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Helix Demo Videos


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You rang?

eac545fabb4737bd1850ff3e96104fb6b6488cba

 

 

 The good news is that you'll require fewer blocks than before. Each input block has its own noise gate, the mic pre has its own dedicated low cut filter, the mixer has a polarity invert for path B, most effects blocks have output levels, most time-based effects have mix parameters, dual cabs can be used after single amps, Global EQ can be assigned to just the 1/4" outs or just the XLRs (or both), and the cabs and many other effects have low and high cut filters.

 

 

hey DI, can the XLR out level be configured independently of the master volume control? Like in X3?

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Nice vids, and almost entirely free of showroom fx which is unheard of! Helix sounding very nice. What I really want to know is why that colour in the 69 isn't available? Or in the Standard? I would've bought it in a heartbeat. Bizarre they went for Lake Placid - pretty but too "look at me" - and not this, it actually diminishes the ungainly warped strat look of the 69 and makes it seem more compact and elegant. Assume it's his own custom?

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  • 3 weeks later...

why do guitarists feel the need to put on heavy distortion and shred for a demo...sigh...it is like going into a music store on a Saturday...nothing to be learned about the amp models from that.

 

I just want to hear the amp models etc I don't really care about your guitar chops...strum a chord let it ring...roll back the volume bring it in, change your pick attack etc...play some clean amps...anyway...we'll all know soon enough.

 

With that said, the interface looks great...looks very, very intuitive...

 

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Lol, what amp to represent? A plexi for variety.... Anyway, still not impressed from sound.

I feel pretty much the same. On the video from Audiofanzine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiaDF8TVlCA) it sounds so boomy - to much bass.

I guess it sounds better when trying it in person but there is not much difference to my best HD500 patches - judging from the few videos available right now.

But we'll see.

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Not a video, but we busted out a few new audio clips: https://soundcloud.com/line6/sets/helix/s-EoyHX

I'd like to hear each model with just an "E" chord in first position and allowed to ring out.  Just each one with no effects.

 

And then maybe a slowly played chuck berry riff on each one again with no effects.

 

It would really show the models off a lot better than sticking them in a produced mix and it would be easy to play and record.

I don't think anyone really needs to hear long lead lines being played (noodling) or rhythm guitar parts. 

Just a big old "E" chord ringing out and a small couple of seconds SLOW lead guitar. All solo (no accompaniment) and all done SLOW so we can really hear the tone of the amp models. :)

 

Would that be possible for one of you guys to just take a few minutes and do?

I've already pre-ordered by the way...so I'm already sold. Just excited about the Helix and want to hear some things to drive me crazier with the long wait. :)

-Robbie

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Too much stuff with effects.. I agree about playing E chords and letting them ring... I do that with every amp I try.  If it can't make me smile from a simple open E strum, then it's not the amp for me.. It's gotta be instant.  Please guys, less effects or crappy downtuned studio garbage.  Let the amps shine, or folks will start the "Line 6 talks the talk, but can't walk the walk" stuff.. I'm less stoked the longer I wait for something to wow me.  $1500 is a large chunk of cheddar, and you haven't given (most) of us enough to justify it.  Just put some simple samples out!

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All these people that are saying to put simple samples up, while I understand the sentiment, L6 is a big company with years of experience. Do you really think they are not going to put together produced content with a great player with a great guitar having fun and making good use of the sounds that suit him? Their intention is not to give you information about the helix. I doubt they have any incentive to do that. Their purpose is to get people excited and to build hype. The lack of certainty only gives people more to talk about ie., But he's using a suhr! But hes a good player, How come they don't show this, that, and everything in between? Obviously they know what they are doing because they have achieved amazing customer engagement. Frankly I've know about line 6 for years but just because of my research on the helix that is the only reason I've found out about fractal or kemper. And I've been playing professionally for years. Personally I think the tones so far sound great and i trust that if this thing is costing what it is, I have faith that it will be worth it in some way

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All these people that are saying to put simple samples up, while I understand the sentiment, L6 is a big company with years of experience. Do you really think they are not going to put together produced content with a great player with a great guitar having fun and making good use of the sounds that suit him? Their intention is not to give you information about the helix. I doubt they have any incentive to do that. Their purpose is to get people excited and to build hype. The lack of certainty only gives people more to talk about ie., But he's using a suhr! But hes a good player, How come they don't show this, that, and everything in between? Obviously they know what they are doing because they have achieved amazing customer engagement. Frankly I've know about line 6 for years but just because of my research on the helix that is the only reason I've found out about fractal or kemper. And I've been playing professionally for years. Personally I think the tones so far sound great and i trust that if this thing is costing what it is, I have faith that it will be worth it in some way

That's well and good Eric, and I suppose it would be nice to drop the skeptical bit for a while, but this is not a toy, it's over two thousand dollars where I live and in that case I don't want to hear processed, multi-delayed cover band tones by Dudebro at my local chain store, or what sounds pretty much like the 500 plexi over and over. I want to know that base tones are honest, good and move the air (or at least create the illusion!), and that when I'm playing to a real audience they're not distracted by how brittle the sound is and that briefest of delays in switching. That is in no way too much to ask and it's owed to a loyal user group who desperately want this tool to be what it should be. And if you tell me a company doesn't owe me anything well I guess we're at an ethical impasse. I reckon Line 6 people appreciate that it's a mutual and reciprocal relationship, their literature says so. That couldn't just be fertiliser for a dumb crop could it? Anyway, I have faith that such demonstrations will appear once the company feels the product is ready. But no pre order from me until then. Those sound clips could be replicated by a DI and Guitar Rig. Delay obfuscates in demos as in politics.

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That's well and good Eric, and I suppose it would be nice to drop the skeptical bit for a while, but this is not a toy, it's over two thousand dollars where I live and in that case I don't want to hear processed, multi-delayed cover band tones by Dudebro at my local chain store, or what sounds pretty much like the 500 plexi over and over. I want to know that base tones are honest, good and move the air (or at least create the illusion!), and that when I'm playing to a real audience they're not distracted by how brittle the sound is and that briefest of delays in switching. That is in no way too much to ask and it's owed to a loyal user group who desperately want this tool to be what it should be. And if you tell me a company doesn't owe me anything well I guess we're at an ethical impasse. I reckon Line 6 people appreciate that it's a mutual and reciprocal relationship, their literature says so. That couldn't just be fertiliser for a dumb crop could it? Anyway, I have faith that such demonstrations will appear once the company feels the product is ready. But no pre order from me until then. Those sound clips could be replicated by a DI and Guitar Rig. Delay obfuscates in demos as in politics.

Look I get it.  It is expensive, given not 2000$ where I live but the 1500$ I put down wasn't easy.   It seems like you already have a judgement about line 6 sounds in the helix based on your experience with other line 6 products.  One of my first amps was line 6 and I admit that some of the spiders and earlier amp models sounded extremely brittle and unlistenable.  However my more recent experience hearing line 6 stuff has convinced me otherwise.  I have had my M13 for years now and I have to say it is one of the best purchases Ive ever made.  Sound wise this thing is anything but brittle.  Some effects are better than others yes, but say the Tube Drive is the most authentic sounding distortion in a multifx I've ever heard and actually beats out many boutique pedals that I've heard in quality.  The delays, reverbs, compression, and some of the filters are really awesome as well.  Since then I've heard demos of the HD500 and 500x and I have to say that in the world of 500$ and under pedals that do the trick, there is no other company on the market that is competing.  The one time I bought a Boss multifx unit, I ended up returning it same day it was such a bad interface and sounded so terrible.  I guess what I'm saying is this company has impressed me enough with their recent products to earn my trust and thats why I have the Helix pre ordered.  My M13 was under 500$ and I am a happy camper with it.  Ive seen pros such as Oz Noy live using his M13.  If this thing is $1500, it is that price for a reason.  

 

Now as far as samples of the helix goes; While there is a ton of plexi sounds coming through in samples, I think the fact is that there are also great examples of clean tones, delays, filters, and distortions so far already in the samples as well.  The clean track of Sean playing in the office video sounds amazing to my ears.  I haven't heard a tone so far that I didn't like on these videos and clips and personally I think they have done a good job of listening to their customers and doing their best to release what people want to hear.  You can distinctly see in this forum that after all the plexiness, people wanted to hear clean tones and metal tones.  So line 6 released the 6 tracks with exactly that.  Now people are saying, well we want to hear this this and that.  

 

Hey I understand its a lot of cash.  Obviously you are not happy with the sounds you've heard so far.  And if you think you can create the tones we've heard with a DI box and a nice rig, by all means save yourself the money.  Personally based on the sounds I've heard and the flexibility in the IO and having everything right there in one neat shiny pedal board with a great user interface sounds pretty awesome to me.  As a professional player I deem this worth pre ordering, but everybody's different.  

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Look I get it.  It is expensive, given not 2000$ where I live but the 1500$ I put down wasn't easy.   It seems like you already have a judgement about line 6 sounds in the helix based on your experience with other line 6 products.  One of my first amps was line 6 and I admit that some of the spiders and earlier amp models sounded extremely brittle and unlistenable.  However my more recent experience hearing line 6 stuff has convinced me otherwise.  I have had my M13 for years now and I have to say it is one of the best purchases Ive ever made.  Sound wise this thing is anything but brittle.  Some effects are better than others yes, but say the Tube Drive is the most authentic sounding distortion in a multifx I've ever heard and actually beats out many boutique pedals that I've heard in quality.  The delays, reverbs, compression, and some of the filters are really awesome as well.  Since then I've heard demos of the HD500 and 500x and I have to say that in the world of 500$ and under pedals that do the trick, there is no other company on the market that is competing.  The one time I bought a Boss multifx unit, I ended up returning it same day it was such a bad interface and sounded so terrible.  I guess what I'm saying is this company has impressed me enough with their recent products to earn my trust and thats why I have the Helix pre ordered.  My M13 was under 500$ and I am a happy camper with it.  Ive seen pros such as Oz Noy live using his M13.  If this thing is $1500, it is that price for a reason.  

 

Now as far as samples of the helix goes; While there is a ton of plexi sounds coming through in samples, I think the fact is that there are also great examples of clean tones, delays, filters, and distortions so far already in the samples as well.  The clean track of Sean playing in the office video sounds amazing to my ears.  I haven't heard a tone so far that I didn't like on these videos and clips and personally I think they have done a good job of listening to their customers and doing their best to release what people want to hear.  You can distinctly see in this forum that after all the plexiness, people wanted to hear clean tones and metal tones.  So line 6 released the 6 tracks with exactly that.  Now people are saying, well we want to hear this this and that.  

 

Hey I understand its a lot of cash.  Obviously you are not happy with the sounds you've heard so far.  And if you think you can create the tones we've heard with a DI box and a nice rig, by all means save yourself the money.  Personally based on the sounds I've heard and the flexibility in the IO and having everything right there in one neat shiny pedal board with a great user interface sounds pretty awesome to me.  As a professional player I deem this worth pre ordering, but everybody's different.

 

I appreciate all that Eric and your pretty personal take on things, but I feel like you didn't read my post very carefully. Which is fine, I'm not saying anything new. What I am reiterating then is that the recent sound clips are, especially if you listen with decent headphones, swaddled in digital delay. Like every store demo ever. Why, well only the makers can tell you. Perhaps we should be using the word "dry" instead of clean. I also said I fully expect the kinds of useful and revealing demos that lots of people need before they make a decision to come from the company. After all what's to hide? A simple run through of core tones with application of fx one at a time in real time. Bam, a million units sold because it sounds so damn good! And right with you on the IO, awesome implementation. Means lollipop if the tones aren't true. The HD500 sounds pretty good, and I agree better than any Boss fx unit (certainly not pedal though), but while it may cut it for soloists in certain kinds of acts, it just isn't there for a lot of players and purposes. And for the price point I don't expect it to be. It's not the unit we're discussing anyway. All I'll say is I'm not the only one thinking like this and it's with high hopes that I await that definitive demo. Justified skepticism is healthy, doesn't mean I'm suddenly, what do the kidz call it? a hater? Love my JTV59, genius thing, it wants a real box to plug in to.

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These sound comparisons between HD and HX seem kind of meaningless to me.  The A vs. B tones are so different I don't get the sense that there's been a real effort to get the HD in the same ballpark as the HX.  Maybe (probably, in fact) the HX is smoother, but it's just as likely they've lowered the gain a bit, cut some highs, and said, "ooh, isn't that nicer?"  Well yes, it is nicer, but it's not an indication that the same couldn't have been done on the old hardware.

 

Same moral, different story:  won't really know until I'm playing it myself.

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I'm sure there are still heaps of gain that you can achieve.  From the sound of it, it seems like they may have gotten rid of that fizziness that has been around since the original pod.

 

Oh, yeah, I have no doubt about that.  My point is just that the HD patches in these videos have more gain than the HX patches they're being A/B'd against, which renders the entire experiment somewhat moot.

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