silverhead

There is no real difference between balanced and unbalanced cables over short distances such as your studio. Over longer distances, like a cable snake from the stage to the soundboard during a gig balanced cables are better. As for stereo, yes - if you use only one of the XLR outputs to your DAW you will only get half the signal. To get the full signal you would have to use both XLR outputs. In that case you would record in stereo or use a stereo-mono adapter (which is essentially what the unbalanced L output does when used alone).

There is always a 'preset' because without a preset there is no signal path at all. There are the factory presets provided, each of which is based on one of the built-in DSP Preset Types described in Appendix C. You can delete all factory presets from the library if you wish (although they do no harm in being there) but you are left with the default DSP Type Presets that cannot be changed or removed. These define the combinations of FX that are available. There is no capability to, for instance, to assign only a limiter FX in a channel except by choosing a DSP Preset Type that includes the limiter and turning the other FX within that preset off. An 'empty' preset has all available FX turned off. There is no such thing as a truly 'empty' preset. Without these DSP Preset Types there is not only no signal processing - there is no signal path. The raw incoming signal cannot be routed to the outputs except through one of these built-in paths. In terms of 'clearing' the mixer you can delete all Setups and all factory presets. Choosing New Setup will always give you an empty stage form which you can begin to add your channels. When you add a channel a default preset, using one of the DSP Preset Types is assigned. You can then replace it with a preset from your library or start editing it.

The FX path is fixed with the exception of the assignable blocks With these blocks you can change the type of FX that occupies that block. You can reorder all the FX to some degree. However, these and only these FX blocks exist in every preset. You can choose not to use them (individually turn them off), change their parameters, and in some cases change their assignments. But you can't add/remove blocks from the chain.

The signal to the tuner is not affected by exterior noise. Over VDI I don't think it is even converted to analog - I expect it remains digital. Check the inputs and make sure the tuner is 'listening' only to the JTV.

The Alt Tuning knob on the Variax Standard has a setting named Model that is used when you want to use an alternate tuning that is stored within the Variax Model as opposed to an alt tuning that is stored in one of the Alt Tuning slots on the guitar. It also has a setting named Standard which is used when you want to use the tuning to which the Variax strings themselves are tuned (including any capo), whether or not this is actually standard tuning. The remaining Alt Tuning slots store the relative offsets, per string, based on the physical tuning of the guitar. Can you describe any change in behaviour as you rotate the Alt Tuning knob from Model, to Standard, to one of the Alt Tuning positions? As mentioned it would be best to get Workbench HD running properly. Perhaps the Win10 version will work on Win8? Without being able to inspect any mag blend that may be occurring within the model itself it's difficult to diagnose what may be happening here.

I can't say whether it will sound better to you but the L3 has two large speaker cones and the L2 has one. The two speakers allow for better frequency separation and a fuller sound. Is that better? Probably but only you can decide based on what your ears tell you. Personally, I went with two L3t. I don't have an L2 speaker.

The new manual includes the Snapshots feature and lists the new models.

Yes, if you connect your Helix to an L3t via L6 Link, and then add an L2t/m speaker also via L6 Link the speakers will configure themselves as a stereo pair. If you set the volume levels of both the L3t and L2t/m speakers to the 'notch' point they will be at equal volume levels. You would manage the overall volume with the Helix Master volume level.

No. You have to do it using the Presets button and joystick, or the editor.

The Editor file you download is actually an installer file. When you run it you should install all three components: the Helix editor/app program, the Line 6 Updater program, and the driver. After installing the Line 6 Updater program you run it to install the Helix firmware, with your Helix connected via USB. That will take you to Step 5 of the installation instructions. Make sure you complete the firware installation per the instructions.

Auto trim is off by default. You have to manually turn it on, so it's probably not that. Do you know if he used any of the onboard M20d presets (like Kick, Snare, etc.)? If so there are likely some FX (perhaps including a limiter) that are being used in the preset. You would have to go into 'Deep Tweak' mode to investigate and adjust. You can download and read the Stagescape M20d Advanced Guide from the Manuals section of this website (under the Support tab above). Appendix C of this guide lists all the basic preset types and the FX used in each. It also indicates which drum presets use which preset type. For instance, the Snare and Kick presets each use both a compressor and a limiter. The section in the guide that talks about Deep Tweaking discusses how to adjust these FX.

I would take/send it to an authorized service center. You may be really comfortable and confident working with electronics and soldering but without the actual schematics of how the microchip is to be connected (proprietary information you're not likely to get) you could make things worse and potentially destroy other components. It's certainly not something I would tackle but then again I'm not comfortable with soldering electronics to begin with.

It's not a problem (bug) - it's normal and part of the design. Sometimes a firmware update, like the updates to v2.0 and 2.01, involve a significant change in the preset structure. That means old presets need to have their structure updated to the new format. This procedure is called rebuilding the preset. So at some point all older presets need to be rebuilt. This can take some time, and the design question for Line 6 is "When should we do this?" The decision was to do the rebuilding of each preset at the earlier of two points in time: either when the old preset Is first SAVEd as a changed/new preset, or at the next system startup. This means that the user is not delayed in their activities when an older saved setlist is imported. You can continue to play and edit without the rebuilding procedure at at that time. However at the next startup it occurs. ... And as mentioned above you can force this at any time if desired.

You can also assign a footswitch to control the bypass state of the reverb block. This will allow you to change its state at any time regardless of what snapshot you are in. So to use your example, after entering snapshot 3 for the second time you would need another tap on a footswitch to turn reverb on/off as desired.

The actual link is reached from the Downloads page by selecting 'Helix' in the drop down menu for the middle field of the form - where it says '- All Software -' Do not click the Beta button. After reading the v2.01 installation instructions you will see a Get Download button at the bottom of the frame. Click on this to download an installer file. When the download is complete, run the installer file. It will install three components on your computer: the Helix editor/app, the Line 6 Updater program, and the driver. After the installation is complete connect your Helix via USB to your computer and continue following the instructions from step 5 on (run the Line 6 Updater program and proceed). Since your Helix is new to you you don't need to perform Step 2 of the installation instructions.

Didn't do that on Win10. IIRC it did, however, finish with a pop-up panel asking if I wanted to make the newly installed Helix app the default program to open Helix files. Perhaps this panel also had a check-box asking if you want to run Line 6 Updater now. If so I missed it.

I didn't know that. I've had to run it manually.

Maybe they will do it with growth rather than reallocation of resources. Hopefully the success of Helix might generate the revenues they need to hire a few more developers with installation utility expertise. If not, I hope they wait until there are no other significant updates or new product development that they choose to interrupt or defer (like there's ever a good time for that!)

I took mine to a professional - not a Line 6 service center but an experienced guitar tech. He transplanted the guts of a Variax 300 into a Warmoth Variax body/neck. Worked out very well.

The global EQ is entirely optional. I would say experiment with it. If you like it, keep it on. If not, turn it off. At worst you will gain some insight into how it works. As for tones, I suggest you browse through the TEMPLATES setlist and start reverse-engineering those examples of preset types.

1) No comment from me on this since I have Helix Rack/Control with no onboard pedal. I use 2 external pedals but the implementation may be different with the Rack/Control than the floor version. Best to let others chime in on this. 2) You do this on Helix essentially the same way you do it on the X3L. Assign the same pedal to two FX blocks and reverse the min/max values as described. 3) The concept of Dual Tone does not exist in Helix. However you can create presets with up to 4 independent stereo channels. You can use the snapshot feature to arrange for any one or more of these channels to be active at any given time, and use a single foot switch to toggle among the snapshots.

I have no issues with the quality of the mic preamps and onboard FX. The M20d works very well for my needs. I sometimes find the factory presets need some 'deep tweaking' but I find all the necessary tools are there to do more than I need or can knowledgeably handle. Of course this is all very subjective. If you are getting better results with other equipment then by all means go with the other stuff.

Start here: Then run Line 6 Monkey with your Pod HD ProX connected to your Mac. The Monkey will guide you through the download and installtion of HD Pro Edit.

I guess I don't understand what you mean by the raw amp sound. Until the signal is put through a speaker of some sort there is no sound, so I assume you mean the audio signal (not sound) before it hits the guitar amp's power amp and cab/speaker. As stated a couple of times already you get that now by using just an amp model (no cab/mic) and routing it through whatever speaker system you want - a physical guitar amp/cab, or a PA system, or whatever. But if you consider the 'raw amp sound' to include the sound of the guitar amp's power amp section and cab/speaker then there's only one way to capture that raw sound to model or record it - you mic the amp. That's what Line 6 does with their cab/mic modeling, and that's what recording engineers do in the studio. The guitar player is in his room with the amp, and the 'amp in the room' sound from his cab/speaker is what you want to capture. How does that signal get to the recording desk? It's mic'd. No mic, no sound except as perceived by any animal (including us) who happens to be standing within earshot of the physical amp.

But what will you use to monitor the sound? Headphones? PA Speakers? They, in turn, will colour the sound in their own way, just like a guitar cab/speaker do. And they won't sound exactly like a guitar cab/speaker. At the end of the signal processing chain there HAS to be a cab/speaker of some sort to produce the analog audio signal that the human ear hears. There IS NO SOUND without it. If it's not a physical guitar power amp and cab/speaker then it's something else that does not sound exactly like the physical guitar cab/speaker. The way to get the 'amp in the room' sound is to...... well ....have an amp in the room. If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?