silverhead

Select Helix in the Software field not the Product field.

That's weird. I would open a support ticket.

The installation instructions do not call for downloading the firmware directly. You start by downloading the editor app installer file, which includes the latest driver and the latest version of the Line 6 Updater program, and then you run Line 6 Updater. It's the Updater program that downloads and installs the updated firmware. Try starting with the Helix app (in the Downloads section of this website select Helix in the Software, not Product, field) and follow the instructions carefully. When you need your Helix device try starting it up as indicated above. If this does not work you should open a support ticket.

I second the above. Get a computer to use with your Helix. Otherwise all the effort you put into building your own presets is vulnerable and can be lost at a moment's notice. Everyone should back up their presets regularly and the Helix app/editor is the only way to do that. How about this approach: In the above list, include Step 3. When you download the Helix editor app you are just downloading the installer file. When you run the installer you get to choose the components to install. I would install the driver as well as the Line 6 Updater program since you may need the driver for the Updater to work properly. You don't need to install the editor so uncheck that box. ... then get yourself a computer for backups and future firmware updates and repeat Step 3, this time installing all components.

One explanation for that is the Guitar-In-Z parameter that exists on the 1/4" guitar input but not on the VDI input.

It would probably just be a preset corruption - software, not hardware. Perhaps at some point in time you had incompatible firmware/editor versions installed and operating together. I think there was a period of time when they weren't necessarily in lock-step as they are now, and no checks were in place to detect and prevent potentially incompatible versions. There have been other reports of corrupt presets in earlier times. Either that or just a glitch at the time of saving the affected presets. But I'm just guessing. In any case, if rebuilding from scratch works the problem should be resolved for the next update.

I'm not sure it's the IRs. In my experience, presets with IRs that are imported after a firmware update work just fine. The preset shows the IRs in the signal path and indicates which IR slot is identified in the preset. The fact that the specified IR slot is empty (if you haven't reloaded the IRs) certainly affects the sound of the preset but it does not make the preset corrupt nor prevent it from importing properly. Also, the pics show that the entire Path 2 has not been imported. It's not just the IRs.

How are you rebuilding the failed patches? Are you adding the missing pieces to the pieces that seem to have been imported successfully or are you rebuilding the entire patch from scratch in a new preset? If you are doing the former, try the latter.

I suggest you factor the size/weight difference and perhaps your age into your decision too, especially if you are the one going to be hauling it. The L3t will provide superior sound because of its extra speaker. No question about that. Is that worth the extra $$ and physiotherapy? Only you can answer that. From what I've heard (I don't own one) the L2t gives a very good sound too. Here's a suggestion. Start with the L2. If you find it lacking and you have a strong back sell it (or use it as your stage monitor) and get the L3.

Well, I should say that this is just my opinion not based on any official Line 6 market information. I'm just thinking that very few guitar players in the world actually own a Variax. I expect that ratio is higher among Helix owners but still a definite minority.

It's coming but the timing is unpredictable. In terms of priorities we have to remember that the number of Variax owners is a relatively small percentage of the number of Helix owners. The early firmware updates target all users, not just a few. It was the same with the POD HD series - Workbench integration was a later development. Also we need to acknowledge that all Variax JTV/Standard owners can use Workbench HD now with the interface device that came with the Variax. So there is actually no new functionality for Variax owners with Helix Workbench integration. It's more convenient, and I too am waiting for it, but I think it's better for Line 6 to focus its efforts now on providing new functionality to all users, not increased convenience for some. But be assured .... it is coming.

Only you can decide whether the upgrade is worth it because that's very subjective. However, I'll give you my views based on your described use. Several users here have expressed their complete satisfaction with the Pod HD and see no need to change. I don't disagree with that at all. If you love what you have why change? For me however Helix was a big improvement. I find it much easier to dial in a great sounding tone. I am not a master tone creator and I can get much better tones from Helix quickly, without the need to spend a lot of time tweaking. It just sounds way better to me right out of the box. The Helix modeling sounds much better to my ears. But I think the main benefit in your case is the Helix features and capabilities in the studio. It has much more power, flexibility, and IO options for signal processing and routing. A really powerful addition to Helix is its reampong capabilities when used as the audio interface for recording. You can simultaneously record the wet and dry signal directly and then reamp and record a different copy from the dry signal without needing another audio interface. It's all very simple, easy, and direct.

This forum automatically replaces any profanity with the word lollipop.

Aaah - OK. I thought the new amps and models had been overlooked since they are not in the editor release notes. Including them in the firmware notes makes sense but users won't see the firmware notes in the Downloads section if they follow the instructions. Glad the new stuff is noted in Line 6 Updater.

I noticed that the Release notes for Windows in the Downloads section do not mention the new amps and models that are included in this update. To see those scroll down in the Line 6 Updater window while the install is happening.

I've tried it and loved it immediately. A great crunchy/gritty sound but also cleans up very nicely.

No. You need an interface device so that your Variax can connect to and communicate with your computer via usb. The Variax has no usb connection. The options are another Line 6 device that supports computer connectivity and has a VDI interface (e.g. a compatible Pod product) or another Line 6 product called the Variax Workbench Interface. You can find that in the online store here and they occasionally come up in the resale market (e.g. eBay).

Actually there are a lot of people not on Facebook, like me and already another poster here, who have no desire to be. Of course if you live your social life through Facebook you can be left with the impression that everybody is there because those are the only people you know. Also, I suspect that what you will find (I certainly did) is that as soon as someone is identified as a special user in any way (e.g. an admin) they are no longer perceived by the general user as neutral no matter how hard they try to be.

Good luck with that. As an admin you would have to be very far from neutral in order to achieve that in a public group. You would have to decide what constitutes a negative experience and eliminate it/them. Only strict censorship can do that. That's why what you sometimes see in this forum is what you consider negative experiences. There's virtually no censorship here other than spam filters.

Good question. The goals as outlined in the opening post seem to be pretty much what already goes on here, except perhaps for the 'free' part. How is that going to be ensured? The reason there are fee-based offers here is that there's virtually no censorship except for spam filters. If someone offers a product/service and another is willing to pay what's the harm? Nobody is being forced. (I know there's a whole other thread on this and I don't wish to start this discussion again here.) Will there be someone monitoring and approving every post in the new Facebook group to make sure that nobody breaks the rules? If not, how will fee-based offers there be prevented? And if they're not prevented, what distinguishes the new group from this forum?

I suggest you wait a day or two. There's a new firmware/editor release expected very soon and you'll kind of be wasting time to install the current version now - you'll want to do it again when the new set comes. Also, it's important that you install the correct version of the editor, then versoin that is compatible with your installed firmware. By installing the new release you will sure you get compatible versions. The new release will include detailed installation instructions so the question you've asked here will be answered.

Seriously - we usually don't know until a few hours in advance, and that's just an alert so that if we are available we can kind of keep an eye on the forums at release time and handle some of the obvious things like 'Follow the feckin' instructions!!". All I know is what you already know - it will be 'soon'.

Ummm..... what about it? Do you have a question?

Using the proper driver is important. Let us know if you are still having difficulties after installing it, or if you need help finding and installing it.

Make sure your X3 preset is configured to use Guitar as one input (e.g. Tone 1) and MIC as the other input (E.g. Tone 2). In your DAW, arm two stereo tracks for recording. For one track select USB 3/4 (the stereo output of Tone 1) as the Record Input. For the second track select USB5/6 (stereo Tone 2) as the Record Input. Refer to the manual Section 8-2 for the details of how the USB outputs relate to the Tones.