Presets | Line 6 Manuals

Helix Stadium Native includes a set of factory presets to get you started. It’s a great idea to load these first and examine the blocks and settings to see how they are constructed. As soon as you are ready, you can Save As any factory preset to create an editable copy and customize it however you like. Or, start building your own tones and save as many as you like to expand your USER presets folder.

Tip: Looking for more presets to get started? Visit the Line 6 CustomTone free community site where you can download Helix Stadium presets and clones, as well as upload and share your own creations!

The Preset Browser

The Preset Browser provides access to the included factory presets, as well as your custom-created presets. Click on the Preset name field to open the Browser list, where you'll find the following preset types.

Tip: Note that the same File List window layout and controls are also used for Cab IR File and PROXY Clone File selection.

Preset Menu: Click to expand the menu to access the preset file commands.

New Preset: Creates a new, empty preset.
Open Preset: Opens the File > Open window. In most cases, you’ll probably want to use the Preset Browser to open presets from the plugin’s assigned preset directory. See Loading Presets below. Use this Open Preset command to browse to any folder on your computer to open a preset file.

Save Preset: Saves the current preset if it is unsaved. Note that the preset name is displayed in italics with an asterisk if the preset is in an unsaved state . Also, see Saving Presets below.
Save Preset As: Saves a copy of the current preset.
Rename Preset: Allows the current USER preset’s name to be edited. (Note that FACTORY presets cannot be renamed.)

Tip: You can also right-click directly on any USER preset within the Preset Browser list to rename the preset.

Next/Previous Preset Selector: Click the Up/Down arrow buttons to cycle through loading presets within the currently selected FACTORY or USER folder. (Note that these buttons are disabled if the currently-loaded preset is not a FACTORY preset or one saved within the default USER preset folder.)
Preset Name Field: Displays the currently-loaded preset. Click to open/close the Preset Browser to access FACTORY and USER presets.
Search: Enter text to search for presets. You can enter a preset name, type of effect, brand name, or text that is included in any preset’s Preset Info panel to filter the results. (Note that the Search will only search presets that exist in the FACTORY and default USER preset folders.)
Back Button: Navigates back in the Browser to the parent directory of the currently displayed folder.
Folder Selector: Select a folder within the Presets directory to show its contents in the browser.
Browser View Selector: Click the left button to display the Browser preset in a “list” view, as shown in the image above. Click the right button to change to a “Columns” view, with folders in the left column and the selected folder’s contents in the right, as shown below.

Preset Browser Column View.png — Column View selected

Factory Preset Folder: A range of assorted factory presets is provided to get you started. Click to access the list of Factory presets. These presets are read-only.*

^*Note: Factory presets cannot be renamed or overwritten using the Save command. But you can edit any of these presets as desired, then use the Preset Menu’s Save Preset As command to save your edited copy to the USER folder. Factory presets saved to the USER folder will also retain their Preset Clip and Preset Info.

The Helix Stadium Native Intro version includes a subset of the factory presets found in the complete Helix Stadium Native version.

User Presets: Presets you’ve saved or copied into the plugin’s designated Presets directory appear in the USER folder (see Plugin Settings). Click to access the list of User presets. These can be edited and overwritten with the Preset Menu’s Save command.
Show in Finder/Show in File Explorer: Click to open the Finder app (macOS) or File Explorer (Windows^®), showing the parent directory where the currently selected preset file is saved.

Tip: If your currently loaded preset is not saved in the default USER folder (see Plugin Settings), it is recommended to open the Preset Menu and choose Save Preset As to save a copy there. This way, your preset will appear in the Preset Browser - USER list, where it is easy to find.

Import Setlist: Click to select the USER folder, then click to browse and select a Helix Stadium Setlist (.hss) or Legacy Helix/HX/Helix Native Setlist (.hls) file to import all its presets. See the following Importing Setlists section.

Saving Presets

To save your preset, click the Preset Menu button and choose Save Preset or Save Preset As. The standard File - Save window appears; click OK to save the file. You can save a virtually unlimited number of User presets. By default, presets are saved (with the .hsp file extension) in the Presets folder within your macOS or Windows^® Documents folder: Documents > Line 6 > Helix Stadium Native > Presets. Optionally, you can use the Finder app (macOS) or the File Explorer app (Windows) to manually create folders within the Presets folder and move your preset files into them to organize them as desired.

Tip: It’s a good idea to create backups once you start creating your own User presets. You can do so by simply copying the Presets folder to another location on your computer system.

The following settings are stored within a preset:

The model selection, parameter values, and On/Off states of all Signal Flow blocks
All Input, Output, Split, Merge blocks, and signal path routing
Preset Tempo BPM (standalone app only, when configured for Preset tempo source)
Custom preset name entered via the Preset Browser
All Snapshot assignments
All Automation and MIDI Control parameter assignments

Note: Some host DAW applications also offer their own preset libraries and plugin save options. Any such host application’s presets are saved and managed independently—please refer to your host’s documentation for details.

Loading Presets

Presets exported from Helix Stadium family devices (.hls files), original Helix/HX family devices, or original Helix Native plugin (.hlx files) can all be used in Helix Stadium Native plugin! See Preset Compatibility and Exporting Setlists, Presets, IRs, and Clones for use in Helix Stadium Native for details.

Note: Helix Stadium and Helix Stadium Native saved presets appear in the Preset Bowser with a “Stadium” icon: .

Presets saved with an original Helix/HX device or Helix Native appear with a “Helix” icon: .

There are a few ways to load a preset:

Click the Next/Previous arrow buttons to cycle through the current FACTORY or USER preset list sequentially without opening the Preset Browser.
Click the Preset Name field to open the Preset Browser, select either the FACTORY or USER folder to see its contents, then click the desired preset to load it. As you create and save your own presets, you'll see them appear in the USER folder.
Click the Preset Menu and select the Open Preset command to manually browse to any folder on your computer, then select a preset to load it.^*

^*Note: If you load a preset from a folder other than the plugin’s designated Presets folder (see Plugin Settings), this opens the preset in the plugin, but the preset file remains stored in its current folder, and therefore, does not appear in the plugin’s Preset Browser > USER presets list. Optionally, click the Preset Menu button, select Save Preset As, and save a copy of the preset in the default Presets folder if you want it to appear in the Preset Browser’s USER folder.

Preset Loading in the Helix Stadium Native Intro Version

The free Intro plugin version includes a subset of the Amp, Cab, and Effect models from the Helix Stadium Native Full license version. When attempting to load a Preset from the original Helix/HX/Helix Native and Helix Stadium family devices that include models not included in the Intro version, the following pop-up alert is displayed.

Click Cancel to cancel loading the preset.

Click Load Anyway to load the preset, where the blocks containing the missing models are disabled, dispalying a “lock” icon, as shown below. Clicking on a disabled block displays its info in the Model Browser.

Free Version - Get More Models.png — The Intro version - an unsupported block is selected

Optionally, click in the model list or click on the button in the right panel to purchase the full Helix Stadium Native version license (with which the disabled models become “unlocked”).
Or, you can replace the “missing” model with an available Intro version model in the Model Browser. Disabled blocks are retained in the presets when saving (unless you manually replace their model or clear the block) to maintain compatibility with the full plugin version and Helix Stadium devices.

Using Presets Created with Helix Stadium Hardware Compatibility “Off”: As detailed in the plugin Settings section, Helix Stadium Native limits the number of certain block types and the total DSP usage per preset to ensure saved presets are compatible with Helix Stadium devices. The complete plugin version allows setting Hardware Compatibility to “Off,” which the Intro version does not. Therefore, when attempting to open a preset saved with Hardware Compatibility Off that exceeds the hardware limits, you’ll see the following alert stating that the preset cannot be loaded in the Intro version.

Preset not supported in Intro version alert

Adding Helix Stadium and Original Helix/HX Presets

Helix Stadium Native does not include an “Import Preset” function (there is an “Import” option for Setlists—see the next section). But you can manually copy any Helix Stadium hardware preset file (.hsp) or original Helix/HX/Helix Native preset (.hlx) directly into the Helix Stadium Native plugin’s USER Presets directory.

You’ll first need to Export the individual presets to your computer using the free Helix Stadium (version 1.3.3 or later) or HX Edit (version 3.50 or later) app. You can either export directly into Helix Stadium Native’s Presets folder, or export to any other folder on your computer and then copy or move the preset files into the designated Helix Stadium Native Presets folder (which is set by default as Documents > Line 6 > Helix Stadium Native > Presets). Also, see the Preset Compatibility > Exporting section.
Once added to the Helix Stadium Native Presets folder, the presets will appear in the plugin’s Preset Browser. Helix Stadium-saved presets appear in the browser with the “Stadium” icon , and Helix/HX/Helix Native-saved preset appears with a “Helix” icon .

Note: When opening a Helix/HX/Helix Native-saved preset , you can edit it the same as any other preset. To save changes to this type of preset, you’ll need to select Save Preset As from the Preset Menu, which will convert and save it as a new Helix Stadium-type preset in the USER directory. (Your original Helix/HX/Helix-Native preset is retained, unchanged.)

Importing Helix Stadium and Original Helix/HX Setlists

Helix Stadium Native does not support creating Setlists, unlike the Helix Stadium and Helix/HX family devices. However, you can “Import” a Setlist in Helix Stadium Native, which will copy all the Setlist’s presets into its own subfolder within the USER Presets directory. Once you’ve exported a Setlist from the Helix Stadium app (version 1.3.3 or later) or original Helix/HX/Helix Native (version 3.50 or later, as covered in Exporting Setlists, Presets, IRs, and Clones for use in Helix Stadium Native), use the following steps.

Important! The following behaviors apply when importing Helix Stadium/Helix/HX hardware Setlists:

All Setlists' presets imported into the Helix Stadium Native USER directory are converted to Helix Stadium format preset files (which appear with the “Stadium” icon ). These preset files are not back-compatible with the original Helix/HX/Helix Native products. Be sure to keep backup copies of your original Helix/HX/Helix Native setlist (.hls) and preset (.hlx) files for compatibility.
The order of all presets in the Preset Library panel of the Helix Stadium or HX Edit apps will likely not be retained when the Setlist is imported into Helix Stadium Native plugin. If you want the preset order to be the same, you can manually rename each of your presets in the original app’s Library Panel before exporting by numbering them (e.g., “01,” “02,” “03”… etc.). Once the setlist is exported from the original app and imported into Helix Stadium Native, its presets will then be listed numerically in the plugin’s Preset Browser.
When importing a Setlist from an original Helix/HX device or original Helix Native, all “non-functional” blocks (those specific to hardware, e.g., Loopers, FX Loops, Sends, Returns) are automatically removed from the presets, regardless of the Helix Stadium Native > Settings > Non-Functional Blocks setting. Also, see the Plugin Settings section.

Import Setlist.png — Importing a Setlist

Tip: Use the macOS Finder or Windows File Explorer apps to create your own folders within the plugin’s designated Presets directory to import and manually manage your files. Folders you create will appear within the Preset Browser’s USER directory.

Click the Helix Stadium Native’s Preset Name field to open the Preset Browser.
Select to highlight the USER folder, then click Import Setlist .
Browse to the computer folder where your Helix Stadium Setlist (.hss file) or Helix/HX/Helix Native Setlist (.hls) file is located, select the file, and click Open.
Once the Import is complete, open the Preset Browser again; the Setlist's presets are now available in a new subfolder (named the same as the original Setlist) within your USER directory.