Helix not as good as HD500 for midi control. Close to unusable.

[JLEpperson]

I have a HD500 which I use with my cover band.   We use Digital Performer for some backing tracks and effects.  The HD500 will sync the delays to DP's midi time clock and I can assign a midi controller to turn effects on and off.  CC 0-64 for off and CC 65-127 for on.   I bought the Helix thinking it would be an improvement, but come to find out its not usable in my situation.  First, there is no syncing the delays to midi time/beat clock in DP (I thought that was a standard in any legitimate midi device now days).  I think maybe there's a work around, but if very time consuming since I have to program up to 100 songs.   The other problem is using midi CC to turn effects on and off.  For some reason they elected to do a toggle, CC 0-127 to turn on and CC 0-127 to turn off.   This is too confusing to deal with, if you are turning multiple effects on an off through out a song.  Then times that by a 100.

 

 I would welcome someone to prove me wrong or that I'm missing something.  Saddens me to not be able to use the Helix, because I think it sounds great, but not at the programming price. 

 

Thanks

JE

[roscoe5]

Ouch.  Yeah, that would be a hard one to swallow.  

 

I don't think MIDI Time Sync is in yet, but if it was in on POD HD, I would bet it's in the works.  There are a couple of Idea Scale items posted for MIDI clock sync with loopers and drum tracks.

 

Now in Helix Menu>Command Center you can assign footswiches to send MIDI values, and CV Toggle for Dim Value and Lit Value is an option.  Of course you would need to change from preset to stomp footswitch mode via FS6 Mode footswitch.  This is covered pretty well in the Helix manual Command Center section p 37-39.

 

I would like to see them put the Menu edit functionality (Controller Assign, Command Center, etc.) in the Helix computer editor.

[soundog]

 Use CC 49 to control footswitch 1, CC 50 for 2, etc. The footswitches respond to data 0 for off, and 127 for on. Works great.

 

I do wish you could do clock synch, though.

[JLEpperson]

When I use CC 49 with a value of 0, it changes the state, if i insert CC 49 a few measures later with value of 0 again it changes again.   It only toggles the state, it doesnt matter if I use 0 or 127.

 

Another issue i forgot to mention....If i assign a default patch to a song in digital performer, for example patch 4.   If i turn on distortion, verb or whatever, if on the next song I assign the same patch in the default of digital performer, it doesnt reset it to the saved patch, if leave on the effects.   I have to manually go into the track, at the beginning of the song and insert a patch change to some other patch, then reinsert patch 4, to get it to reset.   What a pain.   Its so lame for such a high end pedal.

[zooey]

If i assign a default patch to a song in digital performer, for example patch 4.   If i turn on distortion, verb or whatever, if on the next song I assign the same patch in the default of digital performer, it doesnt reset it to the saved patch, if leave on the effects.   I have to manually go into the track, at the beginning of the song and insert a patch change to some other patch, then reinsert patch 4, to get it to reset.

If you're saying that patch changes are ignored if Helix is already on that patch, so it doesn't revert it to the settings saved in the patch, that strikes me as a bug you should report. Totally wrong behavior IMO.

[soundog]

You're right, a 0-127 just toggles, it doesn't dictate the state (0 ≠ off, 127 ≠ on). That's a big bad bummer. That means you have to make sure you toggle MIDI buttons to the correct state before you exit the patch.

 

I'm not quite following what you're saying about the patch changes. Mine behaves as I would expect with patch changes; if I have effects set to "zero" or toggled off and save those statuses with the patch, they are recalled with the patch (even if I change parameters and then exit without saving).

[toasterdude]

You're right, a 0-127 just toggles, it doesn't dictate the state (0 ≠ off, 127 ≠ on). That's a big bad bummer. That means you have to make sure you toggle MIDI buttons to the correct state before you exit the patch.

 

I'm not quite following what you're saying about the patch changes. Mine behaves as I would expect with patch changes; if I have effects set to "zero" or toggled off and save those statuses with the patch, they are recalled with the patch (even if I change parameters and then exit without saving).

 

 

 

Am I nuts or isn't that how HD500 works? I have been wanting to turn on or off FS in my HD Pros but they only toggle as well. Midi clock has to be near the top of the list as far as new features added.

 

Also if just using delays, midi sync is less essential. Delays are fairly forgiving and if you just program a tempo into the Helix you should be good to go. Pattern trems and other type effects are much harder to sync.

[zooey]

I happened to see this in the manual:

 

SHORTCUT: For most time-based parameters such as delay time or modulation speed, press the knob to toggle between setting the value in ms or Hz and note divisions (1/4-note, dotted 1/8-note, etc.).

If it's setting parameters in note divisions, that's tempo sync, yes?

 

I'm very new to Helix, and for now have intentionally not hooked it up to a computer except for firmware updates, so I haven't tried it, but that seems on the face of it like your answer, unless it's only in reference to an internal BPM setting I haven't run into, not external MIDI.

[gsking1]

I happened to see this in the manual:

If it's setting parameters in note divisions, that's tempo sync, yes?

 

I'm very new to Helix, and for now have intentionally not hooked it up to a computer except for firmware updates, so I haven't tried it, but that seems on the face of it like your answer, unless it's only in reference to an internal BPM setting I haven't run into, not external MIDI.

Yes it will sync to internal BPM from tap tempo, but not BPM coming in from external midi.  Hopefully in the future. 

[zooey]

Oh well, hopefully.

[Rewolf48]

I don't have a Helix yet, but I think I remember from a discussion somewhere that as with the HD500 you can tempo sync the delays and modulation to the internal Tap Tempo and that you can send in MIDI CC that logically press the Tap Tempo footswitch - sending this MIDI CC every 1/4 Note will keep the Helix/HD500 completely in sync with an external MIDI Sequencer.

[JLEpperson]

If you're saying that patch changes are ignored if Helix is already on that patch, so it doesn't revert it to the settings saved in the patch, that strikes me as a bug you should report. Totally wrong behavior IMO.

Just got a new one in because my first died when I tried to update firmware.   Same issue on the program changes.   Never seen a midi device that excepts program changes do this.   I wish LINE 6 would comment on this issue.  Wish I could get my money back at this point, to many issues.