Exporting presets and IRs list?

[mrmichaelgibson]

Hi all,

 

 Just wondering if there is an easy way to export the list of all my presets and / or impulse responses I currently have in the Helix.  I can type it all out manually, but figured there must be an easy way (like to an Excel .xls or .csv file).   Does anyone know of a way?

 

Thanks!  B)

[rvroberts]

Assuming you have all this stuff backed up on your computer - what you are really asking is a computer related issue.

You don't say what OS you are using - but If you google something like "save a directory list as a text file" or XL file or csv - a quick look seems to indicate (as you would expect) plenty of solutions.

Have fun being organised!

[zooey]

Just the names, or the actual content?

 

For names, see above.

 

For content, like as a backup, you can export presets, setlists, or IRs.

[mrmichaelgibson]

Hi all,

 

 I am on Windows 10.  Thanks for the info!  I know I can do a file list of a folder using the command prompt (old school sometimes works the best!) but was just wondering if there was something in the Helix Editor, etc. that did a listing from the Helix.  I don't have anything backed up to a folder quite yet, but will be working on that next!  I appreciate the follow-ups.

[DunedinDragon]

Hi all,

 

 I am on Windows 10.  Thanks for the info!  I know I can do a file list of a folder using the command prompt (old school sometimes works the best!) but was just wondering if there was something in the Helix Editor, etc. that did a listing from the Helix.  I don't have anything backed up to a folder quite yet, but will be working on that next!  I appreciate the follow-ups.

 

You don't have to use the command prompt.  You can export individual presets to a specific folder if you want to keep track of them.  Unfortunately the only link that a preset has to it's IR is the location of that IR in the IR list, not the IR itself.

 

What most of us do is export either the individual presets or the setlist to a specific backup folder.  For IRs we rename the ones we have loaded isomg a three digit number that designates their position in the IR list as the first thing in the IR name.  We then export our IR list to a different folder.  Because the IR name now has the 3 digit number at the start of the file name, they remain organized in the file system in the same way they're organized in the IR list.  Therefore, if you need to do a firmware upgrade at some point (which wipes out your IR list) you can simply select all of the IR's in your special IR folder and drag and drop them in mass onto the IR list to restore them to their designated location.  Then when you load your backed up presets, they're still pointing to the correct IR.

[mrmichaelgibson]

Great idea re: the IRs.  I read that elsewhere as well and it makes sense.   I wound up exporting all of the presets and using a program called DriveZ (http://www.inet.hr/~dragvola/), which is a tiny, free app.  I created an Excel doc with all of the names of the presets and some columns next to each for the IR name (or names, since some use two).  A bit of work, but now I have everything backed up and can view it offline (since I don't have the ability to get to the Helix much every day).  

 

Thanks for everyone's input!

[LutherDeLorme]

You don't have to use the command prompt. You can export individual presets to a specific folder if you want to keep track of them. Unfortunately the only link that a preset has to it's IR is the location of that IR in the IR list, not the IR itself.

 

What most of us do is export either the individual presets or the setlist to a specific backup folder. For IRs we rename the ones we have loaded isomg a three digit number that designates their position in the IR list as the first thing in the IR name. We then export our IR list to a different folder. Because the IR name now has the 3 digit number at the start of the file name, they remain organized in the file system in the same way they're organized in the IR list. Therefore, if you need to do a firmware upgrade at some point (which wipes out your IR list) you can simply select all of the IR's in your special IR folder and drag and drop them in mass onto the IR list to restore them to their designated location. Then when you load your backed up presets, they're still pointing to the correct IR.

A detail. Recently I backed my IR's up, and I noticed that the empty slots aren't backed up (which is logical). So when restoring them into the unit one has to be aware of that. So one has to restore back into the unit only groups of IRs with no gaps in the numbering. Or am I mistaken? (my laptop and Helix are not active at the moment, and I don't have the time now to test my logic).

[duncann]

A detail. Recently I backed my IR's up, and I noticed that the empty slots aren't backed up (which is logical). So when restoring them into the unit one has to be aware of that. So one has to restore back into the unit only groups of IRs with no gaps in the numbering. Or am I mistaken? (my laptop and Helix are not active at the moment, and I don't have the time now to test my logic).

 

In addition to what DiD said, if you add a title tag to the IR, when you import it back to Helix that's the name that will be used, otherwise if there is no title tag, the file name would be used, but with the numbered prefix still in place, you'll lose some characters that could be used for a better description.

 

Hopefully none of this will matter later this year when we see what the streamlined, better update process looks like that they're supposedly working on.

[HonestOpinion]

If you have not used the system for prepending each IR name with a number that dunnedindragon mentions, you can bring the Editor up and capture a snapshot of your IR list and save it. Not a Helix "snapshot" but the one you get when you hit PrtScn (print screen) on your computer's keyboard.

[mrmichaelgibson]

Yep - did that too from recommendations.  Thanks!