helix rack expression pedal

[FlipGuitarist80]

just got the helix rack, how do i setup expression pedal to control wah and other effects? is it supposed to be plug and play? thanks in advAnced

[silverhead]

Select the FX you want the pedal to control. The FX parameters are displayed. Press and hold the knob associate with the parameter you want the pedal to control. In the next display assign the parameter to the desired pedal and set the desired min/max values for the pedal sweep.

[PeterHamm]

just got the helix rack, how do i setup expression pedal to control wah and other effects? is it supposed to be plug and play? thanks in advAnced

 

For Wah, you may need to get the new mission Pedal with the toe switch.

 

http://missionengineering.com/?product=sp1-l6h-line-6-helix

[spikey]

Another alternative is get the controller board, altho it will work as Peter suggested. The regular Line-6 EP1-L6 Mission pedal should be fine then, and to switch it on and off you should be able to assign a function switch on the Helix Controller board for Wah, to turn it off and on.  Of course, if you do NOT have the Controller for the Rack Helix then follow Peters advice as its the only way you can turn it off and on that I know of, other that switching patches.

[PeterHamm]

You shouldn't have to get the Line-6 Mission pedal with the toe switch, altho it will work as Peter suggested. The regular Line-6 EP1-L6 Mission pedal should be fine, and to switch it on and off you should be able to assign a function switch on the Helix for Wah, to turn it off and on. Id be "REAL" disappointed and surprised is this were not possible. Of course, if you do NOT have the Controller for the Rack Helix then follow Peters advice as its the only way you can turn it off and on that I know of, other that switching patches.

 

yes, you can. But... do you really want to hit one pedal to turn it on and THEN go to the wah rocker pedal? I don't. 

 

A mission Line 6 pedal with a toe switch is probably in my future.

[spikey]

It depends on what you already have, and its almost as fast IMHO. BUT- Id much MUCH rather have a "Heel-down" off setting like Axe FX II and Kemper already have, so that the toe switch (or any other wah on switch) isn't even needed. Add the pitch freq tone on setting and you can't even tell "pitch wise"  when its on, until its rocked forward. Then add the % of when its turned on and off, say adjust to10% of the rocked forward position. Then add the pitch freq. at the toe down position, and then you have the ability to customize the exact tones of your wah from low to high. Then add a vector curve for how the wah sweeps and you have the curve of the pitch sweep from low to high. And In this way you can add the Wah on EVERY patch you want to, and if you don't feel the need to use it just don't rock that pedal or click any switch. I already have the EP1-L6 Mission pedal, and a modified Mission pedal with the spring, so Im setup as soon as Line 6 adds this "much needed" function (If they do, and it would be ashamed if they didnt)...

[FlipGuitarist80]

thanks everyone for the reply. I also forgot to add, I pulled the trigger to soon and I got me the sp1-r which I guess is for axefx2. Doesn't work with the helix rack. any way can I rewire this instead? thanks once again for the help.

[FlipGuitarist80]

For Wah, you may need to get the new mission Pedal with the toe switch.

 

http://missionengineering.com/?product=sp1-l6h-line-6-helix

that's also one of my problems, I got the sp1-r with toes switch but I bought it off EBay thought it would work with the helix rack. this one's got a polarity switch.

[spikey]

thanks everyone for the reply. I also forgot to add, I pulled the trigger to soon and I got me the sp1-r which I guess is for axefx2. Doesn't work with the helix rack. any way can I rewire this instead? thanks once again for the help.

 

See http://line6.com/support/topic/16994-need-expression-pedal-help/

 

I rewired one of mine but have not tried it yet as Im still waiting for my Helix...

[jaminjimlp]

thanks everyone for the reply. I also forgot to add, I pulled the trigger to soon and I got me the sp1-r which I guess is for axefx2. Doesn't work with the helix rack. any way can I rewire this instead? thanks once again for the help.

From:

http://missionengineering.com/

 Wiring.

Most potentiometers have three connectors; Clockwise, Counter-clockwise, and Wiper. Amazingly, there are multiple different ways these can be wired, all achieving largely the same result, which means yet more variations for expression pedals. The most common expression pedal wiring is to connect the pot to a 1/4″ stereo (TRS) instrument jack as follows:

CW —— Sleeve

Wiper — Tip

CCW —– Ring

An alternative is with the tip and the ring reversed as follows:

CW —— Sleeve

Wiper — Ring

CCW —– Tip

Yet a third way is as follows:

CW —— Sleeve

Wiper — Tip

CCW —– Tip

 

In this last one, the wiper and CCW are bonded together and connected to the tip and the ring is unused. This requires the use of a mono (TS) cable such as a regular guitar cable, in place of the stereo (TRS) cable used in the other two. These three are the most common that we see in expression pedals, but we keep finding more. Sometimes a dual gang potentiometer is wired in parallel to create a single pot with half the resistance. For example you may see a dual 20K Ohm potentiometer bridged into a single 10K. In this case the pedal will function the same as if it were a native 10K Ohm single pot.

.....................................

 

OK so now we know we can do this:

 

This also alleviated the backwards operation problem and the 0 - 100 - 0 problem...

 

The third way is the Line 6 way. (after some google searches I found this out)

 

which means after the conversion you don't need to use TRS cables anymore you can use TS cables. Also now with either the 12k ohm pot in the one and the 10k ohm pot in the other I get full 0% to 100% on the Helix control.

here is what I did to make mine compatible so there would be no need for re configuring. the Potenteiometer on this 1 is 10k

Here is before

here is after... so just moving 1 wire (the green/ring) and put it together with the (red/Tip) and the (black/sleeve) stays the same.

also I jumped out the black on the side pot that is for changing the "throw" of it to disable it and not doing it made it have issues when you adjusted it it would not go back to full throw. (If that makes any scents to you)

My other one

here is after... so just moving 1 wire (the green/ring) and put it together with the (red/Tip) and the (black/sleeve) stays the same.

 

this model had a duel 24k pot and I soldered each connection 1,2 and 3 to 1,2 and 3 (you see it better in the picture above) making it a single 12k pot

 

This can be done with a soldering iron with no extra solder. just heat up the green wire pull it off and put it on with the red and heat it up to connect it. 

 

 

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I am re-posting this from another thread on the same thing

 

 

 

 

 

ALSO:

 

from yet another post....

 

Really you could take an old crybaby or Vox waH and just rewire it and it would work the same.

 

Here is one new:

http://www.guitarcen...ffects-Pedal.gc

 

Most wah wahs have a 100k or a 250K potentiometer, most expression pedal seem to have something around 10k to 25K, after doing a little research there is some folks that said they have used 250 K pot and rewired a Wawa pedal to work as an expression pedal and it worked fine or you can just buy a new potentiometer (thank sure it is linear and not audio taper or logarithmic) for an expression pedal and put it in if you have to but I would try to go ahead and wire it up first according to the way that I have explained above. 

 

Remember you don't have to worry about getting tip ring sleeve input jacks just tip sleeve is all you need and is what is already on a Wawa pedal 

[spikey]

+1000 Jamin , Thanks!