Quick question about how to safely prevent alternative tuning on Helix

[Smashcraaft]

It's happened to me a few times now that I've suddenly found myself in unwanted alternative guitar tunings.

This happened especially after I accidentally selected "Global" instead of "per Preset" when adjusting the tuning (sic!).

To be on the safe side, here's my question again:
Am I absolutely certain that I'll stay in the standard tuning in Helix if I select

• "Custom" under "Tuning (Preset)"
• and then leave everything unchanged at "E-A-D-G-B-E"?

[silverhead]

Here’s my understanding:

 

What you’ve described will ensure that the Helix processing does not make any tuning changes using that preset. As you mentioned the overall Variax setting should be per preset.

 

That means the tuning you hear is the signal received at the Helix input. Since you’re using a Variax the selected model could already be in an alternate tuning defined in Workbench HD. Or the guitar itself may already be in an alternate tuning.

 

[Smashcraaft]

Perhaps it's only the translation, but I still have a problem understanding.

Your first paragraph confirms that the setting I have chosen ensures that no changes are made to the tuning.

 

However, the second paragraph then seems to claim the opposite.
As I understand it, only the ‘Don't force’ setting should prevent different tunings that are already stored in the Variax preset from being applied, right?

 

So if I definitely (!) do not want any deviation from the standard tuning, regardless of what the Variax delivers at the input, I must select ‘Custom’ under ‘Tuning (Preset)’.

[silverhead]

On 9/5/2025 at 3:33 AM, Smashcraaft said:

Perhaps it's only the translation, but I still have a problem understanding.

Your first paragraph confirms that the setting I have chosen ensures that no changes are made to the tuning.

 

However, the second paragraph then seems to claim the opposite.
As I understand it, only the ‘Don't force’ setting should prevent different tunings that are already stored in the Variax preset from being applied, right?

 

So if I definitely (!) do not want any deviation from the standard tuning, regardless of what the Variax delivers at the input, I must select ‘Custom’ under ‘Tuning (Preset)’.

The Custom tuning capability in Helix works in a relative, not absolute, manner. In other words it does not tune each string to the standard EADGBE frequencies. It applies a relative offset to the current string tuning. So a “-2” setting for a Custom tuned string means the incoming string frequency is lowered by 2 frets.
 

If the guitar is currently in standard tuning then a “-2” setting on the 6th string means the adjusted note would be D. However if the guitar is already in Drop D tuning the resulting note would be C.  This applies to all strings.

 

The Variax guitar’s Alt Tuning works the same way. When the knob is in Standard position it does not make any adjustments to the actual physical tuning of any string; the assumption is that the guitar is physically tuned to standard. So the Drop D position does exactly what the previous paragraph describes.

[silverhead]

On 9/5/2025 at 3:33 AM, Smashcraaft said:

….

As I understand it, only the ‘Don't force’ setting should prevent different tunings that are already stored in the Variax preset from being applied, right?

 

…

The Don’t Force setting applied to a Helix preset means that the Helix will make no changes to the existing tuning when the preset is loaded. So yes, it will prevent different tunings from being applied. However it says and does nothing about the existing tuning.

[silverhead]

This subject has been confusing for me. Keep in mind that I’m describing my understanding based on my experience in trying to figure it all out in the past. I’m not aware of any official detailed documentation about this.

[psarkissian]

Force/ Don't Force,... 

 

Force is when the Helix determines the Model (and the tuning) of the Variax by what is already in the Helix preset default setting or, 

a custom setting that is created by the user ahead of time. 

 

Don't Force, is when the Variax Model is determined by the Variax setting independently, and not determined by Helix. The Variax

decides what it will play. 

 

 

[silverhead]

On 9/5/2025 at 10:00 AM, psarkissian said:

...

 

Don't Force, is when the Variax Model is determined by the Variax setting independently, and not determined by Helix. The Variax

decides what it will play. 

 

 

That's what I initially thought and it makes sense. However, during my testing I recall that the actual behaviour is that the Variax retains its current settings even when Don't Force is specified. It does not seem to revert to the actual physical guitar settings.

 

Perhaps my memory is faulty or it was a bug that has since been fixed. I will do more testing and report back when I have time. Sorry if this causes confusion.

[psarkissian]

No problem. What Flash version is it? 

 

Don't Force,... the Variax should go back to its own settings, regardless of the default guitar setting in a given Helix preset. 

 

[silverhead]

Here's a test I just did and the result:

 

Systems: Win 11; Helix Rack v3.80; HX Edit v3.82; JTV59 v2.10 (later versions don't apply to JTV59)

 

Settings: Helix Variax Per Preset; JTV59 model Chime 2 (12-string), Standard tuning.

 

Preset #1: anything in standard tuning  that's not an Acoustic 1 model

Preset#2: Helix model Acoustic 1, Custom Tuning Drop D

Preset #3: Helix Model Don't Force; Tuning Don't Force

 

Steps:

1) Select Preset #1

2) Select Preset 2. Confirm that model and tuning are as prescribed by preset

3) Select Preset 3

 

Expected behaviour: Don't Force settings should allow physical JTV guitar settings to be applied; Model Chime 2 (12 string) in Standard tuning 

Actual behaviour: Acoustic 1 model in Drop D is retained.

 

My understanding of the term ‘Don’t Force’ is that Helix makes no changes to its current Variax settings. Specifically it does not seem to query the Variax guitar and apply its physical settings. 

 

Conclusion: The observed behaviour may be a bug. It may also be design intent. I noticed this years ago  but didn’t report it because I assumed it was design intent and there is no documentation refuting that. The manual states:

When set to “Don’t Force,” Helix respects the Variax current setting.

 

This is ambiguous to me. Does it mean it respects the currentI Variax setting  within Helix, or the physical setting on the guitar? It actually does the former, not the latter, so I presumed it was intentional.

 

@psarkissian Is it worth reporting this since Helix Stadium has been announced? Won't likely be addressed in Helix even if it is a bug.

 

[psarkissian]

silverhead,... report it to Support or Tony, so they can try to replicate and reproduce it. 

Then they can see about reporting as a bug after it's been gone through.