dannettelle Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 (edited) How to control and change Helix presets to sync with lyrics/songsheets on iPad by using OnSong. My Need: I wanted my guitar and vocal effects preset on the Helix to change depending on the song currently displayed on my iPad. So, Song 1 on my iPad would have a preset attached to it and when I flipped to Song 2 on my iPad, the preset would change on my Helix automatically. My Setup: I have an iPad with the OnSong app, Helix Floor and a iRig BlueTurn bluetooth page flipper pedal I have my iPad directly connected to the Helix via USB (and usb to lightning adapter). The only thing you need to make sure of is that, in the OnSong Settings, you have MIDI enabled. On the Helix make note of the MIDI Channel your Helix is assigned to (this can be assigned to any number) and that your Helix is sending MIDI through USB in the Global Settings panel The Solution: HELIX SETUP: 1. Go to your Preset List page (push down on Preset knob) and select the preset you want to sync to OnSong 2. Take note of the MIDI info. There should be 3 groups of numbers. For my example, Semi-Charmed Life's group of numbers read CC32: 003 | PC: 045 | CC69: 000 3. CC32 is the Control Channel number. 003 is the bank or folder in that Control Channel (which is labeled 4 FD in my Preset List). 4. PC: 045 is the Program change number, or in my case, the song Preset number. 5. Basically, those numbers mean that Semi-Charmed Life is located in Control Channel 32 in Folder 3 as preset 45. 6. All of these settings are distributed through MIDI Channel 5; which was established earlier in the My Setup section. **TAKE NOTE of the above parameters as you will be referencing those in the MIDI setup in OnSong** ONSONG SETUP: 1. Go to the song you want to sync in your Onsong app. For Reference, mine is Semi-Charmed Life 2. Press and hold on the Title of the song until the MIDI panel pops up 3. Add a MIDI command by clicking on the + icon in the bottom right of the popup 4. Hit the + icon and under TYPE, select Program. Under CHANNEL, select 5. Under the PROGRAM section below, select the preset number (which is 45 in my example). In the Bank section, we will leave Bank MSB alone and just change the Bank LSB to 3 (which is the bank/folder number my preset is located in Click DONE. Set up those parameters for a couple songs and flip through your songs on your OnSong App. The corresponding Helix preset should change along with it. Once you get the hang of the settings, adding multiple songs becomes quite effortless. THAT'S IT! Edited October 14, 2021 by dannettelle Updated workflow. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfhmonkey Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 I run my whole live rig from OnSong. Swipe the screen on the iPad, loads the Helix Patch, which in turn loads my guitar model and tuning on the JTV59. Works great. Any set list changes, just rearrange the set list in OnSong and I never have to touch the patch order on the Helix. Super easy to access multiple banks as well. Little snippet of code typed into the OnSong app takes care of everything. Tremendously useful app... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannettelle Posted October 13, 2021 Author Share Posted October 13, 2021 Funny enough, the snippet of code is how I figured it out. Someone posted something about it for the HX Stomp. I copied and pasted the code into the OnSong app under the Title and set one of my presets to the settings and it worked. From there I reverse engineered to applying it inside the MIDI popup. I just posted this for anyone else who doesn't know MIDI too well and doesn't know about the coding. I am trying to get Onsong to make a tutorial video about this particular situation. They have one for the TC-Helicon Voicelive 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adauria Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 Wow, this is incredibly cool and I never would have thought of it! I've been using Onsong forever, but am new to the Helix. Once I really get my presets dialed in, I just may give this a shot. Thanks for posting it! -Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfhmonkey Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 Integration of the Helix with an iPad really is astounding. Been wanting to do some videos on all the cool stuff I've stumbled across using an iPad, the Helix/PowerCab+, and my JTV in a live situation, but have been too busy recording and gigging with the band this year. Definitely not complaining, happy to just be able to be out there doing! Maybe this winter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 On 10/13/2021 at 4:42 PM, cfhmonkey said: ... Super easy to access multiple banks as well. Little snippet of code typed into the OnSong app takes care of everything. Tremendously useful app... Do you have a link for the "snippet of code" and how it is employed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfhmonkey Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 sunset sinners - old glory MIDI: CC32:6@3, 0:46@3 First line is the song info Second line is the midi code The "@3" indicates I am transmitting on midi channel 4 (yeah I know off by one). The "6@3" loads bank 7 (yes, again the off by one thing). "0:46@3" loads patch 46 (this is correct and not off by one for some reason). Took some trial and error with the midi channel and bank number being off by one, and there may be a better way to code this, but once I get something to work I'm usually off to something else. I'll import a .pdf of some handwritten notes generally, and then attach this bit of code to it inside OnSong. Once that's done, rearranging set lists is as simple as moving stuff around with your finger. Never have to rearrange any patches on the Helix. Huge time saver, fantastic app! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 I am not getting the MIDI dialog popup when I press and hold the song title in OnSong. Instead I get a magnifier glass enlarging the text for the song title. I have reset my Onsong settings to default and that did not help. Any ideas as to why this may not be working? MIDI configuration maybe? It (looks right to me) and Onsong sees my Helix. Perhaps worth mentioning that I have had the "Onsong Pro" version on my iPad for years, not the new Onsong "Premium" subscription offering. It is updated to the latest version. Anybody have any suggestions for getting it working so the holding down the title shortcut brings up the MIDI dialog? I think the press & hold shortcut to MIDI settings on the "Onsong Pro" version does not exist, at least not by default. You can get to the MIDI event settings by selecting a song, pressing edit (pencil icon), pressing info("i" with a circle icon), and then scrolling all the way down to the MIDI settings. PITA so I would love to find a way to enable the title press & hold shortcut. At least for now maybe this method will help someone out who is trying to get HX program control switching working with the older(and less expensive) version of OnSong working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfhmonkey Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 I access the midi stuff by tapping the "A" icon on mine. I've had the app for a long time, think the midi functionality was in IAP back then. Well before they had any subscription model... My account info found under the gear icon lists "OnSong Pro" with four "add-ons" of "drawing" "midi" "console" and "scenes". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 3 hours ago, cfhmonkey said: I access the midi stuff by tapping the "A" icon on mine. I've had the app for a long time, think the midi functionality was in IAP back then. Well before they had any subscription model... My account info found under the gear icon lists "OnSong Pro" with four "add-ons" of "drawing" "midi" "console" and "scenes". Heh, thanks but my OnSong version does not even have that icon. Wonder how you got that to appear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfhmonkey Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Possibly due to the In app purchases? Maybe contact the app developer directly. I vaguely remember contacting them about something years back and their being very accessible and friendly...but at my age I could be thinking about a neighbor or something like instead. ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 10 hours ago, cfhmonkey said: Possibly due to the In app purchases? Maybe contact the app developer directly. I vaguely remember contacting them about something years back and their being very accessible and friendly...but at my age I could be thinking about a neighbor or something like instead. ;-) Agree, in-app purchases might be the issue here. Not too inclined to purchase something that is working already, albeit more clunkily. Not a huge fan of in-app purchases in general although I buy 'em if I need 'em. Didn't I already pay for the app? I suppose they allow basic versions of the apps to be more affordable and provide more R&D money for developers for additional features but I absolutely draw the line at the sub-innermost-post-in-app purchases ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGW-Alberta Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 This seems pretty cool to me. I use OnSong on my iPad but it never occurred to me to connect it to my Helix. I will have to look into this some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannettelle Posted October 22, 2021 Author Share Posted October 22, 2021 On 10/17/2021 at 6:29 PM, HonestOpinion said: I am not getting the MIDI dialog popup when I press and hold the song title in OnSong. Instead I get a magnifier glass enlarging the text for the song title. I have reset my Onsong settings to default and that did not help. Any ideas as to why this may not be working? MIDI configuration maybe? It (looks right to me) and Onsong sees my Helix. Perhaps worth mentioning that I have had the "Onsong Pro" version on my iPad for years, not the new Onsong "Premium" subscription offering. It is updated to the latest version. Anybody have any suggestions for getting it working so the holding down the title shortcut brings up the MIDI dialog? I think the press & hold shortcut to MIDI settings on the "Onsong Pro" version does not exist, at least not by default. You can get to the MIDI event settings by selecting a song, pressing edit (pencil icon), pressing info("i" with a circle icon), and then scrolling all the way down to the MIDI settings. PITA so I would love to find a way to enable the title press & hold shortcut. At least for now maybe this method will help someone out who is trying to get HX program control switching working with the older(and less expensive) version of OnSong working. Try your iOS settings for "long press". You might have something overriding the function for OnSong. It might be in the "Accessibility" area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrucci-fan Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Been using Onsong to change patches on my Helix for a couple years now. Recently I have discovered an issue. I am also using the JTV-59 so I need snapshots and tunings to change also. Everything works as expected except it changes my choice of guitar when changing the patch. Ex: I have Acoustic-5 chosen and save the patch. when I change to this patch using Onsong it picks Reso-5. If I manually change the patch using the Helix it brings up the correct guitar. Is Onsong sending a control change for the guitar that I am not seeing? This is the META Data from the song on Onsong. So this META Data takes me to Bank-3, Patch-51, Snapshot 3. I can resave the guitar on the Helix but when switching with Onsong it always reverts back to the RESO-5 and not Acoustic 5 as saved????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dafrankum Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 Oh man!! I've been looking for this update. I had seen Onsong connected to Helix before but the article was 5 years old or so. Thanks for the info. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulTBaker Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 Wow, as my dear old mom used to say "what an age we live in!" :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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