HelixFloor as pedalboard: Assign all 16 blocks to footswitches, viewable by up/down-footswitch?

[AMountain]

Hello -  I want to use my Helix floor as pedalboard with 16 effects, which of course i want to switch on and off rapidly - as if there would be 16 pedals in front of me -.

 

I can assign the 8 blocks/fx of the upper row, thus the work-area of one DSP, to the 8 footswitches i see, but as next step i want to assign the 8 blocks/fx of the bottom-row too to 8 footswitches, solely not by double assignment, but in a way that i can change the view of the 8 upper row-blocks to the view of the 8 bottom row-blocks with the help of the up/down footswitch.  

 

Can anybody help me? It seems to me such a basic issue (in fact, to use the Hlx.Floor as 16 fx pedalboard in front of my amps was one of the applications why i bought it at all) that i wonder if i'm just too stupid and blind to see the solution, or if this possibility really doesn't exist ---- then, @line6, this would be a request for a next update (3.02 or so): 

 

You could, what matters me, exchange it with the bank-up/down-option (which is IMHO so similar to the preset-up/down-option that i could do without and would not miss it).

 

And for the case that this is at all technically possible and you really start to work out this option i talk about, then also take in regard the super-serial routing with up to theoretically 32 blocks/fx (as the manual says). It would be very useful then to group them in 4 "rows" of 8 blocks/fx, all switchable by a "row - up/down"-option (instead of the "bank - up/down"-option). ...You could offer a switch or a chosing-option where one can choose if one wants the bank-up/down-option or the pedalboard-row-up-down-option.

 

PS: Sorry for my poor English, it's not my native language. I hope you can understand what i wanted to express.

[PierM]

Hi,

 

footswiches are 12, not 16, and you can only show 8 stomps (or 10 if you dont need Up/Down), as the others are reserved for browsing, edit mode and tap/tempo.

 

 

[AMountain]

Yes, obviously, there are 12 footswitches on the Helix (two more than i have fingers at my hands...), of which - in the stomp-mode - max. 8 (or 10, if set this way in global settings, then the up/down-function disappears), assigned  to blocks/fx, are shown at the same time in the scribble-strips of the footswitch-section.

 

My question was if there is no "up/down"-function inside of a preset, in a way one could switch from the first 8 blocks/ effects to the next 8 blocks and the next 8, and the next 8 (since theoretically, i can put up to 32 effects in one preset using the more the super-serial signal-paths; in my preset, i could this way load 25 effects, then the dsps said stop).

 

I spend the whole night digging for the answer and it seems to me that "no, one cannot switch to the next 8 blocks by the up/down-footswitches". This would be a good function when one wants to use the H.Floor purely as pedalboard for effects (and i am pretty sure that many people would appreciate such a function).

 

I don't know if it would at all technically be possible to exchange the bank-up/down-function with such a "row - up/down"-function inside of a preset, but if it is, then i would politely beg (i am on my knees) the people from line 6 to work that out and to offer it in an update as alternative option. To me, the bank- and the preset-up/down-function are so similar that i would not miss the bank-up/down-function, in the contrary, i would much more appreciate a function that permits me to scroll inside of a preset through all effects there; ...it's really outlandish while playing to switch them on and off with the help of the mouse in HX-edit, and that's (until now) alas the only way i found for to do it.

I could offer in exchange to lend them a limited edition Hendrix-handwired 100W SLP with the corresponding cabinets for to mike that and make a digital amp-clone for one of the next updates. 

[robertgoddard]

Why not use snapshots?  Snapshots can turn off multiple pedals and such, just set them up to change the pedals you don't have access to in stomp mode?

 

[AMountain]

Using snapshots here would really not come out to the same (and apart of that, i already use them for individual settings of the single effects / blocks, and there are only 8 snapshots per preset).

 

I want simply be able to scroll through all my effects in a preset (which can be up to 32 effects in one preset, i got 25, then the dsp-power run out) in steps of (4 or) 8 effects with the up/down-footswitches. It seems a totally basic application to me.

 

As i already said, initially, i thought the bank-up/down-function would be that, but it turned out that it is the preset-up/down-function, solely on a slightly bigger scale. I could do without. But i do not know how to do without the described scrolling-function inside of a preset through all existing blocks there; to use the mouse in hx-edit for to click them on or off is the only way i found, but that's an unrealistic technique when playing.   

[PierM]

Ok I get it. You'd just like to have stomp pages, to cover everthing possible and available in a preset. That would be a bit confusing (easy to get lost when you need to switch a block 3 pages away and then always remember in which exact page, each stomp block has been placed...), but unfortunately not available. Not even sure there are enough CC# available for that...

 

Feel free to post this in http://line6.ideascale.com/. That's the right place to propose new features to other users and, more important, to the L6 guys.

[PaulTBaker]

Ok, so I see what you are talking about. The up down buttons could be set to either the next bank or to the next set of stomps. 

[AMountain]

11 hours ago, PierM said:

Ok I get it. You'd just like to have stomp pages, to cover everthing possible and available in a preset. That would be a bit confusing (easy to get lost when you need to switch a block 3 pages away and then always remember in which exact page, each stomp block has been placed...), but unfortunately not available. Not even sure there are enough CC# available for that...

 

Feel free to post this in http://line6.ideascale.com/. That's the right place to propose new features to other users and, more important, to the L6 guys.

If one knows to play guitar (there are ~120+ places with individual sounds), one has IMHO too the capacity to remind in which of the 4 scroll-stages which effects are; effectively, we already do that by reminding the content of the 2 or 3 presets' banks around the one preset we just use. And it's more easy for most to remind gear like pedals and amps and where they are than to identify cryptic names of presets and localize those. However, as you say, "unfortunately not available", so any further discussion or explanation is futile. Thank you too for the link, i will place there my request.

 

Thank you all for your feedback, i appreciated it very much, and i can now stop the quest (and play guitar instead tonight).

 

PS: If anybody has a better or alternative solution for to resolve the issue with the given possibilities (than the two proposed here), you are more than welcome to share it here, i would really appreciate.

 

 

[gbr13697]

The method I use for "do-it-all" stomp box patches is to divide the paths almost throughout.  I have a divide as the first block, so 1A and 1B flow through to 2A and 2B before merging near the end.  The divide and merge blocks are set to switch on each alternate snapshot, with all through 1A and 2A on odd numberered snapshots, and all through 1B and 2B on even numbered snapshots.  Then I populate each of the 2 paths with similar blocks in respective positions, e.g. FuzzFace, EP Boost, Klon, Flanger in Path A, and Muff, KWB, TS808, Tremolo in Path B.

Each pair of pedals is switched on and off by the same footswitch (marked on the scribble strip FuzzFace/Muff etc) but only the pedal that is in the active chain has any effect on the signal.

I would generally use only Snapshots 1 and 2 (Paths A and B) for humbucking pickups, giving me 2 different ranges of 8 pedals. The snapshots for 3 and 4 are identical, but I have a 5db boost at the start to equalise the volume for single-coil pickups. Snapshots 5-8 are repeats of 1-4, but all the time based delays and modulations are set for dotted 8th instead of quarter note. With one guitar, 2 snapshots are all you need to get 2 ranges of 8 pedals - 16 in all. With carefull positioning, choice of pedals, and descriptive scribble strips, you can get a reasonably user friendly pedal board with 16 effects.  How you make use of the other snapshots is up to you - I use them to equalise for different guitars and to give me more options for tap tempo with time based effects. If I am using amp emulations the 2 paths merge in front of the amp and cab combination, and I might also have reverb, EQ, compression, etc in this position, effecting both chains.  You obviously can't have 16 effects at the same time, but you can choose complimentary combinations.  You would rarely need a compressor and a wah at the same time, or 2 fuzz types, or a flanger and tremolo together, or a Klon and a Tube Screamer together. Snapshot 1 or 2 will get you in the ballpark for a range of 8 pedals, and you only have to click up one snapshot to get another complementary selection. 

[codamedia]

12 hours ago, AMountain said:

If anybody has a better or alternative solution for to resolve the issue with the given possibilities (than the two proposed here), you are more than welcome to share it here, i would really appreciate.

 

Your idea has merit.... I'll upvote it on ideascale if I see it there even though I am not likely to use it. 

As for your request for other options that exist.... Since you have a Helix floor, you can't get 16 but you can get up to 14 with some creativity. 

• Set the Floor model to "10 Stomp Mode".... giving you instant access to 10 footswitches
• The toe switch under the expression pedal gives you #11
• Creative use of the two external EXP pedals will allow you two more options (13 total). You can't use an EXP to turn an effect on/off, but you can controls it's level.  (FWIW, I use mine to control delay levels. The delays are always on, but only heard when I ride the expression pedal)
  • If you prefer a switch over a pedal... it's easy to wire a simple switch with a 10K resistor so it acts like an on/off control. The switch would toggle between the MIN/MAX levels of the effect. 
• If you do not use the built in expression pedal.... it can be used in the same manner as the external pedals - giving you access to 14 in total.

There are many tricks to making great use from the TOE SWITCH and 3 EXP options on the Helix Floor - you just need to think outside the box a little. 

 

 

[AMountain]

On 1/18/2021 at 10:44 AM, codamedia said:

 

Your idea has merit.... I'll upvote it on ideascale if I see it there even though I am not likely to use it. 

As for your request for other options that exist.... Since you have a Helix floor, you can't get 16 but you can get up to 14 with some creativity. 

• Set the Floor model to "10 Stomp Mode".... giving you instant access to 10 footswitches
• The toe switch under the expression pedal gives you #11
• Creative use of the two external EXP pedals will allow you two more options (13 total). You can't use an EXP to turn an effect on/off, but you can controls it's level.  (FWIW, I use mine to control delay levels. The delays are always on, but only heard when I ride the expression pedal)
  • If you prefer a switch over a pedal... it's easy to wire a simple switch with a 10K resistor so it acts like an on/off control. The switch would toggle between the MIN/MAX levels of the effect. 
• If you do not use the built in expression pedal.... it can be used in the same manner as the external pedals - giving you access to 14 in total.

There are many tricks to making great use from the TOE SWITCH and 3 EXP options on the Helix Floor - you just need to think outside the box a little. 

 

 

Thank you.

I work with "usual" presets, but i also have real amps where i want to use the H.Floor as pure pedalboard. I could effectively store 25 effectpedals in one preset (then DSP-power run out), so even 14 pedals accessible is not resolving my problem here. Actually, i have produced of this one pedalboard-preset six different presets for to have at least a basic access to those pedals i need in a specific situation. So i must have the up/down-access for to rapidly change presets and thus cannot use the 10 effect-mode. The snapshots are already used for single tweakings of certain effects.

 

So i followed PierMs hint to publish my idea.

 

<< Up to 32 effectblocks (DSP-limited) can be loaded in 1 preset, but it's not possible to view them in the scribble-scripts nor to (dis-)engage them with the foot (one must use mouse & Hx-Edit, impossible when playing). If the up/down-footswitches would work too inside a preset, then all 32 effects would be to see in packages of 8 in the scribble-scripts & (dis-)engageable with the foot. That would significantly enlarge the application-possibilities, making the Hlx.Floor too interesting for all guitar-players with real amps (use of the Hlx. as one of the biggest pedalboards of the world: up to 32 effects in one box, all visible in the scribble-scripts and dis-/engageable with the foot). But too in a usual preset it would be very useful to have access with the footswitches to all blocks there. Great feature missing!

Then there would be 4 up-down-functions: Preset, Bank, Snapshot, Stomp. Really perfect it would then be when these 4 up/down-modes could be changed with the mode-switch or by some other footswitch-trick (and not only in Global Settings). >>

 

I discovered that there is democracy (people vote for the best ideas). The best-voted ideas have gathered more than 2500 votes. I beg you all who think my idea has merit to go there and vote for it:

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/H-Floor-Stomp-up-down-up-down-switches-working-inside-a-preset/1008717-23508

 

[AMountain]

Well, meanwhile there's version 3.1 and still the up-down-function for inside a preset is not offered *sigh*. 

 

I encountered meanwhile a provisional solution for to achieve my goal to engage ALL effects in a preset with the feet, not elegant, but cheap and functional:

 

With double-coated scotch-tape, i glued a 3/4'' rubber cylinder on the "bypass"-knob of the unit: It's higher than the scroll-button and thus easily to tap with the foot.

 

While playing, i activate with the foot the "pedal edit mode" [hold FS6 for 2sec], choose the effect i want to engage and then hit with the foot the rubber-cylinder i glued on the bypass-knob: On/off. ...Positive beside effect: It helps too while tweaking in the "Pedal Edit mode", because one can this way, for to compare the sound with the bypassed state of the mattering effect, (dis-/)engage the mattering effect without to have to leave the "pedal edit mode", too extremely useful.

 

Not perfect, but at least there is a way to engage all (max 32) effects in a preset with the foot. However, still hoping that line6 will with the next update introduce the up-down-function for inside a preset.

 

 

[codamedia]

 

On 4/19/2022 at 2:22 PM, AMountain said:

While playing, i activate with the foot the "pedal edit mode" [hold FS6 for 2sec], choose the effect i want to engage and then hit with the foot the rubber-cylinder i glued on the bypass-knob: On/off. ...Positive beside effect: It helps too while tweaking in the "Pedal Edit mode", because one can this way, for to compare the sound with the bypassed state of the mattering effect, (dis-/)engage the mattering effect without to have to leave the "pedal edit mode", too extremely useful.

 

Whatever works for you I guess... I prefer not to fly a Cessna while entertaining a crowd :) 

A little pre-planning of sounds and organization puts what I use most within a single click... and a handful of secondary items within 2 clicks

 

Honestly... Instead of waiting for Line 6 to implement an idea with 11 votes (on ideascale, which I have upvoted) I think an easier solution (and less potential for Helix damage) for you would be a midi controller with page viewing. You can assign a CC number to each block you want access to... providing you don't use a reserved/used CC#.  An 8 button controller with several "pages" via up/down) would do exactly what you need. They are not overly expensive, and already exist. 

 

[AMountain]

On 4/20/2022 at 8:31 AM, codamedia said:

 

 

Whatever works for you I guess... I prefer not to fly a Cessna while entertaining a crowd :) 

A little pre-planning of sounds and organization puts what I use most within a single click... and a handful of secondary items within 2 clicks

 

Honestly... Instead of waiting for Line 6 to implement an idea with 11 votes (on ideascale, which I have upvoted) I think an easier solution (and less potential for Helix damage) for you would be a midi controller with page viewing. You can assign a CC number to each block you want access to... providing you don't use a reserved/used CC#.  An 8 button controller with several "pages" via up/down) would do exactly what you need. They are not overly expensive, and already exist. 

 

Sincerly, you recommend to spend several hundred dollars (and then having to carry & install even more stuff) instead of my 15 cent - prolongation of the bypass-switch that makes a footswitch of it ???

[codamedia]

On 4/20/2022 at 7:44 PM, AMountain said:

Sincerly, you recommend to spend several hundred dollars (and then having to carry & install even more stuff) instead of my 15 cent - prolongation of the bypass-switch that makes a footswitch of it ???

 

If you brief through this old thread you will see I am a supporter of your idea on ideascale (ie: I'm on your side). I'm not telling you what to do... I simply said I wouldn't be comfortable with it and then pointed out an option that already exists. If you are getting by the way you are, carry on.