SaschaFranck

Given your description of the issue, I'm pretty sure that your audio interface supports some kind of direct input monitoring and that you have this turned on. Depending on your interface, you may have an analog knob or a software utility to adjust the level of the direct signal. In any case, turn it off.

You do have the cab/IR blocks turned off, do you? Because having them on in that scenario would explain what you describe. Also, if I were you, I'd create patches using the preamp models only (but using the full amps shouldn't have as much of a negative effekt as having cab/IR blocks active).

I own a set of them and they don't improve the situation. I mean, it's still the same amount of light, so all the barefoot toppers do is to spread it some more.

Interesting. I may check that out, even if it was just out of curiosity. Fwiw, I will actually have a look whether there's some LED ring replacements. A decent technician should be able to replace them (no idea whether they could be parted from the capacitive switches).

You could just snag IRs from the BluBox and use them inside the Stomp.

Fwiw, I'm quite tempted to (re-)create a pedalboard using individual devices as well. In fact, before going Helix, I had a modeling board similar to an analog board, based on an AMT Pangaea for clean sounds (it's even got amp modeling in there with an update, which I kinda enhanced with an EQ) and an Amplifirebox for driven sounds. In addition, I used a bunch of drive/compressor/EQ pedals and some varying delay/verb stuff. To control the entire shebang I used a loopswitcher. Worked a treat and I absolutely still miss the WYSIWYG layout (which is still the best when doing on the fly edits), but at one point in time I wanted some more sounds and that would've required a larger pedalboard and possibly some serious investment, too. I will however slap a smaller version together one day (maybe just the Amplifirebox, a decent drive and an MS-50 or so). Anyhow, for now I still wish the Helix had at least some decent LEDs, that'd solve most of my issues already. I mean, I'm getting along fine with it as is otherwise (even if I may get a GT-1000 for some reasons), but the lack of visual control is really tough to deal with.

I appreciate your thoughtful reply. Yet, it's nothing for me. I said byebye to racks for good reasons and enjoy to create my sounds from just a floorboard since a long while already (before taking the modeler route all I needed was a clean pedal platform amp). Fwiw, apart from the price, it's the main reasons why I don't think I will ever get an Axe FX (even if i checks a lot of my boxes). Also, I absolutely like the capacitive switches of the Floor when it comes to quick onstage edits. And finally, the Rack won't help with the lack of LED brightness, which is my main issue. Sure, in case you got the Rack you probably don't need the Line 6 Floorboard anymore and could just use any decent MIDI controller offering sufficient visibility - so that'd likely be what I'd do. But then, as said, I turned into a "everything in my pedalboard" (plus some utilities in a bag) guy long time ago already and enjoy it a lot (FTR, in my hometown, I don't use the car for gigs anymore but prefer a little bike trailer, plus I'm traveling to gigs by train quite sometimes). Fwiw, nice setups you've got there. Do you use them separately or combined, too?

For now, we should not discuss about proper monitoring speakers and/or headphones but just about how you listen to your Helix. As said, the "through Logic" thing was making me wonder. What about the Helix' sound when you don't start Logic? Is it the same?

Well, that'd depend on the definition of "serious big problem". In this case it's about a modeler not doing its job as nicely as I would've hoped for. There's way more serious problems in my book.

Please elaborate on how you're exactly listening to the Helix. "Through Logic" seems to suggest you're using software monitoring - which you should defenitely avoid as it will create a doubled signal coming out a little later than the direct signal from the Helix (due to latency caused by using the Helix as an audio interface). By default all patches work on their own, so you can listen to them without routing them through Logic. If you want to record them, pull the channels fader in Logic down or deactivate software monitoring entirely.

Seriously, I found direct sunlight (which I had to fight with as well) to be a lot less problematic than diffuse light. With the latter, there's pretty much no chances to build anything creating shadows properly.

Quite interesting, thanks. Not sure it'll help, though - I'm pretty sure I remember someone saying that polarized sunglasses would make matters worse. But then, a polarized screen film might be something different. Also, in your video, the light isn't exactly diffuse - which, at least IMO, is a way bigger issue than direct sunlight. No idea whether a polarized screen would help in that case (fwiw, sunglasses are completely out of the equation - I won't be wearing sunlasses because my modeler isn't bright enough...). However, my main issue would be the LED rings anyway, which simply aren't bright enough at all. The entire thing is making me wonder whether they were actually testing the Helix under such conditions - not very likely. I mean, nobody would ever say "yeah, that's fine".

No. And from all I know, they only make matters worse. Besides, it wasn't any kind of weather to wear sunglasses.

- Global tweaking options for individual blocks. This is a huge one for me, possibly the most important one. For the gigs I play, I often need to adjust sounds on the fly and soundchecks don't allow for that throughout multiple patches. Let alone doing anything during a gig. As a result of that, I only use one patch per gig with the Helix, which - obviously - is quite limiting. - Sort of along these lines: Patch switching on the GT-1000 is way faster and at least the main reverb and delay typically allow for spillover when switching. Along with the global adjustment options this makes using different patches even more convenient. - Better visibility under diffuse daylight conditions. It's quite likely that I'll be doing plenty of outside gigs during the next 2-3 years and anything regarding visibility is downright horrible with the Helix. A major design flaw, looks as if they haden't even remotely tested the unit under such conditions. Admittedly, I have only once seen a GT-1000 on an open air stage, but I have compared the two to each other in a rather well lit shop (daylight through windows included) and the GT-1000 looked *much* better. - Smaller footprint. Unlike the Helix, the GT-1000 fits nicely inside, say, a dual gigbag, some standard backpacks and what not. I may have some use for that next year, too. Yeah, as a tradeoff, it needs an external PSU, but I can live with that (in fact, I even own at least 2 suitable ones that I could spread around in my gigbags, should I forget the one delivered). - Availability of a mobile editor. I don't have much of a need for a laptop anymore (basically not at all), on the road a tablet usually just suits me fine. But you can't edit the Helix from a tablet (and yes, I know my way around on the unit itself quite well, but I hate crawling on the floor). So far, Line 6 refuses to come up with anything like that (would be easily possible using the USB port) and I doubt they will ever change that. - Hardware quality is likely a tad better. Didn't have issues with my Helix yet, but my unit had the tap tempo switch replaced under its previous owner already. I owned quite some Line 6 and Boss devices over all these decades, some of the Line 6 things broke (Pod XT, Shortboard, M13, POD 2 got kinda wonky as well) whereas I didn't have a faulty Boss unit even once (and both my GT-5 and GT-10 have seen plenty of decent beating). Whatever, Boss has a tradition of building things that last, which is sort of the opposite of my Line 6 experience. As said, I will likely not have to sell the Helix but could just buy a GT-1000 in addition (I won't be doing it right now with the C19 dilemma in full effect anyway). Might give me the best of both worlds.

Fwiw, played two outdoor gigs during the last 3 days. No direct sunlight at all, very cloudy (even dark clouds and some rain which required covering the entire stage...). In other words: That's something that should sort of be doable. But it's not. Apart from the brighter scribble strip text (and even that was problematic), I could see barely anything, LED rings are completely invisible (regardless of selected color), on the screen the only thing I could vaguely guess where the active blocks. Adjusting parameters required holding my hand over the screen so it would be a little darker. This is quite dissapointing and while I could imagine to come up with a solution (or two) for direct sunlight, I wouldn't happen to know what to do under such diffuse light conditions. In case things go well (end of the C19 desaster), next year will come with plenty of outdoor gigs and the conditions will likely be quite similar to those during the last 3 days. In a nutshell, I'm seriously considering something else for my live needs. I rely on quick on the fly adjustments too often (a lot of my gigs are "cold starters" without any intense rehearsals, if at all), but under diffuse, yet rather bright lightning conditions, these almost become guesswork. Not sure whether Line 6 could update, say, the color coding of the main screen sufficiently (given they would have any interest at all), they could possibly offer an option for the scribble strips to become inverted when active, but that would still not solve the screen issues. This is really sad because I was quite happy with my sound and even got compliments from bandmates, FOH guys and some friends in the audience. But steering blind unfortunately is a serious issue for me.

I'm quite afraid that the update won't bring much of interest for me personally. OTOH, I'm sure it'll bring quite some things to the tables of most people. Guess that's how things go (and yes, as much as I like the Helix, as much as I will likely not sell it, either, I'm actually looking for an alternative when it comes to live playing, the GT-1000 checking a lot of my boxes...).

I think a Duncan Powerstage would be a nice choice, they're very compact and may even fit onto a pedalboard. They're available in mono as 170 and 200 watt models (the latter also featuring a cab sim, so you can run preamps into it). There's a 700W rack version, t

Why would you need any? I mean, this thing is meant to replace a standard guitar speaker in a standard guitar cab. So you just do that and be done.

Well, in case you abuse a guitar combo for such tasks, no. In all other cases, you need something to amplify the Helix, too.

That was kind of my idea for a while, getting a rather inexpensive solid state amp, replacing the speaker and just using the power amp section. Should be a pretty cheap (and compact) option, too. It's just that most newer solid state guitar amps actually try to mimic the behaviour of a tube power amp to a certain extent, which you likely don't want. But then, with the decade old design of a Bandit you're probably comparatively safe... Imagine the looks of that t**t when he/she checks out the glorious sound of the internal preamp through that speaker. Fizzy heaven.

Out of interest: When playing through that, does it feel more like a guitar cab or like a large FRFR monitor - or like a mixture of both?

Personally, I think sonically it's quite a noticeable step forward, minus perhaps a few things. Boss is doing pretty great FX - and that's already true for their older modelers. Some of the Helix FX will perhaps fall a bit short. Anyhow, as the others already said, you will be the only person to really decide. Whatever, what I'm wondering about a little bit: Why did you go for the Helix instead of the GT-1000? I mean, you're familiar with the Boss modeling platform already, you're likely also familiar with Tone Studio already and you might as well be familiar (and happy) with some of the FX. For me, the GT-1000 would be quite a logical step forward. As said, just wondering.

I think the idea of this isn't necessarily (if at all) to get a true FRFR sound but rather being able to make use of patches created under FRFR conditions (through studio monitors, headphones, standard FRFR monitors) but at the same time sort of "inject" a certain guitar cab alike behaviour to them, whatever that might be (directivity, the way the cab resonates, the way it creates reflections, etc.). Gotta say that I find this to be an interesting or valid idea/approach (probably not for me, though, I'm absolutely happy with standard FRFR monitors).

Precisely. Personally, whenever I feel like looking for some IRs, I set up an amp sound that I know will be working, then scroll through some IRs (fwiw, it's a great idea to keep quite some adjacent IR slots free in the Helix as you can go through them by tapping on the +/- switches in pedal edit mode - I still have over 50 left as I really only use a handful or two, for live even just 3, and then there's a bunch stored "for observation" purposes), and once I find something I like enough, I just stop. I will then look how far I can take things without ever touching the IR again. I only ever do this these days whenever I really feel like having to "waste" some time. For plain patch construction, I always only use the tried and trusted IRs.

Generally, I would totally agree with the stock cabs being very good (especially once you start exploring all possible mics for all possible cabs - I think that quite sometimes the default settings aren't working too well), but in case you want something beyond the typical cab/mic options, IRs are still the way to go. In my case, I'm trying to avoid pretty much all "specialities" of IRs, such as resonant peaks and/or reflections. I'm not exactly trying to get a real "amp in the room" impression (in fact, I find real amps and cabs in a room no less problematic than a decent modeled sound through a typical IR and a fullrange monitor, even more to the opposite), but I wanted something allround-ish to work with each and every amp I run into it. The IRs above are already getting quite close for my taste, there's also a few in the Redwirez Big Pack (which I own ever since it was released) - and the internal cabs of the Helix aren't as suitable for that purpose (even if I'm getting pretty good results from the 4x12 Greenback 25 and the Ribbon mics). Anyway, I think it's absolutely worth to spend some time exploring the internal cabs.