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Line 6 Helix User report - 1 year later


sidthekidlives
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hi guys, 

for those who are interested I thought I'd give you a bit of an update on the line 6 Helix after 1 year of use , my thoughts and observations on what is quite a controversial and interesting but of kit even if you're not into the world of modelling or multi FX. 

1. Usability

This for me is where the Helix stands apart from the competition ; quite simply if you can think of it you can do it on the Helix in around 5 mins even if you have to consult a control map or something similar. The screen is gorgeous , full color and large. This is not only aesthetically pleasing it is practical ; the colour coding and layout make it easy to understand your signal flow on a dimly lit stage. The footswitch colour coding and scribble strips are fantastically practical and clear , no more searching under dim lights for where you need to stomp. Want to assign multiple parameters to one switch for a solo ? easy , want to set up a switch for a gain AND mid boost AND a volume jump on your amp model ? done , super easy. The routing options for signal flow and connections with the four loops make it pretty much adaptable to any rig configuration I can think of ; when you consider these possibilities it makes the practicality of the unit unbeatable in my opinion. I haven't even delved into the use of scenes yet . If I do have one criticism in this area it's that there is a minute delay in switching patches and no spillover , however I know people use the scenes within a patch to overcome this should the need arise. Another criticism I have is that the only configuration which never seemed to work for me is 4 cable mode. I think this is more due to the fact that this way of using a device effectively routs the signal through an amp twice and does something to the dynamics which I don't like, for me the unit works better going straight to FX return and using the preamps in the unit as your front end. 

2. Build quality 

No major criticisms here. It's build like a tank out of a thick aluminium chassis which feels so rigid that it never seems to flex or move. The volume pedal treadle is also a thick piece of aluminium when never seems to bend and has a good positive feel. In 1 year of use I've never had a crash or a dodgy input or something which appeared to be not working smoothly. If I do have one criticism here I would add some kind of protection or bar at the top of the unit to prevent accidental kicking of the controls etc. My main concern here is not from myself knocking something unintentionally ; it's borne out of the fear of the drunk punter who is at every gig who seems to crash or stumble into your pedals etc ! Basically just something to prevent the chance of a four inch stiletto heel crashing into the unit if possible . Line 6 really addressed this aspect of the unit and it feels like it has the production quality of Yamaha with the aesthetics of something like a BMW or Audi dashboard. 

3. Tones and playability. 

Firstly direct to DAW/studio use. This area has been particularly pleasing for me , there aren't many tones or styles which I feel the unit cannot handle in terms of direct recording and the models feel convincing and more importantly inspiring. They seem to handle dynamics well and you have excellent control of any aspect of the model which you may need ; the output section in particular gives you alot of control of sag and the feel of the output section which is an aspect in which the POD HD was sorely lacking. The effects models are excellent too, the drives and modulation effects overall are very good . If you're a hound for high resolution reverbs with masses of variety I think you may be disappointed, the reverbs sound great to me and are all I require but probably wouldn't compete with the likes of a dedicated Strymon unit. The delays sound excellent to me with plenty of variety . 

Second , live use. This area has been the most contentious for me in terms of finding my feet with the unit. Again you have masses of choice as to how you use the unit but my main intention was to use this direct to PA/FOH to have the advantages that this affords. The unit can perform extremely well within a conventional amp setup as a multi FX but this was not my intended use. Initially I was underwhelmed ; I expected to plug into the PA, sound like a valve amp and off to go but this is simply not the case with any digital device going direct at gig volume as I have found . In essence what I have found is that you have to tailor the overall sound relative to whatever speaker you are monitoring your tone through at any given time ; if this is a guitar amp and guitar speaker this is easy , you have a consistent sound which is designed to reproduce guitar frequencies which we are all accustomed to . To cut a long story short after alot of testing and tweaking I found that using the global EQ to lop off a massive part of the high end frequencies which are harsh or piercing was like waving a magic wand over the unit. Once I discovered this it was like a eureka moment and I can safely say that I've abandoned a guitar amp from now on , I finally feel I have achieved what I have been searching for for years which is a guitar sound which I find inspiring and exciting to play with the flexibility and portability of a digital pedalboard unit , it took years to get there. 

4. In Conclusion 

There is so much to the Helix which I haven't even covered here in full ; the unit is literally so overflowing with features and options it's hard to write about in a brief way. In short I'm extremely happy with what it offers for my requirements and it's changed the way I approach a guitar sound for live use comprehensively . But it took a while to get there ; use of some good quality impulses , lots of research and tweaking at gig volume got me to the point I am now where I'm extremely happy. I'm not suggesting that this unit or way of working is for everybody it is certainly not, many people which achieve what they want with a cracking valve amp and some pedals and I think there are huge advantages in this. What I can say with confidence is that the Helix can achieve what I have been looking to do for years in terms of a direct guitar sound that I'm satisfied and inspired by. If you're looking for an all in one unit for this purpose it might achieve this too ; I'm sure the other options provided by Fractal and Kemper are just as capable if not more and all have their particular strengths. With continued support from Line 6 it seems to have a bright future ahead and I'm pleased to see that forums and Ebay and the like are not flooded with people trying to sell it on after 1 year. 
Hope this has been of interest guys and look forward to any feedback or questions anyone may have ; always happy to help anyone interested in the unit . cheers !

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Good reading...

 

Once again, I wonder why the global EQ is not set as default to mimic Cab frequencies. Wouldn't this be ideal?

If it were, then it would defeat the Helix ability to support use of an array of instruments in a live setting. With the versatility of the Helix, I no longer have to haul around a separate acoustic and bass rig when I need to move from electric to acoustic to bass guitars.

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If it were, then it would defeat the Helix ability to support use of an array of instruments in a live setting. With the versatility of the Helix, I no longer have to haul around a separate acoustic and bass rig when I need to move from electric to acoustic to bass guitars.

 Hmmm...Notice I didn't ask to eliminate the Global EQ.

 

Only that the default setting be set to mimic cab frequencies. Wouldn't this be useful?

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 ......

 

Only that the default setting be set to mimic cab frequencies......

 

Which cab frequencies? PA cabinets? Marshall-style speaker/cab? Fender? Mesa? ..... or maybe just your personal favourite, whatever that is? ;) :D (and don't forget about the mics and their placement too. They greatly affect the tone.)

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For some reason I feel that the global hi cut works better for me than cutting the same frequencies on the cab IR block ? I wonder why that is ?

 

The global high cut probably cuts the highs for the entire preset. The cab cut only cuts the highs in the cab and to some extent the blocks upstream from the cab although it impacts the blocks downstream from the cab as well. That could account for some of the difference that you prefer. Or perhaps the two different types of cuts are tapered or structured differently. Interesting observation, I am not sure what all the differences between these two types of cuts may be.

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 Hmmm...Notice I didn't ask to eliminate the Global EQ.

 

Only that the default setting be set to mimic cab frequencies. Wouldn't this be useful?

 

aaronbrito, I do understand where you're coming from...

 

I just wouldn't want it as the default primarily for the questions silverhead raises (e.g., "Which cab frequencies? PA cabinets? Marshall-style speaker/cab? Fender? Mesa?").

 

What I like about running the Helix direct is that from preset to preset, I can call up an entirely different rig to support the song for which a respective preset was designed, with the amps, speaker cabs, fx, mics, and mic placement that I want for that song.

 

When prepping a preset for a new song being added to our setlist, I spend quite a bit of time at home with the Helix running through reference monitors set flat dialing that preset in. At rehearsal, I work with our FOH engineer to make additional tweaks at performance level in context with the rest of the band so he's basically able to set the channel EQs flat on my guitar lines and pretty much doesn't have to touch the EQ throughout the set.

 

Granted, most weeks I'm typically playing at the same venue through an EAW FOH line array with digital LS management where the FOH system has been tuned to the room, which provides some consistency from one week to the next. However, when I play other venues that might not have room optimized FOH systems, it's nice to be able to tell the FOH engineer to initially set the channel EQ for my guitar lines flat, and during sound check, make a couple of quick tweaks with either the channel EQs or the Helix global EQ.

 

 Thanks!  :)

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Which cab frequencies? PA cabinets? Marshall-style speaker/cab? Fender? Mesa? ..... or maybe just your personal favourite, whatever that is? ;) :D (and don't forget about the mics and their placement too. They greatly affect the tone.)

 

Yes...had forgotten about all that.

 

In general though, do cabs go above 10kHz or below 100Hz?

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Yes...had forgotten about all that.

 

In general though, do cabs go about 10kHz or below 100Hz?

 

That depends on the cabinet.  Manufacturers will often claim a wide frequency response, but they don't always specify how well they respond at any given frequency.  The only way to really gauge such things is by ear, or if the manufacturer happens to provide a frequency response profile chart.  Even then it varies depending on the mic and it's placement.  It's not just about the range of frequencies, but how well it reproduces at any given frequency...in other words the slope of the response curve.

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