Software bug when using the Expression pedal to trigger block bypass states, and a workaround solution

[MojoAxe]

I discovered this software bug while attempting to program the expression pedal to turn the WAH block ON as soon as it begins to rock back.  Helix OG has this capability and so does Stadium, however currently there is a bug that prevents it from functioning properly. This drove me nuts when I tried to set it up because it worked sometimes but not all time, then I finally figured that there's a software bug preventing it from working properly.

 

The Objective:

I have a song where I need to quickly toggle the WAH on and off and its not practical to do a hard press of the toe button between every ON-OFF cycle, so the effect can be easily accomplished by programming the expression pedal to turn the WAH ON automatically by rocking the expression pedal back.  When the pedal is returned to the toe-down position the WAH block turns off.  

 

This action can be assigned in Stadium by selecting the WAH block, then going to Menu>Bypass/Control, set the Parameter to "Bypass", Switch to EXP 1, Position 99%, and Wait to 0.  The toe-down position is 100%, so when the pedal is rocked back, the WAH block turns on as soon as the pedal crosses the 99% mark.

 

The Bug:

When the assignment is created as described above the pedal appears to do exactly what it should.  The preset is saved with the WAH block in an OFF state.  The problem is that when you leave the preset and then return to it, the first time that you rock the pedal back, the WAH block does not turn ON as its programmed to do.  You can rock the pedal all the way back to the heel-down position it it still doesn't turn on, BUT when you return the pedal to the toe down position the WAH now turns on. The ON-OFF state is now reversed from what it should be.  Now when you rock the pedal back the WAH turns OFF instead of ON, so moving the pedal has no effect.  When you return the pedal to the toe-down position the WAH turns ON.  With the pedal in the toe-down position, you can manually toggle the bypass state of the WAH block to OFF, rock the pedal back and it turns on as it should, but if you leave the preset and return to the preset. it will once again reverse to ON-OFF state from what it should be the first time that you use it.

 

This bug isn't related specifically to the WAH block.  Any block that it programmed to be triggered on and off by the expression pedal will reverse its programmed state the first time you attempt to use it after opening the preset.

 

The Workaround:

While trying to figure out what was going on, I discovered that it is only the very first bypass assignment that you program within the preset that doesn't work properly.  if you program additional blocks to also turn ON and when the pedal is rocked back they will function as they should, even after leaving the preset and returning to it.

 

So here is my workaround: I deleted the WAH block to clear its assignment, then added a GAIN block to the preset and set the gain to 0, so it has no impact to the signal whether its on or off.  I created an assignment to turn the GAIN block ON and OFF with the pedal motion.  Next I added the WAH block and created its expression pedal assignment. I saved the preset and now when I return to the preset and rock the pedal back, the GAIN block does not change bypass states as it should, but this block is transparent to the signal so it doesn't matter.  The WAH block does turn ON and OFF as its supposed to because its assignment isn't the first one created within the preset.

 

I submitted a Support Ticket for this bug and the tech replied back that he was able to duplicate the problem so he has notified the folks in software.  He also said he was surprised that this hadn't been reported already.  I wanted to create this thread in order to share my workaround just in case anybody else besides me has been pulling their hair out trying to get this function to work properly.

[theElevators]

On the OG Helix, to make this work you need to:

1. make the expression pedal 1 and 2 not be "global" but saved per preset.

2. remove the "snapshot" assignment on the wah.

 

Otherwise, it can act all wonky and flip backwards.  

 

Also there is a setting on the OG Helix to specify exact bypass behavior with the expression pedal, not just "flip" the on/off state of the block.  I personally never had to use it, but I know it's there.  

 

I don't own the Stadium.