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Future Helix 2


mikefstewart
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All good points. And of course the problem with waiting is that each day becomes more likely that it'll be released. 

And you're right, it'll be a flagship, probably not an LT-replacement. Maybe, who knows?!

 

And yes, the LT would do everything I want/need (and more... I'm still the weak link in my chain, tbh). Maybe I'll wait and see if it drops for Christmas/NAMM 2021. If so, I'll be informed. And if not, then maybe it's time to just pick up the LT.

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I think a lot of people are underestimating the resale value of a Helix.  Keep it in pristine condition, I'd bet on getting back at least 50% if you want to upgrade to a Two right away (whenever that happens).  To me, that greatly mitigates the "what if the next version comes out right after I get this one" factor.

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12 hours ago, firehawkkwah said:

All good points. And of course the problem with waiting is that each day becomes more likely that it'll be released. 

And you're right, it'll be a flagship, probably not an LT-replacement. Maybe, who knows?!

 

And yes, the LT would do everything I want/need (and more... I'm still the weak link in my chain, tbh). Maybe I'll wait and see if it drops for Christmas/NAMM 2021. If so, I'll be informed. And if not, then maybe it's time to just pick up the LT.


Well, I can tell you for sure nothing replacing the Helix or LT is coming that soon...

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On 7/21/2020 at 11:26 AM, firehawkkwah said:

...

 

It's just a money thing. And since Helix has been out 5 years it's not like a new one isn't coming eventually. If it's 1 year I'll wait. If it's 3, probably not. But who knows?!

 

Although there are some things I would have preferred be done with different hardware such as the joystick, in toto(not the dog) I cannot believe what a well built piece of equipment the Helix is. It is absolutely awe-inspiring from the quality of the case to the screen and scribble strips, even the rough pebble coating on the incredibly solid expression pedal. Almost everything about it feels robust and fantastic. What a remarkable piece of kit. It is a beast! As I posted before I only wish I could upgrade the components when the time comes because it is one truly impressive piece of gear that I would prefer never become obsolete. 

 

For anyone waiting I would say get off the fence and just get one!! I'm sure the "Double Helix", whenever it comes, and it could be years, will have more capability but with the build and quality of the Helix as it exists already the new Double Helix will be hard-pressed to deliver at the current price point as materials and manufacturing continue to get more expensive. This device has captured my intense interest, served me flawlessly for years of gigging, and cured my lifelong G.A.S.. I have said this before but I truly believe it has saved me bundles of cash over the years. My constant purchase and search for other equipment decreased dramatically after getting the Helix. In the long run it has saved me thousands, so if you are just looking at the economics of it you may be surprised at how your lowered net expenditures on other gear may end up more than justifying the purchase.

 

Even if you decide to sell your LT for less than the purchase price when a new device comes out to displace it, you may well find that you have saved a lot of money on other gear you would have bought otherwise. In the interim you will definitely have missed out on just how much fun and creativity this device delivers, especially when integrated with a Variax and/or PowerCab,  delivered with an intuitive interface that makes using it a pleasure. With a major firmware upgrade coming(3.0) it will soon have even more toys and functionality under the hood. I am not shy about critiquing things I think could be done better on the Helix but overall the experience has been overwhelmingly positive.  

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2 hours ago, HonestOpinion said:

This device has captured my intense interest, served me flawlessly for years of gigging, and cured my lifelong G.A.S.. I have said this before but I truly believe it has saved me bundles of cash over the years. My constant purchase and search for other equipment decreased dramatically after getting the Helix. In the long run it has saved me thousands.... 

 

This has been my experience as well... and I am only 2 years in :) 

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My 2 Cents:

Like many have said, companies deliberately introduce products that are imperfect.  With the Helix, which is pretty much a computer with some buttons/knobs/in-and-outs, it's all about the software.  The software is not perfect.  It will never be perfect.  The Line 6 people are purposely milking it with gradual improvements... and/or things do get developed gradually over time.   Sure, the Helix can have an amazing surfy reverb sound, but they are deliberately taking their time with it.  Similarly, the EX "Freeze" pedal, they could have released it 4 years ago.  Or how about the concept of a "Global Block" that people have been asking for for years.  Not now, not yet... Maybe they'll introduce these in the next generation of the Helix.  

 

Let's look at Apple, the first iPhone.  It was fantastic, but the camera did not shoot videos, you could not switch between apps, you couldn't copy and paste!  All those things could have been implemented from the get-go.  However, Apple wanted to say "the new and improved, the best iOS ever..." etc.  It took a few years until we could do copy-paste in iOS, while many phones from the early 2000s could do those things.  

 

Having said that, the Helix is damn-near perfect for my needs.  I keep tweaking my sounds and the more time I spend with it, the better my tones get.  I'm glad I bit the bullet and switched over to the digital side.  If it weren't for the Helix, I wouldn't have been able to record guitar during the quarantine.  

 

Just this weekend, I finally dialed in the perfect surf "drip" reverb sound.  I'm sure Line 6 could have included it as its own separate effect years ago.  But anyway, here it is, if anybody's interested:

 

 

-d.

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31 minutes ago, theElevators said:

My 2 Cents:

Like many have said, companies deliberately introduce products that are imperfect.  With the Helix, which is pretty much a computer with some buttons/knobs/in-and-outs, it's all about the software.  The software is not perfect.  It will never be perfect.  The Line 6 people are purposely milking it with gradual improvements... and/or things do get developed gradually over time.   Sure, the Helix can have an amazing surfy reverb sound, but they are deliberately taking their time with it.  Similarly, the EX "Freeze" pedal, they could have released it 4 years ago.  Or how about the concept of a "Global Block" that people have been asking for for years.  Not now, not yet... Maybe they'll introduce these in the next generation of the Helix.  

 

Companies don't have unlimited resources when it comes to R&D. In an innovative company, their reach will always exceed their grasp. So it all comes down to prioritizing things. That's really why Ideascale is helpful to Line 6. It gives them a better idea of what demand is actually like for various features. With other online forums and social media, it's possible for small number of people to make a lot of noise about certain features... Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't.

 

I think people would be surprised if they actually saw the size of the teams Line 6 has working on the various product lines. They get a lot done, really. We also never know what's happening behind the scenes as far as people taking other jobs, etc. There have been a good number of Line 6 engineers poached by Apple over the years...

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4 hours ago, theElevators said:

The Line 6 people are purposely milking it with gradual improvements... and/or things do get developed gradually over time.


I seriously doubt that Line 6 are “milking it”. They have added stacks of additional features, amps and fx since the Helix was first released - all at no extra cost to owners. If they had waited until they had created and tested all those extra features before Helix was put on the market, we would all still be waiting. 
 

Things “do get developed gradually over time” - just be happy with what you have. After all, if every type of reverb was available right from the off, you might not have had so much fun creating your very own version of the “drip” which has turned into something like a flood on here.

 

;-)

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  • 1 month later...

Where Line 6 has to be careful is when users start to feel strongly about missing some key features and other competitors capitalize on it. If Axe Fx had release a floor pedal as powerful as their Axe fx III rack unit and had made the interface and routing as easy/intuitive as Helix or more, you'd be seeing a lot more Helix units on Reverb. The Quad Cortex looked promising but from all demos including most recent ones, feels like a poorly executed device and software. It feels more like a proof of concept than a product. If they had nailed it, Line 6 would be loosing a lot of customers. Line 6 is lucky they haven't.

 

As it stands the reverb quality in Helix is making me want to add an outboard pedal. I hate the idea of using up more dsp just to do some spliting/combining tricks in Helix to achieve the Reverb I want that I can buy in a single pedal.

 

I wouldn't be as concerned about that if Helix DSP was at least 50% more powerful. I would be very happy for a long time if it had similar or more power than the Axe FX III, would allow multiple splits on a single path, and 4 independent long paths of at least 12 blocks each (and each of those could have multiple splits along their paths).

 

Lastly the Helix UI is the best of the bunch, but adding a touch screen where I can just touch blocks to select them without having to use the damn joystic, and a graphical parametric EQ representation where I can touch, drag, pinch, would just send it through the roof.

 

A device like that, along with software updates would likely last 10-15 years. As it stands, Helix is already aging just 5 years after release. 

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On 3/10/2020 at 9:05 AM, AlienSexGod said:

 

OK good luck with that... while we are waiting how about hassling Yamaha for a + model with double the DSP and double the ram? Since your R&D costs have been recovered years ago by now you should easily be able to deliver that as the same price as Helix standard 5 years ago. Everything else can remain teh same so just faster DSP and added ram easy. Then ask Yamaha to buy a majority share in  TC Electronics get them to do new Reverbs, Chorus etc so you can compete with Fractal on the quality of those staple effects..... THEN it's draw dropping without years of waiting....

 

On 3/10/2020 at 9:30 AM, phil_m said:

 

Behringer owns TC Electronic, and TC is pretty much a shell of what they used to be.

 

And adding additional processing capability is nowhere near as easy as making it sound. For one thing, the type of processors that the Helix uses haven't double in power since the release of the Helix. The amount of processing capability available in the comparable SHARC chip now might be like 20% more. As far as RAM, I don't think that's really even an issue. Also, if case you haven't noticed, production costs keep on increasing, not decreasing. Certainly the trade war between China and the US isn't helping things, but even beyond that, it's not like it would cheaper to make the Helix now than it was 5 years ago.

 

My nearly 20 year old TC Electronic M-One XL makes Helix Reverbs sound like $h1t

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I purchased my Helix 5 Years ago. I was incredibly excited when they finally arrived in the Stores for Purchase. I am still as excited Now with my Helix as I was then! I am addicted to The Amazing Sounds that can be created ! Not Wanting to sound Preachy, but  Any New Firmware, Effects, Amps, etc... are just a Cherry on Top of an already Amazing Cake!

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  • 4 weeks later...

There seems to be an overarching misconception throughout this thread. Guys, why are you all so certain that the power of the chips has any significant impact on the quality of the modelling? I don't think there is any reason to believe that at all. AFAIK in modern modellers chips mostly determine quantity of things you can run at once, not quality. Look at Helix Native: it can run even on really old PCs despite the fact that PCs run general-purpose processors that are dramatically less efficient at audio processing than dedicated DSPs. And the sound is exactly the same as on Helix Floor. The advantage of having dedicated DSPs in Helix hardware is at having consistent latency and reliability, not sound quality.

 

I am almost certain that Helix modelling would run on PODHD hardware just fine. Meaning that Helix hardware was not introduced because they needed it for the new modelling, but because they needed a way to sell the new software. Line6 is a digital audio company. Their product is ultimately digital, their hardware is mostly just packaging. If they wanted to just keep updating PODHD with paid model packs, they could. Probably wouldn't be able to make much money that way though, hence came Helix Floor.

 

At the same time, while I think Helix amps are good enough to be usable all the way to pro level, I don't think the modelling is perfect. There is definitely room for improvement, for some kind of Helix HD amps. They could sell them as paid updates for the Helix, but I doubt that would happen. If that were the path we would probably know about it by now. The fact that they keep shipping new amps with free updates tells me that they are not planning on refocusing their business model towards direct software sales (that would be a very big change). This means a new generation of Helix hardware can't be too far. Given the history of their previous products, it is likely to be very close indeed. Who knows, maybe they even have it ready and are waiting for this pandemic to be over. So with all that, I find it very hard to recommend buying Helix hardware right now, especially the most expensive models.

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1 hour ago, jamjameson said:

There seems to be an overarching misconception throughout this thread. Guys, why are you all so certain that the power of the chips has any significant impact on the quality of the modelling? I don't think there is any reason to believe that at all. AFAIK in modern modellers chips mostly determine quantity of things you can run at once, not quality. Look at Helix Native: it can run even on really old PCs despite the fact that PCs run general-purpose processors that are dramatically less efficient at audio processing than dedicated DSPs. And the sound is exactly the same as on Helix Floor. The advantage of having dedicated DSPs in Helix hardware is at having consistent latency and reliability, not sound quality.

 

I am almost certain that Helix modelling would run on PODHD hardware just fine. Meaning that Helix hardware was not introduced because they needed it for the new modelling, but because they needed a way to sell the new software. Line6 is a digital audio company. Their product is ultimately digital, their hardware is mostly just packaging. If they wanted to just keep updating PODHD with paid model packs, they could. Probably wouldn't be able to make much money that way though, hence came Helix Floor.

 

At the same time, while I think Helix amps are good enough to be usable all the way to pro level, I don't think the modelling is perfect. There is definitely room for improvement, for some kind of Helix HD amps. They could sell them as paid updates for the Helix, but I doubt that would happen. If that were the path we would probably know about it by now. The fact that they keep shipping new amps with free updates tells me that they are not planning on refocusing their business model towards direct software sales (that would be a very big change). This means a new generation of Helix hardware can't be too far. Given the history of their previous products, it is likely to be very close indeed. Who knows, maybe they even have it ready and are waiting for this pandemic to be over. So with all that, I find it very hard to recommend buying Helix hardware right now, especially the most expensive models.


The Helix models are quite more DSP intensive than the HD models. The HD500 had a 333MHz SHARC, and the 500X had a 400 MHz SHARC chip. The Helix has two 450 MHz SHARCs ( the Stomp and HX Effects have one). So running the Helix models on a 400 MHz HDX might technically be possible, but it wouldn’t leave much room for other stuff.

 

As far as the comparison to a computer, it’s really not a comparison. Even a cheap laptop has quite a lot more processing power than SHARC chips. It’s just that the dedicated chips are purpose built for audio applications. I can run a bunch of instances if Native on my PC at the same time. I’ve not tried to max it out, but I have projects where I have like 10 instances with no issues. And that’s on a five year old i7 laptop.

 

As far as the current Helix hardware, there is nothing they’re holding back at the moment, I can assure you. If someone wants a Helix, they should feel confident in buying it still. I mean, companies always have different thing in various stages of development, and the development itself takes a long time. Line 6 is going to be adding new stuff to the Helix for quite awhile yet, I think.

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On 7/22/2020 at 7:23 AM, datacommando said:


For sure, and if bro’ “firehawkkwah” is really keen on constant change and new hardware models he should have taken the Fractal route. They change rack boxes more often than my t-shirts. Phew!
  

I just sold my firehawk and bought an LT. 

Do I have to change user name??

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2 hours ago, phil_m said:

The Helix models are quite more DSP intensive than the HD models. The HD500 had a 333MHz SHARC, and the 500X had a 400 MHz SHARC chip. The Helix has two 450 MHz SHARCs ( the Stomp and HX Effects have one). So running the Helix models on a 400 MHz HDX might technically be possible, but it wouldn’t leave much room for other stuff.


How do you know that? Are you just assuming it because Helix Floor has double DSP? Remember, POD HD500X allows you to run only 2 amps + 8 effects. HD300 only 1 amp + 4 effects. Helix Floor allows you to run 4 amps + 28 effects at once. That's way more than the increase in DSP power, meaning Helix models may even be using less processing power than PODHD models, which is entirely possible because improved software is often more efficient. Plus HX Stomp can now run 8 blocks on single DSP and that limit still likely to be artificial. Obviously how many you can run at once varies from case to case but overall everything points to both generations using somewhat comparable processing power. If HD500X were to run Helix models, they would likely not even remove any slots, even if that would make DSP LIMIT REACHED happen more often. Event if they turned it from 2+8 into 1+4, it would still be a spectacular update for HD500X owners, considering how much better Helix sounds. The reason they didn't do that is simply because that's not how their business works, not because of technical limitations.

 

2 hours ago, phil_m said:

As far as the comparison to a computer, it’s really not a comparison. Even a cheap laptop has quite a lot more processing power than SHARC chips. It’s just that the dedicated chips are purpose built for audio applications. I can run a bunch of instances if Native on my PC at the same time. I’ve not tried to max it out, but I have projects where I have like 10 instances with no issues. And that’s on a five year old i7 laptop.

 

I wasn't making a comparison. I was demonstrating that chips don't determine modelling quality.

 

You are actually supporting my point by further reiterating that more powerful processor increases quantity, not quality. And the reason why I think Helix Native is a particularly good example is because if Helix algorithms were challenging to run I'd expect PCs to be the first ones having trouble with that. Because GPPs used there are not only not designed specifically for audio processing but also vary a lot from PC to PC and they have to run the entire PC with all the drivers and everything right as they are processing that audio. I would assume this could cause all kinds of trouble for such time-sensitive algorithms as live amp modelling. Yet Helix Native runs rather flawlessly. You can play through it live as long as your audio interface is fast enough. This suggests to me that it would also run flawlessly on HD500x, and I'd bet even the next-gen Helix would.

 

HX Stomp and Helix Native are good demonstrations of how Helix can run on more or less anything. They probably could even put it onto phones if they wished. But of course they are hesitant of making it too accessible, as that would reduce value perception. HX Stomp is already a pretty big hit on that front. It sort of opens people's eyes to the fact that Helix sound doesn't really require a big and expensive piece of gear.

 

2 hours ago, phil_m said:

As far as the current Helix hardware, there is nothing they’re holding back at the moment, I can assure you. If someone wants a Helix, they should feel confident in buying it still. I mean, companies always have different thing in various stages of development, and the development itself takes a long time. Line 6 is going to be adding new stuff to the Helix for quite awhile yet, I think.

 

How can you assure me they are not holding anything back? I assume that would require full knowledge of the current development pipeline. What makes you so sure they don't have Helix HD ready and waiting for the right moment? Or that it's close to be ready for that matter. And if that was indeed the case, don't you think it would be in Line6's interest to publicly announce it so that people waiting for next-gen would buy the current one?

 

Also, I don't think that how long they'll keep updating Helix 1 is very relevant for this topic. They may be updating it in parallel with Helix HD, that won't really make it any less painful if you cash out for Helix Floor a few months before Helix HD comes out.

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3 hours ago, jamjameson said:

don't you think it would be in Line6's interest to publicly announce it so that people waiting for next-gen would buy the current one?

 

NAMM is the time for announcements. Their is a Winter NAMM and a Summer NAMM... Line 6 generally announces new items at the Winter NAMM, and delivery starts a few months later.

 

If I were in the market for a high ticket product, I doubt I would buy something shortly (2 - 3 month window) before Winter NAMM.

If it wasn't announced there, I'd weigh my options between "buy now" and "wait indefinitely/impatiently"!

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3 hours ago, jamjameson said:

How do you know that? Are you just assuming it because Helix Floor has double DSP? Remember, POD HD500X allows you to run only 2 amps + 8 effects. HD300 only 1 amp + 4 effects. Helix Floor allows you to run 4 amps + 28 effects at once. That's way more than the increase in DSP power, meaning Helix models may even be using less processing power than PODHD models, which is entirely possible because improved software is often more efficient. Plus HX Stomp can now run 8 blocks on single DSP and that limit still likely to be artificial. Obviously how many you can run at once varies from case to case but overall everything points to both generations using somewhat comparable processing power. If HD500X were to run Helix models, they would likely not even remove any slots, even if that would make DSP LIMIT REACHED happen more often. Event if they turned it from 2+8 into 1+4, it would still be a spectacular update for HD500X owners, considering how much better Helix sounds. The reason they didn't do that is simply because that's not how their business works, not because of technical limitations.


How do I know the Helux models are more DSP intensive? It’s somewhat easy to see the relative DSP usage of various things by seeing how many you can put in the signal chain people have done this. Just because they’re adding two blocks to the Stomp doesn’t mean it won’t be possible to hit the DSP limit prior to that still. It’s easy to do that now depending on the blocks you use.

 

3 hours ago, jamjameson said:

You are actually supporting my point by further reiterating that more powerful processor increases quantity, not quality. And the reason why I think Helix Native is a particularly good example is because if Helix algorithms were challenging to run I'd expect PCs to be the first ones having trouble with that. Because GPPs used there are not only not designed specifically for audio processing but also vary a lot from PC to PC and they have to run the entire PC with all the drivers and everything right as they are processing that audio. I would assume this could cause all kinds of trouble for such time-sensitive algorithms as live amp modelling. Yet Helix Native runs rather flawlessly. You can play through it live as long as your audio interface is fast enough. This suggests to me that it would also run flawlessly on HD500x, and I'd bet even the next-gen Helix would.


PC processors from 15 years ago or longer are more powerful from a pure GFLOP perspective than SHARC chips. The Helix models could be made to run on an iPhone, I’m sure. Those processors are very fast nowadays. The audio interface part is the tricky thing.

 

3 hours ago, jamjameson said:

How can you assure me they are not holding anything back? I assume that would require full knowledge of the current development pipeline. What makes you so sure they don't have Helix HD ready and waiting for the right moment? Or that it's close to be ready for that matter. And if that was indeed the case, don't you think it would be in Line6's interest to publicly announce it so that people waiting for next-gen would buy the current one?


I don’t have full knowledge of their plans, but I have some... Given what I know I’d still be comfortable buying a Helix right now. In fact I bought a Helix Rack less than a year ago ( I’ve had my Floor since 2015).

 

As far as announcing gear, since the Yamaha acquisition, the policy is pretty much only to announce things when they are ready to be shipped or close to it. They aren’t going to announce something six months on advance or anything like that.

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/10/2020 at 2:03 PM, codamedia said:

 

NAMM is the time for announcements. Their is a Winter NAMM and a Summer NAMM... Line 6 generally announces new items at the Winter NAMM, and delivery starts a few months later.

 

If I were in the market for a high ticket product, I doubt I would buy something shortly (2 - 3 month window) before Winter NAMM.

If it wasn't announced there, I'd weigh my options between "buy now" and "wait indefinitely/impatiently"!

That's my reasoning as well. I was considering buying a rack or an LT, but I'll wait for NAMM. I'd hate to spent a lot of money just to find out about Helix 2 two months later. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 7/22/2020 at 9:42 PM, HonestOpinion said:

 

Although there are some things I would have preferred be done with different hardware such as the joystick, in toto(not the dog) I cannot believe what a well built piece of equipment the Helix is. It is absolutely awe-inspiring from the quality of the case to the screen and scribble strips, even the rough pebble coating on the incredibly solid expression pedal. Almost everything about it feels robust and fantastic. What a remarkable piece of kit. It is a beast! As I posted before I only wish I could upgrade the components when the time comes because it is one truly impressive piece of gear that I would prefer never become obsolete. 

 

For anyone waiting I would say get off the fence and just get one!! I'm sure the "Double Helix", whenever it comes, and it could be years, will have more capability but with the build and quality of the Helix as it exists already the new Double Helix will be hard-pressed to deliver at the current price point as materials and manufacturing continue to get more expensive. This device has captured my intense interest, served me flawlessly for years of gigging, and cured my lifelong G.A.S.. I have said this before but I truly believe it has saved me bundles of cash over the years. My constant purchase and search for other equipment decreased dramatically after getting the Helix. In the long run it has saved me thousands, so if you are just looking at the economics of it you may be surprised at how your lowered net expenditures on other gear may end up more than justifying the purchase.

 

Even if you decide to sell your LT for less than the purchase price when a new device comes out to displace it, you may well find that you have saved a lot of money on other gear you would have bought otherwise. In the interim you will definitely have missed out on just how much fun and creativity this device delivers, especially when integrated with a Variax and/or PowerCab,  delivered with an intuitive interface that makes using it a pleasure. With a major firmware upgrade coming(3.0) it will soon have even more toys and functionality under the hood. I am not shy about critiquing things I think could be done better on the Helix but overall the experience has been overwhelmingly positive.  

 

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U mentioned the Joystick...Just wondered if you had issues with your model...

ive posted on my purchaes where my joystick gave up the chost...I had to send back as i had bought a B Stock Helix Rack

What a brilliant machine indeed...Ive sent it back today 7th Dec 2020 for to be replace with a NEW model...

My real question is ( no one has answered as yet)

How old is a BRAND NEW model , does it have a date on serial number like guitar have?? 

I recon its a good valid question.

 

I  cant wait to get the new model...

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5 minutes ago, moonshine2015 said:

U mentioned the Joystick...Just wondered if you had issues with your model...

ive posted on my purchaes where my joystick gave up the chost...I had to send back as i had bought a B Stock Helix Rack

What a brilliant machine indeed...Ive sent it back today 7th Dec 2020 for to be replace with a NEW model...

My real question is ( no one has answered as yet)

How old is a BRAND NEW model , does it have a date on serial number like guitar have?? 

I recon its a good valid question.

 

I  cant wait to get the new model...

 

I have two Helix Floor units.  One of them (the one I use for live performances) had a failure with the joystick after about 6 months.  It was under warranty so I sent it in on a Monday and got it back fixed that Friday.  When I called it in I was told it was a simple fix where a solder point needed to be redone.  Other than that I've had no problems at all.

I'm not sure about the serial numbers.

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Just now, moonshine2015 said:

U mentioned the Joystick...Just wondered if you had issues with your model...

ive posted on my purchaes where my joystick gave up the chost...I had to send back as i had bought a B Stock Helix Rack

What a brilliant machine indeed...Ive sent it back today 7th Dec 2020 for to be replace with a NEW model...

My real question is ( no one has answered as yet)

How old is a BRAND NEW model , does it have a date on serial number like guitar have?? 

I recon its a good valid question.

 

I  cant wait to get the new model...

 

Just a note on posting. You can comment under/over(outside the frame) of someone else's quoted post but still within your post instead of quoting in one post and commenting in the next. More efficient and easier to follow.

 

I mentioned the joystick because I am not particularly fond of that particular part of the Helix design although mine has served me flawlessly for many years now. I prefer the Roland/Boss approach to joysticks which is more recessed and IMHO less prone to breakage or failure, particularly from an errant kick or knock or a tight padded case applying too much pressure from the top. Might last longer under heavy usage as well. Could be wrong though since I don't have the MTB failure or total number of failures stats.  I know a certain number of devices have had cold solder joints and have seen several posts over the years regarding the joystick failing but nothing approaching what you could call egregious.

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47 minutes ago, HonestOpinion said:

Just a note on posting.


Hi,

 

This guy has a scattergun approach to posting. First time round (couple of days back) he had already got around 24 posts across the forum, trying to figure out if his Rack unit had a fault in the joystick hardware or if it was a software issue. Eventually, the light went on, and he has decided to send his B stock purchase back to the place he bought it and is getting one brand new. 
 

He is now in an obsessive state of stress that his brand new Helix Rack may been made in 2015 and sleeping in the back of a Chinese warehouse since then. His big worry is, when he opens it and plugs in, the joystick will immediately fall off. 
 

In another post, I have tried to explain the principle of warranty on products. I will wait, with a certain dread, to see what happens next.

 

Some times I worry for my own sanity, because of some of the antics and other nonsense in here.

 

Time for my medication, it may stop the voices. AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGH!

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11 hours ago, datacommando said:


Hi,

 

This guy has a scattergun approach to posting. First time round (couple of days back) he had already got around 24 posts across the forum, trying to figure out if his Rack unit had a fault in the joystick hardware or if it was a software issue. Eventually, the light went on, and he has decided to send his B stock purchase back to the place he bought it and is getting one brand new. 
 

He is now in an obsessive state of stress that his brand new Helix Rack may been made in 2015 and sleeping in the back of a Chinese warehouse since then. His big worry is, when he opens it and plugs in, the joystick will immediately fall off. 
 

In another post, I have tried to explain the principle of warranty on products. I will wait, with a certain dread, to see what happens next.

 

Some times I worry for my own sanity, because of some of the antics and other nonsense in here.

 

Time for my medication, it may stop the voices. AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGH!

Do You know Commando know how I can block certain folks on Line 6 forums...since you seem to know everyone , but actually nothing?

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58 minutes ago, moonshine2015 said:

Do You know Commando know how I can block certain folks on Line 6 forums...since you seem to know everyone , but actually nothing?

In your Line 6 Account settings there is a section called ‘Ignore Users’. You can enter specific usernames there and set some parameters.

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1 hour ago, moonshine2015 said:

Do You know Commando know how I can block certain folks on Line 6 forums...since you seem to know everyone , but actually nothing?

 

Free tip: Asking someone for assistance and concluding your request with an insult tends to yield unsatisfying results....

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I have one of the Original Helix Floor Controllers.

It has been nothing but amazing. I had 1 issue with a Solder point connection. It was repaired while I waited! 
No matter what the Year of the Unit,

Line 6 has been nothing but exceptional with their Customer Service!

I really wouldn’t concern yourself with what year it was made!

Just Enjoy It!!

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I think one of the things people don't take much notice of in discussions like this is how broad the Helix line has become.  Being among the group of early adopters of the Helix (which I refer to as B.S.B.F.H., or Before Snapshots and Before Full HXEdit), I think the user's thinking a next generation of Helix will be everything the current Helix is and more.  And that wasn't even true of the Helix compared to the HD500X in a large sense.  There were many things that lived in the HD500X universe that didn't make it into the Helix universe for several years which would also likely be the case in the next Helix universe when you think about the entire family of products now bearing that name as well as the breadth of capabilities we now have.

As for myself I'm not sure I'd even be all that interested in a next generation of Helix.  First, in the time I've owned my Helix I've never encountered any limitations I couldn't overcome.  And secondly, at my age I may not be willing to continue gigging long enough to justify a whole new generation of equipment and resultant upgrades.  For now I'll just bask in the warm glow of all the things the Helix can do and how much it's grown in capabilities over the last 5 years...which should be enough to keep me warm and toasty for a long time.

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  • 2 weeks later...

With the Helix I believe they are almost on par with a top quality tube amp sound-wise but I don't believe they will be able to match the sound and feel with the current processing power/architecture/algorithms. That last bit could require a new approach. The sound is great but as a player you notice you're not playing the real deal.

I believe the Neural DSP Quad Cortex could set a new standard. I really look forward to test it and I hope for Line6 to have an answer ready in the coming year.

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2 hours ago, BartBlackMagic said:

With the Helix I believe they are almost on par with a top quality tube amp sound-wise but I don't believe they will be able to match the sound and feel with the current processing power/architecture/algorithms. That last bit could require a new approach. The sound is great but as a player you notice you're not playing the real deal.

I believe the Neural DSP Quad Cortex could set a new standard. I really look forward to test it and I hope for Line6 to have an answer ready in the coming year.

Sorry, but imho, that "feel" you want is the "amp in the room" which is accomplished by having a real guitar speaker pushing a certain amount of air. Nothing else.

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8 hours ago, bypassvalve said:

 

when they put it in front of the power amp where it's supposed to go it will be perfect

YES! I know everybody loves listening to that super awesome wet stereo reverb... but... put one of the legacy spring reverbs BEFORE your amp in the chain.

Thank us later.

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On 12/18/2020 at 10:46 AM, PeterHamm said:

that "feel" you want is the "amp in the room" which is accomplished by having a real guitar speaker pushing a certain amount of air. Nothing else.

 

amp in the room sound is ambient reflections, spatial cues your ears can pick up on to tell your brain what kind of a space you're in. the dual delay at the end, set on i think 7 and 8 ms. 1ms is like 1 foot, you can experiment with the size and mix, at 16% mix it's subtle but you can tell when it's gone

mic scout 84.hlx

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