HX Effects: Inverting switch indicator light when channel switching amp

[Hypnonaut89]

Hey, I'm trying to set up my HX Effects for amp channel switching with a TRS cable. I've managed to set up one of the unit's switches to change channels via the tip, but the switch's indicator light is on when the amp is set to clean instead of dirty, and i can't find a way to reverse that behavior.

 

I think this is a known issue and this user seems to have the exact same problem. The post is 4 years old, I was just wondering if this issue has been corrected since that time. Otherwise I'll be mostly using snapshots to handle which amp channel is selected but I wanted to know if there's a way to reverse the indicator light just in case.

 

Thanks

[C4TH]

What amp are you using?

[theElevators]

Pretty sure you can use a dummy block that does nothing and bypass-assign it to a footswitch.  Then set up the amp switching that will be like "opposite" to the switching of the dummy block.  You can assign multiple blocks to one button, something can turn on, something turn off, you know?  So the light should work correctly now.  

[Hypnonaut89]

The amp is a Laney VH100. The switching capabilities are normally made with a custom footswitch from a 5-pin DIN output, but the guy I got the amp from also gave me a special custom made cable with a TRS output on one end. It allows me to switch the amp channel via the tip but I don't really know how things are wired within the cable and it's not well made anyway. I'm in contact with a tech guy who will build a better one for me, with the tip switching between channels and the ring switching the extra drive on channel B. I'll see with him if he can do something in the wiring to fix the inverted lights issue.

 

@theElevators I haven't tried this yet. It's not ideal having to waste a block for this.

 

As I said I'm using snapshots to handle amp channel switching with the instant controls. Right now I need to set the Ext. Amp. value to "none" to have the dirt channel on, and to "tip" to have the clean channel on, which is the opposite of what I would like. I think this stems from the same issue than the indicator lights one: what the unit reads as "tip" is the opposite of what it should be. I've compared with a dedicated TRS switching unit (OneControl Tri Loop) and it works the other way around: the unit is off when on the clean channel and on when on the dirty channel.

[Schmalle]

You've hit a blind spot in HX functionality and won't be able to achieve your goal without added electronics.

 

Open a support ticket and ask them something like:

Quote

Hey, I'm trying to set up my HX Effects for amp channel switching with a TRS cable. I've managed to set up one of the unit's switches to change channels via the tip, but the switch's indicator light is on when the amp is set to clean instead of dirty, and i can't find a way to reverse that behavior.

I've also found other people on forums with the same problem.

 

Could you please add a "Footswitch Indicator" parameter for Command Center > Instant Messages > Ext Amp with the options "Normal" and "Inverted"?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

That's worth a shot.

[Hypnonaut89]

Hey, I'm in France so I'm not sure I can actually create a support ticket, at least not easily. I can only see the European distributor's contact info on the support page you linked to. Never mind, I found the support ticket page.

 

Out of curiosity, what kind of "added electronics" could help? I heard about "normally open" and "normally closed" switches and I assume it is related to this. Is there such a thing as a converter for this kind of thing?

[Hypnonaut89]

Hello again. While waiting for Line6's answer, I'm learning about normally open vs. normally closed relay switching and I think this is the issue I'm running against. I'm not sure I understand everything but I think my amp's native footswitch is wired as normally closed whereas the HXFX's logic works for normally open signals: when Tip is selected on the HXFX, the relay is closed and since the amp expects the "default" to be closed, I guess the clean channel is selected.

 

So, is there some external hardware that exists that can invert the relays?

[Schmalle]

Helix' Ext Amp switching is transistor based - no relay used.

This kind of topology is called an open collector switch.

 

Again: The most efficient way to invert the switching is to put it in the firmware - a blind spot on Line 6's side. 

I don't know a commercially available device that does exactly what you want.

The next best thing that comes to mind is probably a midi switcher.

 

If I'd build a device like that it would be based around a transistor (BC547, BC548, 2N2222...) to invert the switching.

 

Here is what would be needed for one switching channel:

• two resistors (R1=10k Ohm pullup, R2=4.7k Ohm base resistor)
• a diode or two to protect the transistor
• an external power supply input socket
• two 1/4" sockets (in and out)
• a case
• some wire
• soldering iron
• circuit board (optional)

Disclaimer: I  just own a Stomp that has no Ext Amp out. I can't test this on my own.

[Hypnonaut89]

Thanks for the info. Would this theoretical device work if it were added in the signal chain between the amp and the HXFX, like with the cable for the amp's channel switching connected to one input and the HXFX's Ext Amp output to the other?

[Schmalle]

On 12/30/2025 at 10:15 PM, Hypnonaut89 said:

Thanks for the info. Would this theoretical device work if it were added in the signal chain between the amp and the HXFX, like with the cable for the amp's channel switching connected to one input and the HXFX's Ext Amp output to the other?

This switch inverter device would be used between Helix' Ext Amp and the amp's channel switching socket. It would not be in the (audio) signal chain.