Questions on visual layout of Helix Lt screen

[HaltingState]

Hi guys.
For a while, like loads of others, been interested in upgrading to some of the new amp modelers, flexible guitar processors, with all the DSP improvements and so on, read and listened to demos of the Helix and was obviously impressed.

I'm a blind guitarist, mainly playing at home, recording on a PC DAW system. At first I wasn't sure I would be able to use the Helix Lt at all but reading the manual (with my screenreader,) it seems as many of the functions are designed to be jumpable to with out menu diving, I thought, well maybe... Let's do it. SO I got myself an Lt.

I've been playing with it for about a week, tweeking presets. Will have some sighted help soon but would be grateful if someone can give me a visual clue with the following.

1. Sticking to using one path for now. Are the blocks arranged horizontaly?

I gather you can move down and it creates a parralele path.

2. I know pressing Tone Stack takes you to the amp settings. If I joystick to the right from there, do I end up in the cab settings or do you use pg up / pg down for that?

As in, if I'm on the amp list, press joystick to select a model, this I think takes me out of that back to the main window. Joystick right twice, should I be on a block after the amp, where I can now put a reverbe for example.

3. How are the FX cattagries organised?

E.g. I touch a pedal with a phaser effect, if I turn the joystick, I get other modulation FX. How do you get out of those to say, change it to a compressor or EQ. Joystick left, up?

4. On firmware 2.12, are the bass amps at the bottom of the am plist or do you have to go into somewhere else first?

I appreciate this is a bit tricky to describe. The PC editter doesn't really work with screenreaders. Unfortunately the "pacman" thing with the blocks means I can't reliably start from one end. The effect lists don't wrap round, fortunately, so far as I can tell. I can certainly use some of the features and there some amazing amps. I've been using what I think are the Roland JC120 and Engl Fireball models a lot today.

Any hints welcome.

Cheers.

[jbuhajla]

Hi guys.

For a while, like loads of others, been interested in upgrading to some of the new amp modelers, flexible guitar processors, with all the DSP improvements and so on, read and listened to demos of the Helix and was obviously impressed.

I'm a blind guitarist, mainly playing at home, recording on a PC DAW system. At first I wasn't sure I would be able to use the Helix Lt at all but reading the manual (with my screenreader,) it seems as many of the functions are designed to be jumpable to with out menu diving, I thought, well maybe... Let's do it. SO I got myself an Lt.

I've been playing with it for about a week, tweeking presets. Will have some sighted help soon but would be grateful if someone can give me a visual clue with the following.

1. Sticking to using one path for now. Are the blocks arranged horizontaly?

I gather you can move down and it creates a parralele path.

2. I know pressing Tone Stack takes you to the amp settings. If I joystick to the right from there, do I end up in the cab settings or do you use pg up / pg down for that?

As in, if I'm on the amp list, press joystick to select a model, this I think takes me out of that back to the main window. Joystick right twice, should I be on a block after the amp, where I can now put a reverbe for example.

3. How are the FX cattagries organised?

E.g. I touch a pedal with a phaser effect, if I turn the joystick, I get other modulation FX. How do you get out of those to say, change it to a compressor or EQ. Joystick left, up?

4. On firmware 2.12, are the bass amps at the bottom of the am plist or do you have to go into somewhere else first?

I appreciate this is a bit tricky to describe. The PC editter doesn't really work with screenreaders. Unfortunately the "pacman" thing with the blocks means I can't reliably start from one end. The effect lists don't wrap round, fortunately, so far as I can tell. I can certainly use some of the features and there some amazing amps. I've been using what I think are the Roland JC120 and Engl Fireball models a lot today.

Any hints welcome.

Cheers.

 

1. Blocks are arranged horizontally, left to right. To add a parallel path to your signal you first drop in a block on the first path, then click the action button, then you can move that block to the path below. However, the split and merge of that parallel path won't be in your desired positions and you have to go to each of those to move them from where they split and merge. The cursor position is purely visual so it may take some pecking around to figure out where your cursor is. I can see where an interface between Helix Edit and your screen reader would be extremely helpful. 

 

2. If you are using an amp and cab block, then moving the joystick to the right does get you to the cabinet. However, you can choose separate amp and cab blocks so you can put effects in between. In that case, the "tone stack" button only takes you to the amp. 

 

3. If your screen reader can interpret PDF files, then you will find the effects on page 23 of 59 of the 2.0 user manual. I am not sure if they are in order of what is on the Helix display though. I am not at my Helix at the moment. 

 

4. Yes, the bass amp models are at the bottom of the amp list. 

 

 

I think your biggest help will be to have someone with you that can talk you through all the menus. Your biggest challenge will be having no feedback from the Helix for cursor position and what preset it is on. I am not sure if anything like this exists, but if there is a device that will interpret MIDI messages, then you could get the Helix to transmit the current preset number so you will know which one you have loaded. 

 

This could be an awesome opportunity for Line 6 if they could develop some tools for people with no sight. That would definitely put them above the rest of the competition. 

[HaltingState]

1. Blocks are arranged horizontally, left to right. To add a parallel path to your signal you first drop in a block on the first path, then click the action button, then you can move that block to the path below. However, the split and merge of that parallel path won't be in your desired positions and you have to go to each of those to move them from where they split and merge. The cursor position is purely visual so it may take some pecking around to figure out where your cursor is. I can see where an interface between Helix Edit and your screen reader would be extremely helpful. 

 

2. If you are using an amp and cab block, then moving the joystick to the right does get you to the cabinet. However, you can choose separate amp and cab blocks so you can put effects in between. In that case, the "tone stack" button only takes you to the amp. 

 

3. If your screen reader can interpret PDF files, then you will find the effects on page 23 of 59 of the 2.0 user manual. I am not sure if they are in order of what is on the Helix display though. I am not at my Helix at the moment. 

 

4. Yes, the bass amp models are at the bottom of the amp list. 

 

 

I think your biggest help will be to have someone with you that can talk you through all the menus. Your biggest challenge will be having no feedback from the Helix for cursor position and what preset it is on. I am not sure if anything like this exists, but if there is a device that will interpret MIDI messages, then you could get the Helix to transmit the current preset number so you will know which one you have loaded. 

 

This could be an awesome opportunity for Line 6 if they could develop some tools for people with no sight. That would definitely put them above the rest of the competition. 

 

Thanks for this. Sorry, ,  I started duplicate threads.

There are quite a few visually impaired music tech guys, perhaps not surprisingly. We're always looking out for more accessible, or at all accessible gear. The screen reader I use on a PC can be scripted to work with other applications. I'm not up on that side of stuff myself. However, you need the helix attached to use it, so not that practicle to ask a coder to look at it. Well maybe over Team Viewer perhaps. hmm.

 

Thanks for your PM too, I'll reply now.