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Helix FW 2.60 Variax model "Don't Force" gone.


davidb7170
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I noticed the option of don't force is gone from the Helix Variax model selection of the input configuration. It's been there since the beginning, now just gone on the new fw 2.60. Is this a bug, or by design. If by design, why? I mostly use my JTV mags, but when I turn on the models manually, want it to be on the last one used. Also by always being forced to a certain model puts it in that model's bank with switching. You have to move the model knob to get back to where you intended to be. Any others noticed this?

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51 minutes ago, davidb7170 said:

I noticed the option of don't force is gone from the Helix Variax model selection of the input configuration. It's been there since the beginning, now just gone on the new fw 2.60. Is this a bug, or by design. If by design, why? I mostly use my JTV mags, but when I turn on the models manually, want it to be on the last one used. Also by always being forced to a certain model puts it in that model's bank with switching. You have to move the model knob to get back to where you intended to be. Any others noticed this?

 

Hi davidb7170

 

I just checked on my Helix and the Don't Force option is still there on page 2 for Variax Global Volume, Tone and Tuning. It's working on both the Input Variax and Input Multi (Guitar, Aux, Variax).

 

Don't understand why its happening to you. Maybe a bug, or temporary glitch, try a reboot on the Helix.

 

Seems a little odd, anyone else out there come across this issue?

 

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I just checked, and yes, the don't force option is available on the volume, tone, and tuning, but not on the Variax model selection of the settings. This is new behavior.  The model shown is what the Variax is set to at the moment, but if you save the helix preset, that model selection will be what it will set the Variax to when the preset is next chosen...

 

My presets with specific Variax model set still come up with the one saved, so that's a relief.  I mostly use my JTV mags, but do have presets with the models saved and on. The Helix does still remember the model/mag status. 

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26 minutes ago, davidb7170 said:

My presets with specific Variax model set still come up with the one saved, so that's a relief.

 

As I understand it, I think that's what is supposed to happen.

Things change when you switch from the Variax Settings Per Preset to Global it switches the Variax Model in response: e.g. Spank 1 as Global but all others to suit on Per Preset.

Hope that makes sense?

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I've always had mine set to per preset since I bought the helix in late 2015, been through all of the fw updates with no issues with things,  but this is new behavior, and prior to the 2.60 fw, it's always had a don't force option for the Variax model selection. I used it for the presets I have the mags active,  so it doesn't put the Variax model in a bank that doesn't match the Variax model knob position. Don't recall if the setting for the Variax model selection was don't force or don't save, but it didn't muck up the bank. I can adapt if this is how it will be, to always have a same model selected to match the knob position. Just curious if this is intended, and why, or was unintentional.

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Curious. I think this may a bug in the device firmware. The Don't Force option is available in HX Edit v2.60 and when I select it I can see the position bar for Global Variax Model shift just a bit on the device. So I think communication is happening and the device may in fact be set to Don't Force although the display doesn't show it. Perhaps others can confirm this behaviour?

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Thinking about it I'm not sure there's a problem. If you want to use a Global 'Don't Force' setting for the Variax Model then what you are telling Helix to do is not change the currently selected Variax model. Hence the display is actually providing more useful information,  showing you the currently selected model rather than the unspecific Don't Force setting. Yes? No?

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No, don't want to globally set "Don't Force" to the parameter, only want to force the ones per preset I want specific models on, as is happening now, but the new behavior without the option will save the then current model on the JTV even when the mags are on. If I activate the models while playing the preset, the one saved will come up, may be on a different JTV bank and selector switch position than indicated on the guitar. This happens when I have a preset, say with an acoustic in the last song, and I switch to a preset with mags on and JTV model saved with Don't Force, the last model played always comes up, and I have to move my model knob to get it off and back to indicated - maddening, but I've adapted, so will adapt to this if it's the way it is - on purpose and not a bug. Clearly does not match the manual at this point, nor the behavior pre FW2.60. Kinda doubting this was a desired behavior, or suggested on the L6 Ideascale website....

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Just did a reset 9/10 and the Don't Force is still not showing on the Helix itself. It is however shown on the HX Edit when looking at the Input assignments. I think it's an outcome of the code rewrite they mentioned, that the text doesn't display on the device for that parameter. They did update the parameters to properly include the Shurikan Variaxes, as they have different patch names than the previous JTV's & Standards. If the button #2 is pressed, the "cursor" on the line below the models does move to the default left position, just the text does not display "Don't Force".

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16 hours ago, davidb7170 said:

Just did a reset 9/10 and the Don't Force is still not showing on the Helix itself. It is however shown on the HX Edit when looking at the Input assignments. I think it's an outcome of the code rewrite they mentioned, that the text doesn't display on the device for that parameter. They did update the parameters to properly include the Shurikan Variaxes, as they have different patch names than the previous JTV's & Standards. If the button #2 is pressed, the "cursor" on the line below the models does move to the default left position, just the text does not display "Don't Force".

 

I was intrigued by this because I though everything was O.K., but something very odd has happened with the "Don't Force" option for the Variax Model selection.

 

Just for the hell of it I did a Helix reboot while holding down FS 10 & 11(Upgrades existing presets to latest format), but that should have been done on the Update..

 

No change. Then I decided to fire up Helix while holding down FS 5 & 6 (Global reset) - still the same result, not that I thought it would help really.

 

For some reason the hardware screen is not displaying "Don't Force" only on the Variax Model. In HX Edit the "Don't Force" option can be selected, but doesn't make any difference.

 

It must be some sort of bug, so I will flag it up in the "Helix Bug Reports" section. I have some screen shots showing this, but it appears the attachments are too big to upload here.

 

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FWIW, I am on 2.6 and I do still see Don't Force as the first position in the model selection on both the Heiix and in HX Edit.

It's the first item in the Preset Variax Model list.

Weird that you don't see it.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Mturner said:

FWIW, I am on 2.6 and I do still see Don't Force as the first position in the model selection on both the Heiix and in HX Edit.

It's the first item in the Preset Variax Model list.

Weird that you don't see it.

 

 

 

Thanks for letting us know that.

This might be another piece of the legendary Helix Voodoo!

Unless, of course, someone else knows something different?

Ooooooooo, weird - another darned X File!

 

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As far as I remember, this has not changed. 2.6 seems to be functioning as described in the manual, which hasn't been updated yet.

 

Correction: Variax Model is missing Don't Force on Helix, along with the Custom models. But both are available in HX Edit. Looks like a bug. I didn't notice this because I build and edit patches with HX Edit most of the time, and only fine tune with Helix. 

 

Variax Settings: Pre Preset, Global: determines if all other Variax controls are global or per preset. If global, changing the preset will have no effect on the Variax. If per preset, then Variax will be set to whatever was saved in the preset or snapshot when they are selected, including the model/mags switch.

 

Lock Variax Controls: determines if the volume, tone, and/or pickup selector controls are locked or unlocked. If locked, they have no effect until the model is changed.

 

Variax Tuning: Don't Force, Custom: If don't force is selected, Variax stays in whatever tuning it is in when the patch/snapshot is selected. If set to Custom, then the custom tuning is selected. Don't forget to set the strings you want to change in snapshots to the snapshot controller.

 

 

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This is definitely a bug. The "Don't Force" option as has been pointed out exists in HX Edit but not on the Helix. Selecting the "Don't Force" option in HX Edit leaves the Helix on the "Custom ..." option. Yep, a bug that needs fixin'. "Bug Whack A Mole", everybody's least favorite game. For now at least I'm not going to create any Variax presets with "Don't Force" as the Helix will recall them as a Variax "Custom ..." model. Also I notice that clicking the controller knob down does not reset the model to the value at the far left(which used to be "Don't Force") as it does with other controller knobs; instead it retains the currently selected model. So that piece of functionality is broken as well. Probably part of the same bug.

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On 7/9/2018 at 8:06 AM, HonestOpinion said:

This is definitely a bug. The "Don't Force" option as has been pointed out exists in HX Edit but not on the Helix. Selecting the "Don't Force" option in HX Edit leaves the Helix on the "Custom ..." option. Yep, a bug that needs fixin'. "Bug Whack A Mole", everybody's least favorite game. For now at least I'm not going to create any Variax presets with "Don't Force" as the Helix will recall them as a Variax "Custom ..." model. Also I notice that clicking the controller knob down does not reset the model to the value at the far left(which used to be "Don't Force") as it does with other controller knobs; instead it retains the currently selected model. So that piece of functionality is broken as well. Probably part of the same bug.

 

Yep, noticed this too. But mostly it is getting weird when you have saved a patch with when magnetics selected on the Variax since the Helix and Helix Edit do not have the option to 'force' the magnetics. Switching between patches that are forced and not and combination of magnetics selected gets all messed up.

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