GmanJeff

Thanks for the feedback, it's appreciated. I sold my Helix on Reverb quickly and easily, and just ordered a Gigboard. If I understand it correctly, switching functions between bank up/down and preset ("rig", in Headrush parlance") up/down can be accomplished from the footswitches, as can switching individual effects on and off, with no bending down required during a song or gig. That's the functionality I don't see on the Stomp, although I remain very impressed with the Stomp's smaller and lighter form factor and understand the tradeoff involved to achieve that.

I'd be interested in feedback from anyone who has compared these. I'm a current Helix Floor owner who finds I am not using even a fraction of the Helix's capabilities and so plan to sell it for something smaller and lighter. I have started to go directly into the mixer at rehearsals and gigs, so would need amp and cab sims, and I'm considering these two options. I expect I'd probably set up only 6 - 8 patches for frequent use, and ease of switching between up to three of them during a single song (clean, crunch, lead) is important. I want to retain stage use of the on-board tuner during gigs. It appears that the limited number of footswitches on the Stomp may make switching presets awkward or difficult on stage (have to press two switches simultaneously to change banks to access more than two presets)? While I recognize that additional foot switches can be plugged in to the Stomp, that seems to begin to materially transform the price and form factor as compared to going with the Headrush Gigboard, which appears better able to allow changes between presets without adding a cable and an additional box to the rig to achieve pretty much the same end result. Have you Stomp users found switching between presets easy enough, or do you find the design of the box to limit its on-stage utility to the point where it outweighs the advantages of the small form factor?

I'd like such a list, too, if anyone has one?

I just acquired the Line 6 backpack, and am pleased with it. It need not be used as a backpack, as the straps can be concealed in a compartment where they are out of the way, and there are conventional carrying handles on the side and top of the case. The Helix fits perfectly, as you'd expect, and there are two external compartments which are big enough for my iPad and the Bluetooth pedal I use with the it, XLR cables to connect the unit to the mixer, the AC cable, and even a little more. While I'd prefer the protection level of a flight case, in practical terms I don't actually need anything more than a padded enclosure like the backpack, and I appreciate the lighter weight, extra storage, and option of using the backpack straps when circumstances dictate.

Thanks, all - I appreciate the ideas, and am looking forward to learning more about how to get the most out of the Helix in the most efficient way. My second gig with it is coming up tomorrow, and it will be my first with it going into FOH and my monitor only, with no backline.

It would take a lot less time to be able to permanently set the Helix to always send all patches with amp and cab blocks active to a mixer through XLR outs and all patches with those blocks disabled to the 1/4" out going to a physical amp. The time it would take to modify every patch before a gig to accommodate that gig's logistics (direct into PA or not) would depend on how many patches you use. One patch maybe 10 seconds, many patches, much more time, over and over again for each gig.

Brand new user here. I understand that patches typically incorporate preamp and cab models as well as effects, to enable optimal tone when going direct into a DAW or FOH mixer, but that it's usually preferable to take those models out of the circuit when the Helix is used in front of a physical amp and cab which add their own coloration. Is there a way to globally disable and enable preamps and/or cabs to suit each such situation, or is it necessary to set up two sets of patch collections, one with preamp and cab models and one without, to suit each scenario? Ideally, I'd like my patches to include always preamp and cab models when I use the XLR outs to a mixer, and for those models to be disabled when I use a 1/4" out into my stage amp. Is that configuration possible?