Helix Floor/LT/HX/Stomp/PodGo owners' Club - Tips, Ideas & Patches

[LukeFRC]

8 minutes ago, burno70 said:

Thanks again for your help. I've not used the editor so I'll have a crack at that and see if I can match your settings. Need a break right now - heads melted

The editor makes things way way easier To set up. 
you can do things like copy individual blocks from one patch to another too. (You May be able to do this on the unit but I haven’t worked out how) 

[PatrickJ]

Just now, burno70 said:

Thanks again for your help. I've not used the editor so I'll have a crack at that and see if I can match your settings. Need a break right now - heads melted

I do all my initial block setups in HX Edit as it's much easier to visualise and then fine tune on the HX FX as I need to when I'm rehearsing.

Once you get the Vol pedal cracked let me know if you need help with setting up the EXP pedal to be shared across multiple patches.   

In that block I've got a Tilt patch that I'm using to create a vintage tone setting to emulate the Old School EQ control on the Markbass Little Marcus amp head.

I've just set it up so I can use the expression pedal to adjust the amount of "vintage" along side the volume pedal.  When the Vintage patch is turned on the volume pedal is disengaged, when it's turned off the Volume Pedal is engaged. 

Pretty simple to set up in HX Edit.  You set the patches up individually to how you want them.  Then I turn Vintage on and Volume off, then set them both to use the same footswitch for Bypass.

[dave_bass5]

One of the big selling points foe me is how easy the FX is to set up without using the software.

I know visually it’s easier to use a computer but 1, i dont have one in the room where i play, and 2, i want to be sure i know where everything is when I’m at a gig etc. 

You can copy and paste blocks across different patches etc. It does take longer though so i can understand doing this sort of thing using the software. Really wish there was a iOS app to do this. Then life would be complete. 

[PatrickJ]

35 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Really wish there was a iOS app to do this. Then life would be complete. 

+1, IOS and Android apps would be awesome.

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, burno70 said:

Hey, thanks for taking the time to write this. I'm not there yet but have made some progress. Rather than increasing in volume as the pedal is pressed towards the toe position, it seems to act as a bypass and then go full volume. The position markers are not moving? Nothing wrong with the pedal or cables, if I change to another present the expression works fine. Should curve be linear or log? Tried both ways but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Maybe your pedal is not the right type?

i tried to use my zoom pedal but it didn't work, I assumed it was the wrong sort of pedal

[burno70]

5 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Maybe your pedal is not the right type?

i tried to use my zoom pedal but it didn't work, I assumed it was the wrong sort of pedal

I'm using a Line 6 EX-1. I've had  a search round the net and found plenty of people are using it with no issues.

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by burno70

[burno70]

Well here's an image from Helix Edit. Sorry I couldn't make it any bigger/clearer. I've added the volume block to a footswitch to copy PJ-Bassist's example. I've had a play around and dipping the pedal simply results in engaging the volume 100%, it effectively controls the bypass, like an on/off volume function. Unfortunately using Edit has not shed any light on the matter and I'm all out of ideas.

It's odd, and quite disappointing as I've found the bulk of the unit incredibly intuitive, one you get the hang of it. This however has me stumped.

[PatrickJ]

I would have thought an expression pedal is an expression pedal  no matter what the brand - as long as you're using a TRS cable to connect it to the HX then it should work.

[PatrickJ]

1 minute ago, burno70 said:

Well here's an image from Helix Edit. Sorry I couldn't make it any bigger/clearer. I've added the volume block to a footswitch to copy PJ-Bassist's example. I've had a play around and dipping the pedal simply results in engaging the volume 100%, it effectively controls the bypass, like an on/off volume function. Unfortunately using Edit has not shed any light on the matter and I'm all out of ideas.

It's odd, and quite disappointing as I've found the bulk of the unit incredibly intuitive, one you get the hang of it. This however has me stumped.

 

Where it says volume, above footswitch 1, change this to Position rather than Bypass in the drop down menu and post another screen shot.

[Woodinblack]

6 minutes ago, PJ-Bassist said:

I would have thought an expression pedal is an expression pedal  no matter what the brand - as long as you're using a TRS cable to connect it to the HX then it should work.

Yeh, I would have thought that.

[burno70]

8 minutes ago, PJ-Bassist said:

I would have thought an expression pedal is an expression pedal  no matter what the brand - as long as you're using a TRS cable to connect it to the HX then it should work.

TRS cable? I'm using a regular mono 1/4" jack to jack. I did have a look to see if this was an issue but found a Line 6 Helix expression pedal tutorial saying this is what you should use? Could it be that then?

 

[burno70]

9 minutes ago, PJ-Bassist said:

Where it says volume, above footswitch 1, change this to Position rather than Bypass in the drop down menu and post another screen shot.

Like this?

[PatrickJ]

4 minutes ago, burno70 said:

Like this?

Yup, but I think your issue maybe that you are not using a TRS cable, have you got one you can try ?  From the Andertons website:

The way most expression pedals work is by taking a reference voltage from the device it’s connected to and halving that (depending on the position of the expression pedal) and feeding it back into the device which alters the sound.

The most common way for this to happen is through a TRS jack. A TRS (tip / ring / sleeve) is a cable where the reference voltage is on the ring. The control voltage is on the ‘tip’ and the ‘sleeve’ will ground the connection.

Edited March 1, 2020 by PJ-Bassist

[burno70]

Right, that would explain it then. Will see if I have one to hand. If not I'll pick one up this week and see if it makes a difference - and I think it will! Thanks for your help mate.

[Al Krow]

9 minutes ago, burno70 said:

Right, that would explain it then. Will see if I have one to hand. If not I'll pick one up this week and see if it makes a difference - and I think it will! Thanks for your help mate.

Aha, yes if you were using a normal cable and not a TRS, your expression pedal is not going to work. Problem solved (fingers crossed)! 

[burno70]

8 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Aha, yes if you were using a normal cable and not a TRS, your expression pedal is not going to work. Problem solved (fingers crossed)! 

That's the thing - it works perfectly fine as a general expression pedal. That and the Line 6 tutorial lead me to think that the cable wasn't an issue.

[PatrickJ]

Everything else in your settings looked good so I'd try it as next stage of troubleshooting. 

I just tried a mono cable instead of TRS with mine.  With heel down bass muted, heel and toe midway I had full volume and with toe fully down bass was muted again.  Not the same experience as you but odd behaviour none the less.

[dave_bass5]

47 minutes ago, burno70 said:

That's the thing - it works perfectly fine as a general expression pedal. That and the Line 6 tutorial lead me to think that the cable wasn't an issue.

Is there a setting for the Expression pedal (in the Helix) that allows you to change the type of cable you use for it? I know there is for the amp control pedal. You can tell the Helix its either ring or tip positive (or something like that). 

[burno70]

11 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Is there a setting for the Expression pedal (in the Helix) that allows you to change the type of cable you use for it? I know there is for the amp control pedal. You can tell the Helix its either ring or tip positive (or something like that). 

I've not spotted anything like that. I just plugged in the exp with a mono 1/4 as you normally would and had no issues - until trying to use it a volume pedal.

[burno70]

39 minutes ago, PJ-Bassist said:

Everything else in your settings looked good so I'd try it as next stage of troubleshooting. 

I just tried a mono cable instead of TRS with mine.  With heel down bass muted, heel and toe midway I had full volume and with toe fully down bass was muted again.  Not the same experience as you but odd behaviour none the less.

Funnily enough - I tried swapping out my exp for my Boss volume pedal and got that exact same behavior. I'm taking this as a positive sign that that a TRS cable will resolve the issue.

[burno70]

Sorry if this has already been discussed but is there any way I can set an EQ block and or compressor settings to effect all presets globally = on the HX effects?

 

[dave_bass5]

7 minutes ago, burno70 said:

Sorry if this has already been discussed but is there any way I can set an EQ block and or compressor settings to effect all presets globally = on the HX effects?

 

No, not on the HX. You can do the global EQ/LPF/HPF thing on the Stomp, but the HX lacks this feature. 

[Osiris]

12 minutes ago, burno70 said:

Sorry if this has already been discussed but is there any way I can set an EQ block and or compressor settings to effect all presets globally = on the HX effects?

 

On the Stomp there's a global EQ that affects everything, it a 3 band fully parametric with high and low pass filters. I don't know if the global EQ is available on any of the other Helix model's but I'd be surprised if it's not. 

There's no global compression that I'm aware of but it's simple enough to copy a compression block from one patch to another.

[dave_bass5]

3 minutes ago, Osiris said:

On the Stomp there's a global EQ that affects everything, it a 3 band fully parametric with high and low pass filters. I don't know if the global EQ is available on any of the other Helix model's but I'd be surprised if it's not. 

Eh? Already stated its not. I’m not lying 😏

[Osiris]

6 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Eh? Already stated its not. I’m not lying 😏

Your post hadn't shown up as I was drafting my reply so I didn't see it until I'd posted mine