erbisti Posted December 20, 2020 Share Posted December 20, 2020 I have purchased recently a Variax 300. It is in a really good condition. I purchased an Workbench USB interface and after a lot of research was able to install and successfully run the old Workbench software in an old Mac that I own. Both lights of the USB interface turn green, but the computer does not see the guitar. From my researches it could be 2 reasons: a) problem in the VDI connector in the guitar. I found some Forum posts that say that if the one of the small parts of the connector is disaligned this could happen. It does not seem to me that this is the case. The connector jack in the guitar seems perfect, as well as the cable. b) this Variax 300 has an old firmware, before 3.0, so it cannot connect to Workbench, as workbench only sees guitars that have firmware 3.0 and above. If this is the case, how would I possibly update the firmware, as it needs to be updated through Workbench, and Workbench does not see the guitar? There has to be a way to solve this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted December 20, 2020 Share Posted December 20, 2020 Do you have a 1/4" cable plugged into the guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erbisti Posted December 21, 2020 Author Share Posted December 21, 2020 9 hours ago, phil_m said: Do you have a 1/4" cable plugged into the guitar? yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 12 hours ago, erbisti said: yes Wait... I just re-read your original post, and I noticed what you said about the firmware versions. Are you trying to use Workbench HD? Only the original Workbench will work with the 300, not Workbench HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 Check the Line 6 Downloads page, make certain Workbench is compatible with your computer OS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erbisti Posted December 24, 2020 Author Share Posted December 24, 2020 I am using the right Workbench app and version. It did install correctly and I did manage to install the right java version. But still does not see the guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etwaser Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 I have the same problem. Variax 300 was not recognized via VDI cable (red light flashing on guitar side). Did you fix it yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcosrava Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 I have the same problem with variax 300 green lights and in variax workbench shows on device selection dialog: "Line6 Variax USB interface (No devide detected)" How to fix it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 Windows 10 or Mas OS beyond 10.8 won't recognize original Workbench. And Workbench HD won't recognize any guitar before JTV v2.00 program. You would need a machine with an earlier operating system. There is no portability between the two guitar Model formats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcosrava Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 I'm trying on windows xp and windows 2000 and still not working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted July 29, 2021 Share Posted July 29, 2021 Suspect intermittent solder point, processor board component or loose connection. Not a self repair. Make certain your guitar is registered in your account, then log a Support ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erickfp Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 To anyone reading this when thinking about buying a Variax guitar: forget it. Variax guitars were a good idea for a few years, but: 1/ Line 6 discontinues almost everything after a few years 2/ working with the different Workbench versions is a compatibility nightmare 3/ when/if you can find them, parts are different from one guitar to another, with even different versions of the same part for the same guitar (different dimensions, references, etc). 4/ getting it fixed when you have a problem is another nightmare. 5/ navigating through their website would be funny if it one didn't feel like crying just trying to find the info you need, between Yamaha and Line 6.. Believe me, I loved my Variax and used it for a few years, but just forget it. A real good guitar should last more than 10 years and parts should be easy to find, and backward compatible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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