Line 6 Helix

ewal

Yep, the Super is very easy to get along quickly. I'll definitely be adding to my amp shortlist.

Musicwolf

I wasn’t expecting too much, but I’m really liking the Fender Super and German Xtra Blue models.

PLOP

Musicwolf said:

I wasn’t expecting too much, but I’m really liking the Fender Super and German Xtra Blue models.

Same, I thought this was two more Fenders to sound the same as the others, but I've been messing with the Super Vib model (into a poweramp and Marshall 2x12) and its giving me really nice thick tones with the industrial fuzz and vital dist and boost. Really good gloopy doom tones like Monolord and Mars Red Sky.

I'm yet to try the German or EV models, the others from previous updates have always been too fizzy for me but I'll certainly try them.

robinbowes

The new Super Reverb amp is awesome. It sounds lovely clean, and snarly with the distortion up.

I've been going retro recently, with a pedal board into a Peavey Bandit 65, but I have a gig on Friday at a venue where there's a DB limiter so I may just fire up a patch or two on the Helix instead, and take my IEMs!

R.

duotone

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

robinbowes

duotone said:

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

What are you running?

The latest Windows version before Windows 10 was Windows 8.1, which was EOL on 9 Jan 2018 and security updates stopped on 10 Jan 2023. 

See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/lifecycle/products/windows-81

I don't think it's unreasonable to withdraw support for such an old software version.

jellybelly

robinbowes said:

duotone said:

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

What are you running?

The latest Windows version before Windows 10 was Windows 8.1, which was EOL on 9 Jan 2018 and security updates stopped on 10 Jan 2023. 

See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/lifecycle/products/windows-81

I don't think it's unreasonable to withdraw support for such an old software version.

I'm amazed they've supported Windows 8 this long!

duotone

robinbowes said:

duotone said:

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

What are you running?

The latest Windows version before Windows 10 was Windows 8.1, which was EOL on 9 Jan 2018 and security updates stopped on 10 Jan 2023. 

See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/lifecycle/products/windows-81

I don't think it's unreasonable to withdraw support for such an old software version.

I’m running Windows 8.

duotone

jellybelly said:

robinbowes said:

duotone said:

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

What are you running?

The latest Windows version before Windows 10 was Windows 8.1, which was EOL on 9 Jan 2018 and security updates stopped on 10 Jan 2023. 

See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/lifecycle/products/windows-81

I don't think it's unreasonable to withdraw support for such an old software version.

I'm amazed they've supported Windows 8 this long!

 Helix/HX 3.71: (released January 11, 2024) was compatible with Windows 7 also. 

jellybelly

duotone said:

jellybelly said:

robinbowes said:

duotone said:

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

What are you running?

The latest Windows version before Windows 10 was Windows 8.1, which was EOL on 9 Jan 2018 and security updates stopped on 10 Jan 2023. 

See: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/lifecycle/products/windows-81

I don't think it's unreasonable to withdraw support for such an old software version.

I'm amazed they've supported Windows 8 this long!

 Helix/HX 3.71: (released January 11, 2024) was compatible with Windows 7 also. 

That's amazing, hadn't realised.

In a previous job I used to remote onto SQL servers and occasionally I'd come across a 2008 or earlier operating system and it'd feel like stepping back in time, I wouldn't know where to go to find basic stuff and I'd end up googling the most inane things or having to solve problems over the course of days that would be incredibly simple on a newer version. 

Point being, my old employer struggled to support older systems at the same time as taking advantage of the possibilities in newer ones. Tech companies need to strike the balance very carefully.

The fact that L6, at the time of Helix's launch, were supporting one OS that was already out of date (Windows 8) and another that was full on obsolete (Windows 7), and continued to do so for almost a decade afterwards is seriously impressive. 

normula1

Try running it in compatibility mode... might work

Heartfeltdawn

duotone said:

I’m running Windows 8.

Bod

duotone said:

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

Have you actually tried downloading and running it? While it's probably not supported by L6, there's a good chance it'll run ok.

duotone

Bod said:

duotone said:

Looks like I won’t be able to get this latest HX Edit 3.82 update, Helix/HX 3.80 The Missing Link Update or Line 6 Central as it’s for Windows 10 & 11 only

Have you actually tried downloading and running it? While it's probably not supported by L6, there's a good chance it'll run ok.

I haven’t and I don’t intend to for fear of it getting bricked again.

renaldo

I have some IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors that I want to connect to my Helix. The iLouds have either RCA or 3.5mm stereo inputs, and came with a dual RCA to single 3.5mm male plug cable. Is there any reason why I shouldn't use this cable to connect to my Helix's headphone output with a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter? I have tried this and it works and sounds good, and sounds the same to me as using a dual RCA to dual 1/4" TRS cable and connecting to the Helix's 1/4 outs.
 Would there be any advantage to using a dual XLR to 3.5mm stereo cable and connecting from the Helix's XLR outs to the iLoud's 3.5mm stereo input? This is just for home use with short (<2m) cables so I don't think noise will be an issue.

I also use the iLouds with another device which has a 3.5mm stereo output, so I was hoping to find a solution that works with both so I can  just unplug one end when swapping devices, rather than having to swap the entire cable each time. Any thoughts please?

jackio

It's taken me far too long to connect my Helix to the front of my amp with just an effects chain on it.

I am a bit stunned how good it is and how the options just make playing fun. 2 delays into each other, check. Stupid long reverb, check. Squeezer compressor, no, LA2A, no, squeezer, check. OD. No Fuzz, no, muff

I mean its so obvious I know, but I'm impressed

borntohang

Just set up the Helix in 4CM with a tube amp for the first time and it's hilariously good.

I'm using a very high gain amp where both channels are gained up so I've got rhythm and lead set on the amp, the Helix doing post-gain delays and mods in the loop, plus I'm cutting out the amp preamp and using the DR103 preamp model into the power section for a third totally clean channel. 

I don't usually use amps with gain channels and I'm not getting a call for a metal gig any time soon, but this would be a doddle if I wanted a high-gain sound with a couple bits of super clean thrown in. Great fun.

stickyfiddle

I use my Stomps exclusively in front of a clean-ish amp. 

I did 4CM at home when I had the full fat Helix; simple fx chains combined with Marshall preamp into real-world Badcat power amp was a great combination

borntohang

I'm using the Stomp for this as the full Helix would be overkill for my needs and frankly I don't have the budget for how much I'd use it. The Stomp has effectively already replaced my pedalboard, with two gain pedals in the loops just because they're there. I did do a couple wedding gigs with the Stomp direct/IEMs and it was good but my patches weren't totally optimised yet so I feel I could squeeze a bit more out of it now.

Side note but in this 4CM setup I was using the Whammy EXP to fake some trem abuse. Shifting was surprisingly stable, but I did notice a tiny bit of lag when back up to pitch. Nothing you wouldn't get with a normal Whammy and pretty low considering the four levels of A/D/A conversion in the chain at this point, but it did give me the impetus to learn how to turn pedals off with the EXP setting.

relic245

Just picked up my (used) Helix LT yesterday. 

Over the last few days I've been busy reading this thread from page 1 to look for the juicy use nuggets that I'm sure are in here. 

Two things struck me - How much of a wave this thing caused 10 years ago. 60 pages of comments in and nobody had one yet, many of the comments were about the first wave delivery date being pushed back. 

Then in October 2015 there was this comment from @Moltisanti ;

"I'll buy one in 2025 when they are £80"

I think it was meant as a tongue in cheek comment, but it really shows how well this thing has aged. No version 2 in sight and people are still raving when a software update comes out!