Line 6 Helix - next gen guitarist's wet dream..?

  • I talked with the line 6 folks at Sweetwater's gearfest this past weekend. The Helix was on display. I didn't bother trying it out since the tent was extremely noisy with all sorts of gear being tried out. I asked them about volume matching. I informed them that I used to be a PodHD user and that I'm using Kemper now. I told them that one of the things that I love about the Kemper is that volume is always consistent even if you raise and lower the gain. They informed me that on the Helix I would have to set the volumes on each preset. So there's that. This is a big deal for me. I cannot stand having to worry about voluming matching on presets, which are then messed up when switching guitars. Not that I was seriously thinking of leaving Kemper. However, I must say that one thing I don't like about the Kemper is that it isn't a floor device. I have the unpowered head, which is kind of a weird thing. It doesn't drive speakers, but its shaped to stand on a guitar cabinet, for which it is not best suited being better suited for a powered FRFR. Plus, you need a midi controller or some controller anyway.

  • Folks... Everyone is entitled to their opinion and to explore, but come on!
    Something like this isn't even in the same league as what we already have.


    Yeah it's cool to look, but to me, it's simply the same old porridge in a different flavor.


    Granted, it looks pretty sexy, but for $1500 it had better sound pretty darned outstanding as well which I highly doubt it will by comparison.
    Listening to their "modeling" and "simulations" jargon and these 40-something patches will all-to-soon grow to be very limited and old.


    I continue to take issue with this very design. (To me) I much prefer to keeping the processing at the base unit level allowing any controller to operate as a supporting slave and not any type of add-on processing engine.


    Moreover, The TONE! I much prefer the organic vibe of the sonic DNA array's Kemper offers to anything else.


    I couldn't find much info on the separate controller, but (to me) it'll pale in comparison to our existing Remote.
    Mostly for it's lack of display features. So, the cost vs. features seems about right to me.


    Guys.. Our futures will always reveal some johnny-come-lately product to compare against, so it's all good.


    But for me, I'll be sticking with the "Frank Zappa" approach of product evaluations (an internal joke made with all the best of intent) and continue to work with/make it happen with what I already have.


    Another advantage which comes to mind is the ability of future advancements (yet to be recognized/introduced) which could be seamlessly delivered through existing means. (a dreamers paradise)


    A devoted happy Kemper

  • Comparisons are not very helpful, we had and still have all these discussions like KPA vs. Ace-FX, Windows vs. OSX, Android vs. iOs ect. ect.


    The KPA is a very unique product, it's the only profiling amp on this planet. No way to compare the Kemper with any modelling amp, totally different technique with a very different result.


    Even I love good tube-amps and old Fender, Vox- and Marshall amps, the KPA ist the first digital tool I like, it gives me the feel (!) and tone of a real tube amp. I'm not into using a thousand effects and I prefer to have a very authentic amp-tone. I tried and played nearly everything, before I sold my POD HD500 I made an A/B-comparison with my KPA and I was nearly dieing of laughter... The KPA sounded so much better and I couldn't image that I used the HD500 on several tours. OK, I always had an A/B-set up, HD500 for the effect-sounds and a Fender tube combo + pedals for the "real" amp-sounds, now I'm just using the Kemper and everything's fine.


    Often there's a big hype when new products are released, but I doubt that the Helix will have success in the long run, especially not for $1.500.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    first name: Guenter / family name: Haas / www.guenterhaas.de

  • Great features but as with all Line 6 modelling products it seems to have this artificial hyped plastic sound. Once you start stacking this on a recording it sounds fatiguing. I was hoping that the Helix would be a step up but the sound in the vid does not impress me. I also don't like the way they are masking the amp tone with FX, Line 6 love to stick cheesy fx on their demos. Roland I am looking at you too.


    It is a shame as the feature set appears to be amazing. But sound is where it matters to me, I hope other demos impress me more.

  • Great features but as with all Line 6 modelling products it seems to have this artificial hyped plastic sound. Once you start stacking this on a recording it sounds fatiguing. I was hoping that the Helix would be a step up but the sound in the vid does not impress me. I also don't like the way they are masking the amp tone with FX, Line 6 love to stick cheesy fx on their demos. Roland I am looking at you too.


    It is a shame as the feature set appears to be amazing. But sound is where it matters to me, I hope other demos impress me more.


    Agreed, the tones in the demos are pretty awful. Well, awful for demonstrating the alleged improvements at any rate. Too much modulation, too much overdrive, and an inexplicable lack of variety. (It's a modeler for crying out loud - I don't want to hear the same patch for 5 minutes!)


    Regardless...I pre-ordered one today. I'll only be able to decide by programming my own patches and playing it with my own hands and ears engaged. If I don't like it, it goes back - no harm, no foul. Assuming it sounds half decent, I'm very excited about the UI and I/O options.


  • Agreed, the tones in the demos are pretty awful. Well, awful for demonstrating the alleged improvements at any rate. Too much modulation, too much overdrive, and an inexplicable lack of variety. (It's a modeler for crying out loud - I don't want to hear the same patch for 5 minutes!)


    Regardless...I pre-ordered one today. I'll only be able to decide by programming my own patches and playing it with my own hands and ears engaged. If I don't like it, it goes back - no harm, no foul. Assuming it sounds half decent, I'm very excited about the UI and I/O options.


    Agreed the feature set is second to none. And with the optical inputs you have the option of adding a really good preamp if the internal ones are no good. I remember the inputs on the UX interfaces were pretty poor so not expecting much from the ones on the helix.


    Let us know how you get on with the sounds. I wish Line 6 would just demo the bare amp tones, and do less talking and more playing. Which leads me to believe they are selling the looks and features over the sounds. Rather worryingly I read that some amp models were ported from the HD and improved rather than built from the ground up. I think they should have gone back to the drawing board. Perhaps the IRs will improve things.


    All I know is that if they achieve that raw natural amp sound of the kemper, they will blow me away with it coupled to that feature set.

  • The only ones that were ported were 3 amps that were L6 originals - not based on real world amps. However, all the model names appear identical or similar to their HD names. Only real world use will tell. Im not expecting great amp tone, but with imported IR's, the tone will certainly dominate the HD. On par with Kemper, VERY doubtful.

  • Classy post from Line 6 devs....


    CipherHost, on 13 Jun 2015 - 5:47 PM, said:
    When you say "It's still ALL about the code.", can I infer that the Line6 gurus were able to do more with less?

    Yes, we've been experts at doing more with less for twenty years. Now with Helix, we can do MUCH more with... more.

    Fractal and Kemper make awesome boxes; you'll never hear me disparaging them, and not just for political reasons. A bunch of us at Line 6 own studios full of competitors' gear, and a couple of us plan on using Helix and AxeFX together. And Strymon. And Eventide. And Lexicon. And Moog.

    Besides, we're more interested in comparing HX amp models with the original amps.