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IdeaScale submission: Snapshots assignable to footswitches in 10-Switch Mode


Verne-Bunsen
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Hi all,

 

I've submitted an idea to IdeaScale and I thought I'd toss it out here for anyone else who finds it appealing to vote for.

 

I use Helix basically as a glorified and highly adaptable pedalboard, by which I mean that rather than designing a preset around a specific tone or a set of tones for a specific song or the like, I design presets as flexible collections of options built around what I'm doing with a specific guitar. So basically a different rig and pedalboard for each guitar. Or more like multiple rigs and pedalboards for each guitar, but I digress. Prior to 2.0, I did everything in 10-Switch Stomp Mode. With the introduction of Snapshots, I use the Snapshot function to handle amp switching and parameter changes for different gain levels, but I still like to control effects independently, like a pedalboard. The 4 switches that you get in "Snapshot/Stomp" mode don't quite cut it, and I don't use the Preset scrolling function on footswitches 1/6 on the fly, so I'm still using Stomp Mode for pedalboard duty. Where it gets clunky is that you can't access Snapshots in Stomp Mode, so switching amps/gain levels and switching Stomps requires going back and forth between modes. I'd like to be able to assign Snapshots to switches in 10-Switch Stomp Mode in order to take advantage of the functionality of Snapshots and the versatility of 10-Switch mode. Makes sense to me!

 

http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Option-to-assign-Snapshots-to-switches-in-10-Switch-Stomp-Mode/833058-23508

 

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Upvoted, definitely.

 

I'm in pretty much exactly the same situation as you, stuck in 10 switches mode. Same performance desires, except that I use the internal amp and cab models, not a real amp, which I think you're saying is what you do, but essentially the same philosophy. I also have the same love for snapshots, but as yet it's pretty much unconsummated, because of the navigation issues and the limitation of only 4 each of snaps and stomps if you want both instantly available.

 

I agree that switching modes on the fly is quite awkward, especially the way you have to do now, by pressing Bank Up and Down together, on the opposite side from the regular Mode switch. I have some other ideas about that, which I'll post about when they're more fully formed, but they're definitely more complex, both for Line 6 to build, and for players. Yours is the simplest solution I've run across, would add A LOT of value IMO.

 

It does require new UI to select a snapshot (or None) for each footswitch.

 

One possible version of that keeps everything else the same, so each switch can both recall a snapshot AND do everything else they can do now. Presumably any footswitch "commands" (block on-off, parameter changes, etc) would override the snapshot settings. That's maybe a bit tricky when they conflict, but it seems workable. Effectively it means recalling the snapshot, then applying any footswitch settings from there.

 

Another version makes recalling a snapshot an alternative "mode" for the switch -- choose that, and it does only that, no other actions are available for that switch. That's simpler in some senses, but [a] it's quite different than it is now, it's less flexible (I do love me my flexibles!), and [c] accidentally choosing that option and having all other settings for that switch get wiped would be a drag. To avoid [c], it'd be best to not actually erase the other settings until the preset was saved, so switching back out of snapshot mode restores the last state of the other settings for that switch.

 

A different thread proposed completely free switch assignment -- snaps, presets, or stomps -- but I prefer this, for its simplicity, and because it nearly exactly fills the most painful gap in functionality. To my mind, the advent of snapshots makes changing presets something you're more likely to do between songs than during one, but once you're there, you really do want a mix of stomps and snaps available, and 10 of them, freely mixable, would be great.

 

Overall, great idea, I'm there, really wish it was possible right now!

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You've put some thought into this too! I am using the Helix for amp modeling as well, I suppose my post meandered a bit and was evidently a bit misleading on that. My vision of how this feature would operate is as per your second version:

 

Another version makes recalling a snapshot an alternative "mode" for the switch -- choose that, and it does only that, no other actions are available for that switch. 

 

I admit I hadn't considered the possible conflict with other switch functionality, but that would certainly have to be taken into account. To me, if the way you use the Helix makes dedicating a switch to this desirable, I don't think you'd see it as a sacrifice. 

 

Thanks for the input and the upvote!

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I agree overall, dedicating individual switches to recalling a snapshot, only, would be fine.

 

L6 has clearly put a lot of thought into which options they offer and don't, how different settings interact, and the proof of that pudding is that Helix is as approachable as it is. For every feature I want, trading it for increased complexity isn't ideal, and makes it less likely L6 will actually do it. That's what I like about your proposal -- it gives us much-needed functionality without too much mental strain.

 

Want it Now. Seriously. Don't know what to do with snapshots in the mean time.

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Want it Now. Seriously. Don't know what to do with snapshots in the mean time.

 

I agree! This was the first thing I tried to do - put a couple of snapshots next to some stomps on the bottom row.  I still haven't figured out the best way to run my Helix now I can't do that.. some songs need stomps on lower row, some need snapshots.  Seems a pain to have to keep changing modes.

 

Another wish for me would be that a stomp could be set so that it's bypass state was not recalled by a snapshot...  Like the way that every other single parameter is.. you have to choose to assign them to a snapshot.. or not.

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...

 

Another wish for me would be that a stomp could be set so that it's bypass state was not recalled by a snapshot...  Like the way that every other single parameter is.. you have to choose to assign them to a snapshot.. or not.

 

Good idea! There is a limited implementation that does part of what you are trying to achieve but does not allow the bypass state you select on the fly to be reflected in every other snapshot. If you set the "Snapshot Edits" parameter under Global Settings/Preferences to "Recall", when you change snapshots and come back to the snapshot you changed the bypass state for a block in, it will be the same.  So, for example, if you have a snapshot that was saved with a distortion effect block on and you bypass that block, change snapshots and then return to that snapshot, it will still have the distortion block bypassed. If you change presets and come back to that preset and snapshot, it will have the distortion block back on as it was when you first saved it.

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......So, for example, if you have a snapshot that was saved with a distortion effect block on and you bypass that block, change snapshots and then return to that snapshot, it will still have the distortion block bypassed. .....

Not if you have the global setting for snapshot changes set to Discard.

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...

 

Another wish for me would be that a stomp could be set so that it's bypass state was not recalled by a snapshot... Like the way that every other single parameter is.. you have to choose to assign them to a snapshot.. or not.

Good idea! There is a limited implementation that does part of what you are trying to achieve but does not allow the bypass state you select on the fly to be reflected in every other snapshot. If you set the "Snapshot Edits" parameter under Global Settings/Preferences to "Recall", when you change snapshots and come back to the snapshot you changed the bypass state for a block in, it will be the same. So, for example, if you have a snapshot that was saved with a distortion effect block on and you bypass that block, change snapshots and then return to that snapshot, it will still have the distortion block bypassed. If you change presets and come back to that preset and snapshot, it will have the distortion block back on as it was when you first saved it.

Not if you have the global setting for snapshot changes set to Discard.

A good detail to keep in mind silverhead and that is the crux of the bisucuit. If you take a look at my post above you will see that I specified you need to set the "Snapshots Edit" parameter to "Recall" if you want the bypass state to be the same as it was when you last clicked it in your snapshot. That was the feature I was trying to point out to get ricsteruk 'halfway' to what he was trying to accomplish. Your point being that the opposite is true if you set this parameter to "Discard" any changes made to a snapshot (without a save) will be discarded when you switch away and then return to that snapshot.

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A good detail to keep in mind silverhead and that is the crux of the bisucuit. If you take a look at my post above you will see that I specified you need to set the "Snapshots Edit" parameter to "Recall" if you want the bypass state to be the same as it was when you last clicked it in your snapshot. That was the feature I was trying to point out to get ricsteruk 'halfway' to what he was trying to accomplish. Your point being that the opposite is true if you set this parameter to "Discard" any changes made to a snapshot (without a save) will be discarded when you switch away and then return to that snapshot.

Right - now I see that your comment that I quoted previously was in the context of the parameter being set to Recall. Sorry if I confused things for some readers.

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