Snapshots with Variax, Helix, Power Cabs.

[kenmac1]

Is there a way to switch in snapshots, between the models in the Variax, (Tele, Strat...) and back to the standard Magnetic pickups?
The reason I ask, I I find on solos I need to switch from Bridge to neck pickups... and until now I literally copy the same patch / snapshot but with a different pickup, which to me seems like a waste of a patch.  If I can simply have one or two of those snapshots with the standard magnetic pickups, without having to create an entirely new path, (Magnetics on one path, and Models on another), due to the restrictions within the machine itself, it would be great.  At present, my top path is purely for a couple of acoustic / 12 string models, and I have a second path purely using amp models, and magnetics, but I run out of processing power because the acoustic patches need compression, delays, reverb, Eq... to sound as I want them, and that means that i am very limited in what I can do on the second path, because I have already used to much processing power to create those two tracks. 

My second issue, I find when I switch between from any clean (Acoustic / JC120) style patch, to my gain patch (Engl Fireball) I get a very short sharp pop through the system.  I can't seem to eradicate it, has anyone encountered this, and how do you get around it, because it is much louder than the patches themselves?

A;; these issues relate to the same snapshot set, so eight preset sounds, which I would like to be able to run as a single path, switching between modeled guitars, and magnetics...
I've also found it impossible to use the L6 Links to change internal models inside the Power Cab Plus boxes, so I am just setting it to flat, and setting speaker sounds as part of the patches / snapshots, rather than having the cab model the speakers for me.

[codamedia]

I don't have my rig here to walk you through the steps, but YES - you can switch models on the Variax via snapshots. I don't own a Power Cab so I don't know about that. 

 

In the Helix PRESET, locate the VARIAX settings. Make sure the "MODEL" is assigned to Snapshot control (you need to see brackets around it) and save the model with each snapshot. Tuning also applies per snapshot if you want it to. 

 

 

[waymda]

Yes to all of the above.

 

The linked does the following: https://line6.com/customtone/tone/6575943/

• Snap 1 Variax only for accoustic with some IRs and PC+ set to flat
• Snap 2 variax + mags - seperate amps for each - a speaker model for each of 2 x C+
• Snap 3 Variax only  - single amp out to 2 different speaker models
• Snap 4 different variax - single amp to 2 different speaker models again

There is a lot changing with each snapshot so you need to check all the paramters for changes to find whats going on. Note I have not tested this so it might sound ship, just had a base patch I coupld adjust to demo the concept.

 

Re pops on snaps - it has somethign to do with how the chnages in snaps are processes. From what I remember the changers occur in serial (1 at a time) not parellel (all at once) and very quickly so you can sometimes hear an amp ramping up gain or other weird noises as popping and other atifcacts. I've fixed it in the past by recreating the changes in a snapshot in a different order - they are stored as they are changed and processed the same. Alternatively using gain as the control to let sound through or not, or turning amps etc on and off rather than changing volumes.

[rwandering]

On 3/15/2025 at 12:20 AM, kenmac1 said:

I've also found it impossible to use the L6 Links to change internal models inside the Power Cab Plus boxes

 

This is just a weird thing about the PowerCab.  If you want to change to a new preset, you need to use MIDI. 

 

L6 Link: you have all the control you want (i.e., you can change the models), but you can't change to a different preset.  Any change modifies the currently selected preset (though it doesn't save that preset).  Practically there is no difference, but if, for example, you would like to glance at the display on the PC to validate the preset, you can't do that with the L6 link.  Note that a lot of people get confused by this because the first set of presets are named identically to the speaker models.  

 

MIDI: you can set the specific preset you want, and the PC changes to that preset.