silverhead

Not clear what you mean by this. Where/how does the Fender come into this? The Fender and Helix are different devices that do similar things; you typically wouldn't use both at the same time. You can connect your ilouds to the Helix outputs, either 1/4' or XLR. Connect Helix to your computer via usb and make sure your computer uses Helix as its audio device for recording and playback. Connect your guitar to Helix Guitar Input and you will hear both your guitar and the backing tracks through the ilouds. Explain what you mean by wanting the Fender to come out the ilouds. Your Fender has its own speaker/cab.

I haven't used my Firehawk in some time and don't have it with me to investigate. But I do remember having this problem long ago and solving it with a setting somewhere that I don't recall in detail. Sorry. It may be a setting in your iOS device rather than the Firehawk app.

Try different USB ports on your computer. Use a USB 2.0 port if one is available, and avoid using a USB hub including an internal one if possible.

I believe there's a setting to control this in the Settings or Music area of the app.

Answering the 2nd question 1st, no the associated IRs do not get imported with a preset. They need to be imported separately, and into the correct IR slot as assigned within the preset. I'm not sure I fully understand the 1st question, but here's an answer to what I think you're asking. In Global Settings set your Preset Mode Switches to 8 Presets and set your Snapshots Mode Switches to Manual Return. Then, when the display shows the 8 presets you can switch to viewing and selecting the 8 Snapshots by briefly pressing (not holding) both the Up and Down footswitches simultaneously. The 8 Snapshots will be displayed and available for selection until you manually return to Preset Mode by pressing the Cancel (FS6) footswitch.

Well, that's one solution. But the better solution I think is to use the Helix alt tuning capabilities and get in the habit of avoiding the Don't Force setting in all presets. Yes, you will need to systematically or ad hoc change the existing presets that currently have this setting but henceforth it will be much simpler to use Helix for alt tunings rather than have to fire up Workbench.

I find I get best results with acoustic models if I do not use an amp/cab/mic in the preset. I just use some light compression, a studio preamp, , EQ to taste, and a little reverb with optionally some chorus and delay.

For acoustic models the Tone knob on the Variax simulates a mic-position parameter. It does not control Bass/Treble like an electric guitar's Tone knob. When you turn the Tone knob with a Variax Acoustic model selected you should hear a varying amount of body/depth/boominess in the tone.

Check your setting for Variax Tuning in the preset. Set it to Custom rather than Don't Force. If you set it to Don't Force then the Variax does exactly that - it doesn't force a new tuning but retains its current alt-tuned setting. To restore standard tuning set the parameter to Custom and set all string offsets to zero.

I would not recommend using the mic input on your laptop. I think you should use/purchase a small audio interface device. Many manufacturers produce these. Line 6's offerings are in the Mobile and Computer sections under the Products tab at the top of this page.

Yes - that's what I meant. Thanks for pointing this out.

You can go to the Downloads section of this website. Filter for Helix (Product) and Flash Memory (Software). This will display a list of all firmware updates including the date of each. A new version of HX Edit, with full support for the Helix LT product, has been announced and expected by June 21. Beyond that there are no firm release dates for Helix firmware.

I would keep using the 8" speakers. I've never tried 6" but several years ago I blew a 5" speaker using a POD X3 Live at loud room volume.

If it's just the unplugging that's bothering you, and not the single track at a time limitation, you could continue to use Helix. I would connect your guitar to the Guitar In, your Roland FA-06 to Return1/2 (for stereo), your bass to Return 3, and your vox to Mic In. Then create separate presets for each of those inputs to have the full DSP processing power of Helix for each Input/device. Your workflow can continue as it currently is but instead of plugging and unplugging between recording different tracks you would just switch presets. In any preset you can incorporate your external devices using then Send/Return 4 pair as an FX Loop. Connect your externals in series in the FX Loop.

It's not officially supported (Helix supports later model Variaxes including JTV, Standard, and Shuriken). However in my experience with a Variax 300 it partly works. You can store the Variax model in a Helix preset and it is saved/recalled correctly. However any changes you make manually on the guitar (model, volume, tone) are not correctly communicated to Helix. But no guarantees with your V500.

Clearly something missing in my background.... can you please define 'sound on sound' in this context?

Just a thought - make sure your Input Gain knob on Channel 2 is set to zero (unless you're using a mic there). It's a long shot - this shouldn't cause crackling and popping but it sure can cause noise.

You can control that behaviour in a Global Setting. You can set the Snapshot Mode parameter to Auto Return or Manual.

Just to clarify what is implied in your question, because I'm not sitting at my Helix right now...... You're saying that if you have edited but not SAVEd a preset, and you copy/paste it in its edited form, what you get in the destination slot is the original unedited preset?

I agree but I think this is also true, for instance, for an acoustic guitarist beginning to use an electric guitar and associated analog amp and a host of analog FX pedals. Making appropriate substitutions in the above quote for the words 'modeler' and 'Helix', I don't think it's anyone's job (nor is it possible) to write a 'make it always and only sound great' manual for the novice analog equipment user. Similarly I don't think it's Line 6's job to take on th futile task of trying to write the impossible manual the OP desires.

Since you don't need to make any backups the easiest method is to download and install HX Edit. The installer file will prompt you to install several components: the HX Edit program, the drivers, and the Line 6 Updater program. Choose to install all of these components. Once installed, connect your Helix via usb and run the Line 6 Updater program. This will automatically download and install the firmware - you don't need to download it separately. To donwload HX Edit select it from the dropdown menu in the middle (software) field of the Downloads page. After it's downloaded (it's an installer .exe file) run it.

Are you talking about Snapshots (see manual)? You may just need to adjust your Global Settings so that the display shows snapshots already assigned to switches. Since you are new to Helix the manual is a good place to start, if you haven't already read it.

Thanks guys. I think I'll install the new Cakewalk and test it. Nothing to lose, and if the files are compatible it's certainly an upgrade from Music Creator 6.

No you're not missing anything. As you rightly point out there is just one L6 Link In and Out on each Stagesource speaker. With two L6 Link compatible devices (Helix and M20d) only one of them can be connected to the speakers via L6 Link. There are several ways to set things up with two Stagesource speakers. Presumably you want them to operate as a stereo pair rather than two mono speakers. Here are the options with their pros and cons as I see things: My preferred option is Helix to M20d via analog inputs, M20d via L6 Link to speaker #1 then L6 Link from speaker #1 to #2. All other instruments/mics are connected to M20d inputs. This allows the two speakers to be a full stereo pair for all M20d inputs. However, any analog inputs connected directly to speaker #2 will only be heard through speaker #2 because there is no available L6 Link input connection back to speaker #1. Frankly I'm not sure if analog inputs to speaker #1 will be heard in speaker #2; the L6 Link connection is in place so the signal may be passed to #2 but I have never tested this. Bottom line: if you're using the M20d use it for all inputs including Helix. You could try Helix to #1 via L6 Link and then M20d to #1 (not #2) via analog but as mentioned above I haven't tested this in terms of stereo operation. Not sure what this gains you in any case except if your M20d inputs are otherwise maxed out. You could also try Helix to #1 via L6 Link and M20d to a Helix Return input pair. However this would take up one path in your Helix preset, reducing your Helix preset DSP to 50%. Yet another option is to connect both speakers in a 2-way L6 Link fashion, with the In of each connected to the Out of the other. Then connect Helix, M20d, (and any other instruments/mics if you have the Stagesource speakers with side panel mixer) to the analog speaker inputs. This would provide the maximum number of inputs (M20d, Helix with Return pair, and all speaker inputs) and everything would operate in stereo. I have never tried this. So there are a lot of different setup options, but unless your input requirements exceed the M20d input capacity I don't see any reason to use anything but the preferred option described first. IMHO there is no real advantage to keeping the Helix signal digital rather than sending it analog through the M20d.

Yes I do have one L3s and have used it occasionally. I leave it at home when going to small venues but I have used it in larger halls and outdoors where it was very helpful.