HX Stomp - Sudden Loss of Sound

[guitarbloke1980]

Twice yesterday whilst jamming at home (just guitar into Stomp and Stomp into an FRFR speaker), the sound just suddenly cut out completely.

 

The Stomp remained powered on and wasn't frozen, I still could switch to different presets, but zero sound was coming out.  Up until this point I had been playing quite happily for an hour or so.

 

I had to power the Stomp off and back on which got things back on track right away, but it's a little worrying if this were to happen at a live show.

 

Has anyone else experienced this?

[macelind]

I have not experienced this issue.

 

Have you checked every thing else in your signal chain such as the cable and output jack of your guitar,  the cable to your FRFR speaker, and the FRFR speaker itself? Could it be a power issue? I know it is very basic troubleshooting but I would want to eliminate any other possibility. 

 

Good luck, sir.

[guitarbloke1980]

28 minutes ago, macelind said:

I have not experienced this issue.

 

Have you checked every thing else in your signal chain such as the cable and output jack of your guitar,  the cable to your FRFR speaker, and the FRFR speaker itself? Could it be a power issue? I know it is very basic troubleshooting but I would want to eliminate any other possibility. 

 

Good luck, sir.

 

Yup, I checked all the cables were seated correctly etc, but it seems strange that it was as soon as the Stomp had powered up again that everything roared back to life.

[Kilrahi]

18 minutes ago, guitarbloke1980 said:

 

Yup, I checked all the cables were seated correctly etc, but it seems strange that it was as soon as the Stomp had powered up again that everything roared back to life.

 

I've had it happen twice in a seven month period.

[rd2rk]

This is actually quite common across the product range. Hasn't happened to me for a long time, but did happen a couple of times when I first got my Helix floor. Seems to have been cured by an update. 

 

If L6 has ever addressed this, I didn't see it. Anybody?

[guitarbloke1980]

I'll keep an eye on it, if it becomes more of an issue then I'll send it away to be repaired.  It's only about 3 months old at the moment.

 

Thanks guys!

[scottcarstens]

This is happening to me, I have a new HX Stomp, all of a sudden the audio fades out, now what, got rid of my pedalboard...

[Kilrahi]

2 hours ago, scottcarstens said:

This is happening to me, I have a new HX Stomp, all of a sudden the audio fades out, now what, got rid of my pedalboard...

 

What you said doesn't at all fit what they're describing.

 

Perhaps you should describe your scenario further.

[scottcarstens]

When I'm playing through the HX Stomp, it will all of a sudden sound a little weird, then the audio just fades out, or in and out. I then need to restart it. It does it regardless of the amplifier I use. This is particularly annoying since I just purchased this thing, spent a good deal of time setting up presets, and sold my pedalboard to pay for it...

[Kilrahi]

2 hours ago, scottcarstens said:

When I'm playing through the HX Stomp, it will all of a sudden sound a little weird, then the audio just fades out, or in and out. I then need to restart it. It does it regardless of the amplifier I use. This is particularly annoying since I just purchased this thing, spent a good deal of time setting up presets, and sold my pedalboard to pay for it...

 

That sounds more to me like a hardware defect. I would open up a support ticket with Line 6. I've never had it "fade out." It sometimes . . . very rarely . . .  if I change a preset goes completely quiet and I have to reset. 

[rayray6]

This has happened to my Stomp about 3 or 4 times in 6 months. I play multiple times every day, so statistically very seldom. It has only happened at home and, I believe, while connected via USB to my Mac. I play live once a week and it has never happened there. So I wonder if it is related to the USB connection, which is flaky anyway (HX Edit drops connection frequently).

 

Like the OP, power cycling the Stomp fixes it immediately.

 

I'm on firmware 2.71, going to update to 2.8x and see if it persists.

[fscroggs]

Just had this happen to me for the first time.  Is this a known software bug or a potential hardware problem.

Just stops the audio (I am only using headphones), but the pedal responds to footswitch and editor commands.

 

[rd2rk]

It's been known to happen. Update to the latest version (2.82) using the HX Edit file. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!

Some have said it happens when connected to HX Edit (USB).

If after updating, it happens again, open a support ticket.

[DaRTMaN]

What guitarbloke1980 described is happening to me. At the PC tweaking presets and all the sudden silence. connected to USB. Power cycle fixes it for me. I had'nt had a chance to play it live at a gig yet, very worrisome. I've had the unit 30 days. its happened 4 times. Every time it is connect via usb to my PC. Hoping that's all it is. already updated to 2.82.0 and reset to factory.

[rd2rk]

1 hour ago, DaRTMaN said:

What guitarbloke1980 described is happening to me. At the PC tweaking presets and all the sudden silence. connected to USB. Power cycle fixes it for me. I had'nt had a chance to play it live at a gig yet, very worrisome. I've had the unit 30 days. its happened 4 times. Every time it is connect via usb to my PC. Hoping that's all it is. already updated to 2.82.0 and reset to factory.

 

The usual:

Swap cables.

Make sure you're not using a hub. Front ports on a PC are usually a hub.

Check your Power Saving settings. Set to Maximum Performance.

Make sure the USB Ports aren't set for power saving (Device Manager - USB Controllers - Root Hub - Properties - Power Management).

Try a different port.

Open a Support Ticket.

Report back if you find a solution.

 

[rayray6]

Grrr. This just happened to me WITHOUT my USB cable connected to the Stomp. Now I am worried.

Anybody open a support ticket yet? If so, any feedback from Line 6?

[rd2rk]

11 hours ago, rayray6 said:

Grrr. This just happened to me WITHOUT my USB cable connected to the Stomp. Now I am worried.

Anybody open a support ticket yet? If so, any feedback from Line 6?

 

Did you do the 2.82 update?

[rayray6]

8 hours ago, rd2rk said:

 

Did you do the 2.82 update?

Yes I am on v2.82 firmware. I did notice that it happened while I was browsing presets, although I can't remember exactly the sequence of events immediately before it happened.

 

Is it possible that this is related to the EXP1 and EXP2 issue that seems to affect other Helix devices? I use a Mission Line 6 expression pedal with my Stomp. Anybody else using an expression pedal?

 

I am going to create a new setlist and remove all of the factory presets, to see if I can start to isolate the conditions that lead to the problem. Typically my custom presets have just been added into empty slots on the default setlist with everything else in there.

[rd2rk]

This hasn't happened on my Helix Floor for a long time, but occasionally my Stomp goes silent. Unfortunately for my troubleshooting efforts, it tends to happen when it's been on but I haven't been playing it for a while. It's a very rare occurrence, and it's happened across versions. I sure wish they'd find a solution to it.

 

I also wish that the others who've posted to this thread would take the time to come back and update the rest of us on the solution/response they've gotten from support.

[rayray6]

I thought I had this solved by creating a new setlist instead of adding my presets to the default preset setlist. Hadn't had a sound drop in months, until today during rehearsal. Again it happened immediately after switching a preset during a song.

 

I opened a support ticket with Line 6. I see various other threads describing a similar problem, so hopefully they have a fix for it by now. Until then, I am going to transition to using SNAPSHOTS ONLY for scene changes within a single song. Not sure if that is a viable workaround, but I don't think I've ever had the problem when switching snapshots. Sucks because there are a few songs in our set where I like a completely different amp model for clean vs. high gain, which means using preset banks rather than just snapshots.

 

Would love to know if anybody else above has received a response or fix from Line 6 on this. If there is no solution, I will unfortunately have to give up the Stomp for something else. I think I will put a deposit on Neural DSP quad cortex just in case.

 

EDIT: Just read in another thread that you can have more than one Amp block in a straight (i.e. un-split) Preset signal path, which I did not realize before. Therefore, it is still possible to have two different amps in a Preset and use snapshots to switch between them. However, it uses a lot of DSP, so you may find your choices for the second Amp(+Cab) are limited. And, of course, with only 6 blocks available on the stomp, you'll need to be creative/economical with effects. Still, IF this bug only occurs when switching Presets, this might be the best workaround for reliable live use.

[PANDAPANDELO]

I am having the SAME problem. I didn't even could create my preset. I just updated everything, and was so excited to test my new pedal, and it never had any sound. Until now! I just could have a sound for a while. I was creating my first preset, put my acoustic IR, my global EQ, my mic preamp... and when I was adjusting the compressor, it stopped again. No sound. I don't know what to do! If there's a problem with the unit itself, I'm screwed, because I live in Brazil, and it was imported... with a huge cost for me. I created a ticket about a day ago. I'm waiting for an answer. As soon as they talk to me I'll update you guys!

[rayray6]

Just heard back from L6 on my support ticket. Unfortunately they have no suggestion of a fix other than updating firmware to v2.82, which I have already done. They say to take the Stomp back to the store/distributor. My 1 year warranty expired last month, so it looks like I am out of luck.

 

I REALLY hope this bug only occurs when switching PRESETS, so that using Snapshots is a workaround of sorts. Still not ideal, though, as switching Presets in between songs that are played back to back, live, could leave you strumming in silence. Not to mention, having to test if you have sound after every Preset change is not very professional. Even then, if you do lose sound and have to power cycle the Stomp on stage, it takes a while to boot up.

 

All this means I will have to replace my HX Stomp with something else, most likely Fractal FM3, or perhaps Neural DSP quad cortex. At least I can still use my Powercab Plus with those. However, my Mission SP1-L6 expression pedal is fairly Helix-specific, I think.

 

If ANYBODY has found a fix for this bug, please take the time to update the thread. Thanks.

[PANDAPANDELO]

Hi there, Rayray6!

 

I got the feedback in my ticket, and it was exactly the same suggestion. BUT, after I reduced the gain in a lot of the effects, it is working more than before. I know it is not ideal, but it's getting better. Today, for example, I managed to play for more than 2 hours straight, and it doesn't stopped. I hope it don't stop again! Good luck, my friend! To both of us! Hahahahha

[rayray6]

15 hours ago, PANDAPANDELO said:

Hi there, Rayray6!

 

I got the feedback in my ticket, and it was exactly the same suggestion. BUT, after I reduced the gain in a lot of the effects, it is working more than before. I know it is not ideal, but it's getting better. Today, for example, I managed to play for more than 2 hours straight, and it doesn't stopped. I hope it don't stop again! Good luck, my friend! To both of us! Hahahahha

I'm glad it is improving for you, however I do think your bug is different than mine. I'm talking about a complete loss of audio when switching from one preset to the next. It is very sporadic, sometimes not happening for weeks or even months.

[krgilbert1998]

I came across this thread via a search.  I was having the same issue described here - sporadically, the sound cuts out when switching presets via HX Edit. Otherwise everything else appears to be working normally on the Stomp. There is just no sound coming out of either the headphone jack or main outs.  Power cycling is the only thing that will resolve it.  And yes I have the most recent version of HX Edit and HX Stomp firmware.  The frustrating thing is that the issue seems completely random and intermittent.  No particular preset or obvious sequence of actions triggers the loss of sound.

 

I contacted support and was told to factory reset and reload presets one-by-one in case it was a faulty preset.  I opted not to go that route yet.  Instead, I tried switching USB ports. I had been using one of the USB2 ports (tower computer with multiple USB ports on the MoBo).  I moved to one of the USB3 (USB2 backwards compatible) ports a couple of weeks ago which seems to have helped.  Hard to tell if the issue has truly been resolved, but so far the Stomp has run perfectly ever since... and much longer than I was able to before. 

 

This has me thinking the issue may lie on the USB controller/driver side rather than with the Stomp. Just my $0.02 in case this helps anyone trying to troubleshoot the same issue.

 

[rayray6]

20 hours ago, krgilbert1998 said:

I came across this thread via a search.  I was having the same issue described here - sporadically, the sound cuts out when switching presets via HX Edit. Otherwise everything else appears to be working normally on the Stomp. There is just no sound coming out of either the headphone jack or main outs.  Power cycling is the only thing that will resolve it.  And yes I have the most recent version of HX Edit and HX Stomp firmware.  The frustrating thing is that the issue seems completely random and intermittent.  No particular preset or obvious sequence of actions triggers the loss of sound.

 

I contacted support and was told to factory reset and reload presets one-by-one in case it was a faulty preset.  I opted not to go that route yet.  Instead, I tried switching USB ports. I had been using one of the USB2 ports (tower computer with multiple USB ports on the MoBo).  I moved to one of the USB3 (USB2 backwards compatible) ports a couple of weeks ago which seems to have helped.  Hard to tell if the issue has truly been resolved, but so far the Stomp has run perfectly ever since... and much longer than I was able to before. 

 

This has me thinking the issue may lie on the USB controller/driver side rather than with the Stomp. Just my $0.02 in case this helps anyone trying to troubleshoot the same issue.

 

I don’t think so, as I have had the issue without the USB connected. I was playing live and I switched presets using the foot switch. Boom, complete loss of sound.

 

I don’t even understand what they mean about a “faulty preset”. That just sounds ridiculous. It should be impossible to make a faulty preset on the Stomp or in HX EDIT.

 

I am on the list for Fractal FM3 and Neural Quad Cortex. Unfortunately it seems the HX stomp will have this random problem forever, so I will have trade or sell it. 

[silverhead]

I confess that I haven’t read this entire thread so apologies if this is a redundant or irrelevant comment....

 

I’m curious. Are you using an external expression pedal? If so there’s a Global Setting -> EXP Pedals that may be relevant. The manual describes the Position parameter as follows:

Determines whether each expression pedal position is recalled per snapshot, per preset, or applied globally. If you want a Volume Pedal or Wah to maintain its position when switching presets, set this to "Global."

Is it possible that this setting, in combination with various different pedal positions when a preset is recalled, could explain the behaviour? If the pedal position is physically at minimum (full heel position) when a preset is selected, and the pedal is assigned to the VOL block, could that position cause the preset volume Level to be zero?

 

Perhaps experimenting with different settings and operational behaviour could shed some light on this? I don’t own an HX Stomp so can’t do this myself.

[rayray6]

Possibly for some users. However, I don’t have a volume block in any of my presets. 
 

Also, when the sound drops out, if you do nothing else other than power cycle the unit, the sound comes back.

 

You could be toggling between the same two presets without issue for hours. Then all of a sudden you toggle and it’s completely silent. 

[JimDiGritz]

Just a thought - I've just had what appears a very similar issue with a Helix Floor (on 2.82 FW)

 

 

Jim

[Matt70283]

Ah, Here I am with the exact same problem.  Here's what my deal is:  This all started at the 2.8 update.  I've factory reset it a couple times. I am using the factory power supply and it's been sitting on my pedalboard since day 1. I play in a cover band and our list gig before the covid shut down, it happened at least 2 times per set.  Had to restart it onstage.  I've noticed it will happen when in preset mode, snapshot mode, when i'm just playing and not touching anything,  and it also happened when I was turning the knob changing presets.  It will also happen if I pick up my pedal board and move it sometimes. There is no pattern here, it's completely random. I tried going back to 2.7 and it still did it. With all this extra time on my hands I sat down to see if I could capture it on video, and low and behold, first song in. boom.   Getting pretty stupid at this point and want to chuck it out the window.  Really don't want to send it in and pay who knows what, especially now that I've been laid off.   Might be time to jump ship. 

 

[rd2rk]

7 hours ago, Matt70283 said:

Ah, Here I am with the exact same problem.  Here's what my deal is:  This all started at the 2.8 update.  I've factory reset it a couple times. I am using the factory power supply and it's been sitting on my pedalboard since day 1. I play in a cover band and our list gig before the covid shut down, it happened at least 2 times per set.  Had to restart it onstage.  I've noticed it will happen when in preset mode, snapshot mode, when i'm just playing and not touching anything,  and it also happened when I was turning the knob changing presets.  It will also happen if I pick up my pedal board and move it sometimes. There is no pattern here, it's completely random. I tried going back to 2.7 and it still did it. With all this extra time on my hands I sat down to see if I could capture it on video, and low and behold, first song in. boom.   Getting pretty stupid at this point and want to chuck it out the window.  Really don't want to send it in and pay who knows what, especially now that I've been laid off.   Might be time to jump ship. 

 

You should open a support ticket. If you read through this thread, this is not an uncommon problem, and L6 is aware of it via the many support tickets that have already been opened. They may have a solution, or a warranty fix (even if you're out of warranty).

 

PLEASE - report back here after you've done this! It's hard to believe that out of all of the posters above, no one has been considerate enough to post back the result of their support tickets! Help us all! I haven't opened a ticket myself because it happens so rarely (hasn't happened for months) and randomly that I don't know what to tell them, but you've actually got it on video! Hit them with it and get back to us!

[Matt70283]

Will do, will keep you posted

[rayray6]

@rd2rk I DID post above (Feb 20) after hearing back from Line 6 Support. They do NOT have a solution the problem. They simply ask you to update to the latest firmware (I already had) and see if the problem persists. Then they say take the Stomp back to your retailer!

 

@Matt70283 unfortunately it appears you have a problem that is different and even worse than what most people in this thread are describing. i.e. most are having the loss of sound when switching presets and quite intermittently. You seem to be experiencing drop outs much more frequently and in a broader variety of scenarios. To me, it seems you have a more severe, but probably unrelated fault in your unit.

[rd2rk]

36 minutes ago, rayray6 said:

@rd2rk I DID post above (Feb 20) after hearing back from Line 6 Support. They do NOT have a solution the problem. They simply ask you to update to the latest firmware (I already had) and see if the problem persists. Then they say take the Stomp back to your retailer!

 

When you returned the Stomp, did you get a replacement? Did it solve the problem? If yes GREAT!

If no, did you re-open the ticket?

[rayray6]

16 minutes ago, rd2rk said:

 

When you returned the Stomp, did you get a replacement? Did it solve the problem? If yes GREAT!

If no, did you re-open the ticket?

No I did not return it because it is out of warranty and I also need it to play live until I can replace it.

 

I don't think LIne 6 knows how to fix the problem, so I'm not sure there is any point sending the unit back if you are out of warranty. If somebody has received a replacement unit while out of warranty, I would love to know that.

 

I did not re-open the ticket because, as I said, their final instruction was to bring it back to wherever I bought it. :(

[rd2rk]

20 minutes ago, rayray6 said:

No I did not return it because it is out of warranty and I also need it to play live until I can replace it.

 

I don't think LIne 6 knows how to fix the problem, so I'm not sure there is any point sending the unit back if you are out of warranty. If somebody has received a replacement unit while out of warranty, I would love to know that.

 

I did not re-open the ticket because, as I said, their final instruction was to bring it back to wherever I bought it. :(

 

 

I would get back to them (support) about the warranty thing. This is NOT a "normal wear and tear" issue, it's a BUG that they are fully aware of.

 

IF (this is an IF to use if they give you a hard time about it) they give you a hard time about it, PM @FrankRichotte over on The Gear Page, explain (patiently and politely) the issue, reference your ticket # and link this thread.

 

If there's anybody who can help you, it's Frank. But TRY getting back to support first.

 

Keep us informed!

[Matt70283]

That's the response

 

"This is fairly uncommon for the HX Stomp. So if you've already try to re-install the latest version of firmware 2.82, and reset to factory settings - this means your HX Stomp will likely needs service for the issue. The best thing to do would be to take your HX Stomp to an authorized service center."

[rd2rk]

39 minutes ago, Matt70283 said:

That's the response

 

"This is fairly uncommon for the HX Stomp. So if you've already try to re-install the latest version of firmware 2.82, and reset to factory settings - this means your HX Stomp will likely needs service for the issue. The best thing to do would be to take your HX Stomp to an authorized service center."

 

Let us know how the Service Center handles it.

[spikey]

Just..., wow... I wanted to get one of these (I have just about everything else) but man am I glad I held off. I feel bad for those having issues and think that it would be nice to have someone here from Line-6  to communicate the status of fixing this bug, so that you guys and others like me who haven't purchased a Stomp yet know know whats going on.

 

 

[phil_m]

7 minutes ago, spikey said:

Just..., wow... I wanted to get one of these (I have just about everything else) but man am I glad I held off. I feel bad for those having issues and think that it would be nice to have someone here from Line-6  to communicate the status of fixing this bug, so that you guys and others like me who haven't purchased a Stomp yet know know whats going on.

 

 

Seems like a pretty sporadic issue, to be honest. This thread was started almost a year ago, and there’s only like four or five reports. I’m not seeing tons of reports of it happening in the huge Facebook group...