SaschaFranck

Precisely. Shouldn't be necessary to add any further equipment for such an easy task.

Defenitely true for me in this case, simply because all the relevant controls of the Heir Apparent are visible on one screen, which makes finetuning it during soundchecks/gigs a lot easier.

Title almost says it all. I always found Line 6's tap tempo to be not too comfortable to deal with (in fact, this is true for plenty of others as well, such as Zoom). Especially when playing live (which is basically what tap tempo is kinda made for...) it's easy to tap a little off tempo. The way Boss and TC (at least the G-Force) handle this is a lot more elegant as they calculate an average tempo from the last 4 taps. It also doesn't matter if you only tap twice (or three times), in that case it works as with the Helix, but in case you keep tapping, it usually gets more accurate. Would be great to have that as well (at least as an option).

You can never be confident about that. Each and every FOH dude(tte) will most likely make some corrections to the signal, be it a low/hi cut or whatever. It's happening all the time. I very often ask the folks (in case they're into that kinda chat) what they had to do to my signal to make it suit their arrays and I pretty much never came across a "well, fader up" answer. Add to this that you will likely listen to your guitar within an entirely different mix. Usually, you will listen to your guitar a *lot* louder compared to the rest whereas the audience will listen to a way more balanced mix. IMO assuming that there's the same sound going out to the audience as to your FRFR is an illusion in 99% of all cases, not even considering that the FOH arrays are adjusted in an entirely different way on their master EQs. Also, you're talking about utilizing whatever contouring options of FRFR monitors - well, they are doing exactly the same thing as a monitor EQ. Just that the Helix' global EQ is a lot more flexible and easier to reach for.

Seriously, if you learn to make clever adjustments using the global EQ, there's really not much differences between the lower-end-ish FRFR candidates. Within the realm of modeler amplification, IMO this would even include the somewhat more expensive Yamaha DBRs (as said, I A/B-ed them with the Alto before making a decision). Yes, there's some differences in, hm, let's say "mid definition" that you possibly won't be able to compensate for entirely with the global EQ, but given my experience, these differences become pretty much not noticeable anymore once you play along with whatever it might be (bands or backings). I do defenitely think that there's a difference once you're dealing with the higher-end-ish coaxial solutions (even if my personal experiences with those are limited), which will be getting even more noticeable in case they're a bit heavier (to support whatever kind of "air pressure", something light models simply can't deliver), but we're talking about something like <500 vs. >1000 bucks here, so there better should be an improvement. Oh, one thing I haven't mentioned (in this thread at least): For me it has been a huge difference to find the right cab-IR. I have "shot" some myself and mixed and modified them pretty heavily at gig levels. They don't have much in common with the ones that you will get from the usual suspects - and while they might not be ideal for recording, I found them to be much more suitable for live work than anything else I've tried. I could happily post some of them in case you folks want to give them a try.

Not all that much anymore. There's a bigger version of the UAC-2 I'm using, the UAC-8, comes with 8 mic preamps, 2 line ins and when you feel like getting fancy you can connect another 8 I/Os via Adat connections, offering 18 ins and 20 outs in total. Price over here is around €600. Fwiw, that very thread over at Gearslutz is rather civilized.

Seriously, for me, RTL numbers higher than something between 5-6ms make things feel distracted. It's not even exactly a timing thing, just the pick feeling kinda "sticky". From 7-9 it's really not much fun anymore and I defenitely can't deal with anything above 10ms. Note: This is all when using headphones. Without, my tolerances are a lot higher (after all, 10ms equal a distance of around 3 meters and everybody will be able to play with his/her amp 3 meters away). Anyway, as I play a lot through headphones, low latencies are crucial for me. As far as the newer Scarletts go, I think I remember someone mentioning better drivers and lower latencies to come with the 3rd generation models. Maybe there's also something about it in this epic (and highly informative) thread at Gearslutz: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-computers/618474-audio-interface-low-latency-performance-data-base.html Personally, I'm using a Zoom UAC-2 under Logic, at 44.1 and 32 samples (a setting that works for most things but some rather demanding synth patches) my RTL is 4.5ms, at 64 samples it's 5.9ms. Add to this that some plugins add their own latency (amazingly enough, HX Native doesn't seem to) and things may cross my "headphone-latency-tolerance-line". Whatever, this is one of the very reasons why I really love the Helix so much. I can monitor through the hardware without anything but the device latency (something around 2ms) and just record the DI guitar which will then see HX Native slapped onto them. Fantastic - and a one of it's kind in the modeling world.

Using Native might not be a too great option with the 2i2 in case it's not a 3rd generation model as roundtrip latency isn't all that low. Anyway, I do as well recommend getting a small monitor controller or perhaps a small mixer (I'd actually prefer that personally). These can be had for cheap, especially in case you don't need the preamps much but rather use it as a line input mixer.

Fwiw, authorized HX/Native and it seems as if the issues are gone. Didn't expect anything different, but at least that's something. Still, the demo behaviour isn't what things should be like at all. And it doesn't seem to be a recent issue but an ongoing one. IMO this should be adressed - even if it was just in the interest of Line 6. I mean, a demo freezing projects isn't good publicity.

In all honesty, even if I'd like some new toys just as everybody, I'd rather love to see some handling improvements (and there could be quite some). But I certainly wouldn't mind some crazy synth-ish stuff, either.

I'm actually not all too happy with the fuzz ones (and yes, I tried at all input impedance settings, getting better at lower values but also impacts the rest of the signal chain, even if set to "auto"). I really like the fuzz in my Atomic Amplifirebox, even if it does cause some artefacts on ringing out notes or very lightly struck ones - but the general character is pretty nice. Fortunately, I don't exactly need fuzz tones, but I wouldn't mind a bit of a Mike Landau-ish woolyness that yet cleans up well.

Uhm, that doesn't read too good... You may try a complete factory reset - but in that case you'll be losing all the patches that you haven't backed up yet.

Did you check with a different USB port and cable?

MainStage doesn't come with Logic anymore, it's now a separate purchase from the App Store. It's just around 30 bucks and might absolutely be worth it in case you're planning to use Helix Native live as it allows for several switching options.

You could use Apples own AU Lab. It's a very lightweight AU host and loads a lot faster than Logic or Garageband. https://www.apple.com/itunes/mastered-for-itunes/

In that case, you'll likely experience a rather noticeable difference in "perception" when going for any of the rather typical (and probably affordable) FRFR monitors. You may even like it, but chances are you won't. Personally, I switched from what I think was a most excellent 2x12 cab (a DIY clone of those Mesa half-open, half-slanted cabs) that has been my to-go-for thing for plenty of years (I only used a 1x12 in case size was an issue) to a lowend-ish Alto TS310. Along that, I switched from an IMO equally excellent Boogie MkIV (that only served as a clean "pedal platform" most of the time) to modeling (various setups ever since I got my first hardware IR loader, an AMT Pangaea), which finally brought me to the Helix, after carefully checking out all of the big tiers. I can safely say that I *absolutely* love it and have more confidence in my guitar sound than ever before (and I owned quite some setups during all the decades, including certain $$$ devices). The only thing I am missing soundwise might be the flapping pants thing, but I really don't care too much about anymore. Let alone I'm playing several InEar gigs without any cabs on stage since plenty of years already (musicals, other theatre productions, etc.), so I'm used to that. I will however admit that I seem to be an exception. There's quite some folks who switched back from modelers and FRFRs to modelers and cabs and some even went back to fully analog rigs. I will never do that and I'm going to sell what's left of the analog days (the Boogie is history already, but there's still a Laney, a Twin, a 1x12 and an Orange 4x12 left...) without any regrets. I just love all this new stuff (and fwiw, all my bandmates and the FOH folks seem to be pretty happy, too).

What kinda cab are you playing your amp through right now?

The fix is: Disable your internet connection, open up the HX/N demo, reconnect to the net, enter Line 6 account details. Quite obviously, this shouldn't be required at all, though. Time to purchase tomorrow anyway, I really hope that this won't happen anymore then.

Even if I agree, it could be improved, though. I wish there was a direct link between the two.

I've checked pretty much all of them and loved S-Gear quite a bit (I also own Bias FX) - but I think HX Native is pretty much on par with the best of them. Anyway, regardless of the quality, the combination of my Helix Floor and Native is going to be a game changer in the way I'm dealing with guitar recordings - and there's nothing else offering that level of integration by far. I absolutely applaud Line 6 for this most excellent idea.

Not exactly. I have created some IRs that just don't sound like any miced cab IRs I downloaded (commercial or free) over the years. At least I haven't found any that would sound similar to my own creations. Whether they would please anyone else - no idea (I could post one for you folks to try), but to me, at least so far, they're giving me a close enough "real amp" feel through a FRFR monitor. There's one main difference remaining, though, that'd be the physical impact of whatever larger guitar cabs. My Alto TS310 (and all the others I tried) just doesn't offer enough "weight support" for the kind of impact making your pants flap. But I don't exactly miss that much, if at all. And if I'd do, I'd rather get a larger FRFR solution. For me, the days of playing through guitar cabs are over once and forever (unless I have to play through some session/rental stuff) and I'm not even remotely sad about it, more to the absolute opposite, I'm enjoying my guitar sound more than ever before (and fwiw, in the pastI owned several rather expensive full tube/analog rigs, spiced up with expensive digital stuff plus a whole bunch of cabs of every size). I already sold my alltime favourite 2x12 cab, the 1x12 and 4x12 will folliow (ok, I may keep the 1x12 just in case...).

Well, this isn't the entire truth, it's just the default factory behaviour. I have set my preferences to 10 stomps (I think that's a non-existing option on the LT, for whatever reasons) and the mode button to switch between those stomps and stomp/snaps which will give me 4 snapshots (1-4) and 4 stomp switches (2-5). In case I want all 8 snapshots I use the up/down switches simultaneously. I have set those to explicitely work as snapshot up/down switches, too (not because I'd use it but because I never want to accidentally switch a preset). Edit: Whoops, you're actually mentioning this. Well, then take the above as a sort of addon.

Gotta say "amen" to this (and I'll file a FR and an Ideascale submission later on). Once you've worked with Native Instruments' Guitar Rig (which I don't like much soundwise, plus, it obviously requires a computer and a decent interface to even start with), you will know what a cool playground for all kinds of experimental (and just plain useful) tweaks modulators can be. Guitar Rig offers things like these as modulators: Input level (which is just great), LFOs, envelopes, step envelopes, etc. And you can then route these to *any* parameter you like. So it's even possible to lower your guitar volume and blend into a patch with *more* drive, rather than the opposite. You could as well use it to blend in, say, some modulation on lower input volumes, that way you could get from a full stop riffing sound to a cleaned up modulation sound just by turning down your guitar volume. Or you could have an LFO controlling the volume balance between two amps for a yet unheard tremolo effect. Or what about an input level triggered envelope that would turn a mellow quick chorus into slow bubbling madness once you pick harder? Etc. The possibilities for sound tweakers are endless. In addition, at least typically such modulators come at very little CPU expenses, so that should never become an issue.

Maybe a global option thing?

IMO that amp would only make sense in case you'd actually use it as a standalone acoustic guitar amp here and there as well. Otherwise, I'm with the others in this thread, go for whatever more or less decent FRFR monitor.