FarleyUK Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Hi guys, My rotary knob has finally given up the ghost; the rotary function stopped working a couple of months ago (had lots of gigs so not been able to send it back for repair), but I could get around it. Now, however, the select function (i.e. pressing down on it) has stopped working - meaning I cannot add or edit any blocks! I have a gig on the 22nd so will be returning the unit after that - but doesn anyone know of a way to edit or add blocks without using the rotary knob so I can at least get around it for now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Hi guys, My rotary knob has finally given up the ghost; the rotary function stopped working a couple of months ago (had lots of gigs so not been able to send it back for repair), but I could get around it. Now, however, the select function (i.e. pressing down on it) has stopped working - meaning I cannot add or edit any blocks! I have a gig on the 22nd so will be returning the unit after that - but doesn anyone know of a way to edit or add blocks without using the rotary knob so I can at least get around it for now? You can use the Helix Editor until you get it fixed. I know of no way to add blocks on the unit itself without the rotary knob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarleyUK Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 You can use the Helix Editor until you get it fixed. I know of no way to add blocks on the unit itself without the rotary knob. Yeah, that was what I was thinking.... just curious if there was a way to do it without a PC (i.e., worst case if something goes wrong during the gig!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Yeah, that was what I was thinking.... just curious if there was a way to do it without a PC (i.e., worst case if something goes wrong during the gig!) I would bring a laptop or tablet to the gig until then for emergencies. Good to have if your Helix ever completely crashes at a gig anyway and you have to reload your presets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurston9 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 How long have you had it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 How long have you had it? I have had mine for about a year. No problems with the rotary knob but I use the Editor quite a bit which takes some stress off it. Hopefully yours is just one of a few units that will inevitably go bad on any product and not indicative of a larger problem. I have to admit the longevity of the rotary knob was one of my primary concerns when I first purchased my Helix so I am hoping we don't hear too many more stories like yours. So far we haven't. Thankfully Line6 has excellent customer service, I will be perfectly happy not to require it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datacommando Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Hi guys, My rotary knob has finally given up the ghost; the rotary function stopped working a couple of months ago (had lots of gigs so not been able to send it back for repair), but I could get around it. Now, however, the select function (i.e. pressing down on it) has stopped working - meaning I cannot add or edit any blocks! I have a gig on the 22nd so will be returning the unit after that - but doesn anyone know of a way to edit or add blocks without using the rotary knob so I can at least get around it for now? Hi FarleyUK, I think this also rotary selector joystick thing happened to Scott M of the YouTube Helix Channel. AFAIK, seems he arranged a swap out for a replacement Helix with his Line 6 dealership until his gets fixed. Check with your dealer and see what they say? Worth a shot. It could keep ya gigging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickedFinger Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 That has been my worst night mare wondering what the lifetime of that knob and contacts would be. I think I have a foot switch that is not working well. Only got 10 more payments, wweeeeeeeeeee... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarleyUK Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Yeah, I tried getting a replacement from Andertons, but I'm outside the 30 day exchange period :(Really sucks - just hope the repaired unit lasts longer..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurston9 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I I have had mine for about a year. No problems with the rotary knob but I use the Editor quite a bit which takes some stress off it. Hopefully yours is just one of a few units that will inevitably go bad on any product and not indicative of a larger problem. I have to admit the longevity of the rotary knob was one of my primary concerns when I first purchased my Helix so I am hoping we don't hear too many more stories like yours. So far we haven't. Thankfully Line6 has excellent customer service, I will be perfectly happy not to require it though. I wasn't asking you, wanted to know how long FarleyUK had it before it broke, but thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 That has been my worst night mare wondering what the lifetime of that knob and contacts would be. I think I have a foot switch that is not working well. Only got 10 more payments, wweeeeeeeeeee... Usually the rated lifetime of these sorts of electromechanical switches and knobs is in the hundreds of thousands of cycles. That's not to say there won't be duds here and there, but if it's working right, normal usage, even heavy usage shouldn't really be a concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarleyUK Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 How long have you had it? About 4 months now I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I wasn't asking you, wanted to know how long FarleyUK had it before it broke, but thanks :) Oops, I see that now. Thought that was the OP asking me. TMI :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sminchk67 Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I just got mine back from Line 6, today, with the same problem...here's a video I made showing how to get around it: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarleyUK Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 I just got mine back from Line 6, today, with the same problem...here's a video I made showing how to get around it: Yep - but mine doesn't press down either, so cannot select any blocks etc.....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regalpierot Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Damnit, I may have jinxed you when I started this thread the other day mate http://line6.com/support/topic/23307-things-i-worry-about/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickedFinger Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 Moral of the story is use the PC/Mac editor as much as possible. I've been trying to use my panel stuff less but man it is hard, just so easy to reach down and adjust or use the mode edit thing which I need to practice more on how to do that on the fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarleyUK Posted October 17, 2016 Author Share Posted October 17, 2016 Moral of the story is use the PC/Mac editor as much as possible. I've been trying to use my panel stuff less but man it is hard, just so easy to reach down and adjust or use the mode edit thing which I need to practice more on how to do that on the fly. No - I would argue that this unit is not exactly cheap, and should therefore be able to withstand normal usage. You should not have to use an alternative method due to parts being more prone to failure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willjrock Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Moral of the story is use the PC/Mac editor as much as possible. I've been trying to use my panel stuff less but man it is hard, just so easy to reach down and adjust or use the mode edit thing which I need to practice more on how to do that on the fly. Man....If a guy is jamming this unit in his studio a lot, i cant see how one would want to use anything BUT the editor. Especially if one owns the floor model. Not only would it be much less stress on the back bones, but the editor allows you to skip over many steps not possible on the unit itself...so its faster. I almost never touch my Helix, but not because im afraid its going to break. Because its too much hassle to use the unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarleyUK Posted October 17, 2016 Author Share Posted October 17, 2016 Man....If a guy is jamming this unit in his studio a lot, i cant see how one would want to use anything BUT the editor. Especially if one owns the floor model. Not only would it be much less stress on the back bones, but the editor allows you to skip over many steps not possible on the unit itself...so its faster. I almost never touch my Helix, but not because im afraid its going to break. Because its too much hassle to use the unit. But what about the rest of us playing live with it? Should we really be afraid to touch the unit for fear of breaking it? Of course not - we expect the unit to withstand reasonable punishment and everyday use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 But what about the rest of us playing live with it? Should we really be afraid to touch the unit for fear of breaking it? Of course not - we expect the unit to withstand reasonable punishment and everyday use. 1000% agree! For a device targeted to include the pro, semi-pro, and "prosumer" market the Helix must be reasonably reliable for live and studio use. We are getting paid to perform or perhaps for a studio session and there is a reasonable expectation by our audience, customer, and the venue that we will not be using equipment prone to crapping out during a show and causing a disruption. Let's hope this is a rare occurrence because there is no justifying things breaking under reasonable usage on a well maintained device outside of the small number of devices destined to go bad in any product line. For the Helix to be considered a pro level device it requires a certain base level of reliability and I am certain it was designed with that in mind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willjrock Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 But what about the rest of us playing live with it? Should we really be afraid to touch the unit for fear of breaking it? Of course not - we expect the unit to withstand reasonable punishment and everyday use. Oh im not saying its ok for the hardware to fail under any circumstances. It should almost never happen unless a person is being downright abusive. You should be able to drop a beer bottle on it, snap the knob off of it, and have it still function. Even if you have to change patches with a pair of needle nose pliers. All im saying is that the only time i edit on the helix itself is when im forced to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 All im saying is that the only time i edit on the helix itself is when im forced to. Im mostly the same way. Love that editor, but some don't and thats ok too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PierM Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 It's my turn. Joystick gone. Sending the unit back to repair. Sad thing, apart the time I'll have to wait, it's I almost never used that part, as I edit 90% of the time with the PC, and the unit never touched the floor, as I use it on a stand... They must be using crappy 2 cents parts or made out of cheese.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarleyUK Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 It's my turn. Joystick gone. Sending the unit back to repair. Sad thing, apart the time I'll have to wait, it's I almost never used that part, as I edit 90% of the time with the PC, and the unit never touched the floor, as I use it on a stand... They must be using crappy 2 cents parts or made out of cheese.... Welcome to the club :) There's quite a few people in the FB groups saying the same thing has happened as well. Really seems to be a key component that's a weak link, and something that's giving a lot of people issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PierM Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I just hope they'll put in some new version, corrected and improved, and not the same rubbish, or will be same problem in a matter of months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingsCool Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I just hope they'll put in some new version, corrected and improved, and not the same rubbish, or will be same problem in a matter of months. I'm betting they have a run of some bad parts from their supplier. As we all know, L6 wasn't expecting to be selling as many as they are. When you push your suppliers for more parts faster, well... stuff happens, typically bad. Hopefully, they've got that supplier under control now, or found another.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingsCool Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Yeah, I tried getting a replacement from Andertons, but I'm outside the 30 day exchange period :( Really sucks - just hope the repaired unit lasts longer..... Rather than an outright replacement, maybe ask your local Line 6 repair shop for a rental unit till it's fixed? Kind of like car dealerships do when you bring in a car for a repair. Sounds like this is your livelihood, and you are depending on this unit and can't really be without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PierM Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I'm betting they have a run of some bad parts from their supplier. As we all know, L6 wasn't expecting to be selling as many as they are. When you push your suppliers for more parts faster, well... stuff happens, typically bad. Hopefully, they've got that supplier under control now, or found another.... Dunno. All I know is if it will happen again I'll hack the unit and separate the jog from the rotary, installing a planar D pad and a separate rotary selector. Waiting more than a month for this rubbish it does drive me crazy really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy129 Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I had the same issue. I could push down, but my rotary function crapped out. Definitely seems like L6 got a bad batch or straight up cheaped out on these joystick units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicLaw Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 FarleyUK, PierM, and bassguy129; When did you each get your Helix? From what vendor? Floor or Rack version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb7170 Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 I've had mine since late October 2015, from Sweetwater. I edit pretty much only on the unit itself (helix floor). So far no issues with the rotary joystick (knock wood). Just wanted to add a data point. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PierM Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 FarleyUK, PierM, and bassguy129; When did you each get your Helix? From what vendor? Floor or Rack version? Doesn't really matter. I've seen tonnes of these reports in the facebook page and it's all around the world, along the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isdirg1 Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Same thing happened to my Helix. Luckily I know a great electrician, he took the Helix apart and found that the four wires on the rotary dial had come away from the connection. He simply resoldered all the wires and hey presto! That was over 12 months ago and the Helix is as good as gold. Good luck with yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isdirg1 Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Same thing happened to my Helix. Luckily I know a great electrician, he took the Helix apart and found that the four wires on the rotary dial had come away from the connection. He simply resoldered all the wires and hey presto! That was over 12 months ago and the Helix is as good as gold. Good luck with yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PierM Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Yeah, I would have been able to fix that myself but I don't want to void the warranty. I've 3 years and it's still to end the first one. Curious it's not first time I read it's more about a soldering issue than a joystick failure. Since there is not any kind of traction on those soldering (I really can't imagine anything moving on the back of the joystick), wondering how bad they have to be to self break after just a bit of time. Probably cold welds there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Not that people cause issues with electronic stuff ;) everyone needs to get rid of what I call the "3-pound hammer technic" when operating equipment. Not making excuses for things that just break but..., Another thing that also bugged me about the floor unit and the reason why I have a rack unit is..., Here's a $1500.00 guitar processor, now set it on the floor and step all over it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PierM Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Yeah. Problem is when you have people who can barely use an hammer, doing soldering for a product which does cost 1500$. As for the floorboard, I use it on a stand. The only day touched the floor was when arrived home, first day (the avatar). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaminjimlp Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Okay so any of you with the problem did you get yours in the initial shipment of the helix or are these all Second Run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbuhajla Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Doesn't really matter. I've seen tonnes of these reports in the facebook page and it's all around the world, along the year. It matters if you got it from Sweetwater. They have a 2 year warranty on everything you buy from them. I'd bet they would replace the entire unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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