enteleform

Don't really get the "I don't use factory presets", "I do things _X_ way" arguments... Some people do find factory presets to be helpful for one reason or another. Different people have different reasons for owning a Helix, as well as different interests and use cases for working with it. As mentioned, I'm interested in noticing when factory presets are added/changed/removed, without having to expend any manual effort on doing so. For example, the "DLX CHRIS BUCK" preset was replaced with "Buck Mild", where some models/parameters/routings were changed. Because I'm aware of this, I can now A/B the two presets and explore how/why Chris Buck, an artist that I follow, chose to update his preset and potentially learn something in the process. My workflow involves many setlists/presets including factory, 3rd party, and custom. These are backed up, organized, and version controlled; so there is no worry of finite space. They are used in different contexts. Jams, production, exploration, inspiration, replication, etc. Sometimes I might want to dig into tweaking models/parameters/etc., sometimes I might want to have a filtered down selection of presets that I've already vetted to select from, and sometimes I might want to find something new/different/specific. I share the same sentiment @ “Let’s put real Names to the Presets/Models”. Some people will find that helpful for their workflow. The primary reason they're not labeled as such in the first place is legal reasons, not practical reasons. What benefit is there to people having to learn a brand new set of names for something they are already familiar with? It's a hinderance to workflow, as it prevents them from using domain knowledge that they've accumulated over years and instead have to either create a mental/physical mapping of real names to legally-allowed names, or spend time building familiarity with the models from scratch.

A few things. To notice when presets are added / deleted between updates, so that I can make sure to check out the new ones and migrate ones that I want to keep. For example, my favorite factory preset "Buck Texas" was removed in 3.5, but I had to skim through all the presets to figure that out. Now I can just run a script and be informed of the change without having to expend any time/effort. Beyond that, I'll be expanding the script to poll all of the version backups for specific presets to build a setlist from the latest versions of those presets. This is useful in cases like we just experienced, where 3.5 updated many presets to use the new cab engine. This way, I can have a filtered down setlist of my favorite factory presets (also 3rd party presets) automatically generated and kept up to date.

Ah dope, thanks! His preset new/deleted list is similar to what I'm working on, also found a setlist backup of 2.8.

I just wrote a script to find the most recent version of each preset by name, which also shows presets that did not carry over from previous versions. Currently only have Floor:[2.9, 3.0, 3.5] and Stomp:[3.5]. PS: if anyone from Line 6 sees this, please consider creating an all-device, all-version, all-setlists post; similar to https://line6.com/support/page/kb/effects-controllers/helix/helix-30-factory-setlists-r964/

What kind of battery life are you getting with this setup? Powerbank model?

I just received mine a couple of weeks ago. The magnets seem to be quite adequate. If I hold the Helix sideways or upside down, the faceplate doesn't move. I can even shake it a bit and it still stays secured, unless it's completely upside down (It didn't completely fall off, but a few of the magnets lost contact. Definitely could have gotten it to fall off with a bit more force). However, I did request that my faceplate be made with a thinner material (1/8") since I needed additional clearance for my stomp switches w/ Barefoot Buttons to depress fully; so my faceplate is also about 1/3 lighter than the standard configuration. I'm pretty sure that the slightly heavier 3/16" standard profile should be fine for normal use, although it might not fare as well in the sideways/upside-down tests. That said, I am super careful with my gear and make sure not to even touch the acrylic so it stays smudge free. The extra surface area of the Barefoot Buttons also helps with that. I'm using the Helix in a home studio setup, and not in any kind of performance/gigging context. If for some reason you needed additional security, you could always supplement the magnets with adhesive strips. Or you could potentially request a faceplate without magnet holes, and install a set of magnets with a larger surface area if you feel comfortable modifying acrylic.