Input - Variax or Multi?

[dolfan058]

Hi all, this is regarding a Helix Floor. Two hopefully straightforward questions.

 

1. If I want a preset to work either with a Variax through VDI, or a guitar through 1/4 inch (meaning whichever guitar I decide to pick up that day). Do I need to choose "multi" as the input, or will leaving it on Variax make it work fine?
    
2. Also - assuming I can make the preset work with either a Variax through VDI or regular guitar through 1/4 slot -- If I plug a guitar into the 1/4 slot, the "variax settings"  obviously wouldn't impact being able to use the preset, correct? A couple of these presets specifically call the Variax to switch to "Spank-5" or other guitars. This wouldn't stop the preset from working if the Helix can't discover the Variax to implement that change?

 

Thanks in advance.

[silverhead]

1. Use Multi, which includes both Variax VDI and Guitar inputs. Variax by itself ignores the 1/4” Guitar input.

 

2. Correct. Helix does not object to the Multi setting if a Variax VDI connection is absent. It simply means that any VDI related settings in the preset (e.g. Variax Model) are ignored. The guitar connected to the 1/4” Guitar input will be fully processed as specified by the preset.

[dolfan058]

On 3/26/2023 at 7:28 AM, silverhead said:

1. Use Multi, which includes both Variax VDI and Guitar inputs. Variax by itself ignores the 1/4” Guitar input.

 

2. Correct. Helix does not object to the Multi setting if a Variax VDI connection is absent. It simply means that any VDI related settings in the preset (e.g. Variax Model) are ignored. The guitar connected to the 1/4” Guitar input will be fully processed as specified by the preset.

Thank you! Time to go back and fix all those presets now to multi lol

[codamedia]

This is a little off topic... I just want to add my approach. 

I always set my inputs explicitly for each type. Even if the preset is essentially the same... I'll copy it and change the input. 

 

The reasons are two fold. Primarily, with quick changes on stage I don't want to forget to turn down the other guitar and have it "live" while playing the intended guitar. For me it's easier to grab the Variax and switch over to my primary Variax preset. The next reason is that it allows me to fine tune that preset for the guitar it was designed for. I don't suffer from "sounds great on the tele, not as good on the Variax" or vice versa. 

[dolfan058]

On 3/26/2023 at 1:11 PM, codamedia said:

This is a little off topic... I just want to add my approach. 

I always set my inputs explicitly for each type. Even if the preset is essentially the same... I'll copy it and change the input. 

 

The reasons are two fold. Primarily, with quick changes on stage I don't want to forget to turn down the other guitar and have it "live" while playing the intended guitar. For me it's easier to grab the Variax and switch over to my primary Variax preset. The next reason is that it allows me to fine tune that preset for the guitar it was designed for. I don't suffer from "sounds great on the tele, not as good on the Variax" or vice versa. 

 

Totally fair, I get the approach and more than anything I'm appreciative that Line 6 gives us the option to go that granularly or keep it high-level with Multi.

 

In my case, I bought the Fremen Pink Floyd Presets for my FIL and setting them up on his Helix Floor and Variax, and the presets are virtually identical for Variax and non-Variax, so this would allow him to switch between the guitar he's fancying at the moment and only have one folder of Pink Floyd Presets as opposed to multiples.

 

To your point though, if he had multiple guitars hooked up at once, I can absolutely see the value of having a preset shut off the other inputs. In this particular use-case he wouldn't have that problem so it's a non-issue, but if he gigs any time soon and that's something he actively does, then I discovered it's more than an easy enough switch to change Multi back to Variax and implement the setup you recommended above.

 

Thanks for the feedback, it's good to see an alternative way of using this and how turning on only one input at a time has value.