therightclique

Yeah, if you're using the Helix as an interface, it's basically replaced your computer's sound card, so you need to use its headphone jack. It took me a while to understand this one, but it's how basically all recording interfaces work. It'll probably sound better than your computer's digital-to-analog converters anyway.

I have a Helix and Powercab 112+ combo. I have the Redwirez Big Box / Complete pack (legally obtained) The IRs work just fine when loaded on the Helix, and the Powercab sounds good set to FRFR/flat. However, when I uploaded the same set of IRs to the Powercab itself, every third or fourth one is completely silent. I've changed the levels of each IR to be at 0.0, from the default of -18.0. Otherwise, didn't do anything odd with them. Just want them to be as loud as possible. Plus, I want the extra DSP I get back from not loading them on the Helix. All of them are 24-bit and 48khz, which I believe is the required format. I selected one IR from each cab they offer, using the R121 mic at 1" placement. Was going to start there and try other placements if I hated the results. So each IR is a different cab, or at least different speaker. It's not 50 IRs for the same cab with different mic placements. I'm going to try grabbing some alternate mic placements from the ones that didn't work and see how that goes. I might also take the ones that didn't work and try to re-save them in Adobe Audition or something to correct for any encoding issues the Power cab is sensitive to. Anyone run into anything like this with their Powercab?

Oh yeah, I would never advocate for REPLACING the current model.

It's a line level input, so I don't see why not. I don't know if it's the best use of the Powercab, but it should sound great if you disable the speaker emulation and go with a flat response.

Aside from IRs, there are other differences. You have to decide for yourself whether or not they matter to you. The differences are listed here: https://line6.com/powercab/

I too would be interested in that. Currently, you can link two of them together to get stereo, but I'm betting they could make a 2x12 that is cheaper than $1600.

I'm fairly certain they're done with those two amps. I'm not sure how that makes them 'doomed' though. Perhaps they're working on a followup that integrates with the Helix better than the DT amps do. I think the DT amps were fighting an uphill battle against the people that hate modeling, but every one of those people I've actually put in front of it has changed their minds. It's also important to note that Yamaha acquired Line 6 after the DT series was released. It shouldn't be much of a surprise when a company shifts its product focus. The DT amps are still great and won't stop working just because they've been discontinued. Hopefully they're working on a sequel amp line. EDIT: Sweetwater still has the DT25, for whatever that's worth.

After getting an MXR La Machine, the Helix fuzzes are just ugly by comparison. The La Machine is so warm and creamy and delightful. I'm sure it's a copy of some well known fuzz, but nothing in the Helix is even similar. I find them very unusable. I feel that way about the drive pedals in general. They seem extremely lacking compared to previous Line 6 units.

Compared to previous products Line 6 has made, that also cost a lot less money. I love my Helix, but still, we shouldn't have to take a step back in a lot of major categories just to upgrade to the latest [very expensive] modeling tech. Microsoft did something similar with the Xbox One, where it's missing a lot of the nuanced features that made the Xbox 360 great, and three years later, they're slowly adding all of those features back. This kind of thinking damages trust. We WANT to be Line 6's cheerleaders, but it's currently a little hard to justify. The user interface and hardware are AMAZING. Probably the best I've ever seen, but there are times where the list of amps and effects feels extremely lacking, almost barren, compared to the HD500. People don't want to have a Helix PLUS their pedal board. They want to be all-in on the Helix, and they get frustrated when they can't.

At least they released a new Trio with a looper. That helps quite a bit! Doesn't help the wallet, unfortunately...

Aux definitely doesn't bypass the traditional paths.

I don't 100% know the answer, but why don't you just try it?

I also have this problem with my JTV-59p. I actually had assumed it was just the nature of modeled guitars. Still, it makes me not want to pick it up very often. I only looked the issue up because I was bored and thought maybe somebody else had seen and dealt with it. I haven't even plugged my 59 into my Helix, because why bother, right? The p90s don't have the plink, but are noisy (no surprise there). I've just read this entire thread. That first Line 6 guy that kept deflecting should be ashamed of himself. Similarly, the members of Iron Butterfly should be ashamed to be associated with him. Wait, was that guy spending too much time around butterflies? Is that why he was suggesting adjusting the pickup by 1/10th of a millimeter? Has anyone considered that he may be a really tiny guy? Perhaps, to him 0.10mm is a massive difference. Could he be this Ant-Man I've heard so much about? I've ordered some Polyweb strings and will swap in the 52 for the stock E string and see what happens. Might file the saddle like somebody else suggested. I'm not super handy with mods like that, so I may not do it. I'd love to breathe some new life into this guitar. Mostly just adding my name to the list.

This is proof that you just had a defective unit. I'd have to go out of my way to make the Helix sound soft and distant. Yes, the Satriani preset the guy posted above sounds soft and distant, but that's by design. You certainly don't have to program presets to sound like that.

I don't see why the bluetooth synced app has to have any information other than the controls of the current patch and the names of the other patches. Surely, syncing one preset (or a bank of 4) and a text list of the entire setlist (or all of them) shouldn't be out of reach for Bluetooth. Naturally, it'd be great to download new patches and beam them to the unit as well. The bluetooth functionality wouldn't have to be super deep. Just the ability to switch presets and download new ones would be nice. I imagine mounting a phone/tablet to a mic stand and controlling it without bending over, or if the Helix isn't right next to you.

I clicked expecting to hear garbage*, but it's really good. Sounds very pro too. Well done man. *The internet has made me into a very negative person. Apologies.

There are so many amps and effects from the various pods that I miss in the Helix. It feels pretty bare by comparison, which is a real shame considering how intuitive it is to operate. For $1500, it definitely feels like it should have started with more in the software department. The hardware is definitely great, and I hope future updates will unlock more greatness.

This was easily the most misleading/annoying thing about setting up the Helix. Everything else about it is so intuitive. Configuring it for an amp is not, especially compared to previous Pods.

I don't own a Helix, but it seems like this is the intended (or rather, unavoidable) behavior. For it to be able to seamlessly load between complex patches, it would have to have AT LEAST double the memory/CPU. And that's only if it knows what you're next preset is. For it to arbitrarily switch between any two presets instantly is fundamentally impossible. If it had that additional power, there are much better things it could use it on, since switching presets mid song is a very niche thing to want to do, especially while switching stomp boxes is made so simple and can be used to solve the problem with nearly the same results. The workaround is to do your switching WITHIN a single preset. For instance, start with a clean preset and use a stomp box to introduce dirt, rather than a complete preset switch. Sure, this limits your abilities to some extent, but if you're crafty, you should be able to find equivalents to everything you were already doing. Expecting it to switch presets mid-song without delay is just asking way too much.

Why can't it just transfer the current preset you're working on to your phone. I don't think it has to sync the entire thing. Maybe it could sync the 4 presets in the bank you're in. It's just a bummer that Helix isn't a more Pro version of Firehawk. Why should we have to choose?

Let's not pretend that there's no lag between patch switches. OP should definitely try one in a store to see if it's manageable for him. Having instantaneously switching on a unit like this just isn't possible.

Do they make a reverse ABY switch? If so, you could use something like that to have two guitars connected to the same rig, regardless of whether it's a Firehawk or a traditional amp setup.

Your tone should be identical with either, but one might introduce latency or be more complicated to work with for recording.

I'm not seeing any of the new "Line 6" or the Back Panel Pete amps. The other new amps are there. I purchased the full bundle. Are the non-X models just not getting those amps? Yes, I've read this: http://line6.com/support/topic/12862-not-all-new-amps-are-there/ It doesn't apply, as I understand the naming scheme. They just aren't there. In the pod menus or HD Pro Edit. I've also considered that none of these amps are even supposed to be available to non-X models yet. If that's the case, why am I seeing any of them? I'm connected to a DT50 212 via L6 LInk, if that matters. EDIT: Just checked the Pod's settings and all packs are listed as installed. FYI. EDIT2: Ah, I guess they ARE there. They just don't have pre models and weren't in Pod HD Pro Edit until I power cycled everything.

I won't claim to understand *why*, but no. A Line 6 rep (forget his name. Something Igloo) has stated that the HD500X will continue to be the flagship product. It's also important to note that several important Pod features are not in the Firehawk, like Line 6 Link, meaning it won't connect to a DT series amp the way the PODHD does. It sounds like the Firehawk is sort of a bridge between the HD500 and the Amplifi. It's aimed at people that have a "set it and forget it" attitude, as opposed to all the deep editing you can do with the Pod. In other words, it's a slightly more casual product.