Helix LT inputs don't work at startup

[ndfenchak]

I've had my Helix LT for a little over two weeks, and I've had two freezes while editing presets, and now today I've encountered an interesting problem.

When I turn the unit on, it appears to boot up as normal, but none of my inputs will work until I've sat, waited, and fiddled with some settings for quite a while. I have tried multiple guitar cables, and I've opened up the back of my guitar to inspect the its wiring (it was fine), but it really seems like it might be an issue with the Helix itself, because it doesn't even buzz or make the typical noises that you encounter while removing and reseating the cable from the guitar's output jack.

I've scrolled through a number of different presets, cycled my expression pedal on the presets that had volume pedal blocks, and changed my inputs within the presets multiple times, and checked my global settings to ensure that nothing was awry there. This is affecting the guitar input, and the returns, which I've also tried to make sure that there wasn't just a problem with the regular guitar input jack.

I haven't been able to replicate any specific sequence of events that will work to fix this problem. It just seems like the thing boots up and then arbitrarily decides that the inputs won't work for a while, until they suddenly do. If the unit is working, and I quickly reboot the unit, it will work as normal, BUT if I leave the thing off for more than a minute or so, I won't have inputs, and I'll need to restart this whole waiting/random fiddling process.

firmware is 2.21, the unit was a demo model purchased from Sweetwater, so it was presumably working fine for them (and it worked fine for me minus the freezes until today). This problem remains whether I am using my own presets or factory presets.

The only change that I've made to the unit in the last few days is importing 6 IRs purchased from Ownhammer. The freezes occurred before I had any IRs imported, so I'm not truly thinking that the IRs have anything to do with this problem, but I suppose it's possible.

Has anyone encountered anything like this?

[Lelik]

I had a similar (I think) problem with my Helix LT with 2.21 firmware just few days ago, just once.

I got no guitar output from the 1/4" jack BUT I had a regular output (I mean the sound from the same 1/4" jack) of the USB sound going into the Helix from my PC.

 

Since I had saved my few important presets on the PC, I made the decision to reset the Helix (turning on, while pressing the switches 8+9).

Then it worked properly. I reloaded my presets and everything was ok and is still ok.

 

I put the blame of this malfunction on some corrupt presets, because the day before I copied a setlist of presets into the Helix from the PC.

Now on, I will move just single presets, and not an entire setlist. I'm not 100% sure of my diagnosis, but the problem occurred just when I did that for the first (and only) time.

[ndfenchak]

I was thinking it might have been something with my presets too, so I did a factory reset on mine, but the problem returned.

The retailer that sold me the Helix offered to just replace it though, so I'm probably going to be lazy and just do that rather than dig too much deeper into what might be causing this problem.

[jbuhajla]

Have you tried to verify if it is your guitar input signal not working, or the outputs? Does the tuner pick up your guitar signal when the outputs are not working? Is it the 1/4" or the XLR or both sets of outputs? What are you monitoring your sound through from the Helix (speakers, headphones, etc...)?