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

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    What JTM profiles are these?


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    We just completed profiling the Marshall JTM45. This amp has a raw sound with less gain than later Marshalls. This particular 30W small-box amp has had it's stock PC board upgraded to a hand-wired turret board. We paired the amp with our Marshall 4x12 cab loaded with old Celestion 25W Greenbacks. We love the sweet, organic tones we were able to grab from this tone machine! Hope you like 'em too. Profiles available at: http://www.topjimi.com/NEW-Mar…45-Profiles-JTM45.htmDemo Video

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    The quote from Cliff at Fractal is very interesting, and smells a bit to me like he is seeing some potential competition for his upcoming AX8 product. I haven't seen any info about what market he is aiming at, but it might be the buyer that Line 6 is seeking with the Helix at around the same price point. It might be a bit unnerving to see a product you have been working on for awhile and are about to release (and have a lot of NRE invested) upstaged before it is released.


    Concerning Cliff's comment on the pretty color LCD; I know first hand from a previous job that looks matter a LOT. We sold a product that was far more capable and less expensive than a competitor's product, but they sold tons more of their product than we did. There were two reasons for this; one was their better marketing efforts, and another was their unit had a really slick color display where ours had a simple 2 line LCD. Their product would have worked fine without the snazzy display, but all the customers thought theirs was better because it looked better. And trying to explain the differences did very little good in most cases.


    I guarantee that there will be folks that will think the Helix is better than the AX8 just because of the looks and display. They will even think it sounds better. I suspect that the AX8 will massacre the Helix in tone quality and maybe even functionality, but the Helix will sell more because it looks killer and the AX8 appears very plain in comparison. Who would want three plain LEDs per button over LCD scribble strips? All modelers in that price range sound pretty good, good enough for most people, so Line 6 has really stepped up the game in looks and UI alone. How many users would seriously select the UI of the Amplifire over the Helix?

    I honestly don't give a damn about the looks - if anything I have sort of an inverse bias here, where I'll be a little embarrassed dropping something as glitzy as the Helix on stage at most of the dives I typically play. :)


    But I do care about ease of use, and I think the same design philosophy that made the Helix so easy on the eyes will also make it somewhat easier on the brains. (Mine are usually fried before I even get around to picking up a guitar at night.)


    This is where your question about targeted market gets interesting: the kind of player who will make no compromises re: tone, and is willing to work with a somewhat more obtuse rig to make that happen (i.e. a pro) is probably already happy with a Kemper or an Axe Ultra or perhaps their favorite tube amp head, integrated with an external foot controller, etc. The AX-8 is going to pull guys who - like me - want things to be a bit more convenient, more flexible, easier to use - and this is where Helix will likely have an advantage.


    Here's hoping the AX8 doesn't "massacre" the Helix in tone quality. I hope it's a closer race than that LOL.

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    This is where your question about targeted market gets interesting


    Love him or hate him, Cliff Chase is a smart guy and has probably been thinking about this same question for a lot longer than the couple of days the majority of us have since the Helix was released. He pretty much framed the debate perfectly in points 4 and 5.


    You profiling guys are lucky, your stuff just works as intended. Unfortunately, I chose modeling because it's a better intersection with my love of technology.

    Quote from nEVH5150

    [quote='mbenigni','http://www.kemper-amps.com/forum/index.php/Thread/22060-Line-6-Helix-next-gen-guitarist-s-wet-dream/?postID=233381#post233381'][quote](The audio clips of Top Jimi's latest JTM-45 profiles are KILLING me right now LOL.) I don't expect the Helix to sound quite as good, honestly; I'm just looking for an acceptable approximation married to a more comprehensive feature set.


    What JTM profiles are these?


    JTM45 - check his website. There's a Youtube video too, plus a post on this forum.

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

    Arrgh! I was really excited when I saw the caption on that video, but one amp model with and without overdrive and Univibe is not a "tone overview". In fact, I think that's the same damn tone I heard in the other videos! Please, more audio samples!


    Looks like my other fear was well-founded: this is the first video where I get a sense of scale, and the Helix looks absolutely HUGE here. That'll take some getting used to.


    He used the "P" word! That should get some tongues wagging LOL.

    Quote from meambobbo

    And there it is. Line 6 employee saying theyve been working on it for 6 years. Thats before the pod HD launched. The tone in the above video sounds pretty darn good, but again, i have no faith in line 6 supporting a "flagship" product anymore.


    I'm not too concerned about long term support. It'll make me happy out of the box, or it will go away. And a few years down the road, realistically, I'll be working with something else entirely.

    Quote from magentix

    I wonder if the helix control would be compatible with the kemper somehow? Or is this absolutely proprietary and works just in conjunction with the helix rack?


    I would expect the Helix to send MIDI PC and CC which could be used for rig change and effect on/off on the Kemper, at the very least. It's also got amp switch outputs (for reverb and channel, typically) which might be compatible with the Kemper's external footswitch inputs. It would be an expensive rig, and a ton of cables, but I imagine the Helix and KPA wired together would be extremely flexible.

    Quote from mbenigni


    I would expect the Helix to send MIDI PC and CC which could be used for rig change and effect on/off on the Kemper, at the very least. It's also got amp switch outputs (for reverb and channel, typically) which might be compatible with the Kemper's external footswitch inputs. It would be an expensive rig, and a ton of cables, but I imagine the Helix and KPA wired together would be extremely flexible.


    I cant see MIDI output on the helix remote back, just a RJ45 socket. http://www.thomann.de/de/line6_helix_control.htm
    I suspect they will not use MIDI protocol on there. It would need some kind of converter to use it as a MIDI remote. With their previous remotes, like shortboard etc. they did not provide a converter. (other than the rack unit , which is 1,5k in this case ;)

    Quote from magentix

    I cant see MIDI output on the helix remote back, just a RJ45 socket. http://www.thomann.de/de/line6_helix_control.htm
    I suspect they will not use MIDI protocol on there. It would need some kind of converter to use it as a MIDI remote. With their previous remotes, like shortboard etc. they did not provide a converter. (other than the rack unit , which is 1,5k in this case ;)


    Sorry Magnetix, you're absolutely right. I didn't notice that you were asking specifically about the Helix Remote. (I keep forgetting the rack and Remote even exist.) I was talking in terms of KPA and the full Helix multi-effects pedal.