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Helix FAQ


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Of course, the absolute best would be a polyphonic tuner ^_^

+100 for a polyphonic mode.

 

also, +50 for a tuner mode than does not output anything. The crowd doesn't need to hear my tuning.

 

If those aren't there on day one, they are definitely going in ideascale

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Helix's tuner has output routing. One of the options is "Mute."

 

Now if only there was an option to mute the other guitarist in my band from time to time... :ph34r:

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Helix's tuner has output routing. One of the options is "Mute."

 

Nice. Thanks  

 

If polyphonic tuning isn't included on launch, I could choose to route to one of the sends and plug that into a floor tuner.  That would be a nice way to handle it too.  

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Looking forward to HEARING the wide range of sounds this unit has to offer. Only then would I consider pre ordering

 

Ding ding ding!

 

This is what we really need.  The video demos have been pretty lacking in this regard.  It would be so helpful to hear a cross section of familiar, iconic amp models (e.g. Fender clean, Vox crunch, various Marshalls, Mesa Mk's and Rectos...) with no additional effects.  I have a pretty good sense of Line 6 effects already, and IRs give me some freedom where cabs are concerned, but I want to hear what this new amp modeling is capable of.

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DI,

 

1) Is the Pitch Shifter polyphonic?

2) Does it have duo stereo delay with modulation?

3) With L2T or L3T, is there is a way that I can use the PA mode on speaker but still get the "electric mode" feel? Or perhaps Helix already has a setting for stagesource with PA mode. With my pod hd 500, when I choose electric mode, my playback is filtered with electric mode sound.

4) Is there a volume control for headphones?

5) Is there an infinite guitar type of sound?

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Ding ding ding!

 

This is what we really need.  The video demos have been pretty lacking in this regard.  It would be so helpful to hear a cross section of familiar, iconic amp models (e.g. Fender clean, Vox crunch, various Marshalls, Mesa Mk's and Rectos...)

agreed

 

with no additional effects.  I have a pretty good sense of Line 6 effects already,

Except that most of the effects were started from scratch for the Helix, so you probably need to discard everything you think you know about L6 effects when considering the Helix.

 

I'd like to see some demos of the plain amps, as well as some demos using the new effects. In each case, just adding a single effect to an already selected amp. Plus, can we please have clean demos? maybe sometimes mixed with some minimal dirt for classic rock, blues, pop sounds. So many demos these days just show off metal sounds which, for a non-metal player like me, all sound the same anyway so shows me nothing.

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So, about voice effects (I'm thinking about harmonies in particular): Will there be effects dedicated to vocals specifically? Will the guitar effects be well adapted to vocals? I'd love to get rid of my voicelive.

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I have to assume the Helix will power a Variax, like the Firehawk does? I know there's reference to the VDI but I think that's the Ethernet in right? I won't use battery live but I don't want to have to use my Line 6 DI with a Helix. So, does the guitar jack, with the right lead, power my Variax? Thanks, much like the preset lag question there seems to be little info on this. But I'm guessing both areas will be taken care of given the price and the obvious attention to quality

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I have to assume the Helix will power a Variax, like the Firehawk does? I know there's reference to the VDI but I think that's the Ethernet in right? I won't use battery live but I don't want to have to use my Line 6 DI with a Helix. So, does the guitar jack, with the right lead, power my Variax? Thanks, much like the preset lag question there seems to be little info on this. But I'm guessing both areas will be taken care of given the price and the obvious attention to quality

 

Helix has the same Variax integration capability that the HD500X (and Firehawk) has. Aside from powering the Variax, you can store models and tunings with presets, and you can use the volume and tone knobs as controllers.

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Helix has the same Variax integration capability that the HD500X (and Firehawk) has. Aside from powering the Variax, you can store models and tunings with presets, and you can use the volume and tone knobs as controllers.

 

I kinda wish they would do it the other way around too, let the expression pedal adjust Variax volume and tone...  I'll have to throw that up on Ideascale...

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Now if only there was an option to mute the other guitarist in my band from time to time... :ph34r:

Buy him in-ear monitors for his birthday, keep telling him he sounds great, and then just turn him down in the mix when he's not looking...he'll never know the difference. :P

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Except that most of the effects were started from scratch for the Helix, so you probably need to discard everything you think you know about L6 effects when considering the Helix.

 

 

What I mean to say is that I already have faith in Line 6 to deliver the goods where effects are concerned.  If the effects are even equally as good as their previous efforts, I'm all set.  I've always liked Line 6 reverbs, rotaries, etc.  Their amp modeling, on the other hand, has been a little hit or miss for me in recent years (everything more recent than POD 2/Flextones, really) so here I need to see (hear) substantial improvement.

 

Have you seen Sean Halley doing a simple demo at Gearfest? It is only one amp but some emphasis on varying the guitar volume, plus some of the new effects:

 

 

Exactly - it's only one amp, and if I'm not mistaken, it's the same amp and the same damned effects to boot.  And unfortunately it's not a tone I'm all that crazy for.  Points for the dynamics on volume change, though; that all does look to be in order.

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OK, I just saw some other demos re: hands-off editing and controller assignments, and now I'm getting excited.  Ironically, I got a better impression of tone from these than from the "tone overview" video.

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OK, its up on Ideascale, using the Helix to control the Variax.  Vote it up! I have a feeling they could do it...  ;)

 

"I love being able to control HD500 parameters with my Variax tone and volume knob and look forward to doing it with Helix too. What I really want is to be able to control the Variax tone, volume and even tunings with the POD or Helix either with the expression pedal or with a foot switch. Using the exp pedal to control guitar volume has a totally different effect than changing amp volume or drive but for me its a PITA to get it consistently right. And being able to hit a FS to change tuning and guitar model or pickup would be amazing!"

 

http://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/HD500-Helix-Control-of-Variax-Parameters/728102-23508?submitted=1

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Interested in how the MIDI switching is set up.  I see that you have a Stomp and Preset mode.  How do we access the Midi control.  Specifically, I'm wanting to control Ableton Live 9 via the Helix, and assign switches to record, play, stop, change scenes, call up clips, etc.  Is this doable? 

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Interested in how the MIDI switching is set up.  I see that you have a Stomp and Preset mode.  How do we access the Midi control.  Specifically, I'm wanting to control Ableton Live 9 via the Helix, and assign switches to record, play, stop, change scenes, call up clips, etc.  Is this doable? 

 

Yes, that should be easily doable. You'd just assign the appropriate MIDI commands to each footswitch. You can have a custom control scheme within each preset. So, really, if you're using it as a MIDI controller, you'd need it to be in Stomp mode. The other cool thing is that you can have "instant" commands that are sent as soon as you load a preset. This could be useful if you were wanting to change presets on an external device when you change presets on the Helix.

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Is it correct to think being in Stomp or Preset mode will make no difference regarding MIDI changes being sent with a patch change?

 

Let me rephrase that...

 

If in full stomp mode, I would have to engage the MODE FS first, but at that point.

 

No, you can customize what MIDI messages are sent when you change patches. With the HD500X, the PC messages associated with the patch you are going to are always sent, but with the Helix you assign the messages for every preset.

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Yes, that should be easily doable. You'd just assign the appropriate MIDI commands to each footswitch. You can have a custom control scheme within each preset. So, really, if you're using it as a MIDI controller, you'd need it to be in Stomp mode. The other cool thing is that you can have "instant" commands that are sent as soon as you load a preset. This could be useful if you were wanting to change presets on an external device when you change presets on the Helix.V

Very cool!  So then, let me ask, In Stomp mode, do we have access to banks?  I'm wanting to know if I can set up more than just the available 10 switches.  To be clear, if I need 8 different FX/pedals in stomp mode, would that limit my MIDI assignments to the remaining 2 switches? 

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Very cool!  So then, let me ask, In Stomp mode, do we have access to banks?  I'm wanting to know if I can set up more than just the available 10 switches.  To be clear, if I need 8 different FX/pedals in stomp mode, would that limit my MIDI assignments to the remaining 2 switches? 

 

You can choose to have the two leftmost switches (FS1 and FS7) remain bank switches or be available to turn effects on or off when in Stomp mode. If you leave them as bank, it just allows you to change presets without hitting the mode switch first. As far as your last question, you can assign MIDI commands to switches you're using for effects, too.

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I have a few questions that I didn't see readily available or asked yet. 

 

Assuming I get this product... This would be a center piece for my studio. I read somewhere that the mic input (xlr) is phantom powered, and has a mic pre.  But lets say that I don't really like the mic pre, can I turn off the mic pre, and phantom power, to run my own mic pre amp into this xlr input on the Helix?

 

Secondly, about patches that will be shared. I assume there will be a nice, and convenient way of doing this... Will the Helix rack users be segregated from the Helix floorboard users? Or will the patches be interchangeable between both Helix products? IF not, then why not?

 

How is the A/D/A conversion? Any information you can give us on this yet?

 

This might be the unit that would be a great upgrade from my Eleven Rack. I will need to hear more of the sound quality itself of course, but I understand that is something that will be revealed more as we get closer to release date. But the features, and routing capabilities (especially with the 8x8 in/out usb) makes this a ReAmping monster! It should allow me to dial in a ReAmping tone that will fit in with the mix, (as I can dial it in simultaneously with the mix from my DAW playing at the same time all through the Helix, and out to my monitors, or headphones) As far as I know the only guitar processor/interface that allowed that before this one is the Eleven Rack.

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I read somewhere that the mic input (xlr) is phantom powered, and has a mic pre.  But lets say that I don't really like the mic pre, can I turn off the mic pre, and phantom power, to run my own mic pre amp into this xlr input on the Helix?

 

...Will the patches be interchangeable between both Helix products?

 

You could connect up to five external mic pres to Helix (Aux In and Return 1-4 set to line).

 

Presets will be freely interchangeable between Helix and Helix Rack.

 

A/D/As sound very clean.

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You could connect up to five external mic pres to Helix (Aux In and Return 1-4 set to line).

 

Presets will be freely interchangeable between Helix and Helix Rack.

 

A/D/As sound very clean.

 

That sounds awesome, and thanks for the response!

 

As long as I can ReAmp like I have explained in my previous post (dialing it in while playing the mix from the DAW, and the dry {recorded} guitar from the DAW simultaneously) the only thing I really have to wait for before I jump on board is the sound quality comparisons.  Technically speaking of routing, and flexibility, this thing seems to have me covered, and then some. Nice job Line 6!

 

I just hope it isn't one of those "too good to be true" situations. I really hope that the sound quality is actually improved as much as all these other areas. I'm excited to see/hear more of this product. 

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How does the amp controls work?(channel and reverb on amp) I am really hoping that it is assignable to instantly change per preset and then change it with stomp switches within the preset.

I am wanting this for 4cm for fx before and after my amp and to control my amp switches per preset.

I am also wanting to record my amp using the mic input while simultaneously using it with my amp. 

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Helix has the same Variax integration capability that the HD500X (and Firehawk) has. Aside from powering the Variax, you can store models and tunings with presets, and you can use the volume and tone knobs as controllers.

This is a great feature (using the volume and tone knobs as controllers) also available on the HD500x, but unfortunately as soon as you change the pickup selection the tone/volume lock gets "forgotten" by the HD500x and the guitar goes back to being a regular tone or volume control  - is this something that's fixed with Helix?

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Wow. It looks smaller than an HD500x.

I just have questions regarding that big screen...

 

How resistant is it to scratches, cracking or minor bumps? I owned Zoom G3s, Digitech RPs etc and the screens show a lot of fine scratches after months of use. Overtime, the screen becomes riddles with scratches all over and the it's hard to see through it especially under the sun or under strong fluorescent light. How durable is it? 

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