amsdenj

Agree Peter. But my point was that two more blocks, to match a single Helix path, wouldn't make HX Stomp that much more complicated, but would add a lot of flexibility: I could fit in that one extra front of the amp effect, and separate the amp and cab model for example. Big change in tone possibilities without hardly any additional complexity.

It's possible that Line6 is phase aligning the cabinets in the dual cabinet block, but they are not exactly phase aligned when in separate blocks. You should be able to see this in Logic.

I understand the design motivation for limiting HX Stomp to 6 blocks: Keeping the UI elegant, simple and easy to use Focus on adding a stomp box in an existing pedalboard to compliment an existing setup with HX capabilities Consistency between the number of blocks and DSP capacity Anticipating future blocks that may utilize significantly more DSP resources Limited number of foot switches to control blocks Essentially this means HX Stomp is intended to provide Helix capabilities, with minimum footprint, to existing pedalboard and amp setups, not to be all things Helix in a tiny box. I get that, and these are all good design decisions, although these design decisions also sound appropriate for HX Effects. But let's look at how HX Stomp might be used in a gigging situation by itself to see if 6 blocks is enough. This might be for rehearsal, as a backup to Helix, as a convenient fly rig, or just because something so small is so useful. Consider a typical guitar signal chain that uses front and back of the amp effects (| means or): Input > Wah > Compressor > Drive > Overdrive > UniVibe | Phasor | Flanger | etc. > Amp > Cab | IR > Chorus > Delay > Reverb > Output This it my typical gigging Helix patch. I use 10 Stomp mode and pretty much stick with the same patch all night, using snapshots for open tunings, acoustic, and Leslie. This is 10 blocks, and clearly requires more foot switches than HX Stomp can provide. If you need patches like this or more complicated, you need Helix or Helix LT. Trimming this down to 8 blocks, we get something like: Input > Wah > Compressor > Overdrive > UniVibe | Phasor | Flanger | etc. > Amp+Cab > Chorus > Delay > Reverb > Output If you leave the Drive, Amp+Cab, Delay and Reverb on all the time, and you have a Line6 Mission pedal (if you don't, get one, it makes HX Stomp is a lot more useful), then you need foot switches to control Wah, Overdrive, UniVib, and Chorus. If you configure FS3 in global settings for Stomp, then you have the four foot switches you need. This seems like an ideal setup for HX Stomp by itself and is something I would be happy to gig with. To trim this down to 6 blocks, we get something like: Input > Wah > Drive > Amp+Cab > Chorus > Delay > Reverb > Output This is still pretty good, but looses the front of the amp modulation effect, something I use quite a bit. The work around is to create a patch template that covers the common blocks, then create a different preset for each front of the amp effect you need. That can work since you generally only need one of these at a time. But it means creating and maintaining a lot of patches that differ in only one block, and the potential need to change presets in the middle of a song to get different front of the amp effects. This is probably not practical. So I vote for 8 blocks, full Helix Path 1 capability, and let us users deal with balancing blocks and DSP capacity, just like we do with Helix. Two more blocks is actually a lot of additional flexibility without much additional complexity. This said, I'm pretty happy with HX Stomp just as it is and would highly recommend one as an entry point into the Helix ecosystem, as a Helix backup, or as a stomp box to add Helix blocks to an existing rig.

This is in the release notes for HX Stomp 2.70.0: HX Stomp only—Shortcut: Press ACTION andPreferences > Snapshot Edits value. Looks like this is missing some text and should be: HX Stomp only—Shortcut: Press ACTION and <PAGE to quickly switch Preferences > Snapshot Edit behavior between RECALL (gray) and DISCARD (red). This makes it easier to edit and save different snapshots. When performing, you generally want Snapshot Edit behavior to be set to DISCARD so that when you switch from snapshot to snapshot, you go to what was last saved, a predictable, consistent setting. However when editing snapshots, it is convenient to switch to RECALL so that you can change parameters in any snapshot, switch to the snapshot that should be selected when the patch is selected, press ACTION+<PAGE to switch back to DISCARD, and then press SAVE only once to save all the snapshot updates.

You should setup your tones for you audience first, then for your own monitoring needs. That means tweak the tones for the PA you’re running into and the FRFR you might be using for a stage amp since your audience will hear that too, especially those close to the stage/band. For IEMs, its best to use your own monitor mix if the PA can support it. Most modern digital PAs do this easily. If you have any backline, either FRFR or 4CM, then your IEMs can take that into consideration and just fill in around the bleed to provide the missing high end. The primary purpose for IEMs should be first to protect your ears, then to help you play in context. This requires a challenging balance. If your digital PA supports it, use your phone to control your own monitor mix so that you don’t have to rely on the sound guy.

Putting stereo blocks before any mono block will be mixed to mono, and therefore pretty much wastes DSP cycles. If you want stereo, put all the blocks after your last mono block, usually the amp/cab/IR block in stereo. Everything before the amp should be mono.

Well, I’m happy Line6 is investing in technical architecture and removing technical debt from the Helix family. That means we’ll keep getting updates and new features, and our Helix investment won’t be obsolete quite so soon. Regarding new amp models, I’d love to see Line6 partner with Mike Scuffham to put S-Gear Duke in Helix. Maybe that would be a way to scale the amp development resources. Go listen to Jerry’s samples at https://www.scuffhamamps.com/product/amplifiers/the-duke. And can’t Jerry play!?

Certain modulation effects, delay and reverb are best placed after the amp (or after any distortion), either in the Helix patch, or physically when using external pedals. You just have to make sure the gain staging is correct so that you don’t overdrive a pedal that’s designed for guitar input levels with high output amps. Placing these effects in front of a distorted amp was always a compromise in the past. However, its a compromise we’re use to hearing and might like anyway. Remember, there’s no accounting for taste.

Got my Warmoth neck installed on my JTV-69S this week. Its a big improvement for me. Stainless steel frets and a standard thin neck that fits my hands better made a big difference. Between the SVL Daytona pickups, the Warmoth neck and the setup, I have over $1100 additional invested in that JTV, might be more than I paid for the original instrument on eBay. That's probably more than is reasonable for that guitar. But I really like it for gigging, and its nice to make modifications that make it my own.

If you mean Helix, because the input and output blocks are never off, and there's processing required for VDI input. If you mean Helix FX, although the input and output blocks aren't visible, they're probably still there, and just don't consume UI space. So true bypass requires specific user input - although Helix FX automatically goes into true bypass if you remove power.

I’ve used two JBL EON610s for my gigging FRFR with Helix for the last three years. Never a problem and never an issue. You may want to use the Monitor setting if they’re placed on the floor. Otherwise there’s too much bass. Gets worse if you’re stuck into a corner which I often am in small clubs.

Try lowering and balancing the global string volumes. If they're too loud, they could be triggering some odd reaction in the models. I seem to recall others have had some success getting the sustain back doing this, but I could be remembering wrong.

As has been stated above, Helix Native and Helix algorithms are the same, so we would expect them to sound the same. The differences would be primarily latency and the influence of the audio interface. Latency isn’t much of an issue with modern computers, good DAWs, and fast communication protocols. It could be noticeably worse than Helix hardware, but stepping a few meters away from the speaker would have the same effect. I wouldn’t worry too much about latency. The audio interface however could have significant impact on results with Helix Native. You need to be sure to have a high-Z input or you’re going to loose dynamics and high end. Most audio interfaces don’t have variable impedance, so the impact of the first block in the signal chain will no longer be heard. The other issue is gain staging. Helix hardware does have an input pad switch, but you don’t know where the gain on your audio interface corresponds to pad switch on or off. So you may not be hitting the blocks in Helix Native with the same amount of signal, and that will effect the tone and distortion. So the same patchas from Helix hardware may not sound exactly the same in Helix Native, simply because your audio interface isn’t providing the same input impedance to your guitar and the same gain and dynamic range into the Helix Native blocks.

I believe these design changes were to reduce size and weight, and improve reliability. USB-C provides two way power, high speed two-sided cable. Its unfortunate these design decisions have some drawbacks, but overall, these are reasonable choices.

Check the guitar input impedance, that might be the problem.

A Variax with the 1/4" cable, using one of the old Variax external power supplies, would work well with Helix FX.

And this seems like a key missing feature of HX Effects. All the physical connections are there, and possibly most of the internal hardware. USB audio couldn’t have added that much cost and would have been a nice feature.

No problems here.

I put SVL Daytona’s on my JTV-69S and love the result. I’m in the process of changing the neck now. This guitar is my main gigging instrument and worth the investment to me.

Pure speculation: but I don’t think the technology of the Variax itself is the issue. Rather I think the limitation is in the process of capturing the models. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect the underlying technology that Variax is based on is Impulse Responses that transform piezo pickup tones into different guitar tones. Its the technology used to capture these IRs that is likely the problem. I’m guessing that’s what hasn’t advanced. That said, my JTV-69S is my goto guitar. I love what I can do with the models that wouldn’t be possible with any other instrument. We should be focusing on what is really unique we can already do instead of just wishing for something shiny and new (but of course I want that too).

https://jimamsden.wordpress.com/2018/06/19/wet-dry-wet-setup-with-helix/

I have also found that my Standard has gotten better with use. It still doesn't play as well or sound as good (on the models) as the JTV--69S, but it is better than it was. Perhaps clang tone can be variable. Make sure the saddles are clean and well seated, and the string is going over the saddle properly.

I have a Standard and a JTV-69S. The Standard has a bit of clang tone - that resonator sound you mentioned, but my JTV-69S doesn't. I have no problems using it with Helix and often switch between acoustic and electric models, and open tunings. I wouldn't gig without it.

Get MainStage, it works great with Helix Native and all the Logic Pro X plugins. MIDI configuration is very powerful and reasonable simple (much simpler than Logic Pro X). Mac OS also comes with a simple VST/AU host called AU Lab.app. You can use that with Helix Native too.

My band uses an X32-Core for the PA, so my backup is Helix Native since we have to have a computer anyway. The SD16 that feeds the X32-Core on my side of the stage has a High-Z input that I can use. This is routed into a MainStage concert that has Helix Native as well as JamOrigin MIDI Guitar2. This runs into a pair of aux inputs into the X32-Core through its USB interface. There would be no MIDI control, but I could get by without stomp control if needed. For longer periods without Helix, I would use my Apogee GiO for I/O and MIDI control. But I don’t bother bringing that to gigs as a backup. I was initially concerned about the reliability of the X32-Core and Helix. But its been 3 years now with gigs about twice a month, and no problems.