HX Edit - Why can't we edit Helix presets for HX Stomp use?

[soundog]

This has been bugging me for months. I have lost sleep and am irritable:

 

If I have a Helix preset (using more than 8 blocks) and I want to edit it for use on my Stomp, I have to use silly workarounds. Otherwise, I get a "dsp block constraint exceeded" error in HX Edit when the Stomp is connected. One workaround I've used, for example, is to load the Helix sample into Helix Native, remove some blocks, save it, then load the slimmed-down preset in the Stomp. Or I can do cumbersome edits of the .hlx file. Painful. Is there no other easy workaround??

 

Some suggested future HX Edit behaviors: Allow the user to load in a big-lollipop Helix preset even when a Stomp is connected, edit it, and then don't spit out the error message unless the edited file still exceeds block constraints. Or, allow an offline mode for editing with no hardware attached. Or, there must be dozens of other elegant solutions.

[DunedinDragon]

I think the problem you face is simply that HX Edit is a simple console program that depends entirely upon the Helix unit to enforce the limits and rules.  That allows the same program to work with multiple Helix devices in a transparent manner.  That's fine for building presets, not so fine if you try and load a preset too big for the Stomp because the Stomp is enforcing the rules.  I would imagine Line 6 wants to avoid incorporating unit specific code into HX Edit because that then requires that code to be updated whenever things change on the Stomp, and I honestly can't blame them.  That would be a rookie move as far as programming and would be at odds with the entire design and purpose of HXEdit.

[codamedia]

On 2/27/2023 at 4:40 PM, soundog said:

One workaround I've used, for example, is to load the Helix sample into Helix Native, remove some blocks, save it, then load the slimmed-down preset in the Stomp. Or I can do cumbersome edits of the .hlx file. Painful. Is there no other easy workaround??

 

I keep an up-to-date setlist from my LT loaded in Native... 

When I need to create/replicate a preset in my Stomp, the procedure isn't that difficult. 

1. Load the source preset in Native
2. Load the stomp preset in HX Edit
3. Copy and Paste each block I want from Native to HX Edit. (settings are retained... even assignments in some instances)
4. Perform any fs assignments/adjustments I want in HX Edit for the Stomp
5. (Optional)... Snapshots are created manually, but with the original preset open in Native it's easy to replicate the settings.
6. SAVE

The result is a preset that has the exact same core tone... assignments/snapshots may vary out of limitations. 

 

I have not tried yet... but I think you can do the exact same thing by simply connecting both devices and opening multiple versions of HX Edit. Someone else will have to confirm or deny that. 

[datacommando]

On 2/27/2023 at 10:40 PM, soundog said:

Some suggested future HX Edit behaviors: Allow the user to load in a big-lollipop Helix preset even when a Stomp is connected, edit it, and then don't spit out the error message unless the edited file still exceeds block constraints. Or, allow an offline mode for editing with no hardware attached. Or, there must be dozens of other elegant solutions.

Hi soundog,

 

I guess you have been using these forums long enough to realise this Line 6 staff don’t monitor the posts and very rarely visit here. If you want your suggestion to have any chance of been seen by anyone who may take any notice, you need to submit your suggestion about HX Edit to IdeaScale.

 

Before doing that, I would also ask that you take note of the post from @DunedinDragon above. HX Edit is simply a remote control for the hardware unit (Floor, Stomp or whatever), which needs to be connected to modify your presets. There is actually no “brain” in the Editor, which is why you cannot use it without a HX device being attached.
 

As you have discovered - the general solution (workaround) to editing files for use on different hardware boxes is Helix Native which uses the Hardware Compatibility Mode. 

As for dozens of other “elegant solutions”… don’t hold your breath.

Hope this helps/makes sense.

[soundog]

1. That all makes perfect sense. Thanks, all, for clarifying "why".
2. I gave up on using IdeaScale. I figure Line 6 gonna do what they want at this stage of the game.
3. I own Native, so I sort of follow @codamedia's process. At least Native (or Stomp + Helix) owners have a workaround.
4. Someone could perhaps write a utility to edit hlx files offline. Maybe I'll do that today.
5. I know Line 6 doesn't monitor this forum, but sometimes I just feel like whining into the wind.
6. I'm going to make some more coffee.

[theElevators]

There are too many incompatibilities in terms of lack of loops/routing.  I was able to quickly recreate my Helix presets for the Pod Go by connecting two devices and opening HX Edit / Pod GO Edit side by side.  Maybe you can try the same approach?  Or at least take screenshots of each block...?

 

I also needed to redo my the delay mix when recreating my presets for Pod Go because there is no way to add effects in parallel (which is how I like to do it on the Helix), so in series, the balance is completely different -- henceforth I had to use my ears.

 

Other than that, I recreated each preset in about 5 minutes. 

[DunedinDragon]

On 2/28/2023 at 1:04 PM, soundog said:

1. Someone could perhaps write a utility to edit hlx files offline. Maybe I'll do that today.

I hope you understand those formats and tagging structures change pretty much with each and every new firmware release.

[craiganderton]

If you have a Helix Floor and HX Stomp, you can open both of them in HX Edit, and drag-and-drop blocks between them -  no cut/paste required. Unfortunately, you can't drag and drop from Native into an HX Edit window.

[soundog]

On 2/28/2023 at 10:50 AM, DunedinDragon said:

I hope you understand those formats and tagging structures change pretty much with each and every new firmware release.

I'm not about to really try to write an editor. The problem is not big enough to create the solution.

 

In the meantime, I found this nifty (but dated) hlx reader that lets you view blocks and parameters. It might come in handy for offline preset viewing. If nothing else, its a curious novelty!

[PierM]

This is when you realize ChatGPT is useless to solve real life problems.

[soundog]

But it might be useful for lonely people to have long pointless discussions that go nowhere. Like this one.

[datacommando]

On 2/28/2023 at 8:24 PM, soundog said:

If nothing else, its a curious novelty!

There are others around if you search, here’s another.

 

https://hxview.netlify.app
 

And another.

 

http://vulcanofx.blogspot.com/2019/08/helixhx-stomp-preset-snapshot-online.html

 

plus another of dubious merit from way back!

 

https://voigts.de/helix-preset-viewer/

 

Oh, IIRC, the presets are all JSON files and there are a whole bunch of editors available to modify the text in the source files.

 

https://jsoneditoronline.org

 

Have fun file chopping.

 

[soundog]

Whoa! Those top two are pretty neat, and better than the one I mentioned IMHO.