PeterHamm

One way is to switch between two paths, but I don't like that, because I too often want the same FX on both. So another way is to have two different settings on the amp, one at heel down on an EXP (or with a footswitch off) and the other with toe down (or footswitch on). Then you can add a drive pedal and kick it into high gear beyond that. The patch I use in this video gives you an idea of how you can do 3 different tones in one patch. In this case, one of the tones is an acoustic driven by the piezo on my Crowdster, but it could just as easily be another amp tone, perhaps kept clean so that you can have a clean and dirty amp tone side by side.

LA Studio Comp. I use it on every single chain.

I think it's on Ideascale, and I bet it's high on the list.

No lag, you can very very easily switch between those two sounds (there are at least 2 or 3 ways I can think of) within one patch. EASY!

No spillover, just like the Axe FX II. Yes. Right decision. I build patches that use every ounce of the horsepower in this unit. I'm so glad they didn't put spillover in there, because it would have meant I would be more limited. Honestly, the whole multi-amp channel thing can easily be accomplished with one model and a footswitch, switching between two different settings of the same model, and even adding in the Timmy or Klon or something, or an eq.

Not sure how much improvement in tone you're going to hear if you're only using amp tones, honestly. You'll gain a lot more flexibility, which you may or may not need. you'll gain ease of use (although only if you're doing esoteric things... the M13 is easier to use than any piece of gear I've seen like that). The key to 4CM with Helix, from what I've seen here (not doing it myself) is setting those loops to instrument level. That said, if you're happy with M13, you might be better served by supplementing it with some drive pedals or such.

Long time HD 500 owner (mine is from Sweetwater's very first batch, first day they shipped, still works great). If you loved the 500 and don't have the money for the Helix, you will be happy with the 500X for a long time. It still sounds great in 2016. Mine is not for sale. Now... ...imagine roughly twice the capability, editing so easy that if you're like me you will misplace the printed manual and won't even bother looking for it, 4 loops instead of 1, and noticeably better tone. Is that worth 3X the price to you? Only you know the answer. I had to use my HD 500 for an event last weekend instead of Helix (which was all set up at my church and I wasn't going to have time to tear down and re-set up). I was not disappointed. It was just peachy. But Helix offers so much more.

FRFR just means full range flat response. NO speaker is perfect in either of those cases, but in many cases, the powered wedges from companies like QSC and Yamaha and such have worked fine for this purpose for a very long time before we had them from the guys who are making them today. And I have used acoustic guitar amps and keyboard amps to monitor through before. They work great, but don't tweak to them, tweak to the PA if you possibly can.

What was the environment like in which you created your patches? Headphones by any chance?

Yup. The thing I like BEST about modeling is that there is no amp in the room. The first time a modeler comes out with the ability to totally recreate the "amp in the room"... including moving all the air that is required for that to happen... it will be at the top of my list of things not to buy. If I need an amp in the room, I buy an amp and find a room.

Yup. The fact is, you want an FRFR speaker to sound like your PA as much as possible. Otherwise, the sound might be great through the monitor, but not through the PA or vice versa. Either is a problem. If someone sells an FRFR that only works with guitar modelers correctly... I would never buy it. because there must be something non Full-Range-Flat-Response about it, and that means I can be guaranteed to end up crafting sounds that won't sound good to my audience. I don't want that.

Pretty sure the answer is no. But with the editor moving banks around is ridiculously easy.

With respect... I am reasonably sure that "downward compatibility" would be insanely limiting on the ability to create a whole new far more realistic sound engine, so not only do I guess it wasn't priority 1, but am hopeful it will never even be priority 10. The only way to successfully deliver downward compatibility in a unit like this is to cripple it sonically compared to what would be possible. If Line 6 did that, I guarantee you they would have had a flop on their hands. there are a handful of situations where I think my old HD still is a great solution, and so for the short term I am keeping it, but when I want to make the best sound possible, the HD 500 is not the solution I'll reach for now. By comparison, for the very brief time I had the X3 and HD side by side, I realized quickly that I would never ever want to use the X3 again, the HD was THAT much better. At least the HD still sounds good to my ears next to Helix. But backward compatibility? No. Please. Don't ever give us that...

What are you trying to accomplish? Using Helix as a recording interface where you can hook up multiple mics? Sorry, beyond the scope of this product.

I would think with the surprising impact Helix has made, if Roland isn't fast-tracking something that is presumably already in the pipeline somewhere, they are missing an opportunity. When asked a year ago if I thought a product in the 1 to 1.5 grand range was viable, I said No. I thought people would either buy Axe FX for more money or HD 500 for less. I was clearly wrong, as we now have Helix and (someday) AX8 competing in that space. Then again... maybe that's all the competition you need in that space. What do I know?

Wonderful! Bookmarked!

It is. And the nice thing about Coax is that it sounds the same no matter what angle you listen from. In other words, the thing that makes guitar amps super cool (that as you move they sound different) is eliminated...

Yup. If you can, just use what they got there. makes the sound guy your friend too. I've used 'em. Modeler's sound GREAT through them. My personal go-to monitor is a Verve 8ma, but they've been discontinued for some time.

Another AG Stomp fan. I will NEVER part with mine, even though the Helix, with the IRs engaged, is beating it for natural sound. Yes, the TRS deal was awesome, and worked with my acoustic guitar so I didn't need batteries, which was way way cool (that's impossible with my 2-voice guitars, though, sadly). In fact, I have to play two simple songs tonight at an Ash Wednesday service, and I will be using that with my Crowdster. Amazing sound. Not quite the same as IRs, but through a PA...? Just amazing. Better than any similar solution that has come along since.

Well, Line 6 probably would say they already have that covered. http://line6.com/stagesource-pa-speaker/

I suspect that the whole "modeled every single component in the circuit" deal is different from what they did before, where they probably measured and modeled parts and pieces together. But I'm just guessin'...

There are so many options out there for FRFRs that I think we have it covered, actually. Including a bunch of options from Line 6. And imho, you buy an FRFR not to match with your modeler/profiler/whatever, but to give you a great approximation of the sound with the PA you'll be playing through, if possible.

not to mention... when you compare the sounds I got from POD HD using the Acoustic Amp model... with what I get with an acoustic IR, the Vintage Tube Preamp (or whatever it's called), the really nice compressor, and the parametric EQ... The acoustic sounds out of Helix are the best plugged in acoustic sounds I've ever heard. Good enough for recording if it's in a mix. No lie.