R_J_Randall Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Is it me or does the Helix look really fragile. I think the little screens above each pedal could easily get broken and the main screen is pretty big. If anything drops on it at a gig, it could cause problems. Just wondering what other people thought about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Helix has been out for some time now and I haven't seen many (any?) reports of broken displays from exterior damage. Depends on what is dropped on it, of course, but so far they seem up to the task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Check this out: https://youtu.be/u38HcVMHZ-M?t=31 If you're putting a Helix through that much abuse at a gig, you have other issues to worry about... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncann Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Check this out: https://youtu.be/u38HcVMHZ-M?t=31 If you're putting a Helix through that much abuse at a gig, you have other issues to worry about... :) Lol. I'd like to see him do the same thing with shoes that have metal cleats. Or even better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9wsjroVlu8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klangmaler Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Check this out: https://youtu.be/u38HcVMHZ-M?t=31 [...] Fools seldom differ (or great minds think alike): Was searching for this movie, too - you made it ealier :D @R_J_Randall: Check out the 'violating' after 0:33 sec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_J_Randall Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 hahahaha wow ok, yeah that took some beating. I'm a 500hdx user and just thought that the 500 looked stronger, but the Helix seems to do the job very well. still saving the pennies for it. lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Is it me or does the Helix look really fragile. I think the little screens above each pedal could easily get broken and the main screen is pretty big. If anything drops on it at a gig, it could cause problems. Just wondering what other people thought about that. There's always bubble wrap...;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jroseberry Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 The Helix isn't overly delicate. No more so than a GT-100 or similar. If you drop something heavy right on the display... it will crack (same as any other). With reasonable care to/from and at gigs... it'll be fine. Get a nice case or heavy bag to protect while carting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpointmetal Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 It's quite a bit beefier than the HD500X, especially the case/expression pedal feel a lot stronger. The only thing I worry about is a cord getting pulled across the joystick or the other selection knob on the other side of the screen. If it seems to flimsy but you want the sounds, get the rack and a cheap MIDI controller you won't have to worry about too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_J_Randall Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 The Helix isn't overly delicate. No more so than a GT-100 or similar. If you drop something heavy right on the display... it will crack (same as any other). With reasonable care to/from and at gigs... it'll be fine. Get a nice case or heavy bag to protect while carting. That's what I was thinking. Them little screens above the pedals, if one of the them cracks it will be impossible to see what pedal you have loaded up. When you gig a lot these things happen. But like you say just taking care of it, it be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_J_Randall Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 There's always bubble wrap...;) Yes bubble wrap is always good to have around lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 That's what I was thinking. Them little screens above the pedals, if one of the them cracks it will be impossible to see what pedal you have loaded up. When you gig a lot these things happen. But like you say just taking care of it, it be fine The HD500 and 500X have screens and all the M-series pedals have screens, and I have to say that in all my years here on the forums I don't remember ever seeing anyone posting anything about them being cracked. It's probably happened somewhere, but if these screens were so delicate, I would think you'd be seeing them cracked more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_J_Randall Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 The HD500 and 500X have screens and all the M-series pedals have screens, and I have to say that in all my years here on the forums I don't remember ever seeing anyone posting anything about them being cracked. It's probably happened somewhere, but if these screens were so delicate, I would think you'd be seeing them cracked more often. Yeah it's probably happened somewhere. the hd500,500x and the M-series range from 1-4 screens and the Helix has 13 screens so you might see it pop up every now and again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpdennis Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 As a user of the Floor Pod Plus, the HD500X, the M13, and the Helix, I say from my experience that the Helix is actually more rugged than any of the preceding Line 6 line that I have used. I do take very good care of my gear, but I have played places where even taking care of gear doesn't help with the inebriated people who seem to think it is OK to climb into the stage and incorporate their ideas into our sets. Hahaha And so far the Line 6 gear takes a licking and keeps on gigging!! Dennis PS: I have never used a bat on them though ... B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 There has to be "SOMETHING" wrong with it ! Otherwise I might fail my drama class!!!! :lol: Honestly for everything made, there will be a percentage of it with issues. Everything. A little more here, a little less there... Worrying about everything won't help, and there is No way around it. So, the trick is to get passed that, and then there is less narcotic meds needed in life... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHamm Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 ...I'm a 500hdx user and just thought that the 500 looked stronger, but the Helix seems to do the job very well.... You got to see them side by side. Helix is built like a tank compared to the 500, and the 500 was fine for me for 5 years. ...If it seems to flimsy but you want the sounds, get the rack and a cheap MIDI controller you won't have to worry about too much. if you get the rack, do NOT get a cheap midi controller. The rack without Control is like a day without sunshine. Seriously, this thing is probably as rugged as or more rugged than anything else you've had under your feet like it ever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpointmetal Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 If you're worried about beer and drunks spilling themselves on your gear, or you think the screens are going to be an issue, there would be no issue with using a different controller than the one L6 matches to the rack. If it was a concern of mine, I'd much rather have someone tripping and falling all over my $150 Behringer footboard that doesn't have touch-sensitive buttons and LCD screens all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 If you're worried about beer and drunks spilling themselves on your gear, or you think the screens are going to be an issue, there would be no issue with using a different controller than the one L6 matches to the rack. If it was a concern of mine, I'd much rather have someone tripping and falling all over my $150 Behringer footboard that doesn't have touch-sensitive buttons and LCD screens all over the place. Beer and drinks, and even rain in outdoor venues, always a potential hazard, not only from audience and Mother Nature, but from band members as well. Wouldn't water-resistant MFX be great? Keep in mind that right now you have to assign the on/off for the blocks to the Helix footswitches before you can use the Behringer to control them. DI pointed out in another post that the Helix does not allow direct MIDI addressing for the on/off functionality in the blocks yet (I hope it is coming at some point); although once they are assigned to a footswitch on the Helix they can be controlled from the Behringer. I don't know if parameters are directly addressable with MIDI yet? Anyone tried it? The expression pedals on the Behringer FCB1010 are working with the Helix now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHamm Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Why anyone would want Helix without the wonderful scribble strips and touch-sensitive footswitches and all... is beyond me, though... It's all part of the workflow.Just be careful as you can be and you will be fine. If not, put a clear piece of plastic over all of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpointmetal Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Not everyone has the same goals with the product. I only use the touch stuff when I'm at home. I turn it off when we play live. Workflow in patch creation is an entirely different thing than live performance, and if you've got the rack, chances are better you'll have the unit at a reasonable height for editing, and the PC editor makes the foot controller stuff almost unnecessary for editing outside of a gig situation. I don't want to seem like I'm arguing with you, but you sound more like you're selling the Helix vs. helping to solve a problem/concern. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klangmaler Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 (RTFM...) Global Settings > Footswitches; Knob: 1; Parameter: Touch Select Description: If you don't want Helix to automatically select assigned blocks or items when you touch a switch top, or engage Quick Footswitch Assign when you touch a switch top for 2 seconds, set this to "Off." If you play barefoot, you might want to turn this off as well. Yep, really good feature for live performances! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHamm Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Not everyone has the same goals with the product. I only use the touch stuff when I'm at home. I turn it off when we play live. Workflow in patch creation is an entirely different thing than live performance, and if you've got the rack, chances are better you'll have the unit at a reasonable height for editing, and the PC editor makes the foot controller stuff almost unnecessary for editing outside of a gig situation. I don't want to seem like I'm arguing with you, but you sound more like you're selling the Helix vs. helping to solve a problem/concern. not really. I know from having it in front of me how helpful the Control is, with it's colored lights and scribble strips, to always know exactly what is happening in my performance. Editing? Actually, that's where I, personally, need Control LESS, not more than performance, especially with my hybrid front panel/editor approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Why anyone would want Helix without the wonderful scribble strips and touch-sensitive footswitches and all... is beyond me, though... It's all part of the workflow. ... No harm in helping people to use what may be an additional controller to be used with the Helix controller. I can also see someone who already has a midi controller integrated into a bigger setup just wanting to continue with it instead of adding the Helix controller. I do agree though, for many users, just pony up for the Helix controller, you will be happy you did in the long run. If you want to add additional MIDI control that is fine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.