - seems that it went one step forward and 2 back. I hooked up the PC-180A to Helix on the DIN socket, select a soft synth in Logic, hit a chord and "BINGO" sound emerges! Hit another note - nothing, once more - no. Hit another note and "Yay!" it works. Now it doesn't, now it does, now it doesn't! I think, unlike the MIDI, you get the message? Once more, running MIDI Monitor software reveals the same "Active Sense" messages which vanish (stop) when MIDI Thru is turned off in Helix. Trouble is, MIDI Thru is what passes the data from the controller keyboard output to the DAW input. As I previously stated in another thread, I fixed the MIDI problem by using a $5 (£3.50) Chinese MIDI to USB cable from the Roland PC-180A to the Retina iMac. This takes Helix out of the picture as far as MIDI is concerned, although as it stands, that is now a redundant and useless feature on the back of a very expensive box. So, you want to "see what blows up?" Well that would be ME, as opposed to, "hopefully not much!" As far as I'm concerned this whole debacle is one big SNAFU! This madness has gone on far too long!

Hi Rclere, There is nothing to choose because your Helix is not connected. In order to update Helix it must be attached via USB to your computer. The Updater application can then perform the necessary software upgrade. Once the Updater launches follow the on screen instructions and everything should be fine. Hope this helps.

Whoooa! Just listened to it. That has gotta be "Jimi's Mahogany Airship"! – nice work - Outstanding!

Jeez, you guys are really on the ball, I have already posted on this forum about this "update" a couple of days back! "Beta" not be just an Editor update. I've spent the last 2 months on this forum, ranting and raving about my own personal MIDI hell. Plus, as we all know "Digital_Igloo" doesn't like rumours on here because, he says that "Misinformation spreads on the internet like wildfire." But, I recently had confirmation from Tech Support that a solution for MIDI was under development and "DI" also speculated that it would be in the next Flash Memory Firmware Upgrade! Some of us, and the readers of The Gear Page understood, from Digital_Igloo's posts, that may well be within the this week! Let's hope it's true and then I can get back to my real life. I'll bet some people will be more than a little unhappy if all they get is a tech fix for MIDI and the tuner accuracy/granularity thing sorted out, but no custom amps in the next Flash Memory FW patch. WOW! Wait for it to hit the fan! Hope you have all downloaded and installed the latest Line 6 Updater 1.09 by now.

Some limitations with MIDI - yep, there sure is! No clock - correct! There are a whole bunch of threads on here about what is and what is not possible via MIDI - go check a few! They're real fun. I've spent the last 2 months on this forum, ranting and raving about my own personal MIDI hell. Well, as we all know "Digital_Igloo" doesn't like rumours on here because, he says that "Misinformation spreads on the internet like wildfire." But, I recently had confirmation from Tech Support that a solution was under development and "DI" also speculated that it would be in the next Flash Memory Firmware Upgrade! Some of us, and readers of The Gear Page understood, from Digital_Igloo's posts, that may well be within the next week! Let's hope it's true and then I can get back to my real life. I'll bet some people will be a little unhappy if all they get is a tech fix for MIDI and the tuner but no custom amps in the next FW. WOW! Wait for it to hit the fan!

Hi shawngs, That a very, very confusing question! Why do you need to send the tone? I guess a tuner is probably best getting a clean signal at the start of the chain rather than after being jammed full of distortion and filter sweeping FX. Could I suggest what possibly maybe a really simple solution, although I think you might already have a part of the answer. Why not just stick a regular guitar cable into the Variax jack socket? Then, connect it up to your favorite tuner on the other end. Your digital audio would go to Helix, as normal, through the VDI connection. You don't state what model Variax you're using but if it's one with mag pups, I don't think having a tuner in line would be an issue. Re: the Thru Out socket, I guess you may well be referring to the MIDI DIN socket - don't mess with it, it's for MIDI data only - that way madness lies! Hope this helps.

Pass me my axe - I got a hair to split! ;)

No problem - simply hoping to point out that this sort of technology is constantly evolving. It's a constant state of flux, but each of us must decide what is going to be right for us. Maybe later? Until then - Happy trails.

Hi Bkehoe, Yep, it would be really amazing if we were all hearing the same stuff, but I revisited the Shaun Halley "Three Quick Tones With Helix" video. Mmm… some strange anomalies in there! Guess things must be changing on every Firmware Upgrade - just take a careful look at how the default Amp + Cab and some Mic settings have changed since this demo was uploaded, back in January. Study it and you will notice that there are quite a few differences, so don’t expect your Helix to sound exactly like that one! ​I've attached a Rich Text File listing the differences, to save anyone having to trawl through and keep pausing the video. This stuff is constantly evolving. Don't touch that dial! Hey – I never touched a knob!

Hi Andy, Sometimes Q&A on here get bit muddled and it can soon turn into a squabble. As someone once said – "No need!" O.K. Instead of jacking in a CD/MP3 player into the Helix, you could always do what I do. I have a fairly large iTunes Library stuffed with a variety of stuff, including a whole heap of backing tracks and such like. They just play straight out of the Helix through USB, allowing me to noodle along with the guitar using whatever patch I fancy. Easy! If you need to be free from being tethered to a 'puter nip into Maplins or check on Fleabay for a 1/8" to 1/4"adaptor. They should be pretty cheap. Creating a patch/preset is way simple.

We all are aware that Line6 state explicitly "Do Not Use A Hub", but needs must when the devil vomits in your kettle! I tried the USB2 hub thing and got nowhere and the new dedicated USB driver was a FAIL. During the many fun filled hours I have spent trying to solve the problems with the USB on my Helix and iMac a little thing which I noticed was the Helix Editor did not want to play nice, or sometimes would not launch at all, if the Updater software is still open. Don't know if that's sot of thing you all have been experiencing? Seems, as if for some strange reason, the Helix only wants to connect to one application at a time. The Editor works faultlessly for me, as long as it is the only software communicating with Helix. I suppose I never left it long enough to see what happens if Mac goes to sleep. In - Edit - Out! My major problems all stem from USB and MIDI between Mac and the Helix, but I bring glad tidings for all who are still plagued by this stuff. A recent reply to my Support Ticket about these problems states: Hi,sorry, took some time :QA in the US checked it and reproduced the issue. It will be fixed. I don't have a definitive timetable but it will be fixed relatively soon. Also, Digital_Igloo (Line 6 Product Manager) indicated sometime earlier, elsewhere on this forum that the fix may be available by this weekend. Although he has since posted on the Gear Page that it could be early next week as Line 6 don't normally release updates Friday through Monday. We have to wait and see, because the path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the devil's own satanic herd! Hope this helps.

Really got to hope that this one is gonna work! Finally - I got a reply from the Support Ticket and, if this is correct, I will soon be able to get outta here and back to my real life. Here's the message: Hi,sorry, took some time :QA in the US checked it and reproduced the issue. It will be fixed. I don't have a definitive timetable but it will be fixed relatively soon. Well, waddayano - QA "reproduced the issue". Seems I didn't imagine it - Vindicated, at last! "It will be fixed" - Yay! Nirvana! Digital_Igloo, if you were involved in progressing this and getting it resolved, then thank you very much, but that's also going out to the front line troops who really did the job! Point me at the download! When this thing gets installed, and I have checked it does what I expect, only then will I be able to flag this thread "ANSWERED" Yippee ki yay! Mr Falcon.

Hi daddy doodles, I didn't see your .doc diagram on the first visit, but yes the monitor speakers should be hooked up to the Helix - (Audiobox not required). Now you have that set up, everything else should be straight forward. Whatever you play from your guitar into Helix will come out of your monitors fully processed. Also if you have armed a stereo track for record in LPX that fully processed audio can be captured via channels 1 & 2. The software input monitoring in Logic is not needed as you have the Helix doing that already - so you can turn that off. Then the recorded the sound can be played back as a faithful reproduction of whatever patch you just used. Furthermore any other audio samples, soft synths, drum tracks - whatever, it will play all back from the DAW on your Mac as pristine crystal clear sounds through your Helix and speakers. You could add even more effects to your guitar track inside Logic if you need. There are options to record the dry signal either mono or stereo from Helix into your DAW along with the wet sound, the dry signal will then be available for re-amping. This gives you the chance to record the perfect take and stick it though as many variations as you would like. I'm guess that is what your are wanting to achieve? Details of re-amping are documented in the Helix user manual (pages 44, 45 and 46) and, IIRC, there may well be a walk through video on UChoob! The above is a quick and dirty way of getting going with this stuff and that's basically how I use the Helix for DI recording. Hope it makes sense, and or, helps in some way. Regards - Enjoy your multi-tracking! Oh, yeah - late additional comment. I should have also said that you can playback stuff from iTunes, YouTube, or any other audio source from your Mac through Helix to your speakers. Easy!

Hi jasdadgad, Thanks for the feedback. Strangely enough, I didn't suffer the intermittent USB disconnects. It seems that I got mine as one complete disaster area - it all collapsed at once. Yep, right up until then it had been real fun using Helix with Logic. Sadly - No more. Once again I've got to state, for my part, the new OS X driver was a total fail - everything totally worse. And wot da funk are those 4 audio streams about, I only get a stereo pair in LPX - Doh! Mmm, the USB 2 hub thing? Well Line 6 always stated that was a complete No!, No! - explicitly - Do not use a hub! IIRC, I seem to remember spotting the idea on this forum as thinking that anything is worth a try. Sadly, I got no joy with that trick either. As for the Editor - once again, I have to say this is all very strange, I have never had a moments trouble with it. The Editor has always worked great - perfect, I cannot fault it, so no issues there! I have been using computers and digital musical equipment for over 30 years, and this is the weirdest thing I've had to deal with. I guess this is one black box that will be heading back into the Twilight Zone", from whence it came! Oh, yeah. I hope the guy that started this thread got his speakers to function.

jasdadgad, For a newby user, that's really very helpful about having your monitor system (powered speakers, or at least a set of headphones) hooked up to the Helix audio outs. It would be real easy to overlook that and think that the sound would actually be sent out of the Mac. Maybe that's how he "lost" his output - he just misplaced it. Your other comment has me intrigued, though! If you're aware of the work around for the problems between Mac OS X El Cap and Helix USB, please advise ASAP, because frankly – I'm baffled! I have spent several weeks seeking a solution, all to no avail.

Yay - solved. One more happy Helix user!

Hi, Daniel, Oh, more MIDI horrors! When you ran your MIDI monitoring software on the iMac did you happen to spot any "Active Sense" messages cropping up in there. Also, I really should avoid stating the obvious, but there is a foot switch on the Helix, named LOOPER. Er... yeah right! Forget that, then! "Digital_Igloo" (Line 6 Staff) has reliably informed me, via this forum, that an imminent new Firmware update is expected to solve any "active sense" issues over USB/MIDI, specifically on Macs and hopefully a heap more other faults. Check his comments here: http://line6.com/support/topic/19463-bizarre-audio-midi-fault-its-driving-me-nuts/ Hope this is some help. If not - welcome to Hell!

Thank you, Sir, for your understanding in this matter (stock reply number 3075562) ;) . Although, for my part I have to state, this is an issue that has gone on far too long without a proper resolution, and now I am starting to realise that this is not the place to find one. I would have liked to use that great Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy quote: "Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?" but, maybe not. Unless you have experienced this "Hell" it means nothing. I will wait for the imminent Firmware update that Digital_Igloo has stated should fix this weird enigma. If I find I'm not returned the audio ecstasy that I previously enjoyed, sadly Helix will have to be ditched! As a very, very long time Line 6 customer - that will not be a decision taken lightly, but if it comes to it... Flame off.

To a silverhead from a greybeard: Sir, which bit of this do you not understand? I have absolutely nothing to gain by lying. I'm simply stating the facts of my experience with this box of tricks. And, I have been using MIDI equipment since the very first keyboard to implement it - a Roland JX3P. Yeah, I really should get out more, but I'm currently spending my whole life trying to fix this black box. Well, I'm gonna have to check that out link for myself - audio to MIDI could be fun and way better than all that weird pickup stuff on the Roland Guitar Synths. FYI, I have tried the latest Line 6 Driver to no avail - fact is, it made everything worse! Once again, a driver issue doesn't explain why it worked perfectly and then stopped. Theoretically it should never have worked at all, and the comments from "silverhead" seem to indicate the same, but I do insist that it did work exactly as stated.

I just use the real thing - they don't cost a lot. It's simply some sort of handheld fancy electromagnetic gizmo, powered by a 9v battery.

That's fantastic, absolutely amazing! Ye Gods - where on earth did you find that little gem? I think I may require a large can of "Bull Sheet Repellent" for that one. It will be good when they can get any decent MIDI functionality between Helix and OSX. That may well have been the situation with the POD HD. I never bothered doing any MIDI stuff via my old HD500 as I was already rigged up using FireWire on my Focusrite. Although, I have to take issue with your statement - "Neither does Helix..." Er..., excuse me - yes it does. Or at least, mine did! I don't know how many times I have to say that before it eventually sinks in! BUT, let me restate this one more time for the general info of everyone on this Helix forum who has missed it, or failed to comprehend my dilemma regarding Helix MIDI implementation. From late November '15 to early March '16My Helix worked perfectly while connected by USB to my iMac 5K Retina 27" running El Cap. A controller keyboard was coupled to the MIDI in DIN of Helix and all MIDI messages were recorded straight into Logic Pro X, Portamento, Aftertouch, Pitchbend - and please note: that was everything! I did not dream this - trust me it's the truth. Now the MIDI is screwed and audio is only available on Channel 1 & 2. In the style of the famous 'Monty Python Dead Parrot" sketch, I say - It simply stopped working, ceased to be, expired, ended, finished - it's an ex-Helix, etc. And the thing is - not one contributor to this message board, newby, Uber Guru or Line 6 Product manager has come up with even the vaguest reason why! A support ticket elicits a "level 1" response along the lines of RTFM. Just got to hope that the next Firmware upgrade fixes it - otherwise, I may drag it out in the yard and pop a couple of rounds through it!

Hi klangmaler, I understand what you are telling people who have certain issues, that they should report the faults through that bug-report channel, although sadly and from my personal experience, that doesn't always work - no matter how detailed the description. I have been kicking up a fuss all over this forum for the past 6 weeks, complaining and starting threads about various issues with Mac USB and MIDI faults. I have tried every "fix it" trick that I know (quite a few). I even took out a support ticket. Result? Not that much - but, eventually Digital_Igloo (a Line6 product manger) did reply to a comment, when he advised me to install the Beta version of the OS X USB Driver. Sadly this made no difference to my problem. Since then "DI" has further informed me that the next Firmware update should fix my ongoing MIDI problems. Let us hope that is correct, but since having a Helix working perfectly from November until early March, no one on this forum, or from Line 6, has been able to offer any, or even vaguely, convincing explanation as to why it no longer functions as it should. Which is surprising, because it did straight out of the box. Let's face it nobody on here has even the slightest clue! If, and when, I install this predicted firmware fix, and if it doesn't work - that's it - the box is being returned as not fit for purpose! Flame off! Now I'm really depressed!