spawn2031

A question like this is probably best asked in the POD HD forum but since I have a 500x and a pair of TS110s, I'll give it a whirl. The very first question for you is at what sound level did you create your patches? It's a very well known fact with the 500x that if you create a great sounding patch at bedroom level and then go crank it up to gig level it more than likely will sound like crap. I don't know if the Helix has the same issue but people complain about this all the time on the HD forums. The fact that your mp3s sound how you would expect them to at higher levels shows that it is not your PA cab that is the issue. The solution to this issue is to create your patches at the volume you intend to use them at. One thing that can help also is, on the back of my TS110s, I have a button that will flatten the response of the speakers to account for what I believe is called the Fletcher-Munsen curve. I would be surprised if yours don't have the same. It would be nice to hear from some Helix users that have designed patches at bedroom volume and cranked them up to gig volume though. Does it have the same issue that the 500x does? I expect that it will but I am hoping for a pleasant surprise!

I know a lot of people are talking about freeze ups and stuff and most of them sound like it's a software issue but, wow.. this one sounds more like hardware to me. Especially since it locks up without you doing anything. I'm no expert on these things by any means so take it for what it's worth but I would probably swap that one out.

Not a problem, glad we could help. I have seen quite a few of those kinds of programs that are designed to "improve" performance of this, that or the other thing but, just like any other piece of software, it's impossible for them to test it in all conditions. Glad you were able to narrow down your issue to that little P.O.S.

Ah the typical clash of techs on proper troubleshooting techniques, lol. agreed, if all else comes up blank then yeah, reloading is definitely the next step. Booting into safe mode will most certainly shed some light though. If it does crash there as well then it's not a simple fix. It's either hardware or a blown OS, skip all the other troubleshooting and go right to the OS load. BSODs do happen in safe mode. If his MOBs USB controller hardware is foobed then it will still BSOD even in safe mode. No offense meant at all to the OP here but.... people get all manner of stuff on their PCs that can screw up resource assignments and what not. Going into safe mode first will eliminate most of those possibilities and reduce the amount of variables. *steps down off soap box for the next opinion* :D

Guys... the OP doesn't even know how bad his issue is yet. What you guys are suggesting, however plausible, is like using a broadsword to crack open a walnut. Let's HOPE he doesn't need to resort to any of what you guys suggested besides making sure he's connecting it to a USB 2.0 port and not a 3.0. If we want to help him let him try the simple stuff I suggested then the next step should be disabling the automatic reboot on crash like Jrose said. Then we can go from there. Actually prolly should do the disable reboot on crash first....

No, the power supply wouldn't have anything to do with that.... well maybe but, unlikely 1) Have you tried letting it go into safe mode and plugging it in then (If this works then some software is conflicting in normal mode)? 2) Can you use any other USB devices (If so then we have a driver conflict)? 3) Is your PC up to date on all of it's critical updates? 4) Do you know how to look at your device manager? If so, look for any exclamation points. If none of these produces anything that leads you in the direction of a fix then in your Device manager, uninstall any devices under the USB controllers section and restart. It is possible that a driver got fowled up and just needs reloaded.

Na, no worries bud. I know a lot of folks expected this thing to be perfect when it released. Not I, I just need to make sure it wouldn't go black screen on me during a performance. Anything else I can deal with until they work out the kinks. This would make a whole lot of sense for the freeze ups. A PC would act like this too if somehow it's programming allowed you to do something that its hardware couldn't handle. I wonder how many others with the freezing issue have been really pushing the DSP limit when it froze... :blink:

I think most of us do realize that when a brand new product comes out. There's always bugs but if you have something that continually bricks up when using it, well it doesn't matter how good it is if it going to be your only rig. Which it would be. Sounds like issues are on the mend here though which was my reason for making this thread. Was just hoping for an update on the current situation which I appreciate greatly DI! Especially when hearing that news tells me I have no reason to cancel my pre-order. Thanks very much for the info and responses everyone.

Hey Line 6, I am getting closer to my expected delivery date for my Helix from Sweetwater and I am starting to get a little concerned about all these reports about the Black screens and freezing issue. It seems a ton of people are reporting this issue but there hasn't been a whole lot of information coming back from L6 about it or how to deal with it until a fix is released. My question to you guys is, have their been any commonalities found with this issue yet, like all of you are using Variax, etc.., or is it truly 100% random? I won't lie, since I am going to be using this for live practice and gigs, I am considering cancelling my order until this particular issue is ironed out. I really don't want to do that cuz I am very excited about it's capabilities but it would be useless to me without at least some guidelines of things not to do in combination until the fix is out for it. Thanks.

Hey guys, since there are so many of you that are having issues with the Helix app on Windows 10 I though I should post this for non windows 10 users so you don't wake up to an unpleasant surprise. Microsoft is attempting to force all windows 7/8/8.1 users to install 10 by having it downloaded onto your PC via windows update and then having it as a pre-checked optional download to install. If you have your PCs set to do updates automatically, you will end up on 10 without ever really authorizing it, thus potentially giving even more of us issues with the app until L6 releases a fix for it. If this is something that you would like to avoid the link on how to stop it from happening is below. http://www.howtogeek.com/228551/how-to-stop-windows-7-or-8-from-downloading-windows-10-automatically/ Edit: I just noticed that the article says it only downloads it but does not install it, I have personally caught a few of my work PCs getting ready to do just that. So take it for what you will but better safe than sorry I think.

And so do you, very true on all of it but there is one variable that probably helped out with your migrations, that fact that you are using Pro. The first time I went through the upgrade I just let it to everything by default so I knew what others would be doing and that tries to give you Home by default which has always been the red-headed -step-child of the OS version... by the way I am allowed to use such slander, I'm a red head... just not a step child :). Anyway, I do remember all of those different migrations and if memory serves, the Pro version was always a lot easier to get on systems and was much more stable and compatible with stuff, Home.. not so much. So that part actually is Microsoft's issue as the are knowingly distributing an inferior product. Anyway, all pointing fingers aside, as DI said in one of his posts, this is a major pain releasing a brand new product that also coincides with the release of two major OS's as well. I most certainly would not want to be a coder for any of those companies right now. And oh... for all of you Windows 7/8/8.1 users out there that do NOT want to upgrade to 10. You might want to do some searching on Microsoft "accidentally" upgrading users to 10. They have been releasing it as an optional download for your non domain PCs. Only catch is that this optional download is pre checked so if your PC is set to just DL and install updates as they come without any prompts, you could very well end up on Windows 10 without your consent. This is no conspiracy theory, it's truth. I just had to go and check all the PCs in my company and found more than a few of them primed and ready for the switch over. Here's the link for how to stop it from happening... http://www.howtogeek.com/228551/how-to-stop-windows-7-or-8-from-downloading-windows-10-automatically/

OK that's it.. when I get mine I am totally putting a vinyl sticker of a Nintendo "D" pad on the joystick.

And that right there sir is why your windows 10 is working properly. You have the knowledge to know what questions to ask and what to research to build your PC to work for windows 10. The vast majority of people don't know that and wouldn't know where to begin. They have standard PCs with maybe a few tweaks and upgraded capabilities. The most dangerous thing you can do with your knowledge is take it for granted and forget how specialized it is. Most of the folks on here have some skill and can google stuff, make minor changes, educated guesses and what not but they are not technicians with years of experience. For these kinds of folks, windows 10 is not ready for them and will just get frustrated with it's tempermentalness (is that a word??). For me, even though I know I could get win 10 working on my PCs, the headache just wasn't worth the gain. Windows 7 is plenty awesome for me. The folks that I really feel for are the ones that just bought a new PC with win 10 on it and have no other option but to wait for the fixes to come down. Especially when thier new $1500 piece of equipment doesn't work properly with it. Oh btw, trying to use 5+ year old hardware with it? I'd wager it's worse than that! :D When I was still out in the field every day I saw people with pre 2k computers trying to get win7 on there. Some of them actually did it! But then couldn't figure out why it was soooooo sloooooow.....

You gotta remember it's not always about how much work Microsuck has put into it but also literally every PC will have a different experience based on different hardware configurations, Motherboards, RAM, etc... I really wanted to like Win10. It's beautiful and man, it's built in browser is lightning quick but out of all the PCs I have installed it on so far there have been numerous driver issues and the drivers that do work, work in limited capacity. For example, Realtek sound cards. A very common built in sound card and probably being used by quite a few of us unless you have an upgrade, installs and works ok for windows sounds but when playing MP3s and Wavs, it litterally sounded like it was playing through a tin can. Not cool for those of us using that PC for any kind of audio. It really is a crap shoot with Win10. You might have no issues and love it but many many others are saying differently. Quite literally every single Microsoft OS launch has gone this way (some worse than others). Every one of them have always been really buggy until after the first service pack came out. LOL, Truer words were never spoke.

Have you verified that the USB driver is working? Easy way to do that would be to try and stream audio from your computer to it. I noticed with my 500x, windows 10's USB drivers were very flaky. Sometimes it worked and other times it didn't.

*** Grrrrr, stands up throws chair, RAGE QUIT***.... no not really. I find it so odd the order in which some of these are getting fullfilled. I place my pre-order for this on Saturday and got the same info that most of us SW guys got, next shipment expected in November. Actually just for Sh**s and giggles I e-mailed them yesterday and was told 11/14, but it could be before or after. But you ordered yesterday and it's on the way already? Just aint right. Oh well. Maybe you are the begining of the next slew of pre-orders from SW. **Crosses Fingers**

No, compatibility mode does work but typically only with older software running on a newer system. For quite sometime I had to run programs in XP mode when I made the switch to Windows 7 until they got that OS running right. Was never as bad as windows 8/8.5/10 though. What do you expect from a free OS though? You could try running it as administrator though. I've seen that work numerous times for a multitude of odd reasons.

Unfortunately there won't be a FW update that will fix the windows 10 issue. That will be in a driver or software update. It pains me to hear that you guys are having issues like this, but at the same time I am glad to hear that 99% of you guys only complain about this issue and not about the sound quality. I am sure that L6 will iron this out very quickly as a ton of y'all seem to be having the issue. Hopefully it will be ironed out before Sweetwater gets their next shipment and gets mine to me.

I have tried so many different instances of installing win 10 on different computers, some upgrades, some clean, some from 8 and some from 7 (and earlier...). There hasn't been one install yet that actually went smooth and had 0 problems after it was all set up. From an old school computer tech, it's always best to leave any Microsuck OS alone until after the first service pack comes out. Then and only then you MIGHT get things to work the way you want them to. My advice would be to reset back to Windows 7. Use what works, besides.. did you read all of that crap about data collection rights and compliance with the NSA in the EULA? Pretty eff'd up stuff there.

I would undoubtedly think that you would be correct on that one. As an X retailer worker they do crap like that all the time when they realize a coupin like that can be used on an item that they don't want it to be used on. I worked in an Office Max for a long time and one year, when the Kindle Fire was first coming out, they put a coupon out that failed to say that it wasn't valid on the Kindle Fires. We very quickly got a memo telling us that we couldn't sell them and that we were "Temporarily out of stock". Corporate America sux.

Well since we have to wait for L6 to chime in on this possible issue, all we can do is best guess but I think not doing the factory reset could have possibly interfered. I know with the 500x not doing the factory reset when updating the firmware has been known to cause issues. Even though it's a different piece of hardware, the programmers are still the same so I suppose it's plausible that not doing the reset when updating firmware can have the same adverse effects here as well.

I think I would trust a case like what Radatats got for protecting a $1500 pedal board. The other ones that Andy suggested seem way too overpriced in comparison.

I would still report it to L6 just in case, if you haven't already. If only you could remember what you did just before that and try to replicate the issue...

There are a bunch of clips showing up on The Gear Page. I am really surprised that we aren't seeing them pop up over here. I expected this forum to go crazy with user clips and what not once the Helix got into peoples hands. http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/helix-clips-and-samples-thread.1624399/page-8#post-20722956

I just pre-ordered mine. I guess I need to go into sales or something cuz I talked the sweetwater rep into giving me 10% off! lol. I can confirm that they are expecting their next batch towards the end of November. Sux but oh well. Since they don't charge till it ships that will give me plenty of time to over analyze every post that shows up here.