Line 6 Helix "MFX Only" coming out.. ??

professorben

digitalscream said:

@TimmyO - don't get me wrong, I'd love to see an FX-only Helix - somewhere around the £400 - £500 mark, smaller (one row of switches, possibly ditch the expression pedal), no MIDI, one loop, with a couple of amp control relays and the ability to use 5 or 6 effect blocks simultaneously.

In fact, I'd probably be first in line for such a thing. I just can't see how it can be done, particularly given @Digital_Igloo's comments above.


no midi!!!! Can you hear yourself man? 

digitalscream

professorben said:

digitalscream said:

@TimmyO - don't get me wrong, I'd love to see an FX-only Helix - somewhere around the £400 - £500 mark, smaller (one row of switches, possibly ditch the expression pedal), no MIDI, one loop, with a couple of amp control relays and the ability to use 5 or 6 effect blocks simultaneously.

In fact, I'd probably be first in line for such a thing. I just can't see how it can be done, particularly given @Digital_Igloo's comments above.


no midi!!!! Can you hear yourself man? 

The only reason I want MIDI is to be able to control a unit from the floor (it would already do that), and control my amp via a control switcher (having control relays would make that redundant). All in the name of cost reduction

professorben

menamestom said:

I think Zoom have improved on the M series effects TBH, so rather than worrying how Yamaha can hit a certain price point I'd rather wonder how Zoom can do it, but Yamaha/line 6 can't. A G3 is £125, an M9 £300 ish and line 6 can't improve on either for £500-600? I think there is a market for quality effect only units in that price range, pedalboard friendly, quality switches, good bypass and dc power etc. It may not be in the Line 6 business model, but while they continue the M series effects they will be seen to be a bit behind the times aside from the Helix.



yes......but it's a Zoom.

Sporky

I think no MIDI would be a mistake.

Digital_Igloo

If you remember, the initial Helix thread on Fractal's forum was called something dismissive like "$1500, you say, Line 6?!" and the sentiment wasn't lost on us. We honestly had no idea how people would react to a modeler three times the price of POD HD500X, from a company that many guitarists associate with $99 Spider amps, released at the tail end of a recession. Plus everything was new with Helix, from the engine to the models to the UI/UX approach to the flash drive manual to the Cheat Sheet to the packaging to how user requests are collected to how updates are approached to how features are prioritized to... the Product Manager (Helix was my first hardware project ever.) I'd be lying if I said no one was concerned about Helix's ROI, and I spent a fair amount of time validating instincts and assuaging fears. Team Helix was very confident in our box, but that's only because we spent so much time with the thing and knew it could be something special. It was a massive risk that somehow has (thus far) paid off far more than we expected.

Sporky

To be fair there are probably threads on the Fractal forum titled "Air? And it's free? If it's not Fractal I'm not breathing it!".

I think they also massively underestimate how many people are put off by the beg-and-we-might-let-you-buy-one-but-not-in-your-own-country distribution approach.

ThePrettyDamned

I wonder if there is room for a smaller helix based pedal. So an m5 - less processing required because it's one effect at a time (perhaps increase to three or so?). No posh screen needed. Only three or four switches, simpler routing etc. Simplified controls with a mobile app to get more in depth. Sale price to compete with the strymon big sky (plus or minus 50 quid). No idea how much work would have to go into it, but it could work - if limited to three effects, it could still have drive - mod - delay, for example.

digitalscream

ThePrettyDamned said:

I wonder if there is room for a smaller helix based pedal. So an m5 - less processing required because it's one effect at a time (perhaps increase to three or so?). No posh screen needed. Only three or four switches, simpler routing etc. Simplified controls with a mobile app to get more in depth. Sale price to compete with the strymon big sky (plus or minus 50 quid). No idea how much work would have to go into it, but it could work - if limited to three effects, it could still have drive - mod - delay, for example.

NO, NO, NO!!!!!

Built-in obsolescence - which depends entirely on a third party (eg Apple, Google etc) is probably the worst trend in guitar gear lately.

With that said, if it was functionally something like the Zoom MS70CDR except with MIDI and a nicer user interface, it'd be a blinder.

John_A

Looks like we all want a bespoke unit I'll have a Helix lite with less buttons, 1 amp/cab and up to 3 FX per preset but still with the snazzy UI

Sporky

John_A said:

Looks like we all want a bespoke unit I'll have a Helix lite with less buttons, 1 amp/cab and up to 3 FX per preset but still with the snazzy UI

I'd have thought it'd be simpler to do a semi-Helix with just one DSP, which ought to get you one path, or a maximum of 16 blocks. That way they could keep most of the work that's already been done - might even be able to have one set of firmware that works on both.

Cabicular

Digital_Igloo said:

If you remember, the initial Helix thread on Fractal's forum was called something dismissive like "$1500, you say, Line 6?!" and the sentiment wasn't lost on us. We honestly had no idea how people would react to a modeler three times the price of POD HD500X, from a company that many guitarists associate with $99 Spider amps, released at the tail end of a recession. Plus everything was new with Helix, from the engine to the models to the UI/UX approach to the flash drive manual to the Cheat Sheet to the packaging to how user requests are collected to how updates are approached to how features are prioritized to... the Product Manager (Helix was my first hardware project ever.) I'd be lying if I said no one was concerned about Helix's ROI, and I spent a fair amount of time validating instincts and assuaging fears. Team Helix was very confident in our box, but that's only because we spent so much time with the thing and knew it could be something special. It was a massive risk that somehow has (thus far) paid off far more than we expected.

It's a bargain. Compared to my standard pedal board and amp configuration it is totally worth it.

johnonguitar

Yeah I can't really understand how you guys are turning a profit

ThePrettyDamned

digitalscream said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

I wonder if there is room for a smaller helix based pedal. So an m5 - less processing required because it's one effect at a time (perhaps increase to three or so?). No posh screen needed. Only three or four switches, simpler routing etc. Simplified controls with a mobile app to get more in depth. Sale price to compete with the strymon big sky (plus or minus 50 quid). No idea how much work would have to go into it, but it could work - if limited to three effects, it could still have drive - mod - delay, for example.

NO, NO, NO!!!!!

Built-in obsolescence - which depends entirely on a third party (eg Apple, Google etc) is probably the worst trend in guitar gear lately.

With that said, if it was functionally something like the Zoom MS70CDR except with MIDI and a nicer user interface, it'd be a blinder.

Ooo yes, good point. But point stands - simplified controls and a way of getting deeper if you want that takes more work. 

Apologies for stealing your quote, new software doesn't like my phone it seems.  

Cabicular

johnonguitar said:

Yeah I can't really understand how you guys are turning a profit

They sold a lot of spider amps