JamesCruzer Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Hey guys, sorry if this topic has been brought up before. So, Soon I will be buying a modeler and the Helix really looks like a good choice for me but the only thing which is holding me back for the moment is how digital some distorted amps sound (on youtube videos). I would like to know if they sound great when tweaked :) Otherwise I was also looking at the Kemper but prefer the layout and effects with the Helix.Thanks in advance :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klangmaler Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Short: Yes. Go ahead and check it out somewhere in a shop - don't trust any videos, trust your ears ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ur2funky Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Yeah, I've heard some videos that were dreadfully fizzy. Not to worry. It sounds like the good videos lol. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 Thanks for the replies guys :)I would try one out in a shop but there are non in stock anywhere where I am :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpag Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 If you want to listen to great tones, I think Scott on The helix channel Youtube does a great job. Though he uses Ownhammer IRs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 Yeah he does have nice tones , was thinking of buying the OH Ir's anyway if I got the helix :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njglover Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Do it. To both. I love the Helix, having a modeler has opened up so many possibilities for me that I was never able to do analog. And the OH IRs give a lot of tonal options, I use them for most of my patches, particularly distortion patches, but sometimes I still want to use Helix cabs. Always something new to discover with the Helix... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 Would you say it sounds as good as a tube amp ? At the moment I have a 100watt head and it is just to loud for my room and am kinda unhappy with the tones i'm getting lately :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billlorentzen Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 If you can't demo it locally, I suggest buying from a retailer with a good return policy. You can't really explore something as deep as helix in a music store anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpag Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Well yes I'd say it does. Certainly I've had tone snobs think it's one of my valve amps. I have 8 Marshall valve amps, so I know the tone I'm after, and after a few weeks I can now get those tones, and many more. You need to think about what you'll be playing the Helix through though. I record direct, but potentially you'll get even better tones with FRFR powered speaker systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 Well yes I'd say it does. Certainly I've had tone snobs think it's one of my valve amps. I have 8 Marshall valve amps, so I know the tone I'm after, and after a few weeks I can now get those tones, and many more. You need to think about what you'll be playing the Helix through though. I record direct, but potentially you'll get even better tones with FRFR powered speaker systems. Good to hear that alpag ;) I plan on getting an FRFR system at some point (possibly the Friedman?), do you have any sound clips of your tones ? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpag Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Yeah, I'll post some here for you tomorrow. Al Btw did you miss this one,I posted. http://line6.com/support/topic/20175-2204-with-t75-sounds-great/?do=findComment&comment=152328 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 Thanks a ton! I just listened, that tone is indeed pretty awesome and re assures me about how good the helix sounds :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpag Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 You're welcome, glad I could help. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FacemanJoe Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Yes, you should try the Helix. I've been using tube amps for 30+ years and as a gigging guitarist, I grew weary of lugging amp heads, cabs and pedal boards. i tried a Helix based solely on the great tones I heard in many videos and was totally blown away. The tones are great and the level of programability puts it over the top. I can play a 50 song gig with just a few patches and I can program all types of boosts, gain controllers, etc., which just wasn't possible with my old rig. I now bring the Helix in a nice Gator road case with two guitars. That's my whole rig and I put the Helix into the FOH via the XLR. Simple and powerful. For me, the Helix is a revelation and the tones I'm getting sound 100% authentic and legit. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hideout Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I lean towards a darker very low buzz overdrive sound compared to most players and was concerned that like the Pods, the Helix's tone shaping tools wouldn't be up to the task. Happily, that was simply not the case! Should Line 6 give us independent preamps and power amps and maybe the ability to A/B between pAth 1 & 2 in the near future, I'm not sure that another modeler will be in my future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 To the OP- Kemper or Helix is a great choice. I have both so its not hear-say. The thing that just floored me about Helix is how I could get KILLER tones tight out of the box with very minor tweaking, and play for hours on end. I could NEVER do that with an HD or Pod. They have really done their homework over at L6, and it shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksteruk Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I find my Helix to be an absolute joy to use and program and have managed to dial in some tones that are almost identical to my tube amp. I have played more guitar in the last 3 weeks I've owned the Helix than I had the rest of this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 Thanks for all the replies guys! Will be getting the Helix, can't wait! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hideout Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Would you say it sounds as good as a tube amp ? At the moment I have a 100watt head and it is just to loud for my room and am kinda unhappy with the tones i'm getting lately :/ That is my main issue with tube amps. That they gotta be loud to feel good to play through. As modern speakers become more and more efficient, they render even very low power amps to be far too loud to be practical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 That is my main issue with tube amps. That they gotta be loud to feel good to play through. As modern speakers become more and more efficient, they render even very low power amps to be far too loud to be practical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesCruzer Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 Yeah, it just doesnt feel right for my room unfortunatley :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radikalhedonist Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Hey,yesterday I odered a helix! I will recieve it tommorow ... :-)I will use it primarily as a effects pedal board in front of my fender landau de ville. Recordings I do with my kemper. I am really looking forward to hear my new "baby" ...greetings from Essen, GermanyPS.: And thanks to all of you for so many tips i read so far in this forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 I had my Helix in my drummer's Pro Recording Studio the other week. A tube amp snobbish friend of ours brought his rig in to record a song for his new fishing guide TV show. He heard me screwing around with my guitar with some Zhangbucker custom wound pickups into the Helix. Didn't know what I was playing through. Set his rig up and the amp in the closet. I left early and left my rig in the studio. The next afternoon after work, I stop by the Studio and Tommy is playing around with the mix. Turns out Joe used my guitar and the Helix to overdub every single track except the slow intro solo. He didn't want to try to recreate the feedback he got on the lead, so he left that one alone. So basically 95% of his song is my guitar and my Line 6 Helix. He ended up asking if he could borrow the Helix for his final gig with one of his bands. I told him I would have, but since they're not exactly in stock very much at all online or local, I couldn't take a chance on something happening to unless I was gigging or unless it was in the studio. I have a feeling he may be ordering one of these puppies now. I haven't found myself missing my Kemper Rack or my Axe FX II XL+ either (and I am in NO WAY bashing them. They were great, but the elimination of a separate controller pedal and the just as good tones of the Helix spelled their departure). The problem I'm having is I'm playing so dadgum much when building patches, that I can't seem to finish getting my full set of gigging/recording presets finished. Making me too lazy to tweak because I'm enticed to play so much more. LoL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasdadgad Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 I had my Helix in my drummer's Pro Recording Studio the other week. A tube amp snobbish friend of ours brought his rig in to record a song for his new fishing guide TV show. He heard me screwing around with my guitar with some Zhangbucker custom wound pickups into the Helix. Didn't know what I was playing through. Set his rig up and the amp in the closet. I left early and left my rig in the studio. The next afternoon after work, I stop by the Studio and Tommy is playing around with the mix. Turns out Joe used my guitar and the Helix to overdub every single track except the slow intro solo. He didn't want to try to recreate the feedback he got on the lead, so he left that one alone. So basically 95% of his song is my guitar and my Line 6 Helix. He ended up asking if he could borrow the Helix for his final gig with one of his bands. I told him I would have, but since they're not exactly in stock very much at all online or local, I couldn't take a chance on something happening to unless I was gigging or unless it was in the studio. I have a feeling he may be ordering one of these puppies now. I haven't found myself missing my Kemper Rack or my Axe FX II XL+ either (and I am in NO WAY bashing them. They were great, but the elimination of a separate controller pedal and the just as good tones of the Helix spelled their departure). The problem I'm having is I'm playing so dadgum much when building patches, that I can't seem to finish getting my full set of gigging/recording presets finished. Making me too lazy to tweak because I'm enticed to play so much more. LoL! He asked to borrow your Helix???? I've been told that the proper response to such a question is "sure...may I sleep with your wife?" OP - get the Helix. Thank me later. And don't lend it to anyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glideman Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Yeah... tube boy actually wanted me to loan it... I told him he was lucky I let him record with it. LoL! Still can't believe he used it over his amp and pedal board rig... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radikalhedonist Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 Yeah... tube boy actually wanted me to loan it... I told him he was lucky I let him record with it. LoL! Still can't believe he used it over his amp and pedal board rig... Hey, I did not used ist for standalone-recording yet, but I recieved it on thursday and had a rehearsel with it in the evening: GREAT!! I used it as a pedal board in front of my clean amp. It was easy to setup and I think I never before had a better sound, although I have got good stuff on my pedal board too. The forum here was a great help for me to get very quick a great sound out of it!! Thanks to all of you! @glideman What are the most important things in your opinion to get a great sound when recording directly to the computer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radikalhedonist Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 ... and sorry for my bad English, I come from Germany :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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