cchimi

As are you. What causes you to doubt what I say? Seriously, without being sarcastic, I'm willing to learn and change my opinion. But I see the tunings as data, which can be written and stored to any area of any device the programmer finds available. Of course, none of this mitigates the fact that Line 6 ignores its left handed guitar customers and even advertises misleadingly from the left handed perspective. And that's my real point. If they made left handed Variaxes, I'd buy several, assuming decent quality.

But the phrase "baked in" misstates the case. Fundamentally, the string tunings are just data. Those data can be written to any required data location, to a specific model, to a general "tuning" area of the Variax, or even to a place on the Helix. It would take a decent programmer, armed with the right knowledge, less than a couple of hours to write code to make those decisions, and maybe another couple of hours to test it. Maybe a day or two total, and they would have served ALL of their Variax customers, not just those - non-left handed - ones who can purchase and play the newer models.

Yes, I understand that. But you see, that only makes the fact that Line 6 advertises the Helix as working with the Variax - without specifying that it doesn't really work with all models of the Variax - more aggravating. Besides, you are actually misunderstanding the case. The alternate tunings are not "baked into the models themselves" on the older models; they were editable using the appropriate software (as you say). So, there is no reason that the newer software - including the software of the Helix itself (its firmware) couldn't provide the same functionality, except a decision by Line 6 not to support the older models - which effectively means left handed players are deliberately excluded from the full functionality of products they paid full price for.

This update sounds great, and seems to have some features I'd been hoping for. That said, the Workbench HD feature aggravates me. The HD implies that it will only work with some newer Variax models. if that's true, Line 6 is once again blowing raspberries at left handed guitarists. The only left handed Variax they ever made was the 500. I have one, but that model was discontinued some years ago. All of the Helix literature says the Helix works with Variax guitars, but never (as far as I've seen) says it doesn't work with the 500. It DOES work somewhat with the 500, but can't retune the 500's strings as it can newer models; I don't know why. Now, it seems, it also won't connect with the version of Workbench used by the 500. So, even though I have been a loyal Line 6 customer for 20 years or so, buying many of their products, because I am left handed they shut me out from the full utility of my expensive purchases. To be clear, I have: 1. A left handed Variax 500, bought new 2. A left handed FrankenVariax, made at great cost by a luthier and Variax tech from the guts of a Variax 300 and a custom built body to work as a left handed Variax (because you can't find a left handed Variax to purchase anywhere, and I needed a spare for gigs) 3. A Helix floor model And I can't even use the Helix to connect either Variax to Workbench, meaning I have to hold on to my HD500 solely for that purpose. The sad thing is that I would gladly buy two or three NEW Variaxes IF Line 6 made left handed models. But they so far refuse to serve that portion of their market, and so further disappoint some of us by not supporting us with updates such as this one. I will look forward to this update, to be sure, but knowing I will get less from it than most of the rest of you. Line 6 really should make at least one model of Variax left handed that will work with the Helix. I'd buy it. Or they should offer for purchase whatever parts are necessary for older Variax models to be upgraded. To me, a loyal customer, this seems only fair.

I finally was able to get back to this today (Sunday). When I used Windows and Reaper to create the MIDI sequence, it controlled the Helix snapshots perfectly. When I then saved that EXACT SAME MIDI sequence as a .MID file, copied that file to my MacBook, and ran that file inside both QLab and Logic Pro X, I got the weird behavior. It always happens when CC 69 0 is sent. For a split second the Helix will go back to snapshot 1 of the correct preset, then it instantly changes to a (seemingly) random preset such as 125. I guess I'm going to have to go back to my old method of using several different presets for each song where the guitar sound needs to change, but it's really annoying to have to back away from a solution I consider more elegant. If anyone has a Mac they could try this on, I'd appreciate knowing if it works for you. Thanks, Carl

Duh! D'oh! I was so proud of getting my Horizontal and Vertical right that I missed that I had my Send and Return mixed up. I had the guitar coming "out" of a Return on the Helix on its way to the VoiceLive. Fixed it and it works great now. And I did take the advice of plugging the mic directly into the VL, instead of the Helix. Thanks, everyone, for helping me think this through. Carl

That's a good idea, and I might end up doing that. But my problem right now is why the guitar isn't controlling the harmonies.

Good point, HonestOpinion. But I did get the Vertical/Horizontal confusion right the first time. Thanks, Carl

Thanks! These are helpful responses. But I think figured out where the hiss was coming from. The VoiceLive 3 Extreme has a Guitar In, but also a Guitar Thru. If nothing is plugged into the Thru, even just a cable going nowhere, I get the hiss. Plug in a cable going nowhere and 99% of the hiss disappears. And I hear the vocals, lead and harmonies, quite clearly. But for some reason the guitar is not controlling the harmonies. It’s always something. But at least I’m making progress. ​Thanks for your help. Carl

I’m trying to use my VoiceLive 3 Extreme through an effect loop on the Helix, using the Effect Loop 2 block right after the Mic input on the lower path on the Helix screen. I'm trying to get a clean mic signal into the VL to get some vocal harmonies going. The mic is an SM58. Routing is Helix Send 2 to VL mic input. VL mono output to Helix Return 2. The Helix jacks are 1/4†and the VL jacks are XLR, so I’m using appropriate cables just bought new, so they should work. I get horrible hissing, and no indication that the vocal signal is getting to the VL. Annoying as hell. I thought, as I usually do, that this would be easy. But I can’t see what I’m doing wrong. I've checked the ground lift on the Helix, with no change to the hissing. ​I must be doing something wrong. Anyone have any ideas what that might be? ​Thanks, ​Carl

Thanks. That's what I'm on, too. I'll be working more on this tomorrow (Wednesday) and will try MIDI-OX and Reaper to see if they work.

Thanks for working on this. I've been on a MacBook Pro, using QLab and Logic to create the commands. I'll try creating the commands in Windows, as you did, using both MIDI-OX and Reaper. Ultimately, these commands have to be in a MIDI file, so maybe I can create that file in Reaper. I won't be able to try this until tomorrow (Wednesday), but I'll report back here any results. Do you know what Helix firmware you're on? Mine, I think, is 2.12. Carl

Are you using Windows or Mac? I can try creating the MIDI files in Reaper, rather than in Logic Pro X, and see if that works for me. Maybe LPX is introducing something I'm missing. Are you on the latest Helix firmware? I appreciate the sharing of experiences. Thanks. Carl

Hmm. Just to be sure, have you done what I did in my example, that is call up a preset that has snapshots using a Program Change message, give it a CC 0 for snapshot 1, then a CC 1 for snapshot 2, then try to go back to snapshot 1. It's always that last step where things go bonkers. I've tried sending the messages from QLab and Logic Pro X, but not from Reaper. Ultimately, I have to use QLab, because that's how we automate our show.

I was running MIDI-OX on a separate computer, and definitely was seeing the CCs and PCs that represent a program change, when what I was sending was a CC 69 0 to get me back to Snapshot 1 of the current preset. Instead, today that CC always sent me to Snapshot 1 of Preset 125. I'd sure appreciate hearing how it works for you. Carl

Yes, I've isolated each MIDI command, and I'm sure that no other MIDI data are being sent, aside from the Program Changes sent by the Helix on a preset change. I think this is a pretty serious bug, at least for those of us who need to use MIDI for patch changes. I wonder if anyone can duplicate this problem?

I have a number of songs for which I hope to use snapshots. And I have to automate the switching of those snapshots using a simple MIDI file, which my band runs in software called QLab. I've just tried it, and it seems to behave strangely. The attached picture below shows the commands I am sending to the Helix, as I created them in Logic Pro X. The MIDI commands shown are intended to do the following: 1. Program Change to select SETLIST 3, PRESET 2 2. Control Change to select SNAPSHOT 1, staying on PRESET 2 (say for verse chords) 3. Control Change to select SNAPSHOT 2, staying on PRESET 2 (say for solo) 4. Control Change to return to SNAPSHOT 1, staying on PRESET 2 (say for verse chords again) 5. Control Change to select SNAPSHOT 3, staying on PRESET 2 (say for power chords ending) NOTE: the picture has a 3 where it should have a 2 to select SANPSHOT 3. That has been fixed. 1, 2, and 3 seem to work fine. But every time 4 runs it either takes the Helix to PRESET 125 in the same SETLIST, or it takes it to the first preset in another set list. Then 5 will select SNAPSHOT 3 of that incorrect preset. I guess I can't imagine what is causing this. I have run to MIDI file completely separate from all other MIDI data, with the same result(s). I've got a lot of experience with computers, with MIDI, and with debugging. And I know that the solution is often something you just can't see without different eyes looking at it. Anyone see what I'm doing wrong here? Any advice would be appreciated. Carl

It was having to use the method of copying blocks, which is tedious when you have many presets with many blocks to deal with, that caused me to ask the question. I guess I think we should at least be able to easily select multiple blocks for copying and pasting. Maybe that will come in an update. At any rate, I got the work done, and I thank those who replied. Carl

Thanks to all. Carl

Thanks to all. I happened to be working on an iMac when I asked the question, and I had checked the list of keyboard shortcuts, but hadn't experimented beyond what was in the list I saw in that manual. The discussion here made me experiment, and I think Option-LeftMouseClick did what I needed. I'll try it on my Windows Surface Pro 4 today, but the Edit program scales so badly on that machine that my old eyes can barely read the list of presets. Carl

Can a snapshot be copied from one preset to another? If so, that would make a job i have to do MUCH easier. I have a number of songs that take up two or three presets, and I am trying to collapse them into one preset per song. Thanks for any advice. Carl

​1. Are the Global settings found on the Helix unit available anywhere in the Edit program? 2. My connection to the Helix unit (floor model) keeps disconnecting, and I have to pull out the USB cable and reinsert it to reestablish the connection. This happens on three different computers I've tried it on: a MacBook Pro, an iMac, and a Surface Pro 4, all with the latest operating systems. The Edit program and Helix firmware are also the latest versions. The USB interface seems to work fine for audio, never dropping the connection. I have tried several different USB cables, all know good in other applications. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Carl

I'm fairly new to the Helix, and only yesterday started working with Snapshots. Let's say I want to turn the Gain of an amp down in Snapshot 1 and up in Snapshot 2. I understand how to make that happen on the Helix itself; I just push down the Gain button while turning it, and it shows white with brackets, which I guess means it is under Snapshot control. I've been trying to figure out how to do the equivalent task using the Helix Edit program, but I don't see how to do it. I'm sure it's simple, but I'm missing it. I tried setting the Gain low in Snapshot 1, then went to Snapshot 2 and set the Gain high. But when I went back to Snapshot 1 it had forgotten the low setting and taken on the high setting from Snapshot 2. I'm using the latest firmware and Edit versions. Any help would be appreciated. Carl

That would work great, and I appreciate the advice. But I actually moved quickly the first day and created the guitar/tones/effects presets I knew I needed, based on presets I'd developed for my HD500. Then I started assigning MIDI commands to footswitches, at which point I realized that copying the command does not copy the label. Oh well. I did end up first copying each command and then each label. At least the Editor program proved helpful with that. But it was more work than it had to be, in my opinion. All that said, in general I am really loving this Helix. Just the different available inputs alone make life easier, not to mention the MIDI-over-USB. And I appreciate how helpful people have been on this forum. Carl

That makes sense. I only got my Helix two or three days ago, and at most have one command assigned per footswitch. Still, I think it should be an option to let the labels copy over with the command, as it can lead to a lot of seemingly unnecessary work.