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Helix UI froze during a gig


amsdenj
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My Helix UI froze during a gig this weekend. I had just switched to a new patch that had a Variax model. The patch switched and I had audio, but the Helix interface was frozen, it wouldn't respond to any inputs, footswitch presses, etc. Nothing was connected to USB. This was more than 1/2 way through a 3 hour gig. Using 2.20.

 

I had to reboot to recover. This is not a good thing for a performance device. I've had it happen before at rehearsal once, and a couple of times at home when practicing and setting up patches. This is the first time it happened on a gig. Hope this isn't a common occurrence.

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Hasn't happened to me for a while, but it has happened, a couple of times, exactly as you describe. Audio plays, but the UI and footswitches are unresponsive, had to reboot. Glad it's not common, would most definitely s u c k on a gig.

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Has happened a few times to me, with earlier firmware and with a Variax, but it hasn't happened often enough to troubleshoot. Luckily the last patch keeps working, but changes can't be made. I've only used my Helix a few times since firmware 2.20, so I couldn't say yet if the problem is gone.

 

I'd like to hear if there are known issues that increase the risk of a UI freeze and if there are any workarounds.

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Mine froze again tonight, after some rapid tweaks (prior to saving, I believe) - I was on one of two presets that regularly freeze for some reason. I happened to be connected to the editor (but it has frozen before as zooey's did above, with no USB connection), and noticed the big white "Helix quit unexpectedly" error report window on my Macbook. I closed that, then clicked some other presets in the editor's left hand preset menu and that woke up the Helix Floor and I could use the controls again.

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That happened to me twice, both times at gigs. Once prior to sound check, once during the gig. Since it only happened twice, there wasn't enough info for me to go on to try and chase it down. That was two or three firmware versions ago and hasn't happened since, so I assume whatever it was got fixed in one of the firmware upgrades.

 

Side note...No Variax involved and not connected to the editor when it froze.

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This had happened to me a few times several firmware versions ago. My symptoms suggested that it was caused by presets that:

- involved Variax settings, and / or

- were imported after a firmware update and not properly rebuilt in the new firmware.

 

Some time ago I developed the habit of:

- disconnecting my VDI cable from Helix when doing a firmware update, and

- restarting Helix immediately after importing a saved setlist/preset, BEFORE editing the preset(s). This forces a rebuild.

 

I have not experienced this problem since, but I don't claim it's a reliable workaround. Just that it seems to have stabilized things for me so far.

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This had happened to me a few times several firmware versions ago. My symptoms suggested that it was caused by presets that:

- involved Variax settings, and / or

- were imported after a firmware update and not properly rebuilt in the new firmware.

 

Some time ago I developed the habit of:

- disconnecting my VDI cable from Helix when doing a firmware update, and

- restarting Helix immediately after importing a saved setlist/preset, BEFORE editing the preset(s). This forces a rebuild.

 

I have not experienced this problem since, but I don't claim it's a reliable workaround. Just that it seems to have stabilized things for me so far.

 

/\ /\ /\ /\

This!!

Had no freezes with Variax since having these habits.

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This had happened to me a few times several firmware versions ago. My symptoms suggested that it was caused by presets that:

- involved Variax settings, and / or

- were imported after a firmware update and not properly rebuilt in the new firmware.

 

Some time ago I developed the habit of:

- disconnecting my VDI cable from Helix when doing a firmware update, and

- restarting Helix immediately after importing a saved setlist/preset, BEFORE editing the preset(s). This forces a rebuild.

 

I have not experienced this problem since, but I don't claim it's a reliable workaround. Just that it seems to have stabilized things for me so far.

 

 

That is consistent with some of my experiences. Once I had a patch with a footswitch that changed the Variax model, and whenever I hit that footswitch *while simultaneously changing the Variax 5-way switch* the Helix consistently locked up.

 

Unfortunately I cannot seem to reproduce the issue anymore after updating the firmware (thus rebuilding patches).

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