Pitch shifting errors with Helix and Variax

[jon_bondy]

I use my Helix combined with my Variax to let me play bass on parts of a song and take a solo in the middle.  This has worked well for months, but recently there have been a variety of problems.

 

1) sometimes the pitch shifting does not work at all: I want to hear bass, but all I hear is normal guitar.  I then try disconnecting/reconnecting the Variax, switching to another patch and back, etc.  Sometimes that works, sometimes not.  All unpredictable.

 

2) today, the low E string would suddenly shift from an octave down back up to normal tuning, with no obvious precursor (I was not touching the Helix or the guitar knobs).  And sometimes on normal patches, a string would suddenly be a bass string.

 

I would appreciate any points to help me troubleshoot this.  Given the erratic and unpredictable nature of the failures, it may be challenging.

 

Thanks.

 

Jon

[rd2rk]

When digital stuff gets wonky for no apparent reason, perform a factory reset.

Don't forget to back up first!

[codamedia]

Have you determined if this is a Helix issue or a Variax issue? That's the first step!  

 

If using the VDI cable, remove it for now and just use a 1/4". Go through your requires presets on the Variax, and determine if the guitar is STABLE on it's own! What Variax model are you using? 

 

If the guitar is stable... then it may be helix settings. DId you do an update recently... if so, did you restore your global settings? 

The Helix > Variax can get really unpredictable if the snapshot options are not set as expected. Recall vs discard behaviors are very different from each other. 

 

[jon_bondy]

@codamedia 

 

Thanks for your thoughts.  I am using pitch shifting that is created on-the-fly by the Helix.  This cannot be done using a 1/4" cable.  That is, I cannot test the full system unless using the Variax cable.

 

Are you suggesting that I set the guitar up with some pitch shift and play it through the 1/4" jack for a while, to see if the guitar pitch shifts are stable?

 

What do you mean by "snapshot options are not set as expected"?  I switch to a patch, switch to a snapshot, and after a few minutes, without my touching any Helix or Variax controls, the pitch changes. The patch and snapshot start out working correctly, and then stop working correctly, spontaneously.  I do not understand "as expected".

 

What does "recall" and "discard" mean?  Enabling and disabling patch aspects as I go through snapshots?

 

Jon

[jon_bondy]

I just spent 30 minutes first playing the Variax directly through (1/4" cable) and changing the tuning preset knob by hand, and then playing the Variax through the Helix while changing the presets and snapshots using the foot switches on the Helix. Same guitar, cable, and Helix, but there were no failures.

 

Erratic failures are a real challenge.

 

I just did a factory reset and a restore from backup, but given that I could not get it to fail today (but it failed repeatedly yesterday) it is all a muddle.

 

Thanks for your help

 

Jon

[silverhead]

There’s a subtle thing with alt tunings that sometimes catches people out. I don’t think this is what you’ve encountered but I think it’s worth mentioning in case.

 

When storing alternate tunings in Helix presets it’s important to have the Alt Tuning knob on the Variax set to Standard. In particular if that knob is set to Model then any Workbench-created alternate tuning stored in the Variax Model is applied and the Helix alt tunings are ignored.

[waymda]

On 2/28/2025 at 3:24 AM, silverhead said:

There’s a subtle thing with alt tunings that sometimes catches people out. I don’t think this is what you’ve encountered but I think it’s worth mentioning in case.

 

When storing alternate tunings in Helix presets it’s important to have the Alt Tuning knob on the Variax set to Standard. In particular if that knob is set to Model then any Workbench-created alternate tuning stored in the Variax Model is applied and the Helix alt tunings are ignored.

 

 

Ooh haven't heard of or experienced this and I use the Helix to model and tuning swap my variax all the time and often mid song. Is it only caused/triggered where alt-tunings have been created by workbench, or potentially anything other than the settign being standard? I may have been lucky so far, but will now check its on standard before gigging.

 

Also guessing it won't ever be fixed now the variax is discontinued.

[silverhead]

On 2/27/2025 at 3:26 PM, waymda said:

 

 

Ooh haven't heard of or experienced this and I use the Helix to model and tuning swap my variax all the time and often mid song. Is it only caused/triggered where alt-tunings have been created by workbench, or potentially anything other than the settign being standard? I may have been lucky so far, but will now check its on standard before gigging.

 

Also guessing it won't ever be fixed now the variax is discontinued.

For alternate tunings in a stored Variax Model I use Workbench but you’re right - you can also define alt tunings directly using only the guitar. It won’t matter how it was created; if the Variax Tuning knob is not set to Standard any alt tuning defined in a Helix preset  relative to Standard tuning will be affected. I believe Helix applies the specified relative pitch shift to the incoming string signal whether that is in standard tuning or not.

 

I believe ithis would also apply to the other alt tuning knob positions in the Variax factory settings. For instance if the Variax factory alt tunings are being used and the knob is set to Drop D, while the Helix preset also specifies Drop D tuning, I expect the low E string would produce a C note.
 

My habit, which has never failed in my memory, is to keep the Variax alt tuning knob set to Standard when using Helix alt tunings.

[codamedia]

On 2/27/2025 at 9:29 AM, jon_bondy said:

I just spent 30 minutes first playing the Variax directly through (1/4" cable) and changing the tuning preset knob by hand, and then playing the Variax through the Helix while changing the presets and snapshots using the foot switches on the Helix. Same guitar, cable, and Helix, but there were no failures.

 

Excellent.... I know you questioned me, but that is exactly what I wanted you to do... it's part of troubleshooting!

If the VARIAX tuning knob works fine when using the 1/4" cable then the guitar itself is stable. That means the problem would the communication between the Helix and Variax... or the Helix itself. 

 

On 2/27/2025 at 9:29 AM, jon_bondy said:

I just did a factory reset and a restore from backup, but given that I could not get it to fail today (but it failed repeatedly yesterday) it is all a muddle.

 

If that solved your problem... there is no muddle. The helix is a computer... sometimes something can become corrupt and a reset is needed. I would not worry about this at all unless it returns quickly and/or repeatedly.