Line 6 Helix

John_A

This all sounds really promising, the only thing that hasn't been answered, for me at least, is how it sounds through a guitar power amp and cab, which is how I would probably want to use it most of the time

hugbot

It actually made me think about giving the Pod HD another shot since I realised that the limiting factor for 'sounding big and heavy ' is always going to be the power system it's going through, rather than the modeller itself of which the HD is pretty decent.

That's a stopgap though, at some point I want a helix, since it was delivering that extra % of lifelike feel and the routing options and effects blow the POD away.

I saw some of the THR demo too and I'm still not sure how I feel about it yet without getting to play it personally. Rossyamaha was that you demonstrating?

Drew_TNBD

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

@Drew_fx. I wanted to get there today - but gig last night meant a late night and zombie-like behaviour today... so thanks for letting us know how it went today.

Can I ask a bit about the effects? I'm thinking of the Helix as two things:

1.  Effects pedalboard - to replace my analogue board and add more versatility and programmability... but I'm used to using what I regard as fairly good quality analogue stuff (T Rex, Fulltone etc) - so I won't want low quality digital.  Impossible question - but do you think, in general, the effects will hack it?

We didn't exhaustively go through each and every single effect, but I did stand there for about 10minutes whilst Paul showed the group a variety of effects, and I thought everything generally sounded good. The Phase 90 sounded great for instance, and there was nothing I would've tweaked about it. I've been having a bit of a fight with the Eventide H9's phaser lately, so take that for what it is worth.

The distortions were all very good. I didn't really care about the whole "oooo look!! The Fuzz Factory oscillates!" thing... but the fuzzes we tried sounded nice. I'm not a big fuzz guy though.

In general?? Yes. I think the effects will hack it. I just wish that there were a few more reverb options and a reverse delay.

 

2.  As above but also replacing my valve amp (for small gig venues - or times when I can't be arsed to take everything to a gig). Would probably want to use one clean amp sim all night (Carr Rambler or Tone King Imperial type cleans.... or even tweedy semi-cleans)... and then just use different fx models. Nothing high gain... playing in a covers band playing rock, pop, indie from 50s up to now.

I honestly don't know about that. We heard it through studio monitors, so no experience using it with valve amps. But my intention is exactly the same. To use it with either my VHT Sig X or my Diezel D-Moll. But obviously quite damn high gain!!

hugbot

[quote="Strat_a_tat_tat;778370"]@Drew_fx. I wanted to get there today - but gig last night meant a late night and zombie-like behaviour today... so thanks for letting us know how it went today.Can I ask a bit about the effects? I'm thinking of the Helix as two things:1.  Effects pedalboard - to replace my analogue board and add more versatility and programmability... but I'm used to using what I regard as fairly good quality analogue stuff (T Rex, Fulltone etc) - so I won't want low quality digital.  Impossible question - but do you think, in general, the effects will hack it? 
[/quote ]

I loved the stomp gains for what it's worth, the tape delay was the first effect I tried and that was good. The univibe is in all the videos allready but it is really lovely.

I asked Paul to show off the big revervbs because I wanted to see if they were massive sounding eventide/strymon lush and the revamped particle verb is certainly something.

I think the effects are really the big jump in quality from POD HD, the amp models a comparatively smaller one since they were pretty decent already.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Thanks @Drew_fx I appreciate the info.

Sorry... I didn't express myself very clearly with regard to point 2.  I' m wondering if it can replace my valve amp - so I'd be plugging the Helix straight into the live PA and getting my on stage guitar sound from a fold back monitor that I normally only use for vocals.

Strat_a_tat_tat

@hugbot Thanks for the info. Your Univibe comment is interesting... one pedal I do use is the Fulltone Mini DejaVibe - so it sounds like the Helix could do that.

 

And thanks for the comment about the jump in quality re. FX. I think most stuff I've read on the interweb has concentrated on assessing the amp models - so it's good to get your view on the FX quality.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Going beyond all the modelling accuracy assessments etc... and looking at 'bang per buck', the Helix appears to have a few less obvious  and less 'sexy' advantages.

My pedal board uses two rather chunky PSUs... and replacement cost on those is about £250 to £300 for the two. Also, in order to break ground loops, I tend to use 3 PP3 batteries on every gig.  None of this would be necessary with the Helix.

It's actually quite horrifying to look at one's pedalboard and work out what all the pedals, PSUs, patch cables etc add up to. Makes the Helix look like very good value - provided it performs to the required level.

chrispy108

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Thanks @Drew_fx I appreciate the info.

Sorry... I didn't express myself very clearly with regard to point 2.  I' m wondering if it can replace my valve amp - so I'd be plugging the Helix straight into the live PA and getting my on stage guitar sound from a fold back monitor that I normally only use for vocals.

That is going to depend far more on the quality of your PA and monitors than the Helix.

digitalscream

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Thanks @Drew_fx I appreciate the info.

Sorry... I didn't express myself very clearly with regard to point 2.  I' m wondering if it can replace my valve amp - so I'd be plugging the Helix straight into the live PA and getting my on stage guitar sound from a fold back monitor that I normally only use for vocals.

I'd say that - as with any full-range solution - you want to take your own monitor along to every gig. I'd never trust the house monitors in that situation.

rossyamaha

@Drew_fx @hugbot Paul did need a hug and a little cry after you left.

Kebabkid

So, how does this compare to the Fractal FX8?

GuitarZero

The FX8 does effects only, no amp models.  The Ax8 which Fractal are releasing *soon* will do both, so I think it's probably fairer to compare that with the Helix.

Kebabkid

Cheers for clearing up @GuitarZero

Drew_TNBD

rossyamaha;778456" said:

@Drew_fx @hugbot Paul did need a hug and a little cry after you left.

)

I would've come and destroyed your life too Ross, but I had a hungry wife waiting in a coffee shop up the road!

Digital_Igloo

guitargeek62 said:

Just to clarify one point (as I can't remember seeing it anywhere yet), if you want all 12 switches to be set to act as pedal on/offs, you can. You don't have to have four dedicated to Mode, Tap-Tempo, Bank Up, Bank Down. I'd assumed you could alter this already, but until yesterday I couldn't remember seeing this confirmed anywhere.

Does anyone know if it has a metronome built-in to it? I forgot to check, but it's hardly a deal-breaker if it doesn't.

In Stomp footswitch mode, FS6 is always MODE, and FS12 is always TAP/TUNER. Helix displays 8 stomp switching in Stomp mode, but this can be expanded to 10 by repurposing the BANK/PRESET UP/DOWN switches. If you count the EXP Toe Switch, that's 11.

There's currently no metronome in Helix.

guitargeek62

Ah, thought I saw a 12 stomp option in there too! Cheers for the clarification, I'll edit my comment.

rossyamaha

Drew_fx;778511" said:

rossyamaha;778456" said:@Drew_fx @hugbot Paul did need a hug and a little cry after you left.

)

I would've come and destroyed your life too Ross, but I had a hungry wife waiting in a coffee shop up the road!

No drama. I've come to terms with Paul being far more talented and handsome than me. I would rather spend time with him rather than me. ;-)

@hugbot yes that was me. I wasn't really on it today. Gigging last night and up at the crack of doom so very tired. Plus I got distracted by a bloke letting me play Alan Murphy's MSG. Nearly had a cry myself.

Drew_TNBD

Metronome schmetronome... 

I guess really what I'm brooding on right now (apart from my lack of hair and my beer gut) is exactly how much of an advantage is the Helix going to be over and above what I'm already using. I've posted this before:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/630473/BoardNeeds.jpg

Helix can *definitely* do all that - apart from the reverse delay

But I'm not 100% sure what I'm looking at when it comes to solving my singing+tapdancing problems, which are going to occur even more in the future as I start writing newer material. I need to really sit down and plot out all of the pedal changes for our songs, and then convert that over to imaginary Helix patches and see where I'm at.

I will almost certainly end up adding some switches or expression pedals to the whole setup.

Drew_TNBD

Also the thing is, I've been chatting to Randomhandclaps who came to our last gig. I was curious whether he could even hear most of the finely crafted soundscape textural delays and reverbs, and the long and short of it was that no... it basically just sounded like a single delay and reverb. Maybe @Deijavoo @Handsome_Chris and @Bucket can chime in there.

So really.. for live shows.... I could just break my delay usage down to a single pedal. Probably a Memory Man style thing, with high feedback to get that milky quality... and add the RV5's Modulate setting to that, and basically just use that sound any time I want "atmosphere" ... and with the Helix, that can be just a single switch - rather than three of them.

Drew_TNBD

Digital_Igloo said:

guitargeek62 said:

Just to clarify one point (as I can't remember seeing it anywhere yet), if you want all 12 switches to be set to act as pedal on/offs, you can. You don't have to have four dedicated to Mode, Tap-Tempo, Bank Up, Bank Down. I'd assumed you could alter this already, but until yesterday I couldn't remember seeing this confirmed anywhere.

Does anyone know if it has a metronome built-in to it? I forgot to check, but it's hardly a deal-breaker if it doesn't.

In Stomp footswitch mode, FS6 is always MODE, and FS12 is always TAP/TUNER. Helix displays 8 stomp switching in Stomp mode, but this can be expanded to 10 by repurposing the BANK/PRESET UP/DOWN switches. If you count the EXP Toe Switch, that's 11.

So as I understand it Digloo... you've got preset mode, stomp mode, and stompbox edit mode...

In preset mode, is the bottom row always dedicated to presets, or can you set them to be something else?

What I'm wondering is if you can have:

Stomp mode - 10 effects spread across the switches

Preset mode - top row assigned to effects, bottom row assigned to midi commands such as program changes

?