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HX Stomp or / vs Helix


mikefstewart
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I have been studying buying one of these products for my home playing through my PA.  I do know the differences between the two units in principle.  I was leaning towards the Stomp because I already have a nice collection of pedals I have been using for a long period of time.  The Stomp would fit on my Temple Board and provide me my amp and couple effects I don't have.  I don't own an amp beyond a small practice amp at this time.  The size of the Stomp would be perfect for a small acoustic effects unit as well if I needed something for an open mic.

 

Cost aside.  Adding the Helix also adds another 2 feet of width to my floor because my pedal board is about 2 feet wide.  But for home use what do you gain by having the Helix compared to the Stomp, i.e. Do the dual amps add such a tremendous joy factor that I would wish I had a Helix several months after having the Stomp.  I plan to buy 3rd party IR's as well.  Thank you

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If the six block limit on the Stomp wouldn't be a problem (sounds like it wouldn't), get the Stomp. If you have MIDI equipment you need to control, get the Helix (the Stomp has very limited MIDI control). The Helix is WAY to big for open mic acoustic gigs in my opinion.

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2 minutes ago, mikefstewart said:

I have been studying buying one of these products for my home playing through my PA.  I do know the differences between the two units in principle.  I was leaning towards the Stomp because I already have a nice collection of pedals I have been using for a long period of time.  The Stomp would fit on my Temple Board and provide me my amp and couple effects I don't have.  I don't own an amp beyond a small practice amp at this time.  The size of the Stomp would be perfect for a small acoustic effects unit as well if I needed something for an open mic.

 

Cost aside.  Adding the Helix also adds another 2 feet of width to my floor because my pedal board is about 2 feet wide.  But for home use what do you gain by having the Helix compared to the Stomp, i.e. Do the dual amps add such a tremendous joy factor that I would wish I had a Helix several months after having the Stomp.  I plan to buy 3rd party IR's as well.  Thank you

 

Uh . . . that's a big question.  I'm a Stomp owner.  Seriously considered getting a Helix LT and was saving up the cash for it.  Right at about the $600 mark the Stomp was released . . . and it sold me on it. 

 

You'll definitely want to hear from some Helix owners, but in my opinion if you get the Helix it's to be your all in one unit.  I know some who use pedals with it still, but usually the goal is to ditch them or maybe just use a special pedal or two that can't be recreated on the Helix.  It takes up enough real estate on its own that if you're travelling around you really don't want to carry too much more, BUT you really don't have to because it's capable of doing so many things in a signal chain.  I've used one from time to time, and now owning Helix Native I can attest to what a monster of possibilities it is. Finally, most people don't own a Line 6 Variax guitar, but it is quite a powerful creature in its own right, and the things a Helix or Helix LT can do with one are pretty crazy. If a Variax is even a temptation, then get the Helix (and I own a Variax - doh!). 

 

The Stomp really feels like a baby Helix. The thing is, that's part of why I ended up being okay with it. The majority of the time signal chains I build are never that complex anyway. I keep working away at it, but when I create tones they're rarely more than six blocks and to me they sound great.  My favorite artists throughout several decades worth usually only had an amp and an effect or two so it just isn't hard to dial in what I like with the Stomp. Furthermore, I already owned several pedals and Line 6's own Firehawk 1500 that allows me to share in DSP usage, further diminishing the need for me to have a full blooded Helix (in fact, I can do dual amps just fine - I let the rest of my pedalboard pick up the slack). While it's easy to think of all that the Helix can do, the Stomp is quite the powerhouse in its own right. The things I can do with three snapshots and an expression pedal already is well beyond anything I'd ever experienced in traditional pedal land. I've been quite happy with it. 

 

Now, there is one downside to the Stomp, and it is this: What it does it does so well that very often you will find yourself wondering if you should have gone full Helix. My recommendation to people is usually, "If you want to save money AND/OR if you want to keep your pedals viable and have a small form factor, get the Stomp. If money and space is no object, the Helix or Helix LT is a no brainer."

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Kilrahi,  I agree with you.  I am a child of Nirvana, 4 pedals and an amp!  I play rock music and have never envisioned needing to create an 8 block clean tone.  I see the Stomp as an amp switcher for me.  Clean Fender Twin, Bassman, JCM 800, 5150, etc.  I do get inspired by the Helix though with what I could create.  The Dustin Kensrue videos are cool with he does for Thrice.

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I think it really comes down to one thing which has already been alluded to.  Most of us that go for the full Helix floor or LT do so because it's the centerpiece of our rig.  This was never an addition to an existing rig, it was a complete overhaul for many of us.  And that's what we wanted.  But that's because we wanted and/or needed something like that to address the wide range of things we wanted it to solve for us over the long term.  If that's not in your game plan it's probably not right for you.

 

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