Line 6 Helix

Gassage

How will this compare to the FX-8?

Price similar?
Features?
Tone Quality?

For a foor board is amp modelling needed? (I find the best way to have multiple amp tones is to buy multple amps.)

It does look very compelling. And it's pretty and it's black

monquixote

Gassage said:

How will this compare to the FX-8?

Price similar?
Features?
Tone Quality?

For a foor board is amp modelling needed? (I find the best way to have multiple amp tones is to buy multple amps.)

It does look very compelling. And it's pretty and it's black

I think it will be cheaper than the FX8 by the looks of things and have more features. 

I guess it will be similar to the AX8 in functionality, but quite a bit cheaper. 

When it comes to sounds I guess the jury is out.

Gassage

I have to say, I c`n't for the life of me work out why it needs amp modelling as a floor board.

Drew_TNBD

I reckon about £1100. For something like this, it basically needs to do everything.

monquixote

Gassage said:

I have to say, I c`n't for the life of me work out why it needs amp modelling as a floor board.

For someone like me that gigs with IEMs it could be a really useful one box solution. 

Gassage

monquixote said:

Gassage said:

I have to say, I c`n't for the life of me work out why it needs amp modelling as a floor board.

For someone like me that gigs with IEMs it could be a really useful one box solution. 

So, you're running the floor board into power amps and cabs? Or DI?

digitalscream

monquixote said:

Gassage said:

How will this compare to the FX-8?

Price similar?
Features?
Tone Quality?

For a foor board is amp modelling needed? (I find the best way to have multiple amp tones is to buy multple amps.)

It does look very compelling. And it's pretty and it's black

I think it will be cheaper than the FX8 by the looks of things and have more features. 

I guess it will be similar to the AX8 in functionality, but quite a bit cheaper. 

When it comes to sounds I guess the jury is out.

The AX8 is going to be pretty limited by comparison in terms of features - no parallel signal paths, for a start.

Gassage said:

I have to say, I c`n't for the life of me work out why it needs amp modelling as a floor board.

For me, if it turned out to be a good-sounding solution, I'd just take my own monitor along and run it straight into the PA. That'd make it an excellent all-in-one lightweight rig, which would probably save my back and shoulder and thus extend my gigging life a bit.

I'll admit, though, I'm putting an awful lot of hope on this thing.

John_P

A couple of bands I play with use IEM - I could just take this and a guitar and ditch the amps and pedals.  

I'm doing a dep tonight and toying with going direct instead of taking an amp so it would be handy to have it all in one box.  

I moved away from L6 years ago when I got frustrated with getting sounds that worked live.  I've had every pod model up to the X3L and when I switched back to amps and a G system it was so easy to get to sounds I'm happy with, I had hoped fractal would make a floor axefx instead the fx only version so I could have all options in one board and this could do it - I'll to hear a lot of demo's and try one in a band context first though.

Drew_TNBD

This would be the thing that would make me try an EVH5150III 50-watt amp again. Coz those things are light enough to carry on the tube if it comes to it, and I could probably set the amp up to do dirty and lead tones, and use the modeller for clean. The crux being that the patch change speed has to be fast enough to allow for it.

Even if you only ended up using the EVH for backline monitoring, could still be cool.

Gassage

Thing is, it's black, so I am of course interested.

monquixote

Gassage said:

monquixote said:

Gassage said:

I have to say, I c`n't for the life of me work out why it needs amp modelling as a floor board.

For someone like me that gigs with IEMs it could be a really useful one box solution. 

So, you're running the floor board into power amps and cabs? Or DI?

Presently I run a proper head and cab, but I tap off the speaker cable with a Sequis Motherload for the IEM feed.

If I had a Helix I'd have the option of either using a real cab with a power amp and splitting off a cab emulated feed for the IEMs, or sending the cab emulated feed straight to the PA or a full range system. 

I tried an AxeFX with this plan in mind and I found the sounds were there, but the usability wasn't. The Helix UI looks great so it might well be the solution for me.

Gassage

Ugh. I'm on gear overload.

I might be going down the Gigrig G2 route. I made a best offer on a TC2290 last night....if they accept, then I have to go down G2 route to intergrate it and run it in true stereo.

digitalscream

monquixote said:

Presently I run a proper head and cab, but I tap off the speaker cable with a Sequis Motherload for the IEM feed.

If I had a Helix I'd have the option of either using a real cab with a power amp and splitting off a cab emulated feed for the IEMs, or sending the cab emulated feed straight to the PA or a full range system. 

I tried an AxeFX with this plan in mind and I found the sounds were there, but the usability wasn't. The Helix UI looks great so it might well be the solution for me.

I'd probably have to have two options, thinking about it - a small full-range monitor for times when the PA is up to the job of putting all my sound out the front, and a guitar cab (probably with a Matrix power amp integrated) for when the PA's not really up to snuff and the backline has to do most of the work.

We don't tend to do too many of the latter gigs, though, so I might just not bother with that. In fact, I could probably live with just running into the effects return of one of my real amps.

That all depends on the I/O options - hopefully it's not like the Eleven Rack, where the amp and cab blocks are stuck together and you can't run one output with the cab model and one without. That frustrated the hell out of me.

monquixote

digitalscream said:

That all depends on the I/O options - hopefully it's not like the Eleven Rack, where the amp and cab blocks are stuck together and you can't run one output with the cab model and one without. That frustrated the hell out of me.

I could be wrong, but I think they've already confirmed that that is the case.

ElectroDan

I've also been seriously thinking about going back to digital (for most of my needs anyway). I love the look and apparent ease of use of the Helix. Sean Halley really makes it sound great too, which was the one thing I was concerned about after hearing the thin, shitty demo that came out early on.

It's going to be a very interesting few months. Will the AX8 be priced closely enough and be easy enough to use (I'm assuming it'll have the edge tonally)? I'm hanging on until I'm sure one way or the other.

hugbot

monquixote said:

digitalscream said:

That all depends on the I/O options - hopefully it's not like the Eleven Rack, where the amp and cab blocks are stuck together and you can't run one output with the cab model and one without. That frustrated the hell out of me.

I could be wrong, but I think they've already confirmed that that is the case.

I dont think so, it looks like you could have an amp outputting one speaker emulated output and one raw output to different outs. If not then all the fancy routing options are for naught.

digitalscream

monquixote said:

digitalscream said:

That all depends on the I/O options - hopefully it's not like the Eleven Rack, where the amp and cab blocks are stuck together and you can't run one output with the cab model and one without. That frustrated the hell out of me.

I could be wrong, but I think they've already confirmed that that is the case.

You're right, but I was typing while distracted. Basically, I mean...I'm worried where the gotchas are with the I/O options. 

I suppose really it's where the gotchas are in general - there's usually something, and this thing looks far too perfect. I'm too cynical to believe that somebody's finally got it right.

Drew_TNBD

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digitalscream

Drew_fx said:

iwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantit !!

Yes yes yes, we know.

Back in your box until release day, please.

Drew_TNBD

digitalscream said:

Drew_fx said:

iwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantitiwantit !!

Yes yes yes, we know.

Back in your box until release day, please.