PRC2 Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 I love my HX Effects, and I would like to integrate a Variax into my rig, but I know that the HXE will not auto-change the Variax via snapshots. Is there an external box or midi controller that I can use to help snapshot changes on the guitar? Or, is the only path the Helix Floor or LT? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 The Variax guitar has no midi capabilities. It can communicate with a Line 6 device that has a VDI connection, or with a computer running Workbench with a compatible hardware interface. You’re not talking about the latter in this context so, yes, you would need a VDI-equipped Helix device (Rack, Floor, LT). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 I love my Variax and how it integrates with my Helix floor. But that is also kind of it's achilles heel. It won't integrate in the same way with anything else. It also appears to have been left to the side as far as support goes. There are still bugs with the Helix so it doesn't operate properly. If you're curious what that is, if you set up your Helix to have a different setting for the tone or volume knob in a patch, when you switch to another patch, it keeps the setting the previous patch had. If you press the new patches swith again it will then change the Variax to the proper setting. Not a big deal but one of the things I would use it a lot for would be with different tone knob settings for the acoustics. The tone setting simulates different mic placements but I can't use the setting I like the best because of this bug. Soooooo, Havaing said all of that, there is this https://sim1guitar.com/xt-1/ It does have MIDI so I believe can be controlled by your HX Effects I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC2 Posted August 18, 2023 Author Share Posted August 18, 2023 Thx for your input. The XT-1 is pretty cool; I've hadn't heard of it. My Variax interest stems from the acoustic models, and it would amazing to switch guitars and presets directly from my HXFX. That said (and especially given the bugs that you point out, above), it seems like programming a song's guitars into the custom controls on the Variax itself may work (i.e., acoustic on selector position 5, tele on #4, etc.). Too bad they didn't include VDI on all Helix products, but I get the up-sell potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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