panthur

I used it to record the performance on my laptop. Great for listening back and improving, especially on the vocals. Alternatively you can split the chain to record a dry signal which can be 're-amped' after the show. The Helix is 8-in / 8-out I think, which would probably have a whole lot more potential uses :)

I'm from the UK and I've seen many an excited brit, usually crashing in the direction of my pedalboard with pint in hand.

To be honest, the Neutrik USB connector or something similar is what should be on a 'tour-grade' piece of equipment. If a Neutrik type connector it's good enough for the Variax connector, why not elsewhere ?. Its a shame, but at least they've addressed it some way.

Had a response from the Line 6 Facebook page. The part has been updated :D

Great news about the foot-switch control !. :) Debating the old Pod HD is kind of off topic as it's widely covered already, my point is that the Helix is, according to Line, 'Tour-grade' Tour grade means that it must withstand advancing punters when things get a bit too exciting. The occasional stage invasion means that the cables may well get stepped on. Considering that a big feature is the 8-in/8-out interface, a single point of failure like a cheap USB connector would be a horrendous oversight, and it does look very similar to the one used on POD. I can understand it on the POD's because they're built to meet a price point where every penny counts, but the Helix isn't being marketed as such. Tour grade means using something like this....

I have a couple of essential questions. I appreciate the information might not be available yet, but I can't wait to find out, lol. 1. Has the USB implementation changed ? - The showstopper. This was a huge flaw on the Pod HD. Big driver issues early on which damaged hearing and headphones as the thing gave out a full volume squeal regardless of settings. Line 6 blamed this on the host environment for a long time. Then it turns out that the USB connector crumbles to pieces if you breathe heavily on it, again Line 6 deny. If the USB hasn't been fixed, I'm not buying one. Fool me once... 2. Can a foot-switch be assigned to an individual parameter ?. To me this seems like an addition that would add soooo much value that I'm disappointed it never came to POD, especially when DSP time is limited. The flexibility this adds to the floorboard is immense, especially considering the foot-switches can now be momentary. If the answer to both of these is yes, then take my money ! :)