Considering Helix and goodbye valve amp!

JonHosker

Love my amp and pedals but:
1. Still need more pedals (£) to get he sounds I want.
2. Silent stage preferred for any gigs I do.
3. Amp can't come home - too loud!

Yamaha THR10C is great, but the flexibility of Helix
Is tempting me....sell the Amp and pedals...buy another electric!!

I would want a small FWFW Amp for quite home practice as an alternative to headphones.

Any advice or comments? I love valves, but this kit would work better for me.

Thanks Jon

Bridgehouse

I use a Helix almost exclusively at home. For quieter practice I don't bother with another amp - I have a pair of Yamaha HS7 studio monitors from the Helix - about the same price as a decent practice amp. 

It's worth finding out if you like the Helix sounds - and if the FX built in will work for you. Having said that you can still use a board with loop into it. 

RandallFlagg

I have just bought a Helix and my valve amp and pedals for sale or already sold. 1 week in and no regrets.

I'm currently using the Helix connected to audio interface over S/PDIF through studio reference monitors but will be getting a Line 6 L2T FRFR speaker soon for louder moments.

I have used all of the previous Pods and an Axe-FX and the Helix is the best so far by a long way for me. The Axe-FX sounds great but I didn't like the huge amount of parameters or controls and spent far too much time tweaking or trying out different cabs a sthe range of amps and cabs was a bit overwhelming. Also there is a constrant stream of updates that I felt obliged to install and I seemed to spend more time piddling about than playing. This isn't the case with the Helix, there are enough parameters for some deeper editing but it always remains like a guitar amp and pedal where, at times, the Axe felt like you were programming a synth, for example, I got lost when presented with LFO rates and settings on a delay. Some people may love that deep level of editing ability, I didn't.

The Helix amps and effects are a huge step up from PODHD and sound superb, I am especially impressed with the drives, the Klon, Timmy, OCD and Tube Screamer models and have no need for additional analogue pedals now, they sound very close if not exactly the same. The Echoplex tape delay model is also very good and gets a lot of use.

One thing to consider if this is your first venture in top tier modelling and FRFR, is to note that to make cabs sound more like real guitar speakers I recommend you use the lo cut and hi cut controls on the cabs. I bring hi cut down to as low as 5KHz sometimes depending on the cab model and push lo cut up to 100Hz, this narrows the frequency range to a more similar range of real cabs and emphasises the mid range to get a much more guitar amp like response.

Hi cut and Lo cut can be used to great effect on the reverbs and delays as well and can make them sound better thatn the stock default settings they load with. There is a set of Youtube videos where a guy A/Bs the Helix delays and reverbs with the Strymon Timeline and Big Sky and the Helix comfortbly holds up with Strymon gear with a few tweaks. Very impressive.

For the first time, with one of these units, I have dialled in a tone through headphones and it translated perfectly to my reference monitors, I can't wait to get the L2T and play a bit louder and get some guitar/cab interaction and feedback.

Also, the Helix has much more balanced levels across the amp models, in previous Pods there could be some huge volume differences.

The Helix is a lot of fun to use and I am playing a lot more than I used to and I don't hesitate to recommend one.

Voxman

By all means get a Helix (I'd love one myself!) - but I'd hold off on selling your traditional gear ... at least for a good while.  First, you can read all the reviews, watch all the videos, study all the spec, and forum feedback you want.... but it's not until you really live with a piece of gear (well after the honeymoon period) that you truly begin to understand all of its pro's & con's.  

I'd argue that no single piece of gear is a 'one size fits all' plethora.  I'd also suggest that we can all be fickle creatures, who can suddenly change our minds when we start to crave what we no longer have, or the latest thing - it's just a human nature thing.

I don't have expensive gear - can't afford it to be honest, and space is an issue too.  But I do have a range of different types of gear including 3 all-valve amps (DSL401, Cub 12R, VC30-210), one DSP/valve hybrid, one SS/Valve hybrid, and a little DSP portable 'Mini-3').  In addition to a conventional pedal board I have 3 modelling/MFX units, and a few different guitars.  I use different gear for different things and sometimes it depends on my mood as to what I fancy.  Nothing I have is state of the art or special in any way, but it 'does me' and I enjoy the freedom of choice.  

If you sell all your traditional gear, you might regret in the future being restricted to one piece of gear.  

  

John_A

Bought a Helix 6 months or so ago and haven't plugged an amp in since, the Helix has improved my live sound immensely, I was expecting it to be good, but it's better than I could have hoped

RandallFlagg

Voxman said:

By all means get a Helix (I'd love one myself!) - but I'd hold off on selling your traditional gear ... at least for a good while.  First, you can read all the reviews, watch all the videos, study all the spec, and forum feedback you want.... but it's not until you really live with a piece of gear (well after the honeymoon period) that you truly begin to understand all of its pro's & con's.  

I'd argue that no single piece of gear is a 'one size fits all' plethora.  I'd also suggest that we can all be fickle creatures, who can suddenly change our minds when we start to crave what we no longer have, or the latest thing - it's just a human nature thing.

I don't have expensive gear - can't afford it to be honest, and space is an issue too.  But I do have a range of different types of gear including 3 all-valve amps (DSL401, Cub 12R, VC30-210), one DSP/valve hybrid, one SS/Valve hybrid, and a little DSP portable 'Mini-3').  In addition to a conventional pedal board I have 3 modelling/MFX units, and a few different guitars.  I use different gear for different things and sometimes it depends on my mood as to what I fancy.  Nothing I have is state of the art or special in any way, but it 'does me' and I enjoy the freedom of choice.  

If you sell all your traditional gear, you might regret in the future being restricted to one piece of gear.  

  

I agree this to an extent. If I still played live I may have hung on to my amps & pedals for a little longer. 

Voxman

RandallFlagg said:

Voxman said:

By all means get a Helix (I'd love one myself!) - but I'd hold off on selling your traditional gear ... at least for a good while.  First, you can read all the reviews, watch all the videos, study all the spec, and forum feedback you want.... but it's not until you really live with a piece of gear (well after the honeymoon period) that you truly begin to understand all of its pro's & con's.  

I'd argue that no single piece of gear is a 'one size fits all' plethora.  I'd also suggest that we can all be fickle creatures, who can suddenly change our minds when we start to crave what we no longer have, or the latest thing - it's just a human nature thing.

I don't have expensive gear - can't afford it to be honest, and space is an issue too.  But I do have a range of different types of gear including 3 all-valve amps (DSL401, Cub 12R, VC30-210), one DSP/valve hybrid, one SS/Valve hybrid, and a little DSP portable 'Mini-3').  In addition to a conventional pedal board I have 3 modelling/MFX units, and a few different guitars.  I use different gear for different things and sometimes it depends on my mood as to what I fancy.  Nothing I have is state of the art or special in any way, but it 'does me' and I enjoy the freedom of choice.  

If you sell all your traditional gear, you might regret in the future being restricted to one piece of gear.  

  

I agree this to an extent. If I still played live I may have hung on to my amps & pedals for a little longer. 

Yup, if you no longer gig and want something for home use & recording then a Helix is probably all you need. 

RandallFlagg

Voxman said:

RandallFlagg said:

Voxman said:

By all means get a Helix (I'd love one myself!) - but I'd hold off on selling your traditional gear ... at least for a good while.  First, you can read all the reviews, watch all the videos, study all the spec, and forum feedback you want.... but it's not until you really live with a piece of gear (well after the honeymoon period) that you truly begin to understand all of its pro's & con's.  

I'd argue that no single piece of gear is a 'one size fits all' plethora.  I'd also suggest that we can all be fickle creatures, who can suddenly change our minds when we start to crave what we no longer have, or the latest thing - it's just a human nature thing.

I don't have expensive gear - can't afford it to be honest, and space is an issue too.  But I do have a range of different types of gear including 3 all-valve amps (DSL401, Cub 12R, VC30-210), one DSP/valve hybrid, one SS/Valve hybrid, and a little DSP portable 'Mini-3').  In addition to a conventional pedal board I have 3 modelling/MFX units, and a few different guitars.  I use different gear for different things and sometimes it depends on my mood as to what I fancy.  Nothing I have is state of the art or special in any way, but it 'does me' and I enjoy the freedom of choice.  

If you sell all your traditional gear, you might regret in the future being restricted to one piece of gear.  

  

I agree this to an extent. If I still played live I may have hung on to my amps & pedals for a little longer. 

Yup, if you no longer gig and want something for home use & recording then a Helix is probably all you need. 

But only long enough to get used to using the Helix live, as soon as that was sorted it would be game over for the amps & pedals.

JonHosker

Thanks for the comments.
I am so far away from shops that stock them.
Know I would not regret it...and just would look at different speaker options for home studio type and maybe larger one if PA not used at gig volume. Wondered about Keeper, but looks but more fiddly, and Axefx very in depth and I like simple 

Roland

Voxman said:

By all means get a Helix (I'd love one myself!) - but I'd hold off on selling your traditional gear ... at least for a good while.  
  

It's worth keeping some of your existing gear. Partly for backup. The real reason is comparison. I've tweaked my wah settings many times as I change guitars and amp models. It's always useful to be able to compare with an original cry baby.

John_A

My opinion, having been there and done it is you won't use your amps at all, live or at home as the Helix will sound better, took me all of a week to come to this conclusion and haven't regretted it

digitalscream

JonHosker said:

Thanks for the comments.
I am so far away from shops that stock them.
Know I would not regret it...and just would look at different speaker options for home studio type and maybe larger one if PA not used at gig volume. Wondered about Keeper, but looks but more fiddly, and Axefx very in depth and I like simple 

I'd suggest waiting for the Headrush, unless you really need to spend the money now - it'll likely be even simpler than the Helix, but with a few features the Helix can't do (eg stereo doubler). Also...cheaper (£899).

Sporky

digitalscream said:

I'd suggest waiting for the Headrush, unless you really need to spend the money now - it'll likely be even simpler than the Helix, but with a few features the Helix can't do (eg stereo doubler). Also...cheaper (£899).

...and, while we're working on speculation, missing lots of the Helix's functionality. What is the stereo doubler exactly?

digitalscream

Sporky said:

digitalscream said:

I'd suggest waiting for the Headrush, unless you really need to spend the money now - it'll likely be even simpler than the Helix, but with a few features the Helix can't do (eg stereo doubler). Also...cheaper (£899).

...and, while we're working on speculation, missing lots of the Helix's functionality. What is the stereo doubler exactly?

Rumour is that it's similar to the Mimiq.

I personally don't expect it to have the same functionality as the Helix (at 30% cheaper, you'd have to be mad to think otherwise). However, the things it does have - gapless patch switching, for example - make it more attractive for me. Also it has Eleven modelling, which I happen to really like

RandallFlagg

digitalscream said:

Sporky said:

digitalscream said:

I'd suggest waiting for the Headrush, unless you really need to spend the money now - it'll likely be even simpler than the Helix, but with a few features the Helix can't do (eg stereo doubler). Also...cheaper (£899).

...and, while we're working on speculation, missing lots of the Helix's functionality. What is the stereo doubler exactly?

Rumour is that it's similar to the Mimiq.

I personally don't expect it to have the same functionality as the Helix (at 30% cheaper, you'd have to be mad to think otherwise). However, the things it does have - gapless patch switching, for example - make it more attractive for me. Also it has Eleven modelling, which I happen to really like

The Mimic is really just a short stereo delay, easily replicated with one of the Helix delays and gapless patch switching on the Helix can be achieved through Snapshots.

Sporky

I thought the non-gapless thing would matter a bit. but with all the control and snapshots it just doesn't.

digitalscream

RandallFlagg said:

digitalscream said:

Sporky said:

digitalscream said:

I'd suggest waiting for the Headrush, unless you really need to spend the money now - it'll likely be even simpler than the Helix, but with a few features the Helix can't do (eg stereo doubler). Also...cheaper (£899).

...and, while we're working on speculation, missing lots of the Helix's functionality. What is the stereo doubler exactly?

Rumour is that it's similar to the Mimiq.

I personally don't expect it to have the same functionality as the Helix (at 30% cheaper, you'd have to be mad to think otherwise). However, the things it does have - gapless patch switching, for example - make it more attractive for me. Also it has Eleven modelling, which I happen to really like

The Mimic is really just a short stereo delay, easily replicated with one of the Helix delays and gapless patch switching on the Helix can be achieved through Snapshots.

It really, really isn't. I have one right here, and it certainly does a lot more on that. It's more akin to a variable short delay with an additional variable attack and variable pitch - all variables are with time, the bounds of which are determined by the "Tightness" control.

digitalscream

Sporky said:

I thought the non-gapless thing would matter a bit. but with all the control and snapshots it just doesn't.

It still bothers me, because it's a limitation; I prefer not to have massive patches with blocks for all the sounds I need in a single song, which is what I'd need to have to use snapshots. That's three amps plus all the effects - not something I want to manage all in a single patch.

Each to their own - there's also the engineer in me which says it's better to solve the actual problem than to implement a workaround as a "feature"

Lest we forget, though, the Headrush marketing blurb only says that it's got gapless patch changes; it says nothing about spillover. If it lacks that, then it's only half a solution and still almost as useless (to me).

Teetonetal

Big part of my thinks that if headrush ha's seemless patch changing as dsp is reserved for it then it could well do spill from patch to patch.

Personally I prefer the snap shot approach. It's like having 1 rig with a pedalboard controller.

digitalscream

Teetonetal said:

Big part of my thinks that if headrush ha's seemless patch changing as dsp is reserved for it then it could well do spill from patch to patch.

Personally I prefer the snap shot approach. It's like having 1 rig with a pedalboard controller.

That's my thought as well (regarding the reserved DSP) - they've gone for a quad-core DSP, which was always touted by Avid as the only way to solve the problem of gapless switching and spillover on the Eleven Rack.

However, I'm reserving judgement until it's confirmed. I've been disappointed too many times by such things in the past...that's why I'm saying that anyone considering a modeller purchase would be wise to wait until after NAMM.

Vaiai

Snapshots/scenes have solved the gaps problem for most applications - You can have a pedalboard style setup on one patch (how I run my FX8) or you can have presets per song (with scenes/snapshots in each) so the only gaps are when changing between songs - and gaps make no difference there
I plan to do a few song specific patches at some point too but the gaps are never going to be an issue for me.