PROCEDURE FOR ASSIGNING MULTIPLE BLOCKS TO A FOOTSWITCH

[HonestOpinion]

After struggling with this for a while myself I think I found a consistent and easy way to assign multiple blocks to a footswitch and easily bypass the ones I want bypassed when the footswitch is off with predictable results. This may seem obvious but the previous method I was using always seemed to leave me having to save and go back and play with the bypass states again to get the blocks I wanted coming on and off with the footswitch ring reflecting their state properly.


PROCEDURE FOR ASSIGNING MULTIPLE BLOCKS TO A FOOTSWITCH

• Click the "MODE" footswitch to enter pedal view if you are not already there.
• Use the joystick to navigate to the block you want to assign to a footswitch.
• Now touch and hold the footswitch you want to assign to your block to. Do not click or tap the footswitch, just touch it gently and hold it like your favorite toy.
• After you hold it for a second the "Footswitch Assign" screen will pop up. Hit "OK" to assign the footswitch.
• Now use the joystick to navigate to the next block you want to assign and repeat step #3. Again, as long as you hold (keep your finger down without lifting) the footswitch rather than tapping it, the new block you are attempting to assign to the footswitch will stay selected and the "Footswitch Assign" screen will pop up. Now repeat step #4. You can repeat steps #2, #3, & #4 for up to 8 block assignments (at least as of this post).
• Finally, after all your chosen blocks are assigned. You can tap (touch and quickly lift off, don't click) the footswitch you have assigned everything to. Notice this time you are tapping, not touching and holding. Each time you tap the footswitch it will move to the next block that you have in your multiple assignment. Push bypass (or not) for each block assigned depending on whether you want if on or off when the footswitch is engaged. Once you have done this you will notice that you can tap your way through the blocks and the footswitch will light up or go dim according to each block's bypass state.
• Last but not least, if you want your preset to come up with your multiple assigned footswitch on, make sure that before you save it, you select (using the tap method in step #6) one of the blocks that is not bypassed on the multiple assignment. It does not matter which one of the blocks that is not bypassed you select. The opposite of course applies, if you want your preset to come up with the multiple footswitch dimmed and not selected, make sure you select any one of the blocks that is bypassed.
• Now save your preset or all your work is for naught!

Sheesh, with all that tapping and touching and squeezing this post was starting to remind me of an old Journey tune.

[Joepeggio]

Save save save. In fact save after every 1 or 2 assigned. Just a quick double press of the "save" button.

[duncann]

When multiple blocks are assigned to one switch and you want to know what controls the state of the led, it will be the block selected from the blocks assigned to that switch. So in between step 6 and step 7 of HonestOpinion's procedure, do another tap procedure similar to step 6, but this time the objective is to just select the block you want controlling the led.

[silverhead]

Note also that in Step 4 you need to ensure that the assignment will merge with, and not replace, existing assignments. There is an option to choose the behaviour you want. The default is merge so if you are unaware of this option you will get the multiple assignments you want. But if you are not aware and the option happens to be set to 'replace' you will get very confused.

[Digital_Igloo]

Page 32 of the Helix Owner's Manual:

It's also worth noting that a footswitch can have non-block items assigned as well (up to eight items total). Pressing a single switch could do all of the following:

• Turn a Delay block on
• Turn an FX Loop off
• Turn one Distortion block off
• Turn another Distortion block on
• Boost an amp block's gain by 1.2dB
• Drop the amp's block's treble by 2.3
• Switch the Split block > A/B's Route To parameter from Path A to Path B (acting as a path switcher)
• Switch the channel on a connected EVH amp via MIDI

In this case, repeatedly touching the footswitch would cycle through all eight assignments:

• Selects/highlights the Delay block
• Selects/highlights the FX Loop block
• Selects/highlights the first Distortion block
• Selects/highlights the second Distortion block
• Jumps to the Controller Assign page for amp gain, so you can tweak its min and max values
• Jumps to the Controller Assign page for amp treble, so you can tweak its min and max values
• Jumps to the Controller Assign page for Split > A/B Route To, so you can tweak its min and max values
• Jumps to the Command Center page for EVH control, so you can tweak the MIDI values
• Touch one last time to jump back to the home screen and select/highlight the Delay block

Yes, Helix will remember which of the (up to) eight items is "in focus" when saving your preset, and the switch LED's color and dim/bright state will reflect this.

[HonestOpinion]

Note also that in Step 4 you need to ensure that the assignment will merge with, and not replace, existing assignments. There is an option to choose the behaviour you want. The default is merge so if you are unaware of this option you will get the multiple assignments you want. But if you are not aware and the option happens to be set to 'replace' you will get very confused.

 

A really important point, thanks silverhead!

[HonestOpinion]

Page 32 of the Helix Owner's Manual:

FS Assign.jpg

 

A great jumping off point thanks! I wanted to make it clear how to set the bypass state for each block as the manual might be a little confusing as it discusses bypass in the context of whether you are setting the bypass mode (momentary vs. latching) rather than the bypass state (block on or off).

[HonestOpinion]

Page 32 of the Helix Owner's Manual:

FS Assign.jpg

It's also worth noting that a footswitch can have non-block items assigned as well (up to eight items total). Pressing a single switch could do all of the following:

• Turn a Delay block on
• Turn an FX Loop off
• Turn one Distortion block off
• Turn another Distortion block on
• Boost an amp block's gain by 1.2dB
• Drop the amp's block's treble by 2.3
• Switch the Split block > A/B's Route To parameter from Path A to Path B (acting as a path switcher)
• Switch the channel on a connected EVH amp via MIDI

In this case, repeatedly touching the footswitch would cycle through all eight assignments:

• Selects/highlights the Delay block
• Selects/highlights the FX Loop block
• Selects/highlights the first Distortion block
• Selects/highlights the second Distortion block
• Jumps to the Controller Assign page for amp gain, so you can tweak its min and max values
• Jumps to the Controller Assign page for amp treble, so you can tweak its min and max values
• Jumps to the Controller Assign page for Split > A/B Route To, so you can tweak its min and max values
• Jumps to the Command Center page for EVH control, so you can tweak the MIDI values
• Touch one last time to jump back to the home screen and select/highlight the Delay block

Yes, Helix will remember which of the (up to) eight items is "in focus" when saving your preset, and the switch LED's color and dim/bright state will reflect this.

 

+1

[JLondon]

And to the very kind, well meaning person that posted the sentence: "When multiple blocks are assigned to one switch and you want to know what controls the state of the led, it will be the block selected from the blocks assigned to that switch."  I sincerely thank you.  But that series of words makes my head want to explode even worse than the issue that inspired this thread!  (grin)

 

[JLondon]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  If this works HonestOpinion, I'm going to name my next child after you!

[HonestOpinion]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  If this works HonestOpinion, I'm going to name my next child after you!

 

Chuckle, hope it's a boy or that could be awkward  :) Let me know how it works out for you or if the instructions need clarification.

[hideout]

Can we pin this please?!!!

[RRMark]

Awesome! thank you. I tried this previously but missed the merge option. Is there anyway to assign a blocks status to more than one foot switch giving us a scene mode

[HonestOpinion]

Awesome! thank you. I tried this previously but missed the merge option. Is there anyway to assign a blocks status to more than one foot switch giving us a scene mode

 

Not yet, let's hope it is on the way. Hopefully somewhere down the line with the new editor at least.

[jackzucker]

how do you clear this? I somehow have multiples assigned to various footswitches but when I scroll through the blocks in "assign block" mode, nothing else shows up as being assigned to the switch. If I clear all assignments and come back to that footswitch, the switch remembers it's assigned multiple.

[HonestOpinion]

On 11/12/2022 at 11:50 AM, jackzucker said:

how do you clear this? I somehow have multiples assigned to various footswitches but when I scroll through the blocks in "assign block" mode, nothing else shows up as being assigned to the switch. If I clear all assignments and come back to that footswitch, the switch remembers it's assigned multiple.

 

This topic was created in 2016 before snapshots existed on HX devices. My guess is that what you are looking at are "snapshots" rather than multiple stomp assignments. Multiple blocks, their parameters, and their bypass/active states can be assigned to snapshots. Take a peek at the manual or any of the many videos on how to build snapshots on an HX device.