silverhead

Thinking about it I'm not sure there's a problem. If you want to use a Global 'Don't Force' setting for the Variax Model then what you are telling Helix to do is not change the currently selected Variax model. Hence the display is actually providing more useful information, showing you the currently selected model rather than the unspecific Don't Force setting. Yes? No?

Curious. I think this may a bug in the device firmware. The Don't Force option is available in HX Edit v2.60 and when I select it I can see the position bar for Global Variax Model shift just a bit on the device. So I think communication is happening and the device may in fact be set to Don't Force although the display doesn't show it. Perhaps others can confirm this behaviour?

In your reviews please remember that this is a user support forum. While hosted by Line 6 the company itself has very little presence here and is very tolerant with their moderating practices. Anyone is free to come here and express themselves in whatever manner they see fit. Only in very unusual circumstances does Line 6 intervene in user discussions or discipline specific users.The tone and content of user's posts here are not a reflection on Line 6 customer support.

You/he would hear the sound of being in a control room, not the sound of the live cranked tube amp. But understand that in any situation where the venue is large enough to have to mic the amp, nobody other than the guitar player him/herself actually hears the sound of the live cranked tube amp. Everybody else - the audience and even the other band members listening through their stage monitors - is hearing the sound of the mic'd amp through the PA system and FRFR speakers, which is what Helix delivers.

Yes - each firmware update is comprehensive, containing all features and components of earlier firmware releases. V2.6 contains the Legacy FX that came with v2.5 as well as the complete package of previously released amp and FX models.

Yes. Before updating the firmware make sure to use your current and compatible version of HX Edit to back up any setlists/presets you want to keep using in v2.6. Then download and install HX Edit v2.6, which will also install the associated driver and Line 6 Updater program. Then run the Updater program to update the Helix LT firmware.

There will be a difference because Helix models the sound of an amp as captured by a microphone which you are then listening to through FRFR as if in a mixing control room or through a PA system. Listening to the JCM800 'in your face' involves no mic and no PA/FRFR. Remember that Helix is designed to deliver the sound of a recording or what the audience hears - not what the guitar player hears from the 'amp in the room' or on stage. Also you can get dramatically different sounds through the FRFR monitors by changing the mic/cab selections (or IRs) in the Helix preset. There is no 'one sound' from Helix using the JCM800 amp model so no real basis for apples-to-apples comparison. A true comparison would be to mic your JCM800 and record a clip. Then set up a Helix preset using the closest cab model that mimics your physical JCM800 cab and select the same mic model and placement as you used in your recording. Record a similar clip using this Helix preset and compare the two recordings.

When I install Helix Native on PC I am presented with installation options. There are check boxes you use to indicate which one(s) of 3 options: VST2, VST3, or AAX that you want to install. Don't know how the Mac works.

I'm not familiar with Macs but in the PC world errors like this can sometimes be resolved by uninstalling and reinstalling Helix Native. Perhaps others can be more helpful here.

I assume your post means you are having an issue. Please describe it.

Helix is an audio interface and soundcard as well as a multiFX device.

Yes. You can assign the Up/Down switches to move you sequentially through Banks, Presets, or Snapshots. From the manual: SHORTCUT: At any time, press and hold both FS1 and FS7 to cycle through BANK /, PRESET /, and SNAPSHOT /.

Yes, copying a preset is a 2-step SAVE operation. Hitting the SAVE button once initiates the sequence. At that point you can opt to perform a Save As.... operation by using the encoder knobs to rename the preset and specify a Copy destination setlist/bank/slot. Hitting the SAVE button again completes the operation.

If you want to log this as a problem/bug you need to open a support ticket. As things currently stand this behaviour is considered normal - not a bug. When you connect Helix (or most other Line 6 audio interfaces) via USB to a computer it resets the computer's audio configuration to use Helix as the audio interface. If you want to use a different audio interface you need to reconfigure the computer's audio settings manually after connecting Helix and connect the Helix analog outputs to the desired interface's inputs. That way you can continue to use HX Edit via usb to Helix, and also use the other audio interface in another usb port. That's the way things are designed. As mentioned if you want to persuade Line 6 otherwise the support ticket is the way to go.

You can copy and paste entire presets or individual blocks within a preset. You can't copy/paste an entire signal Path from one preset to another in one operation. What you can do is set up a vocal preset as a template, using one of the signal paths and leave the other path empty. Then you can copy this preset as a starting point to add in a different guitar processing path each time.

When you connect Helix via USB I believe it overrides the default association of your audio device. Try resetting it back to your Scarlett.

After connecting Helix using USB try reconfiguring your PC audio settings to use the Scarlett as your audio device.

Helix does not support the concept of a global vocal setting. As you suspected you need to use a vocal channel (path) in every preset. You can have some flexibility using snapshots to have different guitar tones within a preset but quite limited.

Yes, this can easily be done in Helix. You can design a preset with two independent processing paths and assign a VOL block in each path to the same EXP pedal with inverse Min/Max settings. You then switch signal paths by rocking the EXP pedal from heel to toe and back.

You will find it all in the Downloads section of this website (see tab at top of this page). Use the search filter - the data fields at the top of the page - to identify the product (Pod HD500X) and the software (select flash memory for the firmware; you also want the driver and the HD500X Edit program as well as Line 6 Monkey to guide the installation).

Not sure exactly what you mean. You could be talking about downloading and using presets from Customtone, or you could be talking about updating the Helix firmware, which you should do first thing with your new Helix device. To update the firmware the simplest thing to do is download and run the HX Edit installer package (see Downloads section of this website. Select HX Edit in the Software (middle) field of the download filter). Running the installer includes installation of the latest HX Edit program as well as the compatible driver and Line 6 Updater program. Then run the Updater program to install the Helix firmware update. To use Customtone presets see the Customtone link at the top of this page. Select Helix as the product and browse/search the available tones (presets). Download the presets to your computer and then import them into HX Edit to listen to them.

That's not quite accurate. If your Helix device is new to you or if there is an updated driver you also need to download and install the Line 6 driver. And if you want to use the computer based HX Edit program you also need to download and install that. The simplest thing to do is download and run the HX Edit installer package. This includes installation of the latest HX Edit program as well as the compatible driver and Line 6 Updater program. Then run the Updater program to install the Helix firmware update.

Helix FX are also based on newer modelling technology than AMPLIFi. Again, quality is subjective but most would rate the Helix FX as higher quality. A recent Helix update added all the POD xt/X3/AMPLIFi legacy FX but the other Helix FX are superior at least in terms of the modelling technology (more depth/sampling).

The AMPLIFi amps/FX are not the same as those in Helix. They are primarily the POD xt/X3 series models with some POD HD amp models. Sound quality is a subjective thing but I think most would say that the AMPLIFi sounds are good but not as good as Helix. The Helix amp models are more responsive in terms of touch and feel. For instance Helix models respond more dynamically like a real amp when you roll the volume knob on the guitar, or dig in while playing.

I've been using Helix Native with Reaper since Native was released. Works perfectly.