Line 6 Helix Megathread - 2.80 update

[AkiraSpectrum]

Was playing around with the Archon model, it's rad as ....!
I'm using it on guitar and bass in this demo

nice!
are you using an OD in front of the Archon for the guitar?

 

[Radau]

Just the usual tubescreamer with the gain on 0 and level at 10

 

[Cheesehead]

The Archon is great from what little playing I've had with it so far. I would describe it as open sounding with smooth distortion and plenty of it. First time updating my Helix And it kicked butt if you ask me.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

[sc]https://soundcloud.com/experiments-1/line6-helic-archetype-lead-demo[/sc]

 

[that short guy]

You know the selfish part of me wants more updates more often now lol.

But the actual normal human being part of me is very happy with the helix/line 6 team and with the updates they've released. They really have been listening to people and the updates they've released have all been great

 

[Element0s]

Whoa! Those Archon patches! Very cool. Can't wait for mine to arrive now!

 

[TasmanSam]

The Archon model is all kinds of rad.

 

[TheDivineWing22]

Ordered a helix and a pair of Yamaha hs7's. Should be here tomorrow. I'm excited to dig into it. I've never really had a modeler, so it should be a learning experience.

 

[Element0s]

Got my Helix on Saturday! Took a bit of trial and error and a lot of cuss wors to get it playing nice with my PC (prolly my computers fault, not the Helix) but I'm enjoying it so far. Sounds good right out of the box, interface is dead simple compared to my Axe-FX and it REALLY started to open up when I crammed my 3 Sigma IR's into her. Can't wait to jam with it! Will post my own audio/video clips soon.

 

[Captain Butterscotch]

Please, go away. That's by far the worst thing that the Helix has spawned and I personally feel like it's smushing whatever sense of community might have come from the product. Preset selling is icky.

 

[Vrollin]

The Archon model is all kinds of rad.

Sick tone!

 

[Cheesehead]

I am a little hesitant to use the word 'djent' but I was going after a more midrange high end focused metal tone that could tighten up. Let me know what you guys think.

tone: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ave1965diggiiz3/MDRNElectrikCali.hlx?dl=0

demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQkTffbQMXA

anyone else really digging the stock cabs lately? I love using other IR's but I think the Helix Cabs actually do a pretty good job

 

[Element0s]

I keep saying that I'll do a tone demo or something with the Helix but I keep forgetting because I'm having so much fun dickin' around and just playing the thing. Set up a couple patches for gig volume using my ART SLA-1 and my 2x12 cabinet and road tested them at rehearsal last night for the first time. Sounded really good. Band mates were mighty impressed and definitely agree that it's my best-sounding rig yet. I've been loving the Archon models, though I've gotta some great hi-gain tones out of the Soldano, ENGL, an Marshalls as well. Sounds great through my actual cab but on the computer it's pretty much user IRs or bust for me.

Programming the Helix is pretty fun. I just found this video on using the expression pedal to "blend" two very different versions of the same tone in one patch and I'll definitely try using this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbLQIt_WD78

 

[Zalbu]

How many different effects are in this thing, and how much control do you have over them? I'm debating about what high end modeler I should get when my budget allows for it, and I've been leaning towards the Axe-Fx, partly because it has so many effects and you can tweak so many little parameters in them. But how does it look on the Helix? I feel like I'll probably be better off with something that doesn't have as many different settings to dick around with like the Axe-Fx since I doubt I'll use all of it.

 

[GunpointMetal]

How many different effects are in this thing, and how much control do you have over them? I'm debating about what high end modeler I should get when my budget allows for it, and I've been leaning towards the Axe-Fx, partly because it has so many effects and you can tweak so many little parameters in them. But how does it look on the Helix? I feel like I'll probably be better off with something that doesn't have as many different settings to dick around with like the Axe-Fx since I doubt I'll use all of it.

From the limited time I had with an Axe-FX, it has a many more things to edit and there are probably a few device-specific effects that are really cool, but the UI is kinda gross unless you hook it up to a PC. I was up between the two (and the AX-8, but I really didn't want to wait a million years) and the UI on the Helix itself sold me. Super easy to navigate (you can even edit effects/parameters with your feet, if you want) and with the edition of the Snapshots features, you can alter up to 64 parameters throughout the patch with just one switch, much like "scenes" on the Fractal stuff.

 

[Element0s]

Did a late-night new song demo for the band mates over the weekend using just the Helix + programmed drums. Just tried to bang out everything in a single take. But I'm very happy with the tone. Easily the best I've had with any modeling unit, WAY BETTER than Bias FX, which required a ton of extra EQ and effects added on the back end to sound decent.

Take a gander. I'm not really into super modern djent stuff. I'm more Manowar, Fates Warning and Blind Guardian and Candlemass. Not my best playing but I'm happy with the tone.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fbp0gswtd1dl4sf/Grey Maiden Demo.mp3?dl=0

I'm using the ENGL with an ENGL impulse from 3 Sigma Audio. I was trying to get a Michael Romeo sorta tone by looking at his gear selection and recreating that rig, but couldn't really get there so I just tweaked it to my own tastes. I high cut the IRs at about 8k and low cut at ~90. I also use a tube mic preamp before the amp section and a subtle LA studio comp at the end of everything. There's an OCD/Tube Screamer in there and at least one EQ. Plus a bit of plate reverb and the digital delay for the leads.

My band is in the studio this week/last weekend laying down tracks for a cover song. My XLR connections were getting some background noise so he ran me into 1/4" stereo with some DI's and the signal cleaned right up. Our engineer, an old-school dude who's done some 450 album is very impressed with the Helix. Can't wait to do my overdubs with the cabinet.

Goes without saying that I'm very happy with my purchase.

 

[Mathemagician]

Line 6 just announced "Helix Native", a plug-in version of the Helix. No price point yet.

Source: their Instagram & website

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Finally replacing Pod Farm? About time.

 

[Vrollin]

Line 6 just announced "Helix Native", a plug-in version of the Helix. No price point yet.

Source: their Instagram & website

Hopefully a free download for owners of helix...

 

[jjcor]

Hopefully a free download for owners of helix...

I read on the Facebook forum that it will cost current Helix owners $99. But would be able to register it up to 4 computers at a time.