Line 6 HX Effects

[fivestringgecko]

I am going mad here I bought the hx effects with plans to down size my board to only hx fx, future impact and expression pedal. Went from using a disaster area controller that worked flawlessly. Followed this directions can not get any thing to work. Anyone have any advise

I struggled a bit to get my HXFX set up as a MIDI controller for my FI as well... The thing that held me up: Didn't have them on the same MIDI channel. Once I got that straightened out, it worked like a charm. I'd recommend that as first on the troubleshooting list.

5sg.

 

[NicJimBass]

I am going mad here I bought the hx effects with plans to down size my board to only hx fx, future impact and expression pedal. Went from using a disaster area controller that worked flawlessly. Followed this directions can not get any thing to work. Anyone have any advise

What issues are you having specifically? I have both an HX and Future Impact, and have had no issues getting them to work together, so I may be able to help.

 

[superflybass]

I struggled a bit to get my HXFX set up as a MIDI controller for my FI as well... The thing that held me up: Didn't have them on the same MIDI channel. Once I got that straightened out, it worked like a charm. I'd recommend that as first on the troubleshooting list.

5sg.

I have them both on channel one, I had to switch the future impact because it was on channel 2 for the disaster area controller. could some one take a photo of the command center window for you future impact and one for the controller to switch bank. I think if I see that I can trouble shoot it. I only have one midi cable from the out of the hx fx to the in of the FI.

 

[NicJimBass]

I have them both on channel one, I had to switch the future impact because it was on channel 2 for the disaster area controller. could some one take a photo of the command center window for you future impact and one for the controller to switch bank. I think if I see that I can trouble shoot it. I only have one midi cable from the out of the hx fx to the in of the FI.

What command are you using to switch patches on the FI? I think I tried MIDI CC first, which did nothing. I needed to use the Bank/PC setting. I don't have my board with me (lives in band trailer), but I do have the manual in front of me.

 

[fivestringgecko]

I have them both on channel one...

Okay, just making sure. No offense intended.

What command are you using to switch patches on the FI? I think I tried MIDI CC first, which did nothing. I needed to use the Bank/PC setting. I don't have my board with me (lives in band trailer), but I do have the manual in front of me.

I also tried CC first. Glad I'm not alone! The HXFX is my first hands-on experience with MIDI. Now that I've gotten a taste, I'm thinking I need to add more!

@superflybass, I'm currently at work, but I can send you my FI control patch later this evening if you like. Hit me up on PM.

5sg.

 

[superflybass]

When I get home from work. I will look at it. i did find a video that looks like you need to do two thing to make it work.

 

[NicJimBass]

When I get home from work. I will look at it. i did find a video that looks like you need to do two thing to make it work.

The only 2 things I can think of is setting the MIDI channel and choosing the patch number, inside the Bank/PC setting. Those need to be assigned inside the command center, for each individual footswitch you want to use. If you're only using the FI, and no other MIDI pedals, you should be able to set the Global MIDI channel to whatever you want, which, in theory, should allow you to skip setting the MIDI channel every time.

 

[superflybass]

The only 2 things I can think of is setting the MIDI channel and choosing the patch number, inside the Bank/PC setting. Those need to be assigned inside the command center, for each individual footswitch you want to use. If you're only using the FI, and no other MIDI pedals, you should be able to set the Global MIDI channel to whatever you want, which, in theory, should allow you to skip setting the MIDI channel every time.

Ok I got it to switch channels how do you get it to switch the pedal on or off? Or do you keep it on and make a second layer to turn effects loop off?

 

[NicJimBass]

Ok I got it to switch channels how do you get it to switch the pedal on or off? Or do you keep it on and make a second layer to turn effects loop off?

I believe you need to send a CC message on channel 66 to turn it on or off. A value less than 64 switches it off, 64 or higher will turn it on. I'm going off memory, plus I looked up the value in the FI manual. If it doesn't work, my bad.

I have probably 4 or 5 patches I use every night. Easiest way I've found to do this is to set up a scene specifically for a song. I send instant messages to choose a patch, and turn the FI on. Ideally, I'd like to be able to set up one footswitch within a scene that can simultaneously choose a patch, and turn the FI on with one press, then off with another. I haven't found a way to do this. Closest I've come is to set up a scene, one footswitch controls on/off, the rest choose patches.

 

[superflybass]

I believe you need to send a CC message on channel 66 to turn it on or off. A value less than 64 switches it off, 64 or higher will turn it on. I'm going off memory, plus I looked up the value in the FI manual. If it doesn't work, my bad.

I have probably 4 or 5 patches I use every night. Easiest way I've found to do this is to set up a scene specifically for a song. I send instant messages to choose a patch, and turn the FI on. Ideally, I'd like to be able to set up one footswitch within a scene that can simultaneously choose a patch, and turn the FI on with one press, then off with another. I haven't found a way to do this. Closest I've come is to set up a scene, one footswitch controls on/off, the rest choose patches.

Cool I will try this tommrow. Thanks for the heads up

 

[NicJimBass]

Cool I will try this tommrow. Thanks for the heads up

I was wrong on this post, based on the video below. I'm trying to go off memory, and it's not working! Carry on!

 

[superflybass]

Thinking it over just now, I don't know that there is a way to turn the pedal on AND off with a footswitch. The way I do it is based on putting the FI in one of the effects loops, then turning that on or off with the switch. I send an instant command to turn the pedal on, and use the other free switches to choose patches, but the on/off is the effects loop. I think I'm in the minority, but I would love the ability to send multiple MIDI commands with each press of a footswitch, so as to integrate external pedals with that capability into a scene with L6 models, acting more like a traditional pedalboard.

I have a couple pedals in one of the effects loop, all of which are MIDI controllable, so the ability to turn individual pedals on or off via instant commands is important to me.

this is a video I saw of the line 6. I know the desaster area stuff can turn the pedal off and on. It looks like he is turning the stymon stuff off and on on this video with the hx fx

 

[NicJimBass]

I'm assuming this is the video you're talking about (apologies if not):


I was wrong in my last post. He clearly shows that you can use CC Toggle to turn pedals on and off. Since I don't have my board with me I'm going off (my admittedly bad) memory. I believe I have it set up this way, after more thought. I'll either edit or delete my last post shortly.

I think I used this exact video to set things up on mine. Instant messages (he calls them instances) and CC toggle are what you're gunning for. If you're experiencing issues after this video, please be specific, so we can troubleshoot easier.

 

[Johno Dunn]

For Sale - Helix LT w/Backpack
Just gonna put this here, case anyone wants to move up.

 

[Diegombass]

Init -28 returns, should I be afraid?

 

[Diegombass]

Great photo

 

[The_Owl]

I'm really interested in this unit after I receive my all tube amp. Watched an Italian demo of it on YouTube, and it seems to trigger really well for bass. I can see from the hundreds of pages here that it looks like it works just as well for bass as for guitar. I'm trying to expand my bass vocabulary, so to speak. Not using IR or simulation (I've tried that a lot, and it just doesn't do it for me personally). It seems there are a lot of good chorus, flanger and modulation sounds in this unit.

I also dig the idea of using it for the normal footswitch features my amp has. User friendliness seems top notch, as well.

 

[254 stringer]

View attachment 3340064
Init -28 returns, should I be afraid?

Mine was acting crazy last night. I actually sold mine and was updating it to the current firmware and then going to factory reset but kept getting an error. When I would try to reboot after a failed attempt I would get boot error Init -28. I tried multiple times and it never showed the update as successful but all the sudden it booted up and showed the current firmware. I factory reset to clear any of my patches and tested it and seems to be working fine. I don’t know it’s a weird one.

 

[gregmon79]

Mine was acting crazy last night. I actually sold mine and was updating it to the current firmware and then going to factory reset but kept getting an error. When I would try to reboot after a failed attempt I would get boot error Init -28. I tried multiple times and it never showed the update as successful but all the sudden it booted up and showed the current firmware. I factory reset to clear any of my patches and tested it and seems to be working fine. I don’t know it’s a weird one.

If that keeps happening you may need to send it in to L6. I think that was happening to someone else a while back too. I think he ended up having to send it in to get fixed. I think.

 

[gregmon79]

I'm really interested in this unit after I receive my all tube amp. Watched an Italian demo of it on YouTube, and it seems to trigger really well for bass. I can see from the hundreds of pages here that it looks like it works just as well for bass as for guitar. I'm trying to expand my bass vocabulary, so to speak. Not using IR or simulation (I've tried that a lot, and it just doesn't do it for me personally). It seems there are a lot of good chorus, flanger and modulation sounds in this unit.

I also dig the idea of using it for the normal footswitch features my amp has. User friendliness seems top notch, as well.

It handles bass very, very well. There are some models that don’t handle bass as well as others. But you can just run them in a parallel path and blend some clean in. Fixed. But most do work great with bass and seem like they are a full ranged. The modulation is awesome imo. I use mine mainly for mod and delay. But I’ve also been using it for tools like signal routing and so forth. It’s simply a great piece of gear IME and it does indeed work wonderfully with bass.