phil_m

It's powered from the rack through the Cat5 cable. The 9v input is for when you're using as a controller while connected to a computer via USB.

It's possible, but you'd probably be better off using a pair of returns as an input. That would especially be true if it's a line level instrument, like a keyboard. You can set those inputs to be either instrument or line level.

With effects that have mix parameters, you could have the sort of functionality you're looking if you're clever in the way you assign controls functions. Since you can assign control functions to footswitches, you could set it up so that when you hit a footswitch to turn an effect on, that same switch could turn the mix control of another to zero.

As you noted, you can select tones in any bank from the app, but from the unit itself, you can only access tones in the first bank. The only way to switch banks is to use the FBV (not the Express) controller.

I don't think there's going to be a simple answer to your latency question. The latency through the unit will change a little bit depending on what effects you're running and the complexity of your chain. To me it's never been enough to notice, but I never noticed anything on the HD500 either. I mean any digital effect you put in your chain is going to have some effect on latency. There's no way it can't. The Helix doesn't feel any different than playing to a regular amp to me, though.

Understood... But I don't get why you were holding up the Axe and Kemper as examples in your first post. Neither of those can do what you want either.

Well, you will be able to do USB re-amping with the Helix, but there's no Helix plug-in to do software re-amping. But with USB re-amping, you wouldn't be going through any additional steps of A/D or D/A conversion. I should also add that Kemper doesn't offer digital re-amping at all. The Axe-FX does it in the same way the Helix does (although, the Axe-FX only has four channels of USB audio compared to the Helix's eight). So in this respect, the Helix actually offers more than either of those units.

Yes, it's possible. You would just hook up everything in the regular 4CM setup. You'd want to put the FX loop block on HD500X right after your last pre effect. To use the HD500X's modeling, you'd just create a patch without using the FX loop block on the HD500X. So you'd effectively be bypassing the amp's preamp and going straight into the amp's effects return.

I don't think it's unique to Line 6 interfaces. I have a Tascam interface that does the same thing. If I were going to take a stab as to what causes it, it's probably because of how the DAW software interacts with ASIO drivers.

If you had your DAW open when you unplugged your Amplifi, this isn't unexpected. You should close out of any recording software your using before unplugging the Amplifi.

It would depend on how much saturation is coming from the power amp stage. In a typical guitar amp, more distortion isn't actually occurring in the power amp tubes. The would be especially true for master volume amps with effects loops. The whole idea behind a master volume amp is that you have the saturation occurring before the master volume control so you can have amp distortion at a more reasonable volume. If you think about it, that's why effects loops are where they are in the signal chain. They're after the preamp, so you can run a saturated signal through your post effects. The power amp is actually going to be pretty clean. That's why I don't think there would be much noticeable difference between placing the effects loop between the modeled preamp and power amp or placing it after the power amp section. In some ways putting the loop after the power amp is actually probably better because it ensures that you won't have time based effects before distortion.

It doesn't have the same "autosave" function, no. I think it's so much more complex in the routing and other options, that it might actually make the user experience trickier if such a feature existed. One thing that the Helix does, though, is remember the settings of the patch you've edited even if you haven't saved if you turn off and turn it back on. But in order for them to be remembered when switching from patch to patch, you'll have to save the patch.

They both have the same processors and processing power. Aside from the things you mentioned and the form factor, they are identical. It seems that rack units are always just more costly to manufacturer.

Totally get that... And, you know, if you're happy with the HD, you might as well keep using it. I will say, though, I actually think the Helix's interface is easier to use than the HD. It is honestly the fastest UI I've ever used on a multi-effect.

Well, I could afford to buy an Axe FX II or a Kemper, but I've never really felt tempted to. I've looked at the manual and other stuff, and it just seems very clunky from a user experience perspective. It's kind of the feeling I get when looking at the Kemper as well. Now I'll admit that I might be judging these too harshly just because I haven't actually tried them in person, but I've never felt that I would have the patience to learn how to use them to their full ability. I guess I'm at the point where the workflow and ergonomics is a huge thing for me. I get tired of dealing in the tedium of menus and parameters.

The Helix allows you to do this, well essentially. You can have the amp and cab be separate blocks, so you can put effects between the amp block and the cab block. I think technically, the power amp modeling occurs in the amp block so the effects are after the power amp modeling, but in reality, it would probably not make any sonic difference.

The Helix won't fit in that Gator bag. I have that bag as well for my HD500. I honestly haven't tried to fit the Helix in it, but the Helix is a like an inch or so bigger in width and depth than the HD500, and the HD500 just fits in the bag.

I don't really think the Variax alternate tuning is playing into their development of more sophisticated pitch shifting. The alternate tuning capabilities on the Variax will still outperform any polyphonic pitch shifting they make just because on the Variax you're free to shift each string individually. I just think for whatever reason it's not something Line 6 has seen as a high priority. I do think that as far as effects go, it's probably something that only a minority of guitarists ever really use. Doesn't mean I don't want a nice POG model, though.

You hate the Kemper, or the fact that you are selling it?

I wouldn't be surprised if it's something they plan to address. It would be worth requesting, imo.

The 1 Spot is DC. You need AC. This is what you need: http://www.amazon.com/Line-6-PX-2-Power-Supply/dp/B0002PZEGS

I don't think it's a matter of processing power. Line 6 just hasn't developed any polyphonic pitch shifting effects. I know that some people have had some success tuning down a half step with some of the pitch shifter in the HD, so that might be possible in the Helix still. But overall, no, there's no dedicated polyphonic pitch shifting.

Well they don't it beta for nothing... I imagine Line 6 will release a compatible version of the app when iOS 9 is officially released.

Most effects loops on amps are line level, so I'd start there.