cruisinon2

Not necessarily... I've played 15W tube amps that could melt concrete. I recorded an entire album about 4 years ago with an Orange Dark Terror. Great little amp, runs at either 7W or 14W, and they'll hear you in the next zip code at either setting. Plus, it's very difficult to compare specs of a tube amp and a PA style speaker. First of all, spec sheets are advertising fodder, and they lie. The reported wattage of PA type speakers are invariably given at peak power, not RMS. So when it says "800W", it doesn't mean that it's 50+ times as powerful as your 15W tube amp. A value for average power output would be far more meaningful, but the number itself will be much less sexy, and won't sell as many amps.

You won't find a simpler UI, and you can do everything from the box if you prefer, as long as you don't mind bending down to the floor constantly. Personally, I find the editor far easier to use, as I do more than enough squat-thrusts at the gym ;)...ymmv. Plus, backing up your patches on a computer really is a habit you want to get into, because if you don't sooner or later you're gonna lose stuff and be kicking yourself in the a$$. I backup every time I shut down for the day, even if I haven't changed anything significantly.

I've never understood the point of wiring a single cabinet in stereo. Even if you were to find a 2x12 stereo FRFR... and there may very well be one, I honestly don't know... what good is it? Stereo FX are glorious, but there's nothing "stereo" about 2 speakers stuffed into the same box. No physical separation, no stereo. Stack two bookshelf speakers on top of each other, play the recording of your choice through them, and tell me how much of a spread there is. Plus, true stereo is useless live anyway, because the only one in the room who'll hear everything is the guy standing dead center between your speakers. Everybody else hears L or R. It's a mess and not remotely worth the trouble. As far as being directional... that's much more of a problem with traditional guitar cabinets. Most FRFR speakers are essentially PA enclosures, designed for wider dispersion than your typical guitar cab.... especially if you put it up on a stand at ear level. So that shouldn't be much of an issue no matter what you choose. Loud isn't a problem either. The options are numerous at this point... you'll find the same ones recommended repeatedly in numerous threads on the topic.

"The instrument has yet to be invented that can measure my indifference" - Hawkeye Pierce ;)....ymmv

Nobody can tell you what a given combination of gear will feel like to you. It's entirely subjective. "Best feel" doesn't exist. Theres only what works best for you. And there's exactly one way to determine what that is. Regardless, given your needs you should stick with exactly what you already have. If you're not playing loud most of the time, there's no advantage to having a big tube amp driving a cabinet... you'll never get it in the zone where it wants to be. Also, bear in mind that if you're trying to emulate a particular artist's tone, what you're chasing is NOT an "amp in the room" sound anyway...so shifting back to an "old school" rig is unlikely to get you any closer to that goal. Modelers are specifically designed to do exactly what you're looking for: reproduce recorded tones. The guitar sounds we've all spent our whole lives listening to are a combination of an amp, cab, and a mic... you've already got those tools, but getting there takes a while. And don't get me started on what MESA cabinets actually sound like "in the room" (the term 'honk' comes to mind, but I digress). You will find that the tone bears little resemblance to what you've heard on albums.

It's really one or the other... if you're using IR's, that is your cab sim. Doubling up with one of Helix's native cab blocks will sound awful, with one exception: running them in parallel and blending the sound of two different cabinets. That you might like...but given the Stomp's 6 block limit, it's probably not a great idea to chew up 2 with cab sims. Regardless, under no circumstances do you never want to daisy chain a cab block and an IR..... that's guaranteed terribleness.

Yeah... gear can come and go mostly unnoticed. It's camouflaging new guitars that's a pain in the arse... "When did you get that one? " Best answer: "Is it time for shoe and handbag inventory already?" Conversation over...;)

Hearing the guitar acoustically while playing was ruled out once he posted a clip with of both notes showing up on a recording. If that were the issue, the rest of us listening a world away would hear nothing abnormal...

At this point, you may as well wait for 2.8...

No on the FreqOut... as for the other two, there are a number of OD and fuzz models, but I don't think any of them are based specifically on the two you mentioned. Whether or not you'd find any of the others to be "close enough"... there's only one way to tell.

I'm curious myself, but before anybody gets too giddy with anticipation, apparently only the "Gain 2" channel will be available with 2.8, with others coming "later"... which could mean just about anything. Interpret as you see fit, lol. I'm assuming "Gain 2" means the "red" channel, but who knows...

There are dozens of threads dealing with how to dial in patches for FRFR speakers... search around a bit and you'll read for days. Youtube is also a good resource on the subject. Check out Jason Sadites' channel for Helix- specific tutorials.

The channel volume parameters are relative... you will find that some models are inherently louder than others, so a level of 9.0 doesn't really mean much in and of itself. It also depends on what else you have in the chain. You can get a boost a thousand different ways, though...virtually every FX block has a level control. Boost it at the output block if you need a little more, or stick a gain block in at the end of the chain, etc.

A frequently asked, yet unanswerable question... it's entirely subjective. As already noted though, either would be more than adequate for your needs. Which one you'd prefer only you can answer, and there's exactly one way to find out. On a side note, no matter what you choose, do yourself a favor and watch some youtube vids on how to dial in a modeler with FRFR speakers. Check out Jason Sadites' channel... he's got a number of Helix- specific tutorials. Many players making the switch from tube amps have difficulty at the outset. Modelers are NOT guitar amps, and FRFR speakers have a much wider and flatter frequency response than typical guitar speakers, requiring a completely different approach to the use of EQ. Setting everything at noon and letting it rip will not work, no matter what speakers you choose. There's often a steep learning curve... one that's totally worth it imho... so don't expect instant gratification. It'll take a while.

Yup... this is a mechanical issue with the speaker. If the Helix were at fault, you'd have it on both sides. L6 had a similar issue with the Stagesource speakers when they first came out... the fan assembly would rattle with certain low frequencies at higher volumes. It was F# for me, lol... replaced the fan, all good.

Don't get too excited for imminent polyphonic pitch shifting, or getting a hint about a time frame, for that matter. ..L6 has never divulged much of anything, and they're not starting today. As you can see this thread is about as old as Helix itself, and guys have been clamoring for this since day one. Yet here we are 3+ years hence, "pitch-shiftless" if you will, lol. If it's really a "must" for you, the Digitech Drop is really your only viable option.

Don't obsess over it. It won't matter unless you deliberately pick either extreme, like ultra-low impedance crappy $10 ear buds... or some ridiculous boutique set of cans that cost more than your Helix because they're hand crafted by Leprechauns from fine mahogany and 24k gold, and rated at 1000 ohms. Virtually nothing that you're likely to choose will be a problem... worry about what they sound like. That's what matters.

What's an update? ;)

Impedance is a measure of electrical resistance. The higher the number, the more juice is required to drive the headphones... in the case of very high impedance ratings, an anemic headphone amp would have trouble giving enough volume. In reverse, very low impedance cans will clip if you crank them too loud.

This has been debated ad nauseam over the years.... guys use every impedance rating under the sun. If you like that way Brand X cans sound, use 'em...

I could, yes... but it's wildly inconvenient live, because it involves reaching behind/underneath the stupid monitor and fumbling for a knob that's about 1/8 the size of Helix's master volume, which I can't see without contorting into a yoga pose that would put me and my middle-aged spine in the hospital. And since I can't hear the difference between 32/15 floating bit dithers and whatever the alternative is... it ain't happening. Next....;)

My analogy was specific to the engineering jargon, which I freely admit is miles over my head...I wasn't poking fun at his attempt to get his point across, but rather the fact that I haven't the faintest idea what he's talking about, lol... hence the smiley face. Honestly, I didn't even pick up on any language barrier.. it all just sounded like he was reading from an EE textbook.

I can't argue with this, because it may as well be in Chinese. But what I do know is this: I've tried it both ways. Master volume maxed out and levels adjusted elsewhere, and master left somewhere around noon so I have a quick and easy way to raise or lower my monitor volume on stage. At any given volume, I couldn't tell the difference if you beat me with a red hot poker. So dithering noises and their 15 bits can cram it...whatever on God's green earth they might be...;)

I won't go quite so far as to say that he was responsible for more sales of Zippo lighter fluid than guitars, but it's not far off...;) JK... actually, it's the same gripe. He was a songwriter, and a flamboyant performer with more stage presence than I could muster in 3 lifetimes. But creativity and the execution of complicated mechanical tasks are two very different things, and they originate in entirely different parts of the brain. It's exceedingly rare for a musician to have both skills in abundance.... most will have significantly more of one than the other. Those overflowing with both are on a very short list.

Lol... I'll go one better. I love Zeppelin. I think Jimmy Page is one hell of a songwriter... he's penned some of the most iconic rock tunes ever, and I imagine in 100 years "Stairway" will still be on the radio. But... Imho, he's a miserable, sloppy guitarist. Every live track I've ever heard he sounds like he's got a broken hand. Flame away, I've heard it before, lol... you know what they say about opinions.