datacommando

Hi, The thing that bothers me is in your post you say:- “I was coming from a very old Firmware (Could have been the first, don't think it's ever been updated)”. There has been another recent post from someone updating to v3.50 from a version prior to 2.80 when there was a major change to the Helix Core. The Release Note for 3.50 say you can go directly to that version from any other, but that it may look as if the installation has occurred three times and may take way longer than the predicted approx 30 minutes. The “Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode” is a known feature of the update and is thoroughly documented in the Release Notes. You didn’t give any indication of your update taking a great length of time to complete the process- most people complain about this - you didn’t. You say that you have successfully updated but now you have the “Boot Failure” message on every restart? After a successful update your Helix should restart automatically and go through a quite lengthy process of rebuilding presets and this message displays on the screen to let you know what is happening - you make no mention of this? You can force the preset rebuild routine by holding down FS10 & 11 while turning on the mains power. If this still bring up the “Boot Failure” message would seem to indicate a glitch in the update process and the best thing you can do is follow the instructions, to the letter, given in the link below. Do not deviate from the instructions, especially about having no other software running in the background and not using a hub. Remove the USB cable and reattach when it says to do so in the instructions. Disconnect from the internet and do not let your computer go into any form of power saving mode while installing. If your computer loses focus on the task, the install will fail. I don’t care if you think you have done all this before - humour me, and follow the instructions given in this link. Release Notes here. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Click the “Support” menu item at the top of this page - there should be a couple of phone numbers and text contact details for Line 6. or Fender here: https://www.fender.com/en-GB/contact-us.html Although your best option is to contact a Fender dealer and ask if it would work with the HXFX. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, Tuner in the editor? Good grief! You must have been reading all those old posts from @spikey, before he jumped ship and bought a Quad Cortex! Hmm… well that was a good idea - he is now still waiting for a desktop editor for that device! As for Native… we’ll that is the software version of your real world HX unit. It uses your computer do exactly what goes on inside the hardware. You can edit, chop, change and modify presets to your hearts content, but in order to get them into your hardware unit, you have to export the preset, setlist or bundle and load them into HX Edit to transfer them to your real world box of tricks. You can even drag and drop a preset between Native and HX Edit, but it is not possible to make changes to a preset loaded into Helix Native and have those changes reflected on the hardware in real time, even while connected by USB. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, I don’t have a HXFX, but l’m not entirely sure that the Fender EXP-1 would be suitable for your needs. You really should check with retailer, or the manufacturer, that it will be compatible with your HX. Maybe it would be possible to try before you buy, get it on “sale or return”? Sadly, there are no Line staff here and only very occasionally do they visit these forums - (See the “sticky comment” in the black banner stripe at the top of this page entitled “Welcome to the Line 6 forums”). Hope this helps makes sense.

As noted by @DunedinDragon in the post above, this ain’t gonna happen anytime soon, so don’t hold your breath. It works in real time. The other thing that keeps cropping up, that also isn’t going to happen, is a version of the editor that runs on mobile devices - tablets, phones etc. HX Edit is quite simply not designed that way, it’s a remote editor that saves you from having to crawl around on the floor twisting encoders, and pushing buttons. It’s an umbilical cord and it requires the hardware to be connected. Hope this helps/makes sense.

I had E&M fix the joystick on my Helix floor - they were quick and efficient and a reasonable price.

Hi, Yes, that’s correct, essentially the Sharc processor in your Strymon TL is dedicated to doing the job of creating a whole variety of delays, whereas your XL shares the workload of 8 different tasks with the single DSP. With the larger Helix units this not really too much of a problem as it has a second chip that theoretically could reproduce something very close to the TimeLine. You could try playing around with a reverb block and one of the more unusual delays such as the Crisscross, Heliosphere, Multipass or Euclidean, but one of the multi-tap delays could help in creating the ping pong pattern delay used in the “Verby” preset. Strymon has all the parameter settings for that particular preset available on their website. Also, this is worth knowing - a while back someone posted this info after another user asked about generating Big Sky emulations in the HX units. Glitz = Strymon Big Sky Bloom In the ‘90s, more diffusion blocks were added to reverbs to ‘smooth out’ the sound. A side effect of this was the tendency of the reverbs to have a slowly building envelope that ‘bloomed’, resulting in big ambient reverbs that sit nicely with the dry signal even at high Mix levels. The Bloom reverb features a ‘bloom generating’ section that feeds into a traditional reverb ‘tank’, and adds a unique Feedback parameter that expands the possibilities exponentially. Ganymede = BOSS RV6 Modulate This reverb adds modulation to hall reverb, producing extremely good-feeling reverberation. Searchlights = Strymon Big Sky Cloud A gorgeously big, ambient reverb that draws from techniques developed in the late ’70s. Using processing power not dreamed of in those days, the Cloud reverb machine obscures the distinction between reality and fantasy. Double Tank = Strymon Big Sky Plate The Plate machine is a rich, fast-building reverb that creates depth without early reflection cues to a specific environment. The Tone knob and Low End parameter are simple but powerful frequency shaping tools. Plateaux = Strymon Big Sky Shimmer Two tunable voices add pitch-shifted tones to the reverberated signal, for resplendent, unearthly ambience. The voices are carefully created from the reverberated signal itself to generate maximum radiance and beauty. The Amount and Mode parameters allow for a range of shimmer effects from laid-back and subtle to full-blown majestic splendor. History Note: - I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but Terry Burton, the guy who started the Strymon brand in 2009, and is now running Meris, had previously worked as an engineer for Line 6. Small world, eh? Furthermore, I thoroughly recommend a look through the videos posted by John Nathan Cordy. He has tried to recreate emulations of various famous names in the delay and reverb realm. Volante, Big Sky, El Cap, Meris, Halo and even the Hologram. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Yeah, but just consider how much better you feel, now that you figured it out on your own. ;-)

Hi, Interesting idea, but as a Timeline owner you will, no doubt be aware that in order to generate all those complex time manipulation processes, it uses a very powerful Sharc DSP. As new owner of a HX Stomp XL (that can simultaneously handle 8 amp, cab, IR and/or Looper blocks), you will know that also uses the same type of Sharc DSP to do all that. Armed with that information, I would guess that your chance of recreating the Strymon preset would be very difficult using only 2 blocks. There is a young man on YouTube (John Nathan Cordy) who has created emulations of some Strymon effects from Big Sky and even Cloudburst, but the certainly can’t be done with two blocks. I suggest you checkout some of his stuff - for example. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, That’s not quite correct - it says: “Look for the included factory presets titled with “4CM” to use as your starting template…” and that is exactly what you needed to do. There are a whole bunch of Factory Presets available with a title that includes “4CM”. Those are example starting points for you to chop and change and roll your own, as explained in the rest of the quote: “…you can build your own by adding an FX Loop block (see “Choosing an Effect”).” The reference to Choosing an Effect, is where you find out information on how to add an effect block of your choice - a Send Return/FX Loop block for example. Simplicity itself! Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, I checked before posting the information - there is a specific driver v.1.96 for Windows 7 available for download. ;-)

See my reply to you post in this thread: Cross posting causes confusion.

Hi, At the top of this page select DOWNLOADS from the menu. Next choose your Hardware from the drop down menu, then from Choose Software select ‘Drivers”, now from under Choose OS, pick Windows 7. Now hit the “Go” button and the Line 6 Driver version 1.96 should be right there - click the blue button named “GET DOWNLOAD” to download to your computer. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hmm… this isn’t looking too good. Regular users of this forum have become quite efficient at fixing the general problems that are brought into these discussions - flakey USB connections, bad power supplies and cables, user screw ups on firmware installations etc., but there comes a time when it appears the only real “fix it” is a qualified service technician. Sorry that any of the suggestions posted here have failed to resolve the issue. This is probably one of those situations that requires someone to probe around inside the thing. Hope you manage to sort this out quickly and get on with playing with your Helix. Good luck.

Hi, I realise that this may appear obvious, but I didn’t see a reply to the comment from @codamedia regarding headphones? Is there any audio present in the cans? Also, there are level meters on both the input and output blocks - is there any trace of a signal being present in the path with no blocks between in and out? You also said - “Noticed the unit was on firmware 2.5 when I briefly tested it…” According to the Release Notes for 3.50 firmware - it states: My Helix/HX is at version X.XX. Can I go straight to 3.50? Yes, but note that if you're starting from 2.80 or lower, the update may appear to happen three times and will take notably longer than 30 minutes. This is normal. In all the mentions of upgrading and reverting of various firmware versions I haven’t seen a comment about the inordinate length of time each of the changes are taking. It may be that something is not quite right, because at v2.80 there was a major change to the Helix Core, and if that is not installed correctly it will undoubtedly cause issues. Just for the hell of it, as it cannot really make matters any worse, I would suggest you try to install the 2.80 firmware including going through the (Boot Failure - Entered Update Mode) nail biting section without panicking, simply to ensure the new Core is installed and fully functional before moving on to the latest revision of HX Edit and Firmware. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, Technically all the USB outs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) from your Helix are mono, BUT when using stereo paths you need your DAW (Ableton) set to receive USB 1&2 as a stereo pair IN (Left and Right) On the actual track you are recording, if the input is set to 1 or 2 or 3, etc, it means you will be recording from one mono input and, therefore, your recording will result in a mono recording. If you set the input to 1/2, or 3/4, etc... then your input is stereo and the resulting file will be a stereo recording. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, When you say “multiple IRs”, I guess what you actually mean is 2, i.e. one cab impulse on path 1A and a second on path 1B? If that’s the case, I’m not sure why they would be out of phase (there is no physical cable involved), but there is an option on the Merge block to invert the signal on path B - this usually set to “Normal”. You didn’t mention which Helix product you have, this information is contained in the manual available for each model. https://line6.com/support/manuals/#effects Hope this helps/makes sense. EDIT: I stole this from an audiophile website - If both your speakers are connected with the same polarity, and your speakers are equidistant from the listener, your system would be in-phase and in-polarity. You get a gold star! If both your speakers are connected with the same polarity, and your speakers are not equidistant from the listener, your system would be out of phase and in polarity. Get out the tape measure. If your speakers are not connected with the same polarity, and your speakers are equidistant from the listener, your system would be in phase and out of polarity. You're halfway there. If your speakers are not connected with the same polarity, and your speakers are not equidistant from the listener, your system would be out of phase and out of polarity. You call yourself an audiophile? Put on the dunce hat and sit in the corner!

Hi, Well, the short answer to “What the hell is going on with this $1200 piece of lollipop?”, is you probably failed to follow the instructions to the letter! The info about “Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!” is fully documented in the Release Notes for the firmware. You will also note that when you use bad language in these forums your attempt will be substituted by a much nicer word - lollipop! No sh!t. Quote: Helix Floor/Rack/LT only: Halfway through the update to 3.50, Helix's LCD reads "Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!" THIS IS NORMAL. Breathe deep, everything is fine. You're almost there. You also state that you have tried the solution provided by other users to assist with a failed update, without success. Hmm… well, once again, this seems to work for the majority of people who follow the instructions precisely! Furthermore when seeking assistance from other users, it’s a great help if you provide details of your computer and operating system. You are dealing with software, and in the great scheme of things, if it doesn’t work first time try, and try again. It’s all too easy to overlook one tiny bit of the process when you are over excited. Calm down at take it step by step, and as noted above - breathe deep! BTW: Other than the very detailed user group solution "Helix/HX Update Doesn't Work? Look Here!" - this is the official Line 6 advice: If this doesn’t work, then simply raise a ticket with Customer Support - or even better, as your unit is box fresh, return it to the place you bought it for a replacement under warranty. It should also provide them with a good laugh, unless it has actually blown a component, or being taken over by aliens. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Huh? If you think that then why take the chance? Anyhow you didn’t mention if this is a new HXFX? If it is - no problem, simply return it under warranty for a replacement. If it’s a pre owned unit then try to resolve it yourself. Again, you didn’t say what computer and operating system you’re using to perform the firmware update - it’s generally a big help when troubleshooting issues. O.K., if you are in the situation mentioned by @rd2rk, in the post above, regarding a “case of astral mis-alignment”, or you don’t live on a ley line, cannot contact your local shaman, and can’t get your chakras lined up - go here and follow the instructions given - exactly. Do not deviate, go off piste, or think you may not need to do a particular thing - if you do, we cannot be responsible (not that I have have been), if everything goes FUBAR. Basically, what you’re dealing with software, it’s not like having to “cut the blue wire”, and should all else fail - raise a ticket with Customer Support. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, In this video, Jason covers linking and unlinking cabs at around 1.28 In this video, Steve explains setting up 3 of his “go to” dual cabs. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Try this preset - If it works just rearrange the thing to suit your workflow, you may want to bypass/delete the modulation and reverbs on Path B. This patch rather put me in mind of the track "Free Fall" from the "Atmospheric Conditions" album by John Themis. If you are unaware of the track check it out here: Hope this helps/makes sense. Attached: Free Fall.hlx Free Fall.hlx

Hi, For the answer to the first part of your post, see the reply from @silverhead in the post above. As for your PS: Well, it sounds like a letter to Santa Claus. Interesting, and I would also like a Mediterranean cruise and world peace, but it ain’t gonna happen by posting here. As there are no Line staff here and only very occasionally do they visit these forums - (See the “sticky comment” in the black banner stripe at the top of this page entitled “Welcome to the Line 6 forums”). This link is where you need to go to have any hope of it been seen by anyone from Line 6: https://line6.ideascale.com/a/index Before posting any new ideas, please do a search to see if it's already been listed. Multiple requests for the same thing will thin out the votes. Also, post your ideas one at a time. Many users don’t vote for combined suggestions. Then you should use the “Helix Ideascale Community Submissions” thread to let other users know what your suggestions are, with links to IdeaScale, so they can vote on it if they wish. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, You made no mention of your computer and operating system, but you may want to have a look at this thread. Not sure if this the same, or a similar issue. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, Check your Global Settings > Preferences. From the Release Notes: With Cab > Dual blocks, you can now also choose whether changing the first cab automatically recalls a matching cab for the second. From the Global Settings menu, select the Preferences page. Press PAGE> until you see Link Dual Cabs. When set to "On" (default), changing the first cab automatically loads a matching cab for the second. Choose this option if you want to emulate the sound of two different mics (or two of the same mic with different angles or positions) on the same cab. When set to "Off," both cabs are completely independent of one another. Alternatively, in HX Edit (and Helix Native), click the Link Dual Cabs icon. Off (left) and On (right): ITRW, you could set up a pair of identical, (or completely different) speaker cabs - 4x12 Greenback 25s for example. On the first you want a Shure SM57 about an inch from the grille aimed at the cone, and on the second you have a Royer 121 Ribbon about 5 inches back from the front of the cab and nearer the speakers edge. Now you can blend the 2 signals to create a more distinctive sound. Generally there’s not a great deal of point in having the second cab mimic the exact settings of the first. Hope this helps/makes sense.

Hi, Yep, I understand that, which is why I mentioned the extra processing power of the LT in my post. My real point is about why bother messing with porting FX presets across to the LT, when all that’s required is to use a preset created for the LT (which may already be taking advantage of that 2nd DSP), and then simply turn off, or discard the unnecessary amp and cab. The main thing is, the OP states: “When I turn off the amp and cab blocks in my own preset the guitar sounds like crap.” That prompted me to say that there must be something very wrong how he has his LT and his Genz Benz setup together. Rather than finding presets specifically designed for the HXFX, just use what you have correctly. Hope this makes sense.