What Helix Software Utilities Exist and Where are they?

[Gillespie1983]

I would greatly benefit from a software utility that compares two Helix presets and tells if they are identical and if not, identifies the differences.    Before I program it, does this already exist?

 

Please add link(s) to other helpful Helix utilities.

Thanks,

Gillespie1983

[silverhead]

https://helixlib.com/

Helix Preset Viewer

Vulcano FX: Helix/HX Stomp preset-snapshot online viewer

Helix Preset Viewer

Helix Preset Viewer

 

They're all different. Take your pick. Also they may no longer be actively supported and not up to date with current firmware.

[PaulTBaker]

you can also use some of the standard webapps that will show differences between two files.  the presets are just text files so you can load them into something like  Diffchecker - Compare text online to find the difference between two text files  and it will show you the differences.  I agree a very cool app that spelled things out for you would be better, and maybe even let you make changes... but just to do a compare, this will definitely work.

 

[Gillespie1983]

I'm a retired software engineer and would like to take a stab at writing some Helix software aps.   Are there any public access scripts or documents that would give me a headstart parsing the Helix preset files?

[DunedinDragon]

On 1/16/2024 at 9:30 AM, Gillespie1983 said:

I'm a retired software engineer and would like to take a stab at writing some Helix software aps.   Are there any public access scripts or documents that would give me a headstart parsing the Helix preset files?

It's called JSON and it's a standard scripting language used throughout the industry.  It will allow you to deconstruct and possibly change stored presets and such, but it's not going to allow you to change/create/modify blocks or re-arrange signal chain behaviors  because no one outside of Line 6 development has that capability for very good reasons.

 

You can, of course, write automation procedures in whatever language or scripting scenarios that use MIDI commands to change behaviors in a Helix of course.

[Gillespie1983]

I began writing a Python program to analyze the IR usage within a Helix Bundle file.  My Helix currently has ~300 presets and 120 IRs and I'm sure several of the presets are duplicated (or very very similar), and that some of the IRs are no longer in use.  I'd love to declutter my Helix, so to speak.

 

This program is in development and isn't ready for "release."   But I would welcome any ideas to improve or simplify my "plan."

 

Inputs:

1. Helix Bundle file

2. a recently-saved, HLX preset file to use as the baseline Master IR list.    (Why needed?  Because even though each hlx preset as an IR checksum table, that table represents the Helix IR contents at the time the preset was saved.  A misleading report will be generated if the master IR hlx preset was saved and then IRs were added/deleted in the Helix before the HLB was produced.)

 

Output report:

1. List of duplicate IRs

2. List of IRs not used by the hlb

3. List of which IRs are used by which presets in the hlb.

 

Future ideas:

1. Output list of duplicate presets and their locations in the HLB.

2. Reader friendly comparison between two similar presets.  (I have several presets that are slight variations of each other and would like to know what those differences are)

 

 

(I did find an IR usage utility on the web, but it was out of date in the way it determined which IRs were unused)

 

I would prefer to run (if possible) on a HXB backup file, but I don't know how to open/interpret it.  An hxb would eliminate the need to manually identify the master IR hlx preset.  Any ideas on this ?
 

 

 

 

[brue58ski]

One thing the Helix really needs is a way to tell which IR's go with which patches or at least, whether an IR that is loaded is being used. Being able tell if an IR is there when you select a patch is an improvement from where it was before. But, even just a little notepad type thing in each patch so you can make any kind of patch notes including what IR it uses that you can at least read from HX Edit would help.

[silverhead]

 

On 2/19/2024 at 7:42 AM, brue58ski said:

One thing the Helix really needs is a way to tell which IR's go with which patches or at least, whether an IR that is loaded is being used. Being able tell if an IR is there when you select a patch is an improvement from where it was before. But, even just a little notepad type thing in each patch so you can make any kind of patch notes including what IR it uses that you can at least read from HX Edit would help.

The helixlib.com utility does support IRs to some extent. Maybe worth a look.

[brue58ski]

On 2/19/2024 at 6:51 AM, silverhead said:

 

The helixlib.com utility does support IRs to some extent. Maybe worth a look.

 

I want to be able to tell from my Helix or at least HX Edit. I am aware of the helixlib utility. So I know it's there. Being able to at least read it in HX Edit would be my preference. The POD XT had a per patch notes section in it's editing interface. I found it helpful for all kinds of things.

[silverhead]

Yes, I agree that would be preferred. Just pointing out a potential option for now.

[brue58ski]

On 2/19/2024 at 9:37 AM, silverhead said:

Yes, I agree that would be preferred. Just pointing out a potential option for now.

 

Thank you. Unfortunately it doesn't do what I want. BUT I think it would be a good utility if you cannot even remember what IR you used. Currently I only use the IR's in my Helix so it's not a problem for now. It will be  problem when my IR list exceeds the patches that I use them in, list.

[Gillespie1983]

Here's a sample of my report (still under development).  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  This is just for fun, I'm too old to start a business. ;)

I'm using a bundle file and a Preset file that I know contains the latest  collection of IRs.  Unfortunately, bundle files do not give the names of the IRs; I would rather use a Helix full backup file (which has the IR name and the latest IRs) but I have yet to learn how to decompress & decode it.

 

Other ideas for future playing around:

  Identify exact duplicate Presets and near-duplicate Presets (perhaps with certain exceptions such as different: name, IR, and/or footswitch/snapshot programming

 

Report Snippets from one of my Helix bundle files:

Master IR List Warnings
-----------------------
Duplicate IR at slot: 25 48b188d8be8f7fca84c097e9be82dd01
Duplicate IR at slot: 35 48b188d8be8f7fca84c097e9be82dd01
Empty IR slot: 51
IR Not Used:   52
Empty IR slot: 87

 

**********  IR USAGE REPORT  **********

       SET LIST(SLOT)        PRESET
...
IR  9: THIRD PARTY(22)       BNSN MNRCH A WTh
       THIRD PARTY(23)       BNSN MNRCH A WTs
       THIRD PARTY(26)       MNRCH JMP WTh
       THIRD PARTY(27)       MNRCH JMP WTs
       MAIN PRESETS(15)      BENSON MONARCH A
       MAIN PRESETS(21)      BNSN MNARC A WET
       MAIN PRESETS(25)      MNRCH JMP WTh
       SUHR(13)              BENSON MONARCH A
       SUHR(15)              BEN MONARCH JMP
       SUHR(28)              BEN MNRCH JP WET
       EXPERIMENTS(3)        MNRCH JMP WTh
       EXPERIMENTS(4)        New Preset
       SONG LIST(1)          GOD SO LOVED
       SONG LIST(3)          CONTROL.10thAveN
       SONG LIST(5)          THIS IS AMAZING
       Gretsch(12)           BENSON MONARCH A
       Gretsch(14)           BEN MONARCH JMP
       WORKING SET(10)       BEN MONARCH JMP
       FAVS OEM CLEANUP(7)   BNSN MNRCH A WTh
       FAVS OEM CLEANUP(9)   MNRCH JMP WTh
...
IR 51: Empty Slot
IR 52: Not Used
IR 53: THIRD PARTY(106)      TJ BobCat 20R H
       FAVS OEM CLEANUP(37)  TJ BobCat 20R H
...

************* SETLIST **************
Gretsch
000: MATCHLESS + AC30  IRs: ['6', '7']
001: Marshall JTM-45   IRs: ['10']
002: VIBROLUX          IRs: ['15', '15']
003: 65A LONDON E      IRs: ['17']
004: New Preset        *** WARNING *** Bad Preset name for holding any IRs: ['8', '9']
005: TONE KING IMPRL   IRs: ['18']
006: Princeton         IRs: None
...

[Rachmaninoff]

On 1/16/2024 at 1:15 PM, DunedinDragon said:

but it's not going to allow you to change/create/modify blocks or re-arrange signal chain behaviors  because no one outside of Line 6 development has that capability for very good reasons.

 

Well, reverse engineering the USB traffic is definitely possible... but that would require a lot of work, plus the risk of damaging your unit.