Line 6 Helix

menamestom

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Line 6 hired a bunch of ex-Digitech people so expect Whammy quality poly-pitch at *some* point. No-one knows when.

Not sure but I do know their names:-

Mr S. Pimpernel
Mr K. Soze
Mr H. Houdini

They are at a secret location with a POG, a fat jar of Nescafe and more pringles that you can shake a stick at.   

vonLayzonfon

sgosden said:

Been using helix in 4CM with friedman JJ Jnr, which is sounding great.

problem is when I plug in the ext amp into the channel switch on amp, I get SOOOO much hum.

I'm guessing its either something to do with a ground loop / or that the amp is meant to be powering an LED in the foot switch ?

what can I do to stop the extra buzz?

The other guitarist in a band I was recently in had a Helix for a while using the 4CM with his Marshall and I believe had the same issue. After several trips back and forth to PMT, who ultimately recommended an extra noise gate pedal somewhere in the system, he ended up swapping it for a GT-1000.

To be fair, he was a bit of a lazy arse who hated learning how anything worked and although he tried to ensnare me in this debacle (because I'm not) the last thing I wanted, as the band's de facto soundman, was to be responsible for his own personal rig as well as setting up the rest of the PA at every gig.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. "Don't use the Helix" is probably not the answer you were looking for. 

John_A

There's a few threads on the line 6 forum about this. Think you need to break the ground loop somewhere.  Something like this should do the job

https://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/SubZero-Hum-Destroyer/27BH


Not great that that it does this though

WiresDreamDisasters

menamestom said:

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Line 6 hired a bunch of ex-Digitech people so expect Whammy quality poly-pitch at *some* point. No-one knows when.

Not sure but I do know their names:-

Mr S. Pimpernel
Mr K. Soze
Mr H. Houdini

They are at a secret location with a POG, a fat jar of Nescafe and more pringles that you can shake a stick at.   

Are those names references to Netflix TV shows?

Musicwolf

WiresDreamDisasters said:

menamestom said:

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Line 6 hired a bunch of ex-Digitech people so expect Whammy quality poly-pitch at *some* point. No-one knows when.

Not sure but I do know their names:-

Mr S. Pimpernel
Mr K. Soze
Mr H. Houdini

They are at a secret location with a POG, a fat jar of Nescafe and more pringles that you can shake a stick at.   

Are those names references to Netflix TV shows?

Seriously?

 http://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Pimpernel 

http://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyser_S%C3%B6ze 

http://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Houdini 

What is the education system coming to?

BRISTOL86

Back to Helix after a fair lay off and determined to learn more about it this time rather than just half arsing it. 

I’m using native this time and not a hardware unit but I’m assuming other than minor things which won’t really concern me it’s one and the same in terms of the concepts of tweaking sounds. 

If anyone can point me towards some good resources for learning how to improve the quality of the patches or ‘must do’ things then I’m all ears! I know Jason Sadites knows his stuff and have based some patches on his videos before. 

kennedydream1980

BRISTOL86 said:

Back to Helix after a fair lay off and determined to learn more about it this time rather than just half arsing it. 

I’m using native this time and not a hardware unit but I’m assuming other than minor things which won’t really concern me it’s one and the same in terms of the concepts of tweaking sounds. 

If anyone can point me towards some good resources for learning how to improve the quality of the patches or ‘must do’ things then I’m all ears! I know Jason Sadites knows his stuff and have based some patches on his videos before. 

My 'go to' resources with the Helix were Jason Sadites, Marco Fanton and Richie Castelleno. All 3 really know how to dial the Helix in. You will need to pay for Marco's presets but they really are very good.

BRISTOL86

kennedydream1980 said:

BRISTOL86 said:

Back to Helix after a fair lay off and determined to learn more about it this time rather than just half arsing it. 

I’m using native this time and not a hardware unit but I’m assuming other than minor things which won’t really concern me it’s one and the same in terms of the concepts of tweaking sounds. 

If anyone can point me towards some good resources for learning how to improve the quality of the patches or ‘must do’ things then I’m all ears! I know Jason Sadites knows his stuff and have based some patches on his videos before. 

My 'go to' resources with the Helix were Jason Sadites, Marco Fanton and Richie Castelleno. All 3 really know how to dial the Helix in. You will need to pay for Marco's presets but they really are very good.

Thanks. I’m a bit wary of paying for presets at the moment. I copied one of Jason’s to the letter and it sounds completely different with my guitar and speakers so I think I’ll get to grips with it more and learn by doing for the time being until I’m a bit more au fait with it!

PolarityMan

vonLayzonfon said:

sgosden said:

Been using helix in 4CM with friedman JJ Jnr, which is sounding great.

problem is when I plug in the ext amp into the channel switch on amp, I get SOOOO much hum.

I'm guessing its either something to do with a ground loop / or that the amp is meant to be powering an LED in the foot switch ?

what can I do to stop the extra buzz?

The other guitarist in a band I was recently in had a Helix for a while using the 4CM with his Marshall and I believe had the same issue. After several trips back and forth to PMT, who ultimately recommended an extra noise gate pedal somewhere in the system, he ended up swapping it for a GT-1000.

To be fair, he was a bit of a lazy arse who hated learning how anything worked and although he tried to ensnare me in this debacle (because I'm not) the last thing I wanted, as the band's de facto soundman, was to be responsible for his own personal rig as well as setting up the rest of the PA at every gig.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. "Don't use the Helix" is probably not the answer you were looking for. 

I whacked a behringer ground loop breaker in and it worked a treat. 

duotone

Anyone else had issues with the most recent update?

The laptop (Windows 8) won't even recognise the Helix LT anymore as a connected device.

Now I just get a message on the Helix in white text Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!

The top left hand corner in red text :-3

Guess I will have to do a reset on the Helix?

I just wish I hadn't bothered trying to update now ;0(

PolarityMan

from memory i think that message is expected

siremoon

duotone said:

Anyone else had issues with the most recent update?

The laptop (Windows 8) won't even recognise the Helix LT anymore as a connected device.

Now I just get a message on the Helix in white text Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!

The top left hand corner in red text :-3

Guess I will have to do a reset on the Helix?

I just wish I hadn't bothered trying to update now ;0(

Item 6 in the 2.81 release notes says:

"Think "Hmm, maybe I should've backed up first? Nah, I insist on subverting the dominant paradigm," and click "OK." Helix begins updating. As wholly expected, because we warned you... because you always read the instructions... halfway through the update process, Line 6 Updater displays a second dialog and Helix's LCD reads "Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!" THIS IS NORMAL. DO NOT FREAK OUT, TAKE A PHOTO, AND THEN POST IT ONLINE BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL MAKE FUN OF YOU FOR NOT READING THESE INSTRUCTIONS."

Item 6 from the 2.80 is the same apart from the bit about people making fun of you.

ewal

I get ok use of my HX FX but I've never really delved that deeply or experimented. Could anyone save me a thread and internet trawl and point me in the direction of decent tutorial and/or demo YouTube content? Especially stuff that's a wee bit post-rocky, alternative or experimental?

I'd like to get a bit beyond the functional jack of all trades vibe I currently get from the unit.

Ta

TimmyO

siremoon said:

duotone said:

Anyone else had issues with the most recent update?

The laptop (Windows 8) won't even recognise the Helix LT anymore as a connected device.

Now I just get a message on the Helix in white text Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!

The top left hand corner in red text :-3

Guess I will have to do a reset on the Helix?

I just wish I hadn't bothered trying to update now ;0(

Item 6 in the 2.81 release notes says:

"Think "Hmm, maybe I should've backed up first? Nah, I insist on subverting the dominant paradigm," and click "OK." Helix begins updating. As wholly expected, because we warned you... because you always read the instructions... halfway through the update process, Line 6 Updater displays a second dialog and Helix's LCD reads "Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!" THIS IS NORMAL. DO NOT FREAK OUT, TAKE A PHOTO, AND THEN POST IT ONLINE BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL MAKE FUN OF YOU FOR NOT READING THESE INSTRUCTIONS."

Item 6 from the 2.80 is the same apart from the bit about people making fun of you.

You know what I make fun of? Designing an update process that gives a failure message on purpose 

JohnCordy

here's a little patch that I put together this morning....I do quite like the sounds you can get out of the Helix!

siremoon

TimmyO said:

siremoon said:

duotone said:

Anyone else had issues with the most recent update?

The laptop (Windows 8) won't even recognise the Helix LT anymore as a connected device.

Now I just get a message on the Helix in white text Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!

The top left hand corner in red text :-3

Guess I will have to do a reset on the Helix?

I just wish I hadn't bothered trying to update now ;0(

Item 6 in the 2.81 release notes says:

"Think "Hmm, maybe I should've backed up first? Nah, I insist on subverting the dominant paradigm," and click "OK." Helix begins updating. As wholly expected, because we warned you... because you always read the instructions... halfway through the update process, Line 6 Updater displays a second dialog and Helix's LCD reads "Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!" THIS IS NORMAL. DO NOT FREAK OUT, TAKE A PHOTO, AND THEN POST IT ONLINE BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL MAKE FUN OF YOU FOR NOT READING THESE INSTRUCTIONS."

Item 6 from the 2.80 is the same apart from the bit about people making fun of you.

You know what I make fun of? Designing an update process that gives a failure message on purpose 

Except they didn't design "an update process that gives a failure message on purpose". 

They clearly had a situation where the nature of the upgrade caused the old software to clash with the new.  It seems pretty obvious that the error message is coming from the old software on the unit not the upgrade being applied.  Therefore to avoid the message they would have had to patch the previous version to suppress the message and then load the new version, in other words make the whole upgrade process longer and more complicated as well as incurring additional development effort, time and money.  The vast majority of those who had a problem with the error message clearly didn't read the instructions and were therefore not expecting it.  Hence the added emphasis on this point in the release notes of the subsequent release.

If I were being hyper-critical then I would say that Line 6 could have provided a little more information in the instructions as to why that message appeared.  A couple of sentences written with humour and in laymen's terms perhaps.  But they probably figured those who read the instructions wouldn't be bothered anyway and it would not be seen by those who didn't. 

handsomerik

JohnCordy said:

here's a little patch that I put together this morning....I do quite like the sounds you can get out of the Helix!

Loved it. In fact, everything you post is pure class musically. Happy Christmas!

nickp

ewal said:

I get ok use of my HX FX but I've never really delved that deeply or experimented. Could anyone save me a thread and internet trawl and point me in the direction of decent tutorial and/or demo YouTube content? Especially stuff that's a wee bit post-rocky, alternative or experimental?

I'd like to get a bit beyond the functional jack of all trades vibe I currently get from the unit.

Ta

jason sadites on you tube

equalsql

JohnCordy said:
here's a little patch that I put together this morning....I do quite like the sounds you can get out of the Helix!

Oh man! That is outstanding. Is your amp set up clean? Is your drive coming from the Helix?
Edit.. just noticed you're not plugged into the front of your Boogie.

meltedbuzzbox

siremoon said:

TimmyO said:

siremoon said:

duotone said:

Anyone else had issues with the most recent update?

The laptop (Windows 8) won't even recognise the Helix LT anymore as a connected device.

Now I just get a message on the Helix in white text Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!

The top left hand corner in red text :-3

Guess I will have to do a reset on the Helix?

I just wish I hadn't bothered trying to update now ;0(

Item 6 in the 2.81 release notes says:

"Think "Hmm, maybe I should've backed up first? Nah, I insist on subverting the dominant paradigm," and click "OK." Helix begins updating. As wholly expected, because we warned you... because you always read the instructions... halfway through the update process, Line 6 Updater displays a second dialog and Helix's LCD reads "Boot Failure. Entered Update Mode!" THIS IS NORMAL. DO NOT FREAK OUT, TAKE A PHOTO, AND THEN POST IT ONLINE BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL MAKE FUN OF YOU FOR NOT READING THESE INSTRUCTIONS."

Item 6 from the 2.80 is the same apart from the bit about people making fun of you.

You know what I make fun of? Designing an update process that gives a failure message on purpose 

Except they didn't design "an update process that gives a failure message on purpose". 

They clearly had a situation where the nature of the upgrade caused the old software to clash with the new.  It seems pretty obvious that the error message is coming from the old software on the unit not the upgrade being applied.  Therefore to avoid the message they would have had to patch the previous version to suppress the message and then load the new version, in other words make the whole upgrade process longer and more complicated as well as incurring additional development effort, time and money.  The vast majority of those who had a problem with the error message clearly didn't read the instructions and were therefore not expecting it.  Hence the added emphasis on this point in the release notes of the subsequent release.

If I were being hyper-critical then I would say that Line 6 could have provided a little more information in the instructions as to why that message appeared.  A couple of sentences written with humour and in laymen's terms perhaps.  But they probably figured those who read the instructions wouldn't be bothered anyway and it would not be seen by those who didn't. 

Nope, it was half assed.