Line 6 Helix 104 - Assigning Footswitches

[@R0BL68]

Love these videos 🎸 I’ve had the Helix since it came out and as intuitive as it is….I learn something new all the time. Chad you’re truncating that process exponentially 🎸👊🏻

[@gabeaugust8962]

Video was awesome, thanks for the direction!

[@Kalderod1]

Hey Chad! Thanks for this video! Very clear explanations! Going to check out your other vids as I learn how to use the Helix!

[@GillRigged]

Welp. You just answered my question I asked in 103. Thanks! 😂

[@krisscott6727]

Great video Chad, thanks! Just trying to see if there's a way for a footpedal to turn off one pedal and turn another on at the same time... I have a workaround by having mix on one going from full to zero and the other, zero to full, but feel it would be tidier if I can do the turn off and on simultaneously! Thanks

[@ChadHuskey]

You should be able to do that. Just assign a footswitch to bypass both, then turn one on manually then save the preset. Once you have one on and one off the footswitch will act as a toggle.

[@thefunkfactory]

Helpful video thanks

[@lonnyhorowitzmd509]

Hi Chad- How can you access foot-switch 7 to turn on or off the looper? I cam assign the block to FS-1 or 7 but how can you access it? The preset allows the Looper block but I don't have a FS other than 1 or 7 that shows up in the command assign window. Appreciate your help. Bought your preset bundle by the way!! Thanks- Doc

[@ChadHuskey]

Thanks! If you're on a helix floor go into the global settings and changes stomp mode to 10 footswitches instead of 8 footswitch mode. That will open up 1 and 7 for you.

[@lonnyhorowitzmd509]

@@ChadHuskey Thank you Chad!!!

[@marekgitarzysta5193]

Thanks for the video. What if I have let’s say gain assigned to two snapshots (low/high), and then I’d like to boost the gain without changing snapshots, from the pedalboard view. What takes priority? The gain value assigned to a snapshot OR the min value assigned to a FS in a pedalboard view? Or I have to remember to set the min value to be the same as the snapshot, and max to taste?

[@ChadHuskey]

Basically you can assign something to snapshots OR a footswitch with min/max setting and not both. If you want to boost the gain via a footswitch and still have gain changes with snapshots I'd recommend putting a drive pedal in front of the amp model for on the fly changes. Also, and this works better with certain amp models, is you can use an EQ block with the level cranked, or a gain block cranked, and push the amp into overdrive. This is useful if you don't want a gain pedal "coloring" the tone of the amp and you just want to push the amp model into more gain.

[@monteself6826]

so maybe I'll find the answer to my question in your Snapshot video but here it is. to search out amp tones I was thinking of using the template like "4 Tone Switcher" to do like an "A-B-C-D" switch say I have 4 "WhoWatt 100's" assigned to switches 8-9-10-11 but when I step on 8 it will shut off all other switches ?, ex. push switch 9 and 8 goes off , push 11 then 9 goes off, push 10 and 11 goes off .... push 8 and 10 goes off ?.

[@ChadHuskey]

If I understand your question yes snapshots would be the way to do that. However running 4 amps in one preset is a big challenge with the amount of DSP it uses. I would instead assign all of the parameters of the Who Watt to snapshots and that way with each snapshot you can change the settings to your A B C D settings.

[@slackreservoir2264]

I love the idea of setting the onboard expression pedal to auto-engage the wah. I keep my Helix in a road case even when playing, and the foam makes it difficult to activate the toe switch. Auto-engage is a great workaround. However, I'm wondering if I can use the toe switch to completely bypass the wah, and allow the expression pedal to control volume when I won't be using the wah. In other words, have the onboard expression pedal primarily control volume, then when a song comes up in the set that I want to use wah in, I would like to click the toe switch before starting the song, and have it activate the ABILITY to auto-engage the wah via pedal positioning later in the song. Sorry if this is wordy; I hope my question makes sense. Any advice would be appreciated!

[@RealWolfRanger]

I have a Helix floor model with the latest 3.6 firmware, and assigning amp drive and volume changes as you describe in this video doesn't work. After assigning the drive and volume changes, and when I hit the foot switch, one drive & volume go to zero, while the other goes to ten. I've tried everything I can think of, and it still won't work like in your video.

[@richievaldez3607]

Hey Chad, I have a Helix Floor. I set FS9 as a controller Assign for switching my AMP Drive from 5min value to 7 max value. When I press FS9, Controller Assign is written on top and Parameters, Controller, Type, Min/Max Value, and Learn Controller appear on the bottom of the screen. For the screen to revert to the Preset name on top and regular stats on bottom for the amp, I either have to manually click the Home Button or the AMP Button underneath the Preset Knob. My question is, can I press FS9 without having the “Controller Assign” mode being activated? I want it to show regular stats for AMP with only the white bracket number change for the Drive value. Thanks

[@marcosnieto9727]

Hi Chad. I setup my Helix Floor on top of my desk, not as a floor unit. Can I use a external footswitch to turn on and off my looper? If yes, what would be the setup for this switch? Thank you Chad Marcos

[@ChadHuskey]

This should be able to be accomplished with a midi controller. Though I've never set this up personally. I would check Google/KZbin for info on configuring midi controllers for helix.

[@marcosnieto9727]

​@@ChadHuskey Thank you very much Chad. I would check to see what can I find, probably there are more than me trying to figure out how to do this, I've seen lots of videos with the Helix Floor on top of a desk. 👍

[@chadbierman8058]

So can you have a foot switch button change a vocal effect and guitar tone at the same time or no?

[@ChadHuskey]

Yes you can. Any one footswitch can control 8 parameters across as many blocks as you want. Just can't assign more than 8 parameters to one footswitch.

[@abelmendoza7584]

Hey man! I came across your video because I needed help. My helix line 6 used to have the footswich light on before you step on delay etc. You can tell which pedal to press on. Now the light is gone and can't tell which one is your delay until you press the footswich and obviously that way you can tell. But I would appreciate your help if you could help me out to go back to normal to see that light and actually know which pedal to press. Thanks brother 🙏

[@richievaldez3607]

If you have a Helix Floor, try going to Global Settings (clicking the 3 stacked horizontal lines button next to the save button), scroll over to Displays, then adjust the LED Ring Brightness knob to DIM/BRIGHT.

[@SjaakShirly6559]

Thanks Chad. May I ask a question? If you assign multiple blocks to a footswitch (in this video screamer and delay) does that mean both effects will be active together after pushing the footswitch or does it switch between the effects? Learned a lot today!

[@ChadHuskey]

That's a good question. Basically the footswitch will change the state of the pedal from whatever it is to the opposite. Meaning if it's on, when you hit the footswitch it turns off. So if both pedals are off, the footswitch will turn both of them on. If you manually turn one of them on, so that one is on and one is off, then when you hit the footswitch it will turn the one that's on off, and vice versa. So you can have them turn on/off together, or have it either or. Just save your preset with the effect blocks in the on/off state you want them to be in. Let me know if that makes sense. Thanks!

[@SjaakShirly6559]

@@ChadHuskey Yes it makes sense but I will have to experiment with this options. I am fairly new on Helix in making presets on my own but I will get there. I used just presets from others (which is good) but it more satisfying programming on my own presets. Thanks for replying.

[@ChadHuskey]

Using presets others have made is a good starting point. Once you get the hang of it you'll find that making your own becomes a quicker process. I do have some free presets on custom tone if you search for username chuskey. As well as some presets on the Line 6 marketplace if you want to check those out: Marketplace patches: shop.line6.com/marketplace/?addon_vendor=140 Thanks!

[@SjaakShirly6559]

@@ChadHuskey I will check them out!

[@ctsguitar]

How do I assign which footswitch/snapshot to start on between bank presets?

[@ChadHuskey]

Do you mean which footswitch/snapshot is on when you load the preset? If so just set it where you want it and save it. When you load it up it will be in that configuration.

[@ctsguitar]

@@ChadHuskey Thanks for your reply. I literally figured out that works the other day. Cheers

[@mikesanders902]

What happened to the vst and audio interface pc set up? I feel like they to volatile for live gigs. Just saying.. cheers!

[@ChadHuskey]

In theory this is a cool idea, but WAY too many things can go wrong using that type of setup live in my opinion.