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Unreliable Footswitches - Does other have this issue?


ksr82
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Does anyone else have the issue of glitchy unreliable footswitches on the Helix?

I've had two units

The first had 4 unreliable foot switches after a month of use at home.. And after 6 months or so the joystick failed totally so the store got me a new unit. That one now has 2 unreliable footswitches... problably more to come. I'm really taking good care of the unit, so I'm left to think there is a general quality issue with these footswitches.

 

However Line6 Support tells me otherwise:

Hi there, sorry for the trouble with your Helix. The defective switch needs to be replaced by our service center. Therefore please contact your Line 6 reseller from where you've purchased the unit - or alternatively you have the option to contact our Danish service center directly: Highend Skjulhöjalle 57 Vanløse, 2720 +4538711114 info@highendmusik.dk We haven't received many requests regarding footswitch failures and the repair should solve the issue. Nonetheless I will pass along this information to the product teams, so they can look into it. Best regards xxxxx Technical Support Line 6 Support Europe

 

And I don't really want to pay for repairs of a lollipop quality component, in an otherwise nice product..

 

Am I really one of few having this issue?

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I honestly haven’t seen a lot of complaints regarding the footswitches. There have been some here and there, but not anything to make me think there’s a systemic quality issue with them. The footswitches are self-cleaning, so sometimes all you need to do is press on them a few times to try to get any dirt or debris out.

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I have some footswitches that act up a little once in a while, mostly with multiple activations on a single press. These can get dirty with a lot of use. But they are self cleaning if you just press straight up and down a few times. This usually fixes the problem. My Helix has gotten a lot of club use in the last 3 years and its never had any problems in live use. I’ve come to really trust it, but I do have backup - Helix Native in the computer that runs our PA, or HX Stomp.

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I too have issues with helix footswitches, but only the tap tempo, particularly footswitch 12, and it is a different kind of annoyance. If I have timebased effects in a preset tied to a tempo, entering and leaving tuner mode sometimes changes the tempo thus the tails of effects. Aargh !

 

I would appreciate a possibility to remove taptempo feature from the surface at all, leaving footswitch only for tuner mode.

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44 minutes ago, requietus666 said:

I too have issues with helix footswitches, but only the tap tempo, particularly footswitch 12, and it is a different kind of annoyance. If I have timebased effects in a preset tied to a tempo, entering and leaving tuner mode sometimes changes the tempo thus the tails of effects. Aargh !

 

I would appreciate a possibility to remove taptempo feature from the surface at all, leaving footswitch only for tuner mode.

 

Well, you can always set the delay times, modulation rates, etc. to an actual millisecond or hertz value instead of assigning note values to them. That way the tap tempo wouldn’t actually be affecting anything.

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The tap tempo switch is the only one that gives me trouble sometimes.  Sometimes it’ll not register the press, and sometimes it’ll register two or more presses.  I’ll set the tap tempo, then find that it’s set to something ridiculously fast.  Or, I’ll try to bring up the tuner, it’ll come up, then immediately go away when I release the footswitch. 

 

I don’t know if this is due to a bad footswitch, as I don’t really use any of the other footswitches the same way.  Perhaps it’s just a design flaw in the switch itself. L. It’s not a big deal, but it can make for some interesting unexpected sounds with a delays and other modulation effects. :)

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  • 1 year later...

Hi. I am now having issues with 3 (sometimes 4) footswitches. Especially the Tap Tempo switch. The delay time on the effect compared to the tempo I tap in are not the same. The delay time seems to run a tad bit faster than what i tap in. I wasnt having the issue previous to the 2.9 successful update. Anyone else experience this? Totally frustrated.

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  • 2 years later...
On 4/21/2020 at 11:21 PM, Deotone70 said:

Hi. I am now having issues with 3 (sometimes 4) footswitches. Especially the Tap Tempo switch. The delay time on the effect compared to the tempo I tap in are not the same. The delay time seems to run a tad bit faster than what i tap in. I wasnt having the issue previous to the 2.9 successful update. Anyone else experience this? Totally frustrated.

I have trouble with 4 switches.  They are unreliable, but ultimately work -- when they feel like it.  It is the only issue I have with the unit.   I am not eager to send the unit away for an unknow amount of time and cost.   I keep hearing they are self-cleaning swithes, but that has not proven true.   It make using snap shots useless.  

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On 3/4/2023 at 9:52 AM, Ledfingers said:

 I keep hearing they are self-cleaning swithes, but that has not proven true. 

 

They don't clean themselves... that phrase is suppose to be accompanied by "Push and simultaneously twist the switch 8-10 times. This should help clear any dust/debris."

 

IME... that works to get you through a week or two, but there comes a time when the unit will need to be opened and cleaned manually. For me that time took 4 years to arrive - on par with any other floorboard I've owned over the years. 

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The micro switches under the metal buttons are cheap and will stop being reliable after about a year of regular gigging use. 

 

If you are handy with electronics, open it up and clean out all of your switches whenever this starts happening.  The procedure is very simple, in essence: locate the micro switches, and apply liquid DeoxIT to them, and press them a few times.  I like liquid (not spray) DeoxIT, because it's only one drop, nothing gets sprayed in the process, you don't need to be careful where you spray, etc.  The switches to me became as smooth as butter after the cleaning. 

  • watch a video on how it's done.   https://youtu.be/WONiwe0vjH0  Helix is built like your typical Chinese gadget (Kemper floor is no different): looks solid from the outside, but inside is all microscopic PCB stuff with cheap components.  In particular, the little button plungers are not held by anything, if you flip the unit upside-down they will all fall and you will not find them. 
  • you need a big table with a towel for this job -- can't do it on your lap.
  • I use Tupperware / bowls / shot glasses to store all the parts, like screws/bolts/nuts.  Sort all your screws by height, etc.
  • Take a picture of what's inside before you start taking things apart -- that way will know how it used to be.  A tablet is very useful for these. 
  • When I cleaned micro switches on the Helix LT, I did not have to take apart any ribbons, remove any glue, etc.

 

If you are afraid of performing this procedure yourself, take it to a repair place with a good repuration.  I have had a terrible experience with 2 repair shops, maybe yours will be different. 

 

If you are not in a hurry, mail it to Line 6.  After one repair shop broke the LED of my Helix, I mailed it to Line 6, and they repaired it within exactly 2 weeks door-to-door, back to me.  I'm pretty sure they simply replaced the entire PCB for me. 

 

So here you go. This will keep happening.  I suspect the black foam that is there where the screens are deteriorates especially at first, and little crumbs of it gets stuck inside the micro switches, especially those you use the most, like your tap tempo.

 

 

cheers. 

d.

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