PeterHamm

Then you need a backup, as inconvenient and potentially expensive as that is. Might not be the same device for monetary reasons, at least initially, but *something*.

Absolutely. 1st backup... HD 500 which I'm not selling (but may let other musicians use now). 2nd backup, Mac running Mainstage. 3rd backup. Acoustic guitar directly into the house. 4th backup... seriously... well... there's a little amp here I could use...

Interesting read- Gets my hopes up in finally receiving my Helix.

i've been saying this over and over, which should give you even more hope.

I printed out my Helix manual and read it through before my Helix arrived.

I referred to it a little the first two days I worked with it. (Got a working patch from scratch in under an hour.)

I lost the manual a little while later. Didn't reprint it. Didn't look for it. Didn't need it. (finally found it, btw.)

It took me a day to learn everything about this that it took a week or more to learn with HD 500.

It's... that... easy...

Editor won't make it "easier", just easier on your back, imho.

The best thing about Fractal Audio forums isn't its products, altho they are awesome. Its that you get to discuss the Axe FX and AX8 with its maker, on the forum, nearly every day!  I would LOVE to see Line 6 have that kind of communication with its customers.

I think you do, as far as is possible. The user base of the Line 6 products is way way bigger than Fractal, and yet Frank and Eric and others find time to comment and be part of the conversations here and on TGP and on the facebook forum and in other places.

I don't know how much more you could really expect.

Good thing you were in a Church when you did that!  ;)

Except it is VITAL that it doesn't fail for me, way more than a club. This is my full-time job.

Oh I know. Thankfully, the Helix's filters are very capable.  Everybody does indeed hear things differently because I find that even the ribbon mics have plenty of clarity.

Yup, I've switched to using them almost exclusively. LOVE them.

I like to dial in a certain delay time in milliseconds for a particular preset, save it that way, and then be able to stomp on the tap tempo switch, if I so desire, while performing to alter that preset time a bit one way or the other...

I don't think, logically speaking, that you can expect that.

if you want to tap out a tempo, you set to a note value. You can, however, set the patch to default to whatever time is stored for that note value (it's a global setting) if you want, but if you set it using ms, you are not going to also be able to tap out the tempo. How does the system know what note value to re-set the tempo to? It's a logical impossibility.

...Hoping the new editor due out shortly is much more robust and scalable to the newer high res screens....the current UI looks like it was developed for a 1024x768 screen resolution which is really behind the times....

But... they better make it work with the guy who has a non-retina macbookpro or Air or some such or a small laptop. There's a LOT of those things out there, and the visual look of the screen will not matter to the sound.

Funny. I find most of the cab sims way too bright and buzzy.

Both are often very fixable with tweaks of the HP and LP filters, and changing the input impedance.

Here's all you need to know.

I played our church service tonight after having installed the latest beta build for my Rack less than 60 minutes before.

With beta software... I had no glitches, hiccups or interruptions of any kind.

How much more stable do you think the stuff that actually gets released is.

As a beta tester (who is often running firmware y'all don't have yet) I can tell you that even the BETA stuff is getting really rock solid. Yes, bugs are getting fixed all the time, even some you guys never hear about because only the beta testers experience them.

It's soup.

It's there.

AX8 is a real buy imho. It wouldn't work for me because I need at least 2 signal paths almost all the time, but for those who must have those sounds, it's a killer deal.

Fact is, AX8 and Helix compete, but they are SO different that for many there's a clear choice. Need all those amps? AX8. Need loops for pedals (more than one), Helix. Comfy with Fractal's editing and like their computer editor (which is SWEET!). AX8. Clearly. Must be able to have multiple paths and planning on editing on the unit? Helix.

Tone? Your audience can't tell the difference I promise you. So pick the one that inspires YOU!

His intentions are great. He just wants things to improve and I hope he continues to do so.

fixed it for ya. The fact is, I know from dealing with the L6 people directly that they WANT to hear from people who want to stretch their products beyond what they can do right now. It's how they come with ideas like Helix!

Glad we can all deal in an adult manner!

Keep on keepin on everybody!

I'm clearly aware there are limitations. I'm not sure why you feel the need to point it out especially in such a patronising manner

That's what provokes a reaction from me

I've been pushing the limits of technology for the last 30 years. There are always limitations. Am I not allowed to talk about them?

I think you are allowing yourself to be provoked in a manner that makes it look to some like you have a chip on your shoulder, sir. The tone of your responses is not making it easy to have dialogue with you, I agree with silverhead on that.

Desiring to push technology is a great thing. Asking for features in a box like this is, too... using a tone that seems bullying to more than one or two is probably not going to get it done.

I wonder if line 6 can make some "live" irs that may not be perfectly accurate but sound and feel better? I.e. ir's for recording, perfectly emulating ABC cab, and live ir's for ABC cab in the room.

They might, or they might just leave that to the third parties.

You can put LP and HP filters on and really suck the life out of any of those cabs (or IRs), but I don't.

I'm able to do a passable version live with the advent of the great new technology available to me

I'd be able to do it live without a jarring gap when I switch from the acoustic model to the electric model for the solo, if either

There was some kind of delay spillover or

Some way of switching the variax models without having to go to another patch (which I know can be done.. It just hasn't been)

I hope and expect that that functionality will be given you at some point. A LOT of guys want better Variax control.

I was tempted to say that you are asking too much from one box, but... technically... I think it will be possible with Helix all by itself. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

...if I wanted access it in stereo (even if I lose the ability to maintain separation afterwards), could both bass and melody signal chains have a split to one "aux" stereo signal path (with lower send level for the bass side) that has a stereo send/return to the BigSky?...

 

...I assume I could bring the guitar input impedance down to match the aux and use my preamp, so that both inputs behave in the same way?...

1. No. Pretty sure you can not do that.

2. I don't see why not!

Just saw the mel9 demo.

going to pre-order.

The car analogy is really stretching.

The simple fact is, even the best tools don't work for everyone. that's why there are 3 or 4 companies in this product space.

so probably at the end are the unaware end buyers those who pay the costs caused by second thoughts in terms of the device wear out

I don't know in the MI business what they do. Often I see open-box stuff for sale at different retailers. I assume that's this stuff. Same with "refurbished" (which I'm a big fan of).

I'd use dual cabs in Helix first. You can get a very big sound that way.

@ L6 staff and experts

 

I wonder if the returned devices are then sold as brand new and never used, therefore exactly at the same price..

because if that were the case I would find it unacceptable..

 

What actually happens in these cases?

Often stuff is sent back to the manufacturer and "refurbished" (which sometimes means nothing) and sold as new if it's still new, or stores will sell them as open box. I'm sure that's up to retailers mostly, not the manufacturers.

...On my GNX4. I can switch quickly and easily between wah & pitch shifter with the toe switch using the on board rocker pedal. And I use that all of the time.

On the Helix. You can't do that. You have to play this little game of disable the wah and enable the pitch shifter thing. That was very disappointing to me...

I think you COULD have gotten the sounds you wanted out of Helix if you had spent more time with it, but life is too short for that if you have something that makes you happen.

That said, I'm pretty sure you could have done the switching thing I quoted above with Helix, no problem.

Glad you have something that works for you, though.

The problem I think MIGHT be that any of these may end up being serious resource hogs, and at that point, I think I'd rather just have a POG2 or maybe a HOG2 this time.

Pretty sure that's real easy.

The bottom line is this.

The audience (in my case congregation) can't hear the difference between an HD 500 and Helix I think. They can't hear the difference between a Squier CV Tele and my Anderson that costs 10 times the money new.

But...

...I can, and it makes me play better and enjoy life more.