About to Do An Update. Concerned about saving and restoring IR's.

[Dylanguitar]

Hello all. I haven't done a firmware update or backup since earlier this year. I would like to get up to speed with the most current version, but I'm unclear as to how or even if it's possible to save all the Ownhammer Impulse Responses I have set up, in their various numerical positions. They IR's have become a big part of my overall core sounds, and I would hate to discover that I would have to install them again, each one by one after doing the update.

So can anyone guide me or let me know, when saving user presets, how to save them so that they appear again with the correct presets after the update?

 

Thanks for any and all help.

 

Dylan

[rvroberts]

You need to export your IRs separately.

There are 2 ways to do that - either screen capture your IR list from the editor and replace manually after update 

- or -

My prefered system - but a bit laborious the first time you do it - but not probably more than having to load them all manually!!

Rename the IRs before you back them up.

Rename them 001, 002. etc down your list in the editor.  Then when you back them up they will be in correct order in your computer and you will be able to select the lot and drop them in in one go when you have finished your update (after the restart!).  Remember, that will be just not this time but every time.

Add any new ones to the end of the list and keep your numbers consecutive.

One small problem with this is you will probably find your Ownhammer IRs have names that are too long - so you may need to remove a few characters to fit the 001 (it needs to be at the start of the name!!).

Would be nice if it were easier, but its not!

[Dylanguitar]

Great thank you!!!

[FullMotion]

Add a prefix to each IR name with the slot number (001 greenback, 002 vintage 30, etc...). And/or take a screen shot of the loaded IR page of the Helix editor on your computer.

 

I decided early on to create a folder on my computer where I copy all of the IR that I load on the Helix. I then rename each with a prefix.

[zooey]

Everyone hopes this aspect of the Helix ecosystem will become more sane at some point, and I think that's likely.

 

In the mean time, IMO the most sane way to manage IRs is to rename them with a 3-digit numeric prefix, so they can be sorted in that order in the file system on your computer. From there, you can drag them onto the editor, and there's a reasonable chance they'll end up in that order there, and in your Helix. I'm not 100% positive, but I think there are sometimes glitches in that drag-drop process, but in any case, the prefix makes it easy to see any that end up out of order and move them.

 

It's easiest if you start that process on your computer, since there are auto-renumber tools that work well. I'm on Windows, and I use one called BulkRenameUtility. Its interface is a little funky, but once you get used to it it's very powerful, does this sort of thing really well. No clue what's available on Mac, but I'm sure there's somethign similar. If you've already got un-prefixed IRs in your Helix, then it's probably best to number them there before exporting them. It's tedious but worth it, and you only have to do it once.

 

Another layer of this that you may or may not want to do is to add some indication of where each IR came from. Once you move them to the directory you'll drag to the editor, they won't be in their original source folders any more, so I find it helpful to add a 2-character manufacturer prefix, for example , OH=Ownhammer, 3S=3 Sigma, etc.. I keep a text file of those prefixes and manufacturers for reference if I forget. If you do that, put it after the numeric part, so you end up with names like '025 OH 412 MES-ST V60 414-.wav'.

 

 

Not that you asked, and of course you should do whatever makes sense to you, but I use the following directory structure:

 

- Library - your collection of stuff you might use some day, NOT what's loaded in Helix

-- IRs

--- Ownhammer - directories for each source

--- Studio Cat

--- etc

-- Presets

--- fremen - directories for each source

--- Glenn DeLaune

--- custom - your originals (mine are loaded in my Helix, so I don't really do this, but you could if you had more than fit)

--- etc

-- Setlists

 

- firmware 1.12 - backups of your actual Helix contents from this firmware revision

-- 2016-09-24 - separate dated directories for each time you back up

--- IRs

--- Presets

--- Setlists

 

- firmware 2.0

- ...etc

 

HTH.

[Dylanguitar]

Ok great thanks everybody. I think that covers it pretty well. If I hit any snags I will check back.

 

Dylan

[HonestOpinion]

Using three digits for pre-pending IR names is probably the most elegant method right now for enabling painless restores as they show up in the proper order in your PC's directory and can be properly matched to their Helix IR slot. However, due to the short (too short) namespace available for IRs although I advocate the numbering system I don't use three digits (e.g. '001', '002') for every slot. I use one digit for slots 1-9, two digits for 10-99, and finally three digits for numbers '100' and over.  Those extra characters are precious, as it is I am constantly having to trim the names already. IR makers and device makers either need to get on the same page regarding IR naming conventions or Line6 needs to add characters to the IR namespace as well as enhance the management system. IRs are a phenomenal capability but managing them on the Helix right now is just awful. Looking forward like everyone else here to some improvements in this area.

[Dylanguitar]

Actually, I do have one other question: It says at the end of the firmware update YOU MUST RESET GLOBALS AND RESTORE PRESETS, OTHERWISE HELIX 2.10 WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. DO IT. DO IT NOW:

 

I'm not sure I understand this. You've already updated the firmware, which comes with all the updated stock presets correct? Why then the need to "restore presets?"
And why the need to reset globals at this point, just to switch them right back to the way you like them?

 

Dylan

[zooey]

Resetting globals apparently does or may do some fixup that's part of the upgrade process. Yes it's goofy that the upgrade itself doesn't just do that, and goofier still that there's no way to save your current settings as a file that can be imported after an upgrade or in case of disaster, but that's How It Is, for now.

 

More or less ditto for restoring presets, and it's not that big of a deal, so I'd just go ahead and do it. You're in an easier situation than most since you don't have your own presets you need to reload, so just proceed.

[Dylanguitar]

Actually I have all my sounds that I have to save and re import. That's why my concern about re importing my IR library. I have all my sounds the way I like them, I just haven't backed up or done an upgrade in a good 10 months or so, so I wanted to make sure I did it right and not lose anything, since my custom presets are IR dependent.

Thanks for the info.

 

Resetting globals apparently does or may do some fixup that's part of the upgrade process. Yes it's goofy that the upgrade itself doesn't just do that, and goofier still that there's no way to save your current settings as a file that can be imported after an upgrade or in case of disaster, but that's How It Is, for now.

 

More or less ditto for restoring presets, and it's not that big of a deal, so I'd just go ahead and do it. You're in an easier situation than most since you don't have your own presets you need to reload, so just proceed.

[klangmaler]

Actually, I do have one other question: It says at the end of the firmware update YOU MUST RESET GLOBALS AND RESTORE PRESETS, OTHERWISE HELIX 2.10 WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. DO IT. DO IT NOW:

 

I'm not sure I understand this. You've already updated the firmware, which comes with all the updated stock presets correct? Why then the need to "restore presets?"

And why the need to reset globals at this point, just to switch them right back to the way you like them?

 

Dylan

 

Did you read THIS:

 

If a user fails to read and follow the update instructions, Helix will cause their car radio to play only polka death metal every Thursday from 1-3pm PST

 

Backing up is a MUST anyway...