silverhead

I think it might be helpful to some if I provide my understanding of some details about what actually does and does not happen currently during a Helix firmware update, and some associated routine practices that one might want to establish. This post may hold nothing new or interesting for experienced users. Apologies in advance if I’m wasting your time. It’s intended for less experienced users who I hope will find it informative and helpful. It’s also lengthy and detailed so grab a coffee...... As of HX Edit version v3.01, available now, the Helix firmware update process has been significantly improved and further automated. This has not yet been evident, but we are promised that firmware v3.10 is coming soon. If you haven’t yet updated to HX Edit v3.01 you should do so now because it will make the pending firmware update simpler for you. If you’ve been frustrated by the update process in the past you might want to bookmark this post in anticipation of the new firmware. NOTES: A) The fact that I am posting this now does not mean that the firmware release is any more or less imminent than we already know it is, from Digital Igloo’s posts on The Gear Page. I don’t know exactly when it will be released any more than you do. But soon? Yes. That’s why I’m posting this now, so perhaps you can be better informed and prepared for a smooth update when the release happens. B) This information is not from Line 6. As always it represents my own thoughts. This post does not provide firmware update procedures. The firmware update procedures published by Line 6 are sufficient and should be followed exactly as described. I believe nothing in this post is inconsistent with that. Rather, this post provides additional background for interested readers. The HX Edit program now detects that a firmware and/or software update is available, prompts you to proceed with installation, and manages the process with a further series of prompts and actions. After the update process successfully completes your Helix environment is as follows: Your HX Edit program and your Helix firmware are both updated if required and are known to be in a mutually compatible state. This, imho, is the main improvement to the automated process - there should be no more problems due to incompatible versions of the firmware and the editor. This in itself should entice you to update to HX Edit v3.01 immediately. You have a system backup file created as a mandatory part of the automated update process. After the update you may notice a difference in the operations of your Helix device because the update process restored the Global Settings to their default values, which may be different from your pre-update setup. Details on how to handle this follow. Other than the Global Settings, nothing else on your Helix device has been noticeably changed. All setlists, presets, IRs, and Favourites remain in place as they were. All presets have been rebuilt to ensure that their structure conforms to any new features introduced in the new firmware. Following the update you can proceed to use your Helix as you have previously. However, there are some habits that I have developed to take full advantage of the update and to minimize the potential for future issues. I do these things immediately after the firmware update as part of my routine practices. All of these are optional but I offer them for your consideration. 1. Perform a factory reset (restore) on your device. This is recommended by Line 6 although it is not automatically done as part of the update. This wipes out all custom data on your device including non-factory setlists, IRs, and Favourites (not a problem since you have the backup file) and installs the firmware specific factory setlists associated with the new firmware - Factory 1, Factory 2, and Templates. These were not automatically installed as part of the update process (some would say this is a benefit!) and nor are they installed by fully restoring your backup file. Unless you do this manually you don’t have any new or modified presets in these factory setlists. For details on how to perform a factory reset on your specific Helix device see: Helix/Rack/LT/FX/Stomp Reset Procedures and Troubleshooting Tricks 2. Run HX Edit to restore your system backup. Choose to restore everything except the Factory 1, Factory 2, and Templates setlists. This restores your pre-update Global Settings as well as all your custom setlists, IRs, and Favourites. It retains the new factory setlists installed in the previous step. 3. Turn you Helix device off and then on again. This forces all presets to be rebuilt. Do this before you begin playing or editing. Your Helix device is now loaded with all your previous settings and data, any new factory setlist updates, and with all presets rebuilt. You are ready to go with the new firmware. If you had any customized presets in setlists #1, #2, or #8 prior to the update these were replaced in Step 1 above. You still have copies of them in your system backup file and you can recover these if you wish. I suggest you export a copy of the firmware specific factory presets prior to repeating Step 2 above to install only setlists #1, #2, and/or #8. A final note about rebuilding presets: every time your Helix is powered on it looks for presets that need rebuilding and does so before it hands operations over to the user. It’s the final step of the firmware update procedure but only because Line 6 forces a system restart at that point. Why does Line 6 do this? I assume there are good technical reasons and that rebuilding presets is important. I neither know nor care why it’s deemed to be so important (presumably the rebuild makes any necessary changes to preset file structures) but, to me at least, the very fact that it’s a mandatory part of the startup process means it’s important! This means that every time you import a setlist/preset that was last saved using previous firmware you know that - for perhaps mysterious reasons- the presets need to be rebuilt and that this is going to be done on the next startup. Why wait? As part of my routine operations I like to force this rebuilding to be done immediately. In other words, as my normal workflow involves routinely importing setlists and presets, I don’t begin editing any of them before I cycle the power on my Helix. This forces any required preset rebuilding to happen immediately, minimizing the likelihood of potential problems - however rare and mysterious they may be. I hope this helps some folks when Helix firmware v 3.10 is released. Comments, corrections, and further suggestions are welcome.

There you go! Welcome to the 50+ club. May your power and fame be recognized by all!

That’s a known issue that is already fixed and included in the pending firmware v3.10 release.

You use HX Edit to import both the IRs and the purchased patches into your Helix device. Then, whether using HX Edit or directly on the device, you add an IR block to the preset/patch and using the block parameter values you select which of the available IRs you want to use for that block.

What you refer to as a user folder is called a Setlist. You have exactly 8 Setlists stored on your Helix device at any given time. Some of them may be empty (i.e. contain only New Presets). You can load up these preset slots with your own (or others') creations. You can use HX Edit to export and import Setlists. These are stored on your computer and you can have as many as you want. Still, you have exactly 8 on your Helix but you can mix and match them any way you wish at any time.

Why not do both?

It does sound like a computer sleeping issue. Check the sleep settings on your computer and make sure it does not shut down external audio devices when going to sleep.

According to the manual this output is “meant to send directly to the front of your guitar amp.” So it’s instrument level. However, check the manual for Global Settings -> Ins/Outs. I believe there’s a way to have the Amp Out mirror the Main Outs.

The recent release of HX Edit v3.01 promised an improvement to the Helix firmware update process. Helix firmware v3.10 should arrive fairly soon, according to Line 6. So I guess we’ll see what the improvement looks like.

Yes, a firmware update resets the globals to their default values. It doesn’t change anything else. You can use HX Edit to restore only the Global Settings from your backup that was created during the update procedure.

No. You mention an HD Stomp. I’m not sure whether you’re talking about a POD HD device or an HX Stomp.But the answer is the same in either case.

Aaahh.... not a technical or usability issue at all. It’s a cost concern. I can understand that. Perhaps you should submit an Ideascale request to have a stand-alone version of Helix Native, not HX Edit. In fact that is probably already an Ideascale suggestion. Search for it and vote it up. As I said that’s a much less costly thing for Line 6 to develop and there’s already a precedent. Pod Farm is both a stand-alone and plug-in product. Meantime, well.... you know your option. How badly do you want this now? Is the cost worth it to you?

You would need a computing device of some sort in your hands to operate the desired stand-alone version of HX Edit. Since you are not requesting an iOS or Android version of HX Edit you must accept that this device be a computer - MAC or Windows - and presumably a laptop for ‘your bedroom/bus stop/train station/office’. So given that you already have such a device all you need to do is load a VST hosting app (like a DAW) on this computer and run Helix Native. As stated before, I believe you already have your solution. What am I missing? Perhaps what you’re really asking for is a stand-alone version of Helix Native, one that is not embedded as a VST. That’s a much more realistic possibility than a stand-alone HX Edit.

Yes, you’re right. 9 blocks maximum in HX FX. Sorry for the misinformation. I was focused on the fact that using an external controller won’t add blocks and missed the error in the max number of blocks. Now that I re-read the original post I wonder if I may have misunderstood completely. To the OP: Are you talking about increasing the number of FX blocks or the number of effective footswitches that can be used to turn blocks on/off? If the latter, it may be possible but I don’t have the equipment to test it. On page 50 of the manual there is a brief section on Block Bypass via MIDI. Read it and experiment.

No, restoring your backup is not necessary but as stated above it is helpful to restore your global settings to your preferred state which, presumably, was immediately before the firmware update. You can choose to restore only the global settings if you wish. However, the factory presets are not updated in a firmware update so there is no ‘retrograde’ by restoring your backup. If you want to have the latest factory presets you need to perform a factory reset after upgrading the firmware, and then restore your backup - select to restore everything except the Factory 1, Factory 2, and Templates setlists.

No one has done that as far as I know. But there is a good reference that provides links to all the modeled 'real' devices as far as they exist. From these links y9ou can read the original manufacturer's documents. And if they didn't bother to do it..... Helix Help – The Unofficial Guide

Two minds are better than one. Especially when they agree. :-)

The HD add-ons are part of your account and ownership does not transfer when you sell it. Having said that, the add-ons are embedded in the HD500X firmware (not downloaded when purchased) and were 'unlocked' in the firmware when you purchased them and ran the Line 6 License Manager to activate them. They are now available in your HD500X firmware and will continue to be available to the new owner, including when using POD HD500X Edit. I believe the point at which they would become unavailable is when and if the new owner runs the Line 6 License Manager with the HD500X connected and logged into their account. This will detect that he/she has no license for them and locks them out again on the device firmware. I think some research will tell you if and how you could transfer add-on ownership to the new owner.

Audio complications are just one reason for not using Helix Native as a replacement editor. The more important reason is that Helix Native operates on the computer. Editing a preset using Helix Native does not affect anything on the Helix device. In order to get that preset on the Helix device you would have to use..... HX Edit! So everyone should use HX Edit in the first place. That’s it’s job.

I don’t know what you mean by ‘toggle switch lock’. You say it is useless (implying it exists) but I don’t understand what you mean. You can ‘lock’ the Variax knobs but you can’t lock the pickup selector switch, if that’s what you mean.

Yes, this setting is often the cause of some confusion when users are learning how to use snapshots effectively. I find it useful to change this setting depending on my activity. Mostly I have the setting at Discard because I want to be sure that a snapshot is always recalled in a known state, regardless of whether or not I might have turned a specific FX on or off using a footswitch while I was last in that snapshot. However, when I start an editing session knowing that I will be spending some time tweaking my snapshots in a given preset I will set it to Recall to save time and prevent lost edits. The downside is, of course, that I have to remember to set it back to Discard before playing normally again.

This is the type of detail that is usually addressed in the manual. Have you checked it?

You can’t have more than 6 FX blocks in an HX FX a preset. An external midi controller can’t add blocks.

I think it’s not quite so simple. The main L and R inputs are active simultaneously. In other words you can’t connect the two guitars to both of these inputs and then select just one input to be active in any given preset (at least that’s what the manual says). However, you could connect one guitar to the Main L/Mono input and the other to the Return L/Mono input and then select the Main input in one preset and the Return input in another preset. I believe that will achieve the desired result. Note that you won’t be able to use the Stomp’s stereoFX Loop in any preset where you’re using the guitar in the Return input. The manual is a little ambiguous about this; you may be able to use a mono FX Loop. Some experimentation with the actual HX Stomp device (which I don’t have) will let you know the possibilities.

With your monitors connected directly to your Helix, why would you want to use Helix Native? No computer or USB connection required. You will hear your guitar directly from the Helix outputs through your monitors.