lespool79 Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 Ok this is my last stab at fixing this myself. Problem: Helix won't stay connected to HX Edit. I get a "no device connected" red message at the bottom center of my HX edit. If I restart I might get lucky and it will connect for a few minutes but then it will disconnect. Setup: Helix with about 4 setlists each having 45 songs, each one having 4 snapshots. 3 foot USB cable into a USB to USB C (I think?) connector into my MacBook Pro running OS Monterey. Things I've done: I tested the USB. It works. I can run a focusrite into Logic Pro and it always connects. I have reinstalled Hx Edit multiple times. I have plugged and unplugged the USB. I have restarted multiple times. I asked Line 6 with a support ticket and their answer was to "keep the window focused and dont move it around" and "use a shorter USB cable." I find their answers very annoying as I dont move around the window and I have the 3 foot cable that came with it. They also said to wait for the new firmware update which is "right around the corner". I do have the Helix backed up, setlists saved and a bundle saved. I'm not really sure the difference between those three things but I did them all to make sure I'm safe. I've spent so much time working out these presets. Any thoughts now on what to do? I posted another post about getting a new cheap computer but damn that's annoying. I have a Mac, which was expensive. I could possibly do a factory reset on the Helix but that scares me. Otherwise I'm just stuck. I at least have all the presets made and I doubt we will be learning any new songs requiring me to do major preset adjustments. I can always just copy a preset and tinker a little on the floor unit if we need a new song preset but still I find this extremely annoying for such expensive stuff. Thoughts? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd2rk Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 You might have to rent a computer to do this. You do NOT want to lose your connection while updating the FW. Make sure that everything is backed up. Don't do this if you have a gig next weekend. Reinstall the FW using the latest version of L6 Updater. Follow all of the directions, including doing a Factory Reset AFTER Helix rebuilds the presets. Restore the backups you made. You're probably getting unsatisfactory answers from support because they just don't know what to tell you. 99.9% of us don't have this problem, and without actually having YOUR computer on the bench with YOUR Helix and permission to do whatever it takes to find and fix the problem, there's only so much they can do. When all of the usual solutions have been tried and nothing has worked, it's down to your specific hardware. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted June 17, 2022 Author Share Posted June 17, 2022 ...so this does lead me back to my solution which I dont like: try it on a friends computer and see if HX edit works. If its flawless then just buy a $150 laptop and keep that laptop specific for the helix and move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd2rk Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 On 6/17/2022 at 6:31 AM, lespool79 said: ...so this does lead me back to my solution which I dont like: try it on a friends computer and see if HX edit works. If its flawless then just buy a $150 laptop and keep that laptop specific for the helix and move on. 'fraid so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 I know most people with Macs love them, but the unfortunate truth is the Mac is clearly designed for the consumer market pretty much exclusively rather than the broad market including corporate desktops which means it doesn't provide a lot of access to diagnostic and performance logging tools that you can use to identify the source of many of the various problems you might encounter in the world outside of Apple. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd2rk Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 On 6/17/2022 at 2:09 PM, DunedinDragon said: I know most people with Macs love them, but the unfortunate truth is the Mac is clearly designed for the consumer market pretty much exclusively rather than the broad market including corporate desktops which means it doesn't provide a lot of access to diagnostic and performance logging tools that you can use to identify the source of many of the various problems you might encounter in the world outside of Apple. Unfortunately, the music industry is but a tiny portion of the MAC market. While MAC support techs (in my very limited experience) are FAR superior to the amateur golf caddies that Microsoft employs, they tend to know zip about the issues that concern us. Although I have to wonder @lespool79, have you tried MAC support? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted June 17, 2022 Share Posted June 17, 2022 On 6/17/2022 at 4:28 PM, rd2rk said: Unfortunately, the music industry is but a tiny portion of the MAC market. While MAC support techs (in my very limited experience) are FAR superior to the amateur golf caddies that Microsoft employs, they tend to know zip about the issues that concern us. Although I have to wonder @lespool79, have you tried MAC support? Actually I think the entire industry is pretty robust with underachieving first line support people who, at best, can navigate a checklist of common problems and solutions. If you're lucky enough to get past them to 2nd level support you might stand a chance of someone knowing how to isolate and identify error conditions occurring within the operating system to clarify where the problems lie. This is even generally true in corporate IT departments. Most of us that built the core of these systems are long retired so there's a pretty significant brain drain that's occurred in both companies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted July 1, 2022 Author Share Posted July 1, 2022 I called Sweetwater and they provided some good help. He said all signs point to needing a firmware update. I also tested the connection on a friends PC and got the same error. So two computers now won't recognize this. The PC gave the error "the last usb device you connected to this computer malfunctioned and windows does not recognize it." So now I will perhaps do this on July 4 AM. I have two gigs this weekend so I can't risk this. I have a file on my computer in the Line 6 folder called "Helix Floor Backup 2022-June-15.hxb. Is that the file I need to save my a$$ when I wipe out the firmware and then load all my presets back in? I also have Helix Bundle (2022-June-15).hlb. I also have my setlists in a bar set.hls export. For the brief 10 seconds I was able to get the Helix to connect I managed to export and back up as much as I can. I just have never TRUSTED all my work to a file import after a firmware wipe out. That terrifies me with our gigging schedule. Thoughts on this? Do I have the files needed to recreate my Helix after I use the updater and update the firmware and wipe it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted July 1, 2022 Share Posted July 1, 2022 On 7/1/2022 at 10:13 AM, lespool79 said: ... I have a file on my computer in the Line 6 folder called "Helix Floor Backup 2022-June-15.hxb. Is that the file I need to save my a$$ when I wipe out the firmware and then load all my presets back in? ..... This is the complete backup file for your Helix device as of the date specified. You may have created it intentionally using the HX Edit Backup command, but the fact that you have asked the question suggests you did not. That means it was created automatically during your last firmware update (maybe you recall the date that you updated?). The firmware update procedure automatically creates this file before updating. The other file you mention (*.hlb) is a partial backup - ignore it. When you update the firmware again a new backup file will be created, again stamped with the date. After the firmware update is complete run HX Edit and use the Restore from Backup function to restore using the most recent backup file. The backup and restore functions are reliable. Make sure you follow the instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted July 1, 2022 Author Share Posted July 1, 2022 I never did a firmware update. It came with the most recent firmware installed I believe and that was in March of this year. I am pretty sure I hit "create backup" I have just never done this before and I am SO PARANOID that I do not know what I am doing. But before I do this for real I will read everything on restoring from backup after firmware update. I mean "factory reset" is what they are telling me but after I do that I will then "restore from backup" and hope to God I see the ability to bring that .hxb file up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted July 1, 2022 Share Posted July 1, 2022 When you perform the Restore From Backup function you will be presented with a list of all backup files in the default folder. That is where your file will be unless you intentionally redirected the folder when you created the backup. If you did that you will simply need to navigate to that folder and select the file. Don't worry - it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted July 1, 2022 Author Share Posted July 1, 2022 and a "global reset" is what I want right? power off, hold buttons 5+6 and power on, then release buttons. then connect helix to computer, pray the USB connects to it and then restore from backup. If it doesn't connect to the USB then I assume I run right to some local store buy another Helix and restore that one to my backup so I can play next weeks gigs. Then complain like hell to get this Helix returned. (or call Sweetwater asap and see if they can help) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted July 1, 2022 Author Share Posted July 1, 2022 Rereading all this I guess I need to use the updater and let that drive what happens. Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted July 1, 2022 Share Posted July 1, 2022 On 7/1/2022 at 2:54 PM, lespool79 said: Rereading all this I guess I need to use the updater and let that drive what happens. Right? Yes and No. Yes you need to update. No you don’t use the Line 6 Updater program directly. You need to follow the instructions. Start by downloading and installing the HX Edit v3.15 program package. After installing all components run HX Edit, which controls the installation (including invoking the Line 6 Updater program in the background when required). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted July 1, 2022 Author Share Posted July 1, 2022 Ok but that's after a global reset? I have HX Edit V3.15 on my computer. So the plan is global reset then delete HX Edit and reinstall it. Then connect the Helix. Hope it connects and then it will invoke the Updater? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 Hi. I was away for a couple of days and I’m wondering if this issue persists. I have reread the entire thread and have a few questions/comments that I hope may be helpful: 1) I’m not a Mac guy but I know that many manufacturers, including Line 6, have been struggling to adapt to Apple’s introduction of the M1 chip. There’s a pinned topic at the top of this page that describes the current status of Line 6 products and the M1 chip. In that article is the following statement: “Regarding macOS Monterey 12, we continue to test against it.”. You say that your Mac is running OS Monterey so it’s likely that your Mac has not been designated compatible with HX Edit. Personally, from the descriptions provided, I believe that this is the case. The USB-C to USB cable may be problematic, or the communication over that cable may be unreliable. If it’s the latter, the solution is not yet available; Line 6 will need to identify and resolve the issue as they continue to test. No idea when that may happen. This may be what Line 6 Support meant by saying that you may need to wait for a pending firmware update. An unsatisfying answer, I know, but that may simply be the case. If you haven’t already done so, restart your Mac and try HX Edit again. 2) On 7/1/2022 at 10:29 AM, lespool79 said: I never did a firmware update. It came with the most recent firmware installed I believe … Find out what firmware is installed on your Helix. The version installed is displayed on the screen immediately when you start your Helix. 3) On 7/1/2022 at 7:20 PM, lespool79 said: Ok but that's after a global reset? I have HX Edit V3.15 on my computer. So the plan is global reset then delete HX Edit and reinstall it. Then connect the Helix. Hope it connects and then it will invoke the Updater? If you’re Helix firmware is already at v3.15 you may not need to update it. Try the global reset. That alone may resolve the issue (unlikely imho but possible). If your Helix device is NOT running firmware v3.15 (same as HX Edit) then you are running incompatible versions of Helix firmware and HX Exit, and this could explain your problem. If so you definitely need to update the firmware. There should be no need to uninstall and reinstall HX Edit. Register your Helix device in your Line 6 account. Run HX Edit and log in to your Line 6 account using the bottom left portion of the HX edit window. After logging in you should be alerted that an update is available. Follow the instructions presented to you as the update proceeds. It will create a backup file and invoke the Updater when appropriate. You will be strongly advised to perform the factory reset when appropriate. Do so, and then Restore your backup file. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted July 4, 2022 Author Share Posted July 4, 2022 Thank you so much for the response. The weekend of gigs ended and I was ready to do exactly what you said. Then I plugged in the helix and it magically connected (now it has connected before just every once in a while then it will quickly disconnect). I figured id try and grab a more recent backup so I did a backup yesterday. It connected and stayed connected for the backup. I then thought to try the updater. So I closed HX Edit and ran the updater. It showed me having the option of 3.15 firmware so I did it. I am pretty sure I already had 3.15 installed but I followed the updater and did it. It took about 10 min after the update and a reboot and I watched it rebuild my presets. Then it connected ALL NIGHT. I tried everything to get it to FAIL and it didn't. I unplugged it, switched USB ports, turned it off, closed HX Edit and opened it again.... it worked 100% of the time. So ... I was hesitant on posting this so I dont jinx it but so far so good! If this carries on to be functional then I will attribute this to the firmware needing to be updated, even though it came with 3.15 I believe. Maybe it was something changed with 3.15 or ... well I just dont know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted July 11, 2022 Author Share Posted July 11, 2022 I was going smooth for over a week with 100% connectivity. Then I download this preset https://line6.com/customtone/tone/5031479/ b/c we are going to add this song and now im about 50% connectivity. It's disconnecting and telling me the same old error. It will however connect back much faster and now I can still work with it but damn this is unacceptably annoying. I guess I'll try to take notes on what this guy did on one part of the song I needed help designing tone for and then just build it myself and see if I can delete the preset and test it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespool79 Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 Follow up to this. Sweetwater sent me a new one and now it works and connects 100%. The issue wasn't software or anything, it was a bum Helix unit. Been working perfect for weeks. I notice a big difference, it connects very fast and doesn't matter if I have other apps open or the order of connecting or anything like that. it just works. Luckily I had a backup and basically I have a new Helix with my old presets and now it connects. Sweetwater saved the day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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