Line 6 Helix

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  • menamestommenamestom Frets: 4641


    TimmyO said:

    I've not found a decent high gain stomp in the Helix so far. There may be work arounds but going straight into the front of an amp there's no tight MIAB sound.  The OCD is good(better than an actual OCD IMO) but it's a slightly fuzzy, round drive sound.  Fortunately it's not a sound I require, but if I did I'd probably have a pedal in the loop as a temporary measure, until the firwmware gave a nice tight rock stomp.  I think a model of a Crunch Box or similar would be good.

    If I may, that's to miss a big point of how the Helix can be used. You can have one button, labelled 'stomp' or whatever, that changes volume, gain, sag, compression, eq etc etc etc, all with one press. Or indeed morph to that new sound with the expression pedal. 

    I get that, I'm referencing @peteri who is going direct into his Carr.  So I'm talking about the stompbox effect models.  I use mine similar, directly into a clean amp, it works great like that.  Whether using a Helix preamp into the front of an amp has the same effect as a stomp box model, I'm not sure.  Like I said, it's not a sound I need or have spent much time experimenting with, but for whatever many things the Helix can do, a model of a Guv'nor, Crunch Box or similar would be handy, because it does everything else well, into the front of an amp.
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177


    TimmyO said:

    I've not found a decent high gain stomp in the Helix so far. There may be work arounds but going straight into the front of an amp there's no tight MIAB sound.  The OCD is good(better than an actual OCD IMO) but it's a slightly fuzzy, round drive sound.  Fortunately it's not a sound I require, but if I did I'd probably have a pedal in the loop as a temporary measure, until the firwmware gave a nice tight rock stomp.  I think a model of a Crunch Box or similar would be good.

    If I may, that's to miss a big point of how the Helix can be used. You can have one button, labelled 'stomp' or whatever, that changes volume, gain, sag, compression, eq etc etc etc, all with one press. Or indeed morph to that new sound with the expression pedal. 

    I get that, I'm referencing @peteri who is going direct into his Carr.  So I'm talking about the stompbox effect models.  I use mine similar, directly into a clean amp, it works great like that.  Whether using a Helix preamp into the front of an amp has the same effect as a stomp box model, I'm not sure.  Like I said, it's not a sound I need or have spent much time experimenting with, but for whatever many things the Helix can do, a model of a Guv'nor, Crunch Box or similar would be handy, because it does everything else well, into the front of an amp.

    I agree again.

    FWIW: A rough approximation to the kind of sound I'm looking for is in the clip I posted on May 9 at the thread at the link below

    http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1475236/#Comment_1475236

    It's not a competition.
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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    Has there been any further news on Helix Native?
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  • Drew_TNBDDrew_TNBD Frets: 22445
    Has there been any further news on Helix Native?
    They're working on it :)
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7350
    Drew_TNBD said:
    Has there been any further news on Helix Native?
    They're working on it :)
    If it doesn't come out there will be cries of foul play - having told people that buying a Helix would get them a discount. 
    Red ones are better. 
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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283
    Alright - I've cracked it.

    Gave up on the pre-amp models and just used pedals. Turned the gain on the pedals right down (relative to the physical pedal if I had it).

    Plus applied a global eq to cut a little bit on the upper mids.

    Certainly matching what I'm hearing from my small pedal board - so much happier.

    Thanks!
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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    TimmyO said:
    Drew_TNBD said:
    Has there been any further news on Helix Native?
    They're working on it :)
    If it doesn't come out there will be cries of foul play - having told people that buying a Helix would get them a discount. 

    I don't think there's any danger of it not coming out, I was just seeing if I'd missed something since I don't really follow all the avenues for this topic (other forums, social media etc).
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  • peteri said:
    Alright - I've cracked it.

    Gave up on the pre-amp models and just used pedals. Turned the gain on the pedals right down (relative to the physical pedal if I had it).

    Plus applied a global eq to cut a little bit on the upper mids.

    Certainly matching what I'm hearing from my small pedal board - so much happier.

    Thanks!
    With Helix there's always a way
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Aaaaand my third Helix unit has developed the same fault as the others - joystick no longer working.

    Seriously getting annoyed with this now - it isn't gigged excessively, it's not mis-treated and it is stored in a padded case. And yet, each unit develops a fault!

    Plus, I've got a load of festival gigs this weekend, which I now cannot use it for.

    I know it's a complex bit of kit, but I have serious doubts about the overall reliability of the unit now; starting to wonder if an Axe FX would actually be better.
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  • CabicularCabicular Frets: 2214
    That's pretty worrying

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  • robinbowesrobinbowes Frets: 3021
    FarleyUK said:
    Aaaaand my third Helix unit has developed the same fault as the others - joystick no longer working.

    Seriously getting annoyed with this now - it isn't gigged excessively, it's not mis-treated and it is stored in a padded case. And yet, each unit develops a fault!

    Plus, I've got a load of festival gigs this weekend, which I now cannot use it for.

    I know it's a complex bit of kit, but I have serious doubts about the overall reliability of the unit now; starting to wonder if an Axe FX would actually be better.

    This is one of the reasons I went for Helix Rack and do all my editing with the PC-based app.

    R.
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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    I went the Rack option and had a faulty foot controller, though it was remedied very quickly 
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  • CabicularCabicular Frets: 2214
    FarleyUK said:
    Aaaaand my third Helix unit has developed the same fault as the others - joystick no longer working.

    Seriously getting annoyed with this now - it isn't gigged excessively, it's not mis-treated and it is stored in a padded case. And yet, each unit develops a fault!

    Plus, I've got a load of festival gigs this weekend, which I now cannot use it for.

    I know it's a complex bit of kit, but I have serious doubts about the overall reliability of the unit now; starting to wonder if an Axe FX would actually be better.

    This is one of the reasons I went for Helix Rack and do all my editing with the PC-based app.

    R.
    I don't agree we should be scared to use it
    its supposed to be giggable
    My one criticism of Line 6 (and I know why they have to do it) but they aren't very transparent when the come across problems like this
    it can really shake your confidence in your gear and I have to say, I prize reliability over almost everything else
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  • robinbowesrobinbowes Frets: 3021
    Cabicular said:
    I don't agree we should be scared to use it
    its supposed to be giggable
    My one criticism of Line 6 (and I know why they have to do it) but they aren't very transparent when the come across problems like this
    it can really shake your confidence in your gear and I have to say, I prize reliability over almost everything else

    I'm not suggesting you should be scared to use it, but I made a conscious decision that a Controller would be more robust than a Floor unit in the gig situation.

    R.
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  • Farley must have forearms like Popeye 


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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Farley must have forearms like Popeye 


    It's all that spinach mate!

    Frank from Line6 is shipping me a new unit to get here for Friday - superb customer service from them, so I'm happy :)
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  • CabicularCabicular Frets: 2214
    FarleyUK said:
    Farley must have forearms like Popeye 


    It's all that spinach mate!

    Frank from Line6 is shipping me a new unit to get here for Friday - superb customer service from them, so I'm happy :)
    That's great
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  • horsehorse Frets: 1563
    I took delivery of an LT yesterday and its great. I'll be using it for home recording guitar and bass, and headphone noodling, but the main reason I bought it is for lap steel. I gig on keys, so already have a powered monitor, and also already have the lap steel, so my plan is that I'll be able to switch between keys and steel, and only need to carry 2 more smallish items for load in.

    First try outs with the steel and muff / delay sounded great - instant gilmour. Had more trouble when trying to get clean reverby tones though - via headphones and monitors I was getting that grainy digital sound. I seem to be able to dial this out though by using the volume pad on the input, and adjusting the levels on the blocks.

    The throw on the exp pedal is less than I'd like, but I've set up a gain block controlled by the pedal instead of using the standard vol pedal block, and that lets me set min & max values, which makes it more usable for me (eg right back isn't completely off). Pedal is squeaking though.

    Anyway, I'm pleased with it and thought i'd share what I've learned so far in case its useful for anyone else
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Think I might need a hard case or flight case for the Helix, instead of the pedal train bag in using now - however, I need space for a few pedals on it as well. All the ones online are just for the Helix unit, and no other pedals - has anyone got a hard case that can fit other pedals in it as well? And if so, where did you get it from?
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  • rossyamaharossyamaha Frets: 2439
    FarleyUK said:
    Think I might need a hard case or flight case for the Helix, instead of the pedal train bag in using now - however, I need space for a few pedals on it as well. All the ones online are just for the Helix unit, and no other pedals - has anyone got a hard case that can fit other pedals in it as well? And if so, where did you get it from?
    How many and what pedals are you using? I have a case I'm not using that might do the job for you. 

    I play guitar and take photos of stuff. I also like beans on toast.

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