SaschaFranck

I can download pretty much anything I want from the support page, so it's likely not the server.

Sure, but i think it'd be a cool idea to add this information to the startup post, so people wouldn't have to search Apple's site first - and instantly forget what they were doing to their Helixes, hrrrhrrr...

As said, that doesn't always seem to be foolproof. Maybe the download isn't checksumchecked (err, what?), no idea. But I never had a single issue but once - and it absolutely wasn't related to USB ports or cables (I used the same port/cable before and continued using it).

https://line6.com/support/topic/65019-helixhx-update-doesnt-work-look-here/

Defenitely. But I just wanted to have an easy to find (bookmarked) place with all required information typed down, so I never need to type it again. Fwiw, there's some bit missing that I couldn't say anything about. As I'm still on my old 5,1 Mac Pro (most excellent machine) I'm stuck with an older macOS for the time being. Newer versions have added notarization, requiring some extra steps to install software not notarized. That seems to be required for the Line 6 Updater. In earlier versions of maxOS a rightclick-open action was sufficient, alternatively it might take you to the according system settings, no idea what and how much has changed ever since Mojave. In case anyone knows what steps to take in order to install the Line 6 Updater on the latest incarnations of macOS, feel free to post them here (I would then update the OP as well).

I actually think that a lot of the failed updates are related to the Line 6 servers stalling. I never had any issues with updates on my Floor until 3.15 (needless to say, I was using the very same computer, USB port and USB cable ever since I first connected it). It always worked absolutely flawless before, but with 3.15 I've apparently been an early bird or so, in other words: trying to update when pretty much half the HX-verse was updating. So it just stopped somewhere in the process. Fortunately, I have been aware of the alternative Line 6 Updater method, which then worked instantly. Fwiw, that very method should be officially posted by Line 6 somewhere (I just created a new topic describing all relevant steps), as it helped tons of people over the last years.

After posting the same advice over and over and over throughout the last years (and for several times just during the last hours), I decided to post this here, so I can just link to it (it's also missing in any official Line 6 documentation, at least in a direct, straight ahead form). So, your update to whatever firmware failed? The following steps helped TONS of people over the last years, so give them a try. Note: I am assuming that you've backed up your HX family device already. In case you haven't, now is the time. But as your update possibly failed already, you won't be able to do so, then just proceed (and let's hope you've backed up before). 1) Shut down HX Edit (using it was likely the reason for the update not to work in the first place, so don't use it this time). Windows users *need* (<-!!!) to make sure no traces of it are running in the background anymore. You can either kill the process by using the task manager, in case you don't know how to do that, just reboot your computer. Again: It is ABSOLUTELY mandatory for the following steps to work that there's NO HX Edit or traces of it running. 2) Go to this site: https://line6.com/software/ Download the Line 6 Updater this way: That will take you to the site with the actual download (I'm not posting that link because there's various operating systems supported). 3) Install the Line 6 Updater. Edit: Mac users, in case you're running into troubles installing things, please read the bottom of this post. 4) Go to this page again: https://line6.com/software/ This time, download the actual firmware this way: Make ABSOLUTELY sure you select your hardware properly! Again, clicking "Go" will take you to the actual download page. Note: The file you will be downloading comes with a "hxf" file ending, make sure to remember the location you've downloaded that file to, you will need to know soon enough! 5) Connect your HX familiy device. Edit: 6) This*might* not be necessary, also, in case your unit really seems bricked, it might not work, but just to make sure, enter safe-boot (aka update mode). Here's how (copied from elsewhere on this site): - Helix Floor/LT: enter update mode manually by holding footswitches 6 + 12 - Helix Rack: ENC1 & ENC6 - will enter Update Mode (This feature is only available on firmware v1.06.5 and higher) - HX Effects: Holding the right arrow ">" Will put the unit in a fail safe update mode. Use this when the HX Effects is in a un-recoverable state - HX Stomp and Stomp XL: Page >: update mode. This update mode is helpful if the update is interrupted, and the HX Stomp will not boot properly. (this will apparently cause a blank screen) 7) Start the Line 6 Updater you've just installed (well, maybe you've installed it already in the past, just start it...). 8) DON'T sign in, chose "Offline Mode" (<-!!!). 9) On the following page, your device(s) should appear. If that's not happening, check whether they're properly connected to a dedicated USB port and not to some fancy HUB. Also check that the USB cable you're using is of decent quality. In case you've checked all that but your device still doesn't show up, quit reading this thread and look for another computer to try with, the following procedure obviously only works as long as your devices are detected by your computer (yeah, I know this sounds like "computing 101 nanny" stuff, but be it so...). 10) Select your device, just click on it. 11) In the following dialog, click here: In the following open dialog, navigate to the file you've downloaded in step (4). Make ABSOLUTELY sure it's indeed the file you've downloaded and not some earlier version or something for another device. 12) Click "Update". This might take a while, as can be read here: Wohoo! Once done, make sure you've got the latest version of HX Edit installed. In case you haven't, grab it from here again: https://line6.com/software/ Following page will take you to the actual download. Download and install. 13) Perform a factory reset before booting into HX Edit. Might not be required all the time but Line 6 recommends doing so. In case you didn't manage to do a backup before the trouble started, you might however want to do that now and then perform a factory reset. Here's the procedures for the various HX family products: Helix Floor/LT: While holding footswitches 9 & 10 (bottom row, 2 middle switches), turn on Helix Floor/LT Helix Rack: While holding knobs 5 & 6 (2 furthest right knobs below the screen), turn on Helix Rack HX Effects: While holding footswitches 6 & TAP (2 farthest right switches on the bottom row), turn on HX Effects HX Stomp: While holding footswitches 2 & 3, turn on HX Stomp HX Stomp XL: While holding footswitches C & D, turn on HX Stomp That should be it. Yeah, as said, computer nanny kinda stuff, but then, this really isn't explained too well officially (the official procedure is online updating via HX Edit, which seems to fail often enough to justify writing my little installment). Good luck! Edit: Quite obviously, in case everything worked, you might want to reload your backup onto your device, using HX Edit. Edit #2 To all Mac users running a macOS version from Catalina and onwards: Apple has added several security measures, starting with Catalina. In case an application (in this case most likely the Line 6 Updater, which I think hasn't seen an update to itself for a while, whereas HX Edit should usually just install fine) comes up with whatever error message when doubleclicking the installer, as a first step, try to do a rightclick and select "open". You will likely see a warning but it'll often allow you to click onto something saying "yes, open anyway". In case that doesn't work, it might take you to the security settings straight away. But apparently, sometimes it doesn't. As I'm still running Mojave at the time of writing this, I can't tell you the exact procedure, so here's some information: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491 Thanks to @datacommandofor pointing me to those.

Redo the update, this time use the Line 6 Updater and the local option (download the firmware flash file first). Make sure you shut down HX Edit before so the Updater sees your unit.

Go to the download section, select your hardware, select that you want to download some firmware, select your OS. Download. Connect the Helix, open the Line 6 Updater, chose "Offline Mode", your device should show up then. Click on it, on the following page click on "Chose File" and point it to the .hxf file you've just downloaded. Click "Update". Good luck.

Yeah, because of that you need to kill it via Task Manager or reboot (not an issue on macOS, though).

Did you try the Line 6 Updater as well? Check if it sees your Helix. In case it does, download the flash files for the update and go for an offline update.

Fwiw, updating my Stomp took just around 10-15 minutes over here. Everything seems to be running smoothly so far.

Wow, that's a big one for me, actually the biggest thing in this update. And I just sold my Floor... ah well, it will come in handy with the Stomp, too.

Way cool, that's something I haven't checked yet. I even got a Jet Micro along with my HXS, so I could keep my current pedal assignments intact. I simply didn't know that using the dedicated rec function from stop mode would erase the previous loop (having owned a Floor until 2 weeks ago, I could've known, sigh...). Still, a dedicated loop mode that you could enter without setting up things in Command Center (which will automatically "waste" some switches), would be nice to have IMO. Will check all that out tomorrow (and I will have to find a place for the Jet Micro plus some 9V outlet I guess - and likely reconfigure my patches).

Uhm, stop triggering my GAS! No, seriously, that's a great device and I'd really love to give it a more intense testride. Do you, by any chance, have any soundfiles of that setup at hand? I wouldn't mind listening. And btw, thanks for the detailed description, pretty interesting stuff. --- As far as my board goes, it's pretty much a hack. Didn't want to invest more than I already did before I'm not 100% sure that I'm going to stick with the hybrid approach. Thing is, for functional gigs it's likely overkill and for my own pleasure I'd likely slap in some more adventurous stuff. And regardless of how my final decision will look like, I might still need an all-in-one modeler for easier traveling and such (a GT-1000 is still on my list for those purposes). However, if I decide to stick with a somewhat more elaborated pedalboard, I will likely have to redo plenty of things from scratch. The Mooer loopswitcher is working fine but there's certainly better ones available (I wish I had 8 instead of 6 patches without switching banks), I would as well like to have the wah/vol pedal(s) back on the board but as I wouldn't want to cover more real estate, I'd likely have to construct a dual-tier board (kinda like those from Schmidt Array), and in case I'd manage doing that, I'd obviously need a new case as well - so it's quite some bucks worth of stuff I had to spend. Fwiw, right now, my board is organized in a way you'd probably also come up with when using real amps. In a nutshell, it's a dual amp channel board, the NUX Amp Academy serves for clean sounds (with an option to add a bit of hair through the Rated Boost in front), the Amplifirebox is used for all driven sounds (there's an almost completely clean Bman model loaded, but I'm using a customized IR and some EQ trickery to make it work with all sorts of drive pedals - which it does exceptionally well). Most of the drives are sitting in the AFB loop. The Mooer Yellow Comp and Pure Boost are sitting in the very first loop which I engage on all lead sounds. I used to have a Boss GE-7 in a post-amp loop to finally level my leadsounds and finetune the overall timbre, but by now that's handed over to the HXS, which, apart from a few exceptions, I'm only using for leads anyway (I simply like most rhythm stuff to be bone dry). Talking about the HXS, it's almost overkill as I'm really only using it for 4 sounds per gig (3 of them called up via snapshots, the 4th via an external switch). But, overkill or not, it's pretty much the only unit of a comparable size doing it so well (Mooer Ocean Machine requires you to enter an extra Tap Tempo mode, TC Plethora has no global tempo at all, others don't do delay and reverb in one unit, etc.). It's obviously quite nice to have a backup straight on the board, too - and in case the HXS breaks for whatever reason, I have another MS-50G sitting in my utility case. Talking about the MS-50, they're WAY better than what the price might suggest. There's some really godawful stuff in it, namely the drives and amps, but some modulations and spatial FX are really great. The MS-50 on my board is sitting in a dedicated loop in front of all dirt and I'm using it for modulations only. I usually set up 2-3 patches that I can then A/B/C/etc... cycle through, which is comfortable enough, given that I usually may only need things a handful of times per gig, if at all. Mainly, this board built is all about "gain staging/stacking" with some variable basic sounds. And it does that job incredibly well. I might exchange some drive pedals one day, but I absolutely don't need to. The Joyo Kings of Kings serves as a nice, mellow oldschool overdrive (I could actually do with just one side of it), the TC Magus, basically a rat clone, is set to "turbo" and rather dark, it's quite a fuzzy affair, the Hustle Drive serves for distortion kinda things (I originally use a Harley Benton Drop Kick for that position, but it had to be exchanged and won't arrive for 2-3 months due to the usual supply shortage...) and the Golden Plexi 2 does exactly what the name says. It's my main drive for pretty much anything, extremely dynamic, working super fine with additional boost(s) in front, etc. Get's my vote for the most compact and affordable MIAB pedal (IMO it needs a suitable amp to follow, might get somewhat shrill in front of a typical Fender amp/speaker combination, really needs another cab sim to work best). Oh, before I forget: The entire board is powered by a single Harley Benton ISO-12 Pro PSU for a mere €99. Overall current draw is something around 2000mA, the unit should be able to deal with that just fine. But I already noticed it to get sort of warm with the HSX running through it as well, so I may do it as you do and run the HSX from a dedicated PSU (unfortunately, the form factor of the latest L6 one is horrendously bad, I will likely just cut the cable off and solder it onto something more suitable). Alright, on to the gig (just some sort of functional party stuff, but the band is pretty decent and having a great sound certainly helps, too).

Oh wow, that looks like a very complexed thing (and quite great). Some questions, if you don't mind: How are you using the Iridium in this setup, do you skip the amp modeling entirely on the HX Stomp? What's the thing in the upper left corner? Does the WIDI thing require a dedicated master unit (I don't think I need MIDI for my purposes anymore, but you never know...) and is the switching working fast enough to switch, say, between 8th notes at a medium tempo? Which PSU(s) are you using? What kinda cables are you using for power connections and patching? I can see some Rockboard ones (using them myself, too), but are there others as well? I'm not too unhappy with my board, especially given that I wanted to make it fit into an existing case, hence had to build the pedal carrying construction myself, but I'm not particularly fond of the cabling. I soldered a few cables myself but for the most part I'm using pre-made patchcables which usually are either too short or too long. I simply wanted those flat plugs on the visible side of the board to save some space here and there and have never found them as separate plugs so I could configure the cable lengths myself. Same goes for the 9V cable mess. Even the angled plugs very often stick out too much. And I just hate it that every vendor seems to have an own idea about where the connectors have to be places. I really wish that they would at least stick to "everything on the top end". Using an angled signal plug with the 9V socket next to it is just awkward on the left/right sides of whatever pedal. Oh well, I'd like to try out a Zola one day, too. But I'm afraid it'd start something unstoppable (I actually plan to configure a pretty much 100% computer based rig one day, which should be somewhat cheaper than the hardware route).

Of course it will work (otherwise, why would it have a MIDI In?). Program changes will defenitely work with any controller and in case you want to use CC (continuous controller) messages to work as well, you need to have a look into the configuration options of the controller in question. The Stomp has a limited amount of free CC "slots" (there's only 127 in total), with the HX series there's some fixed CCs to control a certain function and some free ones. You need to look up the MIDI implementation chart. Note: If you plan to use snapshots and MIDI controlled parameters (others than on/off) along with each other, rather forget about it, Line 6 decided to royally mess that up (any parameter controlled via MIDI is automatically controlled by snapshots as well).

Sure. But that will trigger some moments of playback, no way around it. And quite obviously, that's a no-go for any live situation.

I recently finished this board. Some smaller things will still happen (the EQ and tuner on the upper right will be replaced by a small custom-built mini-mixer, allowing me to control all levels, mix a monitor feed in and connect some headphones, so I can go IEM without any additional stuff). On the floor (the board is raised at home, so I can easily grab everything) there's a Hotone Soulpress II (which fits into the space left of the Stomp during transport). Already played two gigs with this bad boy and couldn't be much happier. Soundwise, this just blows any other stuff I've been using during the last years away. Patch organisation and switching are a breeze as well, even if it might not exactly look like it. And fwiw, that's the reason this board blows everything away soundwise as well, because I can instantly adjust each and every relevant parameter. In case anyone's interested, I'll explain what's going on and how everything is connected/switched.

Fwiw, here's how the 2-switch looper works on the Zoom G3: You get into loop mode by longpressing the right switch (of the 3 on the unit), that switch will also take you back to normal mode (so you could as well select another sound while the loop is playing). Once in loop mode, switch (1) serves Rec/Dub purposes, switch (2) serves Cancel/Stop/Clear. When you press (1) for the initial recording, (2) offers a "Cancel" function, so nothing gets recorded at all and you can start away instantly by pressing (1) again. The cancel function alone is worth its weight in gold (err, well...). Once you're happy, you press (1) again and the loop will play. (1) now turns into an overdub switch, (2) allows you to stop (without any irritating doubleciick action which never allows you to stop at an exact moment in time anyway). Once stopped, (1) will start the loop again while (2) turns into a "Clear" switch (you need to hold it down a little longer, which is nice as you don't accidentally erase a loop). Apart from the lack of an undo function (which would allow you to erase the last loop layer), this is absolutely perfect and live-ready as it allows you for a) exact stops and b) silent loop clearing. Could work 100% the same on the Stomp (just that you have to insert a looper while it's always there on the G3). It might even be possible to enter loop mode without having to assign (and hence waste) a switch by either longpressing one of the switches or by simultaneously pressing 2 switches.

Will do.

Drag them straight from HX Edit to Native. Make sure you have the same IRs loaded in either, in case you're using some.

Yeah, but for the time being, an option such as on the Floor would be sufficient, at least for the start. And the code should at least somewhat be existant in the Helixverse already.

I know this is possible on the Floor. By default, it's also scrolling through models once you twist the joystick but this can be deactivated (so it's also selecting the next/previous block) and you can only select a different model after pressing the joystick. Is that possible on the Stomp as well? I think I've been through each and every of the global settings, but maybe I'm overlooking the obvious or so. In case it's not possible, this should defenitely be an option. As is, once you accidentally turn that encoder, all your settings of that block are lost - unless you saved the patch beforehand. Which, as a result, you have to do all the time.

I'm sure that this (in case the other points weren't sufficient enough already) would be the main issue. Adding amp modeling to the HX FX years after launch would make Line 6's marketing department (among others) look quite questionable. I'd further guess that this is part of the success story of the Stomp XL (in case it is a success story, which I obviously don't happen to know). Personally, I'd actually like a "middle ground" unit. Somewhat more CPU power (and hence blocks) as in the Stomp, smaller than the Helix. Kinda like a Half-Helix. The Floor is way too big and heavy to make it into any normal suitcase or backpack, the Stomps are underpowered in case you want to get along with a single patch per gig (which is what I'm doing for reasons possibly known already). Ok as a backup or for single-tone-gigs, though (or as a delay/verb only device, which is what I'm mainly using my Stomp for). In fact, I'd have loved to see L6 coming up with something along the lines of the GT-1000 Core. Full horsepower, small enough to fit in a gigbag, capable of quite some switching extensions. Whatever, technically, I'd take any bet they could add amp models to the HX FX - but I'd also take any bet on them not doing so.