Line 6 HX FX...Anyone got one?

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BluesyDaveBluesyDave Frets: 410
Curious about this one.  Has anyone bought one with the intention of replacing most or all of their existing pedals?  I've read that the verbs and delays are very good, but are the drives as convincing?
No Darling....I've had that ages.
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  • longshinslongshins Frets: 246
    I’ve got one and it’s all I use to gig with. The modulation, delays and verbs are great, the pitch shifting is really bad and some of the drives are bang on. Live I tend to use the OCD but intend to move to the new King of Tone as it’s very close to the real thing indeed. There isn’t a really cool higher gain drive like the Suhr Riot/BE-OD but I’m sure they will eventually add one. One thing to bear in mind is that the fuzz pedals won’t react to your guitars volume knob the same as the real deal which I think is something to do with Impedance?
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  • As with everything like this it depends on what your tastes are and what you are using already - and if you essentially want to recreate your current setup or not.

    I had one, didn't really like it but then the drives weren't the sounds I wanted, and the big muff didn't sound like the modern big muffs. However that's quite specific to me so it's your requirements really that matter.

    And I found the fuzz factory model did react like normal ie didn't get on well with my buffered unit
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • I've got one and I don't use any "real" pedals at the moment. I'm not a huge user of drive pedals, but the OCD model is very good (I owned a real one and still own a good Chinese clone), which was my main drive into a clean amp. I've got an AMP1, so I tend to use the MIDI-selectable differently-voiced channels for drive sounds when playing with a band - using 4CM. At home I'm straight into the front of a low-powered valve amp and that's more than fine too. I have different presets for home use. 

    The mod/reverb/delay models are likely to contain something you like. I'm happy with them. Just about to upgrade to the latest firmware, so I haven't tried the KOT model yet, but people seem to like it. 

    I think any comments about pedals that are sensitive to where they are in the signal chain, like old-tech fuzz pedals,  would be true, but I haven't used any of those for a long time, so I'm unaffected. 

    It's rather good as an acoustic guitar MFX, too, for those who play a bit of acoustic through a PA. 

    So far, I'm very happy with the change. It can do things with signal paths and gain staging which are quite difficult if you don't have something like a GigRig on your board. 
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  • BluesyDaveBluesyDave Frets: 410
    Thanks Guys that's really helpful.  If I do go this route I'll keep hold of my drives (at least initially) and see how it goes.
    No Darling....I've had that ages.
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  • WazmeisterWazmeister Frets: 9445
    Thanks Guys that's really helpful.  If I do go this route I'll keep hold of my drives (at least initially) and see how it goes.
    Ive owned ALL the Helix range, and they are very good, simple to use AND creative. The routing options are superb.

    I settled on the HX Stomp, which I used with 'real' ODs. Superb.
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  • Yep, I’ve got one, more than happy with the drives in mine, though I can’t say I’m a connoisseur especially. I guess 95% of the audience don’t care either!

    However, I do kind of wish I had the Floor instead....so many more options! 
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  • BeexterBeexter Frets: 597
    edited August 2019
    Yep, HX FX owner here too. I did have a Tumnus running before the HX but found the Klone in the HX sounded the same after not much tweaking so moved the Tumnus to my small analog board.
    Whilist i think the Fractal AX8 sounds better overall, it's considerably more expensive. The HX FX sounds really good and the routing options and the peerless UI are the icing on the cake. 
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  • TeleMasterTeleMaster Frets: 10103
    I use one at times. Have gigged with it. It’s excellent. As said before the pitchshifting is shit though. Not even worth looking at. I use a Pitch Fork with it. 
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  • I’ve got one, use it with my real amp when I’m not using Kemper.

    Sounds great to me. Modulation and delays are really good and that’s most important to me. Reverb is okay, basics are fine in a mix, nowhere near as good as Fractal or Kempers offerings though. 

    As has has been said pitch shifting is diabolically bad.

    I use it with a distortion pedal in the loop. Drives are fine but for some reason it’s all low gain and fuzzes. Desperately needs a few decent higher gain distortions. 
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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4158
    It’s a good Fly-Rig for jam nights etc but to my ears most of the delays and reverbs are terrible but it’s cheap and cheerful enough to have as a backup
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  • BluesyDaveBluesyDave Frets: 410
    I think perhaps I need to audition one before splashing any cash.
    No Darling....I've had that ages.
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  • simonksimonk Frets: 1467
    edited August 2019
    I think perhaps I need to audition one before splashing any cash.
    Whilst I think that’s a very good idea it’s worth bearing in mind the following: there’s enough evidence out there to suggest the delays and reverbs really aren’t ‘terrible’... Personally I think they’re very good and replaced a bunch of high end delay pedals. There’s a good mix of gain pedals in the drive section... check here for an up to date list:

    https://dshowmusic.com/line-6-helix-effect-models/

    The pitch shifting is widely reported to be terrible. It possibly is, it’s not really my thing... however, I use it on one song in our set and it works fine for me.
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  • What pedals are you using at present that you are considering replacing (or augmenting) with the HXFX?
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • I've pretty much sold every pedal i had and now just use the HX Effects to cover 90% of what i need.

    The UI on the HX effects is perfect.  Especially the looper control.  i haven't even read the instruction manual so it is most certainly something that is easy to use and set up.    

    The drives on the HX just need time to dial in properly and they sound damn near exactly like the pedals you are likely replacing.  I think its easy to get put off by the pre set patches which you would expect to be on the OTT side.  But start from scratch and dial them in under (rather than over) what you would expect to use, and use it in conjunction with another drive or boost setting to push it if its not gritty enough.  For control purposes i still use a Strymon Riverside and a separate fuzz for my drive sounds (mainly for rehearsals/live) but if im just noodling at home or recording i just stick with the HX ones.  


    The pitch effects aren't great though if you like control and accuracy - but they are quite useable in their own right as a glitch unpredictable effect. I use pitch effects a lot so i have a Whammy DT in one of the loops.

    The delays and reverbs are fine.  I mostly use the legacy M effects which were great in their own right. 


    The ability to set up effects consistently for each individual song are the big selling point for me.  Its made my life so much easier than the tapdancing days and head scratching when i tinkered with my pedal board order and just couldn't find the perfect solution.    


    I've got a HX Stomp too which i'm using only for the amp sims for recording, home playing (through a soundbar) or small rehearsals (through a powered mixer). I couldn't just use the stomp as whilst it would essentially cover everything i need i think its too difficult to use on the fly - would be a nightmare at a gig i imagine unless you had another switcher unit. 


    One thing... I still think the whole unit benefits from a clean boost pedal (like Xotic EP) before it.  It just gives it a "lift".  I always though the same with the M5/M9/M13 units.  I've got a EQD swiss things pedal which has the boost built in and also an out to a volume pedal (which is also quite necessary).


















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  • chrisj1602chrisj1602 Frets: 3889
    I got one recently and I really like it.

    I had watched a couple of YouTube videos before I got it and that was enough for me to set up a couple of boards.

    It’s easy to use, I like the sounds, it’s compact and good value in my opinion.
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  • BluesyDaveBluesyDave Frets: 410
    edited August 2019
    What pedals are you using at present that you are considering replacing (or augmenting) with the HXFX?
    I don't use many in truth.  I have a Flint which has really good verbs, and optical/harmonic tremolo.  I use an MXR echoplex either for a bit of slapback or longer delay dialed back in the mix.  My drives are both Mad Professor, a Royal Blue and a Twinble.  That's it.  

    So I'd look at the HX to replace the Flint and the Echoplex but keep the drives.  The FX I'd like to try are rotary cab fast/slow, chorus/flanger and I was thinking about an  octave akin to the Pog.

    Oh and I would use the looper, currently using an RC-2.
    No Darling....I've had that ages.
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Really - All this talk about how you are going to use it before you've tried one could well result in you not getting the best out of it.

    Contrary to some of the previous comments my findings are
    Reverbs and Delays - Fantastic.  The Space echo is the best recreation of any analogue unit I've ever played
    Drives - 100% usable, more than just OK
    Pitch - mono stuff is fine (boys are back in town or an octaver) for poly stuff look elsewhere
    Compressors, modulations top drawer
    Looper - not as flexible as some dedicated loopers, but certainly as good as a RC-2

    Flexibility/routing/snapshots etc are what really sets it apart

    Buy one and try it, and dont use your drives until you are totally convinced you need to  




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  • preston61preston61 Frets: 690
    John_A said:
    Really - All this talk about how you are going to use it before you've tried one could well result in you not getting the best out of it.

    Contrary to some of the previous comments my findings are
    Reverbs and Delays - Fantastic.  The Space echo is the best recreation of any analogue unit I've ever played
    Drives - 100% usable, more than just OK
    Pitch - mono stuff is fine (boys are back in town or an octaver) for poly stuff look elsewhere
    Compressors, modulations top drawer
    Looper - not as flexible as some dedicated loopers, but certainly as good as a RC-2

    Flexibility/routing/snapshots etc are what really sets it apart

    Buy one and try it, and dont use your drives until you are totally convinced you need to  





    Probably the most sensible reply I've seen on the thread so far. They are excellent units, and although I don't use drive, it's easily replaced my previous board and then some. When I finally go back to playing electric again, I fully expect the HX FX to handle everything with the same quality.
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  • thomasw88thomasw88 Frets: 2316
    Had one for about 15months now.  I use it for one band but just have a couple of presets setup and use it as a stomp boxes really.


    I prefer my drive pedals to the drives on the hx.
    The wahs on the hx aren't great imo.

    Delays n mods are excellent.
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  • handsomerikhandsomerik Frets: 1005
    thomasw88 said:
    Had one for about 15months now.  I use it for one band but just have a couple of presets setup and use it as a stomp boxes really.


    I prefer my drive pedals to the drives on the hx.
    The wahs on the hx aren't great imo.

    Delays n mods are excellent.
    You may find the wah’s sound much better with the mix set to 70-80% rather than 100%. I did. 
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