GO vs Helix

[dacop13]

Question for all the Go users who also own a Helix. I purchased a Helix LT a couple weeks ago and I still have time to return it. Not that I want to because I am enjoying the tones, however I am a very simple setup type using AMP, Chorus, Phase, EQ, Delay and Wah. That is what most of my presets include. I use a real cabinet powered by an Orange Pedal Baby, so there are no Cab blocks in my presets. Is the Helix overkill for me? Would the Go make more sense, its a $700 difference.   

[voxman55]

Hi @dacop13.  I think its definitely well worth you considering a Pod Go, as based on your post and current needs, Helix LT might be more than you currently need. 

 

With Pod Go you get Helix tones with a much simpler set-up that's way more compact and lighter.  Amp, Cab, Wah, EQ, and  Volume are all in the fixed blocks (you can turn the cab off if not needed).  Even though Helix LT is more powerful, you still have up to 4 user blocks for your delay, chorus and phaser. 

 

Both Helix & Pod Go use dynamic DSP so even though the amp and cab is a fixed block, these still share the remaining DSP with the (up to) four flexible blocks.  Be aware that if you choose the most DSP hungry amp, reverb and delay model as an extreme, you could in theory run out of DSP processing power after 2 flexible blocks.  But there is so much flexibility and so many different options in Pod Go it's hard to envisage any serious issue here.  I was concerned re the processing power but having played around with it for a week so far, I've only encountered once where my 4th block choice was part restricted - so I swapped spring reverb for hall reverb and I had the full option of modulation effects to choose from again. 

 

The Pod Go display is excellent, Pod Go Edit is excellent, & Pod Go has a neat little built in carrying grip and it can slip into a standard lap top bag .  Some other things to be aware of though  - Pod Go doesn't yet allow you to name individual snap shots (they are just numbered 1 to 4) or to rename a footswitch assignment where you elect for it to activate more than a single effect - it will just say multiple. Pod Go also can't run multiple amps and multiple cabs, and it doesn't have the complex routing options of Helix LT.  Helix LT also has capacitive ('touch') footswitches - Pod Go' has regular footswitches. 

 

Not surprisingly for a brand new unit, there have been a few niggly 'bugs' that Line 6 has worked hard to iron out. The original 1.01 software was upgraded to v1.10 and Pod Go is now on v1.11.  There may still therefore be a few bugs/odd behaviours left that Line 6 need to iron out.  You should also be aware that Line 6 may not be able to provide the upgrades re new amp, cab & effect models that may be added to Helix/Helix LT.  As Line 6 has stressed, although Pod Go has nearly all of the (then) Helix models (3 very DSP heavy effects had to be omitted) it's a Pod, not a Helix. It's single chip DSP capacity is more limited than the dual chip DSP capacity of Helix/Helix LT and whilst Line 6 has tried to squeeze in as much as they reasonably can into Pod Go, it's unlikely they'll be able to squeeze too much more into it.  

 

Helix LT construction overall is also more rugged, with more footswitches, but Pod Go is still well built with a metal casing and its very tough plastic base.  My biggest criticism of Pod Go is not the Pod Go unit itself, but of its PSU - the cable is too short, too thin, and I don't like it's 'wallwart' adapter.  I believe the Helix LT has an internal transformer with a sturdier 'kettle lead' connector to mains (but I haven't seen one in the flesh so stand to be corrected here).  But (and I'm looking out myself for this) it may be possible to buy a more robust compatible third party PSU  for it.  

 

So Helix LT, as you'd expect, is built to a higher spec, has a lot more processing power, and is capable of a lot more.  But if you don't need all the extra sexy stuff it can do, you're paying double the cost (or more) for something that weights over twice as much and has a way bigger footprint than Pod Go. So provided you can accept some reasonable trade offs, Pod Go is just an excellent piece of kit. 

 

Similar to yourself, I could afford Helix LT but just didnt need something so complex where I'd be lucky if I used more than 20% of what it could do. I needed something smaller, lighter, and with more state of the art modeling and options than my current gigging mfx (Vox Tonelab SE) gives me - the TLSE  weight and overall size is somewhere between full Helix and Helix LT, and I simply didn't want such a big heavy unit again.

 

Hope this is helpful, and that you and others feel this is a fair and objective appraisal of some key themes.  

 

 

[grdGo33]

4 hours ago, dacop13 said:

simple setup type using AMP, Chorus, Phase, EQ, Delay and Wah. That is what most of my presets include. I use a real cabinet powered by an Orange Pedal Baby, so there are no Cab blocks in my presets. Is the Helix overkill for me? Would the Go make more sense, its a $700 difference.   

 

More than good enough if that's only what you'll use...  It is less than 1/2 price...  Basically, with Go, you have 4 'free' slots where you can put any effect.  You always have an EQ, Volume/Wah pedal, amp and cab.  Plus 4 whatever.  So with your above, the Amp, wah and EQ are 'free / always on'.  You'd have 1 chorus,  1 phase,  1 delay, and you'd have 1 slot free for a Go distortion pedal, compressor, a reverb, looper, etc. 

 

https://youtu.be/sjRP5gtnZCA?t=1647

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6f4slSLGlo

 

[dacop13]

In a live situation, will I be able to send one signal to a power amp to real cabinet, and then another signal to FOH? 

[silverhead]

Yes. You can route the POD Go Send output to the power amp/cab and the main output to FOH. In terms of preset you will probably want the POD Go Cab/IR to be the last block in the signal chain and the FX Loop to be placed immediately before it.