Helix case/bag

[tedulrich]

Pelican cases are indeed heavy.  I use two of the old 1514 (now known as a 1510 with divider kit) for my camera and production gear.  Empty they're about 15 pounds each, and when loaded I'm using the rollers.  :lol:   It's not something I carry around on a photo gig, more of a travel/transport case, and when I get on-location I'll either shoot out of them if I'm fixed or transfer the specific gear I need to a backpack, sling bag, or belt rig depending on what the situation calls for.  I probably paid $160-$180 each for them some years ago, so $200 for a 1555 with a foam kit isn't that bad a deal.  I look at it this way, I rely on those Pelicans to protect around $15,000 worth of professional imaging gear, so the price is justifiable.  While a Helix comes in at only a tenth of that, it's all in how valuable it is to you in spending around 13% of the product value for transport protection.

 

I bought my cases from B&H Photo, shipping was free and there was no sales tax as they're only a two state company, as opposed to someplace like Amazon.  If you watch their listings the price tends to fluctuate, especially when they need to move inventory or accidentally get an odd colour like olive drab (both my cases are OD). 

 

Helix is kind of an odd duck in that no two musicians are likely to have the exact same rig.  As far as protection is concerned, the 1555 is probably the best solution I've seen come up yet, short of custom built cases that you can just throw on the stage and pop the lid.  I'm still on the fence about which route to go myself, and I'm leaning more toward just trying my hand at building my own flightcase style pedalboard. 

[zooey]

Thanks for your feedback Ted.

 

I don't need a serious case at this point. It's just me in my car now, so the soft bag I have is fine, just keeping my eyes open for the future.

[MusicLaw]

Pelican Cases are rugged and reknown for their incredibly durablity. I have several that I have repurposed over the years for a variety of uses. They have been flawless for photo gear, telescope optics, firearms, HAM Radio communications equipment, and more. For flight transport or truck cartage they have been exceptional! If I were to ship or otherwise transport my Helix I would be very comfortable using the 1555 Pelican or a larger wheeled unit. Otherwise, the Helix Backpack is ideal for quick and easy grab and go!

[ShredRex]

I had the backpack, but returned it once I found the Gator Gig Box. Removable board holds my Helix as well as my wireless. Cable storage underneath, and the lid detaches and doubles as a guitar stand holding 3 electrics and 1 acoustic. Good deal for $260 CDN.

[aleclee]

I had the backpack, but returned it once I found the Gator Gig Box. Removable board holds my Helix as well as my wireless. Cable storage underneath, and the lid detaches and doubles as a guitar stand holding 3 electrics and 1 acoustic. Good deal for $260 CDN.

 

 

Looks really cool!  I think the weight would be a deal breaker for me, personally.  25 lbs empty is really more than I care to tote, especially since I don't tend to take more than 1 guitar.

[c4ptn]

Hello colleagues,

 

Thanks for all the information here!

I just wanted to give a little feedback about my search for the best bag for the Helix (for my needs):

 

As I don't want to leave my Helix in our band trailer to be able to tweak at home in between gigs, I prefer a sort of a softbag over a hardcase (weight, handy carrying, no hard/sharp edges that could damage the floor/car/furniture....).

But on the other side the bag must be well padded to protect the Helix from rude handling at our gigs, or (when there is no time for tweaking) - it should ever find itself in the trailer...

 

I looked for a skb softcase version which I like very much but couldn't find a good fitting one here in germany (SKB SC2111 unfortunately was a tiny bit too small and not compressable).

 

So I had to look somewhere else and tried the following ones:

 

Thomann Effect Pedal Bag

https://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_effect_pedal_bag.htm

-> snaggy zippers, not very sturdy and no good fit.

 

Gator G-MultiFX-2411

https://www.thomann.de/gb/gator_g_multifx_2411.htm

-> better over all impression than the Thomann Bag, but a little too wide (61,6 cm vs. 55,8 cm) and padding is only 13 mm.

 

Ritter RKS7 Keyboard 550*310*110

https://www.thomann.de/gb/ritter_rks7_keyboard_550310110_mgb.htm

-> fits perfectly, 28 mm padding and very sturdy material and reinforced edges, handy strap and handle, large outer pocket

 

I kept the Ritter and I'm very happy with it over some months now. It isn't advertised related to the Helix so it might be a little bit unknown here, but I can definetily recommend it!

 

Best regards!

 

[NickBosworth]

The Thommann effects pedal bag is of poor quality with the internal padding starting to fray in the corners. I'm thinking of upgrading to a UDG backpack for my LT. https://www.udggear.com/by-product-type/backpack/midi-controller/udg-urbanite-midi-controller-backpack-medium-black I have found that you can buy them for £107

[matt862005]

In case anyone is still following this, I just bought my helix, did some digging around and found a site that has helix bags in stock.  Free shipping and right now they are offering 10% off and I didn't even get charged sales tax!  http://www.altomusic.com

[Szaladin]

On 8/7/2017 at 10:58 AM, NickBosworth said:

The Thommann effects pedal bag is of poor quality with the internal padding starting to fray in the corners. I'm thinking of upgrading to a UDG backpack for my LT. https://www.udggear.com/by-product-type/backpack/midi-controller/udg-urbanite-midi-controller-backpack-medium-black I have found that you can buy them for £107

I got the Thomann bag together with my Helix. Size-wise it fits very well. But it has barely any padding and considering the Helix (LT)'s weight the thin and sharp straps really cut into your shoulder. The zippers on the outside pouch are not reliable on mine.

 

I really started to like the idea of buying the Novation 25 bag. (Which is, unfortunately named different in various shops, meh.) 

 

I noticed two things, though:

1) The darn thing is sould out in any online music store in Germany -  and Amazon.de, too. I just gave up and ordered it over Thomann. When it is in stock it will be send out. However, the availability is oscillating between 'available in a week or so' and 'shippable in 2-5 days'. There must be quite a demand on this thing :o

 

2) It is really funny to see that so many people write customer reviews for that Novation bag that are Helix users. It almost seems noone is buying that thing for keyboards :D

[bsd512]

11 hours ago, Szaladin said:

I really started to like the idea of buying the Novation 25 bag. (Which is, unfortunately named different in various shops, meh.) 

 

I noticed two things, though:

1) The darn thing is sould out in any online music store in Germany -  and Amazon.de, too. I just gave up and ordered it over Thomann. When it is in stock it will be send out. However, the availability is oscillating between 'available in a week or so' and 'shippable in 2-5 days'. There must be quite a demand on this thing :o

 

2) It is really funny to see that so many people write customer reviews for that Novation bag that are Helix users. It almost seems noone is buying that thing for keyboards :D

 

It's been a long time since I posted the photos on the Novation bag. I've used it quite often with my Helix and it's still holding up fine, for anyone that cares. I got mine from Amazon in 2016.