PierM

No it is not a customized. Just a "regular" JTV59 made in USA. Not saying they are not good (at the opposite I've read good words on those), but considering it's a totally niche market, and it's a refurbished one, I'm expecting this guitar sitting there forever. I honestly would be tempted to buy a US 59 (I do love my Korean JTV59!!) but I can't stand a price tag that high because used market it's basically non existent. :)

3999$ for a refurbished US 59? U kidding me? :D

It's for sure a niche effect, but modeling it is dedicated to a niche market, which usually is mostly composed by musicians who likes to experiment outside the typical set of pedals you could buy alone. Usually it's also a good system to know, approach and learn a new range of effects that you could lately buy in a different form (standalone, rack etc). For example, beside the amount of delays in the Helix, there is nothing (ATM) capable to beat the old good DL4. :) As for me I'm a big user of pitch shift and intelligent harmonizers, in various forms, so for me would be a blast to have a polyphonic PS.

The only entity which could say it's not possible, is Line6, but even in that case I would say it's more because they don't want to invest in such pipeline, and I could understand. ;) These days you don't need that huge power you were asking your processors for old FFTs, working (bad) with linear scaling. It all depends how they want to implement such effects (if they want). There are several available approaches to solve same goal, more or less efficient, more or less good. It also depends if they want to add advanced transients detectors, heuristics trackers and much more math in the middle of the pipeline, to reduce tone artifacts before hit the out, but in general we are not talking about flooding DSPs. Sure I would expect some input latency, but that is another kind of issue. It's really a tons of constants and few algos. I would honestly expect a block a bit more demanding than actual harmonizers. Imho problem here it's not the processing power (which by the way should be declared by L6, not by their users), it's to find the time and resources to write down a good set of algos to compete with those stomps. I'm not holding my breath on this, but don't tell me is because it does require more power than the one the Helix has already. That is task overestimation. :)

It's not 1995 anymore guys. Helix is more than good to run a polyphonic pitch shifter.

^ This! ^ Serializing multiple stereo effects, one after the other, its just flooding the signal and making everything muddy, other than kicking on DSPs....

I can't believe there is not a moderator to delete this stuff and ban the guy....

Sorry but I have to disagree about the "IMPOSSIBLE" dogma. You can't probably imagine what you can do with few bucks of proper electronics, a LCR/pass filters etc...... but yeah, as soon as you have to route more holes for circuits I would probably ask myself why not put a neck pup. But, in general, it's possible. Not gonna sound exactly as a real neck pup but your OP was not asking that. :)

It's mostly about quality of the algorithms. I don't think Helix has any lack of processing powa to do same or even better than that stomp. It's for sure true that EHX are masters on that area.

You can made an Helix patch that shapes out the high end and push the curve on the bass side, but you'll probably also needs to cap your highs through the volume tone. Also you should learn to pick on top of the bridge, for the bridge tone, and pick on top of the "missing" neck pup to bring back some mids and limit the harsh attack of the pup. It's something you could also do with an active PCB (equalizer + band pass filter) to be hosted in a body cavity. This would probably be the best option. It will NEVER sound 100% realistic, but you can for sure tame the bridge tone to make it sounding more rounded and "neckish"..

Believe me, I'm not a fanboy and I also don't like the way other people here sometimes overreacts to product critics. It's quite annoying but this is the internet...so... Said that, I still don't get the point for this thread. What you were expecting exactly? I mean, I guess you've done a forum search before start the thread (don't you?), to see if other people were getting your same "issue", and then hoping for a tweak and fix to try your own. But instead of that you started a thread with just all answers ready to whatever obvious question. You basically bounced everyone over here, every single suggestion, every single question, every guy trying to help....and now that you return it, you are still here talking about something you didn't like at first and you don't have anymore. I mean, seriously? All this time you are wasting here it's time you should spend in a better way, if not with your friends, with a Kemper, which by the way has a digital fizz. I'll start a thread on Kemper forums soon. (kidding I don't have a Kemper) Ciao ciao.

Good question. I also heard the discount will be for US customers only. :( Is that true?

Give your Helix a proper case and no more bumps. :) EDIT: btw, just tried side pulling and hitting my XLRs, I can't get any pop on the signal.

Yeah I'm pretty sure. I did the test feeding a continuous white noise signal going into the back monitor in L/R and then changing speaker scheme in the app. The exit compressor seems working for both mono and wide stereo. In wide stereo it does probably use a different crossover setting to drive less highs on the exit compressor, probably to create that "wide" feeling. If you have the amp you can test yourself. Just remove the front cover and check. :)

Quite the opposite. If you are setting your helix volume to low numbers, your signal is sitting next to the noise floor (which is present in every circuit, more or less). Given the signal to noise ratio of the Helix, you should use an high main volume output from the Helix, and then managing on the final stage (speaker volume, mixer, whatever). This way your helix signal will sit at proper distance (dB room) from the noise. I did some measure, and I get the best from 50% and above (helix volume). But this also depends on your chain and preset, but concept it's the same. PS: as other guys said, you should tell people what's your equipment, especially what is there after helix. ;)

U dont need all this mess to do so. I can do the same just sending XLR from Helix WET path straight to Fh1500 monitor IN, and a send block after amp sim block, straight into the fh1500 guitar in, using a blank preset with no amp and no cab. I can then use the master Helix Volume to control the WET and the master guitar in to control the dry. Point here is you are mixing volumes, sound pressure and also missing some points. Whatever volume you will assign into the wet you cant go wider the coaxial speakers freq response range, and you cant bypass limiters protecting them, so you will still lack presence, while muffling the curve because of limiters. What you are doing is just making the amp going more in the back, at the time you'd kill the dry. Your scheme would make sense with 3 identical speakers, but here we are talking a woofer vs two mid/high freq. small drivers.

Monitor In, L/R (this is what I get, over here): Mono; Top Horn, Center Speaker - No limiters as small Coaxial are not engaged. It does work basically as a standard single FRFR speaker. Stereo; Left Coaxial, Center Speaker, Right Coaxial - Limiters kick in to protect Coaxial Stereo Wide; Left Coaxial, Center Speaker, Top Horn, Right Coaxial - Limiters kick in to protect Coaxial

I think the problem isn't easy fixable as there is central speaker sharing, so whatever you do with stereo/DSP schemes, you are driving a huge center combo (speaker + horn) VS two small (and pretty delicate) 5.5" coaxial, which are going to be buried by the dry section. It's not a bi-Amp going to indipendent speakers, as for example a JC120. With this kind of Wet/Dry/Wet, the weakness stays in the tone splitting into separate elements, where the dry will have way more presence than the wet FX. It may be nice to play alone for some trip tone, but this kind of W/D/W can't really work at gig volumes.

Just FYI, the short video I posted above, it's just the amp. I kept the Helix turned OFF to avoid that one adding more hiss on top. I believe the hiss are limiters compressing the signal as soon as its needed to avoid damages on speakers. I also have hiss on the L2m, but it's barely audible and go totally buried as soon as you play. Something I can't achieve with the FH1500, as the hiss goes stronger as you push more signal into it. Does sound like a reaction. But in general, I could even manage the hiss (pushing more on helix block amps levels and using less volume on the FH1500), if only the amp didn't work that muffled in stereo at high volumes.

LOL! So now you are twisting, and suggesting the HISS does disappear if I do play? Really man, you should be paid by L6 as you are number one! Are you actually playing the guitar other than posting over here? LOL! By the way, the video with the guy playing the FH1500, with the crazy noise in the background, and the squeezed volume issue, have been removed completely from the other thread. Post is gone. Video is gone. How good they are? :D BTW, I'll stop ranting now. Let's not brake your toys. :P (btw for the OP, don't buy that amp for the Helix! Go with L2M/L2T if you want L6, or with an CLR!)

Just took this. Helix is off, guitar volume is off, that is just the FH1500 hiss, alone; https://www.dropbox.com/s/siqk1ud8u2i5jcl/IMG_3288.MOV?dl=0

Thanks lord you are not working for L6! LOL Why in earth I should prove you something? :D I played 3 of these things. They are all the same. Other users are reporting the same in the forums. Video have been posted. Sorry but you are ridiculous.

Sorry I don't understand what you mean. I meant the hiss is present in all these digital speakers, but the FH1500 has the worse ratio between the hiss and the signal. If you are suggesting it's a problem with my unit, no. It's like that by design. If you don't hear it it's because you are using the amp at bedroom levels, or you probably have hearing loss for the high frequencies. Or, other option, your tone is saturated so your hiss is buried in the mix.

Eh eh...no. :) It's not hum, not noise, it does not happen in the guitar chain, but in the back end. It's not something you can filter out with a noise gate. Has really nothing to do with tubes (??!) ;) If you have that amp, just try tuning all way down the guitar IN signal, and raise the overall to max, and listen. It's just white noise. The hiss is mostly produced by the Monitor IN section, which for some reason, is working even if you are not connecting any external source. So, even if you use the amp alone, with no Helix in the back, the Monitor IN/GAIN section will add hiss on top. This is an hardware (or firmware/software) mistake. I do partially solve this turning all the way down the GAIN pot in the back of the amp. Of course you can't do the same using the Helix, as you'd kill the entire signal coming from the Helix. Said that, all these units are generating HISS, more or less. It's typical. It's normal. But usually the ratio it is not that bad as with the Firehawk 1500. Could also be related to the limiters squeezing the volume, while you are driving the two small speakers, to avoid damage, but this does not allow the amp to go to its maximum power and you basically get same volume from around 50 to 100%, with just more hiss. There is people who tolerate much more than others, a pink/white noise as a background and it also depends how do you use it. I guess if you play some high gain stuff, the hiss it's gonna be buried. But if you use, let's say, the Variax with the acoustic model, with that crystal clear tone, that hiss it's totally spoiling the performance.

I do agree, as it's true; when set to mono it does work fine, and it has much more presence in the room (still the hiss is there and loud at high volumes). But since it's 30Kg boat, with six speakers and stuff...if I have to play mono, I've my dear L2m which sounds great at huge volumes, with 90% less hiss, and half of the weight. :)