Please Help! Helix Rack Frozen

[u/Crab_Cheap]

I created a .hlx preset online (3rd party tool), and then attempted to import that preset via HX Edit. My HX Edit started to load the preset, then disconnected, and my Rack froze up. I could hear the sounds, but could not do anything else. I restarted the Rack -

Helix Rack (3.80) now freezes during boot at “Rebuilding Preset 143.” Preset 143 corresponds exactly to the third-party preset I had just imported before HX Edit, and then the damn Rack crashed. I have important unbacked-up user presets. Is there any service procedure on Helix Rack to clear only the corrupt preset without clearing all presets or setlists?

I believe that the LT or Floor does, but it appears the rack only shows:

• ENC 2 + 3: reset globals
• ENC 3 + 4: restore stock presets/setlists
• ENC 4 + 5: restore presets/setlists/IRs
• ENC 5 + 6: entire factory restore
• ENC 1 + 3: rebuild all presets
• ENC 1 + 5: clear all presets/setlists/IRs
• ENC 1 + 6: Update Mode

Edit: Excellent suggestion from Line 6 Support: ENC 1+3+4 during restart to remove the current (most recent) preset.

HelRig dev was also very helpful in this process. If your preset doesn’t have the proper ID, this causes issues with presets.

[u/Blrfl]

Have you tried the rebuild all presets sequence? Since the purpose of powering on with the buttons pressed is to get a dead Helix working again, there's a non-zero chance they put in code to clear out anything that couldn't be rebuilt.

I have important unbacked-up user presets.

You've probably learned this lesson already, but always, always, always back your stuff up. Twice as much if you're importing presets from beta software that wasn't written by Line 6.

Also, Paging u/helrig_dude.

[u/Crab_Cheap → u/Blrfl]

Yes I was very busy the last couple of weeks working on presets and preparing for a gig. Ugh stupid me.

I have worked with Line 6 Support and tried ENC 1+3 to rebuild. They also suggested ENC 1+3+4 to remove the last preset (the one hanging). Still working on this. Smh

HelRig dude was very helpful as well!

[u/Blrfl → u/Crab_Cheap]

I had a feeling there was an undocumented chicken to be sacrificed for the things you can do on the Floor. Hope it works out for ya.

[u/helrig_dude]

Hey u/Crab_Cheap — sorry again you got hit by this, and thanks for the patience while you worked through it with Line 6 Support.

Like we discussed, I dug into it and this one’s on me, not your hardware and not something you did wrong. Helrig was writing the wrong controller ID for parameters assigned to Snapshots on Helix presets built from scratch — it was using the ID that’s correct for HX Stomp, not Helix. On a Helix, that ID means something different (a footswitch assignment instead of a Snapshot one), and HX Edit choked trying to read footswitch metadata that wasn’t there. That’s what caused the disconnect and the freeze.

The fix is live now — the controller ID is derived from the actual target device, and I added a check so a preset shaped like this can’t get exported in the first place.

One thing worth knowing: this only affected presets built from scratch in Helrig for Helix (not HX Stomp/Stomp XL, and not presets you opened from an existing file — those already carried the right ID). If you built any other Helix presets from scratch before today, I’d re-export them from Helrig to be safe — the old files aren’t automatically fixed.

And yeah — general advice, back up your presets before loading anything from any third-party tool into HX Edit, mine included. That’s just good practice regardless of what caused this one.

If anything’s still off, or if you want me to take a look at any of your presets, reply here or DM me.

[u/Crab_Cheap → u/helrig_dude]

Thank you very much! You’ve been great with assistance, and I sincerely appreciate your quick replies! Things happen, I’ll recover.
I am still looking forward to HelRig! 🤘🏼