PeterHamm

Real amps have fizz... jus' saying'... :ph34r:

No. 1 is debatable. I and others are having SMASHING success with the native cabs, especially used as dual cabs up and changing the mic model and distance from default. IRs certainly CAN be your friend here, but the stock cabs really do sound quite good. So... "most"? I doubt it. No. 2 is not debatable. I have never had the problems others have had, and 90% or more of problems Line 6 gets when people call about this have missed a step in the directions, but the directions are hard and complicated for many, and Line 6 says they will address this in the coming year. No. 3... From a few days out, I was able to get great sound from Helix in a very few minutes of programming. Once you learn the way the unit "thinks", it's easy.

The difference in added functionality is much more enormous with Helix than previous Line 6 products. That said, if you don't need to switch sounds or turn FX on and off while playing, you'll be okay. You'll have more fun with it, but still...

yup, the Helix Control. the Rack without it is about 50% less useful imho. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HelixControl

It's not just Helix, but, to me, any device that has such a master volume. Synths, everything. If it's going to a mixer, I send the full output level. Always have.

Doesn't Power Engine have a volume control? In any case, when I'm playing in my office direct to my FRFR, I use the master then. Just not live. There I go straight to the board and give him all I got.

It's too easy to bump and forget where it goes. So for that reason, I set it at max all the time. Best signal transmission, and he adjusts the gain at the board. Seriously, just max it out when you play live and forget about it.

Don't get the rack without control, and if price is an object just get the floor as the functionality is virtually identical. Seriously, one of the best things about Helix is workflow, and Control is a huge part of it.

imho, should be ON by default. makes sense to me that MOST players want trails on on verbs and delays.

Here's a quick comparison of a straight piezo and 3 Sigma IR.

very first thing when I create a patch is set input to Guitar.

And before you buy a TON of them, make sure to experiment with dual cabs in Helix with the stock cabs. For me, they take a little longer to tweak, but sound better than the few IR that I've tried.

This is why I stopped bothering with Bundles. I'm sure it's helpful for some. It's useless to me. That was true on HD 500, too.

Every year these screens get sharper and my eyes get worse. I can tell the difference in a big way with my iPad and my iPhone for sure... but with my Mac...? I ended up with the non-retina 13" last time I bought because I couldn't see the difference... literally... in normal use. I'm holding out for infinity-K TVs.

But a third generation modeled fuse...

part of the 2.11 update. I haven't messed with it yet and don't have my Helix at home right now.

This is acoustic and electric at the same time... but... I've since upgraded to the 3 Sigma Acoustic IR collection and will never go back, though. And I also use a return, because some of my guitars don't have any preamp, and those ones sound poor through the Aux in.

THIS is the way.

I think it would be easier to get used to the on-board pedal, myself. Or... even better... use the new auto-off feature with whatever EXP you like.

Well, the EXP jacks are not for switches, they are for potentiometers. I don't know how you'd make the toe switch work.

How does the switch connect to Helix though? How does Helix know it's there?

I have two of the metal ones if you mean this one. http://www.zzounds.com/item--ZOMFP02M?siid=122303 It's TRS. There are two ways it works. One, simply use a TS plug and change the polarity in globals, but then it doesn't work "full travel" but takes you to full about half way up (for the record, I like this). The other way is to create a custom TS to TRS cable where the "R" on the pedal end connects to the "S" on the Helix end. That works perfectly.

If you can put the VP back to factory specs without the switch, you can use the new feature where all the way at 0 is off and the way auto-activates.

if you HAVE to record acoustic direct, with the IR capability on Helix (although you SHOULD use a real mic on acoustic, and Helix is a GREAT interface for a mic), it's a total winner. I no longer use my acoustic preamps and processing and have sold most of that stuff. Here's acoustic and electric at the same time.

1. Yes, recording with the helix is such a joy that my Ultralite Mk 3 is on the selling block. Want it? 2. Yes, you can. That will work well. But if you monitor through Helix and turn off monitoring in your DAW while you record, you have true zero latency monitoring. 3. Never used Eleven Rack, but Helix's monitoring is just unbelievably great. 4. LOVE the FX in Helix. Love love love them, but haven't compared these two.