On and off state of switch light when controlling amp reverb and tremolo

[salty09]

Hi, I did some searching for this and could not find an answer. I am controlling the reverb and tremolo on my Vox AC30 with the ext amp controls on the Helix, but I cannot figure out a way to correctly assign the light for the footswitches to be on when the reverb or tremolo are on, instead it is reversed. Is there a setting I am missing to change that? Like a polarity kind of thing. 

[zooey]

A switch that bypasses more than one block has one of them marked as the current one, and the light follows that block's bypass state. You control which one is current on the Helix by touching (not clicking) the switch, to cycle through the blocks the switch controls. The current block's settings are then shown in the display, and can be edited with the knobs below it.

 

Hope that makes sense. It's easy, just a little hard to describe.

[HonestOpinion]

As Zooey says, just cycle through the blocks controlled by the footswitch by just touching (not pressing) it until you hit a block that is in the bypass (lit/unlit) state you are looking for.  If you want to the switch to be unlit when it is in the current state, make sure you pick a block that is unlit and save the preset. If you want the switch to be lit in the current state, select a block that is lit and hit save. If you have multiple blocks assigned to the footswitch it does not matter which one one you select, as long as it is in the same lit/unlit state you want reflected by the footswitch. In other words the footswitch will reflect the bypass state of the block currently selected when the preset is saved.

[salty09]

Thanks for the replies. 

 

Oh okay, so if I am understanding correctly, and I should have thought of this myself. :( I just assign the footswitch to a block and use that blocks state to set the on and off state of the led while it is still also set to control the amp ext function, making sure it coincides with the current state of the amps reverb/trem settings. But wait, can I assign a footswitch to an empty block? If not I would need to assign something like a volume control or something to one and toggle that on and off. Maybe I am misunderstanding. 

[HonestOpinion]

Here is a concrete example using two differen

 

Thanks for the replies. 

 

Oh okay, so if I am understanding correctly, and I should have thought of this myself. :( I just assign the footswitch to a block and use that blocks state to set the on and off state of the led while it is still also set to control the amp ext function, making sure it coincides with the current state of the amps reverb/trem settings. But wait, can I assign a footswitch to an empty block? If not I would need to assign something like a volume control or something to one and toggle that on and off. Maybe I am misunderstanding. 

 

Here is a concrete example using two blocks - a reverb and a tremolo. I first assign both the reverb and tremolo blocks to one footswitch and name the footswitch "TremoloNoRvrb". My objective is that when the preset is selected the reverb block is on, the Tremolo is off, and the "TremoloNoRvrb" footswitch is NOT lit. After I click the "TremoloNoRvrb" block I want the reverb to turn off, the Tremolo to turn on, and I want the footswitch to light up.

 

The way to achieve this is to turn on (NOT bypassed) the Reverb block and bypass the Tremolo block. I then touch (do NOT hold or click) the footswitch I have named "TremoloNoRvrb". Each time I briefly touch the footswitch the main screen will alternate between the Reverb block and the Tremolo block. Due to the fact that the Reverb block is on and the Tremolo block is bypassed, when I switch to Reverb the footswitch will light and when I switch to Tremolo it will be unlit. But... I want the footswitch to be unlit when I have the Reverb on. So.. briefly touch (don't hold or click) the footswitch until the Tremolo block is selected in the main screen. Now the footswitch light will be off but the Reverb will still be on and the Tremolo off. Save your preset!!! Now when you select that preset the Reverb should be on but the footswitch light off. Clicking on the "TremoloNoRvrb" block will turn the Reverb off, turn the Tremolo on and light the footswitch.

[salty09]

Okay, so I am sure now that I did not explain the problem correctly in my first post. Sorry about that. 

 

I am not trying to use a reverb or tremolo block effect in Helix. I am trying to control the built in Reverb and Tremolo of my Vox AC30 amp using the ext amp output jack on the back of the Helix.  I have several presets where I have done what you are talking about using effects blocks, I typically have two reverbs assigned to the same foot switch, a spring that is on when the switch is not lit and a particle verb that comes on when the switch is engaged and lit. If I am udnerstanding correclty, I think that is what you both were trying to guide me toward. 

 

My problem is I want to be able to control my amps reverb and tremolo by assigning the two setting for the Ext Amp output to two switches, one for trem and one for reverb. One switch will turn on and off the AC30's built in reverb and the other switch will turn on and off the Ac30's tremolo. The problem is that the state of the switch is opposite of the state of the effect. 

 

Sorry if I am just still not getting it and you guys are explaining that, or if I did not explain the real problem correctly. 

 

But based on what you both were saying it was a duh moment to me, because I should be able to take a block and set it to something like a volume full on or something and use the switch I assign that to to control the light for the reverb switch and then add a second and control the light for the tremolo switch. I am going to head down and try that right now. 

[HonestOpinion]

Okay, so I am sure now that I did not explain the problem correctly in my first post. Sorry about that. 

 

I am not trying to use a reverb or tremolo block effect in Helix. I am trying to control the built in Reverb and Tremolo of my Vox AC30 amp using the ext amp output jack on the back of the Helix.  I have several presets where I have done what you are talking about using effects blocks, I typically have two reverbs assigned to the same foot switch, a spring that is on when the switch is not lit and a particle verb that comes on when the switch is engaged and lit. If I am udnerstanding correclty, I think that is what you both were trying to guide me toward. 

 

My problem is I want to be able to control my amps reverb and tremolo by assigning the two setting for the Ext Amp output to two switches, one for trem and one for reverb. One switch will turn on and off the AC30's built in reverb and the other switch will turn on and off the Ac30's tremolo. The problem is that the state of the switch is opposite of the state of the effect. 

 

Sorry if I am just still not getting it and you guys are explaining that, or if I did not explain the real problem correctly. 

 

But based on what you both were saying it was a duh moment to me, because I should be able to take a block and set it to something like a volume full on or something and use the switch I assign that to to control the light for the reverb switch and then add a second and control the light for the tremolo switch. I am going to head down and try that right now. 

 

Most diplomatic of you sir, actually when I take a better look at your original question you did describe what you were trying to do pretty well. However, as you observed,  the instructions provided for getting the switch light to happen in the correct state when you are manipulating blocks on the Helix rather than external amp switching may assist in and apply to getting the scribble strips and LED rings to reflect your amp state properly for you.  Every once in a while an effort to lend a hand can be helpful even when we don't answer the right question. Hopefully this is one of those occasions. Good luck!

[salty09]

Okay, so I added in two gain blocks without adding any gain. I one to each of the two foot switches I was using for the AC30's reverb and tremolo. I then hit the switch to turn on the amps tremolo and then set the gain block corresponding to that switch to on. Now the lights come on when I engage the Reverb or Trem. 

 

It is nice that the Helix is so flexible that I can work around the situation, but I really hope they introduce a way to control the led state of the footswitch assigned to ext amp controls. 

 

thanks so much for the input! You guys got me going in the right direction for sure.