Helix makes it easy

[cclement]

I did a private gig last week – a 9th Anniversary party with essentially 3 different bands (all friends/former/current band-members of the couple) and 4 sets. I played on three of the sets – 90% covers, 10% originals. I walked into the gig with my main strat and my backup guitar, my Helix, and my Alto TS10. I sent the PA a mono signal from the XLR out (with the Volume control decoupled from the XLRs) and fed the Alto with the 1/4†out as a personal guitar monitor.

 

It was one of the easiest setups and breakdowns of any gig I’ve ever had, and I got a bunch of complements on my tone. What a wonderful world we live in.

 

Thank you Line6 for making it easy (and saving my poor, old back).

[talwilkins]

I use the same kind of setup, works like a charm!

​Exept I have a Firehawk 1500 as monitor soo my poor old back isn't that happy about it ;)

Last gig I had it in front of me tilted backwards on it's stand.

That really gave me the best sound ever!

[spikey]

Yep that 1500 is heavy but boy does it sound good with Helix! 

[talwilkins]

Yep that 1500 is heavy but boy does it sound good with Helix! 

And it's great as a 1500W bluetooth speaker!

[hideout]

Yep that 1500 is heavy but boy does it sound good with Helix!

Yeah, I just don’t believe it’s necessary to make it that heavy these days. I’m a firm believer in Neodymium magnets and digital switching power supplies.

[jondufour]

I'll be getting some IEM's this month and feeding those with my own mix off the board....I won't even be bringing a floor monitor with me. I'm so excited about carrying my guitar, my IEM's and my Helix into the club in one trip that I can't even describe it.

[jbuhajla]

I'll be getting some IEM's this month and feeding those with my own mix off the board....I won't even be bringing a floor monitor with me. I'm so excited about carrying my guitar, my IEM's and my Helix into the club in one trip that I can't even describe it.

This is my current configuration. 5 minutes to set up and tear down, with only one item in each hand. And then there is the flexibility and sound quality. 

[spikey]

Yeah, I just don’t believe it’s necessary to make it that heavy these days. I’m a firm believer in Neodymium magnets and digital switching power supplies.

 

Lightweight helps the back alright, but it doesn't always mean better-sounding equipment. Not only that but these days the term "digital" is thrown around like a frisbee. Yea I know, even toasters are "digital" these days....  Usually, that sales hook line means they can charge more for it, and its an unrepairable and expensive pop and swap item when it does break the 1st couple months past the warranty... As always YMMV.  ;)

[spikey]

And it's great as a 1500W bluetooth speaker!

yep thats nice too, except when they updated the firmware "away" from my iPad 2. Now I cant use its remote editor.

[talwilkins]

yep thats nice too, except when they updated the firmware "away" from my iPad 2. Now I cant use its remote editor.

Really? When did that happen?

[hideout]

Lightweight helps the back alright, but it doesn't always mean better-sounding equipment. Not only that but these days the term "digital" is thrown around like a frisbee. Yea I know, even toasters are "digital" these days.... Usually, that sales hook line means they can charge more for it, and its an unrepairable and expensive pop and swap item when it does break the 1st couple months past the warranty... As always YMMV. ;)

Switching power supplies are extremely light and I've had many excellent sounding yet very lightweight speakers - my current JBL EON610s are a great example. I think cabinet stiffness in subs is very important and that can often lead to added weight but we're not talking about a subwoofer here, we're talking about an amplification system for guitars. The excess weight on these is to me, ridiculous and wholly unnecessary. I agree with your comment about the word "Digital" being thrown around like a frisbee, this is true but there are also plenty of people who are convinced that more weight equals quality or better sound - which is equally ludicrous.

[spikey]

Switching power supplies are indeed nice and lightweight, but have you ever tried to repair one that is dead? You see it works differently than regular power supplies in that there is (for the most part) no voltage references to troubleshoot by when there's a problem. They are either on and working well of broken with no voltages to work with in finding the problem. Thus "easter egging" it parts wise or pop and swap are your options. They do work well until they don't and then they can be a BIOTCH to repair.  :P Agree with you on the "less weight = better sound". If that were true no one would be playing Les Pauls...   :)

[spikey]

Really? When did that happen?

 Last update- The new firmware on the Firehawk 1500 won't work with an iPad 2... At least it will NOT on mine. I'd be interested to know if it works on anyone else's iPad 2?

[hideout]

Switching power supplies are indeed nice and lightweight, but have you ever tried to repair one that is dead? You see it works differently than regular power supplies in that there is (for the most part) no voltage references to troubleshoot by when there's a problem. They are either on and working well of broken with no voltages to work with in finding the problem. Thus "easter egging" it parts wise or pop and swap are your options. They do work well until they don't and then they can be a BIOTCH to repair. :P Agree with you on the "less weight = better sound". If that were true no one would be playing Les Pauls... :)

Actually, what I said was that some people think “more weight = better quality or better soundâ€. As for repairing switch mode power supplies, should that really be something we should even bother to consider during a purchase? That says a lot about the quality of the product you’re buying, don’t you think? Power supply reliability has rarely been an issue for me - I’ve rarely ever had one fail. I can’t remember ever having a built in switch mode PS fail on my powered speakers or bass amps. Oh sure, some of the cheaper external switch mode wall warts have failed but even that has been extremely rare. I’ve had a lot more transformer based power supplies fail on me by comparison. If one does happen to fail, I call up the manufacturer and ask for a replacement part. Done. So, bottom line, old school transformer based PS - heavy and not as reliable, newer digital switch mode PS - more reliable and lighter. No contest.

 

The other thing is that you and I might be only two of a handful of people here willing and able to replace a power supply. So who gives a rat’s patootie if they’re hard to troubleshoot? The repair person might but we pay them to do the hard jobs don’t we? Transformer based PSs might be easier to troubleshoot but that’s no reason to prefer them over a better, lighter, more efficient and reliable system. Going by your metric, no one would ever buy a new car... or a Helix because tube amps are easier (albeit more dangerous) to troubleshoot.

[spikey]

So who gives a rat’s patootie if they’re hard to troubleshoot? The repair person might but we pay them to do the hard jobs don’t we?

 

If you cant tell by now I'm one of those repair people, so yea I do give a rats patootie cause I know how reliable some are, and how hard they are to fix.  ;)

 

And they are not all made the same. As for buying the product brand in relation to this thought process, that's like getting on a major airline and hoping that the pilot can fly the airplane. All we can do is hope the quality is there inside the cockpit when you take off and land. So far, the power supply has not failed in my Helix. So far its been a good trip...  :)  

 

Actually, what I said was that some people think “more weight = better quality or better soundâ€.

 

I do think that there is a case made for that example for many products. Les Pauls are one, as this helps them sustain the note forever. Wouldnt want an M1A1 Abrams made out of cardboard would ya? Or a battleships anchor made from lightweight plastic?   :lol:

[hideout]

So far, the power supply has not failed in my Helix. So far its been a good trip... :)

Yeah, that’s been my experience with nearly all the gear I’ve owned except for a Lexicon MPX-1 (tranny based PS) and a piece of dung Mackie DLM-8 (switch-mode PS) - don’t ever buy one of those. Everything else has been rock solid.