HELIX and VARIAX 300

[Wicasa-Wakan]

Hi,

 

Just wanted to know if the HELIX floor, LT and rack can handle the Variax 300 like the Pod X3 live does? I'm thinking to upgrade from POD X3 to an HELIX, but I need to be sure to be able to assign the Variax model change in the Helix presets...

 

Thanks!

 

Franck

[silverhead]

The simple and official answer is no. Older Variax models (pre-JTV) are not supported in the Helix family.

 

In practice my Helix is able to switch models in my Variax 300 using stored presets. However that is a fortunate holdover of some sort and is not guaranteed to happen with your Helix/Variax combination. And certainly the reverse is not true. When I manually change a Variax model using the model knob it is not tracked by Helix. In fact it sometimes (not always) results in a display of gibberish in the Helix. It has never actually crashed my Helix... yet.

 

So, can you be sure that you are 'able to assign the Variax model change in the Helix presets...'? No, but maybe it will.

[cruisinon2]

On 7/18/2024 at 11:20 AM, silverhead said:

The simple and official answer is no. Older Variax models (pre-JTV) are not supported in the Helix family.

 

In practice my Helix is able to switch models in my Variax 300 using stored presets. However that is a fortunate holdover of some sort and is not guaranteed to happen with your Helix/Variax combination. And certainly the reverse is not true. When I manually change a Variax model using the model knob it is not tracked by Helix. In fact it sometimes (not always) results in a display of gibberish in the Helix. It has never actually crashed my Helix... yet.

 

So, can you be sure that you are 'able to assign the Variax model change in the Helix presets...'? No, but maybe it will.

 

Don't you just love stuff like this? LOL...nothing funnier in life than an iron-clad "Maybe...and possibly only on a Tuesday with a full moon." ;)

[codamedia]

I had to go find this older post of mine from 2018.... 3 post in on this short thread

https://line6.com/support/topic/35963-using-a-300-variax-with-a-helix/

 

But here it is again for quick reference...

Bottom line, it works, but it takes some getting used to. 

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For anyone interested in connecting an older Variax and a Helix... take the time to learn how they will interact with each other, or you will be left scratching your head in confusion... especially if you came from an HD500 or earlier POD XT Live or X3. 

 

The two most important things to understand... when you use "force mode" to load guitar models from a preset or snapshot change....

1. You can only set the model access from the HELIX... You cannot change the model on the guitar, then save on the Helix like you used to with an older POD
2. The HELIX can only access the FACTORY Variax Models, Custom 1 and Custom 2 locations. Read that carefully!  Here's why!
   • If you customize your variax guitars in Workbench, then store them over their original location the Helix cannot access those. You can call them up on the guitar itself, but the Helix cannot load them through preset or snapshot!
   • Any custom guitars you need instant access to from the Helix (ie: loaded with a patch/snapshot change) must be stored in a CUSTOM 1 or CUSTOM 2 location. 
   • If you change guitar models via snapshot... and are in the habit of changing pickup positions on the fly... I strongly suggest you set Snapshot behavior mode to "discard". If not... it won't take long to learn why :) 

IMO: The reward of having guitar model changes available via snapshots more than makes up for any inconvenience of learning a few quirks. My Variax 300 has new life under the HELIX... now that I've learned it's new personality :) 

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