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Helix 2.20 volume control jump in levels


nickgosden1
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Hi

Just loaded up 2.20 with no issues during the upload but I now have a problem.

The volume control on the front, next to the phones vol, jumps the volume up in stages rather than smoothly as it did before the upload.

It reacts much like a valve amp does, not on, then on loud except that it has this effect all the way through so there is no smooth transition from silent to very loud.

Anyone else finding this?

 

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As I read the known problem notes it seems like this only affects you if you have sound going through the unit when you adjust the master volume.  The volume is still correct, it just doesn't move smoothly if sound is going through it.  I'm hoping this is the case since I rarely play while setting the master volume..

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Looks like I'll be delaying THIS update...  LoL!

That's too bad. Here's the release note about this:

 

"Subtle stepping may be heard when adjusting the main VOLUME knob while audio is present"

 

So ask yourself: how many times/situations do I actually use the master Volume knob while sound is passing through the device? Is that really not a very minor and avoidable annoyance? Is it really worth denying yourself all the benefits of the new firmware?

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My Volume knob is maxed out since day 1 lol. I could even glue it....so for me really a non issue. I prefer to control volumes post-Helix, or per Amp block, to reduce any unwanted extra noise coming from bottom floor signals.

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Rule number one!  Never do an update the day it comes out!  Wait for feedback here to see how it goes and to see what kind of problems it may cause.  Let others be the leaders - be a fast follower.

Boring...lol. 

 

There will always be "bugs" in the system, it's just a matter of what you are willing to deal with. 

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Rule number one!  Never do an update the day it comes out!  Wait for feedback here to see how it goes and to see what kind of problems it may cause.  Let others be the leaders - be a fast follower.

 

How can people leave a feedback if had to wait for people to leave a feedback, before update?

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There will always be plenty of first adopters out there.  I will wait for them to stumble through the update and report back.  Sometimes there is a big problem.  I don't mind little bugs - they will be there.  I just don't want to be on the first wave.  Sometimes the whole update gets recalled or updated again in a few days if there is a major problem.

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Rule number one!  Never do an update the day it comes out!  Wait for feedback here to see how it goes and to see what kind of problems it may cause.  Let others be the leaders - be a fast follower.

couldn't agree more!

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With Helix Native and a newly revised Helix Editor slated for release this Spring, and having seen DI's posts that Ben and others at Line 6 have already been working on fw 2.30 for a few weeks, it is entirely likely that by Spring's end (or when Native and new Editor are released), Helix may have received, at least, one (or several) additional firmware update(s).

 

Helix's firmware release history shows that 2.00 (7/6/16) was promptly followed by fix 2.01 (7/20/16), and 2.11 (12/5/16) promptly followed 2.10 (11/22/16). It will be interesting to see what lies ahead in the next several few weeks....

 

I certainly appreciate what 2.20 has delivered for Bass and Variax players (I have neither), however, I am far more interested in seeing how Helix evolves with the forthcoming new Editor and Helix Native.

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Did you perform the global reset after the update as described in the installation procedures?

 

Hi

I did. I use the volume as i'm feeding the signal in to a line 6 stage source with its volume set and so the volume on the helix is closer to hand for master vol type adjustments.

The changes are far from subtle, they are more like leaps in volume to be fair.

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As I read the known problem notes it seems like this only affects you if you have sound going through the unit when you adjust the master volume.  The volume is still correct, it just doesn't move smoothly if sound is going through it.  I'm hoping this is the case since I rarely play while setting the master volume..

It makes not difference if you have sound through it or not, the increase in volume is erratic and feels uncontrollable.

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That's too bad. Here's the release note about this:

 

"Subtle stepping may be heard when adjusting the main VOLUME knob while audio is present"

 

So ask yourself: how many times/situations do I actually use the master Volume knob while sound is passing through the device? Is that really not a very minor and avoidable annoyance? Is it really worth denying yourself all the benefits of the new firmware?

 

Honestly, on my Helix, this is not subtle. its much more pronounced than that.

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My Volume knob is maxed out since day 1 lol. I could even glue it....so for me really a non issue. I prefer to control volumes post-Helix, or per Amp block, to reduce any unwanted extra noise coming from bottom floor signals.

 

Not bad advise as it happens, thanks

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Huh? How can you hear a volume increase when there's no sound?

 

what i mean is that there is the background sound of a guitar plugged in, but no sound from the strings. Exactly as you'd hear on a valve amp with a guitar plugged in, you'd be aware of how loud the sound is likely to be from the level of background noise. Especially with single coils.

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I never adjust my volume knob on the Helix while playing at the same time, so it is not going to make ANY difference if the volume adjusts linearly or in steps. If anyone DOES adjust their volume knob at the same time in playing, then you have some good talent, and more creativity that I do. 

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I never adjust my volume knob on the Helix while playing at the same time, so it is not going to make ANY difference if the volume adjusts linearly or in steps. If anyone DOES adjust their volume knob at the same time in playing, then you have some good talent, and more creativity that I do. 

 

What I'm experiencing is difficulty setting the volume where i want it to be, not changing it whilst playing.

Its just like using an amp that you can't dial in the volume level you need. If i think its quiet then try to turn it up a bit, it turns up loads and when i turn it down it cab even just mute out.

This is a problem and i'm sure if it was on a normal amp it would need a repair.

I'm a big fan of Helix, just not this particular glitch that this update has.

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What I'm experiencing is difficulty setting the volume where i want it to be, not changing it whilst playing.

Its just like using an amp that you can't dial in the volume level you need. If i think its quiet then try to turn it up a bit, it turns up loads and when i turn it down it cab even just mute out.

This is a problem and i'm sure if it was on a normal amp it would need a repair.

I'm a big fan of Helix, just not this particular glitch that this update has.

Have you done the update then?

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My Volume knob is maxed out since day 1 lol. I could even glue it....so for me really a non issue. I prefer to control volumes post-Helix, or per Amp block, to reduce any unwanted extra noise coming from bottom floor signals.

 

Just an FYI. If you disconnect the Volume knob from controlling your output (1/4"-XLR), those outputs are then kept at the maximum so you can protect yourself from accidental Volume knob adjustments.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just performed the update a couple of nights ago and must say this issue was immediately a nuisance. It's not limited to changing the volume while playing, the step changes are happening whether you are hearing them or not. I control the volume of my monitor with the master volume and it is frustrating to A) want a volume that is somewhere between the "steps" and B ) have to play while adjusting the volume because the large dead band between "steps" means you don't actually know when it's changing unless you can hear it. It was previously very intuitive. Not something I'd generally bother to gripe about but mostly this bug seems to be dismissed as trivial and I'd like to voice that there are those of us for whom it's actually a problem. I do hope that it will be addressed and not just be the new norm.

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I just performed the update a couple of nights ago and must say this issue was immediately a nuisance. It's not limited to changing the volume while playing, the step changes are happening whether you are hearing them or not. I control the volume of my monitor with the master volume and it is frustrating to A) want a volume that is somewhere between the "steps" and B ) have to play while adjusting the volume because the large dead band between "steps" means you don't actually know when it's changing unless you can hear it. It was previously very intuitive. Not something I'd generally bother to gripe about but mostly this bug seems to be dismissed as trivial and I'd like to voice that there are those of us for whom it's actually a problem. I do hope that it will be addressed and not just be the new norm.

 

Well, that pretty much settles it...no upgrade for me.  I'll wait until the next one, or the one after that until this gets fixed.

 

At first it didn't sound too bad from the release notes.  But like you I manage my volume with the master volume control, and that's an extremely important part of getting my patches normalized to the same volume.  I just assumed the stepping was an artifact only when playing, but apparently it's a bug in the master volume adjustment...period.  There is no smooth transition of volume from what you're saying.

 

I guess the most disappointing aspect of this is how they would think this is an "okay" bug to go ahead and release the FW upgrade.  It's starting to become a trend.  I always hold off on upgrades to ensure there's not some major problem.  So far I didn't bother with 2.11 and at this point I won't be bothering with 2.20 either.  There's just simply not enough value in the upgrade to accept the penalty of having to deal with this bug.

 

Not a very good way to impress your customers Line 6!!!!  Your FW upgrades are appearing to be about as solid as Jell-o.....

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...I manage my volume with the master volume control, and that's an extremely important part of getting my patches normalized to the same volume. ..

 

Do you mean you adjust the master volume many times a show/rehearsal, after each patch switch?

 

That works, but personally I've found it much easier and more convenient to always leave Master Volume at maximum, and set the mixer or speakers the Helix is going into to an overall preferred volume. Then I save each patch with its overall level adjusted appropriately (either at the amp's Channel Volume, the Output block's Gain adjustment, or at the last effect block in the path).

 

Sometimes it takes a couple of rehearsals or gigs to dial it in perfectly, but once it's dialed in it's "set and forget." Also, it's pretty easy to adjust the patch volume hands-free - that's where the foot edit mode is really useful.

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