Digital_Igloo

For items that can't be accommodated (not enough DSP or some other restriction like limiting you to one looper per preset), instead of a warning box popping up, Helix intelligently grays out and skips over unusable models. Paths 1A and 1B utilize DSP 1 and Path 2A and 2B utilize DSP 2. I'm guessing Sweetwater's version of the firmware didn't have the proper DSP filter code implemented yet and I'm not sure what was actually going on in that particular preset. Amps take up a lot of DSP, and although you can technically run four at once, don't expect to run a ton of effects on top of them.

Ubiquitous Vibe. So yeah, the Shin-ei Univibe®.

Nope. Instead, we've provided mic distance, high cut, and low cut (in addition to mic select, Early Reflections, and Cab Level). They're much harder to screw up. :D Well, the Helix product line includes Helix, Helix Rack, and Helix Control. No secrets there.

From preset to preset, yes. HD500X does this too. From within a preset, no, not at launch. In fact, I believe the Variax stuff are the only Home screen parameters that can't currently be assigned to a controller. No, but since Helix responds to standard MIDI CCs, any controller app (like Lemur) could conceivably tweak stuff in real time.

1,024 preset locations (8 setlists, 32 banks of four presets each). We don't know how many stock presets we'll end up with. Maybe 256, plus a bunch of routing templates. The rest we'll leave empty for presets that may showcase post-1.0 features. No HD preset compatibility. Helix is a totally different line of products. Hopefully people won't hate our presets, but then again, if one were to find a stranger's iPod, there's a good chance they'd hate 90% of the songs on it. Presets are really, really subjective. MODE is on Footswitch 6. In Pedal Edit mode, FS6 is used to view more blocks, and once a block's selected, FS6 highlights the sixth parameter in the display for editing. FS6 is also used to exit looper mode. So it does other stuff, but most of the time, it's MODE. TAP is on Footswitch 12. FS12 is also used to exit Pedal Edit mode; if you hold FS12, you exit Pedal Edit mode and save any changes made to the preset. Sounds weird typed out, but in practice, it's really quick and transparent.

Got my vote too.

No. The looper's pretty straightforward right now. You can, however, hook up your favorite looper (mine's the Electrix Repeater) and fully integrate both its control and audio into Helix and treat it as if it were inside the box. We're considering making templates specifically for hooking up popular loopers.

No proper scene switching at launch, but footswitches can toggle between values of up to 8 parameters at once, including mic selection, mic distance, etc. And they're really fast and easy to assign.

1. With a TRS cable, two (Tip and Ring). With a TS cable, one. 2. No. You can sum the inputs with a merge block before the first processing block or simply assign two separate input blocks to different inputs. 3. No; as with almost all products, you can use pretty much anything, but certain pedals work better than others. 4. The three rotaries sound great. 5. Oh yes. There's EXP, footswitch, MIDI CC, and Variax Tone/Volume knob control of almost everything. And you can assign them in three seconds. 6. No; they're on AD/DAs. 7. Yes. Each Stomp mode footswitch can control up to 8 things: Block on/off (with selectable polarity), parameter [selectable] min/max, and/or Command. Footswitches can be latching or momentary. 1. Hmm... Not sure if the MIDI thru is working via USB. I'll have to try it. 2. As long as your setup and apps support multichannel audio, yes. Latency on iPads isn't that hot, though.

One of our top DSP gurus corrected me this morning. It's closer to 2.45x the DSP of HD500X. The OM is going out for translation today, so features are all but completely locked in for 1.0. Helix will ship with a full color 11x17" Cheat Sheet that should get anyone up and running in minutes. The full manual is a PDF found on an included USB flash drive. (We needed the ability to improve/tweak things at the last second, and printing schedules preclude that.) As soon as I'm allowed to share the OM, I will. There are a couple more obscure features that may not make it into 1.0, and legally, the manual has to be 99.9% accurate.

The new Univibe model is insane. We actually had to physically model the behavior of incandescent light bulbs to get it right. You can hear it in the video.

With POD HD500X, it deals with how the DSP and MCU communicate, which unfortunately, precludes meaningful EQ values. When work on Helix started, we said "We don't care if it's hot pink and has nothing but Pignose models in it. dB/Hz and a !@#$% POWER SWITCH!" :D No pretty graphic EQ curves at launch, although the Helix app's Global EQ page has one.

1. Yes. You can assign almost any preset-level parameter to an incoming MIDI CC in three seconds. Seriously. 2. Any of the four Input blocks can be set to an individual physical input or you can choose Multi (the default), which includes Guitar, Aux, and Variax inputs simultaneously. 3. At launch, there's nothing groundbreaking about the Looper. It's now treated as a separate block, can be either mono or stereo, and can be placed anywhere on any of the four stereo signal paths. As such, you can route the looper to a specific output or loop the guitar but not the vocals, etc. Looping time is up to 120 seconds mono, 60 seconds stereo. 1. No. Helix has independent Amp+Cab (where the cab is matched for convenience), Amp, and Preamp categories. The power amp section of the model cannot be accessed independently of the preamp section. It's not outside the realm of possibility, however. 2. Yes, as long as the second input's path is feeding a different output, you shouldn't feed back.

It basically came down to this: Restrict Helix's signal flow routing to that of HD500X so it works with DT in the same fashion or do something different and way more flexible and fast. There are manual workarounds to get nearly all of the existing DT Dream Rig functionality, but it's literally impossible to shoehorn Helix's routing and communication architecture into something comprehensive. That said, there are a few things we can do to improve it. Don't give up. Submit all concerns and requests to IdeaScale, which directly prioritizes our backlog of wish list items (which is exhaustive right now). That's because many commercial IRs are normalized to 0dB. The IR block has level adjustment, and it may be as simple as finding a good average default value. Still tweaking the IR stuff. Yes. Unfortunately, no Vocoder at launch. The click should be minimized, yeah. I have assigned a footswitch to toggle mic models, though, and it's completely transparent. Line 6 amps and/or StageSource FRFR, of course. ;) Many of us Line 6ers have no intention of getting rid of our favorite boutique amps and pedals and really—the whole modeling vs. amp/pedals debate can be solved so easily: Helix can be used standalone—or—as the mothership of a much larger boutique/tube rig. Yes, the Helix application's interface can be resized in real time. Someone on IdeaScale asked for it, and others voted it up. Helix is flexible enough to use pretty much however you want—effects only, 4CM, 7CM, 10CM, wet-dry-wet, preamps only into tube power amp, completely FRFR, or multiple setups at once. With StageSource speakers, you just hook up via L6 LINK. One speaker gets a mono signal, two get left-right, three get left-mono-right, four get left-left-right-right, etc. Personally, I've been using Helix with a single L2t.

Yes. USB In 1/2 is routed directly to the (globally selectable) outputs sans-processing for jamming along with YouTube, Spotify, etc. By default, USB Out 7 is tapped directly from the Guitar In for dry tracking/re-amping. By default, USB Out 8 is tapped directly from the Mic In. You can reassign which physical inputs are routed to USB 7/8. USB Ins 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8 can be assigned as one or more of the four stereo paths' input sources. USB Outs 1/2, 3/4, and 5/6 can be assigned as one or more of the four stereo paths' output destinations. USB Out 1/2 is also part of the default Multi output block, which also includes 1/4", XLR, and Digital (S/PDIF, AES/EBU, or L6 LINK) outputs. Macs and iPads are class-compliant; just hook up and go. PCs require an audio driver be installed.

The reverbs and eight of the ten wahs come from HD, but they've been rebuilt in HX, so they sound better. All other effects have been created from scratch within HX. To pull some of them off, we've had to physically model the behavior of incandescent light bulbs, transistors, bucket brigade chips, and other components. Completely new architecture and DSP engine. I have friends at Roland/BOSS and they're doing just fine. Cliff makes brilliant-sounding boxes, and I'm sure he's not losing any sleep. Helix is a different type of processor; if anything, it'd make a great master controller and audio routing/recording hub for a GT100, AxeFX, and KPA... all simultaneously.

Each of the four possible input blocks can be set to any of the physical inputs, including Multi (the default), which includes Guitar, Aux, and Variax. Variax only and Variax Mags only are also in the input list. Pages 2 and 3 of the Input block pages deal with Variax settings. You don't even have to leave the Home screen. The mic pre is the same one from Stagescape M20d, which sounds really good. Phantom power, digitally-controlled analog gain, and dedicated variable low cut are set from the Global Settings menu.

It's difficult, given that listing the original amps we modeled requires a lot of copyright fine print. Working on it.

Helix has a separate Preamp model category, and the default Multi output block includes L6 LINK. Each preset can spit out six buffered commands (independent of footswitch assignment), so if you add the right MIDI messages, DT25/50 will respond accordingly with a Helix preset recall. Of course, you can also switch topology settings within a preset if you assign the message to a footswitch, and even custom label the scribble strip "Petode/Triode" and then custom color the switch LED... turquoise?

No. Originally, we wanted it to, but Helix's 1,024 presets would take forever to sync over current Bluetooth solutions. EDIT: Sorry, Dennis! You keep beating me to the punch. As you can expect, it's pretty busy at the Line 6 offices today.

Helix Control has no MIDI jacks. Its USB port is designated "for potential future use (TBD)." Currently, it only works with Helix Rack, but later—who knows?

Helix has no output modes, by design. Instead, if offers way more flexibility and lets you route whatever you want pretty much anywhere.

You wouldn't want to use an FBV anyway. The whole so-simple-you-already-know-how-to-use-it UX is intrinsically tied into the touch-sensitive footswitches, RGB switch LEDs, and scribble strip displays. Supporting FBV would radically alter how Helix Rack is laid out, and seriously slow down the process of creating tones. Helix Rack with Helix Control behaves exactly like Helix floor. That was a very top-level goal in its design.

Just like in HD500X, assign volume and wah to a different footswitch—or use an external expression pedal for volume. Ignore the toe switch altogether if you'd like.

Oh, you mean the footswitches? By default, there are two footswitch modes—Preset and Stomp. You toggle them with the MODE switch. In Preset mode, you get eight presets, in Stomp mode, you get eight stomps. You can also customize how the switches appear. In Preset mode, you can choose to view four stomps on the top row (like HD500X) or the bottom row, and in Stomp mode, you can swap out Bank Up/Down for two more stomp switches. You can also repurpose Bank Up/Down as Preset Up/Down. If you press Bank Up or Down, you'll queue the next eight presets (they'll flash). Then hit the desired preset switch.