silverhead

Imho…. The problem may be a mismatch between the preset structure and your physical cabling. For instance, if the downloaded preset (which I note you have not yet pointed us to) has the following characteristics: - dual paths, 1A and 1B - one path contains both the amp block and the FX Loop block (active); and - there are no physical cables connected to the FX Loop block jacks then…. you will hear only path 1B at the outputs. The amp controls have no audible effect because the signal leaves the device at the Send jack of the FX Loop and never returns. Elvis has left the building. As I suggested in the very first response to your post, please give us a link to the Customtone preset. Until we see that all else is speculation. The above example is only one of many structural elements that may explain your issue

Can you provide a link to (or search info for) a Customtone patch that you’re talking about? Others could test it out and confirm or explain.

You need to assign both parameters to the Snapshot controller. Set the levels you want for Snapshot 1 and Save the preset. Set the levels you want for Snapshot 2 and Save the preset again. Details are in the Snapshots section of the manual.

I moved this topic to the POD HD forum for greater visibility. The patches can be converted using this utility:

Depends on the position of the Gain block in the signal chain. If it’s the last block in the chain there’s really no difference. But if the Gain block precedes, say, an amp block then the increased level will drive the amp’s input harder resulting in more drive/grit. Same thing will happen with other blocks it precedes. Overall the signal from that point in the chain will be hotter.

The guitar works without the cable so you should be able to test it out. There are actually two different cables involved in using a Variax JTV to its full potential: 1) The USB Hardware Interface kit includes a cable and a small hardware device/dongle. This is the one that comes with the guitar in its original packaging, and this is the one you are missing. It is used to connect your guitar to your computer for firmware updates and to use the Workbench HD product. 2) A VDI (Variax Digital Interface) cable. This cable has no associated dongle and is not included with the original purchase of the guitar. It has protective housing at both ends and is used to connect your Variax to a compatible Line 6 Multi-FX device such as some Helix products. This allows your device to communicate with your Variax and supports Variax command and control features to be stored in device presets. You are able, for instance, to store Variax model selection and alternate tunings information in a Helix preset. This information is sent as commands to the Variax guitar when the preset is loaded. Of course this information doesn’t help with the fact that you are missing the USB Hardware Interface kit. They sometimes come up on places like eBay but they are indeed rare and costly.

No, there is no conversion tool for this. And I’m not aware of any way to inspect POD GO preset files offline (i.e. without a POD Go device connected to a computer running Pod Go Edit).

Just to clarify, the POD XT series works with older Variax guitars but is not supported using Variax JTV and newer. Afaik it may work in a limited fashion for model selection, but nothing else (e.g. alternate tunings, Variax knob controllers).

Acoustic guitars typically don’t use a typical guitar amp or cab model in the preset. To achieve this on the Pocket POD select the Tube Preamp as your amp model. This also selects the No Cab option. Also try setting Cabinet Tuning Mode to Direct Mode. Then add whatever Effects sound good to you. You indicate you would want Reverb, but I would experiment with the combined FX like Delay Comp or Dly Chorus (1 or 2).

There is no longer a PM capability in this forum. Don’t know why it disappeared.

Here’s a thought. Please post to CustomTone some of your presets that focus on a specific amp, matching the amps in Helix Factory Setlist 1. Make it sound better than the factory preset. I’ll download it and compare it to the sound of the factory preset in my environment and let you know my honest impressions. Perhaps others will do so too. And perhaps we’ll be able to persuade Line 6 to replace their factory presets with your offerings in a future firmware update!

Also, there’s a lot of outboard non-Helix gear between your fingers and your ears that contributes a LOT to the sonic quality of the tone you hear. From the style of play, the pick (or not), the guitar strings, the guitar body, the external PA speakers, headphones, studio monitors, guitar amp…. All of those individual items add up to flavour the preset itself. It’s a fool’s game to try to create factory presets that will sound good to everyone in any environment. For instance, take a tour through CustomTone sometime. There are many presets that are described with a song title, songs with which you are familiar. Rest assured that the preset creator, when posting that preset, truly believed that the tone of the song was closely matched. And it probably was - in their environment. Download and test some and judge for yourself in your environment.

Not to be a party pooper, but all your questions can be answered by scrolling through the product descriptions in this website (see Products tab at top of this page). That way you’ll get a complete and accurate answer more quickly than waiting for respondents here to provide partial and perhaps inaccurate information.

Try the CustomTone link at the top of this page. Be aware, though, that the sound you hear through the non-HX Stomp equipment in your environment will affect the sound greatly. The biggest variables are the guitar and the monitoring system used. The creator of the tone you download will probably have used a different guitar and a different system of speakers/amp. This can cause you to say WTF when you play the preset in your environment. At best a CustomTone preset serves as a reasonable starting point for you to tweak. Don’t expect an immediate good result.

Any Helix device with a VDI interface can do that too.

There is no longer a Private Message capability in this forum.

If you use 4CM properly the knobs on your Marshall will be relevant only when you are NOT using a Helix amp model. In that case the knobs affect the signal produced only by selected Helix FX blocks that precede the FX Loop block in the Helix preset. This is exactly analogous to a typical pedalboard setup, where the signal from your guitar passes through physical pedals before hitting the amp. Treat the amp knobs exactly as you would in that situation to ‘color or reshape’ what is coming in from your physical pedals. When you use a Helix amp in your preset, you turn the FX Loop off which means the knobs of your Marshall are completely bypassed. The signal from Helix does not enter your amp’s preamp to be affected by the knobs. There is no signal present at the Input jack of your Marshall amp. The cable is connected there but it’s carrying nothing. The knobs can be ignored. There is nothing coming from the Helix to be coloured or reshaped by the knobs. (I’ve intentionally just said the same thing many different ways/times. It’s important to understand this. It’s the whole concept of 4CM). The Master Volume knob on your Marshall controls the level of the power amp section, and that remains in play at all times when using 4CM, whether you are using a Helix preamp model or your Marshall preamp section. If your Helix preset includes a full amp (not preamp) model then you have an additional Master volume knob to consider: the one in the Helix model. That’s what I was referring to earlier when I said that you’ll need to be careful about levels when doubling up on the power amps (one in the Helix full amp model, the other being your physical Marshall amp).

I’m in Canada. I haven’t had one repaired but I can confirm that Yorkville is indeed the authorized Canadian Line 6 service company, and that L&M handles the reception and return of the equipment. Try calling the Yorkville Audio head office, or the largest L&M location you can think of. If that fails open a support ticket with Line 6.

It’s not a DSP issue since the Looper exists in the preset. I expect it’s greyed out because the Looper can’t be bypassed/modified on a snapshot basis. You’re correct that it takes some foot tapping. Looper controls are only available in Stomp mode when the Looper block is selected and it’s controls are visible. To switch to another preset you need to leave Stomp mode, switch presets, then go back to Stomp mode in the new preset and select the Looper block to control it. You might be able to control things more easily using an external MIDI controller and sending the appropriate MIDI commands to the POD Go over USB. Details can be found in the USB/MIDI chapter of the Pod Go manual. I haven’t experimented with it but you might want to.

It’s not a DSP issue since the Looper exists in the preset. I expect it’s greyed out because the Looper can’t be bypassed/modified on a snapshot basis. You’re correct that it takes some foot tapping. Looper controls are only available in Stomp mode when the Looper block is selected and it’s controls are visible. To switch to another preset you need to leave Stomp mode, switch presets, then go back to Stomp mode in the new preset and select the Looper block to control it.

Clearly depends on the size of the chipmunks. Are we talking nursery school or a swingers club?

By not using 4CM you will be missing out on the ability to use the amp modeling in Helix. Using both a Helix amp model as well as your Marshall preamp simultaneously will sound horrible. Also you will lose the ability to position your FX blocks either before or after the preamp section of your Marshall. You will be restricted to using your Helix as an FX only device, with all FX blocks positioned before your Marshall in the signal chain. Frankly, you’d save some $$ by getting the HX FX device which has no amp modeling. Using 4CM allows you to use either your Marshall preamp section or a Helix preamp model - not both - in any preset. You will also be able to position your FX blocks before or after the Marshall/Helix preamp. Be aware that your Marshall power amp section, and it’s cab/speaker, are used in 4CM. Hence your Helix preset will probably sound best with a Helix preamp model and no cab or IR block in the preset. There are no strict rules about all this. Whatever sounds best to you is what you should use. But in general doubling up on either preamps or cab/IRs does not sound good. Doubling up on the power amp section (I.e. using a full amp rather than preamp model in Helix) may sound good but be careful with the signal level going into the Marshall power amp.

All presets that you plan to use within the same Looper session must have the same Looper FX block (1-switch or 6-switch) in the preset. If you record a loop in one preset, then switch to a preset that has no (or a different) Looper block then the Looper stops working. If the preset you switch to has the appropriate Looper block then the Looper should continue to operate.

I suggest you open a support ticket.

I think what’s confusing me is your reference to A and B, which means parallel paths. I think you might mean L and R outputs instead. It’s important to realize that both parallel paths A and B are stereo; they do not correspond to L and R outputs. Connect your physical L and R outputs to DI and amp as I think you’ve already done. When constructing your presets you may or may not want to use parallel paths; it’s irrelevant. What’s important is that you make sure that the signal is mono when it reaches the Output block, and then pan it fully L or R depending on the desired output device (DI or amp). The easiest way to make sure you’ve got a mono signal is to avoid using stereo FX blocks. That will save DSP as well as keep things simpler.