Visual layout of Helix Lt screen questions

[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.

 

That is a really interesting question. I am not at my Helix, so I can't answer those right now. 

 

A question back to you is, how would the layout of this information be best for your needs? I may be interesting in writing a "manual" for the Helix in terms of layout related to joystick and knob movements rather than visual feedback from the display. 

[HaltingState]

Thanks. Well, certainly what I've done in the past with help, is write notes on the layout of menus in gear. Nothing fancy, I'm just using notepad. I mark sections with "*" and menu titles within "[]" This only really works on systems where the menus don't wrap or where's there's a definite starting point that can be jumped to.

 

The last modeller I used was a Johnson J-Station, which given it's era, circa 2001, was obviously a lot simpler.

 

I've started writing notes based on reading the Lt's manual. Just reminders of what the knobs do in the amp settings, master volue, sag etc.

 

I wouldn't expect anyone to do any writing like that of course. Grateful for any help though. I'm on an email list of visually impaired music producers / audio engineers. If I can get more out of this thing, I want to share with them too.

:)

[jbuhajla]

Thanks. Well, certainly what I've done in the past with help, is write notes on the layout of menus in gear. Nothing fancy, I'm just using notepad. I mark sections with "*" and menu titles within "[]" This only really works on systems where the menus don't wrap or where's there's a definite starting point that can be jumped to.

 

The last modeller I used was a Johnson J-Station, which given it's era, circa 2001, was obviously a lot simpler.

 

I've started writing notes based on reading the Lt's manual. Just reminders of what the knobs do in the amp settings, master volue, sag etc.

 

I wouldn't expect anyone to do any writing like that of course. Grateful for any help though. I'm on an email list of visually impaired music producers / audio engineers. If I can get more out of this thing, I want to share with them too.

:)

Well, I do quite a bit of programming for human machine interfaces in the manufacturing sector, and this subject intrigues me. I am going to send you a private message with my email address. As I am playing at my Helix, I will be brainstorming some ideas of how to make your sessions with your Helix hopefully a little more efficient. I would like to reach out to you with any ideas that I have on documenting the workflow of the helix with zero visual feedback.I don't have an LT, but I think most of the menu paths are pretty much the same.