silverhead

You're right that there are two modelers. The Variax is a guitar modeler and the AMLPLIFi is an amp/FX modeler. Using both together allows you to use different combinations of guitars and amplifiers. The question of what amp to use with Variax has no 'right' answer. There are historical combinations that you can use to create familiar sounds. For instance, an early Beatles sound can be obtained by pairing a Gretsch (R-Billy) or Rickenbacker (Chime) Variax model with a VOX (e.g. AC-30) amp. Or you can get a sound like John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a million other artists by pairing a Fender guitar (T-Model or Spank) with a Fender amp (Deluxe, Bassman, Blackface...). Or go Led Zeppelin and Guns 'n Roses with a Les Paul (Lester) guitar with a Marshall (JCM-800, Park 75,...) amp. Or a Jazz style with a semi-open guitar body (Semi or Jazzbox) with the Roland JC-120 amp. Or...... on and on. But again, there's no right answer. Just like in the real world you can connect any type of guitar to any type of amplifier. Experiment to find the sounds that you like.

It might help to understand snapshots by comparing them to presets. A preset is a specific set of amp and FX blocks arranged in a specific order (the signal flow). You can assign footswitches to turn FX on/off, and you can assign controllers like a pedal to adjust the FX parameter values. If you want to use a different set of amp and FX blocks for a completely different tone/sound you create a new preset. Switching presets involves a slight gap/interruption in the sound and a loss of FX trails like delay repeats and reverberations. A snapshot is a version of a preset. Each snapshot contains all, and only, the amps and FX blocks defined in the preset. Snapshots differ with respect to the on/off state of all these blocks and their parameter values. You create a new snapshot by specifying different states and values for all the FX in the preset. You use a footswitch to select/activate different snapshots, thereby in one stomp action you can change the on/off state of all blocks and up to 64 parameter value changes within those blocks. Switching snapshots involves no interruption in sound and no loss of trails. In a nutshell, for a different set of amps and FX blocks use a different preset. For a different combination of one set of amps and FX blocks, including parameter values, use snapshots. The photography analogy is a good one. Think of a preset as the subject of a photo, and a snapshot as viewing the same subject from different viewpoints or angles.

There is no Global EQ in the X3.

Try using Line 6 Edit instead of Gearbox.

I suspect that's because the delay in the preset switching on the POD HD or Helix device was greater than the delay in the JTV preset/model switching. Hence the Variax switching delay was hidden. Now that snapshots have reduced the need to suffer the lag on preset switching in Helix, and have also provided the capability to switch Variax models between snapshots, the lag in electronic (not manual) Variax model switching has been exposed for the first time. While it is undoubtedly measured in some relatively small number of milliseconds it is noticeable when switching electronically. It is not noticeable when switching manually because you do that with your hand and the new model is loaded and ready by the time you get your hand back to playing position. But you can switch snapshots with your foot while continuing to play sixteenth note arpeggios - and then you will notice it.

Yes, I guess I will have to stick to my current method of having one analog guitar strapped around my neck while I dance among seven other analog guitars mounted horizontally on stands so that I can play all of them during a single song without any lag or interruption in tempo as I switch among them all. :lol: ;) (I kid, of course. We're so spoiled with this digital technology that I sometimes find it amusing to think of what we'd have to do to achieve the same thing in the 'old' world. I, too, would love to see this capability without any lag but we're just not there yet. Who knows - maybe Variax Snapshots are on the drawing board?)

There are two different things going on here: 1. The design of snapshots is such that ALL blocks exist in ALL snapshots. That is a basic design element that won't / can't be changed. The concept that an FX block is not meant to be in a snapshot is not supported. 2. When an FX block is added to a preset the default behaviour should be that it is on. The assumption is correctly being made that you want to use the block. Else, why add it? As phil_m says, current behaviour is as designed and is not a bug. Ideascale is the place to argue for different design behaviour. But as PeterHamm says, it takes a few seconds to visit all snapshots and turn the FX on/off in each as desired. So I wouldn't expect to see the idea adopted anytime soon.

Yes, it will take longer to rebuild presets in general because every preset is now more complex. The addition of snapshots means that every old preset must be processed to add snapshots. This essentially involves making room for 8 copies of the preset with the associated space and structure for 64 different parameter settings in each snapshot. Don't know exactly how this is implemented but it makes sense to me that it would take some additional processing time on the first rebuild of each old preset.

You could test the VDI cable by using a regular Internet cable instead. This is not recommended for long term use but as a quick test it will determine if your VDI cable is bad.

1. Try using two delay blocks, each with the different desired time settings. Set them each on/off as desired in the different snapshots

There are some additional factory presets in v2.0 so it will take longer to rebuild everything on the initial startup.

There have been no changes to the modeling technology nor to existing amp models. There have been changes to the factory presets.

Please explain what you mean by 'upgrade path'. They are two different products and can be installed and used simultaneously on any computer. They are licensed separately and you generally need to purchase a PF2.5 license in order to use it. This may help: http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/recording/pod-farm-pod-studio-toneport/pod-farm-20-upgrade-paths-r261

My understanding is that every preset begins with 8 identical copies of Snapshot1. Any changes (e.g. adding a block, or a block bypass) made in Snapshot1 are immediately reflected in all other snapshots. Moving the focus to Snapshot2 'freezes' Snapshot1, but now Snapshots 2 through 8 are identical with any change in 2 again being reflected in 3 through 8. This pattern continues - with higher numbered Snapshots being copies of the previous changed snapshot number - until/unless all 8 snapshots have been individually changed. For example, if you use/modify only the first four Snapshots in a preset then Snapshots 5 through 8 will continuously reflect any changes made in Snapshot4. This behaviour will continue until/unless you select and modify one of Snapshots 5 through 8. So if you begin with a new preset and add blocks in Snapshot1, then move to Snapshot2 and bypass a block it should not be bypassed in Snapshot1, but it will be bypassed in 3 through 8. That was my observation through beta testing although I have not seen it documented.

The E indicator can be triggered by a perceived pedal movement. I have often noticed that my pedal value/setting can fluctuate at the heel position, moving in a very narrow range from 1% to 3% even when I am not touching the pedal. This phantom movement happens immediately as a preset is recalled/activated and is enough to trigger the indicator that the preset has been changed.

Are you sure you downloaded and installed the firmware for the Floor model, not the Rack model? If you can't install the Floor model firmware using Line 6 Updater (v1.09) when in Safe/Update mode you should open a support ticket to work directly with Line 6 tech support.

Each device has its own set of presets. They can't be transferred from one to the other. What you CAN do is specify a Variax model (preset) that is part of your xt Live preset. When you recall that preset the xt Live communicates with the Variax and selects/activates the specified Variax model. However, the xt live was manufactured long before the JTV product was released. I know the xt live will communicate with older Variax products (Varaix 300/500/600/700) but I don't know if it will communicate with a JTV.

I think the sitar is the only model that might be affected virtual capo. That's because of its warbly sort of detuned natural sound. As cruisinon2 said the amount of pitch changing with the capo is more significant than the model being used.

Alternate tuning is not based on standard tuning. It works relative to the actual tuning of the string. Suppose you want a Drop D tuning. The alt tuning feature drops the pitch of the 6th string by two semi-tones. If the 6th string was tuned exactly to E then it will sound a D-note. But if the string is out of tune - not exactly E - then you will hear a correspondingly out of tune D note.

Try using headphones in the X3. Does it sound better?

I assume you have one L2m speaker so stereo is not a concern. Hence no need for a TRS cable or more than one XLR or regular 1/4" cable. I would use a standard TS 1/4" cable from the L/MONO HD500X output. The XLR output does not sum to mono so if you use a stereo FX in the Hd500 signal chain you will only get half the signal at the XLR output. The 1/4" L/MONO output will sum the full signal to mono so you will get the full sound but not in stereo. You could also use the L6 LINK connection. For that purpose a standard XLR cable will probably do over short distances but an AES/EBU cable is recommended.

There are several ways to do this with a Variax (JTV or Standard) and Helix. You can do it with a footswitch (new patch or same patch), with a pedal sweep (blending the two tones within the same patch), or with the Model Select knob on the Variax (and perhaps a footswitch simultaneously).

Not really. The display on the looper page shows you what state the looper WILL be in after you hit the footswitch. In other words, when the display says POST the looper is currently in PRE position. You changed it from Pre to Post and it now displays PRE.

Try placing the looper in Post rather than Pre position. You should be able to see its position in the signal chain. Move it to the end.

My understanding is that the OP wants to switch between his Variax and a regular guitar for different songs during the gig, without having to manage any physical connections at the same time. He can do that by connecting his Variax via VDI and his regular guitar via the Guitar input. The Multi input selection includes both the Variax and Guitar inputs. This could result in some hum and/or feedback from one guitar in the signal while using the other guitar. You eliminate that possibility by using the Variax or Guitar inputs individually per preset (hence muting the other inputs) rather than using the Multi input.