Andertons Helix Vid

  • It's like 500 pages long, I've read most of it, some people have been doing some live streams but I can't listen to that. I need some decent concise videos not endorsed by Line 6. A few have played them a fair amount at music shows and have liked it, but I don't know how much that's being blown away by how new it is, and how it's presented, what monitors are used etc.


    People said they're big into the UI. Personally the UI is meaningless to me, it's all about how it sounds, everything else I can get to grips with.


    Why anyone would choose one product over another based on UI, when the other sounds better is beyond me. I'm none the wiser on how it sounds anyway, I'm trying to stay open minded.

  • Having too many options doesn't guarantee satisfaction. AT Line 6 they insist on making products that do too many things when in the end of the day there's a relatively large market for products that focus on one thing. Look how many are buying Kemper mainly for good tube amp sounds. Imagine if line 6 can make a product focused on Modeling at 1/3rd of the price.


    I would have been interested in a products that focused on modeling, but when I saw everything included in the Helix (including the kitchen sink :D ), I bought the KPA. I'm sure some might think they need all these things included but, six input/outputs audio interface, controller . mic pre and phantom power... and the exhausting list goes on and on, I already have most if not all that it has and don't desire to combine them all in one package.

  • Having too many options doesn't guarantee satisfaction. AT Line 6 they insist on making products that do too many things when in the end of the day there's a relatively large market for products that focus on one thing. Look how many are buying Kemper mainly for good tube amp sounds. Imagine if line 6 can make a product focused on Modeling at 1/3rd of the price.


    I would have been interested in a products that focused on modeling, but when I saw everything included in the Helix (including the kitchen sink :D ), I bought the KPA. I'm sure some might think they need all these things included but, six input/outputs audio interface, controller . mic pre and phantom power... and the exhausting list goes on and on, I already have most if not all that it has and don't desire to combine them all in one package.


    Yeah I kind of think that the more things they have in there the more compromised each would be. The preamps are unlikely to be stellar.

  • The market for a foot pedal that does premium modeling and FX is getting saturated this year and competition is getting a little vicious. Atomic released Amplifire and the same day they released it Fractal announced the AX8, to spite Atomic. Few months later, line 6 announced Helix! Now Fractal is planning to release AX8 very shortly based on the success or failure of Helix.


    If Helix succeeds, Fractal AX8 will never see daylight. Success of Helix will no doubt result in line 6 releasing a trimmed down product in the 500 dollar range that will kill off "Atomic, Amplifire". If Helix continue to succeed, it could take market shares from the AXE II and might even take some from KPA.

  • On the Thomann homepage, there's a video they shot - the sounds you can here there are not that bad really. Take a listen if you like (you must, however, endure some German throughout the video).
    http://www.thomann.de/de/line6_helix_guitar_processor.htm


    I like the clean at the beginning.
    Starting at 1:33, it sounds really ratty and jagged. That sounds awful to me.

    The key to everything is patience.
    You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.
    -- Arnold H. Glasow


    If it doesn't produce results, don't do it.

    -- Me

  • Actually that Thomann Demo is very tasteful and shows that the Helix may have some really usable tones.


    I agree. But this is also due to the power of Christian Basener and Christoph Lindner that are featured in the vid. ;)
    They are great guys and I wish them all the best!

  • Mine arrived yesterday, but it was my wife's birthday, so the Helix had to wait. Spent literally 10 minutes with it this morning just to make sure it was working. Noodled into Preset #1 (Hiwatt), added a Big Muff, twiddled some knobs. 1st impressions:

    • A lot brighter than the TAF Gilmour profiles I use on my KPA. I didn't have time to check if there's a way to get the Normal channel or jumpered sounds out of it. It will probably need low-pass filtering and/or more distance between the virtual mic and cab. I'll probably end up using the TAF WEM IR.
    • Very high resolution and satisfying feel. I don't think I'll be giving anything up in this regard if I switch from the KPA to the Helix.
    • Tweaking is a breeze, but I'm expecting more tweaking will be needed compared to my KPA. I'm starting to realize how much I've come to rely on the work of 3rd parties in capturing great sounding profiles. Now it's on me to figure out mics/placement/pres/EQ. Or use IRs.

    Again, just some off-the-cuff impressions. I'm still buzzed on new toy excitement and will really dig in tonight.

  • Mine arrived yesterday, but it was my wife's birthday, so the Helix had to wait. Spent literally 10 minutes with it this morning just to make sure it was working. Noodled into Preset #1 (Hiwatt), added a Big Muff, twiddled some knobs. 1st impressions:

    • A lot brighter than the TAF Gilmour profiles I use on my KPA. I didn't have time to check if there's a way to get the Normal channel or jumpered sounds out of it. It will probably need low-pass filtering and/or more distance between the virtual mic and cab. I'll probably end up using the TAF WEM IR.
    • Very high resolution and satisfying feel. I don't think I'll be giving anything up in this regard if I switch from the KPA to the Helix.
    • Tweaking is a breeze, but I'm expecting more tweaking will be needed compared to my KPA. I'm starting to realize how much I've come to rely on the work of 3rd parties in capturing great sounding profiles. Now it's on me to figure out mics/placement/pres/EQ. Or use IRs.

    Again, just some off-the-cuff impressions. I'm still buzzed on new toy excitement and will really dig in tonight.


    New toy modus - great. Keep us informed - and post some sound examples, if you find the time!