# Line 6 Helix - The New Flagship



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Do you find it difficult to keep up with all the new multi-effects units being offered these days? It reminds me when computers first started to become popular and they started to get more and more powerful and when you just had the best, a couple months later something better and more powerful came out. It seems this is the say things are going with multi-effects units. Boss came out with their new offerings a few months ago and now Line 6 has their new one.

Just a side note: Major USA music outlets have this on their website. How long do you think it will take L & M to get on board?

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/22670-line-6-releases-the-helix

*MORE... *GEAR • EFFECTS • NEW GEAR • MULTI-EFFECT • LINE 6*Line 6 Releases the Helix*

Press Release
June 11, 2015











​*Calabasas, CA* (June 11, 2015) -- Line 6, Inc. today unveiled Helix, their new flagship tour-ready guitar processor. Helix represents a giant leap forward in guitar processing, as well as a new way of thinking about guitarists and their relationship to technology. Every hardware and software component has been meticulously designed and works together to accurately recreate the dynamic feel of tube amplifiers and lush sonic footprint of classic effects pedals.
The breakthrough HX modeling engine uses dual-DSP processing to deliver a level of realism that hasn’t been previously attainable from modeling, and brings along with it an entirely new playing experience.
“Helix is the start of a new chapter in the way guitarists relate to technology,” said Marcus Ryle, Line 6 President. “Line 6 has spent over twenty years refining and evolving modeling technology. With Helix, we’ve created a next-generation platform with all-new HX models that are the culmination of all our past experience. We are confident that Helix will sound and feel amazing to both analog purists and tech savvy players alike”.







​With 12 touch-sensing footswitches, each with a multi-color LED ring and dedicated graphic display, plus a large color LCD and a revolutionary hands-free editing mode, Helix sets a new standard for making tremendous power astonishingly easy to use. Add in professional MIDI and hardware control capabilities and four assignable effects loops, and it’s also the most comprehensive master controller for guitar systems ever built.
Helix will be available as a floor pedal and rack version, with the same audio and control capabilities. To bring the touch sensitive footswitches and display capabilities of the pedal board version to Helix Rack, there will also be an optional foot controller.







​*Pricing & Availability*
The Helix floor pedal will begin shipping at the end of summer 2015 and will have an MSRP of $1,499. The rack version MSRP $1,499 and foot controller MSRP $499 will be coming later in the fall. All models will be available through select dealers worldwide.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2015)

They have _fabulous_ UI and industrial designers. That physical look is impeccable and that large display is just gorgeous. The rack unit looks like a little modern-home-theater-reciever'ish, but the floor unit is just...so nice.

Hopefully it sounds as good as it looks!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Gonna wait and see. Given peoples complaints about updates and support when they roll out new models, they will need to have fixed all that.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

That's quite a price jump above the HD500. I'd be an enthusiastic buyer at half the price. We'll see how successful it is...


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I've been a beta-tester for them several times, and I will echo Ian's comments. These guys think it through.

Clearly, the Fractal folks have provoked some competition.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

I was just about to post this. This has just about every feature I've looked for in a floor unit upgrade (still waiting to hear about preset "scenes"). If it sounds decent and operates bug free, they may have knocked it out of the park.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

[video=youtube;ivLLd9Oc_bY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivLLd9Oc_bY[/video]

Marketing hype, but still interesting...

_*EDIT: The video was removed by YouTube_


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Budda said:


> Gonna wait and see. Given peoples complaints about updates and support when they roll out new models, they will need to have fixed all that.





dradlin said:


> That's quite a price jump above the HD500. I'd be an enthusiastic buyer at half the price. We'll see how successful it is...


Ditto to both here boys.
I love my M-9. A staple on the board.
I'd love an update.
I really want to give this a try, but the $1500 is a BIG jump in price. 
But that being said, I probably have $1500 in pedals.
Look forward to reviews.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

[video=youtube;yAGDCCdWjoQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAGDCCdWjoQ[/video]

Still marketing hype but maybe some more questions answered.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

As a newly minted pensioner, there is no way I could justify the price of this, just as I could not justify buying a Fractal Axe FX


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

It obviously doesn't account for the entire price differential, but part of the gap between theHelix and other floor systems from Line 6 is in the display. The M5/9/13 all use inexpensive monochrome low-res displays, where the Helix uses something akin to a tablet or iPhone display, in addition to what appears to be a dozen individual monochrome displays. I can't imagine that adds more than $150 to the production costs, but $150 is $150.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2015)

On the Line6 forum I'm reading 2 non-Tiger SHARC DSPs with one dedicated entirely to running the displays. That's a fairly good step up in available processing power over other Line6 products even if it's using one of them for the screens.

I'm sure the computer UI for this will be top notch as well. Line6 just makes super-friendly things to use and sometimes that's better than sounding the best. This has the potential to sound good too.

I want to touch one.


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## tomsy49 (Apr 2, 2015)

Hopefully the CAD will make a triumphant charge over the next few months to decrease our price! Not holding my breath but that would be great!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

The thing is, when you get into axe fx/kemper money, you have to bring something to convince the market not to go the other way.

And it wont be the price.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

jbealsmusic said:


> [video=youtube;yAGDCCdWjoQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAGDCCdWjoQ[/video]
> 
> Still marketing hype but maybe some more questions answered.


Good video, and impressive tones.

I've owned and sold the X3 and HD models after great hopes and earnest trials. The low and mid gain tones just didn't sound real to me, though I'm really liking what I'm hearing in that demo.

But $2k CAD is a big stretch on a L6 product, and seems to go against their value based business model. AX-FX in contrast is known to be of robust design and construction, while L6 is not known for their reliability. Reliability would be my greatest concern with the HX.

In fairness though, the HX looks to be in an entirely different league than anything prior from L6 and is justified in commanding a higher price point... but $2k I just won't spend.

I'm wondering about EQ user interface implementation, something that X3 did well and HD was absolutely terrible at...


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Budda said:


> The thing is, when you get into axe fx/kemper money, you have to bring something to convince the market not to go the other way.
> 
> And it wont be the price.


It's not quite Axe or Kemper money.

Helix = USD$1499 (~CAD$1875)
KPA = USD$1999 (~CAD$2255)
AxeII = USD$2499 (~CAD$3125)

Add another $500-$1000 to the KPA or Axe-II if you want it with a floorboard. Big difference in price! It seems like the Helix is Line 6's attempt at targeting prosumers looking at the gap in modelers between $800 and $2000+. Fractal's AX8 might get released someday, but we still have no idea what the price point will be. If it comes in under $1999, I can see it being a problem for the Helix.

- - - Updated - - -



dradlin said:


> I'm wondering about EQ user interface implementation, something that X3 did well and HD was absolutely terrible at...


Already confirmed it's back to dB, frequencies, Q values, etc. No more percentage crap!


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## Slooky (Feb 3, 2015)

dradlin said:


> I've owned and sold the X3 and HD models after great hopes and earnest trials.
> 
> I'm wondering about EQ user interface implementation, something that X3 did well and HD was absolutely terrible at...



Hd 500 among other things was all the reading and tweaking just to try to find a decent sound. Minutes went from hours to days to weeks trying to figure it out! Hopefully they got rid of all those stupid sag, hum parameters to name a few. It had something like 6 Chorus pedals that all sounded like CHEESE! Switches would stick every once in a while. Usb port was Plastic which would break. No on off switch. 
The Helix does look interesting. But it better be with that price tag.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

jbealsmusic said:


> Already confirmed it's back to dB, frequencies, Q values, etc. No more percentage crap!


Nice... thanks for that note.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

fractal is coming out with the FX-8 and the AX-8 though


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2015)

Budda said:


> fractal is coming out with the FX-8 and the AX-8 though


FX-8 is shipping!

The AX-8 is still just a thing in the Fractal lab at this point, though Cliff said he was aiming for the fall in a post on the Fractal forum.


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## the5chord (Oct 7, 2011)

Not really impressed by the sweet water demo but that's pretty much on par for them. At least I got an idea of the features. Looks impressive and the user interface looks better than something out of the 90's like the fractal stuff. I am sure it's got better sounds in it than demonstrated thus far.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I just gave the Sweetwater video a listen. The demonstrator goes a bit fast in some places but I would imagine we'll start seeing more videos soon.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Fractal sent me the FX-8 email last week, the price is a smidge less than this line 6. Although the FX-8 is fx only (no amp sims) it is a wicked sounding unit with really excellent user friendliness. I was seriously thinking about it, mainly because I like the sound of my amps and don't really need anything more than fx, but this new Line 6 has got me thinking. 

People on THP are whining about the price, but if you were to buy one decent tube head you'd be at that price point. Plus you'd need mics etc. to record it. The price is high, but it looks to me like you get what you pay for. I'm glad Yamaha took L6 in this direction.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

mrmatt1972 said:


> ...if you were to buy one decent tube head you'd be at that price point.


But that decent tube head won't be obsolete 5 years from now, and with minimal maintenance will likely be operational 50 years from now.


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2015)

dradlin said:


> But that decent tube head won't be obsolete 5 years from now, and with minimal maintenance will likely be operational 50 years from now.


Absurd argument. If you like how it sounds, obsolescence isn't a concern. There is plenty of "vintage" digital gear that's highly coveted because it sounds great. Just ask a keyboard player or someone who likes delays.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Good looking unit and seems like it's easy to setup.
I'd be worried about getting buried in all the perameters of all the stuff going on.
I'm still curious about this unit though, after some time on the market, we'll see.

Considering that I've spent more than that on my band board alone,
if it does what they claim, it's not an outrageous price.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

iaresee said:


> Absurd argument. If you like how it sounds, obsolescence isn't a concern. There is plenty of "vintage" digital gear that's highly coveted because it sounds great. Just ask a keyboard player or someone who likes delays.


If it fails, is not repairable, then how can you like how it sounds when it doesn't produce any sound?... that is far from absurd.

I've owned three different PODs and two of them failed - L6 is not know for its reliability.

Time will tell on the HX, but still... things fail and try to get one fixed 5 or more years down the road. That problem poses a limit on how much I spend on a component.


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## pat6969 (Feb 4, 2013)

Looks like a killer unit, hopefully they have worked on their amp sims. The HD500x was horrible.


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2015)

dradlin said:


> If it fails, is not repairable, then how can you like how it sounds when it doesn't produce any sound?... that is far from absurd.
> 
> I've owned three different PODs and two of them failed - L6 is not know for its reliability.
> 
> Time will tell on the HX, but still... things fail and try to get one fixed 5 or more years down the road. That problem poses a limit on how much I spend on a component.


It's all reparable, it's just not always _worth_ repairing. A great sounding rack unit will get repaired. A $300 plastic toy, not so much.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

iaresee said:


> Absurd argument. If you like how it sounds, obsolescence isn't a concern. There is plenty of "vintage" digital gear that's highly coveted because it sounds great. Just ask a keyboard player or someone who likes delays.


Not an absurd argument but a real concern. Highly coveted 'vintage' digital gear is few and far between. For every one of those, there are 1000 pieces that aren't worth their weight in scrap. That's reality. Will this be a TC2290 or another 386SX? That's alot of money to take the chance, considering how quickly some of this tech gets outmoded.

While I appreciate those on the leading edge of taking us to the next thing (and this is obviously the wave of the future, IMO), I still think there's so much more to learn. And the only way to learn it is to go through all these steps. But I don't think I'd consider any of these 'the destination' any more than I think the Prius is the perfect hybrid automobile.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

One thing brought up elsewhere but not here - I want to see in real life how well those displays hold up to sunlight and brightly lit stages.


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2015)

High/Deaf said:


> Not an absurd argument but a real concern. Highly coveted 'vintage' digital gear is few and far between.


Only in the myopic microcosm that is the guitar world. Outside the guitar world? Rampant. Go ask a keyboard player if they'd like to get their hands on an older, out of production Nord or not-so-old Moog. No one frets that they're digital. They sound great. People exist who can fix them.

Good sound is good sound is good sound no matter how it's made.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

iaresee said:


> Only in the myopic microcosm that is the guitar world. Outside the guitar world? Rampant. Go ask a keyboard player if they'd like to get their hands on an older, out of production Nord or not-so-old Moog. No one frets that they're digital. They sound great. People exist who can fix them.
> 
> Good sound is good sound is good sound no matter how it's made.


No, only in the myopic microcosm that is the music world. And only on very specific and limited pieces of equipment in that one arena.

Everywhere else, old digital tech isn't worth crap. I work with digital telecom transmission equipment - do you know what a DTS supergroup modem is worth now? They were $25k in the mid 80's, not worth $20 in scrap now. Sony DVR1 and DVR2 tape machines? Not worth anything. How about some old high-end Sunn Spark workstations? Used to be worth thousands and now my laptop has more processing power. An OC3 optical transmission box - while still useful, no one would pay $15k for one when you can get an OC192 for $5k. It is what it is. You can't deny that a 2 generations back Axe-FX is worth about 30% of new now.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

dradlin said:


> If it fails, is not repairable, then how can you like how it sounds when it doesn't produce any sound?... that is far from absurd.
> 
> I've owned three different PODs and two of them failed - L6 is not know for its reliability.
> 
> Time will tell on the HX, but still... things fail and try to get one fixed 5 or more years down the road. That problem poses a limit on how much I spend on a component.


To each his own but there are people on this forum who have owned POD units and have never had a problem. And they are repairable. 
In comparing an FX unit to an amp is an amp will give you that amp's tone whereas an FX unit will give you more than you will ever use. 

And if you found the POD500 sounded terrible, you were not doing something right. Most experts could not tell the difference in a blind sound test. That doesn't sound like it sounds terrible.



iaresee said:


> It's all reparable, it's just not always _worth_ repairing. A great sounding rack unit will get repaired. A $300 plastic toy, not so much.


That is the point. When VHS players became available at $25.00 and they broke, you didn't pay someone $40.00 an hour to fix them.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Steadfastly said:


> And if you found the POD500 sounded terrible, you were not doing something right. Most experts could not tell the difference in a blind sound test. That doesn't sound like it sounds terrible.


Can you provide a link or source to the expert blind sound tests for the POD?


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

Steadfastly said:


> To each his own but there are people on this forum who have owned POD units and have never had a problem. And they are repairable.
> 
> In comparing an FX unit to an amp is an amp will give you that amp's tone whereas an FX unit will give you more than you will ever use.
> 
> ...


So you've never owned a POD, never dialed a tone one one, never had one fail, never had one repaired, have no first hand experience in their regard - correct?

As usual, you bring nothing but hollow rhetoric to the discussion...


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Oh man. We're turning into TGP. How about this?
:acigar:
Let's all seek out and enjoy the gear that either serves a functional benefit, inspires us to play more/better, or adds to our already cool collection.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

dradlin said:


> So you've never owned a POD, never dialed a tone one one, never had one fail, never had one repaired, have no first hand experience in their regard - correct?


I've had a few Line 6 products fail on me. I do find it strange, from a marketing standpoint, that they are advertising this high-end product under the same "Line 6" brand name that has a history of poor build quality.

But, to be fair to Line 6, they seem to have improved their build quality substantially since Yamaha came into the picture. Maybe Yamaha has something to do with it, or maybe it's just coincidence. But since then, every product they've released has had much better build quality and way less complaints about broken switches and failures. I'd say that bodes well for their products going forward.

Regarding the Helix and its features, I'm still waiting to hear whether it has "scenes" or "preset snapshots". If you're into programming an insane variety of tones within one preset, it is a game-changer.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

What did the Line6/Bogner Spider Valve amps come loaded with? Was it POD effects? Were those amps just POD's attached to the front end of a tube amp?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

dradlin said:


> So you've never owned a POD, never dialed a tone one one, never had one fail, never had one repaired, have no first hand experience in their regard - correct?
> 
> As usual, you bring nothing but hollow rhetoric to the discussion...


Why don't you ever reply to the post? When someone tries to reason with you all you do is attack the person, not the reasoning. Is this because you don't want to admit that you may not always be 100% correct? Or is it because you have not acquired the ability to reason and able to reply in a civil manner? 

When people can't do the above, they often resort to your method of reply. It is a form of bragging by suggesting that they know better than others. 

Perhaps in the future you could share some of your hard earned knowledge and humbly share it with us by using your reasoning abilities. Best regards, Steadfastly


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

Steadfastly said:


> Why don't you ever reply to the post? When someone tries to reason with you all you do is attack the person, not the reasoning. Is this because you don't want to admit that you may not always be 100% correct? Or is it because you have not acquired the ability to reason and able to reply in a civil manner?
> 
> When people can't do the above, they often resort to your method of reply. It is a form of bragging by suggesting that they know better than others.
> 
> Perhaps in the future you could share some of your hard earned knowledge and humbly share it with us by using your reasoning abilities. Best regards, Steadfastly


Thanks for that insightful contribution. Now back to the regular scheduled programming...


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

iaresee said:


> Go ask a keyboard player if they'd like to get their hands on an older, out of production Nord or not-so-old Moog. No one frets that they're digital...


Vintage Moog and Nord - you are implying that they are digital? Are they not analog?

I'm no electronics guy, but I'm thinking digital and analog circuits are significantly different, digital is less desirable than analog (in vintage audio), digital is less serviceable than analog. I leave myself open to correction.

Whatever the case, I can't see the L6 HX ever holding vintage appeal and being maintained as operable a decade or more in the future... it's not at all similar to vintage Moog or Nord electronics. Those are originators of tone, while the L6 HX is a digital facsimile of analog based originators of guitar tone.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

dradlin said:


> Thanks for that insightful contribution. Now back to the regular scheduled programming...


That is about what I expected as a reply from you. It's too bad because I'm sure you have got lots of experience you could share with us if only you chose to do so.


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## Guest (Jun 14, 2015)

dradlin said:


> Vintage Moog and Nord - you are implying that they are digital? Are they not analog?


I said vintage _Nord_, _recent_ Moog. Both are digital.



> Whatever the case, I can't see the L6 HX ever holding vintage appeal and being maintained as operable a decade or more in the future... it's not at all similar to vintage Moog or Nord electronics. Those are originators of tone, while the L6 HX is a digital facsimile of analog based originators of guitar tone.


You don't know what a Nord is and what it does, do you? Nord's are renowned for their facsimiles of organ tones...


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

iaresee said:


> I said vintage _Nord_, _recent_ Moog. Both are digital.
> 
> You don't know what a Nord is and what it does, do you? Nord's are renowned for their facsimiles of organ tones...


No, I didn't claim to know... as I said, I presented myself open to correction. 

Is vintage Moog not analog?

From what era is this Nord vintage digital technology? I'm surprised that the terms vintage and digital could be used in the same sentence, especially assignable to something considered to be desirable.

Is current Nord digital technology less desirable than vintage Nord digital technology, such that people desire vintage over current digital technology?

Similarly, do you consider POD 2.0 to have vintage appeal over HX?

My point remains, that an L6 modeller will never have vintage appeal like any of the vintage amps or effects that it models.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Still waiting on your reply, Stead. Anytime you want to back up the claims you make instead of avoiding, please do. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

As a kemper user I'm curious to see how the amp tone and feel with stack up. The kemper is the current top of the heap as far as I'm concerned and I've tried them all. I like the look and design of the helix. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Although personal testimonials don't replace statistical data, I've never had the slightest problem with any Line 6 gear.

If it breaks down (not so far but...) a back up system is cheap and easy. Would you play a gig without a back up amp?

Many people do. Is that safer than using a pod?

I think the reliability concern doesn't hold much water.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

There are a few demo videos out now.

[video=youtube;MBVT0kDO4n4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBVT0kDO4n4[/video]

[video=youtube;1OiJNBWFrWc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OiJNBWFrWc[/video]

[video=youtube;vdny3wskET0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdny3wskET0[/video]

Some improvement in the amp dynamics from what I can hear. It seems to have a little of that squishy/tubey character that most modelers under $2K lack. Need to play it myself. Plus, the control switch "learning" thing is pretty handy for anyone using other midi gear.

Apparently pre-orders are selling quickly in the US. No sign of them yet from Canadian retailers.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Thanks for posting the updated vids. It looks like they will be available in the USA in mid August.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

The fact is, we won't know how well it does until people we actually trust give an honest review.

As a guy with an actual pedalboard, I'm curious to see what my peers who like the all-in-one method think. 

Re: line 6 failing, I've witnessed two DL4's go down a total of 4 or 5 times (twice during gigs) inside of 12 months...


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

Im hopeful that this will be that all in one solution that gets the job done with quality effects, no cheese, and built to last. At that pricepoint i think that is a reasonable expectation. I loved my fm3(?) Filter pedal, a dl4 before it crapped out, but could not justify keeping a pod hd rack unit. Was just looking for a few passable classic and hi gain tones to record sketches and demos using only studio monitors. Like others have stated, tweaking too minutes then hrs. After two weeks i shamefully took it back to L&m. 

Now i just mic my amp and piss of the wife and neighbours and thats fine with me.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


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## Welladjusted (Feb 19, 2006)

Looks like I picked the wrong time to buy an XT Live...


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I'm starting to get more curious about modeling gear like this, will be interested to read and hear upcoming reviews.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Is there a way to run this strictly as an effects unit and skip the modeling? 
I like the amp tone I have so I'd prefer to bypass any amp models in the chain and just use effects.


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## Guest (Jul 15, 2015)

Hamstrung said:


> Is there a way to run this strictly as an effects unit and skip the modeling?
> I like the amp tone I have so I'd prefer to bypass any amp models in the chain and just use effects.


I would be surprised if you couldn't defeat the amp and cab modeling. So I'll make an educated guess of: yes.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Welladjusted said:


> Looks like I picked the wrong time to buy an XT Live...


I think you'll be safe. The Helix will sell for somewhere between $1750 and $2000 in Canada.



Hamstrung said:


> Is there a way to run this strictly as an effects unit and skip the modeling?
> I like the amp tone I have so I'd prefer to bypass any amp models in the chain and just use effects.


Yes.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

New videos up from Line6 http://line6.com/helix/?mkt_tok=3Rk...YIESMd0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEJSLbYUKJut6EPUw==#learn
It really is the way for the tech now. Kempler, Axe, This. Modeling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2015)

Video to try to humanize L6... still won't get me to move after all the hours and hours I have spent trying to get useable sounds. My James Tyler Variax fiasco was the final straw for me with L6. I AM DONE.


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## exhausted (Feb 10, 2006)

Preorder pages are popping up.

http://www.guitarworks.ca/line-6-helix-rack/

$1880 for the rack
$1880 for the floor unit
$630 for the rack controller


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Player99 said:


> Video to try to humanize L6... still won't get me to move after all the hours and hours I have spent trying to get useable sounds. My James Tyler Variax fiasco was the final straw for me with L6. I AM DONE.


You had bad experiences with the JTV? Was it the faulty switch or the string pop-off?


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

Plenty of connection options but to my ears still sounds too Line6


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## tailtwister (Apr 15, 2008)

Great Demo!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1fBuSjDnCw


...and part 2... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1fBuSjDnCw



If this thing is half as reliable as my past Line6 gear, I'll be happy. On my 4th POD floorboard and no failures whatsoever.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Robert1950 said:


> As a newly minted pensioner, there is no way I could justify the price of this, just as I could not justify buying a Fractal Axe FX


It needs to have an SRV preset


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Looks amazing but $1499?

Seems like I paid about a third of that for my HD500X.

Hard to justify.


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## exhausted (Feb 10, 2006)

Milkman said:


> Looks amazing but $1499?
> 
> Seems like I paid about a third of that for my HD500X.
> 
> Hard to justify.


They're definitely going to have a hard time shedding that weight as they try to go upmarket with it. Next to fractal it looks like a bargain but against their old target, yes, it looks $$$$. After tax up here it's north of $2000.

As a side note, I noticed they actually modeled the self oscillation in the fuzz factory. They only briefly touched on it in the anderton's video but that would be fun to play with.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

> As a side note, I noticed they actually modeled the self oscillation in the fuzz factory. They only briefly touched on it in the anderton's video but that would be fun to play with.


That's something worth mentioning that hasn't been discussed in this thread.

Line 6 modeled all the components of every amp and effect in the Helix. From each component in the tonestack of an amp to the little light in the univibe. That means each amp's tonestack controls will work the same as the real amp that's being modeled. They aren't just generic EQ adjustments, as with all previous modelers. The bass knob on the Bassman model will have the same effect on the tone as the bass knob on an actual Bassman, etc. It also means that each model will have the same controls as the actual amp or effect being modeled, drawbacks/limitations included. For instance, if you pick a model of an analog delay pedal, expect to have limited delay time available.

But yeah, the price makes it a pro guitarist's tool. Not meant for those of us on a tight budget.

For a more in depth video with tons of playing and explanation:
[video=youtube;RuZurmlRlUM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuZurmlRlUM[/video]


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2015)

jbealsmusic said:


> They aren't just generic EQ adjustments, as with all previous modelers.


Maybe all previous _Line 6_ modelers? Because this is exactly what the Axe-Fx has been doing for going on 10 years now.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

exhausted said:


> They're definitely going to have a hard time shedding that weight as they try to go upmarket with it. Next to fractal it looks like a bargain but against their old target, yes, it looks $$$$. After tax up here it's north of $2000.
> 
> As a side note, I noticed they actually modeled the self oscillation in the fuzz factory. They only briefly touched on it in the anderton's video but that would be fun to play with.



Well, as resale seems to be pretty anemic for these things maybe I'll wait for the used ones to come on the market.

I figure they'll be south of $800 pretty quick.

At $800 ~$1000 I might be interested. If I have to spend $1500~2000 I'd have to seriously look at a used Fractal.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

iaresee said:


> Maybe all previous _Line 6_ modelers? Because this is exactly what the Axe-Fx has been doing for going on 10 years now.


I should have specified, all previous modelers below CAD$2000.

To be fair though, Axe has not been doing it for 10 years. The tone stacks on Axe FX models did not accurately reflect those of the actual amps being modeled until a firmware update around 2011 or 2012. I remember it pretty clearly because it was such a big deal at the time. Partially because it screwed up everyone's presets after the update.


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2015)

jbealsmusic said:


> I should have specified, all previous modelers below CAD$2000.
> 
> To be fair though, Axe has not been doing it for 10 years. The tone stacks on Axe FX models did not accurately reflect those of the actual amps being modeled until a firmware update around 2011 or 2012. I remember it pretty clearly because it was such a big deal at the time. Partially because it screwed up everyone's presets after the update.


They may not have been _accurate_ from the outset but the design and intention was always to model the complete, end-to-end, signal chain as realistically as possible. It took time to get it refined, but that's true for everything complicated. It'll be true for the Helix too, no doubt.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

iaresee said:


> They may not have been _accurate_ from the outset but the design and intention was always to model the complete, end-to-end, signal chain as realistically as possible. It took time to get it refined, but that's true for everything complicated. It'll be true for the Helix too, no doubt.


I must have chosen some poor wording because it seems like you're misunderstanding what I meant with that statement. I'll try and rephrase:

"With the exception of Helix (assuming it does what they claim) and Axe-Fx II (after a firmware upgrade within the last few years), there are no modelers or profilers I'm aware of that include a UI featuring the same knobs as the original amp being modeled, as well as the fact that turning those knobs has the same effect on the tone as turning those knobs on the real amp."

That's all I was trying to say. I certainly wasn't trying to say that Helix is the first modeler to attempt to "model the complete, end-to-end, signal chain as realistically as possible." That statement would just be wrong.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

As expected, the price has gone up. It was originally priced at $1879 in Canada. L&M has already bumped it up to $1949 (which is actually still on the low side, compared to the US conversion). I wouldn't be surprised if it was over $2K before Christmas.

The drop in our Canadian dollar is hurting everyone right now.


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

Here is what I think of this 
See post 473
http://www.guitarscanada.com/showthread.php?t=58585


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

amagras said:


> Here is what I think of this
> See post 473
> http://www.guitarscanada.com/showthread.php?t=58585


Ummm... There is no post 473 in that thread. lol


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

There is for me, I'm in tapatalk, though, maybe it's different. Anyways, here is, originally posted by laristotle:


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