Helix FW v1.04.2 Now Available

[Digital_Igloo]

HELIX FIRMWARE v1.04.2 RELEASE NOTES

 

IMPORTANT! Before restoring your backed up presets to Helix, you must first install the latest version of the Helix application!

 

Helix v1.04.2 is a free firmware update that includes fixes, stability improvements, and optimizations. It is highly recommended that all Helix users perform this update!

 

It is also recommended that you back up your current presets by using the Helix application to create a preset bundle, allowing you to install new presets as part of the update process.

 

The easiest way to perform the update process is by installing the latest version of Line 6 Updater. Once you've connected Helix to your computer via its USB port (hubs are not supported), Line 6 Updater will recognize the unit and take you through the update process. The Line 6 Updater application may be downloaded here: http://line6.com/software/

 

BUG FIXES

- In some cases, certain parameters would not recall correctly after a backup and restore —FIXED

- General stability improvements

- Other minor bug fixes and optimizations

 

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

- The TAP footswitch LED now flashes on the beat

 

RESETTING HELIX GLOBALS

IMPORTANT! This procedure will completely overwrite all existing presets and setlists, as well as clear all user IRs and reset all global settings! Back up your presets and IRs before proceeding!

 

1. Turn off Helix.

2. While holding footswitches 9 and 10 (middle two switches on the bottom row), turn on Helix. Wait for the message “Will reset Globals and restore stock Presets, Setlists and IRs…†to appear and let go.

 

Known Issues

- Assigning a custom label to the EXP Toe Switch scribble strip disconnects wah blocks Position parameter from EXP 1; can be manually reassigned

- Pressing BYPASS while viewing the Model List > Looper category can invert Looper footswitch behavior

- Saving a preset to a new destination may display the wrong preset name until it's reloaded

- While a loop is playing, changing from a preset with the Looper block on Path 1 to one with the Looper block on Path 2 may cause a small portion of the recorded loop to play

- Minor pops and clicks may be present when Helix is streaming audio from a Mac® running OS X 10.11.1 (El Capitan)

- Minor pops and clicks may be present when Helix is streaming audio from an iOS® device running iOS 9 with Apple® Camera Kit

- Importing a Helix bundle while streaming audio over USB may cause the Helix application to disconnect

- In rare cases, Amp+Cab or Cab > Dual parameter graphics may overlap the action panel buttons while in Pedal Edit mode

- Changing a delay with note subdivision time will unsync resultant delay time from Preset/Global BPM

[Hblum01]

Thank you!

[HonestOpinion]

 

HELIX FIRMWARE v1.04.2 RELEASE NOTES

 

IMPORTANT! Before restoring your backed up presets to Helix, you must first install the latest version of the Helix application!

 

Helix v1.04.2 is a free firmware update that includes fixes, stability improvements, and optimizations. It is highly recommended that all Helix users perform this update!

 

It is also recommended that you back up your current presets by using the Helix application to create a preset bundle, allowing you to install new presets as part of the update process.

 

The easiest way to perform the update process is by installing the latest version of Line 6 Updater. Once you've connected Helix to your computer via its USB port (hubs are not supported), Line 6 Updater will recognize the unit and take you through the update process. The Line 6 Updater application may be downloaded here: http://line6.com/software/

 

BUG FIXES

- In some cases, certain parameters would not recall correctly after a backup and restore —FIXED

- General stability improvements

- Other minor bug fixes and optimizations

 

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

- The TAP footswitch LED now flashes on the beat

 

RESETTING HELIX GLOBALS

IMPORTANT! This procedure will completely overwrite all existing presets and setlists, as well as clear all user IRs and reset all global settings! Back up your presets and IRs before proceeding!

 

1. Turn off Helix.

2. While holding footswitches 9 and 10 (middle two switches on the bottom row), turn on Helix. Wait for the message “Will reset Globals and restore stock Presets, Setlists and IRs…†to appear and let go.

 

Known Issues

- Assigning a custom label to the EXP Toe Switch scribble strip disconnects wah blocks Position parameter from EXP 1; can be manually reassigned

- Pressing BYPASS while viewing the Model List > Looper category can invert Looper footswitch behavior

- Saving a preset to a new destination may display the wrong preset name until it's reloaded

- While a loop is playing, changing from a preset with the Looper block on Path 1 to one with the Looper block on Path 2 may cause a small portion of the recorded loop to play

- Minor pops and clicks may be present when Helix is streaming audio from a Mac® running OS X 10.11.1 (El Capitan)

- Minor pops and clicks may be present when Helix is streaming audio from an iOS® device running iOS 9 with Apple® Camera Kit

- Importing a Helix bundle while streaming audio over USB may cause the Helix application to disconnect

- In rare cases, Amp+Cab or Cab > Dual parameter graphics may overlap the action panel buttons while in Pedal Edit mode

- Changing a delay with note subdivision time will unsync resultant delay time from Preset/Global BPM

 

 

So is Line6 recommending we run the 9&10 "Resetting Helix Globals" procedure after the update or is this strictly optional?

[Digital_Igloo]

So is Line6 recommending we run the 9&10 "Resetting Helix Globals" procedure after the update or is this strictly optional?

It's optional in the way that wearing your seatbelt is optional.  ;) You'll probably be okay, but the safest path forward is to back up presets, update and reset globals, and then restore your presets.

[HonestOpinion]

It's optional in the way that wearing your seatbelt is optional.  ;) You'll probably be okay, but the safest path forward is to back up presets, update and reset globals, and then restore your presets.

 

Call me overly cautious but I not only wear a seat belt but prefer to follow the recommendations made by the folks who write the software. Reset process run! Thanks for the response!

[HonestOpinion]

Might just be my imagination as I did not time the old firmware but it seems as if the Helix is booting up faster with this update. Not that I thought it was an issue before.

[duncann]

I noticed it starting up faster right away as well.

[enzo386]

Any word on the PC editor??

[ncockerill]

Anyone that has completed this upgrade care to share their experience? No issues? And......if I didn't do the prior 1.04.1 upgrade yet, can I go directly from 1.03 to 1.04.2? Thanks.

[Elkinz]

Anyone that has completed this upgrade care to share their experience? No issues? And......if I didn't do the prior 1.04.1 upgrade yet, can I go directly from 1.03 to 1.04.2? Thanks.

Hey mate, if you just plug in the helix into the line 6 updater it will do all the work for you. easy.

[DarrellM5]

I just reverted back to 1.04.1.  

 

The upgrade seemed to go well and I did the global reset but when I went to copy my patches back over it started having problems.

 

BTW, I'm on Win 7 and all of the previous updates have installed with no problems.

 

I started dragging and dropping presets back onto the setlists and eventually a message would flash across the top of the Helix app.  It's too fast to read completely but it starts with "No symbol lookup table......".  Then it said "Service is not online." and Helix would lock up.  I would then disconnect the USB and reboot Helix and sometimes it would come back on and sometimes it would wind up with the BSOD, which only a 'reset globals' reboot would bring back.

 

I tried flashing the new update again but wound up with the same result.

 

Now I'm back on 1.04.1 and everything is back to normal.  I copied my patches and IR's back over with no trouble.

[davidb7170]

I did the update to 1.04.2 tonight -- no issues. I've played the unit for the last couple of hours going through tons of the factory and my own patches, no problems so far. I typically don't drag & drop, I usually use the import function where it opens up a folder and you choose the file. I did put in about 5 IR's with dragging and dropping, again without issue... So far so good. Did the global reset, then went through and redid my global settings.

 

Dave

[HonestOpinion]

Not sure whether this is a bug, or a hardware issue that just happens to coincide with my upgrade today to 1.04.2. My #12 footswitch, the one directly to the left of the Tempo footswitch, is no longer consistently turning on and off. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have multiple blocks assigned to this footswitch. This is the one I generally assign to my distortion pedal so I can no longer reliably switch from lead to rhythm. This is happening on my saved presets that I have reloaded after the Global Reset procedure. I have yet to test it on the factory presets. Have a gig coming up so I am not too happy. If anybody who upgrades to the 1.04.2 firmware starts having this issue please post back here. Otherwise I will assume this is a hardware issue and unfortunately get the unit swapped out (hope another one is readily available). Really hoping this is either a firmware issue or an issue with restoring user presets with multiple block assignments as having a footswitch go bad in the first month of light use does not bode well for switch durability unless this turns out to be a rare case. Bumming me out 'cos I love my Helix :(

Btw, the Helix App 1.02 is still having issues with restores If your presets are not all contiguous it is putting User presets blocks back in the correct preset slot but puts the preset's name in the first empty slot, such that the preset's blocks end up in one preset slot and the preset's name in another (with no blocks). This of course necessitates you having to rename all your presets.

[HonestOpinion]

Not sure whether this is a bug, or a hardware issue that just happens to coincide with my upgrade today to 1.04.2. My #12 footswitch, the one directly to the left of the Tempo footswitch, is no longer consistently turning on and off. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have multiple blocks assigned to this footswitch. This is the one I generally assign to my distortion pedal so I can no longer reliably switch from lead to rhythm. This is happening on my saved presets that I have reloaded after the Global Reset procedure. I have yet to test it on the factory presets. Have a gig coming up so I am not too happy. If anybody who upgrades to the 1.04.2 firmware starts having this issue please post back here. Otherwise I will assume this is a hardware issue and unfortunately get the unit swapped out (hope another one is readily available). Really hoping this is either a firmware issue or an issue with restoring user presets with multiple block assignments as having a footswitch go bad in the first month of light use does not bode well for switch durability unless this turns out to be a rare case. Bumming me out 'cos I love my Helix :(

 

Btw, the Helix App 1.02 is still having issues with restores If your presets are not all contiguous it is putting User presets blocks back in the correct preset slot but puts the preset's name in the first empty slot, such that the preset's blocks end up in one preset slot and the preset's name in another (with no blocks). This of course necessitates you having to rename all your presets.

 

Upon further examination this appears to be a physical problem with the switch. This switch does not feel like any of the others and seems to have something like a second click in addition to the normal one. Going to have to swap this unit out. Sheesh, what luck, I hope this is not a frequent occurrence.   :(

[harpel]

I having the same problem with footswitch #9

all the others work with just a soft click, looks like #9 sometimes needs more pressure.

[AeroUSA]

I keep losing connection to the Helix app so I tried to update the firmware but it says ' error while installing update' and the Helix says please reboot and try again. Please help!

[brainbug]

It happened to me while updating from 1.02 to 1.04.. It wouldn't update like you said.

I tried to update it to 1.03 first and it did it. Then to 1.04 and this time it was successful.

I don't know if it was just a coincidance but it worked. Hope this will help you.

[HonestOpinion]

I keep losing connection to the Helix app so I tried to update the firmware but it says ' error while installing update' and the Helix says please reboot and try again. Please help!

 

Sometimes the issue is that you are losing the internet connection. You may want to try downloading the firmware file from the L6 Downloads page to your local machine and then run the update using that file.

[AeroUSA]

Thanks, I tried that but it still fails. I called Line 6 and they told me to send it in for service!

 

I was having issues losing the USB connectivity before I did the update as well. Didn't have a problem before though!

[AeroUSA]

Booted Mac into safe mode and managed to get it working

[mikeolivercgp]

I'm having difficulty applying the 1.04.2 firmware update. Although no difficulties were encountered in updating to 1.04.1, attempts to update to 1.04.2 routinely fail. It doesn't matter if I'm attempting to stream the update from Line 6 or I'm attempting to update from a local copy of the 1.04.2 update file that I downloaded to my local PC. Once the update progress bar reaches about 35%, both my Helix and the updater application report that the update has failed and I need to reboot and try again. My only recourse has been to return back to 1.04.1.

 

I'm running Windows 10 Professional for an OS (and I've worked as a software developer for the past 27 years, so I have some idea of which way is "up" with both PCs and mainframes -- LOL!). 

 

Any ideas? This is uncharacteristic of my past experiences with POD, PODxt, and my Variax -- any firmware updates to those devices over the years have been 'rock solid'. 

 

BTW, thanks for an amazing product!   My most recent setup has been a custom-built Anderson drop-top into a Pettyjohn PreDrive that's always on with an assortment of Wampler OD's and distortion pedals, a TC Electronics X4 Alter Ego, a Strymon Timeline, an Eventide H9, a Red Panda Context Reverb, and Line 6 M5, all switched in and out with a Crocodile One Loop Switcher (that also sends MIDI to the M5, H9, and the Timeline). All of the OD/Distortion/EQ effects are ahead of a Matchless Clubman 35. I return via a Pedal Snake back to the pedal board to pass through my time-based effects (modulation, delays, and reverbs) before returning to the Matchless, which heads out to a Mesa 112 cab with an SM57 mic off-axis. I've loved the sound I achieve with this rig, but I'm tired of the weight and effort to move it, even with a rolling cart (lol!).

 

When my Helix arrived, it only took about 5 hours to replicate many of the tones I use for lead work.  At an engagement last weekend for a large church in the area, the FOH engineer with whom I've worked for several years was unaware that I was using the Helix instead of my typical rig (he wondered why the Matchless name wasn't lit up on the amp, but figured that perhaps the light bulbs had all failed -- lol!). 

 

Although I have no plans to dismantle and liquidate my Matchless rig (I still like having a backup), I'm already enjoying the ease of playing engagements with just the Helix (the virtual scribble strips are wonderful along with the Setlist paradigm)!  Thanks! :)