Not really bugs per say, but areas for improvement

[njglover]

So far I am really liking the Helix but I've encountered a couple small things that I guess I would consider to be quirks, things that maybe no one noticed.

 

1) Let's say I set up a footswitch to control the amp gain and the master output volume, which is a fairly typical way for me to set up a solo boost. There is no way for me to rename that footswitch UNLESS I assign a block's bypass function to that switch. So, to rename it, I would have to go to another block, hit menu, hit footswitch assign, assign it to that footswitch, hit customize, then go back through all those steps to remove that block from the footswitch assignment so that I can have a named switch that only controls the things I actually wanted it to control. The point here, really, is that there HAS to be an easier way to name a switch. Ideally, it would be under the options when I touch and hold the switch. Way easier.

 

2) On one of my presets, I have it set so that it switches on a phaser, ups the amp gain, and toggles between two different reverbs. So when it is on, one reverb is on the other is off, when it is off, they switch. The problem is that if the reverb that will be off for that part of the song is the last thing I assigned to that footswitch, then the switch appears off even though everything else is on. So I have to go and reassign, say, the phaser to that footswitch so that it is "on" when most everything is on. It would be nice if there was an easier way to toggle which position is declared as on and which is off.

 

3) I don't think the A/B splits are working properly. I have the exact same amp and cab set up on two different presets but the output volume is not the same. All the settings are exactly the same, one is just quieter than the other and the only difference is that one preset has just the amp, cab, and a reverb and the other has an A/B split so I can toggle between sets of effects. But even with everything bypassed, and no matter which side of the A/B split I am on, the split one is quieter than the non-split one.

 

Otherwise, sounding great! Takes a little getting used to, but so does any new piece of gear.

[phil_m]

So far I am really liking the Helix but I've encountered a couple small things that I guess I would consider to be quirks, things that maybe no one noticed.

 

1) Let's say I set up a footswitch to control the amp gain and the master output volume, which is a fairly typical way for me to set up a solo boost. There is no way for me to rename that footswitch UNLESS I assign a block's bypass function to that switch. So, to rename it, I would have to go to another block, hit menu, hit footswitch assign, assign it to that footswitch, hit customize, then go back through all those steps to remove that block from the footswitch assignment so that I can have a named switch that only controls the things I actually wanted it to control. The point here, really, is that there HAS to be an easier way to name a switch. Ideally, it would be under the options when I touch and hold the switch. Way easier.

 

2) On one of my presets, I have it set so that it switches on a phaser, ups the amp gain, and toggles between two different reverbs. So when it is on, one reverb is on the other is off, when it is off, they switch. The problem is that if the reverb that will be off for that part of the song is the last thing I assigned to that footswitch, then the switch appears off even though everything else is on. So I have to go and reassign, say, the phaser to that footswitch so that it is "on" when most everything is on. It would be nice if there was an easier way to toggle which position is declared as on and which is off.

 

3) I don't think the A/B splits are working properly. I have the exact same amp and cab set up on two different presets but the output volume is not the same. All the settings are exactly the same, one is just quieter than the other and the only difference is that one preset has just the amp, cab, and a reverb and the other has an A/B split so I can toggle between sets of effects. But even with everything bypassed, and no matter which side of the A/B split I am on, the split one is quieter than the non-split one.

 

Otherwise, sounding great! Takes a little getting used to, but so does any new piece of gear.

 

1) You can give a customized label to any footswitch, even one that's not assigned to turn blocks on and off. You go into the Command Center, navigate over to the icon for the footswitch you want to change the label of and press Knob 6 (labeled "Customize"). There you can give it whatever name you want, and you can set a custom color for the LED ring if you want.

 

2) No comment on this one. Seems like a good suggestion.

 

3) I do vaguely remember reading that adding an A/B split does introduce a level drop on each side. I think the reasoning was that if you simply added another path and kept both paths feeding the same output, the level would remain the same at the output. The reasoning is that instead of just having one stereo signal, you now are summing two. So the split compensates for this by introducing a 3dB cut, I believe. If you want to compensate, you just add a gain block in, or add level in one of the other blocks.

[njglover]

Ah, so that's in the Command Center! That was not made very clear in the manual, it only really mentioned the footswitch assign menu when I looked it up. Thanks!

 

I don't have it in front of me at the moment, but if there is an option to compensate for the gain loss on the merge block, that would also be acceptable. It would be ideal if, say, it set it to -3 dB by default and then I could just return it to 0 dB if I don't want a cut. If 0 is the default cut, that will be more annoying.

[vmoncebaiz]

So far I am really liking the Helix but I've encountered a couple small things that I guess I would consider to be quirks, things that maybe no one noticed.

 

2) On one of my presets, I have it set so that it switches on a phaser, ups the amp gain, and toggles between two different reverbs. So when it is on, one reverb is on the other is off, when it is off, they switch. The problem is that if the reverb that will be off for that part of the song is the last thing I assigned to that footswitch, then the switch appears off even though everything else is on. So I have to go and reassign, say, the phaser to that footswitch so that it is "on" when most everything is on. It would be nice if there was an easier way to toggle which position is declared as on and which is off.

 

 

If I understand what you are asking for correctly I have a solution. So lets check that first

 

You want the switch to read as on, or bright lit when the phaser is on, reverb 1 is on and amp gain is higher.  But it is currently reading as off and dimly lit because the other reverb 2 is still off.   Right?

 

If thats the case just touch the footswitch until it highlights one of the controls that are currently on. It should reflect the state of the highlighted block, instead of whichever was last assigned to the switch.  Remember to re-save the preset too.

[rwhite137]

If I understand what you are asking for correctly I have a solution. So lets check that first

 

You want the switch to read as on, or bright lit when the phaser is on, reverb 1 is on and amp gain is higher.  But it is currently reading as off and dimly lit because the other reverb 2 is still off.   Right?

 

If thats the case just touch the footswitch until it highlights one of the controls that are currently on. It should reflect the state of the highlighted block, instead of whichever was last assigned to the switch.  Remember to re-save the preset too.

 

I agree. This drove me crazy until I figured this out.

[PeterHamm]

If I understand what you are asking for correctly I have a solution. So lets check that first

 

You want the switch to read as on, or bright lit when the phaser is on, reverb 1 is on and amp gain is higher.  But it is currently reading as off and dimly lit because the other reverb 2 is still off.   Right?

 

If thats the case just touch the footswitch until it highlights one of the controls that are currently on. It should reflect the state of the highlighted block, instead of whichever was last assigned to the switch.  Remember to re-save the preset too.

 

you just changed my life. (I"m crying with joy.)

[njglover]

So that actually works then? That's amazing! I'll have to try it when I get home. Seems like really the issue here is they need to spell things out a little better in the manual.

[pilottes]

YESSSS| At least I hope it works. It'd be annoying me a lot as well. You have to stumble upon the right combinaition to see it. Especially since after only a month I'm still optimizing my patches and start from scratch and all. It made me realize as well that I don't understand the effect details annd I best to use them. Helix manual does not help in this regard. If Line 6 is really commited to the unit I hope they will revise the manual with a rev C and keep it in synch with the futur Flash upgrade. Here I am complaining again. I have to repeat it. I.m totally happy with the Helix. Totaly means different things for different guitarist I know.

[Digital_Igloo]

From the manual:

NOTE: The switch's LED ring and scribble strip label reflect the color and bypass state of its most recently selected block or item, even if other blocks assigned to the same switch are enabled.

[njglover]

From the manual:

NOTE: The switch's LED ring and scribble strip label reflect the color and bypass state of its most recently selected block or item, even if other blocks assigned to the same switch are enabled.

 

I think the issue is that I didn't realize that meant selected by touching the switch. I tried scrolling over to it with the joystick and assumed that selecting it there was the same thing. In fact, that's exactly why I was so confused, didn't even occur to me to select by touching the switch.

[pilottes]

Agreed!

 

    "cycling through the assigned blocks by repeatedly touching the footwitch ..."

 

    would make a lot more sense... 

 

It works well. I like!

[njglover]

Okay, so I have tried some things out. Responding to my issues by number:

1) I went in to the command center but I still have to have the footswitch assigned to a command in order to change the name. Even still, as I said, having the rename option in the touch and hold menu would be a much more sensible place for it anyway.

2) As suggested, selecting by touching the footswitch does work! So problem solved. I'm not sure if there would be a more elegant solution to this anyway.

3) Easy, if not obvious, fix. It seems that the splits are, indeed, reduced by about 3 dB, so simply raising the level on the merge block to +3 dB fixes the level mismatch. However, it would be better if 0 dB was, in fact, 0 change. If they are going to lower it by default, that should be shown as -3 dB. It would also be handy to have an option to toggle this behavior, so maybe we could choose (as I would) to have it default to no change in level. Or at least, it would make more sense for a y-split to default to -3 dB (since y splits are more likely to be used for dual paths) and A/B splits default to 0 dB, since those will mostly be used for choosing between two separate paths.

[Digital_Igloo]

1) I went in to the command center but I still have to have the footswitch assigned to a command in order to change the name. Even still, as I said, having the rename option in the touch and hold menu would be a much more sensible place for it anyway.

 

It doesn't have to be assigned to a command, but it does have to be assigned to something. Helix won't let you name footswitches that contain nothing. If a block on/off or parameter is assigned to a footswitch, you should be able to name it from the Command Center screen without assigning a command.

[njglover]

That is precisely the problem, though. I'm working with a button that doesn't control any blocks, only parameters, amp gain and output volume. The only way to change the name is to assign it a block or command. I can not find any way to change the name of a switch that only has parameters assigned to it, and that is a problem.

[phil_m]

That is precisely the problem, though. I'm working with a button that doesn't control any blocks, only parameters, amp gain and output volume. The only way to change the name is to assign it a block or command. I can not find any way to change the name of a switch that only has parameters assigned to it, and that is a problem.

You do it in the Command Center. You don't have to assign an actual command to it. Just select the footswitch you want to label and hit "customize". I know this works as I have several presets where I've done this very thing.

[pilottes]

DI is correct I just reproduced it.

[njglover]

Oh, you know what, I'm an idiot, I forgot that the bank switches count as switches. Footawitch 8 is one over... Cool, got it! Thanks. Still, could be more obvious documentation on this one. So really just the merge levels is the only real issue.