📱 MIDI & Helix Part 2 - The Controls

Firstly, I'll start off by posting this picture I took from Stoopalini's unofficial Helix MIDI command guide on TheGearPage. He/she did a great job cooking up this chart and you should refer to it whenever possible.

Download it, memorise it, consume all of it. Ok just kidding.

Ok that aside, it's time to see how I set each command to send messages to my Helix. I am using the DLX + JTM45 patch bought from Worship Tutorials in this, well, tutorial. I have set my Helix to be running in 8-snapshot mode because honestly that's what this is all about right?

For HX Stomp users, click here for the HX Stomp MIDI tutorial. However, I strongly recommend you to read the following on my Helix Floor first because the controls are the same and I will move on to HX Stomp specifics in it's own post..

Here is a picture of my Helix in Stomp mode:

I've added a few extra effects of my own and customised the colours. Do take note that FS6 and FS12 are not customisable. Line 6 wanted it that way.

Now here is a picture of my Midipad2 controls:

I've lined up the effects respectively for simplicity's sake. I'll just go through the few simple commands Midipad2 can send to the Helix so at least everyone gets an idea on what's going on. Notice that FS6 and FS12 is missing because Line 6 wanted it that way.

Ok let's slice it up!

The following are the first 3 effects being commanded by Midipad2:

"Boost" is just my clean boost when I need the extra volume. According to the chart above, toggling footswitch 1 requires command CC#49. Because Helix was born on a different planet, I have to +1 to the number. Hence the command number is 50. "Toggle" setting is used because I have other effects to turn on along with the boost.

Next up is my modulation reverb. Chart says FS2 is commanded by CC#50 so the command number in Midipad2 is 51.

My third example is the tremolo. Following the same principle, the command number is +1 more than the actual CC read off from the chart.

Now what about the up and down values being at "1"? For activating of effects, it doesn't matter what those two numbers are. It can be both at "1", or both at "128", or whatever. It doesn't affect our purpose here.

Activating the tuner goes by the same rule. And so is tap tempo. But yeah I recommend tapping in your tempo with your feet because tapping with fingers just feels so wrong on stage.

Now we recall different presets (The chart doesn't have this so pay more attention here):

As seen, preset 01A or 000 is denominated by command PC#1. Used the "Pad" trigger here because we can only have one preset at any one time; and we can't/don't have to turn the preset off. The +1 is only applied when you use 000 as your preset numbering.

Same goes for the other preset I put on speed dial. This preset numbers at 01B, or 001, which in this case requires command PC#2 to be recalled. Of course you can put as many possible recalls as you can program Midipad2 to.

Yes you can extend the amount of commands just by increasing the numbers of rows and columns in the "preference" compartment. And yes, I have tried to find the maximum amount of rows and columns possible. Sorry to tell you but your iPad will probably freeze at 30 rows and 30 columns; yeah I don't think there's a maximum. COOL!

"New device detected" means you are all set!

So that's all I have for the basic operations. Just wire everything up and it should be ready to go! Here's a link to how my demo works with everything connected: https://youtu.be/HqiutkoEjCA

For the faithful HX Stomp user that read all the way here, click here for your HX Stomp MIDI tutorial!

Otherwise, click >>> for the final part in the MIDI & Helix series!
Click <<< for previous part.

Edwin Ang