Use Stomp HX as standalone device

[galliar]

Hello,

 

I currently use a Pod HD500x while playing at church.  However, there are times I just don’t want to carry the POD and would like to just bring a small pedal of sorts.  So, I was looking into a Stomp HX to occasionally use in both practice and on actual worship sessions.  As I am reading through this forum, I see all kinds of negative input saying the Stomp HX is designed as an adjunct to a real pedal board, yet I see on the Line6 site that it is designed also to be used standalone.  Does it work well as a standalone device, albeit, a smaller footprint, maybe with an aux expression pedal for volume which is all I really need.

[macnevine]

I have been pushing my stomp to the limit.  I can say the only negative thing so far for me is discovering that you have to be very thoughtful of which 6 effects you use because of DSP limitations. In some instances I can literally only chain 4 effects without it impacting DSP.  Anyhow, there are some great youtube videos that show more thoughtful uses using particular lower DSP effects and somewhere there is documentation in this forum to help plan and manage the DSP.  I have worked through this and I have found a good Clean/Dirty/Lead chain with typical modulating effects in the chain that I trigger on/off with a small MC6 Midi controller  for my needs.  The only other limitation at the moment is that it will not work with 2 expression pedals without a reported work around (which I cannot get to work around).  But if you are only using one expression pedal you should be OK.  The volume control is a block but you can have your expression pedal learn the master levels out and control volume to save an effect "block".  

 

Another thing I am doing, because it is a USB Interface, is that I am connecting it to my IPAD on my Mic Stand and I am successfully integrating the tone stack app into the guitar chain.  So I am finding success with using the amp modelers on the STOMP with vol. control and triggering many of the Tonestack modulating effects which are very very good. For my one man band shows this is a great set up and I even integrate the HX STOMP signal into an IPAD looper app I have named Quantiloop.  In my one man band setup I use a foot pedal named beat buddy that delivers bass and drums for many of my songs and my app Onsong changes all of the songs via midi on my beatbuddy pedal.  My beat buddy is also midi chained into my HX stomp and my IPAD so it sends the tempo to my HX stomp and auto sets my BPM for all my modulation effects on the stomp HX and sends the BPM  to my Tonestack app effects on my IPAD and the BPM also syncs with my looper on my IPAD so everything is tightly integrated with BPM.  So a typical thing I do is start my beat buddy song then I loop a basic clean chord progression that repeats later early in the song.  I then stop the intro loop and play and sing live, then when it comes for a lead, I start the looper again and step on my lead channel on HX STOMP for soling over the chord progression.

 

Of course when i am playing with a band I only need my HX stomp with an expression pedal and tap tempo but my main goal was to merge the new IPAD apps with the hardware HXSTOMP and so far I am having success with it being a very flexible piece of equipment.

[Kilrahi]

3 hours ago, macnevine said:

I have been pushing my stomp to the limit.  I can say the only negative thing so far for me is discovering that you have to be very thoughtful of which 6 effects you use because of DSP limitations. In some instances I can literally only chain 4 effects without it impacting DSP.  Anyhow, there are some great youtube videos that show more thoughtful uses using particular lower DSP effects and somewhere there is documentation in this forum to help plan and manage the DSP.  I have worked through this and I have found a good Clean/Dirty/Lead chain with typical modulating effects in the chain that I trigger on/off with a small MC6 Midi controller  for my needs.  The only other limitation at the moment is that it will not work with 2 expression pedals without a reported work around (which I cannot get to work around).  But if you are only using one expression pedal you should be OK.  The volume control is a block but you can have your expression pedal learn the master levels out and control volume to save an effect "block".  

 

Another thing I am doing, because it is a USB Interface, is that I am connecting it to my IPAD on my Mic Stand and I am successfully integrating the tone stack app into the guitar chain.  So I am finding success with using the amp modelers on the STOMP with vol. control and triggering many of the Tonestack modulating effects which are very very good. For my one man band shows this is a great set up and I even integrate the HX STOMP signal into an IPAD looper app I have named Quantiloop.  In my one man band setup I use a foot pedal named beat buddy that delivers bass and drums for many of my songs and my app Onsong changes all of the songs via midi on my beatbuddy pedal.  My beat buddy is also midi chained into my HX stomp and my IPAD so it sends the tempo to my HX stomp and auto sets my BPM for all my modulation effects on the stomp HX and sends the BPM  to my Tonestack app effects on my IPAD and the BPM also syncs with my looper on my IPAD so everything is tightly integrated with BPM.  So a typical thing I do is start my beat buddy song then I loop a basic clean chord progression that repeats later early in the song.  I then stop the intro loop and play and sing live, then when it comes for a lead, I start the looper again and step on my lead channel on HX STOMP for soling over the chord progression.

 

Of course when i am playing with a band I only need my HX stomp with an expression pedal and tap tempo but my main goal was to merge the new IPAD apps with the hardware HXSTOMP and so far I am having success with it being a very flexible piece of equipment.

 

First off, bravo.  That's some seriously creative flexibility with DSP limitations there.  I wish I was half as creative. Those are some ideas I'll have to look into. 

 

I also wanted to weight in to the original poster's question, in my opinion the HX Stomp is a perfect or NEAR perfect standalone device. It's an expensive, but not TOO expensive piece of kit that can easily become the centerpiece for most rigs.  As you progress there might come times where you come up a bit short or want to add something, but part of the genius of the Stomp is it's pretty easy to do so (for example I want to throw in a Freeze Pedal - easy peasy - in one setup I run into a DSP shortage because of some crazy modulations going on, so I turn on the attached Boss Distortion pedal so that the HX Stomp doesn't have to run that end).  Additionally, snapshots and expression pedals allow for some serious tricks to solve problems in ways you couldn't before (ample, bail on the distortion pedal period and just use an expression pedal or snapshot to up the gain on your amp of choice).

 

So in my opinion it's a great stand alone or 75% standalone rig for MOST players, BUT there are caveats.  There are some players who want mountains of effects and chains, and no, the Stomp would at best be a flavor there.  If they don't have one already, the Full Helix or LT is designed for those types of people. 

[rsvette12]

I would spend a bit more and just go for the Helix LT - thats the way I will go - way more for the buck

[galliar]

Thank you everybody for your responses.  Happy Thanksgiving.!

[codamedia]

22 hours ago, galliar said:

As I am reading through this forum, I see all kinds of negative input saying the Stomp HX is designed as an adjunct to a real pedal board, yet I see on the Line6 site that it is designed also to be used standalone.  Does it work well as a standalone device, albeit, a smaller footprint, maybe with an aux expression pedal for volume which is all I really need.

 

Of course it can work as a stand alone device.... if you can fit your needs within the limitations it has.  

 

Keep in mind.... having both the Stomp and the HD500 would make a great combination. Take the stomp when you want to keep it small & simple... but integrate it with the HD500 (via loop) for a very powerful setup when you want it.