Me neither, if it were for me guitars would have an on/off switch in place of the volume knob
Line 6 Helix Megathread - 2.80 update
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Me neither, if it were for me guitars would have an on/off switch in place of the volume knob
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jbealsmusic
Well-Known Member
Because how an amp interacts with the guitar when the volume is rolled back is important to a lot of guitarists. A lot of guys use their volume knob to influence their tone the same way people use pedals and presets.
Rolling the volume back on a POD doesn't change the character or dynamics of the tone as much as it just reduces the gain and low end, leaving you with a cleaner but thinner/lifeless sound. For guitarists who live in the realm of edge-of-breakup and use their volume knob as described, it's been a big reason why they haven't embraced digital modeling.because I can do that with my pod no problem
People all listen for different things to judge the quality of a modeler. It's really funny going from here to other forums and reading people's reviews on modelers.
High-gain Guy's Review Of "X" Modeler
"It sounds fine for cleans and low-gain stuff, but I can't get a useable high-gain sound."
Clean/Edge-of-breakup Guy's Review Of The Same Modeler
"Sounds fine for high-gain stuff, but I can't get useable clean or low-gain sounds."
MASS DEFECT
SS.ORG Infiltrator
I just need an HD high gain demo of the Soldano amp model for me to be sold on this one. The pre amp Slo100 were pretty good in the HD. Recording it with other cab impulses also sounded great.
I wonder how much of it was improved in the Helix.
They also should do a demo of 4CM mode with amps with series and parallel loops.
I wonder how much of it was improved in the Helix.
They also should do a demo of 4CM mode with amps with series and parallel loops.
btbamthewell
Well-Known Member
Has there been any info on effects? Will they basically be the same as HD?...from the marketing it sounds like they wont.
Also any ideas on what the software will be like?
Also any ideas on what the software will be like?
DarrellM5
Well-Known Member
Per Digital Igloo over on the Line 6 forum:
Input Blocks:
None, Multi (Guitar, Aux, Variax), Guitar, Aux, Variax, Variax Magnetics, Mic, Return 1, Return 2, Return 3, Return 4, Return 1/2, Return 3/4, S/PDIF, USB 3/4, USB 5/6, USB 7/8
Output Blocks:
Multi (1/4", XLR, Digital, USB 1/2), Path 2A, Path 2B, Path 2A+B, 1/4", XLR, Send 1/2, Send 3/4, Digital (S/PDIF, AES/EBU, or L6 LINK), USB 1/2, USB 3/4, USB 5/6
Distortion Models:
Minotaur, Compulsive Drive, Valve Driver, Top Secret OD, Scream 808, Hedgehog D9, Vermin Dist, Arbitrator Fuzz, Triangle Fuzz, Industrial Fuzz, Tycoctavia Fuzz, Megaphone
Dynamics Models:
Deluxe Comp, Red Squeeze, LA Studio Comp, Noise Gate, Hard Gate
EQ Models:
Simple EQ, Low Cut/High Cut, Parametric, 10-Band Graphic
Modulation Models:
Optical Trem, 60s Bias Trem, Script Mod Phase, Ubiquitous Vibe, Gray Flanger, Harmonic Flanger, Courtesan Flange, Chorus, 70s Chorus, Trinity Chorus, Bubble Vibrato, Vibe Rotary, 122 Rotary, 145 Rotary, AM Ring Mod, Pitch Ring Mod
Delay Models:
Simple Delay, Mod Chorus Echo, Multitap 4, Multitap 6, Ping Pong, Sweep Echo, Ducked Delay, Transistor Tape, Harmony Delay, Bucket Brigade, Adriatic Delay, Elephant Man
Reverb Models:
Plate, Room, Chamber, Hall, Echo, Tile, Cave, Ducking, Octo, 63 Spring, Spring, Particle Verb
Pitch/Synth Models:
Pitch Wham, Twin Harmony, 3 Osc Synth
Filter Models:
Mutant Filter
Mystery Filter [Hi, Stilwelwe miss you, brother!]
Wah Models:
UK Wah 846, Teardrop 310, Fassel, Weeper, Chrome, Chrome Custom, Throaty, Vetta Wah, Colorful, Conductor
Volume/Pan Models:
Volume Pedal, Gain, Pan
Send/Return:
Send 1, Send 2, Send 3, Send 4, Send 1/2, Send 3/4, Return 1, Return 2, Return 3, Return 4, Return 1/2, Return 3/4, FX Loop 1, FX Loop 2, FX Loop 3, FX Loop 4, FX Loop 1/2, FX Loop 3/4
Looper:
Mono, Stereo
Split:
Y, A/B, Crossover
Merge:
Mixer
Also, if by software you mean the editor, it's supposed to be almost identical to what's on the device's screen.
btbamthewell
Well-Known Member
Awesome, thanks buddy!
Alex Kenivel
Stunt Guitar
I'm an all around player, hi gain, mid gain, edge of breakup, super cleans, etc. I use my volume knob to clean up a high gain tone and for volume swells a lot and always have with every tube amp I've had. Now that I'm using the pod, I'm finding it to be about the same, which is what I based my head scratching on..
Maybe I'm expecting something different that others. Maybe some people are just too picky. Maybe I can't tell the difference.
jbealsmusic
Well-Known Member
My only point was that we all listen for different things and are picky about different things to different degrees. I haven't found a single modeler under $2K that reacts the way I expect (perhaps hope) when I roll the volume back. It could just be placebo/nocebo, or maybe I happen to be extra picky about that one thing for some reason. There are probably other things I don't notice or let slide that other guitarists are more picky about.
Use what works for you and rock on. I'm still searching for my "holy grail". Helix looks promising, but I need to get my hands on it to test it out. Fractal's AX8 might be another possibility, depending on its roll-out price and feature set.
Alex Kenivel
Stunt Guitar
I'm stuck on budget grail for the time being
If it sounds good I'll probably get one. My pod ticks a lot of the boxes on my list and most definitely has its limitations but at its price point I'm willing to live with the workarounds. If anything, the Helix should more than trump the 500X for it to be legitimately worth it IMO
jbealsmusic
Well-Known Member
lol Same here. I've had an RP1000 for about 5 years. It falls short on any number of fronts sound wise and feature wise, but it has served me well and was probably the best $300 I ever spent on a piece of gear.I'm stuck on budget grail for the time being
While I'm willing to try everything under the sun, I only change over my gear if the replacement is an overwhelming upgrade in all areas. It seems every unit on the market has some of the features I'm looking for, but not all of them. To me, it doesn't make sense to buy something else until something comes along that ticks all the boxes.
Let's hope!
HUGH JAYNUS
I’m a grown ass man
They are for sale at American Musical Supply. Im itching to buy because im a broke ass and they have the multiple payments option (3, 5, or 8 easy payments of blah blah). and i suck at saving up. only thing thats really holding me back is i am a metalhead. there are no reviews on the metal tones at all yet. way too early. I want more than my HD Pro X has to offer. I would get an Axe Fx II if you could find it with payment plans.
Am i being too hasty? Has anyone here played one yet?
Am i being too hasty? Has anyone here played one yet?
DarrellM5
Well-Known Member
The only people who've gotten their hands on them are Line 6 employees and some beta testers (which may also be employees). Sweetwater got their hands on one to do their review but even that one went back to Line 6.
marcwormjim
Well-Known Member
I really want to be excited for this; and need someone here to do what Line 6 has failed to insofar as convincing me that this is a
1. Game-changer among dozens of competing products (several of which are currently advertised by Line 6 itself)
2. Price point-contender amongst Kemper, Fractal, and similarly high-end gear in the range
3. Obvious upgrade from the abandoned-but-still-price-controlled POD HD/Amplifi/Firehawk/DT series.
4. Foward-thinking investment that Line 6 won't abandon. No one familiar with Line 6's attitude toward product life-cycles wants to drop that much money and still live in fear that the company is paying lip-service to Ideascale submissions while R&Ding next year's NAMM flagship that will drop the Helix's resale value by $300.
1. Game-changer among dozens of competing products (several of which are currently advertised by Line 6 itself)
2. Price point-contender amongst Kemper, Fractal, and similarly high-end gear in the range
3. Obvious upgrade from the abandoned-but-still-price-controlled POD HD/Amplifi/Firehawk/DT series.
4. Foward-thinking investment that Line 6 won't abandon. No one familiar with Line 6's attitude toward product life-cycles wants to drop that much money and still live in fear that the company is paying lip-service to Ideascale submissions while R&Ding next year's NAMM flagship that will drop the Helix's resale value by $300.
jbealsmusic
Well-Known Member
1) UI and feature-wise, it blows everything under $2K out of the water. There is no comparison. The only thing left to judge is its tone, which we won't really know until it is on the market.
2) It is $500 cheaper than the KPA and nowhere near the price-point of Axe-fx II. What other all-in-one modelers are in the ~$1500 price range? None as far as I'm aware (yet; AX8 is on the horizon but we don't know what it will sell for).
3) Refer to number one.
4) Agreed. We know based on L6's history that we might get 4 good years of support. After that, who knows... Hopefully this is supported much more long-term than their previous products.
marcwormjim
Well-Known Member
Agreed. You do a better job promoting it than Line 6. And I'm not too concerned about its sound-quality.
I forgot to stress that the point about it being an "obvious upgrade" entails justifying costing triple what the HD500 did at launch. We all know R&D has to be paid for, but unless those of us who regularly pushed the HD series to its DSP limit can dial in a patch that convinces us the Helix has 3x the horsepower, I know I'll be disappointed. Justifying both the price-point it was engineered for and the price-point difference between it and the previous flagship-product is an enormous task to live up to in its marketing, no matter how legitimate the overhead is.
The hardware-overhead of my Bias FX rig, for example, is:
$850 for 128gb iPad Air 2, $30 for Bias FX, $30 for expansion packs
$100 for IK blueboard
$30 for M-audio EX-P expression pedal
Around $100 for 24-bit 1/4" interface.
At $1140 (plus an optional $10 for the Bias amp-builder when it's discounted), it's still cheaper than the Helix - So the dealmaker for me will be whether Helix's extra ins-and-outs actually make it the all-in-one solution. I want it to be; so I can leave the delicate iPad screen at home. But then we'll see how durable the Helix's screen is.
I'm in that boat with a lot of people where we're all holding up our money, but I'm waiting for everyone else to throw theirs, first.
I forgot to stress that the point about it being an "obvious upgrade" entails justifying costing triple what the HD500 did at launch. We all know R&D has to be paid for, but unless those of us who regularly pushed the HD series to its DSP limit can dial in a patch that convinces us the Helix has 3x the horsepower, I know I'll be disappointed. Justifying both the price-point it was engineered for and the price-point difference between it and the previous flagship-product is an enormous task to live up to in its marketing, no matter how legitimate the overhead is.
The hardware-overhead of my Bias FX rig, for example, is:
$850 for 128gb iPad Air 2, $30 for Bias FX, $30 for expansion packs
$100 for IK blueboard
$30 for M-audio EX-P expression pedal
Around $100 for 24-bit 1/4" interface.
At $1140 (plus an optional $10 for the Bias amp-builder when it's discounted), it's still cheaper than the Helix - So the dealmaker for me will be whether Helix's extra ins-and-outs actually make it the all-in-one solution. I want it to be; so I can leave the delicate iPad screen at home. But then we'll see how durable the Helix's screen is.
I'm in that boat with a lot of people where we're all holding up our money, but I'm waiting for everyone else to throw theirs, first.
axxessdenied
Arium Addict
I watched the demo's on youtube. The noise floor seems to be as terrible as the pod hd series. :/
Still won't replace the axe fx 2 if it's got a terrible noise floor. Dunno if I will get one now.
Still won't replace the axe fx 2 if it's got a terrible noise floor. Dunno if I will get one now.
HeHasTheJazzHands
Well-Known Member
https://soundcloud.com/line6/sets/helix?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook
First metal clips finally post. Guitars are pretty low in the mix-though. I wish they did some out-of-mix samples as well.
First metal clips finally post. Guitars are pretty low in the mix-though. I wish they did some out-of-mix samples as well.
Dead-Pan
Well-Known Member
Bass sounds good to me but not so much the heavy guitar, very clear but perhaps too clear and I never thought I would say that. Clear might not even be the right word, almost harsh. Could probably be dialed out...maybe...
Shask
Well-Known Member
I hear the typical "Line 6 sound". Kind of a fuzzy upper midrange that kind of sits over the top of every high gain sound. That might be what you are hearing.
MASS DEFECT
SS.ORG Infiltrator
well, at least the cab sims don't sound too muffled.
