Hi Folks. 100% newbie here. I'm getting back into playing guitar after a hiatus, and I started down the tube combo road (what I had before) but (fortunately?) the new amp I bought pooped out after a few days (a Mesa). Rather than just order a replacement, I'm taking a pause to check out a different direction: A processor like the Helix, plus whatever you use on stage. A reliable non-tube solution that's easy to transport appeals to me. Do you have a "Switching to Helix from a combo" article you like? For example, one of my questions:
- I'm used to a combo amp on stage. For a Helix-based approach, I have found FFRF monitors that you can put on stage to hear yourself, but do you ever position a monitor behind you like a combo and point it out toward the audience? Or is it more common to point the monitor to yourself (wedge-style) and run an output from the Helix to the PA? Or do you use an in-ear monitor and have a silent stage? Which (or other) of these would be a gentle path for someone like me?
Beyond that, I wonder if I'm in the target demographic for Helix. I'm a rhythm guitarist (a few leads here and there) joining a cover band, but I don't tend to play with a ton of pedals. I'm more of a "four or five good tones plus a few basic fx" guy. Then again, we cover a range of material, so a flexible tool like Helix could be a lot of fun. But in watching videos, it seems a lot of users are ones who have consolidated a big pedalboard into a Helix.
Anyway, apologies if this is answered in one place somewhere else. Any help would be awesome!
